Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — After striking out 55 times when they were swept against the Philadelphia Phillies, the San Francisco struck out eight times in the opener.

Chris Stratton pitched six innings, allowing just four hits, walking just one and striking out seven, as the Giants defeated the Phillies 4-0 before a crowd of 38,119 at AT&T Park.

This is the fourth consecutive win for Stratton, who improves to 7-3 and it was the longest that game Stratton went since going 6.2 innings in a game where he did not fare in the decision against the Washington Nationals on April 23rd at AT&T Park, a game that the Giants would win by the final score of 4-2.

Joe Panik made his return to the team from the disabled list a memorable one, as he walked twice and singled twice and ended the night going 2-for-3. Panik also scored the Giants first run of the game, and drove in a run with a single in the bottom of the second inning that scored Mac Williamson.

This was the first time that Panik reached base four times in the same game since he got four hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 27, 2017.

The win by the Giants stopped a six-game losing streak, including the four-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park last month. This was the Giants’ eighth win over the Phillies at AT&T Park since 2015, their second-best record against any National League team. With the win, the Giants moved within three games of the Colorado Rockies in the NL West after the Rockies lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field and the Giants and Dodgers are tied for third place in the NL West.

Brandon Belt was forced to leave the game after his only at-bat in the first inning, where he struck out and was in the hospital, where he was being evaluated for appendicitis.

Nick Pivetta, who struck out seven Giants in his last start did not fare as well this time, as he went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking three and striking out three.

Evan Longoria got the Giants on the board in the bottom of the first inning when he singled to score Panik, who led off the inning by being walked against Pivetta.

Panik drove in the Giants second run of the game in the second inning, as he singled in Williamson, who led off the inning with a walk.

That would be the score, when Gorkys Hernandez continued his hot streak, as he singled to left field to score Brandon Crawford, who led off the inning with a double.

On the evening, Crawford went 2-for-4, as he came off of a month, where he hit .412 (42-for-102) with nine doubles, four home runs and 21 runs batted in.

The Giants scored their fourth and final run of the evening in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Andrew McCutchen tripled to lead off the inning and then scored on a wild pitch by Hector Neris with Pablo Sandoval at the plate.

In his only inning of work, Neris gave up a run on three hits, struck out three and threw three wild pitches.

Neris joined Frank Hermann as the only Phillies pitchers to have thrown three wild pitches in one inning or less. Hermann did it on August 21, 2016 against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park.

Dylan Cozens made his major-league debut for the Phillies, and singled in his first at-bat against Stratton in the top of the third inning.

The Phillies got a late rally going in the top of the ninth inning off of Hunter Strickland, as Scott Kingery narrowly beat out a throw by Panik at first base for an infield hit and then Odubel Herrera lashed a double down the right field line that sent Kingery to third base. Strickland then regrouped to strikeout Carlos Santana, then Maikel Franco to groundout to Strickland, where he made a great play to Franco at first base and finally got out of the jam, when Nick Williams flew out to Hernandez for the final out.

Overall, the Giants bullpen pitched the final three innings, and the trio of Tony Watson, Sam Dyson and Strickland gave up two hits, did not walk a batter and struck out six.

In his first season with the Giants, Watson likes pitching at AT&T Park, as he has yet to allow an earned run at home this season and is the only reliever to pitch more than 12 innings at home without allowing an earned run this season.

NOTES: Andrew Suarez will take the mound on Saturday night, as the Giants look for their third consecutive win, while the Phillies will send Vince Velasquez to the mound.

There were a multitude of roster moves made by the Giants, as Tyler Beede was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento following Wednesday’s game against the Rockies.

Kelby Tomlinson was optioned to Single-A San Jose.

Mark Melancon was activated from the 60-day disabled list, and Jose Valdez was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list and was then Designated for Assignment.

Dereck Rodriguez will start on Sunday in place of Jeff Samardzija. This will be the first major league start for Rodriguez, who made his major-league debut on Tuesday against the Rockies at Coors Field.

With Rodriguez in the rotation, Ty Blach is being moved to the bullpen and will be the Giants long man.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Phillies will meet in Game 2 on Saturday night at 7:05 pm PST.