Photo credit: @SFGiants
By Jeremy Kahn
SAN FRANCISCO — Luke Voit turned Oracle Park into his own batting cage this weekend for the New York Yankees.
Thru his at-bats in the three-game series, Voit went 6-for-12, including going 3-for-4 in the finale and the Yankees completed the three-game series with a 11-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 34,540 at Oracle Park.
This was the first time this season that the Giants have been on the other end of a series sweep, and have lost their last four home games.
Domingo German pitched six strong innings, as he allowed four runs on five hits, walking one and striking out five on his way to his fifth win of the season.
The Yankees got the scoreboard rolling in the first inning, as Gary Sanchez reached on a fielders choice that scored DJ LeMahieu and Brandon Crawford committed a fielding error.
After the Crawford fielding error, Gleyber Torres grounded into a double play that scored Voit from third base.
Once again, it was that man Voit again, as he hit a two-run single in the top of the second inning that scored Gio Urshela and Tyler Wade.
Torres got in on the act in the top of the third, as he launched a two-run home run over the left-center wall.
After giving back-to-back singles to start the top of the fourth inning, that was the end of the afternoon for Dereck Rodriguez, who went just three innings, allowing six runs (four earned), on seven hits, walking four and striking out three, as he saw his record fall to 3-3 on the season.
The three-innings pitched by Rodriguez matched his second-shortest start of his major league career. Rodriguez allowed tied his career high in hit allowed with seven (fifth time) and walks with four, also the six runs allowed were a career high.
Nick Vincent came on to replace Rodriguez, and was cruising until Sanchez launched a two-run home run that landed deep into the left field bleachers. It was the second home run in as many days for Sanchez, who hit his first career grand slam in Saturdays 6-4 victory.
The Giants literally cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth inning, as they scored four runs off of German.
Joe Panik drove in the first run of the game for the Giants, as he drove in Tyler Austin, who walked while pinch-hitting for Vincent.
Pablo Sandoval doubled to center field that scored Yangervis Solarte, who reached on a fielders choice, then after a Brandon Belt single, Pablo Sandoval doubled in Solarte, Crawford lined out to Torres for the second out, but then Kevin Pillar, singled in Belt and Sandoval.
The Yankees tacked on three more runs in the top of the ninth inning, as Cameron Maybin singled in Torres and then Tyler Wade drove in Mike Tauchman and Maybin, who advanced on the throw home.
Pillar led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run, his fifth of the season and it was his 18th run batted in of the season, tying his career for most RBIs in one month. He previously drove in 18 runs in June of 2015.
NOTES: Voit extended his on-base streak up to 39 games when he walked in the first inning, as it is the second longest streak by a Yankees player, trailing Mark Teixeiras 42-game streak in 2005. Also, it is the longest current on-base streak in the major leagues.
LeMahieu was forced to leave the game in the bottom of the third inning with inflammation in his right knee, and x-rays were negative.
Urshela left the game in the fourth inning after he was hit by a pitch on his left hand, and x-rays were negative.
The 11 runs scored by the Yankees were the most given by the Giants in any game this season, and as a team, the Yankees outscored the Giants 24-12 in the three-game sweep.
UP NEXT: Jeff Samardzija takes the mound on Monday, as the two-time defending National League Champion Los Angeles Dodgers head to the Bay Area for a three-game series. Kenta Maeda will take the mound for the Dodgers, who are coming off a three-game series sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium.
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