CHICAGO (AP) - Despite compiling the longest hitless streak of any Giants player since at least 1900, Pablo Sandoval insisted he wasn’t focused on the dry spell.
“You know, I don’t think about it,” he said. “I keep swinging. It’s one of those things, you have to grind every day (on) the field and think with a great attitude and great positivity to do everything you can to get out of it.”
Sandoval snapped his 0-for-39 skid with a three-run homer, Matt Moore pitched effectively into the seventh inning and San Francisco beat the Chicago White Sox 9-2 on Friday night.
Denard Span also homered and Brandon Crawford had three hits with an RBI for the Giants, who have won back-to-back games after losing seven of eight. Despite that, San Francisco was eliminated from playoff contention when Colorado beat the Dodgers later in the night.
Sandoval went 1 for 3 with four RBIs. His previous hit was a single on Aug. 25 at Arizona.
“There are a lot of ways to break out of it, but that’s probably the best one right there - giving us a three-run lead,” Moore said. “A no-doubter like that, he can kind of take a little bit of a breath for himself.”
Avisail Garcia homered for Chicago, which has dropped five straight.
Moore (5-13) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He won for just the second time in eight decisions.
Lucas Giolito (2-2) gave up five runs, three earned, and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked four, struck out five and was ejected by plate umpire Gabe Morales after he was lifted.
White Sox manager Rick Renteria also was tossed, by crew chief Eric Cooper. Giolito had allowed one earned run in 14 innings over his previous two starts.
“I didn’t think I said anything to warrant an ejection,” Giolito said. “To a certain extent, you have to stand up (for) yourself. I guess I just said one too many things.”
The 23-year-old right-hander didn’t permit a hit until Crawford singled with one out in the fourth. Nick Hundley followed with a walk. One out later, Giolito hung a 2-1 changeup to Sandoval, who hit a 405-foot drive deep into the right-field bleachers for a 3-0 lead.
Garcia’s two-run shot in the bottom of the inning made it 3-2.
The Giants added a couple of unearned runs in the sixth for a 5-2 lead.
Crawford had an RBI single in the seventh to make it 6-2. Span hit a solo shot and Hundley added a two-run single in the ninth.
GOTCHA!
Buster Posey, who reached on an error by Chicago second baseman Yoan Moncada, scored the first run of the sixth when the defense was caught napping. With runners on the corners, Crawford took off from first base on a 3-2 pitch to Hunter Pence. The pitch was called a ball, but catcher Kevan Smith threw to second base. Moncada went to tag Crawford as Posey ran home from third.
“When he came in, I said, ’You know he walked, right?’” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He got a great jump on that. They didn’t have a chance on him.”
Posey, though, wasn’t credited with a steal of home. It was called a fielder’s choice.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: Injured closer Mark Melancon will have season-ending surgery on his right forearm Tuesday. Melancon has been bothered by chronic compression of a muscle in the forearm throughout the year, and the surgery will aim to relieve it. “After Colorado, we said let’s go ahead and get this thing done for his peace of mind and everybody’s,” Bochy said.
White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon was placed on the 10-day DL with shoulder inflammation and the team announced he won’t pitch again this season. Rodon had an MRI after being scratched from his scheduled start Thursday. He’ll be re-evaluated next week. “We’re just being extremely cautious,” Renteria said. “(He’s) a very important piece for us moving forward.”
UP NEXT
Chicago right-hander James Shields (2-6, 5.72 ERA) looks to snap an 11-start winless streak Saturday night in the middle game of the series. San Francisco righty Jeff Samardzija (9-2, 4.31) faces his former team for the first time since leaving as a free agent following the 2015 season.
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