SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Alex Wood pitched seven crisp innings after allowing a home run on the game’s third pitch, and the San Francisco Giants kept rolling at Oracle Park by beating the Miami Marlins 5-3 on Friday – without the beloved therapy bunny in attendance.
Mike Yastrzemski homered as the Giants improved to 7-1 at home and celebrated Buster Posey becoming the first player in franchise history to catch 1,000 games. Brandon Belt walked three times and had an RBI single.
Jazz Chisholm and Jesus Aguilar homered for the Marlins.
A night after Alex the rabbit provided some light moments for fans while sitting with his owners behind San Francisco’s dugout, the Giants found motivation in Wood’s second start after his season was delayed by a minor back procedure.
Wood (2-0) set down 21 of 22 after Chisholm’s leadoff homer in the first, the only hit allowed by the Giants left-hander.
“I didn’t feel great early, but I felt like I really settled in. The rest was history from there,” Wood said. “I felt great the further I got into the game. A good win for us.”
Wood struck out seven, walked one and made a nice play to snag a line drive up the middle by Chisholm in the sixth.
“Wood’s reaction time was quick and his reflexes were fantastic in that moment,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “I liked how he held the ball up and made sure we all knew he caught it.”
Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee retired three batters apiece to complete the three-hitter.
Yastrzemski hit an opposite-field home run to left in the third off Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara (0-2) after Tommy LaStella walked.
Alcantara allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. He had four strikeouts and four walks.
Posey walked and reached on a fielder’s choice in four plate appearances on his milestone night. The 34-year-old former MVP, who opted out of the 2020 season over health concerns for his adopted twin daughters, has played in 1,271 games overall during his 12-year career.
“It’s a nice accomplishment,” Posey said. “Being able to stay on the field takes a lot of diligence and hard work. It takes a lot of different people to make that happen.”
Chisholm’s fourth homer of the season was the first of his career leading off a game.
It was an encouraging sign for Marlins manager Don Mattingly after his team was shut out a fourth time Thursday.
“You’re thinking you can get something going,” Mattingly said. “Then Wood just kept us off balance all day. He’s a guy that kind of filters the ball both ways, in and out and down. If you let him get his outs down, you’re going to be in trouble and he got a lot of outs down.”
Aguilar homered off McGee with two outs in the ninth following a throwing error by Giants third baseman Wilmer Flores.
JAZZY LEADOFF
Chisholm has three hits since being moved into the leadoff spot in Miami’s order. Mattingly sees no reason to change.
“His at-bats have been good,” the Marlins skipper said. “He’s been having them all year. He was having them in the six-hole and he’s having them now. There’s no reason to think that’s not going to continue. We’ll leave him there for a bit.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: 3B Evan Longoria received treatment on his tight hamstring before the game and was available to pinch hit. … 2B Donovan Solano has a moderate right calf strain, according to Kapler. … RHP Reyes Moronta (right flexor strain) threw a bullpen session Thursday without setback and is scheduled to throw again Saturday. … Kapler has no idea when RHP Johnny Cueto might come off the Injured List, but said: “Things are trending in the right direction.” Cueto has been on the IL with a Grade 1 right lat strain since April 15.
UP NEXT
Pablo Lopez (0-2, 3.32 ERA) faces the Giants for the second time in seven days. The Marlins right-hander allowed one run in six innings in a 1-0 loss on April 18. Kevin Gausman (1-0, 2.45) pitches for San Francisco and is coming off his strongest start of the season when he threw six scoreless innings against the Phillies.
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