Pence’s three-run homer lifts Giants to 8-3 win over Braves

But Pence’s homer put the Giants in front again, and they even scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to take away a save situation – and perhaps save an extra shred of Bochy’s sanity. Peavy has a 2.63 ERA in six starts since recovering from back and hip injuries.

The Texas Rangers, looking to make it a three-way fight in the American League West, beat division leaders the Houston Astros 4-3 for a sixth win in seven games – leaving them six games off the lead and back to a. 500 record.

Madison Bumgarner loves how the San Francisco Giants have returned to their winning ways with a tough part of the schedule coming up.

Shelby Miller was in line for his first victory since May 17 before Braves relievers imploded just like the Giants’ bullpen had twice at crunch time in the series opener.

Making his sixth start since returning from season-ending elbow surgery last year, Cain allowed 10 hits and four runs in five-plus innings.

The Giants blew leads of 6-0, 7-5 in the ninth and 8-7 in the 12th against the Braves on Monday, but the late innings belonged to San Francisco on Tuesday.

“It’s pretty evident with Angel”, said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who moved Nori Aoki from second to first and inserted center fielder Gregor Blanco in the No. 2 spot. Joe Panik traveled back to San Francisco on Tuesday and is scheduled to undergo tests on his sore lower back on Wednesday…. The Giants clubbed four home runs against the right-hander: back-to-back solo homers by Brandons Belt and Crawford in the second innings, a two-run shot by Buster Posey in the third, and a two-run round-tripper by Crawford in the fourth. “We just weren’t putting together the same at-bats we were earlier in the game”.

Right-hander George Kontos allowed three consecutive seventh-inning singles, with pinch hitter Pedro Ciriaco delivering the tying run with one out.

In his last start, Perez pitched 4.1 innings, giving up nine runs, striking out three and walking four in a 9-3 loss to the Phillies. Then after Belt lined a leadoff single in the fourth, Crawford hit another opposite-field drive that barely escaped the reach of Braves left fielder Eury Perez. “He was dominant throughout the whole game”. “I don’t know how they’re missing it, because we’re in the middle of the race and he’s doing so much for us”.

Braves: First baseman Freddie Freeman (strained oblique) and right-hander Jason Frasor (right shoulder strain) were placed on the 15-day DL.

The Braves will take on a left-hander (Bumgarner) in this game and have an 8-10 record against left-handed starting pitchers this season.

Garcia’s homer, off Ryan Vogelsong, was the third of the season for the rookie third baseman.

Braves: SS Andrelton Simmons, sidelined for the second straight game by an injured right thumb, had an MRI earlier in the day, but manager Fredi Gonzalez said before the game that he results weren’t immediately available.

Braves: Rookie Williams Perez (4-1, 4.14) gets his second start against the Giants on Wednesday.

San Francisco (57-48) took the lead at 8-7 in the top of the 12, before Atlanta rallied for the win. 309 and his hits total to 105 – just three behind the Reds Todd Frazier and four behind the Rockies Nolan Arenado for the most among NL third baseman. San Francisco has scored 205 runs this season with two outs (six Monday), accounting for 44.8 percent of its season run output.