Pagan hits grand slam as Cueto, Giants clobber Pirates 15-4

Can the San Francisco Giants pick up another win over the Pittsburgh Pirates when they meet up today at 12:35PM ET?

Niese gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings in losing his last start against the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Saturday.

Left fielder Angel Pagan leaped and appeared to make a spectacular catch at the top of fence on Kratz’s drive.

Pagan slammed his glove down in frustration. Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer for the Tigers in the first that cleared a brick wall in right-center, bounced off a concrete concourse and out of Comerica Park. Kratz pitched a scoreless 9th inning that actually started with Brandon Belt striking out. Before Monday’s game Kratz was hitting.

It’s not just Kratz’s batting numbers that don’t shout MAJOR LEAGUE! at you.

“When you get on a run like this, usually the pitching is keeping you in the game”, Bochy said.

Pirates: C Chris Stewart (sore left knee) sat out for the sixth time in eight games but said he should be able to play Tuesday…. He recorded two of those strikeouts out of the stretch in the fifth, when he beared down after Polanco and Andrew McCutchen started the inning with singles.

Carey in the game was 4 for 5 (all singles) with a hit- by- pitch and a base-on-balls.

The loudest cheers of the game came when the third-string catcher struck out one of the opponent’s best hitters.

Toting their second eight-game winning streak this season into PNC Park, the Giants also owned MLB’s best record since May 11.

Derek Law grew up rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

This will be game three of a four-game set.

How do they get out of this?

Ramiro Pea hit a tying double in the sixth inning and the Giants scored two more when Joe Panik s double glanced off Gregory Polanco s glove in left field.

Arizona starter Shelby Miller (2-6) went 6 2/3 innings in his return from a right index finger sprain that sent him to the 15-day disable list.

Padres 10, Orioles 7 • Matt Kemp doubled to spark a four-run seventh inning to boost visiting San Diego. The first game on Monday was a 1-0 Pittsburgh victory. He already has walked seven this season.

Shawn Tolleson (2-2) picked up the win in relief, with Sam Dyson working the ninth for his 14th save of the year. Lobstein pitched one scoreless inning.

Brandon Moss and Jhonny Peralta homered against John Lackey, helping St. Louis stopped a five-game slide by holding off Chicago.

The Giants’ Jeff Samardzija matched the shortest start of his nine-year career with just three innings and was tagged for six runs and six hits. Trevor Rosenthal permitted three baserunners in a shaky but successful ninth to claim his 13th save of the season. Over his last five starts, Samardzija hasn t retired a batter in the sixth inning in four of his last five starts. Correa homered in the fifth for Houston’s other run.

Pirates: LF Starling Marte (left foot discomfort) did not start but pinch hit in the eighth inning and grounded out after leaving Tuesday’s 15-4 loss….

The home run was Kratz’s first in the majors since August 18, 2014. None of the current Pirates have been able to hit a home run off of him in 115 combined at-bats. Pittsburgh is 34-38 overall, 19-17 at home and 44-27-1 with the over.

Boscan got ahead 1-2 before Crawford fouled off five pitches and checked his swing on a curveball in the dirt.

Clayton Kershaw pitches to the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium.

The Nationals (43-28) have dropped three in a row. Denard Span had three hits and drove in three runs for San Francisco, which pounded out 22 hits.