Giants beat Marlins, reigning NL Cy Young winner to extend win streak to 4 games

SAN FRANCISCO — Facing reigning National League Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara, the Giants knew runs would be hard to come by Friday night.

San Francisco returned to a familiar formula over the past week, but one that would have felt foreign prior to their current win streak, which they extended to four games. With just enough timely hitting, the Giants maximized their chances, chased Alcántara in the sixth and beat the Marlins, 4-3.

After 21 hits over the final two games of their sweep of the Phillies, the Giants (21-23) managed only five Friday night. But they were also much better with runners in scoring position against Philadelphia than they had been all season, and they continued their clutch hitting in their first of three games against Miami (23-22).

“Sandy’s about as tough a customer as there is the league, and he was pretty tough tonight, too,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “We needed to send the message that we could hang in there, and the only way to do that is to get one or two big hits.”

Mitch Haniger drove in the first run of the game with a two-out double in the fourth and scored one of the Giants’ three runs in the sixth, when they forced Alcántara from the game and took the lead for good. Rookie Casey Schmitt drove Haniger home and gave the Giants another two-out RBI, while J.D. Davis and Michael Conforto drove in the other two runs of the sixth-inning rally, each connecting on fly balls deep enough to drive home LaMonte Wade Jr. and Thairo Estrada, who reached second and third with no outs after a throwing error by Alcántara.

Besides a walk drawn by Blake Sabol, the Giants came up empty against Alcántara their first time through the order. They didn’t record their first hit until there were two outs in the fourth, when Conforto beat out a dribbler down the third base line. Haniger, in his second career at-bat against Alcántara, ripped a 96-mph belt-high fastball off the base of the wall in left-center field, driving home Conforto from first.

An eighth inning solo shot from Bryan De La Cruz off Taylor Rogers was the only damage off the Giants’ bullpen, which backed up a strong outing from Anthony DeSclafani, who blanked Miami for five innings before surrendering two runs and leaving the game in the sixth.

Over the four wins this home stand, Giants relievers have allowed four runs in 19⅓ innings, a 1.86 ERA. Rather than call on Camilo Doval for the ninth, after recording all three saves against the Phillies, the Giants opted for Tyler Rogers, who recorded the final four outs.

De La Cruz drove in all three of the Marlins’ runs, and MLB batting leader Luis Arraez contributed three of their six hits, raising his average to .388.

Arraez’s double into the right field corner in the sixth put two men in scoring position with no outs after a leadoff walk, and De La Cruz doubled them both home, spelling the end to DeSclafani’s day. DeSclafani struck out six — five looking via beautiful backdoor sinkers — was credited with two earned runs over 5⅓ innings, raising his ERA to 3.09. Alcántara’s increased to 5.05, with four earned runs over 5⅔, his fifth start of fewer than six innings already, one fewer than he had all of last season.

In Schmitt’s first time facing a pitcher the caliber of Alcántara, he struck out looking in his first at-bat and grounded out softly in his second trip to the plate. But in his third try, with two strikes on him, Schmitt ripped a line drive into left field that drove in Haniger and gave the rookie a hit in nine of his first 10 major-league games.

Schmitt’s RBI single also brought out manager Skip Schumaker with the hook for his starter, who is still seeking to rediscover his Cy Young form.

Schumaker earned his own early exit in the bottom of the eighth, arguing that J.D. Davis committed a pitch-clock violation that wasn’t called. He was ejected by first base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt, along with catcher Jacob Stallings.