LaMonte Wade Jr. splashed a three-run home run into San Francisco Bay and right-hander Logan Webb completed one of the winningest first halves in recent San Francisco Giants history in a 9-5 romp over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon.
A third straight win in the four-game series allowed the Giants to head into the All-Star break just a half-game behind the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the third National League wild-card playoff spot.
Despite having lost to the Giants for the fourth time in five meetings this season, the Brewers retained the top spot in the NL Central entering the break, a half-game up on the Cardinals.
Wade’s homer, his third of the season, capped a five-run third inning against Brewers reliever Jason Alexander, who had replaced starter Aaron Ashby (2-7) one batter into the second.
Joc Pederson and Joey Bart had singled in runs earlier in the inning.
The Giants also scored single runs in the first inning on a Wilmer Flores sacrifice fly and second on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Brandon Belt.
Belt capped the San Francisco scoring with a two-run homer in the sixth, increasing the Giants’ lead to 9-1.
Ashby was charged with two runs on three hits in one-plus innings. He struck out two and didn’t walk anyone.
Webb (9-3) allowed a home run to Willy Adames, his 19th of the season, on his 10th pitch of the game before settling down to allow just three more hits in his six-plus innings. He limited the Brewers to just the one run, walking two and striking out five.
Webb’s nine wins before the All-Star break – baseball’s traditional end of the first half – equaled the seventh-most for a Giant since 2009. Anthony DeSclafani went 10-3 in the first half for the Giants last season.
Webb was not selected to the NL All-Star team, potentially missing out on a chance to be a replacement when the Giants announced he would be pitching Sunday.
Hunter Renfroe had a two-run double in the seventh inning and Rowdy Tellez a two-run homer, his 18th, in the eighth, accounting for Milwaukee’s final four runs.
Belt, Evan Longoria and Austin Slater had two hits apiece for the Giants, whose two previous wins in the series had come on a walk-off homer and an eighth-inning balk.
Belt and Wade finished with three RBIs apiece, while Slater scored twice.
Adames and Christian Yelich had two hits each for the Brewers, whose three-game losing streak matches their second-longest of the season.
–Field Level Media