Arizona

Panik Homers Again in Giants Win Over D'backs

Panik hit a long three-run homer in the sixth inning Friday, his second in two days, and the Giants held on for a 3-1 win, their third straight.

PHOENIX — Joe Panik will always enjoy returning to Chase Field, where he made his big league debut two summers ago. It helps that he crushes here.

Panik hit a long three-run homer in the sixth inning Friday, his second in two days, and the Giants held on for a 3-1 win, their third straight. The blast saved the coaching staff's sanity on a night when the Giants hit into five double plays against the Diamondbacks' pitching.

This one was a pitcher’s duel for five innings, as Shelby Miller — a big offseason acquisition for the Diamondbacks — finally found his stride. Jeff Samardzija and Miller both had stretches of dominance early, and it was Miller who finally got a team on the board. He tripled to lead off the fifth and scored when Jean Segura poked a good breaking ball into center field.

Angel Pagan, making his return to the lineup after missing 11 games with a hamstring strain, opened the sixth with a single. After a Denard Span single, Panik skied a 3-0 pitch just inside the foul pole for his fifth homer of the season. Panik had previously seen 37 3-0 pitches in the big leagues and didn’t swing at any of them.

Starting pitching report: Samardzija gave up eight hits and one run in eight innings. He threw 112 pitches, putting him over 110 for the fifth time in eight starts.

Bullpen report: Bruce Bochy’s decision to let Javier Lopez, not Santiago Casilla, face Jake Lamb on Thursday set off a brief firestorm. Lamb was due up first in the ninth Friday, and this time it was Osich — not Casilla — who got the call. Lamb grounded out, and then Osich gave way to Casilla.

At the plate: In his first appearance since May 1, Pagan had a walk and a single.

In the field: Brandon Belt, who finished second to Paul Goldschmidt for the 2015 National League Gold Glove, had a hell of a night scooping grounders. His infielders owe him a round of unlimited breadsticks.

Attendance: The Diamondbacks announced a crowd of 21,753 human beings who hopefully did not eat at the chicken-and-waffles place behind the left field wall because that place is way overrated.

Up next: Jake Peavy will try to build off Monday’s start. Patrick Corbin, who is in his first full year back from TJ, pitches for Arizona.

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