SAN FRANCISCO -- Brandon Crawford drove in three runs and Albert Suarez pitched 3 2/3 solid innings of relief to help the San Francisco Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-5 on Monday night.
Crawford's sacrifice fly in the sixth inning against Corey Knebel (0-1) broke a 4-4 tie, and he added a two-run single an inning later as the Giants won for the ninth time in their last 11 games at home. Gregor Blanco added a two-run single in San Francisco's four-run seventh.
Suarez (2-1), the third of five Giants pitchers, allowed two runs and five hits.
The Giants scored two in the first inning on Denard Span's leadoff homer and Brandon Belt's run-scoring single. Milwaukee tied it in the third on three straight singles followed by two walks, all with two outs.
Buster Posey's RBI double and Matt Duffy's sacrifice fly in the third put the Giants back ahead.
Scooter Gennett had an RBI single in the fourth and Ramon Flores a run-scoring double in the sixth to tie it for the Brewers.
Matt Cain allowed three runs, five hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings after missing his previous two starts with a right hamstring strain. He was pitching on the fourth anniversary of his perfect game against the Houston Astros.
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Much of the attention as the three-game series opened was on Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun amid rumors he could be heading to various teams, including the Giants. The Brewers are on a nine-game California swing against the Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics.
"It seems regardless of which team we're playing, that's the team I'm getting traded to," Braun told reporters. "It started when we played the Angels, I was getting traded there. Then we played the Cubs and I was getting traded there, so I'm assuming by this weekend I'll be getting traded to the Dodgers and not the Giants."
