SAN FRANCISCO — The good vibes that came out of a series with the Braves didn’t make it through the off day.
Zack Greinke came into AT&T Park on Tuesday night and did what he always does: Beat the Giants. Greinke and the Diamondbacks won 4-3, with the right-hander improving to 9-1 against the Giants. Johnny Cueto didn’t make it to the sixth inning of a good matchup. He was pulled after giving up four runs in a lengthy fifth.
Cueto rolled through the first four innings, allowing just a pair of singles. A walk of Yasmany Tomas started the fifth inning and Chris Owings lined a cutter into the gap in left-center for an RBI triple. Jean Segura’s single gave Arizona the lead. Cueto would load the bases ahead of Paul Goldschmidt. He reached back and blew the slugger away with a well-placed 94 mph fastball. A cutter to Welington Castillo missed its spot, though, and the ensuing two-run single to center ended Cueto’s night.
The Giants had taken an early 1-0 lead on a sac fly by Brandon Crawford, but Greinke locked in from there. A rising pitch count looked like it would knock him out early, but after throwing 85 pitches in the first four, Greinke got through the fifth on just nine pitches. He gave up a run in the sixth on a pair of doubles — one a bloop — but that was it.
The Giants put two on with one out in the seventh, but Edwin Escobar — who was traded away in the Jake Peavy deal in 2014 — got his revenge with a series of good fastballs that led to a Crawford double play. Escobar got another double play in the eighth.
Jarrett Parker got a run back with two outs in the ninth on Angel Pagan's single, but Buster Posey grounded out to second with the tying run on first.
Starting pitching report: Cueto walked more than two batters for just the third time in 27 starts for the Giants. Of greater concern: Four of his five shortest starts have come in the second half.
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Bullpen report: Sergio Romo tumbled across first base while completing a sweet 3-1 out and appeared to hurt his leg. He stayed in the game, but had a lot of trouble getting back to the dugout.
At the plate: Crawford’s RBI was his 77th. He is seven away from tying his career-high, set last season.
In the field: Gorkys Hernandez replaced Denard Span in center field in the top of the seventh. Span had a stiff neck.
Attendance: The Giants announced a crowd of 41,443 human beings who have gotten used to these new Diamondbacks jerseys.
Up next: Matt Moore will take another shot at a no-hitter.
