SAN FRANCISCO _ Like Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants starter Ty Blach continues to dish out his best stuff in the pitcher-friendly confines of AT&T Park.
The only difference is that Blach actually received some run support, and plenty of it, Saturday as the Giants (21-30) returned to the win column with a 6-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
After spoiling a seven-inning, one-run performance from Cain on Friday night, the Giants' offense made sure that it didn't deal the same fate to Blach as the left-hander put together one of his strongest starts of the season, tossing seven shutout innings before surrendering a pair of earned runs in the eighth. He also recorded a season-high five strikeouts.
The Giants, who ranked 30th in runs per game after Friday's 2-0 loss to the Braves, scored five times before the fifth inning, capitalizing on Nick Hundley's first home run of the season, Brandon Belt's 10th and four-consecutive two-out hits in the fourth.
Hundley snapped the Giants' 18-inning scoreless streak in the bottom of the second, launching a two-run shot into the left field stands with Aaron Hill aboard. Belt became the first Giant to reach double digits in home runs this season, leading off the fourth with a blast to the deep part of the yard in right center.
After Hundley and Mac Williamson reached base on two-out singles later in the fourth, Blach provided his own run support by smacking a line drive single to center, driving in a run. Then, Denard Span made it four hits in a row, bringing in Williamson with an opposite-field double down the left field line.
The Giants added a sixth run in the eighth when Hundley collected his third hit and third RBI of the game, scoring Belt with a two-out bouncer up the middle. The Giants entered the game having scored just six runs in their past four games.
With his fourth-consecutive quality start, Blach (3-2), who's filling in for Madison Bumgarner in the Giants rotation, improved to 2-1 with a 1.87 ERA in five home starts this season. He allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but managed to quickly pitch his way out trouble, inducing 6-4-3 double plays in the fourth and the sixth.
Blach also did his best Bumgarner impression at plate, adding a single in the seventh to go 2 for 3 on the night with an RBI.
The Braves scored a third run in the ninth off reliever Derek Law before closer Mark Melancon came in to record the last two outs and his 10th save of the season.
