SAN FRANCISCO _ Apparently, baseball's most un-hittable pitcher knows how to swing a heavy stick, too. The San Francisco Giants discovered Ervin Santana's untapped talent the hard way.
Santana, who leads the majors in opponents batting average, hits per nine innings and shutouts, provided his own offense at AT&T Park Friday, driving in three runs to propel the Minnesota Twins to a 4-0 win.
The Giants (25-38) got exactly what they wanted when Santana stepped up to the plate with two outs in the fourth. Matt Moore (2-7) loaded up the bases by pitching around catcher Jason Castro with runners on first and second, moving them into scoring position so he could face the American League ace, who entered the game with a career .118 batting average, along with just two extra-base hits and three RBI in 105 career plate appearances.
But Santana (8-3) made sure that Moore will be replaying the decision in his sleep, clearing the bases by dropping a first-pitch fastball into the gap in right-center field, just beyond the reach of a sliding Denard Span, who got a glove on the ball but couldn't make the catch.
Santana's three-run double gave the Twins a 4-0 lead.
Moore left the game in the sixth after surrendering all four of the Twins runs on seven hits and three walks. The Giants struggling left-hander is 0-3 with a 4.66 ERA in his last five starts.
The Twins opened the scoring in the third when Byron Buxton and Castro led off the inning with singles and Brian Dozier knocked in a run by punching a ground ball up the middle into centerfield.
As clutch as Santana proved to be with the bat, he showed the National League squad why he makes a living with his stuff on the mound, allowing just five Giants to reach base as he twirled his third complete game shutout of the year.
The Giants best chance at solving Santana came in the third when Aaron Hill smacked a fastball to triple's alley to lead off the inning with a three bagger. But the Twins right-hander pitched his way out of trouble by inducing ground ball outs out of Anthony Slater, Moore and Span.
NOTES
_Madison Bumgarner pitched off a mound for the first time since he sprained his left shoulder in a dirt biking accident Friday.
The Giants ace threw 20 pitches, all fastballs, in a bullpen session at AT&T Park. Bochy said Bumgarner pitch in a simulated game when the Giants travel to Colorado next weekend (June 15-18).
_The Giants added relief pitcher Sam Dyson to the 25-man roster Friday, optioning utility man Orlando Calixte to Triple-A Sacramento.
The 29-year-old right-hander, who's 1-6 with a 10.80 ERA this season, said he was "shocked" when he learned that he was traded to the Giants on Tuesday.
"I really didn't have a great inclination of where I might be headed," Dyson said. "These guys have obviously been to the edge of the circle and they've won it all a few times. The main this is, it's nice to come to a team where you know a few of the guys."
_Eduardo Nunez extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a first inning single against the Twins. With the hit, Nunez has now reached base in 24-straight games.
_Buster Posey went 0 for 4, snapping a streak in which he reached base in 22-consecutive games.
