Matt Cain shines as San Francisco Giants defeat Washington Nationals 3-1 - MLB Update
The World Series defending Champions San Francisco Giants defeated Washington Nationals 3-1 after a close confrontational rubber fixture of the three-game series at the AT&T Park on Wednesday, June 8.
Giants’ starter Matt Cain managed to dominate with the ball as well as with bat in his 13th game of the season. Cain threw crushing fastballs to take 11 batters allowing just one run on five hits and walking one batter to earn his fifth game of
the season. Playing all 13 games as starter, the 26-yearold-pitcher managed 5-4 record with 3.36 ERA.
The game was scoreless in the bottom of the sixth inning when Cain splinters the scoreless tie with an RBI single off the Nationals’ starter Yunesky Maya. However, Cain has gained 1-0 lead but he could not restrict the opposite batters and gave away a score
tier RBI single to Rick Ankiel in the top of the seventh inning.
The Giants’ batters posted two more runs in the eighth inning to gain a 3-1 lead. Brandon Crawford and Eli Whiteside each blistered a line drive single against the Nationals’ reliever Sean Burnett, who replaced Maya in the start of the seventh inning.
"The double definitely felt good to get us going a little bit," Cain said. "Their guy was throwing the ball well, keeping us off balance."
Maya in a competition with Cain gave strong resistance to the Giants, allowing just one run on four batters and giving one walk over six innings. However, he did not receive a perfect back up from Burnett and the game went completely in the Giants’ favour.
"When I needed to make a pitch it wasn't there," said Burnett, who has a 5.96 ERA. "I came in and gave it away. I am costing the team ballgames every time I go out there. I'm not getting the job done, bottom line."
The Nationals strived hard until the end but Cain did not let them touch a ball for any run, though Washington’s closer Todd Coffey threw strong pitches to provide batters a chance to take the game back into their side.
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