S.F. Giants favor replay

SAN DIEGO — The San Francisco Giants are totally in favor of instant replay.

As soon as Xavier Nady was called safe after sliding into home plate to apparently pull the San Diego Padres to 4-3 on Chase Headley’s bases-loaded double in the third inning Sunday, Giants manager Bruce Bochy popped out of the dugout to challenge. After 88 seconds, the umpires called Nady out and a run came off the board. Replays showed Buster Posey made a swipe tag on Nady before he touched the plate.

“I like replay, and obviously it changed the game today,” Bochy said after the Padres held on for a 4-3 victory that snapped a three-game losing streak. “That’s a run on the board. It helped us win the game by getting it right.”

Tim Lincecum liked it, too, because it helped him get his first victory of 2014.

“We could have a tie game right now,” Lincecum said. “I’m just glad we were able to get an out right there. That was huge. That inning could still be going on right now. You never know,” Lincecum said.

Posey hit a two-run home run and the Giants had only three hits. Padres pitchers retired 23 of the final 24 batters and the Giants didn’t get a hit after the second inning.

The Giants had scored only one run in each of their previous three games.

Bochy’s challenge proved to be big because Nick Hundley homered off Lincecum on the first pitch of the seventh. Had Bochy not challenged, the game would have been tied.

“I knew I was going to challenge it because I thought he tagged him,” Bochy said. “Buster said he tagged him. Where he was, he had to be out. He was in front of the plate, so if we tagged him, I knew he couldn’t have gotten to the plate.”

Posey said he knew he tagged Nady.

“That’s tough at full speed, though,” Posey said as he watched a replay in the clubhouse after the game.

Bochy, a former catcher, agreed.

“It’s the toughest call to make in baseball, the play at home plate.”

Headley’s double went into the right field corner, bringing in Venable and Smith ahead of Nady’s slide.

“I was hoping he got in there or was hoping it was inconclusive,” Headley said. “That’s the great thing about replay, it takes it out of the hands of the umpire if it’s a close play.”

Manager Bud Black said the reversal didn’t take “a lot out of us. It would have been nice. But I think we are seeing a new era in front of our eyes with replay.”

Said Bochy: “Even when you think he’s out, your emotions get involved. It’s got to be conclusive. You’ve got to remind yourself of that.”

Lincecum (1-1) was chased by Hundley’s first homer of the season. Lincecum allowed three runs and seven hits, struck out seven and walked three.

Sergio Romo pitched the ninth for his fifth save in as many chances. He issued a leadoff walk to Chase Headley, who advanced on a wild pitch before Romo retired the side.

Lincecum improved to 14-6 in 27 starts against San Diego, his most against any opponent. Lincecum threw his first career no-hitter at Petco Park on July 13.

It was the ninth time in 10 games the Giants were involved in a one-run decision.

METS 4, BRAVES 3

NEW YORK — Slumping newcomer Curtis Granderson hit a sacrifice fly in the 14th inning and the New York Mets outlasted the Atlanta Braves 4-3 to prevent a three-game sweep.

David Wright had four hits and New York took advantage of three early errors by Atlanta, which had won seven of eight. Granderson went 0 for 6 with an error and was booed all afternoon, but turned those jeers to cheers at the end of a long day.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis drew a leadoff walk from Gus Schlosser (0-1) and advanced on Ruben Tejada’s sacrifice bunt. Eric Young Jr. was intentionally walked to bring up Granderson, hitless in his last 16 at-bats and stuck in a 4-for-44 slide.

Jose Valverde (1-0) worked a scoreless inning for the win, hours after he was demoted from his closer role in favor of Kyle Farnsworth.

BREWERS 3

PIRATES 2, 14 INNINGS

PITTSBURGH — Khris Davis delivered the biggest hit in a game interrupted by a punch-filled brawl, homering in the 14th inning to lift Milwaukee.

Ryan Braun hit a tying home run in the ninth for Milwaukee.

Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez, Pirates outfielder Travis Snider and Milwaukee bench coach Jerry Narron were ejected after the third-inning fracas.

The problems started when Gomez paused at the plate and flipped his bat after hitting a two-out triple. Gerrit, who was near third base backing up the play, stormed toward Gomez and they exchanged words. Gomez took a couple steps toward Cole before players rushed the field from both dugouts. Milwaukee’s Martin Maldonado threw a punch that knocked off Snider’s hat.

The Brewers won their third in a row and sent Pittsburgh to its third straight loss.

Davis hit his first homer, connecting for a leadoff shot against Jeanmar Gomez (0-1).

Zach Duke (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings and Francisco Rodriguez got his seventh save.

NATIONALS 3

CARDINALS 2

WASHINGTON — Denard Span hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning and Washington, with Bryce Harper back in the lineup, rallied past St. Louis.

The Nationals loaded the bases in the ninth against Seth Maness (0-1) when Danny Espinosa singled with one out for his third hit, Jose Lobaton singled through the right side of the infield and pinch hitter Nate McLouth walked.

In his second game since being activated from the seven-day disabled list following a concussion, Span lofted a fly to left field. Espinosa easily beat the throw from John Jay, who shifted over from right field as St. Louis used a five-man infield.

Harper started in left field and went 1 for 4 with his first stolen base of the season. The two-time All-Star was pulled from the game a day earlier for what manager Matt Williams called a “lack of hustle.”

REDS 8, CUBS 2

CHICAGO — Homer Bailey pitched six scoreless innings for his first win of the season and Jay Bruce homered and doubled as Cincinnati won for the 17th time in its last 19 games at Wrigley Field.

Zack Cozart hit a two-run homer for Cincinnati, which took two of three this weekend from the Cubs.

Bailey (1-1) struck out eight while allowing six hits and three walks.

The Reds have won 10 straight when Bailey faces the Cubs. He is 7-0 in his last 10 outings against Chicago and 5-0 in his past six at Wrigley Field.

DODGERS 4

DIAMONDBACKS 1

LOS ANGELES — Yasiel Puig hit a three-run homer and threw out a runner at second base, leading Los Angeles over Arizona.

Puig flipped his bat after connecting to cap a four-run sixth inning. His second homer of the season came after a two-out intentional walk to Adrian Gonzalez.

Dodgers starter Josh Beckett pitched five innings of one-hit ball, striking out seven and walking two.

The Dodgers won on manager Don Mattingly’s 53rd birthday.

PHILLIES 10, ROCKIES 9

DENVER — Jimmy Rollins homered early, then hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning that sent Philadelphia past Colorado.

Rollins finished with three hits as the Phillies averted a series sweep. Ryan Howard added four hits, including a homer and triple while driving in three runs.

Rockies star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez exited early because of a sore left knee. He appeared to tweak it running out a high chopper to end the sixth inning.

Justin Morneau homered and drove in five runs for the Rockies. The teams combined for 30 hits, 15 for extra bases.

INTERLEAGUE

MARLINS 3, MARINERS 2

MIAMI — Adeiny Hechavarria hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning after an instant replay went in Miami’s favor and the Marlins completed a three-game sweep.

Mike Dunn (1-2) picked up the win in relief and Steve Cishek pitched the ninth for his third save of the season and 32nd in a row.

Tom Wilhelmsen (0-1) took the loss for the Mariners, who dropped their sixth straight.

In the bottom of the eighth, Christian Yelich was ruled safe at home after plate umpire Ed Hickox initially ruled him out on a force play. First baseman Justin Smoak threw home on a grounder by Garrett Jones.

Marlins manager Mike Redmond challenged the call. It was overturned after a delay of 2 minutes, 20 seconds. Replays showed Yelich slid in safely tying the game at 2.

WHITE SOX 16

RANGERS 2

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jose Abreu and Jordan Danks each had two-run homers, Erik Johnson combined with three relievers on a two-hitter and the Chicago White Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with a 16-2 victory over the Texas Rangers, who had won five in a row.

The White Sox went ahead to stay with three unearned runs off Robbie Ross (1-1) in the fifth, including Abreu’s fifth homer of the season for a 5-2 lead.

Johnson (1-1) allowed two runs and only a single over his five innings, but the right-hander walked the leadoff batter the first four innings and threw only 44 of his 87 pitches for strikes. The Rangers also scored on a wild pitch, and had another runner thrown out trying to do the same.

YANKEES 5, RAYS 1

12 INNINGS

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Dean Anna drew a bases-loaded walk on a full-count pitch with two outs in the 12th inning and Carlos Beltran followed with a two-run single as the Yankees beat Tampa Bay for a split of a wild four-game series.

Yangervis Solarte was walked by Heath Bell (0-1) to open the 12th. After failing twice to bunt against C.J. Riefenhauser, Brett Gardner reached on a fielder’s choice and went to third on Brian McCann’s two-out single. Jacoby Ellsbury was intentionally walked before Anna checked his swing to complete an eight-pitch at-bat and score the go-ahead run.

Beltran had his hit off Josh Leuke before Alfonso Soriano added an RBI single that made it 5-1.

Preston Claiborne (1-0) went two scoreless innings for the Yankees.

ATHLETICS 4, ASTROS 1

OAKLAND, Calif. — Josh Donaldson homered and doubled twice to back another solid start by Jesse Chavez, and the Athletics beat the Astros to complete a series sweep.

Jed Lowrie and Eric Sogard added two hits apiece for the A’s, who have won 11 of 13.

TWINS 8, ROYALS 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Phil Hughes ended a personal losing streak that dated to last July, pitching into the seventh inning and helping the Twins top the Royals to avoid a three-game sweep.

Josmil Pinto homered and Trevor Plouffe and Kurt Suzuki each drove in a pair of runs for the Twins, who battered Yordano Ventura (1-1).

TIGERS 2, ANGELS 1

DETROIT — Rick Porcello pitched seven sharp innings, and the Tigers took advantage of four errors in a victory over the Angels.

Porcello (2-1) allowed a run and five hits, striking out four and walking one.

INDIANS 6, BLUE JAYS 4

CLEVELAND — David Murphy hit a three-run double in the sixth inning and John Axford worked out of bases-loaded jam in the ninth, lifting the Indians to a win over the Blue Jays.

RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 5

BOSTON — Dustin Pedroia scored from third on left fielder David Lough’s throwing error with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 6-5 comback win over Baltimore Orioles.

Jonny Gomes hit a three-run homer for the Red Sox, who overcame a 5-0 deficit and improved to 4-5 in Fenway Park where they went 53-28 last season.

Adam Jones had three singles and a double, and Nelson Cruz hit a solo homer to spark a three-run first inning for the Orioles.

Boston can take three of four when the series concludes with Monday’s traditional 11 a.m. Patriots’ Day start.

Edward Mujica (1-1) got one out for the win while Brian Matusz (1-1) suffered the loss.