Mound over matter

Sanchez latest pitcher to lift Giants hitters

Steve Kroner - San Francisco Chronicle

Based on their last three games, all wins, the Giants might consider this for a team slogan:

"With our pitching, who needs to score a lot of runs?"

Jonathan Sanchez handled the Reds on Friday evening much the way Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum had shut down the Padres the previous two nights. Sanchez lost his shutout bid when pinch-hitter Brandon Phillips homered to lead off the ninth, but Sanchez still earned his second win in the Giants' 3-1 decision.

Ryan Freel followed Phillips' homer with a single, ending Sanchez's outing. Brian Wilson got the final three outs for his eighth save and third in three nights.

Sanchez allowed four hits in eight-plus innings and tied his career high of 10 strikeouts that he set against San Diego on April 9. In the previous two seasons, the left-hander made only eight starts in 60 appearances. He said he feels much more comfortable knowing he's in the rotation.

"I'm where I belong," is how Sanchez put it.

"He hasn't realized how good he can be," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's got great stuff. He throws hard. He has a good changeup and curveball. If he locates, he's going to have success."

Sanchez had plenty of success against the Reds, but he didn't have his changeup. During Thursday night's game at San Diego, Eugenio Velez lined a foul ball into the Giants' dugout. The ball hit Sanchez on the ring finger of his pitching hand. When he threw his lone changeup Friday evening, Sanchez thought the finger injury was hampering him, so he scrapped that pitch for the rest of the night.

The Giants have scored seven runs in their three-game winning streak. But with 3-2 (in 13 innings) and 1-0 victories in San Diego preceding Friday night's win, you can say they're doing the most with the least.

Bochy attributed some of the Giants' offensive struggles to the starters they've faced.

"You go against (Greg) Maddux, then Chris Young and then (Aaron) Harang," Bochy said, "you need your guy to go out there and put zeros up."

Harang and Sanchez matched zeros until the fourth. With one out, Velez poked a double down the left-field line. With two outs, Bengie Molina jolted a Harang pitch into right-center. Freel made a diving attempt, but the ball got by him and rolled to the wall. Velez, one of the fastest men in baseball, cruised home with the game's first run. Molina, not one of the fastest men in baseball, turned a sure triple into a double.

Molina also delivered a sacrifice fly in the Giants' two-run eighth. He leads the team with 16 RBIs.

Sanchez faced the minimum through 52/3 innings, including striking out the side in the third. He retired 16 men in a row before Harang hit a two-out double to left-center in the sixth. Sanchez stranded Harang at second by fanning Freel on a 92 mph high-and-away fastball. That gave Sanchez another inning of striking out the side.

The Giants have won Sanchez's last four starts, but he lasted only five innings in Sunday's 8-2 rout at St. Louis because he walked four hitters. Sanchez issued only one free pass to the Reds.

"He was so much more consistent with his delivery tonight," Bochy said.

Before many of the 34,657 fans at China Basin had reached their seats, the Giants had put together a fine defensive play. After Freel led off the game with a single, Jerry Hairston, Jr. dropped a bunt down the third-base line. Rich Aurilia charged the ball and threw out Hairston at first.

Freel, seeing third base momentarily unoccupied, made a big turn past second. First baseman John Bowker noticed Freel was vulnerable and fired to shortstop Brian Bocock, whose between-the-legs tag with his body facing right-center completed the 5-3-6 double play.

Hard to repeat

The Giants won 1-0 on Thursday and led 3-0 going into the 9th on Friday before the Reds' ended Jonathan Sanchez's shutout bid. The last time the Giants had consecutive shutouts was Aug. 19-20, 2002 when they beat the Marlins 3-0 and the Mets 1-0.