ISHIKAWA’S PH SINGLE BEATS DAVIS, ROYALS

K.C. Shut Out for 15^th Time

KANSAS CITY, Aug. 10 (AP) – Travis Ishikawa’s two-out pinch hit single off Wade Davis in top of the ninth inning scored Gregor Blanco to break a scoreless tie and the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 1-0 at Kauffman Stadium.  It was only the second time this season that Davis, who has appeared in 55 games, has been scored upon and snapped a string of 15 consecutive scoreless appearances for the Royals right-hander.  It was the 15^th time this season that the Royals have been shut out, most of any American League team.

The late heroics overshadowed excellent outings for both clubs’ starters.  Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum worked into the eighth inning, going 7-1/3 scoreless frames, allowing just six hits and walking none while striking out seven.  Kansas City lefty Danny Duffy was brilliant, firing eight innings of two-hit shutout ball, walking one and fanning nine.  Neither team ever advanced a runner past second base with less than two outs.

Lincecum was lifted after surrendering a one-out single in the bottom of the 8^th to Jarrod Dyson.  He was replaced by left-hander Javier Lopez.  Dyson stole second on Lopez’s very first pitch to Norichika Aoki who eventually grounded out to first with Dyson advancing to third.  Juan Gutierrez took over for Lopez and retired Omar Infante on a grounder to third to end the inning.

In the top of the ninth, Davis replaced Duffy, who had completely dominated the Giants, facing just two batters over the minimum through eight innings, on the mound.  Davis entered the game having allowed only 17 hits in 55 2/3 innings this year, but Blanco touched him for a lead-off base hit to left.  Angel Pagan flied to center for the first out but Blanco stole second on the first pitch to Buster Posey, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position.  Posey was the first right-handed batter Davis faced in the inning.  Right-handers entered the game hitting just .047 (4-for-86) on the season against the Royals reliever.  But on a 1-2 pitch, Posey lined a single to left.  Kansas City left fielder Alex Gordon, who has one of the strongest and most accurate arms in all of baseball, got to the ball quickly and Giants third base coach Tim Flannery held Blanco at third.  When Hunter Pence struck out, it appeared that Davis might extend his scoreless streak to 16 consecutive games but Pablo Sandoval walked, loading the bases.  Right-handed batting Adam Duvall was due up but San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy called on the lefty swinging Ishikawa and on a 2-2 pitch he dropped a base hit into right field, scoring Blanco with the game’s first run.  It was the first time all season that Davis had allowed three hits in an appearance.  Matt Duffy grounded out to end the inning, but the Giants had the lead.

Santiago Casilla took the mound in the bottom of the ninth and retired Salvador Perez, Billy Butler and Gordon in order to record his 11^th save of the season.

8/10/2014, SF14-KC14, Kauffman Stadium

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Giants            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1     1  5  0     5  0

2014 Royals            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0  6  0     5  1

Giants               AB  R  H BI   AVG    Royals               AB  R  H BI   AVG

Pagan             cf  3  0  0  0  .281    Aoki              rf  4  0  1  0  .280

Pence             rf  4  0  0  0  .282    Infante           2b  4  0  0  0  .248

Posey             dh  4  0  1  0  .275    Perez,S           c   4  0  0  0  .271

Sandoval          3b  3  0  0  0  .238    Butler,B          1b  4  0  1  0  .242

Duvall            1b  3  0  0  0  .196    Gordon,A          lf  4  0  2  0  .247

 Ishikawa         ph  1  0  1  1  .327    Moustakas         3b  3  0  1  0  .190

Duffy,M           ss  4  0  1  0  .385    Ibanez            dh  3  0  0  0  .192

 Crawford,B       ss  0  0  0  0  .253    Escobar,A         ss  3  0  0  0  .271

Panik             2b  3  0  0  0  .250    Dyson,J           cf  3  0  1  0  .242

Susac             c   3  0  1  0  .158                         32  0  6  0

Blanco,G          lf  3  1  1  0  .274

                     31  1  5  1

Giants                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Lincecum                         7.1  6  0  0  0  7 107  71  3.60

Lopez,J                          0.1  0  0  0  0  0   4   3  3.77

Gutierrez        W 3-6           0.1  0  0  0  0  0   2   2  4.47

Casilla,S        S 11            1.0  0  0  0  0  0  11   6  0.80

                                 9.0  6  0  0  0  7 124  82

Royals                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Duffy,D                          8.0  2  0  0  1  9 105  68  3.42

Davis,W          L 3-1           1.0  3  1  1  1  1  29  19  0.48

                                 9.0  5  1  1  2 10 134  87

SF : Ishikawa batted for Duvall in the 9th

     Ishikawa moved to 1b in the 9th

     Crawford,B inserted at ss in the 9th

2B-Duffy,M(2), Susac(1), Butler,B(16). RBI-Ishikawa(3). SB-Blanco,G(11),

Gordon,A(7), Dyson,J(24). CS-Aoki. K-Pagan, Pence 2, Posey, Duvall 2,

Duffy,M 2, Panik, Susac, Aoki, Butler,B, Ibanez 2, Escobar,A, Dyson,J 2.

BB-Pagan, Sandoval. PB-Perez,S.

GWRBI: Ishikawa

Temperature: 93, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: out to right at 11 MPH.

Attendance: 28,419

Game Time: 2:41