BOX SCORE
ST. LOUISThird baseman Marco Scutaro is still marveling over the diving play that shortstop Brandon Crawford made in the fourth inning Wednesday night. What most impressed Scutaro was the way Crawford scampered to his feet and unleashed a smooth, strong throw to first base.
Hes great, man. Hes very steady defensivelyunbelievable, Scutaro said, following the Giants 15-0 plucking of the St. Louis Cardinals. His arm, too. I (asked) him if I can have a little of his arm. He has too much.
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Suuure. Says the guy who had seven RBIs.
Scutaro became the first Giant to drive in seven runs since Jeff Kent on May 1, 2001. Hes the first Giants third baseman with seven knocked in since Cory Snyder in 1992.
Elevated to the No.2 spot in place of a slumping Ryan Theriot, Scutaro had an RBI single in the third inning, a two-run double in the eighth and a grand slam in the ninth that might best be described as happy overkill.
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Theyre always welcome, Scutaro said of the RBIs. The last at-bat, with two strikes, I was just trying to put the ball in play. That guy had a lot of movement on his fastball. It went over the fence.
What kind of movement best describes the Giants this season? Well, there seems to be more than one of them. On the road, they are averaging a major league-best 5.18 runs per gameincluding 56 runs on this current trip while winning five of six thus far.
I did not know that, said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, after a stunned pause.
Ah, but at AT&T Park, their 3.27 runs per game is the lowest home output among NL clubs, and better only than the Seattle Mariners in the major leagues.
Its hard to explain, Bochy said. Obviously, AT&T is not conducive to hitting and we know that. But for us to be where were at, thats amazing to me, really. Thats not the type of game we play, but its good to see us swing it on the road.
Hunter Pence had a pair of RBI hits, one following a pitch-around walk to Buster Posey, to help the Giants build a lead for Ryan Vogelsong. Theyve scored in the first inning in seven consecutive road games, something no major league club has done since the 2006 Mets.
It took a road trip for new additions Pence and Scutaro to feel at home. They appear settled in now, and perhaps that will make a difference when the Giants return to the shores of McCovey Cove on Friday.
These two guys are really good players, Vogelsong said. Marco has been a solid player everywhere hes gone and Hunter is a front-line player in this league.
Said Scutaro: I dont see any reason why this cant continue, especially when we get Pablo back.
That would be Pablo Sandoval, whose activation could come as soon as Sunday. Bochy acknowledged that Scutaros play merits an everyday role for now, although his versatility could allow him to mix in with Theriot at second base, take occasional starts for Crawford at shortand yes, play third base with Sandoval moving to first.
Right now, sure, hell continue to be out there, Bochy said. He gives you depth and the ability to rest guys, and against righties, even an option to put Pablo at first base, if we wanted to go that way.
Hes been a great addition. Hes going to give you professional at-bats and good defense. Hes been a shot in the arm. Weve always thought a lot of Marco and its nice to have him here helping out.