Making the most of the little support he’s receiving, Matt Cain moved to 5-0 when the Giants score at least three runs in beating the Nationals on Wednesday. It was his first complete game of 2011 and the 13th of his career.
Today marked the fifth time the Giants have scored exactly three runs through his 13 starts this season. They’ve managed to win each of those games, with Cain getting two no-decisions in the process. They’ve score a total of five runs in his four losses.
Cain helped his own cause in this one, doubling in Eli Whiteside to put the Giants on the board in the bottom of the sixth. The Nationals tied it back up in the seventh on Rick Ankiel’s double, but the Giants scored twice in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-1.
Cain ended up throwing 110 pitches in the gem. He reached double figures in strikeouts for the first time since a July 1, 2008 start against the Cubs. His career high for strikeouts is 12, established in a win over the Rockies on Aug. 6, 2006.
