Giants torch Brewers with 13-run outburst

AT&T PARK — Now is a good time for the Giants to be heating up, as San Francisco slammed the Milwaukee Brewers 13-2 Friday night for their fourth-straight win.

More importantly, the Giants (72-62) climbed one game closer to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West race going into the final month of the regular season.

The Dodgers lost to the San Diego Padres 3-2 in extra innings Friday to cut their NL West lead to 3-1/2 games.

The Giants currently hold the top wild card birth with the St. Louis Cardinals a half-game behind in the second spot.

San Francisco bats scored in each of the first five frames to improve the Giants’ record when scoring first to a National League-leading record 53-15.

Manager Bruce Bochy was relieved to finally rout a team like this:

“Occasionally, you’re going to have a game like this. … It feels good. It allows you to get some guys off the field and get some other guys in there.”

Buster Posey needed just six innings to notch five hits for the second time in his career, to go along with three RBIs and three runs. He’s the only Giants player to complete the feat multiple times inside AT&T Park.

Posey is 11-for-22 with six runs, four extra base hits and 10 RBIs so far this homestand.

Friday’s outing impressed Bochy, but he felt pulling him was the logical decision:

“[It would have] been nice to have him go for six, but the rest was more important.”

Joe Panik seems to be filling the second base spot nicely. His four-hit game Friday tied his career high. He also did it a week ago in Washington.

Bochy has been happy with Panik’s play in the otherwise depleted position:

“Joe’s played well. It seemed like after three or four games he got settled in and a sense of belonging up here… He can handle the bat.”

Photos by Godofredo Vasquez/SFBay

Left fielder Gregor Blanco had a Barry Bonds-type day at the plate with three walks and a two-run bomb atop Levi’s Landing in the fifth to make it 13-2.

The Giants finished the game with 19 hits overall. It was the second most they’ve recorded in AT&T Park (20 hits on Aug. 14, 2001).

Wily Peralta was all over the place throughout the first two frames. Four consecutive singles made and a wild pitch made it 3-0 in the first. Another quartet of hits extended the lead to 5-1 in the second.

It was the first time all season Peralta (L, 15-9, 3.82 ERA) didn’t make it into the fifth. He left after three innings and six earned runs.

Ryan Vogelsong (W, 8-9, 3.73 ERA) earned his first win after seven strong innings since Aug. 6 against, you guessed it, the Brewers in Milwaukee. He’s now 3-1 with a 2.11 ERA in six starts this month.

Bochy felt good for Vogelsong, who’s suffered his share of heartbreaking decisions this season:

“If I had to pick one pitcher that’s had the toughest or strangest luck, it’s Vogey this year… It’s good to have him get some runs to work with. His last inning was impressive too.”

Vogelsong struck out the side swinging to end his night.

The Giants will try and take Game 2 of the series Saturday when Jake Peavy (2-4, 3.18) takes on righty Mike Fiers (4-1, 1.54). Game time is 6:05 p.m.

Notes

The Giants 13 runs Friday night were a season high and the most they’ve scored in a game since Sept. 14, 2013 against the Dodgers in Los Angeles (19 runs). … Hunter Pence extended his hitting streak to 11 games. He went 3-for-4 Friday night. … Blanco slugged home runs in back-to-back games for the second time in his career. He also did so June 6-7, 2012.

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