Giants bounce back by blanking Brewers

The Detroit Tigers’ trade hotline is officially open, and hurler David Price is the team’s hot ticket item.

The Giants are etched on a long list of teams interested in the five-time All Star along with the Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees and Blue Jays. Bruce Bochy, who’s been relatively candid, said the front office has been aggressive and a move could be made so long as it “makes sense.”

General Manager Bobby Evans said after Wednesday’s game the everyday lineup was off limits, but the front office remains open to big offers:

“From a depth standpoint we could trade for some depth, we’re not trying to trade anyone from our everyday lineup … When you’re aggressive talking to clubs, you have to be open to a number of options, but ultimately, being open to those deals and making those deals are two different things.”

Bochy reiterated confidence in his guys:

“We have a couple of extra starters right now. It’s hard for me to get them all in there. Timmy’s on the DL but Vogey is throwing the ball well. So, if something’s out there and it makes sense, they’ll do it. But I dont want to go into that, I don’t want these pitchers to think we don’t have confidence in them. Because we do.”

Price is arguably the best option to bolster the rotation as the Giants push toward the playoffs. The team would absorb his $20 million, one-year contract with the option to re-sign him as a free agent in 2016. His 2.53 ERA ranks fifth in the AL and 140 strikeouts ranks fourth.

The Giants would be downright scary in the second half with Price as Madison Bumgarner‘s second punch, but it may cost them some valuable pitching prospects (like Tyler Beede, among others) at a time when the team is clicking and the rotation is grinding out quality starts.

Evans noted, too, the team’s upward trajectory:

“We have a team that we’re proud of, what they’ve done these last two weeks. We’ve been together as a full compliment of the 25-man roster for all of three games. To be in the position they are in, in the division, having been without full compliment of the roster this year I think is significant. Says a lot about these guys to be in this position. With the last two months ahead it certainly gives you a lot of confidence.”

The GM had to be pleased with Jake Peavy‘s day. He gave his team a fifth-straight quality start with six innings of shutout ball, allowing four hits and striking out three in the Giants’ 5-0 win over the Brewers on a warm and sunny Wednesday afternoon.

The Giants are now tied for first in the NL West, but the Dodgers will try to take back their lead tonight. Peavy said after the game he is only going to get better, explaining that he’s been working to gain back the weight he lost during his injury and Spring Training sickness:

“I do feel 100 percent, I honestly feel like I’m getting stronger. I started to get back up to the weight that I’m used to pitching at. But I’m about five pounds shy of that now, but I’m over the 200 pound mark for the first time in a while and that’s good for me. Helps me sustain my strength and energy especially on hot days like this.”

It was looking grim in the first, when leadoff hitter Gerardo Parra, Jonathan Lucroy and Ryan Braun battled him up to a 21-pitch inning that eventually ended in a long 1-2-3 inning:

“Those guys didn’t go away easy. You saw the way this game started with Parra’s at bat, Lucroy’s at bat then Bruan. They had good at bats in the first inning and made me work into some 3-2 pitches.”

His efforts fell just an inning short, though, as both offenses stood frozen — Milwaukee’s Mike Fiers (L, 5-9, 3.89 ERA) held the Giants to two hits thru six —  until a breakout seventh inning.

Matt Duffy clocked a leadoff double to get things going and Hunter Pence doubled to put the Giants on the board. Fiers was done, but the Giants weren’t. Brandon Belt singled to put runners on the corners and Brandon Crawford sent a sac fly to score Pence. Hector Sanchez doubled and Ehire Adrianza got his first hit since being called up, a base-clearing single through the infield, who were playing him shallow.

Nori Aoki got an infield RBI single, his first since coming back to the big leagues from injury, to cap the score at 5-0.

Joe Panik, Buster Posey and Angel Pagan got the day off, giving them two days before the team embarks on a long three-series road trip. Though Adrianza got a much-awaited hit today, his inconsistent play shines some light on the lack of depth in the infield. Joaquin Arias is in flux on the waiver wire, but the Giants could very well trade for an infielder. Bochy wants to see Adrianza break through, and was glad to see his RBI:

“It’s not easy to have that role, especially for a young player, that’s what impressed me so much about Duffy last year…It was a nice piece of hitting, didn’t try to do too much and just went the other way.”

The outfield — nearly bone dry after injuries to Pence and Aoki — is back in full swing. Pence made a backhanded catch off Hernan Perez in the third and a spectacular catch and throw to get Jonathan Lucroy taking third on a Ryan Braun fly ball.

Aoki made a big catch the following at-bat, tracking down a lingering Adam Lind fly ball and catching it behind his head. Said Bochy of the defensive plays:

“Especially in a tie ballgame, those plays win games for you. Your defense. I’ve said so many times, defense wins games, especially tight games. He’s done that before. We saw that great play where he slid and threw the guy out at home. … If that ball gets in the gap it’s a different game.”

Follow @SFBay and @ShaynaRubin on Twitter and at SFBay.ca for full coverage of the San Francisco Giants.