SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) – The San Francisco Giants agreed to a $1.05 million, one-year contract with infielder Mike Fontenot, keeping him over second baseman Jeff Keppinger.

Keppinger and backup catcher Eli Whiteside weren’t offered contracts by San Francisco on Monday night.

Other arbitration-eligible players who were tendered contracts were two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, fellow starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong, relievers Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla, infielder Emmanuel Burriss, third baseman Pablo Sandoval and outfielders Melky Cabrera, Angel Pagan and Nate Schierholtz.

Among general manager Brian Sabean’s priorities is locking up Lincecum and Matt Cain for the long haul.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP

San Francisco Giants’s Mike Fontenot, left, scores past Colorado Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario, right, after a sacrifice fly ball from Brett Pill during the eighth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Monday, Sept. 26, 2011.

DENVER (AP) — Shoddy defense was the Colorado Rockies’ downfall Thursday night in an 8-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants and pitcher Jhoulys Chacin continued his three-month slide.

The Rockies entered the game tied for third in fielding percentage and fewest errors committed in the National League and typically don’t beat themselves.

But shortstop Tommy Field and first baseman Jordan Pacheco, both in their first days in the major leagues, made errors in a three-run second inning and Chris Iannetta was charged with two passed balls, one of which led to a run in the two-run sixth when the Giants also capitalized on Chacin botching a rundown by throwing too soon.

Pablo Sandoval hit for the cycle for the Giants, and Ryan Vogelsong, (11-7) who pitched 5 1-3 innings, broke a five-start losing streak and won for the first time since Aug. 14. The victory enabled the Giants to move within seven games of the idle Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West with 12 games remaining for each team.

Sandoval homered, singled, doubled and tripled on his first four at-bats against Chacin for the first cycle of his career. He drew an intentional walk in the eighth with two outs and a runner on third and the Rockies trailing by two runs.

“He hit everything I threw. … It was his night,” Chacin said.

On Sandoval’s sixth-inning triple, right fielder Carlos Gonzalez hit the wall with his right wrist, which he injured earlier in the season. He was replaced in the seventh and is listed as day to day.

Sandoval was 0 for 5 in his career against Chacin (11-12) when stepped to the plate after Carlos Beltran’s two-out single in the first. He drove a 2-1 fastball into the second deck in right field for his 20th home run.

“It was supposed to be in and down and the ball was in the middle, high,” said Chacin (11-12), who pitched 5 2-3 innings. “When you make mistakes with your pitch, that’s what you’re going to get.”

The Giants scored three unearned runs in the second due to miscues by Field and Pacheco. With one out and runners on first and second, Field, who made his major league debut Sunday and was playing in place of injured shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, gloved Cody Ross’ potential double play grounder and threw the ball into right field, allowing a run to score.

“(I) just didn’t have a good grip on it, just rushed it,” Field said, “just kind of sailed a little bit.”

After Jeff Keppinger’s sacrifice fly, Beltran’s grounder went through the legs of Pacheco and Ross scored to make it 5-0.

“Jhoulys was a victim of some of the defense in the second inning,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “But there were four base on balls, which is something that is obviously concerning.”

After a win on June 15, the 23-year-old Chacin was 8-4 with a 2.51 ERA in 14 starts and contending for a spot on the NL All-Star team. In 15 subsequent starts, Chacin has gone 3-8 with a 4.70 ERA, too often plagued by spotty command of his fastball that doesn’t allow him to maximize the effectiveness of his very good secondary pitches.

The Rockies got a run back in the third when Chacin led off with a walk, and Dexter Fowler and Mark Ellis followed with singles. The Rockies had runners on first and second with one out, but Vogelsong got Ty Wigginton to ground into a double play.

Pacheco led off the fourth with a homer, his second in seven starts since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs.

The Giants took advantage of Iannetta’s second passed ball and a gaffe by Chacin to score two runs in the sixth. Vogelson led off with a single and moved up on Iannetta’s passed ball. Ross followed with a run-scoring double. Keppinger bounced a ball back to Chacin, who ran Ross back toward second base but threw too soon, enabling Ross to scamper to third. He scored when Beltran grounded into a double play.

Sandoval then completed his cycle with a triple to right-center. Gonzalez seemed to have a play on the ball but hit the wall with his right wrist. He initially injured the wrist on July 3 when he banged into the center field wall making a catch. He made seven starts over the next 2½ weeks before aggravating the wrist while taking a swing July 21 and ended up on the 15-day disabled list through Aug. 5.

Iannetta, playing less often as the Rockies look at catching prospect Wilin Rosario this month, led off the seventh with his 13th homer. It was Iannetta’s first home run in 70 at-bats since Aug. 6. Field singled and scored on a pinch-hit double by Chris Nelson. With two outs, Eric Young Jr. doubled Nelson home to cut the deficit to 7-5.

The Giants increased their lead when Brandon Belt led off the ninth with a home run against Matt Reynolds. It was the 10th homer off the left-handed Reynolds in 47 1-3 innings this season and the sixth by a left-handed hitter. They are 29 for 94 (.309) against Reynolds this season.

Santiago Casilla, filling for injured closer Brian Wilson, gave up a broken-bat single to Field to start the ninth. But Casilla retired the next three batters, two on strikeouts, to earn his fourth save.

Notes: Sandoval’s cycle was the 10th at Coors Field and fourth by a visiting player. It was the first cycle by a Giant since Fred Lewis on May 13, 2007, also at Coors Field. … Aaron Cook, the Rockies all-time leader with 72 wins, is scheduled to start Colorado’s final home game Wednesday against the Padres. He lost his spot in the rotation to Drew Pomeranz and last pitched Sept. 4. … First baseman Todd Helton didn’t play due to back stiffness that has caused him to miss eight of the past 10 games. … Tulowitzki has missed four of the past six games due to bursitis in his left hip.

SAN FRANCISCO — Carlos Beltran, Cody Ross and Pablo Sandoval homered in a rare show of power at AT&T Park, and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 8-3 on Monday night.

Ross also singled, doubled and scored three times to back a solid outing by rookie Eric Surkamp.

The setting was a lot different than a year ago at this time when these teams battled for the NL West title in a race that went down to the final day of the regular season.

The Giants still harbor slim postseason hopes this year — they began the night 8 1/2 games behind division-leading Arizona — while the Padres are just finishing out the string.

San Francisco, the majors’ lowest-scoring team since the All-Star break, put up eight runs for the second straight game. It’s the first time the Giants have done that in back-to-back games since the first two games of the 2010 World Series.

Most of the offense came from San Francisco’s big three of Beltran, Ross and Sandoval.

Beltran went 2 for 4 and drove in two runs, Ross added a pair of RBIs and Sandoval capped the night with a towering, three-run homer in the seventh.

It’s the first time the Giants have hit three home runs in a game at their waterfront ballpark since Sept. 30, 2010.

Surkamp (2-0) pitched 5 2-3 innings for his second major league victory — both coming against San Diego. The left-hander, who beat the Padres on Sept. 6, allowed seven hits and walked one.

That might be enough to keep the 24-year-old in the Giants’ rotation. Barry Zito, who has two years remaining on the $126 million deal he signed before the 2007 season, came off the disabled list Sunday but will most likely work out of the bullpen unless one of the other starters gets hurt.

One day after scoring eight runs in a win over the Dodgers — the most runs by the Giants in more than a month — the defending World Series champs matched it against the Padres.

Beltran provided early offense when he snapped an 0-for-15 skid with a two-run shot off Aaron Harang in the first. The ball easily cleared the wall in right field, bounced on the cement landing and fell into McCovey Cove.

It was Beltran’s 18th home run of the season and third since being traded from the Mets to San Francisco on July 28.

Ross homered leading off the third, then added an RBI single in the seventh. Sandoval put the game out of reach with his three-run drive off reliever Andrew Carpenter.

Harang (13-6), who was 4-0 in six previous starts against the Giants, left after the fifth. He allowed six hits and struck out four.

San Diego, which fell to 1-4 on its seven-game road trip, scored a run in the fourth with the help of Surkamp’s throwing error, then added two more in the sixth on four consecutive two-out singles to chase the San Francisco rookie.

Kyle Banks knocked in one run and Orlando Hudson singled in Chris Denorfia to cut the lead to 4-3.

San Diego put two runners on in the eighth but failed to score.

Sergio Romo, the fifth San Francisco pitcher, got Hudson to hit into an inning-ending double play, then retired the side in the ninth.

NOTES: Giants closer Brian Wilson threw 19 pitches while facing hitters for the first time since going on the disabled list three weeks ago. Wilson will rest the next two days before the team decides what his next step will be. … C Buster Posey (ankle) played catch before the game and will head to Arizona to start his next phase of rehab. … OF Will Venable also played catch during batting practice to test his shoulder and could return to San Diego’s lineup Tuesday. … Padres manager Bud Black hinted that prized prospect Anthony Rizzo could get into the starting lineup in the next few days. … Black said an ineffective slider is to blame for reliever Luke Gregerson’s dip in strikeouts this year. Gregerson set a major league record for holds in 2010 and averaged 10.2 strikeouts over nine innings but that number has dipped to 5.6 this year. … RHP Matt Cain, who lost to San Diego in his last outing despite giving up two runs in seven innings, pitches for San Francisco on Tuesday. Cain (11-10) has won only twice in his previous eight starts. … LHP Cory Luebke (5-9), who has dropped his last three starts, goes for the Padres.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants know time is running short on defending their World Series title.

Aaron Harang threw seven strong innings and Cameron Maybin had two hits and an RBI as the San Diego Padres dealt a big blow to the Giants’ fading playoff hopes with a 3-1 victory Wednesday night.

The Giants, who have 19 games left, came into the game trailing NL West-leading Arizona by six games. San Francisco has dropped three of four and six of 10.

“We have to win,” Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain said. “That’s all we have to do, is win.”

San Francisco was going for a sweep of the three-game series against a club it had beaten six of the previous seven games at Petco Park.

But Cain, who is 8-19 lifetime against the Padres, had little to show for allowing two runs and four hits in seven innings. After he allowed Will Venable’s leadoff homer in the first, he settled down and retired 11 consecutive batters before he issued two walks. Cain didn’t allow another hit until Maybin’s two-out double in the sixth.

“He did a great job,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He gave up the leadoff homer and then he dealt. He keeps grinding out there for us.”

Cain (11-10) struck out seven and walked three as he made his 200th career start.

San Francisco rookie Brett Pill homered for a second straight game after he hit a home run Tuesday night in his first major league at-bat.

“It’s kind of frustrating when we can’t really do anything for Matt,” Pill said.

Venable scored twice, while Maybin doubled and tripled in a run in the ninth.

The Padres got clutch defensive plays by Venable and Maybin.

The first was by Maybin, who made a long running catch while crashing into the wall in left-center field to rob Justin Christian leading off the game. Maybin hit his forehead on the padded wall and was on the ground for about a minute before he got up and stayed in the game.

“I kind of face-planted dead square,” Maybin said. “Luckily, I was able to make a play and keep the early momentum because those guys take advantage.”

Venable threw out Pill at home in the seventh when the rookie tried to score on a medium fly ball to right by pinch-hitter Pat Burrell.

“It’s one of those things that you have to go for it,” Bochy said. “It took a perfect throw. Those are the things you look back on and they hurt.”

Said Harang: “The guys made some good plays from the first hitter of the game that kind of set the tone. It showed the intensity and excitement level that was going to happen.”

San Diego, last in the NL West at 62-81, won for the second time in 13 games overall.

“That’s the kind of intensity we have to bring day in and day out, no matter where we are in the standings,” Maybin said.

Harang (13-5) broke a two-start losing streak by allowing one run and four hits in seven innings. Harang, who struck out three and walked three, is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in three starts this season against the Giants, all at Petco Park.

Heath Bell got the final four outs for his 36th save in 40 chances. Bell replaced Chad Qualls in the eighth and threw one pitch to retire Carlos Beltran on a line drive to right with a runner on first and two outs.

Venable led off the Padres’ first with his seventh homer to right. It also extended his season club record for leadoff homers to five.

The home run was the third allowed by Cain in his last 20 starts. Overall, Cain has given up only eight homers.

“Everything was feeling all right,” he said. “I was trying to get ahead of guys and get early strikes.”

Pill tied the game with a homer leading off the fifth. Pill joined John Bowker as the only two players in franchise history to homer in their first two major league games.

Pill homered off Wade LeBlanc on Tuesday night in his first major league at-bat, a two-run shot in the second inning of the Giants’ 6-4 win.

The Padres took a 2-1 lead in the sixth when Jesus Guzman singled in Maybin, who reached on a two-out double.

Notes: Cain has pitched 203 innings this season, the fifth straight season he has reached the 200-inning mark. … Bowker homered in his major league debut on April 12, 2008, and again the next day. … Padres manager Bud Black said after the game that INF Logan Forsythe would undergo surgery on his left knee on Thursday. Forsythe has not played since Friday with an inflamed patellar tendon in his right knee. But Black said Forsythe’s left knee, surgically repaired in the offseason, starting bothering him midway through this season. … After a day off, Giants RHP Tim Lincecum (12-12, 2.75 ERA) will attempt to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time this season in four starts (0-2, 1.86) on Friday to open a six-game homestand. LHP Clayton Kershaw (17-5, 2.45) pitches for the Dodgers. … LHP Cory Luebke (5-8, 3.29) will start for the Padres on Thursday at Arizona, facing NL wins leader RHP Ian Kennedy (18-4, 2.96).

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants are losing to teams out of contention. They’re losing at home. Great pitching efforts are being wasted.

All those things are cause for concern as the reigning World Series champions approach the final month.

Matt Downs delivered a go-ahead single with one out in the 11th inning and the Houston Astros beat the stumbling Giants 4-3 on Sunday to salvage a four-game split.

“We’ve got to win, that’s all we’ve got to do,” pitcher Matt Cain said.

To win, they must score more runs.

Jose Altuve got things going with a one-out double against Ramon Ramirez (2-3) and Downs followed with a single up the middle. Altuve was forced into action after slugger Carlos Lee left in the top of the ninth with a sprained right ankle, sustained sliding into second on a double. Lee was 3 for 4 with two doubles.

Mark Melancon (7-4) pitched the 10th and got the win despite allowing Mark DeRosa’s tying single. David Carpenter finished for his first career save.

“It was a big win, especially to get one late like that,” Downs said. “It’s easy to get frustrated when you blow a lead, but we didn’t. We kept battling like it was just a part of the game.”

The reigning World Series champions fell four games behind the first-place Diamondbacks in the NL West race after Arizona beat the Padres 6-1. The D-backs come to town Friday for a key weekend series.

On bring your dog day at AT&T Park, the Giants continued to experience the dog days. More missed chances.

They also argued that one chance was taken from them.

DeRosa singled with one out in the 10th off Melancon, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. He slid past the bag and reached back with his left hand, and replays showed he appeared to be safe.

DeRosa jumped up to yell at second-base umpire Dan Bellino and manager Bruce Bochy was ejected for the second time this year.

“I thought I was safe. I mean it’s a tough call, bang bang,” DeRosa said. “You don’t have a choice, you move on. You battle and you’ve got to put it behind us. We can’t scoreboard watch because we’ve got our own bag of issues we’ve got to deal with and we’ve got to get the bats going.”

Houston went ahead 3-2 in the 10th on pinch-hitter Jason Michaels’ double, then the Giants came back again.

Jordan Schafer lined a tying RBI single to right with two outs in the eighth against Cain to help force extra innings.

The reeling Giants failed to string together their first three-game winning streak since July 17-19 at San Diego. They haven’t had a winning home series in five sets since taking two of three from Milwaukee from July 22-24.

San Francisco has played eight straight games decided by two or fewer runs.

“This is a tough loss, no getting around it. We came back a couple times,” Bochy said. “As I’ve said, we have to score some runs for these guys.”

The Giants couldn’t capitalize in the eighth after getting consecutive two-out singles by Jeff Keppinger and Carlos Beltran off Wilton Lopez. Wesley Wright relieved and retired Pablo Sandoval on a grounder.

Aubrey Huff hit a tying RBI single off Houston starter Bud Norris in the seventh to end a 0-for-15 funk, and singled again in the ninth but the Giants didn’t score. After Huff’s initial hit in the seventh, Norris received a mound visit before giving up Orlando Cabrera’s go-ahead sacrifice fly on the next pitch.

That one-run lead didn’t last long.

Norris, pitching back home in the Bay Area, had only allowed one runner to reach second base before the Giants got to him for two runs in the seventh. Sandoval drew a one-out walk to start things off. Brandon Belt singled to bring up Huff, whose struggles have some fans and skeptics calling for Bochy to sit him for an extended period.

Cain, the Giants’ hard-luck loser for years now, has only two wins in his last nine starts. The two-time All-Star struck out pinch-hitter Jason Bourgeois with the go-ahead run on first for the second out of the eighth, then gave up Schafer’s tying single.

Cain has received the lowest run support in the majors since his first full season in 2006.

Keppinger, acquired by the Giants on July 19 from Houston, was 8 for 26 with three RBIs against his former team — including 5 for 14 this series.

Astros manager Brad Mills had seen enough.

“OK, Keppinger’s done,” Mills joked before the game. “He’s done getting these big hits against us.”

NOTES: Astros SS Clint Barmes had the day off. … RHP Tim Lincecum takes the mound Monday for the Giants against the Chicago Cubs. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner is 3-1 with a 0.91 ERA in his last four starts. … Houston heads home to face Pittsburgh, with Wandy Rodriguez (9-9) getting the ball for the fourth time this year against the Pirates. He struck out 11 Pittsburgh batters in 5 2-3 innings back on July 17. … Astros C Jason Castro, sidelined all season after right knee surgery, will join the team in Houston for the homestand to catch bullpens and take batting practice before returning to Florida for instructional league. “It will be a good chance for us to see him and evaluate where he is,” Mills said. … Mills left passes for his old community college coach at College of the Sequoias, Bert Holt, and his wife, Sue.

SAN FRANCISCO — Jordan Schafer homered and scored three times, Henry Sosa pitched six strong innings against his former club to earn his first career victory and the Houston Astros beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Thursday night to end a four-game losing streak.J.D. Martinez doubled twice and had two RBIs for the Astros, who stole a season-high four bases and turned three double plays on defense. Houston, which still owns the worst record in the majors at 43-88, has won three of four against the defending World Series champs.Orlando Cabrera drove in San Francisco’s only run with an RBI groundout in the third. The Giants, losers of five of seven, fell three games behind first-place Arizona in the NL West.Sosa (1-2) pitched with runners on base every inning but limited the damage with a crisp fastball and slider that baffled the Giants most of the night.The rookie right-hander, who began the season with the Giants before being shipped to Houston as part of the July 19 trade that sent infielder Jeff Keppinger to San Francisco, allowed only four singles and struck out three in his second straight start against his former team.Sosa got just enough support from his teammates.Schafer singled and scored in the first, walked and scored in the third and then homered off Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong in the seventh. It was Schafer’s second home run for the Astros and the fourth of his career. He had gone 148 at-bats since his last home run on June 13, with Atlanta.Wilton Lopez pitched two scoreless innings and Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his 14th save in 18 chances.San Francisco had the potential tying run at the plate in the ninth after Carlos Beltran’s leadoff single but Pablo Sandoval hit into a 3-6-3 double play before Aubrey Huff flied out to end it.Vogelsong (10-4) gave up six hits over 7 1-3 innings but lost for the third time in four starts.Since beginning the season 8-1, Vogelsong is 1-3 with a 4.00 ERA over his last four starts. The Giants have scored only one run in the three losses.It was just the latest setback for San Francisco’s pitching staff, which has been beset by a rash of injuries lately.The Giants, who have lost the opening game in their last 11 series, have even bigger issues with their offense. They put the leadoff hitter on base in five consecutive innings but hit into three double plays and had two runners caught stealing.Martinez doubled in Schafer in the first, then added a sacrifice fly in the third to score Schafer again, making it 2-0.Houston’s rookie left fielder, who began the season with Double-A Corpus Christi, has nine RBIs over his last five games. Martinez also has eight RBIs in four games against San Francisco this season.The Giants, held to two runs or fewer in four of their previous eight games, cut the gap to 2-1 on Cabrera’s RBI groundout in the third. They got some help from Sosa, called for a balk after Eli Whiteside singled and was sacrificed to second.Sosa’s best work came in his final inning.Cabrera walked to start the sixth and was sacrificed to second, putting the potential tying run on base. Sosa, who had a no-decision against the Giants last Sunday, retired Beltran on a comebacker and then got Sandoval to ground out to third.Schafer made it 3-1 with his two-out homer in the seventh.

HOUSTON — Pablo Sandoval hit a tie-breaking two-run homer with two out in the 11th inning to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 6-4 victory over the Houston Astros Sunday.

The score had been tied at 4-4 since the fourth inning and the Giants missed several chances to take the lead until Sandoval’s 15th homer off Mark Melancon (6-4).

Jeremy Affeldt (2-2) pitched two innings for the victory. He has allowed one earned in 17 1/3 innings since the All-Star break.

The Giants left 12 base runners stranded, including seven over the final five innings. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Astros, equaling their longest of the season.

Brandon Belt hit a three-run homer in the second inning and had a career high four hits.

The Giants were poised to take the lead in the eighth with the bases loaded and one out. Instead, Chris Stewart hit a fly to left fielder J.D. Martinez, who caught it for the second out and then made a perfect throw to catcher Carlos Corporan, who blocked the plate and tagged Nate Schierholtz sliding into home plate.

San Francisco loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth but Schierholtz flew out to center field to keep the score tied. The Giants left seven runners stranded in the seventh, eighth and ninth.

Giants starter Dan Runzler made his major league debut as a starter after 71 appearances in relief. He didn’t get out of the second inning. He allowed four runs, walked three and struck out two.

Henry Sosa made his third major league start and it came against his former team. Sosa was traded to the Astros on July 19 in a deal that sent Jeff Keppinger to the Giants. He pitched five innings but did not figure in the decision.

San Francisco got a quick lead off Sosa on Belt’s 3-run homer after Aubrey Huff doubled and Nate Schierholtz singled to start the second inning.

The Astros battered Runzler and Guillermo Mota for four runs in the second inning that included four walks.

Runzler yielded a single to Jimmy Paredes and walked Clint Barmes and Jason Michaels to start the second inning. Carlos Corporan hit into a double play, scoring Paredes.

Sosa walked and Jose Altuve had an RBI single to bring on Mota, who walked Jason Bourgeois and J.D. Martinez followed with a two-run single to right field for a 4-3 lead.

Mike Fontenot’s sacrifice fly tied it in the fourth inning. The Giants challenged the deadlock in the seventh when Wilton Lopez hit leadoff batter Chris Stewart and pinch hitter Orlando Cabrera singled in front of diving right fielder J.B. Shuck sending Stewart to third.

Cody Ross struck out and Jeff Keppinger hit a hot grounder to third baseman Jimmy Paredes, and Stewart was caught in a rundown.

Sergio Escalona came on to strike out Pablo Sandoval to end the threat.

Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer, Jeff Karstens bounced back from his worst start of the season and the Pittsburgh Pirates won their first series in three weeks with a 9-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.
The Pirates took two of three from the reigning World Series champions on the heels of a 10-game losing streak. Pittsburgh is off Thursday before opening a weekend series at NL Central-leading Milwaukee. The Brewers have won all five previous meetings.
Garrett Jones added an RBI single to continue his torrid August and help back Karstens (9-6), whose career-high nine strikeouts matched a season-high for the team. Karstens, who ended a four-start winless stretch, gave up a season-high nine runs and nine hits in a 15-5 loss at San Diego last Friday.
McCutchen went 1 for 1 with three walks. He stole two bases and scored four runs.
Pablo Sandoval homered for the Giants, who began the day with a half-game lead over Arizona in the NL West. The Diamondbacks host Houston in a night game. San Francisco has led the division since June 25.
Sanchez (4-7) walked McCutchen on four pitches and threw five straight balls to start the game. Sandoval came in from third and catcher Eli Whiteside hustled to the mound to chat with the left-hander, who was roughed up again in his second start since coming off the disabled list with biceps tendinitis. Sanchez was done after 4 1-3 innings and hasn’t won since June 2 at St. Louis.
McCutchen stole second and came around to score on Ryan Ludwick’s RBI single.
McCutchen’s 16th clout of the year put Pittsburgh ahead 3-1 in the third. The Pirates have homered in four of their last five games and eight of 12.
McCutchen scored four runs — most by a Pirate in a game this year — also drawing three walks and getting hit by a pitch leading off the seventh. Brandon Wood added a two-run single in the seventh and Matt Diaz hit two run-scoring singles. Pittsburgh’s Nos. 1-5 hitters went a combined 7 for 17 with six RBIs, eight runs scored, seven walks and a hit batter. Jones is batting .389 (14 for 36) with five doubles, three homers and seven RBIs this month.
With a power show on offense of late, Bucs pitchers also have allowed 18 homers over the last nine games. Sandoval connected in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1.
The Giants have hit 19 straight solo home runs, matching the 1914 Phillies’ major league mark. Their last homer to score more than one run was a two-run drive by Nate Schierholtz on July 6 against San Diego.
Still, San Francisco finished up a disappointing 3-7 homestand with its 10th loss in 13 games. The Giants have dropped three straight series at AT&T Park for the first time since losing six consecutive home series from May 12-June 18, 2008.
Pirates first baseman Derrek Lee was a late scratch from the lineup with a recurring left hand injury. Manager Clint Hurdle said Lee’s hand was very sore after he played the two previous nights following a four-game absence with the bruised hand. Lee was hit with a pitch from Chicago’s Carlos Marmol last Wednesday.
Lee is batting .278 with two home runs and three RBIs in four games since joining the Pirates in a trade from Baltimore.
NOTES: Giants RF Carlos Beltran missed his third straight game nursing a strained right hand and wrist. Schierholtz was held out with a right hip flexor. … Giants LHP Barry Zito will make another rehab outing Saturday for Triple-A Fresno then fly out to join the Giants on the road. … San Francisco INF Miguel Tejada (lower abdominal strain) isn’t quite ready to begin a rehab outing in the minors, manager Bruce Bochy said. Tejada will travel on the road trip. … Pirates RHP Kevin Hart had arthroscopic cleanup surgery Tuesday performed by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla. The team hopes to have Hart ready by spring training. … Pirates LHP Paul Maholm (6-12, 3.54 ERA) starts Friday trying to end a string of three straight losing decisions. He is 1-5 on the road and is coming off a 13-2 loss Saturday at San Diego. … All-Star RHP Matt Cain goes for the Giants on Friday at Florida, trying to improve to 4-1 for his career vs. the Marlins. He lost to Florida on May 24.