Davies, Brewers look to slow hot-hitting Giants

The visiting San Francisco Giants hope to continue their torrid hitting against a Milwaukee Brewers team that's desperate for pitching help when the clubs meet in the middle contest of a three-game series on Saturday night.

Both teams had to dig deep into their bullpens before Buster Posey smacked a grand slam off Matt Albers in the 10th inning Friday night, giving the Giants a 10-7 win in the series opener.

The 10-run eruption was the Giants' fourth in their last eight games, a stretch during which they have used 63 runs as the driving force in a 7-1 spree.

The Giants will take their cracks Saturday at Brewers right-hander Zach Davies (7-2, 3.07 ERA), who has never beaten San Francisco in his career.

The 26-year-old began the season 7-0, but then suffered a 5-3 loss at San Francisco on June 14. He allowed home runs to Pablo Sandoval and Kevin Pillar in his five innings.

Davies hasn't won since, going 0-2 in his last five starts.

He's 0-2 with a 2.81 ERA in three career starts against San Francisco.

Five Giants hit homers in Friday's win, including Evan Longoria, who took over the team lead with his 13th, six of which have come in eight games in July.

The Giants have now homered in 13 straight games, with two or more in five of their last seven.

"Obviously we got on a little roll there right before the All-Star break," Posey noted after the game. "After having four days off, it's nice to come out and put up 10 more runs."

The Giants sent Brewers starter Chase Anderson to the showers after five innings in the win, and connected for two homers off Brewers All-Star closer Josh Hader, who was charged with just his second blown save of the season.

The pitching failure came on the same day when the Brewers announced they signed Shelby Miller off the scrap heap. The 28-year-old had posted an 8.59 ERA for the Texas Rangers in 19 games earlier this season.

"It's another opportunity to see if we can 'unlock' someone who clearly has a lot of talent," Brewers president David Stearns explained of the addition of a former first-round pick who has gone 12-38 since 2015 after beginning his career 26-18.

"Whenever we make an acquisition, we generally see something we like to pursue, and we will pursue it. We think we can help guys."

A guy with far better credentials could be auditioning for pitching-needed clubs like Milwaukee when the Giants send left-hander Madison Bumgarner (5-7, 4.03) up against Davies.

Bumgarner is coming off an aborted outing in which he had to leave his start against St. Louis last Saturday in the third inning after having been hit by a line drive near his left elbow earlier in the game.

He has gone 2-0 in his last three starts, allowing four runs and 11 hits in 15 innings.

Bumgarner didn't get a decision when he went six innings in an 8-7 home win over the Brewers last month. He's 7-4 in his career against the Brewers with a 2.76 ERA in 13 starts, including 3-1 with a 3.31 in five starts at Milwaukee.

--Field Level Media