Heyward Stays Hot, Minor Dominates Giants In 7-3 Win For Braves

Mike Minor finally received some run support, earning his seventh win of the season with another solid outing in a 7-3 win over the Giants.

Atlanta left two on in the first inning against Madison Bumgarner, indicating this could be a miserable day for the offense, but that was not the case. Bumgarner, oddly enough, walked Minor leading off the third inning and then walked Martin Prado with one out before having to face Jason Heyward. Heyward watched one fastball from the Giants lefty then crushed the next one for a three-run homer to right.

Minor continued his good work, only allowing one base runner through four innings, but the Giants managed to push across a run in the fifth after Hunter Pence was hit with a pitch to start the inning, later scoring on a Brandon Belt groundout that followed a double by Joaquin Arias.

Bumgarner was chased from the game in the seventh after Minor helped his cause with a double to right and then scored on Michael Bourn's base hit, restoring the three-run lead. His four walks in the game tied a career high.

The Giants, though, would make the game interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Buster Posey led off the inning with a single, but after two quick outs, Brandon Belt doubled to deep center. Minor was pulled for Chad Durbin and he allowed both runners to score on a pinch-hit double by Gregor Blanco.

Minor struck out five in 6.2 innings; he did not walk a batter for the third straight start.

That's as far as the Giants would get, though, as Atlanta pushed across two runs in the eighth. Two hits and a walk loaded the bases and with two outs, both Bourn and Prado drew walks against Jeremy Affeldt to force in a pair of runs. One more run scored in the ninth when Reed Johnson's RBI double scored Freddie Freeman who had singled to start the inning.

Craig Kimbrel finished the game with a perfect ninth inning of relief.