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Giants edge Nationals in NLDS opener

Oct 4, 2014 - 3:30 AM Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Jake Peavy picked up his first career postseason win as the San Francisco Giants held on to beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 in their NL Division Series opener on Friday.

Peavy (1-0) had a solid outing, scattering two hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and Joe Panik each knocked in a run for the Giants, who have won nine straight playoff games. They were coming off Wednesday's 8-0 wild-card victory at Pittsburgh.

"They have been through it. They have a calmness about them. When you have your back as many times against the wall as you can in the postseason, that experience is invaluable," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said about his team's run of postseason success.

Stephen Strasburg (0-1) gave up two runs in his postseason debut -- one earned -- on eight singles in five-plus innings for the NL East-champion Nationals.

Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Saturday, with the Giants sending out another veteran in Tim Hudson. Washington right-hander Jordan Zimmermann will make his first start since no-hitting Miami in Sunday's regular-season finale.

Peavy, who didn't allow a hit through the first four innings, exited after his third walk of the game put runners on first and second in the sixth. Javier Lopez then walked Adam LaRoche to load the bases, but Hunter Strickland struck out Ian Desmond on a 100-mph fastball.

Panik reached on a triple to begin the seventh. Center fielder Denard Span couldn't make the catch before crashing into the wall. Posey followed with a comebacker that deflected off reliever Craig Stammen's glove and trickled into the outfield grass, scoring Panik to make it 3-0.

Strickland gave up two home runs in the bottom of the frame. Bryce Harper led off by sending a 97-mph pitch into the third deck in right field. Asdrubal Cabrera launched a shot to right with one out.

In his next at-bat, Harper hit into a fielder's choice with two men on base against Sergio Romo in the eighth.

Washington went down quietly in the ninth as Santiago Casilla earned the save.

"We couldn't get it done today. We have another one tomorrow," said Nationals manager Matt Williams.

A challenge by the Giants resulted in a call being overturned and the game's first run.

Travis Ishikawa led off the third inning with a single. Peavy dropped down a sacrifice bunt to the right side that was fielded by the first baseman LaRoche.

Instead of taking the out at first, LaRoche decided to throw to second, where Ishikawa was called out by umpire Tom Hallion. The play was reversed after a 61-second review.

"It is one of those plays in the game where you want to be aggressive, certainly," Williams said. "You know, in hindsight if it was bunted again, I am sure (LaRoche) would have gone to first. In the heat of the moment, you want to get the lead runner."

After both runners advanced on a passed ball by catcher Wilson Ramos, Ishikawa scored on Panik's one-out single to center. Strasburg then got Posey to ground into an inning-ending double play.

The Giants extended their lead in the fourth. Hunter Pence hustled to beat out a double play, stole second and came around on a one-out single to right by Belt.

With two aboard later in the inning, Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon made a fine diving stop to his left and fired to second for the final out.

Strasburg stranded two runners in the fifth, but was removed after Belt and Brandon Crawford opened the sixth with consecutive singles. Jerry Blevins ended the threat with a strikeout and pair of flyouts.

Game Notes

Peavy had been 0-3 with a 9.27 ERA in five postseason starts prior to Friday's game ... San Francisco third baseman Pablo Sandoval extended his postseason hitting streak to 12 games ... Crawford collected three hits ... The Giants were 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 ... The Nationals had only six hits to the Giants' 12.