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Cain, Winn push Giants past Braves

Aug 5, 2008 - 6:24 AM By Ryan McCrary PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- All Matt Cain needed to earn a victory was a little bit of run support.

Cain pitched 6 2/3 strong innings on Monday night, helping the San Francisco Giants claim a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

The right-handed Cain (7-9) allowed just one run and five hits, but the Giants' offense provided him with more than three runs of support for just the seventh time in 24 starts this season. Cain also improved to 24-6 lifetime when San Francisco scores at least three runs.

"He's been throwing the ball real well," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "He did again tonight. Terrific job. He got in a jam there (in the seventh) and (reliever Jack) Taschner picked him up, but he's really been pitching well and it's good to get him some runs too."

Despite receiving the third lowest run support in the National League, Cain insists that wins are not an individual stat he worries about.

"You still don't sit and think about wins and losses," Cain said. "Sometimes it's tough in those situations. The biggest thing is (when) these guys gave us a lead then for us to go out and keep that. I've got to keep throwing strikes, keep doing what you're doing and just keep on completing innings."

"We go out every game and try to score as many runs as we can," catcher Steve Holm said. "For whatever reason, sometimes it doesn't work out as much as other people."

Randy Winn had three hits, an RBI and scored a run, helping the Giants forge an early 2-0 lead in the third inning.

Winn led off the frame with an infield single and rookie Ivan Ochoa followed with a base hit. Winn advanced to third base on a fielder's choice by Fred Lewis, putting runners on the corners for Aaron Rowand, who capitalized with an RBI single.

John Bowker plated Lewis with a fielder's choice of his own off Braves rookie starter Jair Jurrjens (10-7), who allowed four runs - three earned - and nine hits with one strikeout and three walks in six innings.

"I didn't have my best stuff today and (I was) falling behind a lot, walking people and I didn't throw a lot of strikes," Jurrjens said. "The infielders had to stand out there too much and I didn't have my lucky day today."

"Cain was good tonight," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "(Jurrjens) was just as good. He had a good night, it didn't look like it, we had two guys (out) at home easy and we didn't even throw the ball (to the plate)."

Ochoa extended the lead with his first major league RBI in the fourth inning before Atlanta mounted a two-out rally in the sixth as Casey Kotchman tripled to deep right center field and scored on a single by Omar Infante.

Winn's RBI double down the left field line with two outs helped the Giants answer in the bottom of the frame, pushing the lead to 4-1.

Cain got two quick outs in the seventh before being replaced by Taschner after walking Gregor Blanco and Mark Kotsay sandwiched around a single by Yunel Escobar. Taschner got Brian McCann to pop-up to end the threat.

Jeff Francoeur pulled the Braves within two runs with an RBI ground out in the eighth, but closer Brian Wilson secured the victory with a perfect ninth, earning his National League-leading 31st save.