San Francisco, CA (Best E Casino) - Matt Cain pitched into the seventh frame as San Francisco got off on the right foot with a 4-2 victory over Atlanta in the initial contest of a three-game set at AT&T Park.
Cain (7-9), mired by a lack of run support this season, lowered his earned run average to 3.60 after yielding one run on five hits with six strikeouts and five walks over 6 2/3 frames.
Randy Winn finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored for the Giants, who had dropped six of nine entering the contest. They did muster four runs off Jair Jurrjens (10-7), who scattered nine hits and three walks while allowing all four runs -- three earned.
"He (Jurrjens) kept us in the game like he's been doing all season long," said Brian McCann. "He's probably been our most consistent player all season. Every time he takes the hill he gives us a chance."
San Francisco scored only eight runs in Cain's six July starts, in which the right-hander posted a 1.88 ERA but just a 2-3 mark.
Omar Infante and Kelly Johnson each collected two hits for Atlanta.
Winn and Ivan Ochoa each singled to lead off the third, and Ochoa was erased on Fred Lewis' force out. Aaron Rowand's base hit to right scored Winn and John Bowker's groundout plated Winn for the 2-0 lead.
Cain started a two-out rally to help himself in the fourth. He singled and moved to second when Winn reached on an error. Ochoa's base hit plated Cain to push the edge to 3-0.
Casey Kotchman's triple and Infante's infield single manufactured Atlanta's first run in the sixth, but the Giants got that tally right back on Winn's run-scoring double.
Jeff Francoeur's groundout scored Infante in the eighth, trimming the deficit to 4-2, but Brian Wilson struck out two batters in his 1-2-3 ninth for his 31st save.
"It's always nice to see Wilson have a clean inning," said Cain. "There's nothing better than seeing your closer get a 1-2-3 ninth."
Game Notes
Jurrjens ERA jumped to 3.12 in defeat...Cain's ERA was 6.97 in two career starts versus the Braves...McCann returned to the lineup after missing time with a concussion. The catcher suffered the concussion during a collision with Philadelphia's Shane Victorino at home plate. He finished 0-for-3 versus the Giants on Monday.
