Diamondbacks fall to Giants, unable to complete sweep in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — Pablo Sandoval homered and drove in three runs, rookie Chris Stratton pitched six strong innings and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-2 on Sunday.

The Diamondbacks had won 20 of 25 games and nine straight on the road. Their magic number for clinching a playoff berth was six going into Sunday.

The Giants snapped a four-game skid. Stratton (3-3) struck out four and gave up two runs, five hits and a walk.

Stratton also had the first of three singles leading off San Francisco’s three-run fifth. He scored when Austin Slater drew a four-pitch walk off starter Taijuan Walker (9-8).

The Giants loaded the bases with no outs three times — off Walker in the fourth and fifth innings and against T.J. McFarland in the seventh.

Sandoval homered leading off the sixth — his third in 37 games since returning to the Giants in July. He’s batting .185 since being acquired.

Sandoval drove in a run in the seventh with a fielder’s choice on a fly ball that dropped near left fielder David Peralta, who fired to second get a force out on Brandon Crawford. Sandoval also knocked in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer off Stratton in the sixth, his 24th home run in 51 games since the Diamondbacks acquired him in a July trade with the Detroit Tigers.

Walker gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings.

STARTERS’ STREAK SNAPPED

Walker’s outing snapped a streak of eight straight games in which Diamondbacks starters gave up two or fewer runs. Starters were a combined 5-0 with a 1.62 ERA over that stretch.

VOGELSONG RETIRES

Fan favorite Ryan Vogelsong retired as a Giant in a ceremony before the game. Vogelsong was part of the Giants’ championship teams in 2012 and 2014.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: C Buster Posey was out of the lineup after fouling a ball off his left big toe Saturday. Manager Bruce Bochy said the injury isn’t serious and expects to have him back in the lineup after Monday’s day off. … LHP Will Smith, who had Tommy John surgery in March, started his throwing program on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin (14-12, 4.06 ERA) will pitch Monday’s series opener in San Diego. Corbin is 6-1 with a 2.12 ERA in his last seven starts. He’s 5-6 with a 4.29 ERA in 15 career outings (including 10 starts) against the Padres.

Giants: After the team’s day off, Johnny Cueto (7-8, 4.58 ERA) will pitch Tuesday’s series opener against Colorado. Cueto is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three starts since coming off the DL with a flexor tendon strain on Sept. 1. He is 9-3 with a 2.66 ERA in in 15 career starts against the Rockies.