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PHILADELPHIA -- The San Francisco Giants received a career outing from Ty Blach and took advantage of a Philadelphia Phillies staff that couldn't throw strikes, chasing starter Jerad Eickhoff by the third inning and running away to a 10-0 win at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night. Center fielder Denard Span went 5-for-6 with three runs scored and had an RBI to lead a Giants' attack that collected 15 hits, tying a season high set in the second game of the season.
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The Phillies (17-35) walked a season-high 10 batters, allowing San Francisco to set its season high in runs scored. Four of those runs were unearned, thanks to a pair of errors.
Blach (4-2) had no such issues of his own on the mound, making it through seven innings for the fifth consecutive start. The 26-year-old left-hander threw a complete game for the first time in his career, allowing seven hits and striking out four on 112 pitches to finish off the shutout.
He's the first San Francisco rookie starter to win four consecutive starts since Madison Bumgarner accomplished the feat from July 6-24, 2010.
Blach, who hadn't drawn a walk in 20 career plate appearances, walked in his first three times up; six other Giants were also awarded at least one base on balls. He's just the second pitcher in the last 33 years to draw three walks, after Colorado's Aaron Cook did so on Oct. 1, 2009.
The Giants (23-33) plated two runs in each of the first two innings to get out to an early advantage against Eickhoff, who came into the season's third month still looking for his first victory of the year.
Instead, Eickhoff (0-6) was pulled with two outs in the third inning after loading the bases on a pair of walks and a Span double. He threw just 37 of his 72 pitches for strikes, walking five and giving up six hits and five runs (four earned).
The Phillies' bullpen didn't fare much better.
Joely Rodriguez, hurt by an error of his own doing, gave up four runs in the sixth inning as the Giants expanded their lead up to nine runs. Edubray Ramos allowed one more in the ninth inning to cap off the scoring.
The loss was the fifth in a row and 15th in the last 18 games for the Phillies, who have the worst record in Major League Baseball. It was the first time they were shut out since May 21, though they've averaged only two runs per game since.
NOTES: This was the first contest of a seven-game road trip for San Francisco, which travels to Milwaukee for a four-game series beginning Sunday. The Phillies are only home for these three contests before heading out for a nine-game trip to Atlanta, St. Louis and Boston. ... The Phillies announced that RHP Vince Velasquez (2-5, 5.58 ERA), put on the DL two days ago with a right elbow injury, has a Grade 1 strain of his flexor pronator. He won't throw for three weeks, and the team is hoping to have him back around the All-Star break. ... Saturday's matchup pits Giants RHP Johnny Cueto (5-4, 4.37 ERA) against Phillies RHP Ben Lively (0-0, .--).
