Giants extend win streak with walk parade vs. Royals

SAN FRANCISCO — Some of the Giants’ favorite hitting metrics revolve around their ability to control the strike zone.

Never was that more apparent than in the third inning of their 6-2 win to open their three-game series with the Kansas City Royals.

After making two outs, the Giants loaded the bases and scored two runs while getting just one base hit. Royals starter Brady Singer issued four straight free passes that forced in both runs.

All it took to secure a fourthstraight victory and continue their momentum from a weekend sweep of the Dodgers was a minirally in the sixth, which — you guessed it — was kickstarted by a leadoff walk.

The Giants drew a season-high nine walks Monday night, including five from the Royals’ starter, who in five previous starts this season had shown among the best command in the majors. Only two qualified starters had a lower K/9 than Singer’s entering Monday night, but only four teams had a higher BB% than the Giants.

In four consecutive batters in the third inning, Singer matched his season total of free passes (4 in 35 1/3 innings).

After catcher Austin Wynns snuck a two-out double down the right-field line — his fifth hit in three games and his first for extra bases — Singer all but lost his ability to find the strike zone. He lost Luis González after working a full count, then threw 12 of his next 13 pitches outside the strike zone, walking Mike Yastrzemski, then Darin Ruf, then Joc Pederson. The walk parade forced home Wynns and Yastrzemski and tied the game at 2.

The Giants took the lead in the sixth after Austin Slater, pinchhitting for Pederson, took ball four and scored on Thairo Estrada’s line drive single into center field. The RBI single extended Estrada’s hitting streak to a teamhigh six games.