Giants bash Braves again, 11-2

ATLANTA — Andrew McCutchen and Buster Posey each had three of San Francisco’s 18 hits, and the hot-hitting Giants rolled over Brandon McCarthy and the Atlanta Braves 11-2 Saturday night.

Alen Hanson homered and drove in four runs, Gorkys Hernandez had four hits and Brandon Crawford had three hits and two RBIs for the Giants, who have won three straight games — scoring at least nine runs each time — and 10 of their past 13.

Ty Blach (3-3) gave up one earned run in 7 2/3 innings for San Francisco.

Hanson’s second-inning double to center field drove in Brandon Belt and Crawford. Hanson pulled a pitch down the right-field line for a tworun homer in the third.

Atlanta’s starting pitchers have been hammered early in each of the first two games of the weekend series. McCarthy gave up eight runs and 12 hits in only 3 1/3 innings after Mike Foltynewicz allowed six second-inning runs in the Giants’ 9-4 win Friday night.

The Giants scored four runs on six hits off McCarthy (4-1) in the third, including a run-scoring single by Belt. Evan Longoria following with a bloop double in front of a diving Nick Markakis for his 1,500th career hit, driving in Posey.

Jose Bautista, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday to become Atlanta’s starting third baseman, led off the fourth with a single for his only hit.

Markakis had three hits, including a run-scoring double in the third, to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He improved his National League-leading batting average to .346.

Attendance was 38,242 one night after the home debut of Braves rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. drew a SunTrust Park record total of 41,807. Acuna was 0-for4 for the second straight game.

Braves left-handed pitcher Max Fried was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday after pitching on back-toback days for the first time in his career. Fried would need to rest for a few days anyway, so right-hander Lucas Sims was recalled to provide a fresh arm in the bullpen.

Sims allowed two runs in 3 2/3 innings after relieving McCarthy.

As the Braves try to avoid being swept today in the series finale, right-hander Mike Soroka (1-0, 1.50) will make his second start after allowing only one run in six innings in a 3-2 win over the Mets on Tuesday.

The scheduled starter for the Giants is left-hander Andrew Suarez (0-1, 4.38). It will be his third MLB start.