Anderson silences Giants on another quiet night for D-backs bats

Published Jun. 13, 2015 12:59 a.m. ET

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There becomes a point where, like a fly buzzing around your head, a recurring theme can get annoying.

Leading the Diamondbacks to a 1-0 win against the San Francisco Giants, pitcher Chase Anderson decided to swat this metaphorical fly right into the AT&T Park windowpane on Friday night.

He never admitted frustration over his nine no-decisions in his 11 starts. He'd done his part most of the year, and he never thought to complain about the lack of run support.

By the end of the D-backs' win in San Francisco, one thing was clear: Anderson set himself up for a win regardless of Arizona's offensive production, or lack thereof. He held the Giants hit-less an out into the seventh inning.

"He was working ahead of the hitter," D-backs catcher Welington Castillo told FOX Sports Arizona's Jody Jackson. "He was throwing a lot of strikes. And when he was behind the count, he was throwing the changeup. Whatever I put down, he would throw with conviction."

Arizona indeed hadn't supported Anderson much this season -- a bottom-five ranking in MLB of 2.83 runs per start -- and it became the same story Friday night in the first game of a series against the Giants. Manager Chip Hale's team did, however, get on base with 11 hits. But they couldn't come through, going 3 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranding 11.

San Francisco couldn't get even that production. The Giants' first successful at-bat came from catcher Buster Posey, who with an out in the seventh hit a hard grounder up the middle, the ball striking Anderson in the right calf. The D-backs starter shook it off to finish after the seventh frame for a one-hit, two-strikeout game with a walk and two hit batters in 7.0 innings.

"You just know you have to focus on that one pitch, then the next pitch, the next pitch," Anderson told media after the game. "I just try to focus pitch-to-pitch."

Anderson's no-hit bid very well could have been over in the third inning. The D-backs starter hit Matt Duffy with a pitch and an out later walked Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner before Nori Aoki knocked a hard liner toward third. Aaron Hill snagged it and turned the double-play.

* Hidden behind Anderson's gem of a performance on the mound was his contributions at the plate. He produced two sacrifice bunts, one that led to Castillo scoring and another in the top of the fourth that moved shortstop Nick Ahmed to second. He eventually reached third with two outs but couldn't score.

* On Anderson's night, the D-backs once again couldn't make the hits count, even though they had early success against Bumgarner. In the first inning, Arizona loaded the bases, but Chris Owings hit into a force-out to leave the runners stranded. Then in the third with two outs, a Castillo liner to left field saw third base coach Andy Green call for Paul Goldschmidt -- from second base -- to head for home, but Giants left fielder Nori Aoki's throw easily beat him there for the out. And with an opportunity to add an insurance run in the ninth, Arizona put three on with two outs, and Goldschmidt grounded out once again.

* Castillo had himself a fine evening by scoring the game's only run and going 3 for 4 with a double. Small-ball helped score Castillo in the second after he singled. Anderson bunted to advance his catcher to second with two outs, and a bloop RBI single by Ender Inciarte helped Castillo give Arizona a 1-0 lead. "I was just aggressive. I just went out there with my plan," Castillo said.

216 --€“ consecutive batters Chase Anderson has faced on the road without giving up a home run.

Arizona designated for assignment utility man Jordan Pacheco upon third baseman Jake Lamb's return from a foot injury, and on Thursday Pacheco cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Reno. Hale openly hoped his roster can add another position player once its bullpen is in shape to cut itself from 13 to 12 members, and he said Pacheco would make a case for that roster spot if he wasn't picked up by another team.

Follow Kevin Zimmerman on Twitter

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