Giants’ Brandon Crawford Ties MLB Record With Seven Hits In 8-7 Win Over Marlins

Brandon Crawford tied an all-time single-game National League record with a franchise-record seven hits, including a go-ahead single off righty Andrew Cashner in the 14th inning to lead the San Francisco Giants to an 8-7 victory over the Marlins in Miami on Monday night.

Giants’ Brandon Crawford Ties MLB Record With Seven Hits In 8-7 Win Over Marlins

With the win, the Giants remain one game ahead of the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. The Marlins fell to 7 1/2 games behind the NL East-leading Nationals and are tied with the Cardinals for the second NL Wild Card.

“It’s crazy to me,” Crawford said. “The history of the Giants with all the great players that have come through here, you would think that someone would push across seven hits in one day.”

The 29-year-old shortstop’s record-tying hit in the top of the 14th scored Brandon Belt from second base to break a 7-7 tie. It was the fifth single among his seven hits. He also recorded a double and a triple.

Giants catcher Buster Posey was banged up on an awkward headfirst slide into third base in the 11th inning, slamming his jaw against the bag. Posey said he was fine following the game.

“I went from making the coolest play in my career in the beginning of the game to making the worst,” Posey said of his first-inning attempt to throw out Dee Gordon at second. “I always say that this game will humble you quickly.”

Gordon, Martin Prado and Christian Yelich combined to go 8-for-17 with six RBIs for the Marlins, although they were ultimately unable to outlast the Giants or stop Crawford.

“That’s a lot,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Crawford’s 7-for-8 night. “Obviously we didn’t figure him out today. He’s a tough out right now.”

Crawford is only the fourth player in modern MLB history (since 1900) to finish with seven hits in a game. Rennie Stennett of the Pirates last accomplished the feat in 1975. Stennett earned his seven hits in seven consecutive at-bats, while Crawford sandwiched a strikeout among his plate appearances to end the game 7-for-8.

Rocky Colavito (1962, Tigers) and Cesar Gutierrez (1970, Tigers) are the other two players to set that record.

Monday’s five-hour, 34-minute game featured 17 different pitchers, but before the Marlins’ bullpen blew a 5-1 lead in the seventh, Jose Fernandez turned in another solid home start. The Miami right-hander held San Francisco to one run on six hits over six innings in a no-decision. Fernandez has now thrown six or more innings for a team-leading 17th time this season.

“We let the lead slip away there in the seventh, but we bounced back — they bounced back, and from there it was crazy,” Mattingly said.

Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto had a poor outing. The veteran lasted five innings, yielding five runs on six hits, two of which were home runs. Cueto is still winless in the second half of the season, having gone 0-3 with a 5.02 ERA in five starts.

In a five-run seventh, the Giants recorded six straight hits, including Hunter Pence’s game-tying RBI single. San Francisco then took the lead on Brian Ellington’s first pitch to Eduardo Nunez– a wild pitch that allowed Crawford to race home.

Ichiro Suzuki entered the game for the Marlins in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter. It was his first at-bat at Marlins Park since reaching 3,000 hits on Sunday. The game was momentarily delayed prior to his at-bat as the crowd rose to its feet for a standing ovation while the scoreboard replayed Ichiro’s milestone hit. The outfielder grounded out to second in his only plate appearance on Monday.

The two teams face off for the second game of their three-game series in Miami on Tuesday night. Lefty Matt Moore (7-7, 4.04 ERA) will make his second start with the Giants (64-48, 1st in NL West), while right-hander Tom Koehler (8-8, 4.05 ERA) take the mound for the Marlins (59-53, 2nd in NL East).

MIAMI, FL – AUGUST 08: Brandon Crawford #35 of the San Francisco Giants hits double in the 4th inning agains the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 8, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)