James Paxton, Luke Voit carry no-name Yankees over Giants

SAN FRANCISCO — One night after foolishly flushing a four-run lead in Southern California, the Yankees trucked north to the City By The Bay for the first time in 12 years and immediately recaptured their winning ways.

Led by James Paxton overpowering a limp Giants lineup through five innings and timely hitting from accidental cleanup hitter Gio Urshela, Gleyber Torres, Cameron Maybin, Luke Voit and Thairo Estrada, the Yankees opened a three-game series at Oracle Park on Friday night with a 7-3 victory in front of 34,950.

After their season-high six-game winning streak was stopped by themselves and the Angels on Thursday night in Anaheim, the Yankees have won nine of 11 and are 15-11.

Voit went 3-for-4 and hit a two-run homer off former Yankee Mark Melancon in the ninth to turn a 5-3 lead into a four-run bulge. Voit leads the Yankees with eight homers and 22 RBIs. DJ LeMahieu, who doubled in front of Voit’s blast to center, went 3-for-5 and scored three runs.

Going against Madison Bumgarner, Paxton was clearly the superior lefty through five frames before being replaced by the suddenly effective Tommy Kahnle with two outs and the Yankees’ lead reduced to 5-3 in the sixth with a runner on first. Kahnle, who hadn’t given up a hit or a run in nine of his previous 10 appearances, struck out Brandon Crawford to keep the two-run lead intact.

In 5 ²/₃ innings Paxton gave up three runs, five hits and whiffed eight. The outing lost luster after five frames, but Paxton improved to 3-2.

Zack Britton showed no sign of what was to follow when he easily retired the first two Giants in the seventh. Then he walked three straight and Aaron Boone called for the right-handed Adam Ottavino to face right-handed hitting Buster Posey. With the count, 2-2, Ottavino froze Pose with a filthy slider the catcher looked at to choke the scoring threat.

Ottavino worked the eighth and Aroldis Chapman recorded the final three outs in a non-save situation.

Bumgarner, 30 on Aug. 1, might not be the pitcher who went 80-48 with a 2.96 ERA from 2012-16 and helped the Giants win the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014, but he will be in demand by teams who believe they have a chance to get into the postseason later this season. Bumgarner, who entered Friday night’s action 11-19 with a 3.33 ERA in his previous 43 games from 2017-19, makes $12 million this year and is a free agent following another disappointing Giants season.

Bumgarner gave up five runs and 11 hits in 5 ²/₃ innings and is 1-4.

Through five innings Paxton easily outclassed Bumgarner and held a 4-1 lead. Bumgarner gave up two runs in the first and solo runs in the third and fifth. Paxton allowed a run in the first when he gave up two hits and a walk but didn’t get hurt too bad. Following a two-out walk to Evan Longoria in the first frame, Paxton retired the next 10 batters. Crawford stopped the streak with a leadoff single in the fifth.

After fouling a ball off his right knee leading off the fifth, LeMahieu singled to left and scored on Voit’s double to left that Brandon Belt took the wrong angle on and watched it roll to the wall and the Yankees increase their lead to 4-1.

With Gary Sanchez being rested and a lot of right-handed muscle on the IL, Boone batted Urshela cleanup and the move paid off when his single to left scored Voit for a 3-1 lead in the third.

The first inning required 32 minutes to complete and when Yangervis Solarte forced Longoria at second for the final out of the home half of the frame the Yankees had a 2-1 lead.

Trailing, 2-0, former Yankee Tyler Austin singled to right and advanced to third on Belt’s double to right. Posey’s fly to right was deep enough to scored Austin.

LeMahieu ripped a double off Bumgarner to center field to open the game, moved to third on Voit’s fly to right and scored on Torres’ double inside the third base line.

Urshela followed with a single and the newly acquired Maybin, who was in spring training with the Giants and cut late, singled home Torres for a 2-0 advantage.

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