Brandon Belt hits a three-run double in the seventh inning
Santiago Casilla escapes bases-loaded jam in the ninth
The Giants are 31-9 in their last 40 games
SAN FRANCSICO -- The sun had set by the sixth inning Friday night over AT&T Park. The Giants continued to make hay anyway.
In the midst of 29 straight games against teams that are currently below .500, the Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, in the opener of a three-game set. Eleven games into their stretch against sub-.500 opponents, the Giants are 10-1.
The stretch, which runs until the Giants play the Red Sox in their second series after the All-Star Break, is a chance to establish some solid footing before a loaded second-half schedule that includes seven games against the Nationals and series against the Orioles, Mets and Cubs -- plus nine meetings with the Dodgers.