"The sacrifice fly: a pitcher's new best friend.

The way the Giants have operated lately, with losses and injuries piling up beyond anyone's gloomiest expectations, they'll take any friend they can get.

Behind Matt Cain's eight stifling innings and the offense's little-ball approach that featured a franchise-record-tying four sacrifice flies, the Giants beat the Braves 7-5. Their first win over Atlanta in 2011, however, nearly went to waste in the ninth.

Atlanta scored four times in the inning off lefties Dan Runzler and Jeremy Affeldt and had Brian McCann as the tying run at the plate with two outs and a runner aboard.

"If he hits that ball out, that probably would've killed us," Aubrey Huff said.

Instead, McCann struck out, and the Giants beat the Braves for the first time in six tries this season and have a crack at a series split with Tim Lincecum pitching tonight's finale."