San Francisco Giants’ Michael Conforto hits a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun Apr 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

Kansas City. 000 100 000. – 1. 5. 0

San Francisco. 000 000 03x. – 3.5. 1

Time: 2:15

Attendance: 30,207

Sunday, April 9, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Looking over my score sheet before this afternoon’s game, when the visiting Kansas City Royals were 3-6, and their hosts, your San Francisco Giants, were still 3-5, I marveled at the difference between the batting averages of their respective line ups KC’s starting nine ranged from Franmil Reyes’s .118 to Salvador Pérez’s ,267.

The figures for the home team went from David Villar’s paltry .200 to Thairo Estrada’s hefty 414. Yet the Royals had beaten the Giants in both of the previous games of this three game series Go figure.

When the tumult and the shouting had died down, San Francisco had come from behind to earn a thrilling 3-1 victory in a splendid pitchers’ duel.

San Francisco began the game with right hander Anthony DeSclafani on the mound. He had been outstanding in his one previous start, shutting out the White Sox in Chicago last Monday. He pitched six innings, allowing only three without a walk striking out four on the way to earn the win.

DeSclafani’s mound opponent, the souithpaw Kris Bubic, had been adequate but unsuccessful in his earlier start. He was saddled with the loss in the Royals 4-1 defeat by the Blue Jays last Tuesday. He threw 88 pitches, 57 for strikes, over fivee frames, in which he gave up seven hits and a walk. TheRoyals were trailing 2-1 when he left the scene. Both Toronto runs were earned.

DeSclafani retired the first 11 Royals he faced. Then Vinnie Pasquantino smacked a double to left center and Salvador Pérez, who had sparked yesterdays’ KC comeback, drove him home with a single to left that put the visitors up, 1-0. Meanwhile, Bubic was mowing down Giants as if he were an International Harvester.

The only Giant to reach base before Villar led off the home fifth with a solid single to center was Miichael Conforto, who got hit by a pitch in the initial episode. In spite of a two out bunt single by Heliot Ramos, newly arrived from Sacramento along with Austin Wynns, San Francisco still was on the short end of a 1-0 score.

That’s how things stood when DeSclafani exited the scene in the top of the seventh. Vinnie Pasquantino had gotten Kansas City’ s second safety, a lead off single to center, and the SF starter had disposed of the always dangerous Pérez with a pop out to Crawford. Left hander Scott Alexander came on stage and surrendered a single to pinch hitter Matt Duffy before retiring the next two batters to hold KC’s margin to a single run. He gave way to Taylor Rogers for the visitors’ eighth.

DeSclafani had gone 6-1/2 innings and held his opponents to one run, earned, on three hits and no walks. He set seven Royals down on strikes. He threw 88 pitches, 61 for strikes and lowered. his ERA to 0.73.

Bubic soon followed DeSclafani to the showers. Carlos Hérnandez started the home seventh and, for openers, granted a free pass to Joc Pederson, pinch hitting for Davis.

It was the first walk for either team. Hernández set down the next two batters he faced and then yielded to Ryan Yarborough, who struck Blake Sabol, batting for Wynns, out looking Kris Bubic’s line was 6 IP, two hits, nine Ks, and a hit batter. The rest, zeroes except for his pitch count of 76, 56 of them strikes.

Taylor Rogers gave up a leadoff to Nicky López in the eighth, got the next two Royals out, and passed the baton to John Brebbia, yesterday’s goat. But not today. He struk out Witt looking.

San Francisco knotted the score in their half of the eighth. Bryce Johnson singled to left with one away. After Thairo Estrada flew to left, Wilmer Flores laced a two bagger down the third baseline that just barely got Johnson in with the tying run. Michael Conforto the put the Giants up by two with a monumental splash hit into. McCovey Cove, 429 feet deep.. It was Conforto’s three four bagger and came off a slow hanging curve.

John Brebbia stayed on to close out the win and get credit for the win, wrapping things up with a game ending double play, 4-6-3, courtesy of Matt Duffy. Ryan Yarborough was socked with the loss.

Today, Kansas City. Tomorrow, Los Angeles. The Dodgers are going with Julio Urías (2-0,1.50) who goes against the Giants Logan Webb (0-2,6.55) at 6:45 at Oracle Park in San Francisco Monday, April 10.