The San Francisco Giants Casey Schmitt waits to take his place at shortstop in the Giants dugout against the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue May 9, 2023 (@SFGiants photo)

Washington (15-21). 000 001 000. – 1 10 1

San Francisco (16-19). 200 100 10x. – 4 10.1

Time: 2:22

Attendance: 22,028

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–It’s tempting to blame last night’s disappointing Giants loss to Washington to the poor quality of the home plate umpire, MiLB call up Emil Jiménez. After all, Ump Scorecard gave him an overall accuracy rating of 84%. Breaking down those figures, 8% of the balls he called should have been called strikes, and a whopping 30% of his called strikes really were balls.

Perhaps even more troubling was his overall consistency rating of 87%. (The average is 94%). One measurement, however, undercuts that unkind temptation. Jiménez’s errors had the overall effect of — and this figure also comes from Ump Scorecards— favoring the Giants by 1.56 runs.

San Francisco turned to Logan Webb, who, at 2-5,3.80, had not been living up to expectations so far this season. He lived up to them tonight, holding the Nats to one run, earned, in seven innings in spite of allowing nine hitsl and a walk. 82 of his 105 offerings were strikes in the Giants 4-1 victory over Washington.

What the expectations for his opponent, left hander Patrick Corbin, are is an interesting question. Here’s what the Washington Posts’ Barry Syrluge had to say about them in that paper on April 29:

When the Washington Nationals took the field under cloudy skies Saturday afternoon, Patrick Corbin led them onto the grass at Nationals Park, cranked his left arm like a windmill and climbed the mound for his 112th regular season start wearing a Nats uniform.

He pitched brilliantly and won a World Series in that uniform. He has stunk to high heaven in that uniform. And fairly or not, each of his starts has become something of a referendum on the six-year, $140 million contract that put him in that uniform in the first place.

(By the way, Washington lost the game Syrluge was writing about, 6-3. Corbin surrendered three runs, all earned, on seven hits, and was charged with the loss).

In tonight’s encounter, we had a chance to test a few more expectations. Casey Schmitt, heralded as San Francisco’s possible shortstop of the future, made his big league debut. It was a successful one (keep reading to see why), and it came in a hard fought game that San Francisco won, 4-1.

This evening’s first inning was in stark contrast to last night’s debacle. Logan wiggled out of trouble in the top half, and San Francisco put two men across the plate in their half. Slater reached first on shortstop CJ Abrams’ errant throw to first. Thairo Estrada’s single to right sent him to third, and both of them scored on Mitch Haniger’s double to right center.

Schmitt showed his big league mettle in the field in the top of the third by starting an inning ending double play and confirmed it at the plate in the bottom of the fourth, by luaunching a 420 foot, 103.8 mph blast three or four rows into the center field bleachers for his first home run and RBI in the show. That put San Francisco up, 3-0.

Haniger provided a bit of unwanted excitement in the home fifth when his line drive bounced off Corbin (it looked like his shoulder took the hit). After a few minutes’ delay, Corbin pronounced himself ready to resume pitching, which he did, successfully and scorelessly.

Joey Menenses opened the visitors’ sixth with a liner down the third bae line, to hot for Davis t0 handle. It went past him for a leadoff double. The Curse wasn’t in effect that frame, and Menenses scored on Dominic Smith’s single to left to close the gap to 3-1. The Nats managed to put runners on second and third with two down before a gutsy Logan fanned Jake Alu to close the door on the threat.

Corbin’s night was over after six frames over with the Giants scored three runs, two of which were earned. He yielded eight hits, one of which went out of the park. He struck out three and threw 96 pitches, 66 for strikes. Mason Thompson relieved him and allowed San Francisco to add a run to its lead on. a single by Davis that drove Estrada in from third.

Tyler Rogers brought his submarine into the game, launching its torpedoes in the visitors’ eighth, in which he surrendered a hit and a walk but no runs.

Hobie Harris did the same in. the Giants’ half of the eighth.

Camilo Duval came on in the ninth to join Joey Bart in a game of Beat The Clock. (If you noticed how close the Giants’ closer gets to clock rule violations you’ll know what I mean). He fanned Alu. He fanned Thomas. He got two strikes on Luis García. The count went to 1-2. García gr0unded out to second. And that was it.

Webb got win. He’s now 3-5, 1.46. Corbin (1-5, 4.87) took the loss. Duval earned his eighth save.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, at 12:45, the Giants’ Sean Manaea (1-1,7.33) will face Josiah Gray (2-5, 3.03) in the rubber game of this series