San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin, right, gestures while talking to umpire Manny Gonzalez during the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Jun 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

San Diego (35-39). 000 000 110. – 2. 8. 0

San Francisco (42-32). 000 040 00x. – 4. 8. 0

Time: 2:48

Attendance: 33,332

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Going for their tenth win in a row, the surging San Francisco Giants , entering the fray at 41-32, opted for the 11th time this season, to play a bullpen game. In the those earlier games, the Giants’ hurlers went 7-3, 2.93.

Their assembly line approach to pitching earned the Giants a hard fought 4-2 victory tonight. Their opener this evening was, right hander Ryan Walker. It was his second stint in that role. The other other start for the youngster came in the first of this three game series against the Padres on Monday, when he threw 28 pitches over 1-2/3 scoreless innings, giving up three his but no walks. Sean Hjelle replaced Walker after he had thrown another goose egg but, triue to his name, issued a pair of bases on balls.

San Diego went with the veteran Yu Darvish, now in the twilight of his distinguished international career. The native of Osaka, came into tonight’s contest at 5-5, 4.74 for 2923. The Giants last saw him on April 30, in the gut wrenching series the Giants and Padres played in Mexico City.

He showed his old brilliance over the first four innings he pitched but fell apart in the fifth, when the Giants batted around and roughed him up for four runs. In all, Darvish went six innings and gave up four runs, all earned on seven hits and two walks, He struck out six . His pitch count reached 101, 68 counted a strikes. He was charged with the loss, and his record now stands at 5-6, 4.84.

Hjelle blanked the Pads over two innings, helped by a couple of pitcher’s best friends, The more interesting one came in the fourth and enforced The Curse of the Leadoff Double. Manny Machado deposited a fly in the right field corner in start the frame. He tried to advance on Jake Cronenworth’s foul fly to left, but a Michael Conforto rifled a throw to Brian Crawford, who shot a perfect relay to JD Davis to nab the Manny You Love to Hate at third for the inning ending twin killing, allowing Hjelle to return to the mound in the top of the fifth in a game that still was tied at zero.. Hjelle was somewhat wild in. that inning, allowing a walk and throwing a wild pitch, but he kept San Diego. off the board to complete a very successful four inning stint.

San Francisco unknotted the tie in the bottom half of the inning. Luis Matos lead off by beating out Xander Bogaerts’ throw to first of his grounder to deep short the rookie center fielder’s second infield single in a many. at bats. He stole second on the next pitch, which was to Blake Sabol, who smacked a single off Bogaerts’ glove into left field, putting runners on the corners.

After David Villar walked, Crawford drove Matos home with a sacrifice fly to left.. With two down, Pederson singled to right, and Sabol tried to core from second. Home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott called him out. The Giants claimed that catcher Gary Sánchez had blocked the plate.

The reviewing umpires in New York agreed with them, and the call was reversed, giving SF a 2-0 lead. This displeased Padres manager Bob Melvin enough to get him thrown out of the game by Wolcott. The Giants’ onslaught continued. Mike Yastrzemski singled Villar home. Davis singled Pederson, who had gone to second on the previous play home, upping the SF lead to four.

Tyler, the left handed Rogers brother, defended that cushion in the top of the sixth. His successor in the seventh, Luke Jackson, allowed the Padres their first run, scored by Hae-Seong Kim after he had reached first on a force out, duly challenged and confirmed, and stolen second. Grisham’s single to center brought him home.

Brent Honeywell, Jr., kept it. a 4-1 game in the bottom of the seventh.

Tyler, the right handed submariner, Rogers came to pitch the top of the eighth and immediately gave up back to back singles to Juan Soto and Manny Machado. Soto ended up scoring the Padres’ second run. Croneworth’s sacrifice fly to center brought hit home.

Adrián Morejón was the third Padres hurler, He set the Giants down in order in the eighth, which set the stage for Camilo Doval – who else – to attempt the save. He earned it, his 20th of the year and brought his ERA down to 1.87.

The win went to Hjelle. His record now stands at 2-1, 7.79.

The series. will be wrapped up tomorrow, Thursday. Game time is 12:45. Blake Snell (3-6, 3.48) will be on the mound for San Diego. San Francisco will counter with Alex Wood (2-1, 4.11)