San Francisco Giants Luis Matos connects for a two run single in the top of the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat May 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, May 18, 2024

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Colorado Rockies 4 (15-30)

San Francisco Giants 14 (22-25)

Win: Kyle Harrison (4-1)

Loss: Ty Blach (1-2)

Time: 2:47

Attendance: 31,098

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–Luis Matos led the way, as the Giants’ offense kept their rhythm from Friday night going to blow out the Rockies 14-4 in a resilient team effort, and the Giants have finally won three games in a row for the first time this season.

The Giants salvaged a game against the Dodgers with a win Wednesday night. Then after learning the news that Jung-hoo Lee was lost for the season, the Giants came back with an offensive explosion to win the series opener last night, which snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Rockies.

The two teams would be right back at it for a Saturday afternoon affair at Oracle Park. The Giants had a chance to win three games in a row for the first time this season, as they sent Kyle Harrison to the mound. Harrison struggled early, but bounced back for an overall-solid outing against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

The Rockies scored three runs off Sean Hjelle in the top of the first inning last night, but the top of the first inning today was the exact opposite for Harrison, who threw a 1-2-3 inning. Former Giant Ty Blach made the start for Colorado, and he immediately ran into trouble in the bottom of the first.

Thairo Estrada lined a single the other way to right field with one out, and he advanced to third on a two-out double by Matt Chapman. Luis Matos then came up, and he blasted a three-run home run to left-center to put the Giants up 3-0.

Harrison pitched a scoreless top of the second after a leadoff walk to Elehuris Montero, and the Giants would be right back at it in the bottom of the second. Marco Luciano led off the inning with a double to right, and he advanced to third on a groundout by Mike Yastrzemski. Curt Casali walked, and Jorge Soler lined a double to left to score Luciano and make it 4-0. Estrada then knocked in Casale with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Giants carried a 5-0 lead into the third inning, but the Rockies were ready to put a dent into it. Hunter Goodman led off the top of the third with a double for Colorado’s first hit of the game. Alan Trejo struck out swinging for the first out, but Ezequiel Tovar lined a base-hit just to the left of straightaway center to put the Rockies on the board.

Brendan Rodgers popped out to second, but Ryan McMahon walked, and Tovar and McMahon advanced to second third on a wild pitch by Harrison. Montero then lined a base-hit to left-center to score two and cut the Giants’ lead to 5-3.

“I really wanted to [go] out there, pound the zone and get us back in the dugout,” said Harrison. “[I] just wasn’t able to execute those changeups down in the zone when I needed to.

The Giants had a response in the bottom of the third. Matt Chapman lined a single to right to start the inning, and Matos doubled to center to make it 6-3.

Harrison settled back down with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth, and Peter Lambert replaced Blach for the bottom of the fourth and pitched a scoreless inning. Harrison survived a pair of singles in the top of the fifth, but he was really saved when Matos robbed Alan Trejo of a home run to start the inning.

It was the second time in three games that Matos took a home run away from a player, as Matos also took a home run away from Teoscar Hernandez in the top of the fourth inning on Wednesday night against the Dodgers. Like his catch to rob Hernandez, Matos crashed into one of the unpadded portions of the wall.

That would end Harrison’s day, and Harrison had a very similar pitching line compared to his last start. Like his start on Sunday, Harrison gave up three earned runs over five innings of work, but he had much better control today, as he issued just two walks after issuing five on Sunday.

“[The Rockies] had some good swings on him [and] made him work pretty hard,” said Manager Bob Melvin. “I [would have] liked to have him go back out again [for the sixth inning], but at the time, it seem[ed] like they were squaring him up toward the end, more so.”

The Giants went down scoreless against Lambert in the bottom of the fifth, and the Rockies would rally against Ryan Walker, who was brought in for the top of the sixth. Brenton Doyle reached on an infield single to start the inning and then stole second. Following a pair of strikeouts, Goodman hit a loft line drive up the middle into center to score Doyle and close the gap to 6-4.

The Giants would get the run back in the bottom of the sixth. Marco Luciano hit his second double of the game to start the inning, and then Yastrzemski walked, which forced Lambert out of the game. Rockies Manager Bud Black went to Justin Lawrence to face Casali, who laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third for Jorge Soler, who knocked in Luciano with a single to left.

The Giants were unable to add on any further in the bottom of the sixth, as they led 7-4 going to the seventh. Left-hander Erik Miller was summoned by Bob Melvin, but he ran into trouble with one out in the top of the seventh. Rodgers and McMahon each singled to bring the tying run up to the plate in Elehuris Montero, but Miller bore down and struck out Montero and Brenton Doyle to end the inning.

The Giants tacked on another run off of Lawrence in the bottom of the seventh. Matt Chapman hit a leadoff double and scored on a base-hit to left by Heliot Ramos, who continued to stay hot.

Tyler Rogers came in for the eighth, and of course he ran into trouble, as the Rockies, who would not go down quietly, put runners at the corners with one out. Fortunately for the Giants, Rogers struck out Charlie Blackmon swinging and got Tovar to ground out to escape the inning unscathed.

Nick Mears came in for Colorado in the bottom of the eighth, and the Giants’ offense, which was finally getting on a roll, was prepared to put the game away. Casali flew out to right to start the inning, but Soler and Estrada doubled with one out to make it 9-4. LaMonte Wade lined a base-hit to right to put runners at the corners, and Chapman walked to load the bases.

Luis Matos then came up and got his third hit of the game, a line drive to left-center to knock in a pair and open the Giants’ lead to 11-4. Heliot Ramos then hit a ground-rule double to left-center to score Chapman and make it 12-4.

The Giants were still going. With the bases loaded and two outs Casali, who led off the inning, lined a single to center to score a pair. Luciano was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning, but since Ramos, who was the following runner, touched the plate before the out was made, he scored to make it 14-4.

Taylor Rogers came in for the ninth and pitched a scoreless inning to end it.

Kyle Harrison got the win, and Ty Blach took the loss. Luis Matos certainly led the way with three legs of the cycle and six RBIs, but he was not alone. Like Matos, Jorge Soler had a three-hit game, and Matt Chapman had a 4-for-4 day.

“[Chapman] can get a little streaky at times, and now you’re seeing what he has to offer,” said Melvin. “[He’s] not trying to do too much. He’s getting better balls to hit and using the whole field, and typically that’s what he does when he’s swinging the bat well. This is who he is. He’s made a nice career for himself, and we [were] lucky to get him.”

Thairo Estrada, Heliot Ramos and Marco Luciano also did their part, as they all had two-hit games.

“It’s not just one guy, it’s everybody just taking good at-bats, being tough outs and stringing hits together,” said Chapman. “It’s not like we’re going up there and hitting a ton of homers. Obviously, those are coming, but I think it’s just us being tough outs one through nine…..and once it gets rolling, you get momentum, you get some more confidence and things start to build.”

The latest surge has also been in large part to the Giants calling up the kids.

“We kinda have this youthful enthusiasm going here, and I think it’s picked us up,” said Melvin. “Obviously, you [don’t] want to lose guys, but you know what, we’re swinging the bat[s] really well, and I think the vibe in the dugout’s probably as good as it’s been [all season].”

“If we want to be a team that’s going to play at the end of the year, we have to get help from everybody,” said Chapman. “I think that these guys are getting valuable experience, and they’re helping us out a ton.”

The Giants indeed have their first three-game winning streak of the season, as they improve to 22-25. Sunday, they can get their first sweep of the season. The Rockies are going with RHP Dakota Hudon (1-6, ERA 6.13) the Giants are going with Jordan Hicks (3-1, ER 2.44) on the mound. First pitch will be at 1:05 p.m.

News and Notes:

In addition to his six RBIs today, Luis Matos has 17 RBIs in his first six games with the Giants this season, and that ties a major league record for most RBIs in a player’s first six games of a season. Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles had 17 RBIs in his first six games of the 2013 Season.

Matos’ 17 RBIs in his first six games have suddenly given him the fourth-most RBIs of any Giant this season.

“Man, that’s a lot of RBIs,” said Melvin. “It’s like player of the week stuff he’s doing.”

The Giants improve to 14-0 in games in which they have scored five or more runs this season. They are the only team in Major League Baseball to be undefeated in games where they scored five or more runs.

The Giants also hit nine doubles in a game for the first time since April 11, 1912, when the Giants hit 12 doubles against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the final opening day at Washington Park III. The Dodgers moved to Ebbets Field the following season in 1913.

Blake Snell pitched his second rehab assignment for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento last night. After throwing four perfect innings for the Single-A San Jose Giants on Sunday, Snell threw five no-hit innings and struck out 10 against the Oklahoma City Baseball Clubs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, last night.

Snell could return to the Giants’ rotation Wednesday or Thursday when the Giants are in Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates.

Michael Conforto was placed on the 10-Day Injured list prior to the game due to his strained right hamstring. Outfielder Luis Matos was called up to take Conforto’s place.

Catcher Patrick Bailey, who was placed back on the 7-Day Concussion Injured List, has been cleared to resume baseball activities after being evaluated by Dr. Mickey Collins, a concussion specialist in Pittsburgh.