Month: May 2024

Red Legs get Leg up with Fairchild’s inside the park homer in 4-2 win; Cincinnati snaps eight game loss streak at Oracle

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Cincinnati Reds Stuart Fairchild’s slide gets ahead of the San Francisco Giants catcher Jackson Reetz’s tag for an inside the park home run in the top of the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri May 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

Cincinnati (17-21). 101 100 001. 4. 9. 0

San Francisco (17-23). 110 000 000. 2 7. 1

Time: 2:30

Attendance: 32,867

Friday, May 10, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–The slumping San Francisco Giants fell to the slumping Cincinnati Reds, 4-2, tonight in an exciting contest that featured the 13th inside the park home run on the banks of McCovey Cove.

The Giants that took the field against the Rhinelanders was not the San Francisco Giants we’ve been used to seeing this still young season. Slick fielding shortstop Nick Ahmed was put on the 10 day injured list and replaced by Casey Schmitt, who was recalled from the River Cats and started at short.

This followed Jackson Reetz’s promotion to cover for the injuries to catchers Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy. Blake Sabol also had been recalled from Sacramento since the Giants left on their disastrous 3-7 road trip.

And Jung Hoo Lee is day to day as. he recovers from the foul ball that he slammed into his own foot the day before yesterday. More roster moves may yet be coming; Michael Conforto pinch hit for Austin Slater in the bottom of the second after the starting center fielder showed signs of a possible concussion.

Logan Webb was coming off two rough starts including last Saturday’s game when he was under the weather. He had a rocky start tonight but settled down to hold the visitors to three runs, one of which was unearned over seven frames on eight hits and two walks.

He threw an even 100 pitches, 36 of which were balls. He with his fourth loss against three wins, although his ERA dropped to 3.38. Erik Miller pitched the eighth and was the victim of the first inside the Oracle Park home run since Bryce Harper pulled off the feat last August 16. Tyler Rogers was the third and final San Francisco hurler of the night. Hey set the Reds down in order in the ninth.

Andrew Abbott, Cincy’s promising 24 year old lefty, who was their second round draft pick in 2021 came to work at 1-4, 3.82 performed credibly over the five innings he pitched. He gave up two runs, both earned, on six hits, one for the distance, and a walk, throwing 88 pitches, 54 for strikes, and earning the win, which left him 2-4, 3.36 for the year.

Emilio Pagán relieved him and pitched a perfect sixth before being relieved, in turn, by Justin Wilson in the seventh. Wilson pitched to one batter before being relieved by Lucas Sims. We haven’t as yet received an explanation for this substitution, which, under MLB’s speed ’em up rules, wouldn’t have been allowed except in case of an injury. Alexis Díaz earned his seventh save by shutting the hosts down in the ninth.

Cincinnati got a leg up with a Rickey run in the first. Elly de la Cuz hit a one out single to left. Webb almost picked him off. In fact, first base umpire Larry Vanoveer called him out, but the video review crew in New York thought otherwise, and the ruling was reversed. De la Cruz swiped his 24th base of the year, against four failures, on the very next pitch. He scored on Spencer Steer’s two out two bagger.

San Francisco wiped out that advantage soon enough. With one out in the bottom of the first, Thairo Estrada hit his sixth home run of the year. It travelled 377 feet into the left field bleachers and came on an 82 mph sweeper. An inning later, San Francisco took the lead by defeating The curse of the Leadoff Double. Ramos supplied the double and Tyler Fitzgerald, the RBI Texas League single.

But the Giants couldn’t contain the daring do of De La Cruz. He dumped a single into center field in the top of the third and instantly took off for second when Michael Conforto fumbled the ball. The speedster promptly pilfered third and scored on Steer’s Texas League single.

The Reds pulled into the lead in the fourth on a single by Will Benson and TJ Firedl’s two bagger to left center. De la Cruz didn’t do any damage on the base paths because he struck out to end the inning.

It was speed, but from a different source, that stretched the Red legs’ lead to 4–2 in the eighth. Erik Miller, pitching in relief of Webb, had just picked Steer off first for the second out of the frame. Manager David Bell sent Stuart Fairchild to the plate to bat for Jake Fraley.

Fairchild larruped a high line drive to deep left center, 388 feet from the plate. It hit the wall, and Fairchild hit the road and didn’t stop running until he slid across the plate with an inside the park home run upping Cincinnati’s lead to 4-2.

Post game notes: San Francisco Giants VP of Communications Maria Jacinto received the Alexis T Busch Award which is presented to a woman Giants employee who best exemplifies the spirit and courage of Alexis and her love for the game of baseball. Maria is one of the most deserving honorees of this award as we at Sports Radio Service can attest to her hard work, dedication, knowledge, and most important her humanities of deserving this award. Congratulations Maria.

The Giants will try to work their way back to contention at 4:15 Saturday, afternoon. Mason Black, another new face will take his 0-1, 10,38 record to the mound, opposed by Cincy’s Nick Lodoto (3-1, 2.79) a 4:15pm PDT.

A’s Get Stomped by the Mariners 8-1; Blackburn gets lit up for seven hits and seven runs

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Oakland A’s pitcher Paul Blackburn throws to the Seattle Mariners line up at T Mobile Field in Seattle. Blackburn got lit up by the M’s four seven hits and seven runs over four innings of work on Fri May 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Oakland A’s (18-22) had a rocky start to their series up in Seattle against the Mariners (21-18) Friday night. There was not much hitting through the first six innings for the A’s and Paul Blackburn only lasted four innings on the mound giving up 7 hits and 7 runs.

Coupled with lack of offense from Oakland as well as some very productive offense from Seattle, they built a 7-0 lead going into the seventh inning.

The Mariners would tack on one more run in the seventh inning for a 8-1 finish at T Mobile Field in Seattle. Oakland’s Lawrence Butler singled in the ninth driving Kyle McCann home. The A’s loaded the bases in the top of the ninth inning but left the runners stranded.

Game recap: There was not much going on through the first three innings for either team. It was a one, two, three fourth inning for Seattle’s Bryan Woo. Paul Blackburn did not follow suit in fact he allowed five Seattle runs in the bottom of the fourth.

He had back-to-back walks and later on in the inning allowed a couple of doubles and a Dylan Moore home run for a 5-0 lead through four innings. The Mariners had turned this game inside-out. Oakland had a lot of work to do going into the fifth inning.

Seattle’s Bryan Woo, in his first start of the season, exited the game in the fifth inning. He had been struggling with elbow inflammation in the pre-season and he began to show signs of some discomfort putting a damper on his return to the mound.

After one of the trainers came out and evaluated Woo’s elbow it was determined that he was done for the evening. Trent Thornton would relieve Woo in the fifth inning after Woo’s 62nd pitch of the evening.

Paul Blackburn continued to struggle giving up a couple of singles and a walk loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. A change was made on the mound for Oakland and Tyler Ferguson took over trying to get out of a very sticky situation.

He was looking to stop the bleeding. A ground out, a strike out and Thornton was one out away from getting out of the inning. With the two outs, the Mariners Dylan Moore singled driving in two more runs and Seattle was cruising 7-0.

This game went into the sixth inning and the A’s had only two hits so far in this game. The Mariners were completely outhitting Oakland through five innings with 8 hits; a home run, a couple of doubles and a single.

The game went into the seventh inning with Seattle holding onto a comfortable lead 7-0. Oakland’s Easton Lucas who relieved Ferguson had a terrific sixth inning closing out the inning with three straight punch outs.

The Mariners scored another run in the bottom of the seventh inning winning this game 8-1. The A’s got a couple of singles in the top of the ninth inning from Kyle McCann and Tyler Soderstrom with Lawrence Butler driving McCann home and the A’s had avoided the shut out.

They did load the bases in the top of the ninth inning leaving three runners stranded. This was not the way that Oakland wanted to start this road trip. They finished this game with seven hits, loading the bases in the ninth but it was too little too late.

Post game notes: The A’s are coming off a disappointing four game series with the Texas Rangers at the Coliseum this past week. They only managed a single win, the first game of a double-header in the final third and fourth game of the series on Wednesday . The A’s in Seattle Friday night took a tough loss from the Mariners in an eight difference. Oakland is still holding down third place in the American League West although dropping seven below five hundred after Friday’s shelling but remain four games out of first place.

Friday night Blackburn for the A’s got racked up pitching four plus innings surrendering seven hits and seven runs and Bryan Woo for the Mariners went 4.1 innings held the A’s to just one hit, no runs, and struck out one and walked three. Blackburn’s ERA was raised to 4.11 and dropped to 3-2 on his win/loss record. He had been having success this season and but Friday night against an aggressive and seeing eye M’s line up Blackburn was just simply overmatched.

Saturday night the A’s will take on the Mariners in game two of their series. This will be an evening game with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 PM. Joey Estes will be on the mound for the A’s with a 0-0, 6.04 ERA and Bryce Miller will get the nod for the Mariners with a 3-2, 2.61 ERA. Oakland will be looking for some more productive offensive work on Saturday night.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: How worried is Zaidi with some of the team’s struggles?

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San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has recently said the start of the season has been “hugely disappointing” (photo by the San Francisco Giants)

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 Michael, after San Francisco Giants Michael Conforto’s 368 foot home run in the top of the fourth inning it was the Giants hope that they might be able to get things as the Giants struck first and Conforto’s run would be all they would get for the rest of the afternoon.

#2 The Rockies in the bottom of the fourth lit up Giants pitcher Keaton Win who pitch three plus inning and gave up eight hits and seven runs. Can you point to what was off with Winn’s pitches against the Rockies.

#3 The Rockies Brenton Doyle did some damage in that fourth with a 430 foot three run home run making the score at the time 6-1.

#4 Michael no doubt the roughest part of the road trip was when the Giants were swept in four games in Philadelphia?

#5 Michael, just wanted to ask you about a recent interview that Giants team president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said “Even in spring training, we saw a lot of positives that we expected to carry into the season and it hasn’t happened. We haven’t hit our stride.” How concerned should Zaidi be with some of the struggles this team has had. They went 3-7 on this last road trip.

#6 The Giants return home to host the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park on Friday night at 7:15pm PDT. The Reds will be starting LHP Andrew Abbott (1-4 ERA 3.32) and he’ll be opposed by the Giants RHP Logan Webb (3-3 ERA 3.50). Webb got touched up pretty good in his last outing against the Phillies on May 5th giving up seven hits and four runs in four innings of work. Can he bounce back Friday against the Reds.

Michael Duca does the San Francisco Giants podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s Mason Miller could be traded

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Oakland A’s pitcher Mason Miller is seen here throwing to the Seattle Mariners line up in the top of the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue May 2, 2023 back when he was a starter. Since converting to the closer role in 2024 Miller has seen lots of success in save situations. So much so other big league clubs have express interest in his services including the New York Yankees. (AP file photo)

A’s Mason Miller could be traded

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

A team in transition like the Oakland A’s (Oakland until September 26) is always building for the future, especially with so many moving parts right now for the Athletics, cities, new stadiums, and lawsuits, referendums. A possible trade this season that involves A’s closer Mason Miller is very likely. It all depends on the situation and where the A’s are in the standings. Or maybe not, considering the unpredictability of the A’s ownership.

The A’s will be asking for a big package of promising players, but I think this will have to wait until at least the middle of the season. Let’s say the A’s continue to improve, and they are fighting for the western division title on July 31. What do you do?

Various teams have reportedly expressed interest in the 25-year-old “lanzallamas.” Two teams expected to be contenders, the Orioles and the Cubs, are probably the types of teams that are one stud short in the ninth inning, a closer away from pulling the trigger.

The A’s might still have Miller and not be contenders, and if that is the case, the probability of a trade increases. This applies to the A’s and the other teams that want to trade for Miller. How are they doing when they also pull the trigger? Is there urgency? The A’s hold all the cards with Miller since he is still under A’s control until 2029, so they can wait. If you are a negotiator, you want to start with an advantage, and the Oakland A’s have it today with Miller.

The lifespan of a young closer throwing high-octane doesn’t last forever. Free of injuries, there have been very few Mariano Riveras out there, the type of pitcher who has owned the ninth inning for years.

Finally, I would not be surprised if the Oakland A’s traded Miller during this 2024 season, and you also should not be. But let’s face it: For a young and very good team like the Baltimore Orioles, that is their focus. A team like the O’s might need that one piece, a “lights out” closer, to win the World Series this year. But the Orioles should not be over-excited. The Baltimore Orioles have not won a World Series since 1983 (41 years), and they are today one of the elite teams in the game.

Is it Miller time?

Oakland A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Oakland will never be the City of Champions again; More fans staying away from 2024 home games vs.2023

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Three time World Champions the 1974 Oakland A’s top row left to right Rollie Fingers, Joe Rudi, Vida Blue, second row left to right Reggie Jackson, owner Charlie Finley, Gene Tenace, and third row bottom Sal Bando, Catfish Hunter and Campy Campaneris (Sports Illustrated 1974 photo)

On the Oakland A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel:

#1 For almost a year now the Oakland A’s who announced they had a binding agreement at the Rio in Las Vegas it was the beginning of would be the end of Oakland sports. The NBA’s Golden State Warriors were gone and the Oakland Raiders left for Vegas from the looks of it Daniel the Oakland Coliseum and the City of Oakland will never see a top line professional sports team again as MLB had made it clear they want out of Oakland.

#2 In the 1970s when the A’s won three straight world Championships in a row no one would have dreamed that the A’s would even consider moving out of Oakland and that possibility came in 1977 and 1978 when the A’s within a whisker of moving the team to Denver and being owned by Marvin Davis.

#3 in 1977 the Oakland Coliseum Joint Authority filed a law suit against former A’s owner Charlie Finley saying that Finley had ten more years left on the Coliseum lease. January 23, 1978 Davis ended negotiating with the City of Oakland and the A’s would remain in Oakland.

#4 The appeal for new language on the Nevada petition to stop public funding or SB1 for an Las Vegas A’s ballpark on the Las Vegas strip still no word from the Nevada Court of Appeals. If approved Schools over Stadiums would have until the end of June a month and half away to gather 102,000 signatures to get the measure on the ballot for the Nov 2024 election.

#5 Attendance for A’s home games in Oakland and to no ones surprised down from last year through the first 21 games of the season as reported during the Rangers-A’s doubleheader last Wednesday. The A’s top attendance was on opening day at 13,500 and their lowest crowd was less than 2900 on Monday night. Comparing it to last season’s opener which had 25,000 fans.

Join Daniel Dullum each Friday for the Oakland A’s Relocation podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s hope to capture series against M’s in Seattle Friday night

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Oakland A’s Tyler Soderstrom (21) is congratulated by Max Scheumann (12) at the plate after Soderstrom’s two run homer against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum in the second game of a doubleheader on Wed May 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Oakland A’s catcher Shea Langeliers has been lighting it up with his bat. In the doubleheader on Wednesday he slugged for a two run home run and knocked in five run for a career five RBIs. In game two he proceeded to hit for three more RBIs against the Texas Rangers at the Coliseum.

#2 The A’s lost game two of the doubleheader 12-11. The Rangers Jonah Heim and Nathaniel Lowe both hit for three RBIs. The Rangers wound up winning three out of four in the four game series.

#3 The A’s tried to make a come back but fell short in the night cap scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning before Rangers reliever Kirby Yates shut the door on the A’s for his seventh save of the season getting the A’s Tyler Nevin to fly out to right field with runners at first and second.

#4 Langeliers was just seeing the ball well hitting a two run home run and got another RBI while hitting into a ground out. Langeliers surpasses former Oakland A’s right fielder Reggie Jackson for the most RBIs Jackson had seven and Langeliers picked up eight on Wednesday.

#5 The A’s open a three game series in Seattle on Friday night at T Mobile Field. The A’s starter will be RHP Paul Blackburn (3-1 ERA 3.00) and for the M’s Bryan Woo (0-0 ERA 0.00) a 6:40pm PDT start.

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Oakland A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

#3

San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Colorado lights up SF’s Winn for 8 hits and 7 runs in 9-1 victory

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Colorado Rockies Brenton Doyle gets rewarded by teammates by wearing the ceremonial home run ski helmet after hitting a bottom of the fourth home run against San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Keaton Winn at Coors Field in Denver on Thu May 9, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 Stephen, after San Francisco Giants Michael Conforto’s 368 foot home run in the top of the fourth inning it was the Giants hope that they might be able to get things as the Giants struck first and Conforto’s run would be all they would get for the rest of the afternoon.

#2 The Rockies in the bottom of the fourth lit up Giants pitcher Keaton Win who pitch three plus inning and gave up eight hits and seven runs. Can you point to what was off with Winn’s pitches against the Rockies.

#3 The Rockies Brenton Doyle did some damage in that fourth with a 430 foot two run home run making the score at the time 6-1.

#4 The Giants went 3-7 on this ten game road trip if you had to point to the roughest part of the trip was it when the Giants were swept in four games in Philadelphia?

#5 The Giants return home to host the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park on Friday night at 7:15pm PDT. The Reds will be starting LHP Andrew Abbott (1-4 ERA 3.32) and he’ll be opposed by the Giants RHP Logan Webb (3-3 ERA 3.50). Webb got touched up pretty good in his last outing against the Phillies on May 5th giving up seven hits and four runs in four innings of work. Can he bounce back Friday against the Reds.

Stephen Ruderman was filling in for Michael Duca who podcasts San Francisco Giants baseball Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

On the SF Giants

7-run fourth does Giants in as Rockies salvage game in series in 9-1 win at Coors

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Keaton Winn was lit up for eight hits and seven runs in over three innings of work against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Thu May 9, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Coors Field

Denver, Colorado

San Francisco Giants 1 (17-22)

Colorado Rockies 9 (9-28)

Win: Keaton Winn (3-5)

Loss: Cal Quantrill (2-3)

Time: 2:20

Attendance: 23,870

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants were unable to complete the sweep in Denver, as the Rockies scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning in route to a 9-1 win.

The Giants won the first two games of this three-game set at Coors Field, and were now looking to sweep the Rockies to salvage what started off as a really tough road trip. The Giants turned to Keaton Winn, who made the start on a cold cloudy afternoon in Denver.

For the Rockies, it was Cal Quantrill, the son of former major league reliever Paul Quantrill, who made the start. The Giants had a rally going against Quantrill in the top of the first after Thairo Estrada singled and Michael Conforto walked with one out. However, Wilmer Flores popped out to first base, and Estrada was caught trying to steal third to end the inning.

The game remained scoreless going to the fourth, when Michael Conforto led off the inning with an opposite-field home run to left field. It was Conforto’s seventh home run of the season, and this was also his second-straight game with a home run.

Winn pitched well the first time through the Rockies’ order, as he allowed just one hit, but the second time through would be a completely different story. Ezequiel Tovar led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple to left, and then Ryan McMahon singled in Tovar to tie the game.

Elias Diaz and Sean Bouchard then hit back-to-back doubles to give the Rockies a 3-1 lead. Brendan Rodgers lined a base-hit to left to put runners at the corners for Brenton Doyle, who hit a three-run home run just over the wall in left-center, as the Rockies had six runs in with still nobody out.

Winn finally settled down, as he got Elehuris Montero to pop out to second and Jordan Beck to ground out to short. However, that would be short-lived. Charlie Blackmon hit a triple, which ended Winn’s day, and Tovar doubled off Randy Rodriguez to make it 7-1.

For the Giants, the good news was that this was Coors Field, and they still had five innings left to play. LaMonte Wade walked and Estrada singled with one out in the top of the fifth, as the Giants looked poised to strike back and put a dent in the Rockies’ lead. Conforto then came up, but he hit a ground ball to short for a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Rodriguez pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth, and Quantrill a 1-2-3 top of the sixth. Rogruguez then gave up a pair of doubles to Montero and Blackmon, which plated another run for Colorado in the bottom of the sixth and made it 8-1.

Victor Vodnik came in for Quantrill after six solid innings of work in the top of the seventh and pitched a scoreless inning. Luke Jackson came in for the Giants in the bottom of the seventh and threw a 1-2-3 inning.

Estrada walked and Conforto singled off Vodnik with one out in the top of the eighth, but Wilmer Flores grounded out to short for the second out. Jalen Beeks then came in for Vodnik, and got pinch-hitter Heliot Ramos, who got a big hit in his season debut last night, to fly out off the end of the bat to right-center to end the inning.

Left-hander Taylor Rogers came in for the bottom of the eighth, and gave up a leadoff double to Brenton Doyle. After a pair of strikeouts, one looking and one swinging, Charlie Blackmon lined a single the other way to left to knock in Doyle and make it 9-1. For Blackmon, it was his third hit of the game, and he also had three legs of the cycle without the home run in this one.

Beeks then threw a 1-2-3 top of the ninth to end it.

The Giants were unable to get the sweep, as they have still yet to win three games in a row this season. The Rockies are the only other team who have yet to win three-straight this season. This was also the Giants’ 22nd game in which they were limited to three runs or less.

The Giants fall to 17-22, and they will finally return home to take on the Cincinnati Reds, who have lost eight-straight. The Giants will turn to their ace, Logan Webb, for the first game of a nine-game, three-team homestand. First pitch will be at 7:15 p.m.

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: San Jose Sharks get No.1 draft pick; Celtics bury Cavs to take game 1; plus more news

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NHL overall top draft pick Macklin Celebrini is most likely a top choice for the San Jose Sharks. The NHL announced that the Sharks have the number one choice at the NHL Draft on Jun 28-29th, 2024 which will held at the Sphere in Las Vegas (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Jessica:

#1 NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly presented the flip card revealing the number one draft pick and the San Jose Sharks who had the league’s worst record at 19-54-9. The Sharks are looking at Macklin Celebrini the first overall draft pick in the NHL draft.

#2 The Boston Celtics went through the Cleveland Cavaliers like butter on Tuesday night in Boston with a 25 point 120-95 win to take game 1 of the NBA second round playoffs. The Celtics got top scoring from Jaylen Brown with 32 points and Derrick White hit seven three pointers.

#3 The WNBA has committed for the next two seasons to spend $58 million for charter for the league travel as opposed to commercial flying. This would be full time charter flight service. With the arrival of Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever as the face of the league the WNBA plans on stepping it up and taking care of it’s players with charter flights that means no more standing in lines at the ticket counter, at security and with other passengers to board a flight. They’ll be treated truly like a professional team.

#4 The frustration of the Denver Nuggets is starting show. The Nuggets who lost the first two games of this second round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets saw team leader Jamal Murray throw a towel and then a heat pack toward an official and ended up getting fined $100,000 and was lucky he didn’t get suspended for a game. The toss came while live action was taking place with 4:41 was remaining in the second quarter.

#5 On Tuesday the Texas Rangers didn’t hold back scoring ten runs in the top of the second inning against the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum. The Rangers 15-8 win gives them their fourth straight win and the A’s their third straight loss. The Rangers and A’s split both ends of a doubleheader with the A’s taking the front game and

Jessica Kwong does Headline Sports every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants’ offense stays alive in Denver to take first two games versus Rockies in 8-6 win

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San Francisco Giants Michael Conforto rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Colorado Rockies in the top of the second inning at Coors Field in Denver on Wed May 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Coors Field

Denver, Colorado

San Francisco Giants 8 (17-21)

Colorado Rockies 6 (8-28)

Win: Jordan Hicks (3-1)

Loss: Peter Lambert (2-2)

Time: 2:46

Attendance: 20,532

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants’ offense was once again able to take advantage of the mile-high air, and Jordan Hicks pitched five solid innings, as the Giants beat the Rockies 8-6 to take the first two games of this three-game series.

After a brutal start to their road trip, which included getting swept in four games in Philadelphia by the Phillies, the Giants were able to get a much-needed 5-0 win last night behind seven strong innings by Kyle Harrison. Wednesday night, the Giants sent Jordan Hicks to the mound after a tough start in Philadelphia Friday night.

For the Rockies, Peter Lambert made the start and pitched a 1-2-3 top of the first inning. Hicks followed suit and pitched a 1-2-3 inning as well in the bottom of the first.

The Giants then struck big in the top of the second. Michael Conforto homered to right field on the first pitch of the inning, and then Matt Chapman and Mike Yastrzemski hit singles to put runners at first and second with nobody out for Heliot Ramos.

Ramos, who was one of the top prospects for the Giants and in Baseball at one point, has fallen on hard times in recent years. Ramos got cups of coffee with the Giants in 2022 and again last season, but after a strong start to his season for the Triple-A River Cats, the Giants were given no choice but to call him up.

With a 1-2 count, Ramos hit one off the fists and dunked a base-hit to right, which scored Chapman to make it 2-0. Blake Sabol struck out looking, and Nick Ahmed laid down a safety squeeze that scored Yastrzemski, who slid in just ahead of the tag at the plate.

Jung-hoo Lee continued the Giants’ rally when he lined a double to right to score Ramos, and LaMonte Wade Jr. topped it off with a line drive base-hit off the end of the bat into center to score a pair and make it 6-0.

“That was really nice,” said Hicks. “We got the bats going early today. [We] can’t do that every game, but it’s really nice when you have it.”

The Giants had scored six runs in the top of the second inning, but this was Coors Field, which of course meant that no lead was safe. The Rockies got on the board in the bottom of the second when Brenton Doyle tripled with two outs and scored on a wild pitch.

Yastrzemski tripled to right to start the third, and Sabol doubled him in with one out to get the Giants’ run back, as they now led it 7-1. This time, Hicks was able to respond with a 1-2-3 bottom of the third.

Anthony Molina replaced Lambert for the top of the fourth and threw a 1-2-3 inning. Hicks ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth, as Elias Diaz walked and Brendan Rodgers singled with one out, but Hicks bounced back and struck out Doyle and Sean Bouchard, both looking, to end the inning.

Molina pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth, and Hicks got Hunter Goodman to fly out to center to start the bottom of the fifth. However, the Rockies then made noise. Jordan Beck lined a double to center, and Charlie Blackmon, the elder statesman for the Rockies, lined a single the other way to left to score Beck and make it 7-2.

Ezequiel Tover lined a base-hit to right and Ryan McMahon walked to load the bases for Elias Diaz, who was able to knock in a run with a swinging bunt down the third base line to make it 7-3. Things were starting to spin out of control for the Giants, Brendan Rodgers then stepped in as the tying run, but Hicks was able to get Rodgers ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

That did it for Hicks, who didn’t have his greatest outing and didn’t have his best stuff, but after his rough start in Philadelphia Friday night, this was a big outing for him, as he was able to hold the Rockies to three runs at Coors Field, where they are always dangerous no matter how good or bad they may be.

“[It] wasn’t my favorite outing,” said Hicks. “I feel like it started off pretty good, but Tovar took some pretty good ABs and got me out early…..We battled. [I] made some good pitches towards the end, [and] got that double play.”

Hicks said after the game that he was hampered by the altitude in Denver, as he found himself out of breath after having to cover the bag on 3-1 putouts.

“You feel it a little bit,” said Hicks. “Trying to execute after that is tough, but you have to just grind it and make some pitches.”

Molina pitched a scoreless top of the sixth, and Melvin brought in Sean Hjelle for the bottom of the sixth. Hjelle struggled, as the Rockies got to him for a run. It was Taylor Rogers who gave up the two-out base-hit to Blackmon that made it 7-4.

The Giants finally got to Molina with two outs in the top of the seventh. After Thairo Estrada popped out to second and Wade struck out looking, Conforto walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Chapman then pulled a ball down the line to Ryan McMahon at third, who threw the ball away, which allowed Conforto to score to make it 8-4. Chapman was credited with a base-hit, as he would have beaten the out throw anyway.

“You still have to try and add on some runs, because [things] happen quickly here,” said Melvin. “It feels like a lot of times a lead is never safe, so [it’s] very important to add on at the end as well.”

Ryan Walker pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh for the Giants, as did Jake Bird for the Rockies in the top of the eighth. The submariner, Tyler Rogers, pitched through a one-out double for a scoreless bottom of the eighth, as both of the Rogers twins were able to pitch in front of their family in Denver.

Justin Lawrence pitched a scoreless top of the ninth for Colorado, and Melvin brought in his closer, Camilo Doval, in a four-run game for the ninth. Elias Diaz hit a home run to left with two outs to make it 8-6, but Doval got Rodgers to ground out to short to end it.

Hicks got the win, and Peter Lambert got the loss, as the Giants improve to 17-21. The Giants can sweep the Rockies and end up with a 4-6 road trip with a win Thursday on getaway day. For game 3, San Francisco Keaton Winn ( 3-4 ERA 4.41) and for Colorado Cal Quantrill (1-3 ERA 4.31) will make the start, and first pitch will be in Denver at 12:10 p.m PDT. The Giants return to Oracle Park in San Francisco on Friday night for a 7:15pm PDT first pitch as they host the Cincinnati Reds for the first of three games.

News and Notes:

  • Heliot Ramos took the roster spot of Jorge Soler, who was placed on the 10-Day Injured List with a right shoulder strain.
  • Blake Snell, who made his last start on April 18 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, has since been on the Injured List with an adductor strain. Snell will have a bullpen session Thursday, and then he will make a rehab start for the Single-A San Jose Giants on Sunday.