Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (left) can’t get the the throw as the San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman (right) slides safely at home in the bottom of the fifth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Sat Jul 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

After winning game one in this series 4-2, San Francisco was looking for a second win in their series with the Cleveland Guardians but had to settle for a 5-4 loss to even up this series. Each team came away with six hits in the game.

San Francisco did not score until the fifth inning which got them right back in the game after trailing 4-0. The Giants scored three runs in the fifth inning. Cleveland got an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and that was it for the Giants who did score one more run in the seventh inning but it was too little too late. San Francisco will be looking to win the rubber match to finish off this series Sunday.

Game recap: It was not the start that the Giants had hoped for; it was a very rough first inning for the team. Bo Naylor grounded out to third allowing Steven Kwan to score for the early 1-0 lead. Cleveland went on to score two more runs in the same inning. Angel Martinez scored when Jhonkensy Noel sacrificed and Jose Ramirez scored off a Tyler Freeman single for a great Cleveland start leading 3-0.

The Guardians took up where they left off in the second inning extending their lead. Steven Kwan had his second hit of the game, a home run to center for a 4-0 Cleveland lead. San Francisco needed to get some offense going. Through two innings, the Giants only had a couple of hits. Jorge Soler doubled in the first inning and Austin Slater had a hit in the second.

The Giants had a couple of runners on base in the third inning and they would go on to load the bases in the top of the fifth inning and with Tyler Fitzgerald at the plate San Francisco had a great opportunity get on the scoreboard.

Fitzgerald singled to center and Heliot Ramos and Jorge Soler both scored and the Cleveland lead had been cut in half. San Francisco scored again in the fifth in thanks to a couple of steals and a Guardian throwing error from second baseman Jose Martinez. Matt Chapman stole home and the Giants trailed by a single run 4-3 and were right back in the game.

The Guardians would hit an insurance run in the sixth inning, a home run off the bat of Jhonkensy Noel, Cleveland’s second long ball of the game taking a 5-3 lead. San Francisco would answer in the seventh inning when Matt Chapman scored off a Michael Conforto double continuing to trail by a run 5-4.

San Francisco went into top of the ninth inning with one last chance to either tie or take the lead in this game. With two gone, Matt Chapman came to the plate, San Francisco’s final chance for a comeback. Chapman walked and Michael Conforto came to the plate and hit a slow roller for the final out and game two went to the Guardians 5-4 to even the series. Each team had six hits in this game.

Game notes: Saturday afternoon the Giants continued their series at Progressive Field with the Guardians after winning game one of the series Friday night 4-2. The Giants Michael Conforto hit a two run double in the first inning of game one getting the Giants on the board early.

San Francisco was looking for another win in game two to get back to the .500 mark. Kyle Harrison took the mound for the Giants and dropped his record to 4-4 and raised his ERA to 4.24. The Guardians starter Logan Allen went 4.1 innings, gave up three hits and two earned runs and is 0-1, ERA 5.46.

The rubber match of this series will be played at 10:40 AM PT Sunday with San Francisco looking to walk away with the series. Starters for the Giants Hayden Birdsong (1-0, 4.66) and for the Guardians Carlos Carrasco (3-6, 5.21) at Progressive Field.