Heliot Ramos is greeted by San Francisco Giants third base coach Matt Williams after hitting a bottom of the fourth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Toronto (41-50). 000 000 300. 3. 3. 0

San Francisco (45-47). 000 000 013. 4. 9 1

Time: 2:27

Attendance: 32,924

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Before defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in a thrilling come from behind walk off pitchers’ duel this pleasant July evening, the San Francisco Giants announced a series of transactions that complimented the recent trade of Austin Slater to the Cincinnati Reds.

Last year’s Cy Young trophy winner, Blake Snell, returned from his rehab assignment in Sacramento . Southpaw hurler Alex Young came to the Giants as part of the Slater deal and was optioned to the River Cats. Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores came off the IL, and Nick Ahmed was designated for assignment.

The first of these movements was the most critical. The Giants have been moving towards playoff contention at a Snell’s pace; his return to the 26 player roster gave San Francisco reason to hope that the team could play the second half of the season without a rotation of Webb and three days of bullpen.

Snell pitched only five innings this evening, but what a five innings those were! If you looked at the Giants’ pitching numbers, you’d think it had been a bullpen game. If you watched the game, you knew it was old fashioned strong pitching, cut short only by the desire to stretch Snell out gradually he allowed only one hit, a second inning single to Davis Schneider, and three walks while throwing 73 pitches, 45 for strikes on his way to a no decision that brought his atrocious pregame ERA of 9.51 down to an ugly 7.85, but the numbers were incidental. Snell was in charge from the first of his first out until his last. Randy Ramírez replaced him and hurled a perfect sixth.

Flores started at first base, batting fifth, and went one for four.

Jorge Soler originally was slated to lead off as the designated hitter, but an unspecified viral infection made him a last minute scratch, so Thairo Estrada, originally batting seventh and playing second was inserted in his place.

Brett Wisely batted ninth and played second. His two out single with runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth tied the score of this nail biter. Fitzgerald, who had occupied Wisely’s places in the original lineup card, was moved up a notch in the batting order and a few feet over on the field to play short. He hit a home run in the eighth and scored the winning run on a wild pitch to Estrada to nail down San Francisco’s walk. off wind.

The Blue Jays, whose season thus far has been about as disappointing as the Giants’, chose 菊池 雄星 (Kikuchi, Yūsei) to start this three game penultimate first half series. Kikuchi, who had established himself during his eight years with Tokyo’s Seibu Lions, where he went 69-45, 2.69.

He spent a mediocre three years, 2019-23 with the Seattle Mariners and two more after that with Toronto.. He was 4-8, 4.12, going into the game this evening. But he did a beautiful job, allowing only two runs, both of which came on leadoff home runs, one by Héctor Ramos in the fourth and the other Fitzgerald’s in the eighth. Kikuchi was his old self Tuesday night.

He threw 7-1/3 strong frames, facing 27 batters and striking out 13 of them while holding them to six hits without issuing a single base on balls. He, too, had to be satisfied with a no decision although he shaved 0.12 runs off his ERA.

San Francisco’s all star right fielder Héliot Ramos broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth, a 418 foot blast into right center off a 95mph four seamer. It was his 13th round tripper and part of his 15th multi hit game in Oracle Park this season.

Disaster struck the Giants after Ryan Walker took over on the mound for the top of the seventh. With one down, he walked Danny Jensen gave up a double off the Bank of America advertisement to the left of the 399 foot marker in center field to the pinch hitting Spencer Horwitz.

Kevin Kiermaier pinch rancor it Horowitz, but that proved unnecessary because Ernie Clement smacked an 85mph slider over the Hanwha Life advertisement in right center, landing 385 feet from the plate and putting the Jays up, 3-1.

Walker retired his next two opponents, one by one on a called third strike. Luke Jackson pitched a perfect eighth, and Erik Miller allowed naught but a walk while fanning one Blue Jay to earn the win, giving hi a record of 3-2, 3.43.

The series will continue Wednesday, evening at 6:45. Logan Webb (7-6, 3.09) will start for the orange and black. Chris Bassitt (7-7, 3.43) will be on the hump for the squad from the Rogers Centre.