Philadelphia Phillies Bryson Stott (5) hits a RBI triple in front of San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (left) in the bottom of the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Thu Apr 30, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants lost the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday to the Philadelphia Phillies. After 8 1/2 innings and two outs away from winning at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia. The Phils Adolis Garcia singled in the ninth inning followed by a Bryson Stott triple tied up the game 2-2.

The icing on the cake for the Phillies was a Justin Crawford single, Stott scored and that was the ball game 3-2. The Phillies now lead the series 2-0 and the Giants will be fighting to avoid the sweep in game three which gets underway this afternoon.

San Francisco got started early taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Heliot Ramos started off the game with a double followed by a Matt Chapman double and San Francisco was in business.

Luis Arraez grounded out and Ramos scored the first run of the game for a 1-0 lead. Casey Schmitt singled Chapman home for a 2-0 advantage. The Phillies cut the San Francisco lead in half in the bottom of the inning when Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run. The score was 2-1 going into the second inning.

The second and third innings were quick ones for both teams pretty much three and outs. The Giants had a walk in the second and the Phillies a single but not much else for either team. The third inning was uneventful for both teams. With the score 2-1 the Phillies threatened in the bottom of the fourth inning. Philadelphia hit a couple of singles and a double but were unable to cash in.

The Giants took the 2-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning. The Phillies had a couple of runners on base desperate to at lease tie up this game but once again came up empty. San Francisco pitcher Erik Miller dismissed the Phillies one, two three.

It all came down to the top of the ninth inning. The Giants needed at least one insurance run to cap this game off. They had a couple of singles but could not score. Matt Chapman already had two hits in the game but couldn’t come up with hit number three striking out for the third out.

The bottom of the ninth inning came around and it was the last chance for the Phillies. Ryan Walker took the mound trying to save this game for the Giants. Garcia singled but the triple off the bat of Bryson Stott was the deciding factor.

Garcia scored off that single and this game was tied 2-2. Now the Giants were fighting to at least get into a tenth inning. San Francisco had led for most of the game but the Phils Justin Crawford single blew this game out of the water when Stott scored and game one went to the Phillies 3-2. Crawford reached first base by a half step so the Giants were a half step away from a tie. Just a crazy disappointment for San Francisco.

Front game notes: Thursday afternoon the Giants played the first of a double-header against the Phillies as Wednesday’s game was postponed due to some nasty weather but Thursday a mix of clouds and sun greeted fans on hand for the early game for the first game of the double dip.

San Francisco had an awful offensive game in the first of the series garnering only two hits and getting shut-out 7-0 on Tuesday night. The Phillies picked up the win in the first game of the doubleheader 3-2.

In the first game of the doubleheader starter Logan Webb (2-3 ERA 4.29) had a great game going seven innings allowing seven hits but only one run and striking out six. The Phillies started Christopher Sanchez went 6.2, four hits, two earned, three walks, and seven strike outs.