San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (left) avoids colliding with Osleivis Basabe (right) against the Cleveland Guardians in the bottom of the fourth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Thu Aug 20, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The San Francisco Giants (52-74) and the Cleveland Guardians (61-66) met Thursday in game three, with the series all tied up. Both teams will be looking for more production at the plate in this game. Hits were few and far between as were runs yesterday for each of them.
The Guardians got a start similar to their game one win. They scored three runs in the first inning with Steven Kwan, Travis Bazzana and Patrick Bailey crossing home plate for the early 3-0 lead.
The Giants made this game a whole lot more manageable in the fourth inning. Willy Adames homered with Rafael Devers on base and San Francisco had pulled to within one run.
Cleveland would push their lead back out leading 4-2 going into the bottom of the sixth. Going into the eighth inning Cleveland continued to hang onto the 4-2 lead. The Guardians put up one more insurance run on the scoreboard for the final score 5-2. They had won the game and the series.
GAME RECAP
The Guardians jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Landen Roupp walked Steven Kwan and it was on. Travis Bazzana singled followed by a Jose Ramirez single and the Guardians had the bases loaded. Nathaniel Lowe sacrificed both Kwan and Bazzana home for two runs and a 2-0 lead. A Patrick Bailey single drove Ramirez home for the third run and a 3-0 lead. It had been a rough start for Roupp
Roupp pulled it together nicely in the second and third innings going three and out in both. The Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams had a great start rolling through the first three innings.
The Giants finally broke through in the fourth inning scoring two runs and only trailed by a single run 3-2. Devers singled in the top of the inning and Willy Adames hit his 200th career home run. The game now was completely within reach of San Francisco.
There was a pitching change for Cleveland in the sixth inning. Williams was relieved by Tim Herrin after 5 2/3 innings. Herrin got out of the inning. Cleveland would score another run in the bottom of the sixth.
Roupp allowed a single followed by a walk and that would be it for him relieved by Sam Hentges who gave up yet another single and Bailey scored the Guardians fourth run of the game. They led 4-2 going into the seventh.
San Francisco went three and out in the seventh still trailing late in the game. Carson Seymour had relieved Hentges in the bottom of the inning closing out the seventh. Going into the eighth inning the Giants needed some production at the plate only six outs away from losing the game and the series.
The Giants got something going in the top of the eighth. Bryce Eldridge walked followed by a Jung Hoo Lee single and San Francisco had two runners on base with two outs. Osleivis Basabe grounded out leaving the two runners stranded.
The Giants JT Brubaker would take the mound in the bottom of the eighth. He faced Patrick Bailey, former Giant, who was having a nice game with two hits. San Francisco suffered a second error in a rundown and the Guardians had Petey Halpin on second with only one out.
Halpin had gotten to second on the error and advanced to third on a wild pitch. A Brayan Rocchio single drove Halpin home and the Guardians were having a very lucrative inning. It had not gone well for JT Brubaker giving up the run. Cleveland took the 5-2 lead into the ninth inning.
San Francisco was three outs away from losing the game going into the top of the ninth. They had been unable to produce timely hits and had not played clean ball really digging themselves into a hole. Victor Bericoto lined out, and Jonah Cox struck out. Christian Koss walked and the Giants were still alive.
Andrew Knizner also walked and San Francisco had two runners on base against one of the best closers in the game Cade Smith. The Giants ran out of luck when Devers flied out and that was the ball game 5-2 in favor of Cleveland.
GAME NOTES
The Giants had struck out 40 times in this series against an amazing pitching squad in Cleveland. It was just to much for San Francisco having to come from behind while trailing 3-0 twice in the series.
In Thursday’s game again they fell behind 3-0 in the first inning. Too many errors today coupled with lack of production at the plate was a real recipe for a losing effort. Pitching has been a real problem with no consistency for the Giants.
Adames has not been playing clean ball lately and it has been tough to watch. San Francisco has had so many injuries and their lineup has been totally decimated, there is just no margin for error right now.
The Giants got close in the fourth inning but let it slip away with errors and lack of offense. Williams struck out 11 Giants in 5 2/3 innings allowing only four hits and two runs. All in all a comeback for San Francisco in this game was a stretch. The Giants were outplayed in the key moments of this game. They only had four hits to the Guardians 9.
Landen Roupp was stung in the first inning but settled down and kept the Guardians from breaking this game open. Adames two run home run was the highlight of the game for the Giants. Unfortunately this was the only offensive highlight for San Francisco.
The Giants will now take it to Boston for a matchup with the Red Sox. San Francisco will be looking to bounce back after this series loss and who better to look to than Logan Webb. He has had some amazing outings. He has a 8-7 win/loss record and a 3.50 ERA. The Sox will start Sonny Gray who has been impressive with a 15-3 win/loss record and a 2.65 ERA. He will be a handful. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 4:10 PM.
