Author: moepea

I like lilacs, mist and cold air.

Derby Prep: Olson goes deep twice in All-Star Break finale win over the Rangers

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By Morris Phillips

Matt Olson got into the swing of things–Home Run Derby style–by homering twice in the A’s 4-1 win over the Rangers on Sunday. But Olson wasn’t the only one swinging for the fences.

Jed Lowrie and Sean Murphy homered back-to-back in the second inning.

With Chris Bassitt on a career-best roll, winning his 10th consecutive decision with seven innings of near flawless pitching, the A’s finished the first half of the season with a pair of wins after dropping 13 of their previous 19 contests.

Not surprisingly, Olson slumped as the team did: the slugging first baseman had just one homer in his previous 18 games coming into Sunday. Now he settles into his role as an All-Star and Home Run Derby participant with 23 bombs on the season.

“In the past we’ve been a home run-hitting team,” Olson said. “It was good to get back and see some leave the yard.”

The A’s have hit 115 home runs in their 92 games thus far, putting them well above the league average of 106, and among the top ten home run hitting clubs in MLB. Still, their offense has been spotty, surprisingly more so at home in the Coliseum, but the starting pitching has been exemplary, and the bullpen has been above average despite the absence of closer Trevor Rosenthal.

“Obviously we’d like to be in first place in the division and we’re not, but hopefully we come out and whatever that second half magic is we’ve had in the past, we keep it going,” Olson said.

The A’s trail the division-leading Astros by 3 1/2 games heading into the break after leading the division for 60 days, and now trailing the Astros for 20 days.

Bassitt improved to 10-2 on the season by pitching far better than he did in his start at Houston, in which he allowed six runs but somehow avoided a loss in a game the team lost 9-6. This time, Bassitt allowed an RBI double to Nick Solak and only four hits in total.

Rangers starter Koby Allard not only needs a break, he needs a break from the A’s specifically as he lost to Oakland for the third time in the last 18 days, and has dropped five, consecutive starts to the A’s. Allard allowed all four A’s home runs, and three of the four traveled over 400 feet.

The A’s open the second half at home against Cleveland and the Angels, but the homestand only spans five games before the team hits the road for a three-city, 10-game trip.

Aces have that championship look in 95-79 win over Dallas preceding the Olympic break

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By Morris Phillips

ARLINGTON, TX–What’s not to like? The Las Vegas Aces were the trendy title pick before the WNBA season started, and entering the Olympic break, they still are.

“We’re a super talented team,” Dearica Hamby said. “Really one through 12. Talented, talented roster.”

The Aces were flawless even without Liz Cambage, who has already joined the Australian national team in Vegas of all hot places. Without her, A’ja Wilson dominated in the paint, scoring 22 points as her shiftier teammates spread the floor and moved the ball in a fast moving attack.

Hamby added 22 points, Jackie Young had 17, and Kelsey Plum 16 as the Aces broke open a close game after halftime and led by double digits for the majority of the second half. The key may have been eschewing 3-point attempts and attacking the Wings in the paint with their quickness and passing ability despite Dallas’ advantage in size. The Aces attempted just eight shots from distance, making three while going 31 for 59 from two, and 24 of 30 from the free throw stripe.

The Wings, a surprise with their presence in the postseason chase, fell to 9-12, and they appeared to lose focus offensively after the break, missing 17 3-pointers in all, and allowing too many transition opportunities to their opponent. Three Wings–Satou Sabally, Tyasha Harris and Marina Mabrey–failed to make a shot, combining to go 0 for 17 and 0 for 5 from three. Dallas’ leading scorer Arike Ogunbowale was pestered throughout by Riquna Williams and finished 4 of 19 shooting for 10 points.

Moriah Jefferson and Allisha Gray each had 14 points to pace the Wings.

The Aces will see five of their players depart for the Tokyo Olympics, and with a 15-6 record trailing only Seattle at 16-5, health will be the primary concern for the team over the month long break. Cambage, Wilson, Plum, Chelsea Gray and Ji Sun Park have earned the distinction of being 2021 Olympians.

“We got through the first half healthy, and that’s a huge bonus for our basketball team that we have a full roster,” Coach Bill Laimbeer said.

Echoes of 1993: The Giants beat the Cardinals, 5-2 and avoid a sweep with historical significance

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Avoiding being swept is part of the championship equation with the key being don’t make it a major part of your diet. The Giants did that Wednesday night, besting the Cardinals 5-2, and winning the finale of a three-game set.

The win kept the Giants atop the NL West ahead of the Dodgers, who lost to the Marlins in Miami. The Giants also maintained baseball’s best record, and–with the All-Star break three games away–their win total continues to be reminiscent of their 1993 squad that won 103 games.

There’s just one distinction the 2021 Giants want that eluded the ’93 club: a postseason appearance.

The Giants rolled into September 1993 with an 89-48 record and a 3 1/2 game lead on the Dodgers. But they couldn’t maintain that pace. A loss to the Pirates preceeded a four-game sweep at Candlestick Park by the Cardinals, then three more losses to the Chicago Cubs. Despite a huge win streak that saw them win 14 of 15 after that, the Giants fell on the season’s final day to the Dodgers and went home empty with 103 wins.

That was the last time the Cardinals swept the Giants in a four-game series, and they last beat the Giants in a three-game set in San Francisco in 1991. Thirty years later, the Giants avoided reliving any of that history on Wednesday.

The indelible lesson: avoid lengthy, losing streaks. Thus far in 2021 the Giants have lost three straight once, and just suffered a four-game slide last week.

Alex Wood pitched seven innings, allowed three hits and a run, and picked up his eighth win of the season. After Nolan Arenado doubled home Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning for a 1-0 St. Louis lead, Wood took control. He departed after the seventh, leading 3-1. Mike Yastrzemski and Donovan Solano doubled home runs in the second and fifth innings to put the Giants ahead, and Darin Ruf added a two-run homer in the eighth to provide some cushion.

“(Wood) had all of his pitches working well,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “He had good command and control of all three of his pitches and mixed it up well. That was a pretty gritty and tough outing from him. It was exactly what we needed.”

“I felt like I commanded my fastball really well and stuck the slider,” Wood said. “Good overall night, that’s for sure. Games like that are important. I was happy to come out and do my job tonight.”

The Giants reverted to their winning pattern of taking control of games in the middle innings, a formula the Cardinals adopted in winning the first two games of the series. This time, the Giants took advantage of hard luck starter Johan Oviedo, who has failed to win any of his first 16 starts at the big league level, including all 12 this season. Oviedo showed some distraction early when he jawed with Yastrzemski after his RBI double in the second with the issue being that the pitcher felt the Giants were relaying information to their hitters. Yastrzemski, who carries himself too quietly to get caught up in petty beefs, acknowledged Oviedo’s tough words, but offered few back.

“Any advantage that we can take, whether teams are paranoid, whether they think we’re doing something that we’re not, it’s just a way to hopefully get a distraction off the hitter and to get it onto the baserunner so they can’t make their pitches. I definitely think that he had a lot of intent thinking that I was relaying signs, which I wasn’t. I had nothing.”

The Giants are off on Thurdsay and finish the first half of the season with a three-game set with the Nationals. No pitcher has been announced for Friday, but the possibility that Tyler Beede could make his season debut after missing more than a year due to Tommy John surgery is getting some steam.

Cardinals beat Giants at their own game, win series opener 5-3 at Oracle Park

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Major League hitters don’t come to the park at spray line drives all over the place for nine innings like in days past. Now, they sport paltry batting averages, pick their spots and keep their focus on trying to impact the game with something big.

That’s the Giants winning style. And on Monday, the Cardinals adopted that style and thrived.

Matt Carpenter’s two-run triple in the seventh inning broke a scoreless tie, and sent to the Cardinals to a 5-3 win at Oracle Park in the opener of the Giants’ final homestand before the All-Star break. The Cardinals came to San Francisco sporting a chip on their collective shoulders from too many, narrow losses in recent weeks.

“We’ve been in a lot of close games and we’ve won some and we’ve lost some lately that have stung,” manager Mike Shildt said.

Carpenter cashed in a competitive at-bat against Giants’ All-Star Kevin Gausman, who was on his way to dropping his miniscule ERA even lower when he left a pitch over the plate to Carpenter in a hitters’ count. The breakthrough wasn’t easily had; Gausman had dealt to that point, allowing just one hit over the first six innings.

Carpenter, hitting just .174 coming into the at-bat, described his blast off the base of the left field wall as a breath of fresh air.

“I’d be OK if that was the swing that turned it around,” Carpenter said. “If we can have those kind of competitive at-bats that we showed and we did against a guy who is as good as anybody we’re going to face all season — if we can do that consistently, we’re going to catch some people.”

While the loss kept the Giants from extending their lead in the NL West, and their perch above all MLB clubs with the best record in baseball, the Cardinals got a needed boost from their spot in fourth place in the NL Central. For a proud franchise like St. Louis, the season hasn’t been what’s expected, but they’re of the mindset to turn it around even if that transition comes against the Giants, who they host coming out of the All-Star break next week as well.

The Giants attempted to rally with a run in the eighth and two in the bottom of the ninth, but came up short. Gausman suffered losses in back-to-back starts for the first time this season, and the Giants failed to build on their home dominance after 26 wins in their first 37 home contests.

Kwang Hyun Kim matched Gausman with a seven-inning outing in which he allowed three hits and two walks and departed with a 2-0 lead. Alex Reyes pitched an eventful ninth inning, allowing RBI singles to Donovan Solano and Steven Duggar, but he closed out with a strikeout of LaMonte Wade Jr. with a runner at third base.

Curt Casali got the start behind the plate in place of the injured Buster Posey, who injured his finger in the finale in Arizona on Sunday. Manager Gabe Kapler didn’t offer much of an update on Posey, other than to say that he remains on the roster, and the possibility of him avoiding a trip to the injured list is still a possibility.

The Giants are also awaiting updates on Evan Longoria, Tommy La Stella, Mike Tauchman and Brandon Belt as a major chunk of their offense is on the shelf heading into the break. Only Longoria appears to be a possibility to return to action during this homestand that concludes with the Washington Nationals over the weekend.

On Tuesday, veteran pitchers Adam Wainwright and Johnny Cueto matchup in the series’ second game at 6:45pm.

Fireworks Cancelled: A’s shutout by Red Sox 1-0, face questions and the Astros next

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By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–Envision Nelson Cruz or Kyle Seager in an A’s uniform. After a listless 1-0 loss at the Coliseum, the Oakland offense could use some pop.

“We’re down some guys,” said manager Bob Melvin, trying to make sense of his 49-win club going through a stretch of 10 losses in 15 games. “Mitch is out and Canha is out, too. We’re going to have to dig a little deeper. But I think every day we have a chance to break out of it. Obviously didn’t look good today with four hits, but I think it was just as much about them pitching well today.”

Nick Pivetta took control from the start, allowing two hits in seven innings of dominant work. The Red Sox starter didn’t win in June, going 0-3 with three no-decisions. The stretch was so tough, members of the Boston media in the press box tried to anticipate the juncture the hyped up pitcher would show his temper in a such a close, competitive game. But this time, Pivetta had all the answers, especially when the A’s tried to mount rallies in the first and seventh inning. Instead of being grumpy Pivetta, the pitcher instead talked afterwards of his ability to inspire his teammates.

“I really care about everybody on this team, I really want to do good for them, every single day I want to show up for them,” Pivetta said. “And I want to pump them up, too. I want to be energetic and I want us to have fun, and I want us to go out there and show ourselves every single night.”

James Kaprelian virtually matched Pivetta pitch for pitch in seven innings for Oakland. Kaprelian allowed just one run (on a non-RBI, double play ball), struck out 10 and scattered five hits. Like Pivetta, he was determined to keep the ball in the park as both pitchers had been hurt by long balls in recent starts. So when the Red Sox tensed up, Kaprelian eased up, leaning heavily on his changeup that had the Boston lineup flailing.

But ultimately the A’s offense was absent. After Pivetta departed, the A’s tried to cobble something together on the strength of a base hit in the eighth, and an infield single in the ninth. Neither effort struck gold, and they fell 3 1/2 games behind the Astros with a critical series against their rivals set to begin on Tuesday.

How alarming is all of this? Well, the A’s are 49-37, that’s as good a start to a season as the club has had in all but one of the last 31 seasons. But they haven’t been this far from first place since April 10, two games into their 13-game win streak that turned things around. And while they get bold checkmarks for pitching and defense, their offense is noticeably thin. With catalyst Mark Canha and Mitch Moreland currently on the injured list, they could use some help. Could they find it in the trade market?

Sure.

Well, the A’s aren’t known for spending but with such a glaring hole in their lineup, and the exemplary performance of the club to this point, they’re too smart to try to do without. And there’s that issue of home attendance as well. The A’s had their first opportunity to fill the Coliseum with COVID restrictions lifted and they failed miserably. Sunday’s attendance was a mere 13,000 plus. They won’t want that to happen again, especially with the pernicious timing of the holiday weekend not a factor going forward. So look for a bold move.

The A’s open a three-game set in Houston on Tuesday with Chris Bassitt facing Framber Valdez. Look for a performance statement from Bassitt, who was an All-Star snub despite a 9-2 record. Also, an All-Star statement could be issued by Matt Olson, who received his first mid-summer nod on Sunday and will be part of the AL’s first base rotation.

Home Run Outcome: Dodgers hit one more than the Giants in 3-2 win

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By Morris Phillips

For a team with 50 wins under its belt at the season’s halfway point, the Giants are clearly acting like they still have something to prove.

And they came that close to proving it at Dodgers Stadium on Monday… as close as a hand safely avoiding a swipe tag at second base.

Unfortunately, Mike Tauchman’s decision to stretch his single into a double opening the ninth inning failed, according to replay officials in New York who reviewed the call of out on the field. Had Tauchman been ruled safe, the Giants would have been set up with a runner in scoring position with three, capable hitters on deck with no outs.

Instead, they were reminded of a slow start, and an unforgettable 0 for 13 night hitting with runners in scoring position.

“I felt like I kept the team in the game and we were in it until the last inning,” said Anthony DeSclafani, summarizing the Giants’ evening of trying to overcome an early 2-0 deficit, but unable to come up with a big hit at any juncture. “We had a lot of runners on base. We just weren’t able to cash in on those.”

DeSclafani allowed home runs to Mookie Betts and Max Muncy, the first two batters he faced, and the Giants were in an early hole, down 2-0. But they answered with solo shots of their own from LaMonte Wade Jr. and Brandon Crawford, only to have DeSclafani give up a third shot to Will Smith in the fourth that ultimately became the deciding run.

Allowing three home runs had to be frustrating for the Giants. Only Alex Wood–also against the Dodgers–had allowed three in a game this season, and the statistic is one of a list that have catapulted the Giants to the top the standings. Coming into Monday, the team had allowed just 79 in 77 games, well below the league average for allowing home runs, and a nice counterpoint to the club’s MLB leading 116 homers hit.

The Dodgers managed just five hits, and the two that didn’t leave the yard didn’t amount to much. They also struck out 10 times against DeSclafani and three relievers, but it was enough. Meanwhile, the Giants piled up the hits and walks (11 hits, two walks) but it didn’t get them anywhere. They stranded all their baserunners when one breakthrough would have made the difference.

“Our guys just made pitches when they needed to,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

The win was the Dodgers’ fourth straight following the no-hitter they suffered at the hands of the Cubs last week. They’re within 2 1/2 games of the Giants atop the NL West, but there’s plenty of baseball left. The two teams currently sporting the best records in baseball will meet 11 more times, including Tuesday night, and the stakes will be high. But with half a season remaining, both clubs know they have to pace themselves.

“We did a good job of not adding any extra pressure” Betts said. “We haven’t got hot yet, but we’ve done a good job of staying steady.”

The Giants offer All-Star starting pitcher candidate Kevin Gausman on Tuesday in a star-studded pairing with the Dodgers’ Walker Buehler at 7:00pm on ESPN.

A’s prove resilient, bounce back from heartbreaker with 6-2 win over the Giants

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Cole Irvin’s answer to four hours of frustrating, fruitless baseball on Saturday night was eight, scoreless innings on Sunday.

For the needy A’s, it turned out to be a pretty good answer.

“The mindset was pound the zone with fastballs and get ahead, and everything seemed to be working,” Irvin said in his post game interview with NBC Sports Bay Area.

Irvin was gifted a 2-0, first inning lead before his first pitch, then he cruised through eight innings, allowing just one Giants’ baserunner to reach second base (in the eighth) on his watch. While the Giants played their usual patient game at the plate, they did so without a payoff this time–Irvin didn’t allow any extra-base hits among the three hits and two walks he surrendered.

“It’s all about getting ahead,” manager Bob Melvin said, well aware of the pressure relieved by Irvin after the A’s dropped a 6-5, extra-inning heartbreaker the day before. “You get ahead, now you force them to swing a little bit more. When you have some sink and you can keep the ball in the strike zone and move both sides, it’s tough to get the barrel on it.”

The Giants–and their sellout crowd–did all they could to loosen Irvin’s grip on the afternoon, but to no affect. The A’s nursed their 2-0 lead into the sixth, then broke the game open with three runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh. The Giants, despite having baseball’s best record, and being the first team to 50 wins, have had some issues with shutouts. They avoided their third shutout in the last 15 games by pushing across a pair of runs in the ninth against reliever Deolis Guerra.

The A’s have surged in June with a 16-8 record, but watching the first place Astros rip off 11 straight wins to surpass them in the division, then run into the hot Giants and have to avoid a sweep may have played a role in their psyche on Sunday. Melvin sensed it, but with a half season still to play, the manager was careful not to overplay it.

“I’m not saying it was the most important game in the world but our guys came out with some fire,” Melvin said. “They were a little upset last night that we lost that game.”

Matt Chapman extended his MLB-best 15-game hit streak with a two-run single in the first. Then with the Giants issuing free passes via two hit batsmen and a walk, the A’s fashioned a three-run rally with just one base hit in the sixth. Aramis Garcia, who did his best work on Sunday behind the plate in support of Irvin, added an RBI single in the seventh to close the books on Oakland’s scoring.

A day off Monday and home games against Texas and Boston are next for the A’s, and the leadup to their next meeting with the Astros at Minute Maid Park a week from Tuesday.

Offensive Options Aplenty: Giants have what it takes offensively, can their pitching keep pace?

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By Morris Phillips

A look at the Giants’ roster moves on Monday ahead of their two-game visit to Anaheim to face the Angels show the team has the wherewithal to keep its offensive production at a division-winning level.

Now what can they do to bolster their starting rotation and bullpen?

The Giants announced that LaMonte Wade Jr. and Jason Vosler had been demoted to make room for Darin Ruf and Alex Dickerson, who are ready to return to action following recent injuries. Wade was a surprise given his versatility and production thus far in June, but with a minor league option remaining, he was moved where a struggling Mike Tauchman or Austin Slater might have been candidates.

Meanwhile, the club keeps humming. Six wins in a seven-game homestand with five of those games the team producing double-digit hits have the team batting average above the MLB average for the first time this season at .241 (.239). The team’s calling card–majestic home runs–have continued their record pace, the Giants now are tied for the lead in homers with 107 (Toronto Blue Jays). That combination of numbers, along with a very competitive 3.32 ERA (4th best in MLB) for the team’s staff show that winning close games with big hits is a proven formula. 72 games into the season, the Giants continue to lead the NL West and have the best record in baseball.

But with the Dodgers and Padres breathing down their necks, they can’t afford to stand still. Additions to the pitching staff appear to be the best way to improve the club. Don’t expect anything pricey with so many big ticket players available this offseason, and the Giants ready to pounce with many of their heavy contracts expiring, but an additional starter and a versatile bullpen arm appear to be at the top of the list.

Regarding the starting rotation, two things appear clear: the team won’t be patient with Aaron Sanchez, who has biceps issues, but also a reoccurrence of his blister issues that have slowed his production in recent years. And while the club is ecstatic with the 25-year old Sammy Long, he hasn’t won a rotation spot based on one start and three, encouraging appearances.

And don’t expect much movement roster-wise in the coming two weeks. The Giants have an advantage schedule with two days off surrounding their trip to Anaheim, then home games leading up to the All-Star break starting with a visit from the A’s. Meanwhile, the Dodgers and Padres are beating up on each other in a series that starts tonight in San Diego. If anything, a 70-game start like the Giants have had has increased their patience: they’re unlikely to fade even if they struggle head-to-head with their two division rivals.

The Giants open their two-game set on Tuesday with Anthony DeSclafani facing Andrew Heaney at 6:38pm.

Giant Adieu: SF not longing to see the D’Backs leave town after four-game sweep

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Diamondbacks came to town Monday in a bad way. Four days later, they’ll depart in a historically, poor fashion.

The Giants handed Arizona a fourth straight defeat on Thursday afternoon, 10-3, setting a dubious record for the D’Backs with their 23rd consecutive road defeat. Arizona broke the record set by the ’63 Mets and ’43 Philadelphia Athletics, and they haven’t won a road game since April 25.

The Giants piled up the hits for the fourth straight day–54 hits total in the series, but on Thursday, only one was a home run. Curt Casali had the homer, three hits total and four RBI, and Steven Duggar joined him in the three-hit club. Mike Yastrzemski, Brandon Belt and Mauricio Dubon each had two hits.

The Giants increased their lead in the NL West to 2 1/2 games over the Dodgers with the win, and six games over the Padres. The Giants (44-25) are a season-best 19 games above .500 and 22-9 at home.

Kevin Gausman logged eight innings to win for the eight time this season. He allowed four hits and two runs, while striking out six and walking just one batter.

After embarassing Arizona on Tuesday with a comeback from down 7-0, and beating them soundly on Wednesday, 13-7, the Giants rolled to a 6-0 lead after five innings on Thursday. The D’Backs contributed to the Giants largesse with a couple of defensive mistakes, and when they finally put up a couple of runs in the seventh, they gave them right back in the bottom of the frame.

The Giants host the Phillies on Friday night with Johnny Cueto facing Caleb Smith at 6:45pm.

Craw By Law: Giants, Crawford keep the D’Backs reeling in 5-2 win

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Diamondbacks came to Oracle Park on Monday as a collective bundle of energy, singularly focused on ending a pair of once in a baseball life losing streaks: a 10-game slide approaching two weeks in length, and a 19-game slide on the road that dates back to April 25. Earlier on, they ran the bases and defended with the purpose needed to end their misery.

But the Giants had simpler motivation: stay in first place by taking advantage of a struggling opponent.

As the hits piled up–and Brandon Crawford delivered a big homer–the Giants’ desires won out.

Crawford homered in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie, and the Giants raced to a 5-2 win, their National League-best 19th win after a loss this season. The team’s leader in home runs and experience was almost a late scratch due to needing a day after a lengthy cross-country flight and no day off. But Crawford answered the bell, hitting fourth, and delivered.

“(Brandon) and I talked a little bit about the potential of a day off when we got back from this trip,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “Maybe today, but then we agreed that perhaps we would try to push him for the next couple of games. He felt great about that, I felt good about it and his presence in the lineup was certainly needed tonight.”

“Without Brandon Crawford we aren’t where we are right now,” catcher Curt Casali said in part referencing a struggling lineup for the home team that had a number of guys scuffling after a weekend in Washington D.C. where the Giants were shutout twice and scored just three runs in four games.

Alex Wood pitched six innings, long enough to be the beneficiary of Crawford’s timely blast, and well worth it as the former Dodger won for the first time since May 16 in his fifth try at picking up a sixth win on the season. Wood had some shaky moments, but settled in, retiring seven of the final eight hitters he faced.

The D’Backs made some plays early, and almost were awarded a 2-1 lead, but a replay showing that a ball originally ruled a past ball actually hit Nick Ahmed’s trail foot in the batter’s box. That gave Ahmed first base, but denied Carson Kelly a free pass from third base to score. Tim Locastro, the next hitter, grounded out to third base to end the inning.

In the seventh, with Arizona trailing 3-2, Ketel Marte had an opportunity to knock in a run or two with a pair of baserunners aboard, but the D’Backs’ leading hitter popped out to shortstop while facing Giants’ reliever Dominic Leone.

But as the game wore on the D’Backs reverted to form, now approaching a major league record for consecutive road losses held by the ’63 New York Mets at 22.

“We’re in a grind right now,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I don’t know where it’s at, what’s been happening or the reasons, but we’re working hard to figure that out.”

The Giants maintained their one-game lead on the Dodgers, who won at home against the Phillies on Monday night. But instead of focusing on the monster in their rear view, the Giants seem locked in on keeping Arizona reeling.

On Monday night, that objective was mission accomplished.

Neither the Giants or D’Backs have announced a starter for Tuesday night’s 6:45pm scheduled start.