Photo credit: @SFGiants
By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Friday, June 29, 2018
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Since being called up from Triple-A Sacramento last Saturday, San Francisco Giants outfielder Austin Slater has merely picked up where he left off.
Slater’s hot bat continued to sizzle on Friday night at Chase Field, where he drove in both Giants runs in a 2-1 NL West victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“It’s really fun to see the young guys come up and have success up here. It’s hard,” Giants closer Will Smith said. “Slater had an incredible night, and Andy (Suárez) threw the ball great too.”
Slater, hitting .368 as a Giant, was batting .344 for the PCL River Cats with 24 doubles, five home runs and 32 runs batted in in 53 games. On Friday, Slater was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI doubles.
“Slater really stepped up and delivered for us,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He had some good at-bats in the clutch, too. He did the damage today. He uses the whole field and has great hand-eye coordination.
“We were looking for someone against Corbin who could hopefully knock in some runs, and he’s the one who came through for us.”
The Giants (43-40) surged ahead to stay at 2-1 when Brandon Crawford led off with a walk against Arizona reliever Andrew Chafin (1-3) and scored on Slater’s double to right-center.
San Francisco, third in the NL West Division, trails the first-place Diamondbacks by 4 ½ games. With the victory, the Giants have won eight of their last 10.
“It was a great win to start the trip against a lineup like that,” Bochy said.
While both bullpens did well, the Giants’ Reyes Moronta, Tony Watson, and Will Smith held the D-Backs scoreless and hitless over the last three innings. Smith earned his first save.
“No extra pressure, really. I just tried to get guys out, put up a zero,” Smith said.
Smith struck out two of the three hitters he faced in the bottom of the ninth, including pinch-hitter John Ryan Murphy to end the game.
“I just tried to make good pitches, keep the ball down,” Smith said. “In a one-run ballgame, you don’t want to elevate anything he can put a good swing on.”
Giants starter Andrew Suárez (3-4) worked six innings, giving up one earned run on seven hits – five of them infield hits – striking out five and issuing two walks.
“What a terrific job he did,” Bochy said. “Good stuff today, had everything going. He had some tough luck with five infield hits, but that kid pitched his heart out. He really kept his composure out there; he’s got some saavy out there and knows when to make his pitches. He got out of pretty tough jam (in the sixth inning) but his stuff was still there – that’s what was impressive.”
On the unusual amount of infield hits he gave up, Suárez said, “It happens, so I made sure not to overreact and minimize damage and try to get some groundouts. It was just weird; I’ve never seen it like that. But it worked out, thankfully.”
Suárez, 2-0 in five June starts, said he doesn’t worry about other pitchers eventually coming back from the disabled list, saying, “Whatever happens, happens. I’m just focused on the next start.”
San Francisco opened the scoring in the second inning off D-Backs starter Patrick Corbin. Buster Posey led off with a single and took second on centerfielder Chris Owings’ error, then scored on Slater’s double to center.
A video review helped the Diamondbacks tie the game in the sixth at 1-1. After Ketel Marte led off with a double, Chris Owings was ruled safe at first on a sharp grounder to third that was reviewed. Jake Lamb followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Marte, who moved to third on Owings’ hit.
Earlier, Arizona (47-35) threatened in the bottom of the third, but came up empty. With two out, Nick Ahmad singled, Paul Goldschmidt walked and David Peralta reached on an infield single to load the bases. But Saurez worked out of the jam by retiring Marte on a grounder to short.
Corbin, 2-0 with a 1.74 ERA in three previous starts against the Giants, wound up with a no-decision. In his six innings, Corbin surrendered one earned run on four hits, with five strikeouts and two walks.
The weekend series resumes on Saturday night with a battle of right-handers – Dereck Rodriguez (2-1, 3.82) pitching for San Francisco against Shelby Miller (0-1, 12.27) for the D-Backs.
GIANT JOTTINGS: Attendance was 30,981; time of game was 2:41, even with seven pitching changes and a video replay challenge (:38 on Owings’ hit in the sixth). … RHP Johnny Cueto made his second rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento Friday against Fresno. Cueto has missed the Giants’ last 55 games with a right elbow sprain. … Arizona RHP Yoshihisa Hirano set a team record with his 25th consecutive scoreless appearance, passing J.J. Putz, who had two streaks of 24 scoreless games in 2012. … D-Backs OF A.J. Pollock (fractured left thumb) began a rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A Reno.
UP NEXT: The Giants and D-backs will square off again Saturday night at 7:10 pm PDT.
