Category: MLB

San Francisco Giants centerfielder Luis Matos thanks heaven as he crossed the plate after clouting his first Major League career home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the bottom of the sixth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Jun 24, 2023 (@SFGiants photo)

Arizona (46-32). 100 040 001. – 6 12. 1

San Francisco (44-33) 201 022 00x. – 7 10 0

Time: 2:39

Attendance: 34,343

Saturday, June 24, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–In 1948, it was Spahn and Sain and pray for two days of rain. In 2023 it’s Logan, Webb, Cobb,,DeScalfani, and the bullpen. Until recently, the designated opener was John Brebbia He’s now passed the baton to Ryan Walker, who opened for San Francisco three days ago against San Diego three days ago in the game that capped the Giants’ recent ten game winning streak.

Today, the 12th time this season that San Francisco has used an opener Walker, as was expected, was on the mound for only one frame. What was unexpected is that he surrendered a run and left two men on base when he left. Nonetheless, The Giants defeated the snake bitten nine from Phoenix in a nail biter, 7-6.

Merrill Kelly, Arizona’s starting pitcher, is no opener. Coming to work today, he was 9-3, 2.90 on the year. He had gone seven innings in four of his starts and six or more another seven. By 2023 standards, that Iron Man Joe McGinnity stuff. He lasted five frames this afternoon, throwing 87 pitches, 51 for strikes. He allowed seven runs, five of them earned, on ten hits, including a tie breaking home run, and two walks and a hit batter. He took the loss and now is 9-4, 3.22.

Ketel Marte got things going early for the D-Backs. He took a one out, 1-1 hanging slider deep, bouncing it off the brick wall in right field, 337 feet from home for a home run that put Arizona ahead 1-0 before the Giants had seen even one of Kelly’s offerings.

When they did, the home team turned the tables on their guests. LaMonte Wade, Jr. defied The Curse of the Lead Off Double, smacking one to center. Thairo Estrada followed him, lifting a lazy fly to center, where it clunked off Corbin Carroll’s glove for an error that put men on the corners. Two outs later, Michael Conforto’s two bagger to left scored both runners and put SF ahead, 2-1.

When Arizona came to bat in the second, Keaton Winn, who had thrown five brilliant innings in last Monday’s bullpen game against the Padres, was on the mound for San Francisco. He held Arizona scoreless through the fourth, but small ball drove him from the mound in the fifth, and he was replaced by Sean Manaea.

The men from McCovey Cove tacked on another tally in the third on Joc Pederson’s single to left, a walk to Conforto, and Blake Sabol’s RBI single to left.

Jake McCarthy led off the top of the fifth by beating out a bunt single between the mound and the plate. The D-Backs’ left fielder then stole his 16th base in 19 attempts. Perdomo got another infield single, giving Arizona runners on the corners. Marte’s single to right brought in McCarthy and moved Perdomo to second.

That’s when Sean Manaea entered the fray. He got Carroll to hit a grounder to Crawford, who was late getting to second and second base umpire and crew chief Alan Porter ruled Marte safe. San Francisco challenged the call but to no avail. Carroll’s double to center brought both runners home. Then Manaea retired the side. But the damage was done, and Arizona was ahead, 5-3.

But not for long. Estrada began the Giants’ fifth with a single to left. Pederson’s triple to right drove him in, making it 5-4. After Davis fanned, Conforto drew a walk and Sabol’s sacrifice fly to center tied things up.

Luke Jackson began the visitors’ sixth for the Giants. He gave up a single to Carson Kelly and then left the game with lower back stiffness. His replacement, Taylor Rogers, held Arizona to a bunt single by Perdomo to preserve the tie.

San Francisco leaped ahead in the bottom of the inning on Crawford’s lead off single to center and Matos’s two run blast into the left field bleachers, 354 feet from home. That ended Kelly’s work day. Kyle Nelson relieved him and closed out the inning by fanning Wade and Estrada and getting Pederson on a liner to left.

Tyler Rogers replaced his brother for the seventh and set the Diamondbacks down in order. He continued submarining into the eighth, when he struck. out the side.

José Ruíz set the Giants down in order in the eighth, setting the stage for Camilo Duval attempt his 22nd save in 24 attempts. Perdomo lined out to center. Marte drew a walk. Carroll popped out to Crawford, who had trouble with the. sun and the wind.

Marte took second on defensive indifference. Walker singled to right, Marte stopping at the third. Gurriel hit a soft grounder that just got past Davis, now at first, and drove in Marte. The Giants lead now was down to 7-6. Gurriel took second on a wild pitch to Smith. Then Smith struck out, and Doval got his save, and the Giants pulled within two and a half games of first place.

The two contenders will wrap up their series tomorrow afternoon at 1:05. Ryne Nelson (3-4, 5.31) will pitch for Arizona; Anthony DeScalfani (4-6, 4.38) for San Francisco.

San Francisco Giants’ Michael Conforto hits a two-run double against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Jun 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Giants podcast with Stephen:

#1 Stephen after the San Francisco Giants (43-33) got clobbered by the San Diego Padres on Thursday afternoon 10-0 snapping their eight game win streak they came right back on Friday night and defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks (46-31) 8-5 getting back in the win column.

#2 Since May 22 the Giants have a MLB best bullpen with a 12-2 record and an ERA of 1.97. Their getting strike out production with 160 and 14 saves and have allowed the fewest homers in that 19 game stretch.

#3 The Giants have a .722 winning percentage since May 15. The Giants have the third best record in National League behind the Atlanta Braves 48-27 .640 and the Arizona Diamondbacks 46-31 .597).

#4 The Giants rookies have delivered with 79 RBIs which is tops in MLB and are top ten in MLB with catcher Blake Sabol (23 RBIs and 8th place), catcher Patrick Bailey (22 RBIs 9th place) and infielder Casey Schimitt (21 RBIs and 10th place).

#5 Stephen let’s talk about today’s starting pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Ryne Nelson (3-4 ERA 5.31) and for the Giants Anthony DeSclafani (4-6 ERA 4.38) for a 1:05pm pitch.

Join Stephen for the Giants podcasts during Giants home games at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants’ J.D. Davis (7) is congratulated by Blake Sabol (2) and Joc Pederson (23) after scoring on a double by Michael Conforto against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Jun 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

Arizona (46-31). 010 120 010. – 5. 8. 0

San Francisco (43-33). 003 050 00x – 8. 12. 1

Time: 2:25

Attendance: 31,992

Friday, June 23, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–After going 10-0 since the end of their previous home stand, the Giants turned on a dime yesterday, losing 10-0 to the stumbling San Diego Padres. Tonight, facing the division leading Arizona Diamondbacks, Gabe Kapler’s crew had a chance to resume their rudely interrupted progress. They took advantage of the opportunity, winning, 8-5 and cutting a game off the D-Backs lead in the race for the NL West pennant.

Logan Webb, tonight’s starting pitcher for San Francisco, began the game as the team’s win leader with six. He also was the team’s leader in losses, again with six. His earned run average was 3.11. When the game was over, he was 7-6, but his ERA had risen to 3.16. He lasted seven full innings, throwing 98 pitches, 32 if them balls. Three of the four runs scored against him were earned, and they came on five hits, ne of the a four bagger. He struck out five and walked two.

The D-Backs chose ten year veteran Zach Davis, who was 1-3, 7.11 when he threw his first pitch. He needed to throw six more innings to reach his 1000th frame. He fell short of that milestone today, going four innings and allowing six runs, all earned but four posthumous, on six hits. He walked four and struck out two. He was charged with the loss and now is 1-4 with an ERA of 7.82.

After yesterday’s game, the Giants announced that they had bought outfielder Dalton Guthrie’s contract from the Phillies and assigned him to Sacramento. They found room for the newcomer on the 40 man roster by placing Mitch Haniger on the 60 day injured list.

Ex Giant Evan Longoria got a nice hand from the Oracle Park crowd when his first at bat was announced. It came in the top of the second, and Longoria’s reception immediately cooled off when he sent a 91 mph sinker 436 feet into center field, easily clearing the fence for his 10th homer and 20th RBI of the season and putting the visitors up, 1-0.

Michael Conforto’s two out double that rolled to the Bank of America advertisement just to the left of the 399 foot marker in center field turned the tables on the Snakes in the home third, making it 2-1 in favor of the hosts. Blake Sabol’s two bagger to the National Car Rental ad just to the left of the B of A sign plated Conforto and tacked another tally on to the Giant’s lead.

The Rattlers picked up an unearned run in the top of the fourth. With Christian Walker, who had walked, on first with two out, Alek Thomas hit a nubber in front of the plate. He beat Bailey’s throw to first for single and advanced to second when that throw sailed into right field. Thomas made it to second on the error, and Walker raced to third on the hit and scored on the error. That closed the gap to 3-2 in favor of the boys from the Bay.

Arizona resumed its attack in their next turn at bat. Jake McCarthy led off with a single that just slipped by a diving Isan Díaz at second and into right for a single. Ketel Marte followed with a double to right that zoomed tantalizingly close to Wade, playing first, putting two men in scoring position, Corbin Carroll hit a bounding ball to Wade, who got the force out at second, but Carroll beat out Crawford’s return throw to first, which allowed Perdomo to cross the plate with the tie breaking run. It now was 4-3, Arizona..

But not for long. Wade walked to open the bottom of the fifth. Marte couldn’t handle Pederson’s hard shot to second, which went for an infield hit. Wade scored from second and Pederson motored to third on Davis’s double down the line to left.

That ended Davies’ travails. Joe Mantiply relieved him and allowed the two inherited runners to core on Conforto’s double that landed just on the fair side of the right field foul line, close to the pole. Austin Salter pinch hit for Sabol and flew out to center, but Bailey smacked a homer over the National Car Rental sign, and – just like that – it was 8-4, San. Francisco.

Surprisingly, Mantiply stayed on for the sixth and set the Giants down in order. Drey Jameson took over for the Diamondbacks after the seventh inning stretch. San Francisco almost blew the game open against him, loading the bases. Then, with two away, Díaz, making his major league debut, sent towering fly to the back of the warning track in right, where McCarthy corralled it for the third out.

Tyler Rogers allowed Arizona a run in the eighth. It came on Texas League double to center by Corbin Carroll that Crawford made a valiant try for but couldn’t quite catch it. Carroll went to third on Walker’s single to right and then scored on a force out by Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. SF still lead, but now it was 8-5.

If the Giants are leading. by the three runs in the top of the ninth at Oracle Park, can Camilo Doval be far behind? Not tonight, at least, he couldn’t. Thanks to his 100 mph + cutter and a great play by Crawford for the third out, he put the Diamondbacks down in order to earn his 21st save and reduce his ERA to 1.82.

The Giants had returned quickly to their winning ways and now, though still in second place, only two and a half games behind Arizona for the division lead.

Saturday, afternoon, the rivals will face off in the second of this three game series. Game time is 1:05. The pitching match up is Merrill Kelly (9-3, 2.90) for Arizona against the Giants starter TBA. I suspect a bullpen game is in the offering. The first 20,000 fans will receive a food themed Hawaiian style shirt.