Category: MLB

The San Francisco Giants Heliot Ramos slides home for a second inning run. All the Giants runs were needed in this game as they win by a run over the Miami Marlins 3-2 at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun Apr 10, 2022 (AP News photo)

Miami. 2. 11. 1

San Francisco. 3. 6. 0

Sunday April 10, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–People in classical Greece uncertain about their future would consult the oracles, who would respond with ambiguous words that left their petitioners more confused than ever. The last two days at the ballyard on McCovey Cove how well the name of Oracle Park suits the events that take place there.

On Friday, the Giants made a valiant comeback, only to throw one of them away and then make another, successful, one. Yesterday, they came from behind in the fifth inning only to give back the lead in the seventh and ultimately lose the game, the second consecutive game in which they blew a late inning lead.

What do we make of the decent but streak hitting, sure handed Brandon Crawford going 0 for the season and making a key error? Are these harbingers of things to come? And, if they are, what does that mean to the Giants’ future, short, medium, or long term?

The events on the field this afternoon may have contained some clues. What they mean is hard to tell, but we’ll give it a try.

The most obvious, and perhaps the least important, fact is that the Giants defeated the visitors, 3-2 before a crowd of 37,332 paying customers on Sunday. Of course, all the factoids that compose that obvious fact have to be put in context; and that context is that the three games the Giants have played this season constitute 1.85% of the regular season.

Indeed, the most significant of today’s Giant doings may well have occurred before game time. What does the promotion of the promising Puerto Rican prospect, Héliot Ramos, portend? He replaced John Brebbia, who will be on bereavement leave for three days, on the roster.

The Giants clearly thought enough of the 22 year old Ramos to start him today in left, batting in the sixth slot, for his major league debut. Indeed, Ramos was the only Giant to notch multiple hits. He replaced John Brebbia, who will be on bereavement leave for the next three days. When the game ended, the rookie had gone two for three and scored a run.

Starting on the mound for San Francisco was Anthony DeSclafani, starting his second season with the Giants. He had an impressive spring training, giving up only one earned run in 12-1/3 innings pitched, striking out 11 on his way to a 1-0,0.73 record. He went 13-7,3.17 for the Giants, much better than his lifetime big league mark of 50-46,406).

Facing the home team was Trevor Rogers, the runner up in last season’s National League rookie of the year balloting. The then 23 year old southpaw finished with the impressive mark of 7-8, 2.64, recording 157 in 133 innings and didn’t allow an earned run in his one inning stint at the all-star game. He was out of action all of August because of a family medical emergency. This was his first appearance against the Giants.

DeSclafani got off to a rocky start. Jorge Soler’s lead off liner just got past a diving Luke Williams, playing third in his first game of the season. Then Garrett Cooper’s broken bat blooper to right fell in for a hit, and, just like that, there were two on, none down, the meat of the coming up.

Exhibiting grace under pressure, the Giants’ starter struck out Jesús Sánchez and Jesús Aguilar—the first, swinging; the second, looking—before retiring Avisaíl García and the side on a broken bat pop up that threatened to fall into right but was corralled by Thairo Estrada at second.

DeScalfani was in hot water again in the second. Joey Wendle’s leadoff drive bounced a foot out of the hurler´s reach and into right for a single, and Brian Anderson’s blooped fell in front of Ramos for a Texas League single that sent Wendle to third. He scored on Jazz Chisholm, Jr.’s sacrifice fly that Maurcio Dubón harvested in left center field.

After Soler got a hit to center, a nice play by Crawford, diving to his right and riffling a throw to Estrada closed out the frame with minimal damage done and Miami leading by a scant 1-0.

Rogers handcuffed the Giants for an inning, but they broke loose in their half of the second. Flores led off with a four pitch walk, only to be erased in a short to second to first double play. Then Ramos, in his first major league at bat, hit a scorcher to second that Chisholm’s glove deflected to Wendle for an infield single.

Dubón slammed a drive down the left field line that sent Ramos racing home at full speed to tie the score as Dubón pulled into second with an RBI double. Then Luke Williams, in his first AB of the season, brought Dubón in with a single to right that gave San Francisco a 2-1 advantage.

The Marlins might have pulled even in the third, but what looked like some boneheaded baserunning by Sánchez turned what would have been a lead off double to right into a single and a failed attempt to advance when he was thrown out on Ruff’s relay to Crawford of Slater’s return of the ball to the infield.

In contrast, San Francisco took advantage of its third frame opportunities. Slater hit a full count pitch back towards the mound, and Rogers’s throw to first pulled Cooper off the bag.

Ruff’s blast to the foot of the Konica Minolta sign on the left center field wall went for a double that moved Slater to third, whence, after Crawford took a called third strike, he scored on Flores’s sac fly to left. Estrada grounded out to close the inning with the Giants now ahead 3-1.

Miami threatened in the top of the fourth. Windle singled to the mound. Anderson went down swinging. Then Chisholm sent a l o n g double to the right field wall.

With two runners in scoring position, Payton Henry flailed at a slow 2-2 count slider, missing it for out number two. It looked like Desclafani might have notched his third strikeout of the inning, but home plate umpire Ramón de Jesús called it ball four, loading the bases.

Desclafani plunked Cooper, which drove in Wendle, cut the Giants’ lead to a single run, and left the bases loaded. That was it for Desclafani, and Jarlín García entered the fray to retire Sánchez and preserve the Giants’ thin lead.

Desclafani had lasted 3-2/3 grueling innings in which he threw 74 pitches, about 75% of which counted as strikes. He was charged with two runs, both earned. He struck out five, walked one, and hit another of the 20 batters he faced. He left the game with no decision.

García faced five more Marlins without allowing a baserunner before giving way with two out in the sixth to Zack Littell.

Once Littell got his man, Payton Henry, out thanks to a beautiful play by Estrada, the Giants’ second sacker led off the home half of the sixth, facing Shawn Armstrong, who had just entered the game to replace Rogers.

Miami’s starter left the game after throwing 74 pitches with the same 75% strike to ball ratio as Desclafani. Like his counterpart, Rogers allowed two earned runs, but he also gave up an additional, unearned, tally that put him in line to be charged with the loss. He struck out three and walked one.

Armstrong hurled a perfect sixth inning, and his replacement, Anthony Bass also retired the hosts in order in the seventh, as well as getting Ruff, lead off man in the eighth, even though San Francisco’s first baseman drove a line drive to the right field warning track, right the fence before Steven Okert replaced Bass right after the ball was caught.

Littell lasted through the seventh for San Francisco without giving up more than a single to Sánchez, who was wiped out in a double play. Tyler Rogers then came in to set the Marlins down in order in the eighth.

Dominic Leone was called upon to execute the save. He struck out Chisholm for the first out. Stallings, pinch hitting for Henry, also went down swinging. Jorge Soler was the sole obstacle to the Giants’ second win of the season. He popped out to Ruff at first.

Jarlín García was the winning pitcher, with the save going to Leone. Trevor Rogers was the hard luck loser.

San Diego will come to Oracle Park on Monday, throwing Nick Martínez against Alex Wood at 6:45.

The Miami Marlins Pablo Lopez who picked up his first win of the 2022 season delivers against the San Francisco Giants in the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Apr 9, 2022 (AP News photo)

Miami. 2. 5. 0

San Francisco. 1. 5. 2

Saturday April 9, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–This afternoon’s contest between the Marlins and the Giants was played, if not flawlessly, much more crispier than Saturday’s comedy of errors. The starting pitching we saw from both teams today today was a treat.

Pablo López, who missed almost all of the last half of last year’s season with a strained rotator cuff in his right, pitching, arm started the game for the fish. Southpaw Carlos Rodón, who capped a seven year stint with the White Sox last season, when he was an AL all star, signed as a free agent with the Giants this March 16.

He went 1-0,1.35 in 6-2/3 innings during spring training before taking the mound for San Francisco in his first start for the team.

The Marlins response to the announcement of Rodón as the San Francisco starter was to send eight right handed batters to face him. Centerfielder Jesús Sánchez was the lone lefty on manager Don Mattingly’s lineup card.

The Marlins jumped to any early lead thanks to some Giant misplays in the top of the third. Wilmer Flores made a nice play on Jon Berti’s ground single to third but threw wildly to first. His error allowed Miami’s second sacker to move up a base. He advanced to third on a wild pitch to Jorge Soler and scored before Jorge Aguilar was thrown out at first after swinging and missing for the third strike of his at bat.

If Bart’s throw to Belt had not resulted in an out, the play would have been scored as strike out-wild pitch. Since it did result in an out, the official scoring call was strike out, with no wild pitch or RBI recorded. The upshot was that Miami enjoyed a one run advantage after two and a half innings of play.

The Giants drew even in the home fifth. After López had retired 12 consecuetive batters following Ruf”s first inning single, Estrada lined a single to left, and Duggar laced a double, also to left, bringing Estrada home with two down. Bart, the number nine hitter, walked, leaving López to face the top of the order with two men on base.

The Marlin starter game through with a little help from home plate umpire Lance Barrett, who called al strike on what looked like ball four to Yastrzemski before SF’s lead off batter grounded out to second.

By now, Rodón had thrown 89 pitches, which was not surprising in light of his 12 strike outs over five innings, in which he gave up one run, three hits, and two walks in addition to his one official wild pitch and the one the one that was subsumed under his strike out of Soler in the third. John Brebbia relieved him at the top of the sixth and set the Marlins down in order. López didn’t come out to pitch in the bottom of the sixth.

The line for López was one run, earned, on three hits, one walk, and six strikeouts over five innings pitched. He threw 79 pitches only 24 were balls. Steven Okert, his replacement, struck out the side on 11 eleven pitches in the Giants’ sixth.

Brescia gave way to Jake McGee for the vistors’ seventh and prompty surrendered a double to center by Anderson and an RBI single to left by Sánchez. With one out, Berti’s fly to deep right sent Sánchez to third and McGeee to the showers.

Enter Camilo Dovalk with two out and a runner n third. He issued a four pitch passport to Soler, bringing Cooper, who was one for three, with two Ks, to the plate. He grounded out to Belt at first. But Miami had regained the lead.

Okert continued his strike out strak, fanning Crawford to lead off the home seventh, before yielding to Cole Sulser. Crawford slammed Suler’s first offering 399 feet into the left center field walll for a double.

Estrada followed with full count walk, bringing Duggar to the plate. He whiffed on three pitches. It now was up to Joey Bart to keep hopes for the incipient rally alive. He took two strikes and fouled off a fastball before grounding in to a 6-4 force out.

Richard Bleier opened the eighth on the mound for the Marlins, which brought in Austin Slater to hit for Yastrzemski. Bleier struck him out looking. Then he k’dBelt and Ruf swinging.

Yesterday’s losing pitcher, José Alvarez, came in to pitch the ninth for San Francisco. He got Anderson to hit a grounder to Crawford, but the usually sure handed shortstop bobbled the ball, putting the lead off. batter on first.

After Alvarez struck Sánchez out swinging, he induced another grounder to short, this time from Stallings. Crawford came on his second chance, ending the ending with a 6-4-3 twin killling.

Mattingly called on Anthony Bender for the save in the ninth. Pederson greeted him with a single to right. But Crawford grounded into a 3-6-3 double play. Rojas made a fine play on Flores’ weak grounder to short to end the game.

It was a disappointing loss, charged to McGee, for the home team. The win went to Okert and the save, to Bender. Needless to say, it was the first of the season for all of them.

Sunday’s rubber game is scheduled for a 1:05 start. The probable pitchers are the left handed Trevor Rogers for Miami and righty Anthony DeSclafani for the Giants. It promises to be an exciting afternoon.

San Francisco Giants Auston Slater connects for an RBI double that scored the game winner in the bottom of the tenth inning against the Miami Marlins on opening day at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Apr 8, 2022 (AP News photo)

Miami. 5. 9. 2

San Francisco. 6. 6. 2

10 innings

Friday April 8, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Compared with the surreal turmoil in the worlds of politics, justice, and health, punctuated by the terrifying reality of the war in Ukraine, the feeling of loss and confusion caused by baseball’s long lock out and its subsequent hectic compressed spring training seems a minor cause of dissatisfaction. The San Francisco Giants just got by the Miami Marlins in extra innings with a 6-5 win at Oracle Park on Friday afternoon.

But springtime and baseball traditionally have been seasons of hope and rebirth, a time when—you know the drill— the sun brings warmth, the rain brings growth. and perennial hope, however unrealistic, blooms in the hearts of fans. In this year of drought and strife, we need that more than ever. I can’t say that I feel it, but maybe that’s just me.

After all, a sell out crowd of 40,853 fans paid to see the Giants win a thriller against the Marlins in this season’s opening game. Baseball is not immune to our circumambient anxieties, but its return, even after the alienation of a three month lockout, can help assuage them.

The lineup Gabe Kapler and his staff would present for the Giants’ season debut was another cause of uncertainty, and that was resolved today but, given Kapler’s talent for mixing and matching, only for today.

Mike Yastrzemski led off, playing right field. He was followed by Brandon Belt at first base; Darin Ruf as designated hitter; Joc Pederson in center field; Brandon Crawford at short; Wilmer Flores at third; Thairo Estrada at second base; Steven Duggar in center; and the catcher Joey Bart. 25 year old right hander Logan Webb, who had a 13-3 won-lost record, burnished by an ERA of 3.03, in ’21, took the mound for the home team.

He had averaged over a strikeout per inning and walked an opponent on an average of once every four frames. His 2021 WHIP was an impressive 1.106. Webb pitched a mere nine innings in this year’s abbreviated spring training, going 0-1 while allowing five earned runs in spite of his impressive 15 strikeouts.

This was only his second appearance against the Marlins. The first time he did battle with them he allowed only three hits and three walks against eight Ks, shutting out the fish over seven innings just about a year ago.

Webb had a worthy mound rival today in Sandy Alcántara, the 26 year old Marlin righty who went 9-15, 3.19 last year for a team that finished at 67-95. He has a five pitch repertoire, using, in descending order, his sinker, slider, change up, and four seam fastball between 28 and 21% of the time, mixing them in a scant 3% or so of his deliveries with an unexpected curve. He went 0-1, 4.76 against San Francisco last year.

Webb disposed of the first three Marlins he faced, left fielder Jorge Soler, first baseman Garrett Cooper, and center fielder Jesús Sánchez, on 13 pitches and three infield outs. He had a more difficult time with Miami’s next four batsmen, DH Jesús Aguilar, right fielder Avisaíl García, shortstop Miguel Rojas and catcher Jacob Stallings.

García reached first on an error by Flores and advanced to third on Rojas’s bloop single to left in the second. But the Giants’ hurler got through the second frame unscathed. Jazz Chilshom, Jr., at second rounded out the visitors’ lineup. He got a scratch single that Webb bobbled near first base.

San Francisco drew first blood in the bottom of the third, when Belt, facing the shift, dropped a two out bunt to third with Bart, who had walked, on first. Wendle couldn’t handle the ball and then overthrew it to first, allowing Bart to score and Belt to advance to second. Ruff drove him in with a sharp single to right, and SF was up, 2-0. Neither run was earned.

Joey Bart extended the San Francisco lead with a one out blast 414 foot blast into the left field bleachers in the home half of the fifth, the last inning of Alcántara’s afternoon. In that lapse, he threw 83 pitches, 44nd of which counted as strikes. Of the three runs he surrendered, only one, Bart’s round tripper, was earned. He struck out three Giants and issued free passes to four.

Lefty Tanner Scott replaced the Miami starter, which brought Austin Slater into the game as a pinch hiter for Pederson, whom he replaced in left field in the top of the seventh.

In that same top of the seventh, Webb gave up a lead off walk to Wendle. That ended his work for the day. Webb. was headed for the day. Dominic Leone replaced him, got Rojas to fly out to right, but siurrendered a circuit clout to Stallings, who knocked the ball over the left field wall, narrowing the gap between the teams to 3-2.

A walk to Chilshom, and Tyler Rogers was on the bump. Webb had gone six innings, allowing one run, earned, on five hits and a walk. He strl;uck out two. 57 of his 86 offerings were strikes.

Delone lasted a third of an inning, throwing eight pitches, half of which were balls, and alllowing a run, earned, on a hit and a walk. Tyler Rogers got the Giants out of the inning by striking out Soler and Cooper, and Jake McGee set the Marlins down in order in the top of the eighth.

Brandon Belted one over the Levi’s Landing sign in right to widen give the Giants a bit of breathing room with the bases empty and one down in the bottom of the eighth. His victim was Miami’s fourth pitcher, Richard Bleier, who soon gave way to Louis Head.

It fell to Camilo Doval to try to hold off the Marlins for the save. It wasn’t easy. Wendle reached first on a pop up that dropped to the grass between the mound and the the infield dirt. Rojas hit a grounder to Crawford, whose flip forced Wendle at second. But Estrada’s relay was wild, and Rojas advanced to second on the error.

He scored Stallings’ single to left center. That set the stage of Chilshom’s dramatic home run over the glove of a leaping Duggar, now playing in left field. Doval got his next two men ground out, pitcher to first, but the damage was done, and now it was Miami’s Anthony Bender who was tasked with preserving his team’s lead.

He failed.

Estrada redeemed himself with a lead off blast over the Toyota sign in front of the the left field bleachers. But that was all home team had in its tank, and we went into the tenth with John Brebbia on the mound for San Francisco and Garrett Cooper on second as Miami’s zombie runner. Jesús Sánchez walked, bringing up clean up hitter Jesús Aguilar, who advanced Cooper to third with a fly to medium deep center field.

García hit a sharp grounder to Flores, who threw to Bart, who chased the runner back towards third before tagging him the for the second out. With runners now on first and second, the Giants called on José Alvarez to pitch. Miami countered with Brian Anderson, pinch hitting for Wendle. Alvarez punched him out.

With Anthony Bass on the bump for the visitors in the bottom of the tenth, the Giants wasted their chance to put the game away when zombie runner Dubón was doubled off second on Belt´s fly to right. But Ruf walked and Slater laced a double into the left field corner that plated Ruf with the winning, unexpected, run.

The win went to Alvarez, a nine year veteran of MLB, Alvarez pitched for the Giants last season. Bass was charged with the loss.

As the Cubans say, all we know for sure about baseball is that it’s round and comes in a square box.

We can, however, reasonably predict that Miami and San Francisco will play each other Saturday afternoon at 1:05. Pablo López is slated to pitch for the Floridians, and Carlos Rodón for the Californians.