Category: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants pitcher Kevin Gausman throws to the Washington Nationals line up on Sun Jul 11, 2021 at Oracle Park in San Francisco in the first inning. The contest was the finale of the three game series. (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Kevin Gausman may not have been able to pitch in the All-Star Game in hometown of Denver, but what a showing he put on in his final start of the first half.

Gausman went six innings, allowing one run on four hits, walking three and striking out nine and the San Francisco Giants completed a three-game sweep with a 3-1 victory over the Washington Nationals before a crowd of 26,639 at Oracle Park. With the victory, Gausman raised his record up to 9-3 on the season and lowered his earned run average from 1.74 to 1.65.

All the offense that the Giants needed came on one swing from Curt Casali, who launched a three-run home run into the Garden area beyond the center field wall in the bottom of the second inning.

Casali took a Erick Fedde pitch and planted it into the netting for his fourth home run of the season, and the Giants went into the All-Star break with the best record in baseball for the first time since the 2016 season and it is seventh time in team history that they have reached the All-Star break with the best record in the majors.

Since coming off the injured list last month, Casali is now 17-for-42 (.404) with four home runs during that stretch.

Brandon Crawford led off the inning with a single, and after Donovan Solano struck out for the first out of the inning, then Steven Duggar singled and then Casali hit his three-run home run.

Crawford continues to swing the bat well, as he went 3-for-4 on the afternoon, and picked up his fifth three plus game in his last eight games.

Fedde, who allowed the three runs in the bottom of the second inning, ended up going five innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out and saw his record fall to 4-6 on the season.

The Nationals knocked Gausman out of the game in the top of the seventh inning, as both Juan Soto and Josh Bell walked to lead off the inning, then Starlin Castro singled to load the bases and Castro was the last batter that Gausman would face.

Dominic Leone came on to replace Gausman and got Josh Harrison to ground into a force play that scored Soto, but Leone then got pinch-hitter Ryan Zimmerman to fly out to Duggar in centerfield for the second out and then got out of the inning, when he got Victor Robles to strikeout for the final out of the inning.

Asides from scoring those three runs in the Giants wasted ample opportunities, as they put the first two runners of the inning on base in the bottom of the first inning and then again in the bottom of the third inning; however, Fedde was able to get out of the inning unscathed.

Tyler Rogers came on in the top of the eighth inning to replace Leone, and continues to be one of the best relievers in the National League during the first half, as he retired the Nationals in order.

Closer Jake McGee replaced Rogers in the top of the ninth inning, and picked up his 19th save, tying his career high that he obtained with the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2014 season.

McGee gave up a two-out double to Castro, but then got Harrison to line out to Solano to end the game.

NOTES: Caleb Baragar was recalled from Sacramento, while Tyler Beede was optioned back to Sacramento.

The Giants have now hit 132 home runs on the season, the most in the majors and lead the Toronto Blue Jays by two home runs, as they have hit 130 home runs on the season. This is just the third time since moving to San Francisco in 1958 that the Giants have led the majors in home runs at the All-Star break, they also led the majors in 1958 with 95 and then in 1989, when they went into the All-Star break with 80 home runs.

UP NEXT: Following the All-Star break, the Giants will fly to St. Louis for a three-game series against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium that begins at Busch Stadium on Friday night. After the three-games in St. Louis, the Giants will head to Los Angeles, where they will face the Dodgers for a four-game series and this will be the final time that the Giants travel to Dodger Stadium during the 2021 regular season.

San Francisco Giants Brandon Crawford swings for the fences for a sixth inning solo home run at Oracle Park in San Francisco Sat Jul 10, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Despite that the fact that he won his 10th game of the season, Anthony DeSclafani is not going to the All-Star Game.

DeSclafani went six innings, allowing zero runs on just three hits, walking just one and striking out six, as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Washington Nationals 10-4 before a crowd of 25,901 at Oracle Park.

The right-hander, who improved to 10-3 on the season received immediate help from his offense in the bottom of the first inning.

Wilmer Flores got the hit parade started in the bottom of the first inning, as he walked, then Mike Yastrzemski and it looked like Jon Lester was going to get Darin Ruf on an easy fly ball to left field; however, former Giants outfielder Gerardo Parra lost the ball in the sun for an error that loaded the bases.

Following the Parra error, Donovan Solano singled in Flores, and then Brandon Crawford followed it up with a long fly out to Parra that scored Yastrzemski from second base. Joey Bart made his first appearance of the season, and came through in style, as he singled to reload the bases.

The Giants final run of the inning came off the bat of Thairo Estrada, who hit a dribbler along the third base line that Starlin Castro was unable to get in time and Ruf easily scored from third base.

Things got even worse for the Nationals in the bottom of the third inning, as the Giants broke the game wide open, when they scored five runs and chased Lester.

Crawford singled for the second time in as many at-bats to score Ruf, who doubled to lead off the inning. Bart then singled in Solano, who reached on a fielding error Castro at third base.

Estrada then singled in Crawford, and that the end of the line for Lester, who gave up eight runs (three earned) on nine hits, walking two and striking out one in just 2.1 innings of work and lost for the fourth time on the season.

It was a career day for Estrada at the plate, as he went 4-for-5 on the afternoon.

Tyler Beede made his return to a major-league game for the first time since having Tommy John surgery, as he replaced DeSclafani in the top of the seventh inning. Beede went one inning, allowing three runs on two hits and struck out two.

Crawford ended his afternoon in a way that only he can, as he hit his 18th home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning and ended the day going 3-for-3.

The Nationals finally got on the board in the top of the seventh inning, as Alcides Escobar hit a two-run triple that just being a terrific catch by Yastrzemski that would have ended the inning; however, it brought home Parra and Tres Barrera, who led off the inning with a single and then Beede hit Barrera. Beede then regrouped to strikeout Victor Robles and Josh Harrison, but Beede gave up the triple to Escobar, who then scored on a Beede wild pitch.

Yastrzemski made a fantastic diving catch in what used to be the visiting bullpen off the bat of Castro to end the top of the sixth inning.

Jaxson Reetz came off the bench in the top of the ninth inning for the Nationals and picked up his first major league, a double to right field off of John Brebbia. Reetz scored his first major league run on a Josh Harrison ground out that forced Robles at second base.

NOTES: To make room for Bart on the roster, Logan Webb was optioned to Sacramento after he went three innings on Friday night against the Nationals.

Since he came off the injured list on June 12, Curt Casali is hitting .400 (16-for-40), with five doubles, a triple, three home runs and nine runs batted in and the Giants 23-6 in games where Casali starts this season.

There was a scary scene in the stands during the game, as a fan began to choke on her food and a gentleman immediately performed the Heimlich Maneuver on the woman. The woman was choking on three pieces of her hot dog, and the gentleman who performed the maneuver was none than Dr. Willie Ross, who is a pediatrician and also the father of current Nationals pitcher Joe Ross and former Oakland Athletics pitcher Tyson Ross, who grew up in Oakland and went to Bishop ODowd High School.

UP NEXT: Kevin Gausman closes out the first half for the Giants, as he takes the mound on Sunday afternoon, while Eric Fedde will take the mound for the Nationals.

San Francisco Giants Darin Ruf (33) belts a fifth inning solo homer against the Washington Nationals on Fri Jul 9, 2021 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

After learning that their All-Star Catcher Buster Posey was forced to go on the injured list, Gabe Kapler turned to his backup for help.

Curt Casali hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning, but the big blow came off the bat of Darin Ruf, who hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Washington Nationals 5-3 in the opener of their three-game series at Oracle Park.

It was the second run batted in for Ruf, who drove in the first run of the night in the bottom of the first inning, when he singled in Mike Yastrzemski to give the Giants a quick 1-0 lead.

Logan Webb returned to the starting rotation, as he went three innings, allowing one hit, not walking a batter and striking out four.

Unfortunately, Jose Alvarez was unable to hold onto the lead, as he gave up three runs on two hits in the top of the fourth inning, walking one in just 1/3 of an inning. Following being pulled by Kapler, and being inspected by third base Dan Bellino, Alvarez was ejected by home plate umpire David Rackley; because, Alvarez did not agree Rackleys strike zone.

The big blow by the Nationals in the inning came off the bat of Tres Barrera, who tripled to centerfield that scored both Juan Soto and Josh Bell to get the Nationals within one run.

Former Giants outfielder Gerardo Parra came back to town and haunted his former team, as he doubled in Barrera to tie up the game.

Ruf then gave the Giants the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth, as he launched a solo home run deep into the left-center field bleachers that was estimated at 433 feet.

Wilmer Flores then gave the Giants their third home run of the game, as he hit his ninth home run in the bottom of the seventh inning that closed out the scoring for the victorious Giants.

Once again, the Giants defense came up big, as Brandon Crawford showed flashbacks of Game 7 of the 2014 World Series, as he made a nifty play when Barrera grounded into the twin killing that also retired Starlin Castro at second base.

Tyler Rogers got into a jam into a jam in the top of the top of the eighth inning, as he loaded the bases with one out; however, it was another double play that got him out of the jam and out of the inning, as Parra grounded into the inning-ending double play to Donovan Solano, who threw to Crawford to retire Josh Harrison and then Crawford threw to Ruf to just get the speedy Parra to retire the side. The Nationals did look into challenging the call at first base; however, they did not challenge.

Closer Jake McGee came on in the top of the ninth inning and got Nationals veteran Ryan Zimmerman to strike out swinging for the first out, and then Alcides Escobar flew out to Yastrzemski for the second out of the inning; however, things got dicey after the Escobar fly out.

Trea Turner picked up an opposite field single, and after a visit by Kapler, Turner advanced to second on defensive indifference and then McGee walked Soto and then Bell grounded out to Crawford for the final out of the game and McGee secured his 18th save of the season.

In all, the Giants sent seven relievers to the mound after Webb and the Giants picked up their 55th win of the season against 32 losses.

NOTES: Posey was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb contusion retroactively to July 6 after he was injured after he was hit on the glove hand at Chase Field, and Webb replaced Posey on the roster.

With the injury that will keep him out until after the All-Star break, Posey, who was elected to start for the National League in Tuesdays All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver will miss the game due to the injury and will not attend the festivities.

Since Kevin Gausman is scheduled to start for the Giants on Sunday, the Denver area native will not pitch in the game; however, it is unclear if he will join Crawford for the game.

With three more home runs tonight against the Nationals, the Giants now have 130 home runs on the season, passing the Toronto Blue Jays with 128 home runs for the most home runs in the major leagues this season.

Since moving to California in 1958, the Giants have led the major leagues in home runs at the All-Star break on two previous occasions, in 1989, when they hit 80 home runs at the break and then in their first season in San Francisco, they hit 95 home runs in 1958.

The Giants unveiled their City Connect Jersey by Nike, and will wear during the entire series against the Nationals and then every Tuesday night home game.

UP NEXT: Anthony DeSclafani will take the mound on Saturday afternoon for the Giants, as he looks for his 10th win of the season, while the Nationals will send veteran Jon Lester to the hill, in search of his third win of the season.