Category: San Francisco Giants

Dickerson continues hitting spree, Giants edge Snakes 7-4

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By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, June 22, 2019

PHOENIX — For the second night in a row, the kids are getting it done for the San Francisco Giants.

Outfielder Alex Dickerson picked up where he left off on Friday, and Mike Yastrzemski homered in the ninth, leading the Giants to their second win in the three-game NL West series against Arizona on Saturday, downing the Diamondbacks 7-4.

Dickerson drove in three runs with a pair of doubles, and Yastrzemski, grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, hit his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the top of the ninth.

“I like his approach,’ Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said of Dickerson. “He doesn’t chase pitches, he’s disciplined up there. Sometimes, a guy just needs another chance, especially with him and what he’s dealt with.

“He’s always shown he can hit, but he’s always had to deal with the injuries. Hopefully he’ll stay healthy.”

After Giants starter Tyler Beede struggled through the first four innings,
Trevor Gott (4-0) picked up the win in relief. Gott, Mark Melancon, Sam Dyson, and Tony Watson combined to hold the D-backs scoreless over four innings, and Will Smith threw a perfect ninth to earn his 20th save.

“I’ve said it before, they’re so reliable and have so much confidence,” Beede said. ‘We needed them for five innings and that was huge. They picked me up in the fifth, then hand the ball to the next guy and let him do his job. It was a super impressive night for the bullpen and a great team win.”

Dickerson, Kevin Pillar and Brandon Crawford each had two hits in the Giants’ 10-hit attack.

Arizona jumped on Beede for three runs in the first inning. RBI singles by Adam Jones and Christian Walker drove in two; the third run came on a double steal — Walker took second while Edurardo Escobar (who walked) stole home from third.

The Giants bounced back with two runs in the top of the second off losing pitcher Zack Godley (3-5) on a run-scoring double by Dickerson, followed by an RBI single by Crawford.

San Francisco surged ahead to stay at 5-3 with a three-run rally in the third. A two-RBI double by Dickerson, again followed by a run-scoring single by Crawford, were the key blows.

David Peralta led off the Diamondbacks third with a base hit and scored when Escobar hit into a fielder’s choice, pulling Arizona to within 5-4.

The weekend series concludes on Sunday afternoon with a pitching matchup of righthanders — Shaun Anderson (2-2, 4.08) for the Giants and Merrill Kelly (7-7, 3.99) for the D-Backs.

GIANTS JOTTINGS: Arizona INF Domingo Leyba made his MLB debut Saturday and got a pinch-hit single in his first at-bat. Leyba came to the D-Backs in 2014 along with P Robbie Ray for SS Didi Gregorius. Diamondbacks P Zach Grienke made his seventh career pinch-hitting appearance in the fourth inning, striking out for Arizona starter Zack Godley. … Eduardo Escobar’s steal of home was the first for a Diamondback since Paul Goldschmidt did it in 2017. … On Friday, San Francisco OF Alex Dickerson joined an elite group who, in the last 30 years, picked up six runs batted in playing in their first game with their new team. Elias Sports Bureau reports the others are Sam Horn (Baltimore, 1990), Darrin Jackson (Minnesota, 1997), Calvin Pikering (Kansas City, 2004), and Starlin Castro (Chi. Cubs, 2010). … Dickerson is also the third Giant ever to hit a grand slam in his first game with the club in New York or San Francisco, joining Bobby Bonds (1968) and Brandon Crawford (2011). … The Giants are in the midst of playing 20 games in 20 days; their next day off is July 4. … Saturday’s attendance — 32,082.

TAGS: San Francisco Giants,Alex Dickerson,Arizona Diamondbacks,Mike Yastrzemski,Brandon Crawford

MLB podcast with Matt Harrington: Was Montas success related to PED use?; Could MLB’s high number of HRs have something to do with substance abuse?

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nytimes.com photo: Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred talked about the Tampa Bay Rays splitting time between playing in Tampa Bay and Montreal

On the MLB podcast with Matt:

#1 Oakland A’s pitcher Frankie Montas (9-2 ERA 2.70) has had an outstanding season, he had everything working for him and that was just the thing when he tested positive for performance enhancers. Was his great season lent to his use of PEDs?

#2 MLB has a high number of home runs this season so far, the last time you saw home runs majestically fall into the bleachers like this season was when former St Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire and former Chicago Cub Sammy Sosa were playing. Does this draw suspicions about how this has come about?

#3 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is considering moving a team to either Montreal or Portland. The topic of the Tampa Bay Rays who are drawing poorly and need a new stadium will be playing half there games in Montreal and in St Petersburg. Other cities vying for an MLB team are Portland, Charlotte, Nashville, and Las Vegas.

#4 A new Oakland A’s stadium hangs in the balance in downtown Oakland, the Oakland City Council have said they have lots of questions regarding financing the stadium and other environmental issues if by happenstance the city council thumbs down a new stadium for the A’s at Jack London Square the A’s also could be moving to another city on that list.

#5 San Francisco Giant Alex Dickerson who hit a grand slam against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Friday night fused a huge win for San Francisco 11-6. The Giants with the win snapped their four game losing streak.

Matt Harrington does the MLB podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Dickerson makes smashing Giants debut in 11-5 rout of Diamondbacks

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Photo credit: @NBCSGiants

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Friday, June 21, 2019

PHOENIX — Just up from Triple-A Sacramento, outfielder Alex Dickerson had little sleep, but wasted little time making an impact on the San Francisco Giants lineup.

In his first game as a Giant, Dickerson cranked a grand slam and a bases-loaded triple, leading San Francisco to an 11-5 NL West win over the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday at Chase Field.

“It was a good feeling,” Dickerson said. “I didn’t get the barrel on the ball the whole time I was there (with San Diego). It’s good to come back, get a good pitch to hit.”

“It’s a long day. I got more sleep for this one than I did in my callups back when I was a rookie. I felt real good the whole day, very well rested. Just added a little travel to it to try and play a baseball game.”

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, “Wasn’t that impressive? What a day, and what a lift for us. We’re coming off some tough games and looking for some offense early, and he and Pillar, what a show those two put on.”

“(Dickerson) is strong. He’s got a quick bat and it’s good to have him up here to give him a chance.”

“You can’t have a better debut than that.”

Dickerson started the season with San Diego, which designated him for assignment earlier this month after he hit .158 in 12 games. The Padres traded him to San Francisco for prospect Franklin Van Gurp.

“This means a lot, but at the same time, it’s back to business,” Dickerson said. “I want to show that this is the level I want to be at, and it really is business at this point. There’s a little bit of emotion there, but in time, you put that behind you and just be a baseball player.”

The hitting exploits of Dickerson and Kevin Pillar (two-run home run, four RBIs) helped Jeff Samardzija (4-6) grind through six innings to get the win. Samardzija gave up five earned runs on nine hits, struck out five and walked one, but never surrendered the lead.

“There’s mixed emotions about tonight as a whole, but when your teammates pick you up and give you 11 runs, it makes it a whole lot easier to swallow,” Samardzija said. “There was some good and some bad. I was just a little more upset in general with being a little erratic and not very consistent, but I battled and we move on to the next one.”

Dickerson was 3-for-5 with six runs batted in, and fell a double short of hitting for the cycle.

“Pillar set me up great with good a-b’s in front of me, which gave me good pitches to hit,” Dickerson said. “He always had the pitchers on the ropes, and I told myself ‘It’s time to do some damage.'”

“That was impressive,” Samardzija said of Dickerson. “He came in off the bus and went out there and almost hit for the cycle! He had a lot to do with the run support, and he was fun to watch.”

Trailing by six in the bottom of the ninth, the Diamondbacks loaded the bases on Carson Kelly’s double, a walk to Jarrod Dyson and Ildemaro Vargas reached on an infield error.

That prompted a pitching change for the Giants, as closer Will Smith entered the contest. Smith struck out David Peralta and Adam Jones to kill the rally in a non-save situation.

Diamondbacks starter Taylor Clarke (1-3) gave up six earned runs on seven hits in three-plus innings.

San Francisco started the scoring in the top of the second on Kevin Pillar’s ninth home run of the season. Pillar’s drive to left-center drove in Stephen Vogt, who led off the inning with a double.

The Giants extended their lead to 6-0 when Dickerson delivered his first home run of the season, and his second career grand slam.

Arizona found the scoreboard in the third on Ketel Marte’s RBI single, driving in Jerrod Dyson, who reached on a one-out single. Marte limped into first and left the game, replaced by pinch-runner Ildemaro Vargas.

San Francisco loaded the bases when Pablo Sandoval was hit by a pitch, and Clarke issued walks to Brandon Belt and Pillar. Dickerson’s slam landed above the 413-foot mark in right-center.

The Diamondbacks cut San Francisco’s lead to 6-3 in the fourth on Nick Ahmed’s two-run home run, his sixth of the season. Christian Walker led off the inning with a base hit and scored on Ahmed’s opposite-field shot to right-center.

Carson Kelly followed with a double, was sacrificed to third by Clarke, and scored on a base hit by Vargas, cutting the Snakes’ deficit to 6-4. Peralta singled to right, and Adam Jones followed with an RBI single, making it 6-5.

Jones was initially ruled thrown out at second trying to stretch his hit into a double. After a video review, the call on the field was upheld.

San Francisco used a four-run rally in the seventh to build a 10-5 lead. The big hit was Dickerson’s bases-clearing triple. The Giants scored once more in the ninth on Vogt’s RBI double, his second two-bagger of the night, scoring Belt from first.

In the Diamondbacks first, Samardzija allowed a one-out triple to Ketel Marte, followed by a walk to David Peralta. But he struck out Adam Jones and retired Eduardo Escobar on a comebacker to work out of trouble.

“I thought Shark pitched without his best stuff,” Bochy said. “He had tough luck early with some ground balls that got through. But really, the one inning (the fourth) is where he had a hiccup. They got back in the game, but he went back out there and gave us two solid innings, which you want to see.”

On Saturday night, right-hander Tyler Beede (1-2, 6.67 ERA) starts for the Giants. The Diamondbacks have yet to name their starter.

GIANTS JOTTINGS: Diamondbacks 2B Ketel Marte left the game with a left groin cramp and is listed as day-to-day. … The video review on Diamondbacks’ Adam Jones’ RBI single and throw out was 1:57. … Before the game, the Giants announced they claimed OF Joey Rickard off waivers from Baltimore. To make room for Rickard on the 40-man roster, San Francisco RHP Nick Vincent was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list, and will be optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. … Attendance was announced at 29,312.

TAGS: San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, Alex Dickerson, Jeff Samardzija, Kevin Pillar,

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants nearly come back on Dodgers on Thursday night

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 The Dodgers nearly did what they did on Wednesday night and run away with a ballgame as the Dodgers started out the game with a 6-0 lead.

#2 The Giants rallied back in the last three innings of the game and nearly tied up the ball game against Dodger pitcher Kenley Jansen.

#3 On a Giant bunt by Tyler Austin up the first base side, Dodger first baseman Cody Bellinger’s throw to third base that Giants baserunner Stephen Vogt was called out. The play was reviewed and it look like Vogt’s foot hit the bag about the same time the ball hit Dodger third baseman Justin Turner’s glove how did Michael see it.

#4 When the Dodgers’ Max Muncy came up to the plate to face Giants starter Madison Bumgarner the Dodger’s scoreboard showed a replay of the home run that Muncy hit off Bumgarner last time the Dodgers were in San Francisco plus the Dodgers played “Under the Sea” and “Smoke on the Water” during the replay.

#5 The Giants are in Arizona for a three-game battle with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants will start Jeff Samardzija (3-6) going against the Diamondbacks’ Taylor Clark (1-2).

Michael does the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants’ epic comeback gets cut short by Dodgers

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Harness

Thursday night’s game at Dodger Stadium got off to a rather-funny start but finished in thrilling fashion indeed.

After some major-league trolling of Giants starter Madison Bumgarner by the Dodgers – more on that later – the Dodgers jumped out to a 6-0 lead, and it appeared to be a carbon copy of what the previous two games looked like.

The Giants, however, mounted a tremendous comeback in the last three innings but came up painfully short in a 9-8 loss that wrapped up a four-game series in Southern California that saw the Giants win only the opening contest.

They put four runs on the board in the top of the ninth and even had the tying run on second base with nobody out against closer Kenley Jansen.

That was when a bit of controversy took shape. Tyler Austin laid down a nice bunt down the first-base line, and first baseman Cody Bellinger whipped around and fired to third to nab Stephen Vogt. However, the play was reviewed, and replays appeared to show Vogt’s foot reaching third as the ball hit third baseman Justin Turner’s glove.

However, Vogt was ruled out, and the played a huge role down the stretch. The next batter, Buster Posey, hit a sharp liner that center fielder Alex Verdugo ran down near the warning track, and the runners were forced to retreat back to first and second, respectively.

Had Vogt been ruled safe, he would have likely tagged up from third and tied the game. As it stood, Brandon Belt’s liner to right found Kyle Garlick’s glove and ended the game.

Thursday night marked Bumgarner’s first start in Los Angeles since his blowup at Max Muncy after the latter touched him up for a home run at Oracle Park last week, and the Dodgers were clearly ready for him.

As Muncy stepped up to the plate against Bumgarner, the team was happy to show on its jumbotron screen in center field that the last time he had faced the left-hander resulted in a 426-foot shot that is now 25 feet under water in McCovey Cove.

The Dodgers’ PA staff went on to play “Under The Sea,” which was a hit song on the soundtrack of “The Little Mermaid,” before playing Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.”

Muncy continued his ownage of Bumgarner, as he singled in a run in the first inning to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Could Pope and Bullock end up as Warriors?; How could 4 people get shot at Raptors parade?; plus more

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Photo credit: @WarriorNationCP

On the Headlines Podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 The Los Angeles Lakers, who signed Anthony Davis are looking for more, but so are the Golden State Warriors, who are looking at the Lakers’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock. Will these additions at Golden State fill that void that the Warriors lacked during the final game of the NBA Finals?

#2 Regarding the shooting of four people at the Toronto Raptors parade in Toronto, does this indicate no one is safe anywhere and this could go down again if Toronto was to win again?

#3 The NBA Draft is coming up and the Sacramento Kings are expected to get some of the top picks. Where do they need to start from first?

#4 The Los Angeles Dodgers came back after dropping the first game of this three-game series with convincing wins, thanks to some great offense, On Tuesday night, the Dodgers got a 9-0 shutout and the Dodgers dominated again with a 9-2 win over the Giants on Wednesday night.

Tony Renteria does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Pomeranz continues miserable season, gets pounded by LA, 9-2

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Photo credit: mercurynews.com

By Jeremy Harness

Drew Pomeranz’s Wednesday night got off to a bad start, and it continued to get worse as the night progressed.

Chris Taylor touched the left-hander up for a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to give the Dodgers an early lead, and LA would only add to it in the next few innings during a 9-2 victory over the Giants at Dodger Stadium.

The very next inning, Kyle Garlick took Pomeranz deep for a solo shot, and the Dodgers got two more runs on and RBI single and a run-scoring sac fly in the third, which gave them a 6-0 lead, a hole the Giants could not get out of.

The Giants tried to make a game out of it, as Tyler Austin and Mike Yastrzemski both went deep – in the fourth and sixth innings – but they were mere solo homers and did not put a dent into what had been a commanding lead.

Pomeranz only lasted 4 1/3 innings on Wednesday, giving up seven runs on nine hits, walking one and striking out four and serving up those three home-run balls. The subpar outing – which have been plenty for Pomeranz this season – boosted his ERA to 7.09 after only three months.

Aside from the two homers by Yastrzemski and Austin, the Giants’ bats fell into their customary deep sleep, despite starter Rich Hill having to leave the game after the first inning with discomfort in his pitching forearm. He is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday and has been subsequently placed on the injured list.

The Giants managed just two more hits against a slew of Dodgers relievers, and no Giant got any more than one. After a promising four-game winning streak, the Giants have fallen back into their losing ways, and they now sit in the NL West cellar with a 31-41 mark, 17 ½ games out of first place.

Hernandez hits grand slam in Dodgers’ 9-0 shutout

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Photo credit: @HansGutknecht

By Jeremy Kahn

In what was a close game turned out into a blowout with one swing of the bat for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Enrique Hernandez hit a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Dodgers broke open a close game on their way to a 9-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.

Hernandezs grand slam turned a 5-0 lead into a 9-0 game, as the Dodgers evened the four-game series at one game apiece.

Clayton Kershaw went seven innings, allowing just three hits, walking two and striking out six on his way to his seventh win of the season.

The Dodgers got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as Joc Pederson hit a two-run home run off of Shaun Anderson to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead.

It was a tough outing for Anderson, who went five and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs, walking three and striking out two, as his record fell to 2-2 on the season.

The Giants could not muster anything against Kershaw, as they got just three hits on the night against Kershaw and the Dodgers bullpen.

Kevin Pillar went 2-for-3, while Donovan Solano picked up the only other hit for the Giants, as he went 1-for-3 on the evening.

The usual good Giants bullpen did not look so good, as they gave up six runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out two over the final two and one-thirds innings of work.

Dylan Floro and Joe Kelly pitched the final two innings for the Dodgers, as the combined to walk just one and strike out four.

Pederson led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run off of Anderson, and the Dodgers never looked back.

Alex Verdugo then singled, and Justin Turner made it 2-0 in favor of the Dodgers with a double to left field.

Chris Taylor drove in the third run of the evening, as he reached on a bunt single that scored Max Muncy from third base.

Muncy walked to lead off the inning with a walk off of Anderson, and then Matt Beaty singled Muncy to third.

After Kershaw sacrificed for the second out of the inning, Derek Holland came on to replace Anderson and Hernandez, who came on to bat for Pederson was intentionally walked to load the bases. Holland then got out of the jam, as Verdugo flew out to left field, where Tyler Austin made a diving catch to end the inning.

Things got out of the hand in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Dodgers scored six runs in the inning.

Turner struck out to open the inning, but then the flood gates open for the two-time defending National League Champions.

Cody Bellinger then singled, and then Muncy singled him to third base and what was the end of the night for Holland, who turned the ball over to Trevor Gott, who got David Freese to ground into a fielders choice that scored Bellinger.

Unfortunately, Gott then gave up a single to Taylor and then Austin Barnes singles to score Freese, then Kyle Garlick walked to load the bases and then Hernandez launched a Gott pitch 416 feet into the left field pavilion.

NOTES: Kershaw is now 23-11 all-time in his career versus the Giants.

Pablo Sandoval sat out the game against Kershaw, as he injured his right pinky finger when it was stepped on during the game on Monday night, which required four stitches.

UP NEXT: Drew Pomeranz takes the mound for the Giants on Wednesday night, as he looks for another great outing after his fantastic outing against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night at Oracle Park. Rich Hill will take the mound for the Dodgers, as he looks to improve to 5-1 on the season.

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Piscotty says he feels fine, back in the lineup Monday night; Manaea says rehab is coming along great

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Photo credit: @NBCSAthletics

On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The A’s and Orioles started the three-game series with a close game at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday night. Regardless where some teams are in the standings, the A’s opponents are well aware they might be playing some tight games.

#2 Stephen Piscotty came back from melanoma from his right ear and was in the lineup on Monday night at the Coliseum. Piscotty says he’s doing fine.

#3 The Oakland A’s Sean Manaea and AJ Puk are working their way back into the rotation. Manaea has been throwing 45-pitch simulated games and Puk, who had Tommy John, has been throwing. Although their recoveries are slow, they’re both determined to make it back.

#4 Mike Fiers started for the Oakland A’s on Monday night against the Baltimore Orioles Jack Cashner in a game that turned out to be a well pitched game with the A’s getting a one run win 3-2.

#5 The A’s Matt Chapman, who leads the team in home runs with 16, and part of why the A’s have such consistent hitting.

Charlie O does the A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Beede’s long journey to big league success ends with 3-2 win over the Dodgers

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By Morris Phillips

Eight years after Tyler Beede was drafted in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft and five years after he was again drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft and subsequently signed with the Giants, the 26-year old is a winner at the Major League level for the first time.

The likelihood Beede’s long wait for success at the highest level would end on Monday in Dodgers Stadium against the NL West division leaders?

Highly unlikely, but the mysterious and unpredictable workings of the grand old game were clearly in play.

Beede pitched a gem, a 180 degrees turn from his previous six starts in 2019, only one of which was above average, a no-decision against the Marlins in which he departed after six innings trailing 1-0. The former Vanderbilt star’s unsightly 8.10 ERA increased the pressure upon his outing Monday, as another subpar performance could have triggered a demotion to Triple-A Sacramento.

Beede’s curveballs and off-speed offerings played big as he struck out seven, and survived five walks and three hits, with the only damage coming on Max Muncy’s solo shot in the second that narrowed the Giants’ lead to 2-1.

Beede struck out Clay Bellinger looking in the second, and fanned Chris Taylor and Kiki Hernandez twice. Bellinger, the National League’s leading hitter with a .355 average and 23 home runs, was limited to one hit, a double off Tony Watson in the eighth. Bellinger would then score, trimming the Giants’ lead to 3-2.

Beede departed after six innings and 97 pitches, leading 3-1. He became only the fourth Giants’ pitcher to pick up the first win of his career in Dodgers Stadium, following Shawn Estes, Larry Carter and John Burkett.

“I’ll remember this game forever and to do it in this stadium against this team makes it extra special,” Beede said.

“It’s great to see these guys get called up and get their first win,” said manager Bruce Bochy, who displayed a little strut in his stride, after closer Will Smith struck out pinch hitter Kyle Garlick to end it.

Brandon Crawford doubled home a pair of runs in the second, and the Giants added an insurance run in the sixth without the benefit of a hit, as Taylor’s throwing error allowed Tyler Austin to race home from second base.

Kenta Maeda took the loss despite allowing just three hits and two earned runs in five innings of work.

The Giants evened the season series with the Dodgers, 5-5, and have won 10 of 16 overall, their best stretch of the season. The Dodgers had won 28 of 35 at home prior to Monday’s loss.

“We just took five walks from Beede and couldn’t put any other offense together,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Pablo Sandoval departed early after his hand was stepped on by Muncy in the fifth. Sandoval needed four stitches to close the bloody cut, and is listed as day-to-day on the injury report.

Shaun Anderson, looking for his third win, will pitch Tuesday in the second game of the four-game series opposed by Clayton Kershaw, looking to improve his record to 7-1.