Category: San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants Luis Matos top is congratulated by teammate Matt Chapman (26) after scoring on a LeMonte Wade RBI single in the top of the ninth inning against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Colin Holderman at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Wed May 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

SF Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 Michael, San Francisco Giants (24-26) starter Blake Snell got roughed up in the bottom of the fourth inning by the Pittsburgh Pirates (23-27) for five runs. Snell was out for two turns in the rotation due to a groin injury. He pitched well in his rehab at triple A Sacramento but on his first return back he got lit up.

#2 Snell pitched 3.1 innings giving up four hits and four runs. It just looked like he couldn’t find himself and settle down and was brought out with the bases loaded for reliever Sean Hjelle.

#3 To the Giants credit after Snell was relieved the Giants used five relievers and that was all the scoring for the Pirates for the evening.

#4 The Giants down 5-0 came back and tied the game in the ninth inning making it 5-5 and scored four times in the top of the tenth inning to take it 9-5 in the second game of the three game series at PNC Park. This was the second back to back game where both clubs went ten innings.

#5 The Giants and Bucs match up for the rubber game Thursday afternoon at 12:35pm PT the Giants have not announced a starter and the Pirates will be going with RHP Paul Skenes (1-0, ERA 2.70) at PNC. Michael, Giants manager Bob Melvin would like to come away with a series win to start this road trip.

Join Michael Duca for the Giants podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants Patrick Bailey celebrates with first base coach Mark Hallberg after a go ahead single in the top of the tenth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Wed May 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

PNC Park

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

San Francisco Giants 9 (24-26)

Pittsburgh Pirates 5 (23-27)

Win: Ryan Walker (4-2)

Loss: Carmen Mlodzinski (0-1)

Time: 3:23

Attendance: 13,830

By Stephen Ruderman

After suffering their worst loss of the season Tuesday night in which they blew a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning and lost the game in 10 innings, the Giants, led by three-hit games by LaMonte Wade and Matt Chapman, flipped the script Wednesday night, and came back from down 5-0 to beat the Pirates 9-5 in another 10-inning thriller at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Baseball is an everyday game, and the Giants were back at it after their brutal loss last night. Blake Snell was activated off of the 15-Day Injured List to make his fourth start of the season, and he was the man the Giants turned to to bounce back.

Jared Jones took the mound for the Pirates, and the Giants were unable to muster anything against him in the early going. Snell, meanwhile, pitched through a one-out base-hit by Bryan Reynolds in the bottom of the first inning. Snell also pitched through trouble in the second and third, as the Pirates had two runners on in both innings, but Snell was able to wiggle out of it unscathed both innings.

The game stayed scoreless, as Jones pitched a scoreless top of the fourth, and Snell was right back in trouble in the bottom of the fourth. Snell walked O’Neil Cruz to start the inning and then gave up a base-hit to former Giant Joey Bart. Jared Triolo flew out to center to move Cruz to third, and Michael A. Taylor walked to load the bases.

After a lengthy and weird seven-pitch at-bat, Andrew McCutchen was hit in the back foot by a pitch—I know technically not an at-bat—after Home Plate Umpire Tony Randazzo nonchalantly called it. Bob Melvin opted not to have the play reviewed, as Randazzo got the call right, and the Pirates were on the board first up 1-0.

Melvin then pulled Snell for Sean Hjelle to face former Giants top prospect Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds hit a grand slam to right field to give the Pirates a 5-0 lead, as things just kept getting worse for the Giants. The Pirates threatened even further, but Hjelle was able to get out of it with the deficit still at five.

The Giants did have a response against Jones in the top of the fifth. Catcher Patrick Bailey, who was back in the starting lineup, lined a double the other way to right to lead things off. Jorge Soler, who has struggled with men on face, lined a base-hit to left to knock in Bailey and put the Giants on the board.

Hjelle pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth, LaMonte Wade lined a base-hit to center to start the sixth. Thairo Estrada popped out to short, but Matt Chapman stayed hot with a two-run home run to left-center, his seventh of the season, and it was suddenly 5-3.

Patrick Bailey lined a base-hit up the middle to center to bring up the tying run in Soler, and Soler came within 10-to-15 feet of tying it, but ultimately flew out to deep left field. Heliot Ramos then struck out swinging to end the inning.

It stayed 5-3 going to the bottom of the sixth, and Randy Rodriguez came in for the Giants to throw a 1-2-3 inning. Hunter Stratton came in for Pittsburgh and followed suit with a 1-2-3 inning of his own in the top of the seventh. Rodriguez threw another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh, as he set down all six men he faced Wednesday night.

“Randy Rodriguez is not just a long guy for us,” said Melvin. “On the pitching end, [those were] two really key innings. To be able to hold it down, not [just] hold it down, but carve through [them pretty easily, get us back in the dugout quickly and give us a chance to score, he’s really done a nice job for us.”

Veteran flamethrower Aroldis Chapman came in for the Pirates in the top of the eighth, and as the Giants are accustomed to seeing from Chapman in recent years, he walked Wade, Estrada and Chapman to load the bases with nobody out.

Pirates Manager Derek Shelton pulled Chapman for Colin Holderman, who struck Bailey out swinging for the first out. Soler then came up and was able to get Wade in after being thrown out at first on a swinging bunt. It was now 5-4, but Ramos struck out swinging to end the inning, and the Giants wasted another golden opportunity.

Tyler Rogers threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth, and since Pirates’ closer David Bednar pitched Tuesday night, Shelton left Holderman out for the top of the ninth. The move appeared to pay off, as Mike Yastrzemski struck out swinging, and Wilmer Flores pinch-hit for Luciano and lined out to center.

The final hope for the Giants Wednesday night was Luis Matos. Matos was down to his last strike with the count at 2-2, and he lined a base-hit out to left-center. The ball was overrun by Pirates’ left-fielder Bryan Reynolds, and Matos saw it and took the extra base. It was now up to Wade, who lined a base-hit to right to knock in Matos and tie the game.

“When his at-bat comes up there, and we got a chance to tie the game, you feel pretty good about it,” said Melvin. “He’s very calm in those at-bats; he knows what he wants to do; he knows what he’s looking for; and he never alters his game plan, so that was a huge hit.”

It was Wade’s third hit of the night, and it was the fifth time he had reached base Wednesday night. The Giants were unable to take the lead, as Estrada flew out to shallow center to end the inning.

However, the Giants once again showed tremendous resiliency. There was the question of whether the Giants would be deflated following their loss Tuesday night, but they responded by coming back from down 5-0 to tie it.

Now the Giants had to get the game to the 10th, and Ryan Walker did just that with a 1-2-3 inning against the top of the Pirates’ order.

Carmen Mlodzinksi, who finished the top of the ninth, was back out for the top of the 10th, and Thairo Estrada was at second as the automatic runner. The automatic runner has been an advantage for the road team since its inception in the 60-Game Sprint Season of 2020, because no matter what, the road team is going to have a runner at second with nobody out in a tied game.

Chapman walked to start the inning, and Bailey joined Wade in having a three-hit game, as he hit a ground ball into right for a base-hit to score Estrada and give the Giants their first lead of the night. Soler then lined a base-hit to left-center to knock in Chapman and make it 7-5.

Ramos joined the hit parade with a single to right to load the bases. Yastrzemski struck out swinging, and Brett Wisely, who came into the game at short in the bottom of the ninth, nicked in Bailey with a sacrifice fly to center.

It was now 8-5 Giants, and they weren’t done yet. Matos, who started the two-out rally with his grit and hustle in the top of the ninth, flipped a base-hit to right-center to score Soler and make it 9-5. Wade drew this third walk of the game, and he also reached base for the sixth time Wednesday night. Estrada then flew out to center to end the inning.

The Giants were once again three outs away from a win up by four runs, and Melvin didn’t take any chances, as he went to Camilo Doval right away for a non-save situation. Connor Joe was the runner at second for the Pirates, and he got to third after Nick Gonzales grounded out to second for the second out of the inning.

Doval was an out away from closing it out, but it still didn’t come easy, as he walked Cruz. Bart then hit a bullet down the line to Chapman, who snagged it at third and threw all the way across to first to end the game on a spectacular play.

The Giants have taken some tremendous blows over the last 10 days, but they have been incredibly resilient. First, they lost Jung-hoo Lee for the season, but they bounced back with a four-game winning streak, which featured an historic performance by Luis Matos. Then after their worst loss of the season last night, they came back from down 5-0 for their biggest win of the season Wednesday night.

“You know, this was a really big game for us,” said Melvin. “If we come back and don’t win that game, it’s almost like losing another really really really tough game.”

“It was awesome,” said Snell. “It [was] fun to watch, fun to support [and] fun to see the boys come through. Especially after Tuesday. [To] see that happen to us, and then show a little bit of resiliency there and make it happen, that was awesome. [We gotta] keep going; we just gotta keep winning.”

Wednesday night was also the first time that the Giants had come back from down five or more runs to win since June 15, 2021, when they came back from down 7-0 to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park on Mike Yastrzenski’s eighth inning grand slam.

Through it all, Ryan Walker got the win, and Carmen Mlodzinksi took the loss. The Giants improve to 24-26, and now they can win the series with a getaway win Thursday.

Melvin has yet to announce who will start Thursday’s game for the Giants, but the Giants will have their hands full against Paul Skenes, one of the Pirates’ top prospects, who is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his first two starts in the big leagues. First pitch will be at 12:35 p.m. in Pittsburgh, and 9:35 a.m., morning baseball, in San Francisco.

News and Notes:

This was not Snell’s second-shortest outing innings wise, as he went just three and a third innings, but he had his highest pitch count of the year at 87 pitches. Bob Melvin was also quite satisfied with Snell’s start.

“His stuff was a lot better today,” said Melvin. “[His] velo[city] was a little bit higher; [his] breaking balls were sharper, and he was throwing strikes with them…..it looked different to me as far as the quality of his stuff…..endurance wise, I think it was key for him to throw that many pitches.”

Snell shared some thoughts on his outing and progress.

“I feel good,” said Snell. “[The] results will start coming…..we’re gonna get there. I like where I’m at. I’m confident, I feel good, [and] the ball was coming out good.”

Prior to the game, right-handed reliever Nick Avila was optioned to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels to make room on the roster for Snell.

Pittsburgh Pirates starter Martin Perez pitches against the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Tue May 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

PNC Park

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

San Francisco Giants 6 (23-26)

Pittsburgh Pirates 7 (23-26)

Win: David Bednar (3-3)

Loss: Erik Miller (0-2)

Time: 3:03

Attendance: 12,652

By Stephen Ruderman

The Pirates handed the Giants what was no doubt their worst loss of the season, as they scored four runs off Luke Jackson and Camilo Doval to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, and Nick Gonzales hit the first pitch of the bottom of the 10th for a walk-off single, as the Pirates won it 7-6.

With the Giants riding high on a four-game winning streak following a sweep of the Colorado Rockies over the weekend in San Francisco, they traveled back east to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates at PNC Park. The Giants would look to make it five in a row with their ace, Logan Webb, on the mound. For the Pirates, left-hander Martin Perez would make the start.

Jorge Soler, who has been settling into the leadoff spot in the Giants’ lineup, struck out to start the game. Thairo Estrada then walked, and Luis Matos, last week’s National League Player of the Week, stayed hot with a ground-ball base-hit to left-center field to put runners at the corners with one out. Perez froze Matt Chapman with a changeup right at the knees to strike him out for the second out, and that left things up to Wilmer Flores, who has not seen too much playing time, and who has been off to a slow start in this still-young season.

On the 3-2 pitch from Perez, Flores hit a popup to shallow left, where the evening sun was still shining. Pirates’ left-fielder Jack Suwinski came in, and shortstop O’Neil Cruz went out, and Cruz dropped the ball. Estrada scored from third, but since it was a full count, Luis Matos, the runner at first, was running on the pitch, and he was able to score easily all the way from first.

The Giants were staked to an early 2-0 lead, as Webb took the mound for the bottom of the first. Webb got Andrew McCutchen, who was a Giant for five months in 2018, to ground out to short, and he got former Giants’ top prospect Bryan Reynolds to strike out on a foul tip.

Cruz then lined a base-hit down the right field line that seemed destined to be extra bases, but since the ball ricocheted off the side wall right to the Giants’ right-fielder Ryan McKenna, and that kept Cruz to a single. Former Giant Connor Joe then flew out to left to end the inning.

The Giants went down 1-2-3 in the top of the second, but the Pirates were ready to strike in the bottom of the second. Nick Gonzales lined a base-hit the other way to right to start the inning, and Suwinski singled on a ground ball to right to move Gonzales over to third and put runners at the corners with nobody out.

Webb got veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal to strike out swinging, but Jared Triolo knocked in Gonzales with a sacrifice fly to deep center to put the Pirates on the board. Webb then got Ji-hwan Bae to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Both pitchers pitched scoreless innings in the third, and the Giants were unable to do anything with a leadoff base-hit by Wilmer Flores in the top of the fourth. Webb then pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth.

Soler walked to start the fifth, and then Thairo Estrada hit a two-run bomb to left to make it 4-1. For Estrada, it was his eighth home run of the season, which now makes him the team leader in home runs.

The Giants threatened further in the top of the fifth, and after a one-out double by the suddenly-red-hot Matt Chapman, Perez was pulled for the right-handed flame thrower, Luis Ortiz.

Flores then singled Chapman over to third for his second hit of the game, and Heliot Ramos walked to load the bases. However, Mike Yastrzemski pinch-hit for McKenna and popped out to third, and Marco Luciano popped out to end the inning, as the Giants were unable to add on to their lead.

Webb ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. Jared Triolo grounded out to start the inning, but Bae walked and stole second. McCutchen then hit a ground ball to second that was fielded cleanly by second-baseman Thairo Estrada, but first-baseman Wilmer Flores also came in on the play, which left it up to Webb to cover the bag. As a result, Estrada couldn’t get the throw off in time, and everybody was safe.

“I gotta get over there,” acknowledged Webb. “The way he hit it, I was kinda watching the ball, [but I] gotta just go right over there…..maybe that’s the difference in the game, so [I] gotta do a better job at that.”

Runners were now at the corners with one out for the tying run in Reynolds, who grounded into a 4-6 fielder’s choice to knock in Bae and make it 4-2. Webb struck Cruz out swinging to end the inning.

Ortiz pitched a 1-2-3 top of the sixth for Pittsburgh, and Webb came out for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth. Joe lined a base-hit up the middle into center field to start the inning, but Webb got Gonzales to ground into a 4-3 double play. Webb then struck Suwinski out swinging to end the inning, as well as his night.

Webb had another solid outing, as he struck out six and gave up two runs over six innings. Webb had a fair amount of well-hit balls against him, but he is still feeling a lot better now compared to where was was during Spring Training and the start of the Regular Season.

“I keep feeling better,” said Webb. “I feel more comfortable with some of my pitches, especially [my] changeup, so it’s a step in the right direction.

Ortiz was back out for another inning in the top of the seventh. Matos grounded out to third to start the inning, and then Chapman hit a home run to straightaway center to extend the Giants’ lead to 5-2.

Ryan Walker, who has really been dominant since a turbulent start to his season, threw a shutdown 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.

Kyle Nichols came in for the Pirates in the top of the eighth, and gave up an opposite-field base-hit to Luciano to start the inning. Curt Casali walked, and a wild pitch by Nichols moved the runners up to second. Soler struck out on a foul tip, and Thairo Estrada got Luciano in with a ground out to short to make it 6-2, giving the Giants their biggest lead of the night.

Submariner Tyler Rogers pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth, and Carmen Mlodzinski came in for the Pirates and pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth.

With the Giants up four runs at 6-2, Bob Melvin brought in Luke Jackson for the bottom of the ninth. Nick Gonzales grounded out to third, as things seemed to be according to plan. However, Jack Suwinski walked, and Yasmani Grandal hit a double to left-center to put runners at second and third with one out.

Melvin then wasted no time going to his closer, Camilo Doval, who was a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities this season, but Doval struggled as well. Doval got Triolo to a 2-2 count, but after throwing a nut cutter 101-mile-per-hour cutter right on the inside corner, Home Plate Umpire Dan Bellino did not give it to Doval, and Doval proceeded to walk Triolo.

The bases were loaded for Bae, who singled to right to move everyone up a base and make it 6-3. The top of the order in McCutchen then came up; and he hit a chopper right to Marco Luciano at short that looked to be a game-ending double play ball, but Luciano booted it, and everybody was safe.

It was now 6-4, and Reynolds also hit a chopper to Luciano, which Luciano fielded cleanly this time, but he was only able to get one out at second. It was the second out of the inning, but Triolo scored to make it 6-5, and Bae, the tying run, now stood only 90 feet away at third base.

O’Neil Cruz, who made the error that led to two runs for the Giants back in the top of the first, very fittingly redeemed himself with a game-tying double down the right field line. Doval had blown his first save of the season, but he was able to strike out Connor Joe on a check swing to send this game into extras.

It was a very rare collapse for Doval, who has been money in save situations for the Giants throughout the last two-plus years.

“We bring in Doval for the save, it’s 6-2 with two guys on, you feel pretty good about winning the game,” said Melvin. “He walked a guy, and they got two hits off him, which rarely happens.”

Pirates’ closer David Bednar came in for the 10th, as the Giants had an opportunity to retake the lead with the automatic runner in Heliot Ramos at second. However, the Giants were unable to come through, and it was another wasted opportunity for the Giants’ offense, who despite scoring six runs tonight, had reverted back to their old ways throughout much of the night. The Giants ended up going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position tonight.

To add insult to injury, Marco Luciano, who made the costly error in the bottom of the ninth, was pinch-hit for by LaMonte Wade, which denied Luciano a golden opportunity to atone for his error.

Left-handed flamethrower Erik Miller came in for the bottom of the 10th, and his first pitch of the inning was grounded up the middle and into left-center for a base-hit. Pinch-runner Michael A. Taylor, who was the automatic runner at second, scored easily, and the Pirates won it 7-6.

“It doesn’t make it feel any better just because we won four in a row before that,” said a visibly dejected Webb after the game. “[It] should’ve been five in a row.”

Bednar got the win, Miller took the loss, and the Giants fall to 23-26. Fortunately for the Giants, Baseball is played every day, which means they will have a chance to bounce back Wednesday night. David Price will be activated off the 15-Day IL to make his fourth start of the season. Starting pitchers for Wednesday night for the Giants Blake Snell (0-3 ERA 11.57) for the Pirates Jared Jones (3-4 ERA 2.89) First pitch will be at 6:40 p.m. in Pittsburgh, and 3:40 p.m. in San Francisco.

News and Notes:

Catcher Patrick Bailey was activated off the 7-Day Concussion IL after being cleared by Dr. Mickey Collins, a concussion specialist in Pittsburgh. Bailey pinch-hit for Curt Casali in the top of the 10th inning and flew out to left-center field. Bailey then stayed in to catch.

Outfielder Ryan McKenna, whom the Giants claimed off waivers last week was added to the 26-Man Roster. McKenna got the start in right and went 0-for-2 before being pinch-hit for by Mike Yastrzemski in the top of the fifth inning.

Since Bailey and McKenna were added to the roster, outfielder Tyler Fitzgerald was sent back down to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and catcher Blake Sabol was optioned to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Outfielder Luis Matos was the National League Player of the Week for the week of May 13-19 after a remarkable week, in which he hit .385 and had 16 RBIs. Matos is the first Giant to be named the player of the week since Brandon Belt was this very week back in 2018 (May 14-20).