Category: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants Mike Yastrzemski (5) is greeted at the plate by Thairo Estrada (39)after hitting a two run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco against the Arizona Diamondbacks (AP News photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Slade Cecconi pitched into the sixth inning surrendering two runs and two hits after original scheduled pitcher Merrill Kelly was scratched before the game. Cecconi was the winning pitcher of record after the Giants lost it 5-3 to split the four game series 2-2.

#2 Offensive hero for the Diamondbacks Gabriel Moreno hit a two run single that turned out to be to game winner RBI in the top of the sixth inning giving the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead.

#3 How impressive is it that Cecconi comes in on a moments notice to replace Kelly like that and throws a two hit two run game?

#4 Cecconi hadn’t given up a hit until the fifth when the Giants Thairo Estrada got an infield single with two down. The next hitter Mike Yastrzemski came up and hit a two run homer that gave the Giants a brief lead at 2-1.

#5 Giants try again to scratch out a win as they open a three game series against the New York Mets.  Starting pitchers for the Mets Jose Quintana (1-1 ERA 3.05) for the Giants Keaton Winn (1-3 ERA 4.09) first pitch will be at 6:45 p.m. How do you see this match up and this series coming up.

Join Marko Ukalovic for the Giants podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Slade Cecconi (43) threw six innings and gave up two runs on two hits against the San Francisco Giants. Cecconi came in as a last minute replacement for a scratched pitcher Merrill Kelly and picked up his first win of the season at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun Apr 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

Sunday, April 21, 2024

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Arizona Diamondbacks 5 (11-12)

San Francisco Giants 4 (10-13)

Win: Slade Cecconi (1-0)

Loss: Erik Miller (0-1)

Save: Kevin Ginkel (4)

Time: 2:40

Attendance: 35,922

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants were unable to get the series win, as the Diamondbacks beat them 5-3 in a drama-filled series finale to salvage a split the series.

Despite getting absolutely obliterated by the Diamondbacks 17-1 on Friday, the Giants won 5-0 on Thursday, and 7-3 yesterday. Now, Giants looked to win this four-game series against the defending National League Pennant Winners with Aaron Hicks on the mound.

Hicks, who has been off to a great start this season and his reliever-to-starter transition was set to square off against Merrill Kelly. Kelly, like Hicks, has been off to a good start, but he was scratched before the game due to shoulder discomfort. Slade Cecconi made the spot start in place of Kelly.

After both teams went scoreless in the first inning, Hicks hit former Giant Joc Pederson, and Pavin Smith to start the second. Pavin Smith hit a sharp ground ball back to the mound, which Hicks snagged from his left and threw to third base to get Pederson for the first out. Gabriel Moreno walked to load the bases, and Jake McCarthy got Arizona on the board with a sacrifice fly to left. The Diamondbacks were able to strike first without a single hit.

Hicks ran into more trouble in the top of the third after walking Corbin Carroll and Pederson, but he was able to get out of it unscathed. Despite his early troubles, Hicks had yet to give up a hit through three innings. He set down the first two men he faced in the top of the fourth, but Jake McCarthy singled with two outs to give the Diamondbacks their first hit.

Originally, it seemed that the Giants had caught a break in not having to face Kelly, but Cecconi set down the first nine men he faced. Cecconi hit Jung-hoo Lee with a pitch to start the bottom of the fourth, but the Giants were unable to capitalize off it, as Cecconi retired the side in order.

Hicks pitched a 1-2-3 top of the fifth, his first 1-2-3 inning of the day, but he was done. Despite a rocky start, Hicks hung in there and gave up just a run and a hit over five innings.

“Obviously, [it was] not a great start,” said Hicks. “I feel like I didn’t really start making pitches I wanted to make until the fourth and fifth…..at the same time, I just [want to] find a way to keep us in it, and get through five. That was important for me.”

Cecconi took a no-hitter into the bottom of the fifth, where he struck out Matt Chapman looking and got Patrick Bailey to line out to second. Thairo Estrada finally got the Giants’ first hit with an infield single to third, and then Mike Yastrzemski came up and hit a home run that landed on the green metal top of the 24-foot-high Willie Mays Wall in right to put the Giants ahead.

Erik Miller came in for Hicks in the top of the sixth, and ran into trouble, as Joc Pederson doubled to right to start the inning, and Eugenio Suarez reached when shortstop Nick Ahmed bobbled a ground ball. Christian Walker flew out to Lee in right-center to advance the runners. Suarez was nearly thrown out at second, but after he was called safe by Second Base Umpire Dan Merzel, the Giants challenged the play, and the call was upheld.

The Giants brought their infield in for Gabriel Moreno, who hit a ground ball up the middle into center field for a base-hit to put Arizona back ahead. Cecconi then came back out for the bottom of the sixth and threw another 1-2-3 inning.

For Cecconi, that would be the end of his day, and he did exactly what the Diamondbacks needed him to do, as he gave up just two runs and two hits over six innings of work. Sean Hjelle, meanwhile, came in for Miller in the top of the seventh and threw a 1-2-3 inning.

Bryce Jarvis came in for Cecconi in the bottom of the seventh, and the Giants looked to finally be in business. Michael Conforto hit a leadoff single the other way to left, and Bailey walked with one out. After Thairo Estrada grounded out to second, Yastrzemski was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Bob Melvin sent Jorge Soler up to pinch-hit for Nick Ahmed. Soler grounded out to third to end the inning, and the Giants wasted yet another opportunity.

HJelle was back out for the Giants in the top of the eighth, and he pitched a scoreless inning after allowing a leadoff single to Lourdes Gurriel. Ryan Thompson came in for Arizona in the bottom of the eighth, and walked Lee to start the inning. The Giants had another leadoff base-runner, but Lee was thrown out trying to steal second, which was a real buzzkill to any hopes of a rally.

Nick Avila came in for what would be a rather eventful top of the ninth. Gabriel Moreno lined a base-hit to left to start the inning. Jake McCarthy then laid down a bunt to try and sacrifice Moreno to second, and when third-baseman Matt Chapman charged in to field it between the mound and home plate, he tried to nab Moreno at second, but the throw skipped off the glove of the shortstop, Tyler Fitzgerald and ricocheted into left field to put runners at second and third with nobody out.

Kevin Newman then came up, and with a 1-2 count, he appeared to swing and miss at a pitch in the dirt. Home Plate Umpire Stu Scheurwater called it a foul tip, but replays indicated that the ball was swung at and missed.

Unfortunately for Avila and the Giants, the play was unreviewable, and Newman proceeded to line a base-hit to left to knick in Moreno and make it 4-2. Giants Third Base Coach Matt Williams and Bob Melvin were then ejected following Newman’s hit, as both men expressed their angst with Sheurwater.

“When you have [a manager] who truly has your back fully like that, it’s really appreciated [by] the team,” said Yastrzemski. “We’re obviously going to give him the same effort in return, so it’s a good feeling to have. Obviously, it’s tough to finish the game without [Melvin], but sometimes you gotta say what you gotta say.”

Katel Marte then hit a sacrifice fly to left to knock in McCarthy and make it 5-2.

Kevin Ginkel came in to try and close it out in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Chapman doubled to left-center with one out. Bailey grounded out to short, and Estrada doubled in Chapman to make it 5-3. Yastrzemski struck out swinging on a pitch in the dirt to end it.

Cecconi got the win; Erik Miller took the loss; and Ginkel notched down the save.

The Giants fall to 10-13, and they will welcome in the New York Mets to Oracle Park for three games starting Monday night. Starting pitchers for the Mets Jose Quintana (1-1 ERA 3.05) for the Giants Keaton Winn (1-3 ERA 4.09) will make the start, and first pitch will be at 6:45 p.m.

News and Notes:

The Giants acquired Mitch White from the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday, as Alex Cobb was moved to the 60-Day Injured List. White could be activated tomorrow. Cobb will be eligible to come off the IL on May 27, and Melvin hopes to have him back by then.

San Francisco Giants Wilmer Flores (41) greets Patrick Bailey (right) just slugged a bottom of the fifth inning home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Apr 19, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 Stephen, Giants catcher Patrick Bailey really dug in against the Arizona Diamondbacks pitching with three runs and four hits.

#2 One of Bailey’s hits was a two run home run which landed in McCovey Cove and it was the first time a ball was not a splash hit in the cove as it was caught by a kayaker. Although still went into the books as the 165th splash hit in the cove.

#3 Bailey said it was pretty cool to go four for four, have a ball land in the bay and have your own bobblehead all on the same day.

#4 Stephen talk about Jung Hoo Lee got two hits and now is on an 11 game hit streak talk about his focus at the plate to hit in 11 straight games.

#5 Sunday’s pitchers at Oracle Park, the Diamondbacks are going with Merrill Kelly (2-0 ERA 2.19) he’ll be opposed by Giants starter Jordan Hicks (2-0 ERA 1.57) whose been pitching lights out. This should be a good pitching duel which all starts at 1:05pm PDT.

Stephen Ruderman is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Logan Webb San Francisco Giants pitcher deals to the Arizona Diamondbacks line up in the top of the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Thu Apr 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, April 16, 2024

Arizona (9-11). 000 000 000. 0. 3. 1

San Francisco (9-11). 001 000 04x. 5. 8. 0

Time: 2:12

Attendance: 26,896

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Returning from an exhausting six day, six game visit to Florida’s two coasts, in which they went a combined 3-3 against the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays, the San Francisco Giants (9-11) returned to their home on McCovey Cove to face the landlocked Arizona Diamondbacks (9-11) this evening.

Looking at the pitching matchups, it looked like a chance for the home team to finally start playing at a level that the mid-spring training acquisitions of Matt Chapman and Blake Snell seemed to predict. Snell still was rounding himself into shape, but the Giants were sending Logan Webb, the runner up to Snell in last year’s Cy Young voting, against Arizona’s sophomore right hander Ryne Nelson, and his unprepossessing record of 1-2,5.27 complimenting his rookie numbers of 7-8, 5.53.

But a quick glance at the Diamondback’s media notes yields an unsettling bullet point in its summary of Nelson’s ’23 season: “On June 25 @ Giants, tossed a career-high-tying 7.0 innings. . .retired 15 consecutive batters after a first-inning walk to J.D. Davis and was 1 strikeout short of tying his career high of 7 set in his Major League debut.”

Webb, following his one run, six hit win over the Rays five days ago in St. Petersburg, was in fine fettle tonight, retiring 19 Arizonans in a row between two first inning singles and a one out walk in the seventh. In total, he labored seven frames and allowed only those two hits and that walk.

No other Diamondback reached base safely He logged five strikeouts and threw 102 pitches, 66 of them strikes. He earned the win in San Francisco’s thrilling 5-0 triumph in a game that was closer than its final score would indicate. Webb’s performance improved his record to 2-1, 2.93.

Nelson didn’t get a chance to strut his stuff tonight. Mike Yastrzemski lined the Diamondback’s starter’s 27th offering back to the box, where it caroomed off Nelson’s pitching elbow, which suffered a contusion. The injured hurler retrieved the pellet and threw it to first to end the second inning. He didn’t come out for the third in what was at that point a scoreless tie and so wasn’t involved in the decision

Patrick Bailey greeted Logan Allen, Nelson’s replacement, with a double to left. The Giants escaped The Curse of the Leadoff Double when, one out later Lee got his second straight single on a ball hit just past short and into left center field that was scored as another infield hit. LaMonte Wade, Jr’s sacrifice fly to center put San Francisco ahead, 1-0.

That was all the scoring that the orange and black could muster against Allen in his valiant 4-2/3 innings of emergency relief, over which he allowed three hits and a walk before giving way to Bryce Jarvis with two down in the home seventh.

Tyler Rogers pitched a scoreless top of the eighth, helped by a sensational diving catch by Yastrzemski of Gabriel Moreno’s leadoff dying quail to right.

Jarvis had a rough time in the home half of the eighth. Ex Diamondback Ahmed started things with a leadoff double. Lee reached first on an error by second baseman Ketel Marte. Wade walked to load the bases. Soler forced Ahmed out at home on a grounder to short. Manager Torey Lovullo yanked Jarvis and called on Kyle Nelson to stop the Giants’ rally.

He didn’t. Wilmer Flores pinch hit for Conforto and slammed a double to left, which brought in Lee and Wade. Lee’s tally was unearned. Arizona decided to grant Matt Chapman an intentional walk, making the bases FOG, full of Giants, Estrada flew out to right.

Then Yastrzemski came through with a sharp single to right to plate Soler and Austin Slater, pinch running for Flores, and put San Francisco definitively ahead, 5-0. Bailey’s strikeout ended the inning. All the runs but Slater’s were charged to Jarvis.

Ryan Walker needed only 13 pitches to strike out the three Diamondbacks he faced in the t0p of the ninth to nail down the victory. Jung Hoo Lee’s two singles extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Arizona’s Jordan Montgomery will make his first appearance of the season Friday, evening at 7:15. Blake Snell (0-1, 12.86) we’ll see if he’s gotten into shape when he takes the mound for the Giants.

San Francisco Giants Jorge Soler (2) is greeted after scoring by teammate Patrick Bailey (left) in the top of the second inning at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Wed Apr 17, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 San Francisco Giants pitcher rookie Keaton Winn went six innings and gave up just a run, gave up four hits and struck four batters and it stood up as the Giants wound up defeating the Miami Marlins at Loan Depot Park 3-1 on a Wednesday matinee.

#2 The Giants got hitting help from Thairo Estrada who got two hits and ended up scoring the go ahead run in the top of the seventh inning. Estrada can be clutch at times and he was the key player on Wednesday.

#3 Estrada has some speed too he had to race home when Nick Ahmed hit into a double play against Marlins pitcher DeClan Cronin.

#4 Winn who picked up his first win at 1-3 said that it was nice to get the monkey off his back and wasn’t trying to think of it and the win just came.

#5 The Giants return back to San Francisco tonight here at Oracle Park as they open a four game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks are just ahead of the fourth Giants in third place and like the Giants are playing .500 ball winning five of their last ten games. Starter for Arizona Ryne Nelson (1-2 ERA 5.27) and for San Francisco Logan Webb (1-0 ERA 3.80) first pitch under the lights at Oracle Park 6:45pm PDT.

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