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New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hits a two run home off of San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb in the top of the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Jun 1, 2024 (AP News photo)

New York-AL (41-19). 202 000 030. 7 11 1

San Francisco (29-30) 002 010 000. 3. 5.0

Time: 2:22

Attendance: 34,487

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–With tonight’s 7-3 loss to the red hot New York Yankees, the Giants slipped once more below the .500 mark.

They had been relying on Logan Webb to give some stability to their rotation and a chance for their bullpen to catch its breath. Those hopes were dimmed in the top of the first when New York’s number three batter, Aaron Judge, sent a three and two change up 464 feet into center field for his 21st home run of the season, a two run blast that drove in Juan Soto and put the Yanks ahead from the get go.

They padded that lead in the third on a leadoff single by DJ LeMahieu, a double by Anthony Volpe, Soto’s sacrifice fly to left that almost left the park, an intentional walk to Judge, and an RBI single executed to the opposite field by Alex Verdugo.

It now was 4-0 in favor of the Bronx Bombers. All four runs were earned, but Webb didn’t let them score again, leaving after seven innings on the mound and allowing seven hits and one base on balls. He struck out six and threw a total of 108 pitches, of which 74 were strikes, it was a gutsy performance, but Webb was the losing pitcher, and his record now is 4-5, 2.95. That he went as deep into the game as he did was a slight and possible long run help to this beleaguered team.

Cody Poteet, who started for the Yankees tonight, had been recalled from Syracuse on Thursday, when Clarke Schmidt was placed on the injured list with a right lateral strain. His loss was a serious blow to the Yanks; he was their second-best hurler in their rotation this year, going 5-3, 2.52 in 11 starts.

At the time of his promotion, Poteet was on two ILs, the International League and its Injured List thanks to a blister, which had healed just before his callup He had an ERA of 4.05 in his seven Syracuse starts and had given a fine account of himself in an April spot start for the Yankees against the Guardians in Cleveland, where he surrendered only one run in six innings of work.

He wasn’t that effective tonight, although the Yanks still were leading when he left the game and he got the win, making him 2-0. He had pitched five innings and allowed three runs, two of them earned, on three hits, one of them a home run, and a walk. His pitch count was 78, including 47 strikes. His big league ERA now is 2.45.

Casey Schmitt, the shortstop whom the Giants had just recalled from Sacramento cut the visitor’s four run lead in half in the bottom of the third with his 400 foot blast into the left field bleachers with Trenton Brooks, who had walked, on first. It was Schmitt’s first homer in his current stay in the show. He ended up going two for four.

The Yankees threatened again in the top of the fifth. Soto’s two out liner to center got past a charging Matos for a two out triple that brought the dangerous Judge to the plate. After falling behind, 2-0, Webb fanned the major leagues’ leading home run hitter.

The hosts narrowed the gap to one tally in their half of the frame. Ramos legged out a single to short and took second on Volpe’s errant throw to first. He was called out at third after he tried to advance on Schmitt’s fly to Judge in right center, but that call was reversed on video review, enabling Ramos to score on Brett Wisely’s single to right.

It still was 4-3 in favor of New York when Ian Hamilton took the mound to replace Poteet to open the home sixth. He set the Giants down in order and gave way to Caleb Ferguson the seventh inning stretch. He allowed a single and a walk but no runs.

When the Yankees next came to bat, Ryan Walker had relieved Webb. He fanned Volpe and Soto, but then Judge hit a grounder up the middle that Wisely. playing second, made a nice backhanded grab of but threw off balance, late and inaccurately past first.

Judge scored all the way from first on Vertigo’s punishing triple to right center and coasted home on Giancarlo Stanton’s 14th home run of the year, a 368 foot shot into the left field bleachers.

That gave Tommy Kahnie a 7-3 lead to work with in the bottom of the eighth, a cushion he protected by striking out two of the three batters he faced to set San Francisco down in order. Randy Ramírez faced three batters in the top of the ninth, and, with the help of a pitcher’s best friend, kept them from scoring.

The Giants will try to salvage one game of the series and claw their way back to .500 tomorrow, Sunday, at 1:05. The Yankees plan on starting Néstor Cortés ((3-4, 3.30). The Giants are relying, with their fingers crossed, on Blake Snell (0-3, 10.42). A lot could hinge on his performance.

The New York Yankees Alex Verdugo (24) and Aaron Judge (99) leap for joy after Judge’s home run in the top of the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium in New York on Fri May 31, 2024 (AP News photo)

New York (AL) (40-19). 003 003 000 6. 9. 0

San Francisco (29-29). 010.001 000. 2 7. 1

Time: 2:24

Attendance: 35,018

Friday, May 31, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Friday night’s 6-2 loss to the American League leading New York Yankees was not entirely unexpected in spite of the home team’s just finished taking two out of three from the major league leading Philadelphia Phillies.

The Giants’ injury problems are too numerous and too well known to recount. Nevertheless, we have an update on them. Marco Luciano was placed on the 15 day IL after injuring his hamstring in last Wednesday’s game. Casey Schmitt has been recalled from Sacramento as his replacement. The good news is that Nick Ahmed is on the mind.

The visitors have an injury problem of their own. Clarke Schmidt, their number two starting pitcher, who was 5-3, 2.52 in 11 appearances this year, was placed on the 15 day injured list, retroactive to May 27, yesterday.

Dr. Neal ElAtrrache, whose name has become familiar to Giants’ fans in the past few weeks, diagnosed Schmidt with a right lateral strain. The right hander was the probable pitcher for Saturday’s, contest, but isn’t expected to throw for at least four weeks.

Cody Poteet will replace Schmidt in the rotation, and Cody Morris will take his place in the roster. Gerrit Cole, who went 15-4, 2.63 last year, still is out of action and will have to wait a few weeks before he can combat test his inflamed elbow

Jordan Hicks, who used to be a reliever, hasn’t acted in that capacity all this season. This was his 12th start of the year, and he brought a record of 4-1,2.33 to it. Some people wear their heart on their sleeve; the 27 year old righty wears the inscription “Type 1” on his cleats because he, like the A’s rookie phenom, Mason Miller, is a type one diabetic.

Hicks underperformed tonight. He exited the scene after hurling 5-1/3 innings, in which he delivered 101 pitches, 68 of which went into the books as strikes. Four of the five runs he was charged with were earned, and they came on eight hits, two of which left the park. He didn’t walk anybody, though, and notched four Ks. He was the losing pitcher and went home with a record of 4-2, 2.70.

Hicks was matched against nine year veteran and two time all-star Marcus Stroman. It also was his 12th start of the year, and he came into it at 4-2, 2.76, with an ERA of 1.78 in his previous five. He hadn’t allowed a run in three of his 11 starts.

Friday night, however, Hicks gave up two runs, both earned, before Luke Weaver relieved him with one out and the bases empty in the home half of the eighth and finished up the game by allowing only a ninth inning single to Estrada. Stroman threw 91 pitches, 56 for strikes, and allowed six hits and two walks on the way to gaining his fifth win and lowering his already impressive earned run average to 2.73.

San Francisco thwarted The Curse of the Leadoff Double to draw first blood in the second inning. Patrick Bailey followed Matt Chapman’s Texas League two bagger to right right with a line drive that just barely evaded second sacker Glyber Torres’ glove for a single to right that put runners on the corners. Jorge Soler’s sacrifice fly to right brought Chapman home.

That advantage was short lived. Aaron Judge gave it a death sentence with his 394 foot blast over the Hanwha Life advertisement for his 19th home run and 42nd, 43rd, and 44th RBI of the season. Anthony Volpe and Juan Soto, each of whom had singled, were on base with one man out at the time.

Judge homered again in his next at bat a towering 426 foot blast over the fence, into the net just to the right of the Giants’ bullpen, making it 4-1 in the top of the sixth. After that Hicks retired Verdugo, surrendered an infield hit to Torres, and retired for the night.

Taylor Rogers replaced him, and all hell broke loose. Anthony Rizzo smacked an authoritative double to right, moving Torres to third. In his attempt to relay Mike Yastrzemski’s throw from right Rogers overthrew home and allowed both Torres and Rizzo to score. The Bronx Bombers now held a 6-1 lead.

A two out double in the bottom of the inning by Mike Yastrzemski with Trenton Brooks, who had walked, on base inched the Giants closer by a run. They never got closer.

Luke Jackson set the visitors down in order in their half of the seventh. Sean Hjelle opened the top of the eighth by retiring Judge, who had gone three for three, on a fly to right and putting the Yanks down without allowing any one to reach base safely in that inning or the ninth.

However disappointing the defeat was, the Giants’ first baseman, Brooks had the consolation of getting his first major league hit, a single to right in third. He was wiped out in the next play when Luis Matos hit into a 6-4-3 twin killing and walked and struck out in his two remaining plate appearances.

Saturday, evening the plan is for the Giants’ RHP Logan Webb (4-4, 2.74) to face off against the Yankees RHP Cody Poteet (1-0, 1.50). It probably will offer San Francisco its best shot for winning one of the three games in this series. First pitch is slated for 7:05pm PT.