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The San Francisco Giants Mike Yastrzemski (5) rounds the bases after connecting for a sixth inning home run against the St Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun May 8, 2022

St. Louis.                  3.   6.  1

San Francisco.         4.   7.  0

Sunday May 8, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants got the monkey off their back yesterday when the bullpen, with the egregious exception of Domnic Leone, held the Cardinals scoreless over the final two innings, but the orange and gold relief staff still was a question mark.

It had an ERA of 8.00 over its past 36 innings when play ended yesterday. And, remember, that figure doesn’t include inherited runners scored.

One Brandon, Crawford, was back in San Francisco’s starting lineup, batting cleanup and playing short. The other, Belt, was out, with neck stiffness, the result of his contortions during his final plate appearance in yesterday’s contest. 

Zaidi, Kapler, & Co. recalled Jakkob Junis from Sacramento to start this afternoon’s game, the last in a series of four against the team from the Gateway City, against whom he entered the game with a lifetime record of 1-3 ERA 2.87.

He’s made three starts for AAA River Cats, but both his of  big league appearances earlier  this year had been in relief. The most notable of those performances were tihe five hitless innings he threw against the A’s on April 27.

He also threw five scoreless frames against the Nationals on the 22nd of that month, but he allowed three hits in that stellar outing. His tool kit includes a two seamer, a slider, a cutter, and a change of pace.

Junis’s mound rival, three year veteran Dakota Hudson, missed most of last season because of Tommy John surgery. He came into Oracle Park today with record of 2-2 ERA 3.16. If you expect to see a lot of ground balls when he’s pitching you won’t be disappointed.

Both starters are righties. Both teams wore pink shoes, socks, and catcher´s shinguards in some sort of tribute to Mothers´ Day. Neither pitcher fashioned a masterpiece, but, hey! A Dallas Braden doesn’t come along every Mothers’ Day.

When the last out had been recorded San Francisco had won a nail biter, 4-3, earning a split in its four game series with the Cards.

Although the Giants threatened in the first, thanks to Hudson’s wildness, his penchant for drawing ground balls got him out of the inning unscathed, with a 4-6-3 twin killing killing off the Giants’ incipient rally.

It was the visitors who jumped ahead early. In their half of the second, Albert Pujols took first when Juknis plunked  him with the count at 3-2. Then Juan Yépez drove a 90 MPH four seamer over the Visa sign in right center field, a distance of 406 feet, for his first home run of the season.

In the Giants’ half of the frame, LaMonte Wade, Jr. erased the deficit caused by that blast, taking Hudson deep to almost the same spot,  driving in Ruf, who had led off the home second with a four pitch walk, in front of him.

LaWade’s round tripper also was his first of ’22. In fact, in was his first hit of the season, after he had spent the first 25 games of the season on the IL.

The Giants didn’t let up, taking a 3-2 lead Luis Gonzálezk from third with a sac fly to left. González had reached the hot cornered after he had forced Dubón at second and gone on to third on Curt Casali’s single to left center.

They almost extended that advantage in the third, thanks to  a throwing error by shortstop Paul DeJong on a grounder by Crawford and a misplay by the unfortunate DeJong that wasn’t charged as an error to him; he dropped the ball on the transfer in what would have been an inning ending double play.

But Hudson closed the door on them. The hometown team threatened again in the bottom of the fifth. Joc Pederson led off with a full count walk and motored his way to third on a double to right center by Wilmer Flores.

The runners held their bases on Crawford’s weak ground out to first, unassisted. DeJong made a nice diving play on Ruf’’s. grounder, threw home, and Pederson was put out in a brief run down, 6-2-1. Meanwhile, Flores advanced to third and Ruf took second.

That ended Hudson’s day. Lefty TJ McFarland relieved him, and Austin Slater was called on to pinch hit for Wade. He drew a walk to fill the bases. But McFarland got Dubón to fly out to medium deep right, and that retired the side.

Hudson had given up three runs, all earned, in 4-2/3 innings pitched, allowing five hits, a four bagger among them, and a walk. He unleashed one wild pitch. He didn’t notch a single strikeout. Of his 83 pitches, 46 qualified as strikes.

Dominic Leone, hoping to bounce back from his poor performance of yesterday afternoon, took over for Junis in the top of the sixth. He started off well, striking out Pujols but then faltered, issuing a full count walk to Yépez, who moved on to third on Dylan Carlson’s rule book double to the left field corner.

Harrlison Bader brought Yépez home with an RBI ground out to short before Andrew Kizner few out to right to end the inning with the score tied at three.

. Junis left with a line of two runs, both earned, in five innings of work. He three hits, one for all the marbles, and two walks. He struck out six and threw 79 pitches, 52 strikes.

Génesis Cabrera took the mound for St. Louis in the bottom of the sixth. He got his first two men, but Mike Yastrzemski got to him for a splash hit, the sixth of his career, into McCovey Cove that broke the brief tie, putting San Francisco back on top, 4-3. It was the second homer of the year for the man they call Yastrzemski.

Zach Littell pitched a scoreless seventh for San Francisco, marred only by a two out down the line double by Goldschmidt.

Andre Pallante replaced Cabrera to the Cards for the home seventh. He escaped a two on, two out scare, holding the Giants scoreless but still ahead, 4-3.

The next to mount the Giants’ bullpen merry go round was John Brebbia. He got past the first two redbirds he faced but then surrendered a single to Carlson and walk to Bader, putting the tying run in scoring position. Knizer worked the count to 3-2 before swinging at an 84 MPH slider and missing it.

Giovanny Gallegos walked Yastremski with two down in the Giants’ eighth and then let him take second on a wild pitch to Pederson. But the Giants’ DH whiffed on a 3-2  slider. 

It now was up to Camilo Doval to hold off the Cards for one the last inning. He struck out Corey Dickerson, pinch hitting for DeJong. Crew chief Bill Miller called Tommy Edman safe on a grounder that Ruf fielded at first and tossed to Doval, covering.

That call was reversed, and there were twooutls. Doval walked Goldschmidt on a full count and now had to face the powerful Nolan Arenado with the potential. tying run on base and himself representing the possible go ahead tally.

With the count at 2-2 on the slugging third sacker, Doval threw a wild pitch that brought the count to 3-2 and put the tying run in scoring position. Doval reached back and struck out Arenado swinging on an 87 mph slider.

The win went to Leone, who had given the poorest account of himself for the afternoon. He now can boast of a record of 2-0,3.oo. Doval earned his fifth save in as many opportunities.
Cabrera took the loss for the Cardinals. He’s now 1-1 ERA 2.84.

Yesterday marked Yadier Molina’s last San Francisco appearance. Another surer bet to become a Hall of Famer, Albert Pujol’s made his today. Both men received a long and loud ovation when when Pujols was announced in the top of the second.

The Giants and the Colorado Rockies will play a three game series starting Monday at 6:45.  San Francisco will then embark on a six day,  six game trip comprised of two three game series, one in Colorado and the other in St. Louis. 

The Rockies haven’t announced their starter for Monday’s contest. Carlos Rodón is slated to pitch for the hometowners.

Former San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey acknowledges the crowd, former teammates, former Giant manager Bruce Bochy, manager Gabe Kapler, Giant announcers, the media and much more as the Giants pay tribute to his career in baseball at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat May 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

St. Louis. 7. 14. 3

San Francisco. 13. 9. 0

Saturday May 7, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–The first time I saw Buster Posey play was on June 13, 2009, when was the catcher and clean-up hitter for the San José Giants against the visiting Modesto Nuts. He got one hit in two at bats to go with a pair of walks.

Who would have thought that, 13 years later, I’d be attending a tribute to his 12 year major league career, in which he compiled a lifetime batting average of .304 with wins above replacement of .831, while leading the San Francisco Giants (15-12) to World Series championships in 2010, 2012, and 2014, capping it all with last year’s 107 win NL West division championship?

But, then, who would have thought that many of the 40,113 fans who attended the ceremony would have been wondering if this year’s Giant team would ever break its current five game losing streak, in which it dropped seven of its eight most recent contests?

They did break it, whalooping the visiting St Louis Cardinals (16-11) convincingly, 13-7.

Two changes in the San Francisco lineup this afternoon indicate that there had been a serious problem and also a possible solution. The indication of a problem was that Brandon Crawford, the hard, but sporadic, hitting shortstop, who usually is a delight to watch field his position was benched, replaced by Mauricio Dubón.

Crawford had been hitting .236 in spite of a three game hitting streak. His fielding percentage was .949, thanks to his five errors, as opposed to only nine over all of last season. Perhaps this brief rest will enable Crawford to resume his high standard of play. Dubón would go 2 for 4 with a home run and a single. He also made several nifty plays in the field.

The more important change was Brandon Belt’s return from the injured list, playing first base and batting in the third position. The outcome of his outing was, at the end of the game, was in doubt. Belt had to leave the game in the bottom of the eighth, when it appeared that he had fouled a ball onto one of his feet.

San Francisco sent Logan Webb (3-1 ERA 3.26) to the mound, and he quickly allowed the Cardinals to jump ahead. Tommy Edman walked on four pitches and stole second on the called third strike to Paul Goldschmidt.

Nolen Arenado’s hard hit single to right center plated Edman to put St. Louis up, 1-0. Just as quickly as he had gotten into trouble, Webb pitched himself out of it, thanks to a U4-3 double play, Estrada to Belt.

The Redbirds’ starting pitcher, southpaw Steven Matz (3-2 ERA 4.56) is, as his ERA indicates, eminently getatable. And the Giants got to him in their half of the first. They loaded the bases with a walk to Slater, an infield single by Dubón, and another walk to Belt.

After Darin Ruf popped out to second, Wilmer Flores unloaded the bases by unloading a 394 foot grand slam into the left field bleachers. The Giants didn’t get greedy, and after 34 pitches, Maltz got out of the frame with his team still behind, 4-1.

The Cardinals came rushing back with the thousandth career RBI by another catcher who might very well become a Hall of Famer.

Yadier Molina smacked an 0-2 pitch into right for a single that drove in Juan Yépez from third, which he had reached on a hard hit infield single, followed by Dylan Carlson’s productive ground out to short, and Harrison Bader’s single to center.

Bader then scored on Paul DeJong’s single to center, reducing the Giants’ lead to a single run.

Dubón reopened the gap with a two run fly that just made it over the 391 foot marker in dead center field with Mike Yatrzemski on first with a lead off single to right.

Then Darin Ruf added another two tallies to the scoreboard, sending Belt, who had received his second consecutive passport, home with a 383 foot round tripper that cleared the National Car Rental sign in left center. The blast came off a 93 mph sinker. San Francisco now had a lead of 8-3.

That was all the Giants would score against Matz because, after Webb set the Cards down in order in the third, Jake Woodford relieved the Cards’ woebegone starter, who left a legacy of two innings pitched, eight runs, all earned, allowed on five hits, three of which went yard, and three walks. He threw 57 pitches, of which 34 were deemed strikes

A walk and an uncontested stolen base put Harrison Bader in scoring position in the St. Louis fourth. Score he did, on DeJong’s single to left, reducing the distance between the two teams to four runs.

Flores got another chance–two chances, in fact–for a second grand slam when he came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom half of that frame.

He lofted a pop foul on a 1-1 count, but the 39 year old Molina dropped the ball while every Little League coach in the stands muttered, “Use two hands!” Then Flores flew out to right, a sacrifice fly that restored the home team’s five run margin. The run, incidentally was unearned.

Webb left after pitching five mediocre innings, throwing 84 pitches, 56 for strikes. All four runs he surrendered were earned. They came on eight hits and two bases on balls. He struck out seven Cardinal batters.

Domenic Leone took his place on the pitcher’s rubber.

Woodward was lifted with one out in the bottom of the sixth, which Packy Naughton wrapped up for St. Louis.

The relievers on parade continued, with Zach Littell allowing the Cardinals to draw closer in the top of the seventh on 391 foot four bagger by Dylan Carlson, his to right with Goldschmidt and O’Neill on board. It was Carlson’s first homer of the year.

Once more, the Giant bullpen was faltering. Bader legged out a single to short, bringing Molina to the plate, representing the potential tying run. He worked a full count before striking out. Side armer Tyler Rogers would replace Littell in the eighth and hold St. Louis scoreless in spite of a two out double by Goldschmidt.

Then it was Nick Wittgren on the mound, trying to keep St. Louis in the game after the crowd had finished singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” He failed. A one out single by Luis González, followed by Estrada’s two bagger to left put San Francisco’s run total in double digits.

Kodi Whitley dutifully replaced Wittgreen to open the home eighth and failed more ignominiously than his predecessor, walking all five batters he faced. (In reality, he faced six; LaMone Wade, Jr. replaced Belt, who injured himself during his plate appearance).

The walk to Flores gave the Giants third sacker his sixth RBI of the afternoon. TJ McFarland, who replaced Whitely after the walk to Flores, hit González and gave up a sac fly to Estrada before being rescued by a pitcher´s best friend.

It was up to Jarlín García to protect the orange and black’s 13-7 lead and return the team to the win column. In spite of a lead off walk no O’Neill, García held St. Louis scoreless.

The Giants haven’t announced who will start for them in tomorrow afternoon’s fray, scheduled for a 1:05 first pitch. The Cards will send righty Dakota Hudson (2-2ERA 3.16) to the mound.