Tag: Atlanta Braves

San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb was dealing against the Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Thu Aug 15, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Atlanta Braves 0 (64-57)

San Francisco Giants 6 (62-62)

Win: Logan Webb (11-8)

Loss: Max Fried (7-7)

Time: 2:23

Attendance: 29,319

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–Logan Webb gave the Giants seven and two thirds shutout innings, as the Giants were able to score some runs and salvage this series with a desperately-needed 6-0 win on Wednesday.

Following Sunday’s tough loss against the Tigers in which they missed a lot of opportunities and committed a pair of devastating base-running gaffes, the Giants have fallen into a predictable spiral.

On Monday, Blake Snell and Chris Sale squared off in what very well may have been the best-pitched game in Baseball this season only for the Braves to win 1-0 with their automatic runner in the 10th inning. On Tuesday, the Braves won again thanks to the automatic runner in the 10th. Then Wednesday night, Robbie Ray couldn’t even make it out of the first inning, as the Braves slaughtered the Giants 13-2.

The one thing that was consistent over the first three games of this series—well, other than the losing—was the Giants’ inability to get the big hit with runners in scoring position. The Giants went 3-for-24 with runners in scoring position in the first three games of this series.

Thursday, Logan Webb would once again have to be the stopper—seems like he’s had to be the stopper a lot this season—as the Giants looked to avert the sweep. The Giants came into today’s game four and a half games back of the Braves for the third wild card spot in the National League, so today was really a must-win game.

To further complicate things, the Braves won the season series against the Giants with their win Wednesday night, so they hold any potential tiebreaker. If the Braves were to win Thursday, the Giants would be five and a half games back and would have to gain six and a half games in their final 38 games. Simply put, the Giants really needed to win Thursday.

Webb got off to a nice start with a one, two three, inning in the top of the first, and the Giants would threaten against Braves’ starter Max Fried in the bottom of the first. Tyler Fitzgerald singled and stole second, but Fried retired the side, and it was another wasted opportunity for the Giants.

Webb threw another one, two, three, inning in the top of the second, and the Giants would mount a rally in the bottom of the second. Jerar Encarnacion, Mike Yastrzemski and Casey Schmitt all singled to load the bases with nobody out, so the question was how they would waste this opportunity.

Catcher Curt Casali struck out swinging for the first out, so yup, here we go again. Grant McCray—the son of former major leaguer Rodney McCray—who was called up to make his major league debut Wednesday night was now up.

Bob Melvin, who likes to bunt from time to time, put on the safety squeeze. McCray tried laying down a bunt at the first pitch from Fried, but he missed. Two pitches later, he got the bunt down right in front of the plate, but when Fried got it and flipped it to catcher Travis d’Arnaud, d’Arnaud juggled it and did not have full control of the ball. Encarnacion scored, and the Giants finally had their first lead of the series.

It wasn’t a base-hit to the outfield, but it was an RBI hit with runners in scoring position, and it was a tremendous shot in the arm, so hey, the Giants will take it! Plus, it was an interesting and cool way for McCray to get his first big league hit and RBI. Fitzgerald then got Yaz in with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 2-0.

Both teams went scoreless in the third, and then the Braves had their first real rally of the day in the top of the fourth. Michael Harris II led off the top of the fourth with a base-hit to left.

Austin Riley then hit a ground ball to short that Tyler Fitzgerald flipped to Casey Schmitt at second to try and get Harris. Schmitt had the ball and grazed the bag at second with his foot, but he dropped it on the transfer, which prompted Second Base Umpire Jeremy Riggs to call Harris safe. The play went to replay, but the call was upheld.

The Braves had runners at first and second with nobody out following a tough break for Webb and the Giants. With everything that has gone on in this four-game losing streak, it could have spelled disaster.

However, with how tough Webb is, it was no problem. Marcel Ozuna worked an 0-2 count into a full count, but Webb got Ozuna looking on a sinker at the knees for a much-need first out. Webb then caught a massive break when Matt Olson lined a bullet to Mark Canha at first, and Canha stepped on the bag to double off Riley for an unassisted double play to end the inning.

Webb escaped the jam without any damage, which was another shot in the arm for the Giants. He then settled down to throw a one, two, three, innings in the fifth and sixth.

Yastrzemski walked with one out in the bottom of the sixth, and that ended the day for Fried. Jesse Chavez then came in for Atlanta, and Casey Schmitt hit a line drive home run to left field to make it 4-0. Two batters later, Grant McCray, who had gotten his first big league hit and RBI with his bunt single in the second, hit his first big league home run to right-center.

Webb hasn’t had the greatest run support this season, but now, he had a 5-0 lead heading to the seventh. Webb pitched another scoreless inning in the top of the seventh, and back-to-back doubles by Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman off Chavez in the bottom of the seventh plated another run for the Giants to make it 6-0.

Bob Melvin let Webb go back out for the eighth, and Webb retired the first two hitters he faced. With two outs, Ramon Laureano was up with a 2-2 count. Webb threw a pair of pitches that were very close, but were called balls by Home Plate Umpire Dan Iassogna, and Laureano drew the walk.

Webb was a strike away from throwing eight shutout innings, but after Laureano walked, Whit Merrifield singled to right-center to put runners at the corners with two outs. That ended Webb’s day, and he exited to a standing ovation from this grateful crowd of 29,319.

Melvin wasted no time bringing in Tyler Rogers in a 6-0 game. It was definitely a move that would be made in a must-win game, especially with a powerful Braves’ offense very much capable of coming back. The move paid off, as Harris flew out to left to end the inning.

Webb didn’t get eight shutout innings, but seven and two thirds shutdown innings isn’t bad. He gave the Giants an outing they really needed, as he gave up just four hits and a walk, and he struck out seven.

Aaron Bummer, who finished the bottom of the seventh for Atlanta, pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth. Melvin then brought in Spencer Bivens, who was called back up this morning, for the ninth, and Bivens pitched a one, two, three, top of the ninth to end it.

Logan Webb got the win, and Max Fried took the loss.

The Giants were able to score six runs, and they did a bit better with runners in scoring position, going 3-for-11. However, they are still going to need to consistently get those key RBI hits with runners in scoring position if they want to make a run at the Playoffs.

The Giants get back up to .500, as they improve to 62-62. Funny thing: The Giants were 2-11 when having a chance to get back up to .500 prior to last week, but they have now won three-straight games in that situation.

The Giants also gained a game on the Braves and are three and a half back of the third wild card spot. The Giants will still have to gain four and a half games in their final 38 games, but it’s still a lot better than having to gain six and a half games in that span, which they would have had to do had they lost Thursday. The bottom line is that this was a desperately needed win.

The Giants will have their lone Friday off-day of the season Fri Aug 16th, and then they will begin a short two-game set in Oakland against the A’s on Saturday. It will most likely will be the Giants’ final series at the Oakland Coliseum, and most likely the final Bay Bridge Series ever.

Hayden Birdsong (3-2, 5.40 ERA), who is coming off a pair of rough starts, will look to bounce back as he takes the ball in the series opener at the Coliseum on Saturday. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (3-3, 3.92 ERA), meanwhile, will make the start for Oakland. First pitch will be at 4:07 p.m.

National League Wild Card Standings:

*1. Diamondbacks 69-53 +4.5

*2. Padres 69-53 +4.5

3. Braves 64-57 —

Mets 62-59 2.0

GIANTS 62-62 3.5

*Reds 60-61 4.0

*Cardinals 60-61 4.0

Cubs 59-63 5.5

*Tiebreaking procedures taken into account.

Giants News and Notes:

Randy Rodriguez was placed on the 15-Day Injured List prior to the game Thursday due to inflammation in his right elbow. Rodriguez has pitched in 33 games this season, and is 3-2 with a 3.93 ERA. He has also proven to be quite valuable in late-inning situations. It is unknown how long he will be out.

Major League Baseball News and Notes:

Rob Manfred is at it again. As if the atrocious rule changes he has implemented aren’t bad enough, he is now suggesting a rule in which starting pitchers would have to complete six innings with some possible exceptions. Those exceptions could include reaching the 100-pitch mark and giving up four or more runs.

As much as it would be good for the game to see starting pitchers go deeper into games, this is a move that is guaranteed to lead to more injuries.

Speaking of Manfred’s rule changes, the A’s beat the Mets 7-6 at Citi Field in what was the longest nine-inning game since the implementation of the pitch clock last season at three hours and 45 minutes.

The previous longest nine-inning game with the pitch clock was the first of the two games between the Giants and Padres in Mexico City on April 29, 2023. The Padres beat the Giants 16-11 7,350 feet above sea level. That game lasted three hours and 44 minutes.

San Francisco Giants starter Robbie Ray hit two batters, walked a batter with the bases loaded and gave up a grand slam home run to the Atlanta Braves Michael Harris in the top of the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Aug 14, 2024 (AP News photo)

Atlanta (64-56) 501 012 022.   13 11 0

San Francisco (61-62).   100 000 100     2. 9 0

Time: 2:26

Attendance: 27,460

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Before Wednesday night’s 13-2 devastating loss to the recovering Atlanta Braves, the vacillating San Francisco Giants promoted Grant McCray from Sacramento. He had played in 47 games for the River Cats and produced a batting average of  only .270 in the hitter friendly triple A Pacific Coast League but his OPS was an encouraging .819. Earlier in the season, McCray’s numbers in those categories were .210 and .732 over 50 games for the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the  double A  Eastern League.

The 23 year old left handed batter started Wednesday evening in center field , occupying the ninth spot in the batting order.  The flip side of McCray’s unprepossessing  offensive record is that he’s considered outstanding in the field.

Anyone who was expecting a pitcher’s duel, or even a close game, after Monday and Tuesday’s ten inning thrillers would have been disappointed. Robbie Ray, only recently recovered from Tommy John surgery, made a cameo appearance as San Francisco’s starter – that’s “starter,”  not “opener” – in which he faced eight batters and hit the first two he pitched to, followed that with a strikeout and then two consecutive walks capped off by a grand slam by Michael Harris II.

Atlanta now led, 5-0. A strike out and a walk later, Ray was gone, and Sean Hjelle was on the mound. Tyler Fitzgerald tagged  Braves’ starter Grant Holmes’ first offering,a 93mph four seamer  for a 358 foot homer to left, the Giants’ shortstop’s 14th round tripper of the year. The loss left Ray with a record of 2-2, 6.00. 

After Ray’s departure,  Matt Olson’s  21st four bagger of the year, a leadoff  371 footer to left, restored the Braves’ five run advantage. Hjelle retired the next six Braves he faced, giving way to Erik Miller, who entered the game at the top of the fifth and promptly gave up a leadoff home run to Austin Riley.

Miller went 1-1/3 innings  and allowed two runs, both earned but one of which was posthumous . Melvin’s minions also used Landen Roup (1-2/3 innings, three hits, and a run, earned), Taylor Rogers (two runs in the eighth on a Laureano single and Sean Murphy’s seventh dinger), and Mike Yastrzemski, who threw soft tosses that resulted in two runs on two hits and a lot of hilarity.

Holmes, making his  fourth career start and 14th appearance  went to work  at 0-0, 3.79  gave a more than acceptable account of  himself. The 28 year old southpaw weakened in the seventh, surrendering a run on Bailey’s uncursed leadoff double and Wisely’s single to right before retiring the side on a fly by McCray to the warning track in left and a pair of  strikeouts.

The went seven frames and allowed two runs, both earned, on eight hits, one of them yard, and a walk while striking out half a dozen opponents. He threw 95 pitches, 68 qualified as strikes, to 29 batters, and went to the team hotel with a mark of 1-0, 3.60. 

Luke Jackson pitched the  eighth in Holmes’ stead and, in spite of a hit batter and a single to Casey Schmitt, kept the Giants off the scoreboard. Jimmy Hergel set the Giants down in order in the ninth.

The Braves’ baker’s dozen of runs was their season’s high. Harris’s homer was the first grand slam of his career and the first visitor’s grand slam splash hit. Atlanta’s leadoff hitter, Soler, hit by a pitch to start the game, now has a 22 game on base streak.

The ex-Giant left the game in the top of the fourth with tightness in his left hamstring. Yastrzemski’s misadventures on the mound were his big league pitching debut.

San Francisco will try to avoid the sweep Thursday, afternoon at 12:45. Logan Webb (10-8, 3.32) will start for the orange and black. He’ll face Max Fried (7-6, 3.56).

Atlanta Braves Luke Jackson (right) scores and is congratulated by Orlando Arcia (left) for the go ahead run in the top of the tenth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Atlanta (63-56). 021 000 000 1. 4. 10. 1

San Francisco (61-61). 011 000 010 0. 3. 7. 1. (10 innings)

Time: 2:38

Attendance: 30,468

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–After Monday night’s pitching duel for the ages between the aces of the Braves’ and Giants’ rotations, it was inevitable that. this Tuesday’s set-to would be a letdown. Nonetheless, it was a close and exciting battle, another extra inning affair, in which the Giants again fell to the Braves in an extra innings affair.

Raiser Iglesias, Monday night’s winning pitcher got the save, his 25th, and the win went to Dylan Lee, whose record now stands at 4-2, 1.96). It wasn’t a slugfest, but it was no pitchers’ duel either.

The Giants chose 23 year old Kyle Harrison and his 6-5, 4.08 season’s record, which included two games this month. In the first of them, at Cincinnati on the third, he yielded six earned runs in 3-2/3 innings; in the second, four days ago he gave up two earned runs in 4-2/3 innings.

Tuesday night he lasted five full innings, in which he gave up three runs, all earned, on six hits and a pair of free passes, throwing 89 pitches, 54 of which met the criteria for strikes, before giving way to Sean Hjelle, who pitched a scoreless sixth.

San Francisco also called on Landon Roupp (two hits in two innings with three strikeouts), Jordan Hicks (a shutout ninth, and Randy Rodríguez, who took the loss when Travis d’Arnaud’s weak grounder bounced off Casey Schmitt’s glove into right field allowed pinch zombie runner Luke Williams to score the winning run.

The Braves went with the Methusala of the majors, 40 year old, 15 year veteran, Charlie Morton, who came to work with a season’s record of 6-7, 4.47 after having surrendered eight earned runs in his last start, in which he lasted all of 2-2/3 innings against the Brewers.

Morton performed much better tonight. He allowed two runs, both earned, on six hits, one of them a homer, and a walk in six innings of work. 63 of his 98 offerings counted as strikes. Jesse Chávez took over for him after the crowd, which included a lot of vocal Braves fans, had sung “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

He set the orange and black down to a conga beat, 1, 2, 3. Pierce Johnson, who entered the fray in the eighth and allowed the tying (unearned) run to score on a wild pitch, Dylan Lee, the winning pitcher, and Raisel Iglesias, who earned the save, also saw action on the mound for Atlanta.

Ramos gave signs of breaking out of his post All Star Game slump, going two for five, including a first inning triple, after which he was stranded on third. The team left seven runners on bases and missed ten opportunities to get a hit with a runner in scoring position.

Ramos was the only Giant to have a multi-hit game and one of the three with an extra base hit. The others were Wade, with a double, and Tyler Fitzgerald, with a 425 foot, 105 mph blast in the third, his 13th round tripper of the season.

Patrick Bailey’s single to center in the fourth ended his hitless streak at 23.

It was the Braves major league leading ninth extra inning win. Three of their batters Riley, d’Arneau, and Laureano, with two apiece. Ex-Giant Jorge Soler, ex-Athletic Ramón Laureano, and Travis d’Arneau went the distance.

The Giants now have two chances to climb over the .500 mark and end the series where they started. They’ll try Wednesday, at 6:45 by sending Robbie Ray (2-1, 3.98) to the mound. Atlanta will counter with Max Fried ((7-6, 3.56).

San Francisco Giants starter Blake Snell took a shutout into the 7th inning in another strong outing. The Giants couldn’t hold on in the top of the tenth as the Atlanta Braves squeezed by 1-0 on Mon Aug 12, 2024 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (NBC California photo still)

Atlanta (62-56). 000 000 000. 1 1. 4. 1

San Francisco (61-60). 000 000 000 0. 0 3. 0. 10 innings

Time: 2:35

Attendance: 30,134

Monday, August 12, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–In Monday night’s opener of the four game series between two recent powerhouses now battling for the final playoff spot in the National League, the stumbling but recovering San Francisco Giants fell to the bumbling Atlanta Braves, who had been smarting from being swept in four games at Coors Field. The final score was 1-0.

The Giants came to bat eight times with runners in scoring position. The only hit they  got in that situation was Mark Canha’s single in the first. They stranded six runners overall. The Braves went two for five with runners in scoring position and left a total of six on base.

Blake Snell, who finally has recovered the form he showed for San Diego in last year’s Cy Young award winning season and had been 2-0, including a no hitter, 1.15 with 49 Ks and a WHIP of 0.59 in his last six starts for the Giants threw 103 pitches Monday night before yielding his first base hit, a leadoff double to left by Marcell Ozuna, just over the glove of a leaping Matt Chapman.

The Braves’ second safety followed immediately after, a Matt Olson dribbler between third and the mound that didn’t advance Ozuna. After fanning Orlando Arcía, Snell left the game to thunderous applause, replaced by Randy Rodríguez.

He rose to the occasion, fanning Sean Murphy and Jarred Kelenic, pinch hitting for Ramón Laureano on nine pitches. The curse of the leadoff double strikes again! Snell’s totals for his 6-2/3 innings were no runs on two hits and three walks. He struck out 11 and ended up with a pith count of 114, 70 of them classified as strikes. He lowered his ERA to 3.91 but went home with a no decision.

The submariner Tyler Rogers torpedoed Atlanta 1,2,3 in the eighth before yielding to Ryan Walker to start the ninth. He gave the lie to his name by shutting the Braves down on nothing but a broken bat single by Ozuna. Taylor Rogers pitched the top of the tenth and allowed an almost preordained run on pinch hitter Travis d’Arnaeau’s sac fly to the right field warning track that brought in Arcía the zombie runner who had advanced to third on Sean Murphy’s single to left.

San Francisco had been patient with Snell, giving him time to recover from a late start to spring training and two stints on the IL before he hit his stride. The Braves, with Spencer Strider on the 60 day injured list, have been giving the remainder of their rotation an extra day’s rest between their scheduled starts.

Chris Sale, who took the mound at 13-3, 2.75 this evening was the most recent beneficiary of that sabbatical. He responded with a brilliant performance, yielding only three hits and striking out a dozen Giants in his seven inning stint.

No walks, no hit batters. He threw 107 pitches; only 30 were balls. Like Snell, lowered his ERA although he, too, had to settle for a no decision. Sale’s record now is 13-3, 2.61. Joe Jiménez held the Giants to a hit batter in the bottom of the eighth.

Luke Iglesias set the Giants down in order in the ninth to send the game into extra innings and returned to the mound to shut the Giants down in the tenth and earn the win, which left him at 2-1, 1.58.

The series continues Tuesday, at 6:45 with Atlanta’s Charlie Morton (6-7, 4.47) and San Francisco’s Kyle Harrison (6-5) toeing the rubber.

San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb deals to the Atlanta Braves line up in the bottom of the first inning at Truist Field in Atlanta on Thu Jul 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, July 4, 2024

Truist Park

Cumberland, Georgia

San Francisco Giants 4 (43-45)

Atlanta Braves 2 (47-38)

Win: Logan Webb (7-6)

Loss: Charlie Morton (5-5)

Save: Camilo Doval (16)

Time: 2:24

Attendance: 40,672

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants beat the Braves 4-2 at Truist Park behind another strong start from their ace, Logan Webb, to take the series on Thursday night.

The Giants won the series opener 5-3 on Tuesday night, but they were stymied by Chris Sale and the Braves’ bullpen in a 3-1 loss Wednesday night. Thursday night, they had a chance to take the series on a warm and muggy overcast night in Cobb County.

40-year-old Charlie Morton, who took the ball for Atlanta Thursday night, has seen it all. Morton first came up with the Braves in 2008, and has since bounced around with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Houston Astros, the Tampa Bay Rays and now back with the Braves. 

Morton closed out the Astros’ first world championship back in 2017, as he pitched the final four innings of Game 7 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium. Morton was the starting pitcher and took the loss for the Rays in Game 3 of the 2020 neutral site World Series against the Dodgers in Arlington, Texas; and he broke his right fibula making the start in Game 1 of the 2021 World Series as a member of the Braves against his old team, the Astros, in Houston. 

Morton came into tonight 5-4 this season with a 3.89 ERA, and he got off to a solid start Thursday night with a scoreless top of the first inning. Giants’ ace Logan Webb took the mound for San Francisco, and immediately ran into trouble in the bottom of the first.

Jarred Kelenic singled on a ground ball up the middle and into center field to lead off the inning, and Ozzie Albies doubled off the top of the wall in right to score Kelenic and give the Braves an early 1-0 lead. Matt Olson lined a one-out base-hit to move Albies to third, and Autin Riley got him in with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 2-0.

Both teams went down scoreless in the second, and both pitchers threw 1-2-3 innings in the third.

LaMonte Wade singled to center to lead off the top of the fourth, and Heliot Ramos stayed hot with a two-run home run to straightaway center to tie it at 2-2. Patrick Bailey struck out looking for the first out, and then Matt Chapman hit a solo home run to the first row out in left-center to give the Giants a 3-2 lead.

The Braves almost re-tied the game off Webb in the bottom of the fourth. Olson walked to start the inning, and then he was thrown out at the plate trying to score all the way from first base on a double by Riley. Webb proceeded to get out of the inning unscathed.

Both pitchers threw 1-2-3 innings in the fifth, and the Giants would extend their lead off Morton in the top of the sixth. Ramos singled to start the inning, and was out at second when Patrick Bailey hit into a fielder’s choice. 

Chapman, who put the Giants ahead with his home run in the fourth, hit a check swing chopper for a weird double down the right-field line that scored Bailey to make it 4-2. 

Webb pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the sixth, as did Grant Holmes for Atlanta’s in the top of the seventh. Webb pitched another scoreless inning to cap off his night in the bottom of the seventh. Webb provided the Giants with another big outing, as he gave up two runs and struck out six over seven innings.

Holmes was assisted by a great diving catch from left-fielder Forrest Wall in a scoreless top of the eighth, and the much-underappreciated Tyler Rogers did his job with a nine-pitch 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth. 

Aaron Bummer came in to throw a scoreless inning in the top of the ninth for Atlanta, and Camilo Doval came in to try and convert the save in the bottom of the ninth. Marcell Ozuna reached on an infield hit to third to start the inning, but Doval retired the side in order, and the Giants held on 4-2 to win the series.

Logan Webb got the win; Charlie Morton took the loss; and Camilo Doval picked up his 16th save.

Funny thing: The Giants had six hits Thursday night, and they all came on two-hit nights by LaMonte Wade, Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman.

In addition to winning another series against the strong team, the Giants have now won seven of their last 10 to improve to 43-45. 

They will now head to Cleveland to take on a very powerful young Guardians’ team in a three game series that will start at Progressive Field Friday night. Tanner Bibee (7-2, 3.47 ERA) will make the start for Cleveland, and the Giants will go with a bullpen game. First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m. in Cleveland, 4:10 p.m. back home in San Francisco.

Giants News and Notes:

• Blake Snell pitched five-no hit innings against the Reno Aces in his rehab start for the Sacramento River Cats Wednesday night at Sutter Health Park. Snell allowed just one base-runner, a walk, while striking out nine. Snell could feasibly return to the Giants’ rotation when they come back home next week.

• Mike Yastrzemski left Thursday night’s game in the fifth after getting hit in the right elbow by a pitch from Charlie Morton an inning earlier in the top of the fourth. Yastrzemski’s elbow was swollen, but x-rays came back negative, and he is listed as day-to-day.