San Francisco Giants Mike Yastrzemski (right) watches the flight of his two run home run in the top of the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Ballpark in Milwaukee on Tue Aug 27, 2024 (AP News photo)
Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024
American Family Field
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
San Francisco Giants 5 (67-66)
Milwaukee Brewers 4 (75-56)
Win: Camilo Doval (5-1)
Loss: Joel Payamps (3-6)
Save: Ryan Walker (4)
Time: 2:52
Attendance: 24,354
By Stephen Ruderman
The Giants began their toughest stretch of the schedule this season with a big 5-4 win over the Brewers Tuesday night in Milwaukee, as Logan Webb braved through five innings; the offense hit three home runs; and the bullpen came through in a wild seesaw game on Tuesday night.
The Giants are coming off a tough series loss in Seattle, and after having a day off Monday in Milwaukee to think about it, they were back at it against one of the best teams in Baseball in the Milwaukee Brewers.
It was the first time the Giants faced the Brewers this season. The Brewers have been one of the most successful teams in Baseball over the last eight years with six winning seasons and five playoff appearances.
With Brewers’ longtime manager Craig Counsell leaving for the Cubs, there were questions on how well they would do this season. However, the leadership of Manager Pat Murphy, as well as their pitching and defense has carried them to another great season. They came into tonight 75-55, and 10 games up on the Cubs for first place in the National League Central.
There was a lot of severe weather throughout the midwest Tuesday. The game between the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers just 96 and a half miles down the road in the South Side of Chicago was suspended just four pitches into the game.
The good news is that there is a roof at American Family Field. The storms would not even reach Milwaukee, so they were able to play the game Tuesday night with the rood open. However, it was 85 degrees and quite humid.
Tobias Meyers made the start for Milwaukee, and he began the game with a one, two three top of the first inning. Logan Webb once again had to be the stopper, as he took the ball for the Giants. An error and a walk put runners on first and second with one out for the Brewers in the bottom of the first, but Webb was able to get out of it thanks to a pair of ground balls.
The Giants wasted a leadoff double by Heliot Ramos in the top of the second, and Webb threw a one, two, three inning in the bottom of the second.
The Giants wasted a leadoff double by Heliot Ramos in the top of the second, and they would have a runner at second with nobody out again in the top of the third. Grant McCray walked to lead off the inning and stole second.
Curt Casali struck out looking, but McCray advanced to third on a balk with LaMonte Wade at the plate. Wade then grounded out to second, and McCray scored to put the Giants on the board.
After throwing a one, two, three inning in the bottom of the second, the Brewers got to Webb in the bottom of the third. Brice Turang lined a base-hit to left field, and then Jackson Chourio hit a towering home run to left-center to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead.
The Giants struck back with two outs in the top of the fourth, as Matt Chapman hit a solo shot to right-center, his 21st of the year, to tie the game 2-2. With that home run, Chapman reclaims the team lead in home runs.
After Webb pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the fourth, Thairo Estrada nearly led off the top of the fifth with a home run to left-center, but Brewers’ center-fielder Blake Perkins leapt over the wall to take the home run away from Estrada. Not to worry, though; Grant McCray immediately followed it up with an absolute bomb to left to put the Giants back ahead.
Webb pitched a one, two, three shutdown inning in the bottom of the fifth. Surprisingly, Wevv had thrown 97 pitches through five innings, which is quite unusual for him Tobias Myers was done after five innings, and Bryan Hudson came in for the Brewers to throw a one, two, three inning in the top of the sixth.
Bob Melvin had Webb go back out for the bottom of the sixth despite his high pitch count. It would be a move that came back to bite Melvin and the Giants, as Jake Bauers walked and stole second, and Wily Adames hit a long home run to left-center to put the Brewers ahead 4-3.
It was the fourth home run hit in Tuesday night’s game. Three of them were absolute bombs. It also ended the night for Webb.
In five-plus innings, Webb gave up four runs and four hits, while walking three and striking out four. Perhaps, pitching in the humidity in the cheap paper towel jersey he was forced to wear made things more difficult, but to Webb’s credit, he hung in there and still gave the Giants a solid outing.
Melvin brought in Camilo Doval, who struck out the first two hitters he faced. Sal Frelick then doubled with two outs, and Doval walked Joey Ortiz and Turang to load the bases. That brought up Chourio, as the Brewers had a chance to open this game up against Doval, who was once again in a jam. Doval was able to get out of it, as Chourio flew out to center to end the inning.
Murphy brought in Joel Payamps in the top of the seventh, and Matt Chapman led off the inning with a base-hit to left. That brought up Mike Yastrzemski, who hit a home run to right-center, and the Giants re-took the lead.
The Giants led 5-4, as Landen Roupp, who was brought back up prior to the game, was brought in for the bottom of the seventh. Roupp got into trouble thanks to a pair of walks, and Melvin lifted him for Tyler Rogers. Rhys Hoskins stepped up, and he hit a fly ball to deep left-center, but center-fielder Grant McCray made the catch at the warning track to end the inning.
Joe Ross pitched a one, two, three top of the eighth for Milwaukee, and Rogers was back out for the bottom of the eighth. Sal Frelick lined a base-hit to right to start the inning, and Ortiz struck out on a foul tip for the first out.
Turang was up at the plate, and he hit a ground ball to first. When first-baseman Mark Canha threw to second to try to initiate a double play, the throw veered off to the left, but shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald dove to his right to catch it, and he was able to keep his foot on the bag with full control of the ball in his glove.
It was an incredible play by Fitzgerald for the second out, and he very well may have saved the Giants from a complete disaster. With two outs and a runner at first, Chourio struck out to end the inning.
Ross threw a scoreless inning in the top of the ninth, and Melvin brought in his closer, Ryan Walker for the bottom of the ninth. Even with Doval back, Walker will most likely remain the closer for the rest of the season, and he was in Tuesday night to try and notch down his fourth save.
Walker set down the first two men he faced, but Adames lined a two-out base-hit to left. That brought up Blake Perkins, who hit a fly ball deep to right-center, but right-fielder Mike Yastrzemski made the catch at the base of the track to end the game.
Camilo Doval got the win; Joel Payamps got the loss; and Ryan Walker got the save.
The Giants are still overly relying on home runs and wasting opportunities with runners in scoring position. However, they are still playing hard, and they fully believe they can make a run over the final five weeks of the Regular Season to get into the Playoffs. They demonstrated that with a truly-spirited effort Tuesday night.
The Giants are once again back over .500 at 67-66, and they remain five and a half games back of the Braves, who beat the Twins 8-6 in Minneapolis Tuesday night. The Braves gained a half game on the Giants with a 10-6 win in Minnesota Monday.
Kyle Harrison (7-5, 4.00 ERA) will be back on the mound Wednesday night to make his first start for the Giants in nine days. Freddy Peralta (8-7, 3.86 ERA) will take the ball for the Brewers. First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m. in Milwaukee, 5:10 p.m. back home in San Francisco.
Giants News and Notes:
Robbie Ray was placed on the Injured List with a strained left hamstring, and Jordan Hicks was also placed on the IL due to inflammation in his right shoulder. Landen Roupp has been called back up from Sacramento. Right-handed pitcher Austin Warren, who the Giants signed in February, was also called up from Sacramento.
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