San Francisco Giants JD Davis is congratulated inside the Giants dugout after hitting a home run in the top of the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angels Stadium on Mon Aug 7, 2023 (AP News photo)
Monday, Aug. 7, 2023
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Anaheim, California
San Francisco Giants 8 (62-51)
Los Angeles Angels (56-58)
Win: Taylor Rogers (6-4)
Loss: Carlos Estevez (5-3)
Time: 2:50
Attendance: 32,582
By Stephen Ruderman
ANAHEIM–The Giants put up a six-spot in the ninth, and came back to beat the Angels 8-3 in the opener of the series, as they also handed the Angels their seventh-straight loss.
Coming off a rough two-game sweep at the hands of the A’s over the weekend in Oakland, the Giants sent their ace, Logan Webb, to the mound to stop the schneid. Webb was opposed by the Angels’ left-hander, Patrick Sandoval, as both pitchers were in and out of trouble against the two teams’ struggling offenses early on.
The Giants wasted opportunities in the first and second innings, and the Angels likewise left two runners on in the bottom of the third. Wilmer Flores doubled down the left-field line with one out in the top of the fourth, and J.D. Davis lined out to center. That brought up Patrick Bailey with two outs; and Bailey lined a slider from Patrick Sandoval for a base-hit to knock in Flores, and put the Giants on the board first.
Logan Webb struck out the side in a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth, and then the Angels wasted a leadoff double by Hunter Renfroe in the bottom of the fifth. Shohei Ohtani led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, but after Brandon Drury grounded out to short and Mike Moustakas struck out swinging, it appeared the Angels were going to waste another opportunity. However, C.J. Cron lined a base-hit out into left-center to knock in Ohtani and tie the game.
Mickey Moniak then came up, and lined a base-hit to right-center that was overrun by Giants’ center-fielder, Luis Matos, which prompted Angels’ third base coach, Bill Haselman to wave in Cron, as second-baseman, Thairo Estrada took the relay throw from Matos and fired to the plate, but the throw was dropped by Bailey, and Cron scored to give the Angels the lead. Tristan Beck came in, and struck out Renfroe to end the inning.
“I feel like I maybe went to the well a couple too many times with the sinker and slide[r] to C.J.,” said Webb. “I’m just happy Beck came in, [and] did a good job getting out of [the inning].”
Patrick Sandoval was back out for the Angels in the top of the seventh, and J.D. Davis led off the inning with a towering home run to center to tie it up at 2-2.
Sandoval struck Bailey out looking, and got Michael Conforto to ground out to second, but after Luis Matos reached on a throwing error by Moustakas at third, Sandoval was pulled for former Giant, Matt Moore, who struck out Mark Mathias to end the inning.
Gabe Kapler brought in Tyler Rogers for the bottom of the seventh. Rogers got Matt Thaiss to fly out to left, and got Randal Grichuk to hit what seemed like a routine fly ball to right, but Giants’ right-fielder, A.J. Pollock slipped, thus the ball sailed over his head, which allowed Grichuk to go into third with a triple. Luis Rengifo singled to right to knock in Grichuk, and the Angels retook the lead.
The Angels led 3-2 going into the eighth inning, as Manager Phil Nevin brought in Jose Soriano. LaMonte Wade pinch-hit, and grounded out to second; Thairo Estrada struck out swinging; and Joc Pederson pinch-hit, and hit a deep fly ball to center field that appeared was going to be a home run, but Moniak made an incredible catch to take away a game-tying home run from Pederson.
Taylor Rogers pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth, and the score stayed 3-2 going to the ninth. The Angels brought in their closer, Carlos Estevez, who had been perfect in converting saves this season until Thursday night, when he blew a save and lost to the Seattle Mariners.
The Giants were not going to make it any easier for Estevez, as Wilmer Flores led off the top of the ninth with a base-hit to left, and J.D. Davis then walked.
That put runners at first and second with nobody out for Patrick Bailey, who from the left side of the plate, hit a double down the left field line that Randal Grichuk desperately tried to dive for, but it got past Grichuk, which allowed Flores and Davis to both score, and the Giants took their first lead of the night.
“I think it was a big momentum swing,” said Giants’ manager, Gabe Kapler.
Phil Nevin elected to intentionally walk Michael Conforto, and Luis Matos put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Mark Mathias then hit a broken-bat flip job into center for a base-hit, which knocked Bailey and Conforto, and extended the Giants’ lead to 6-3.
“I just put the ball in play, [and] good things happen[ed],” said Mathias. “It was a heater inside, and I was able to get enough bat on it. She died a hero.”
Estevez was done, but the Giants were not. The Angels brought in the lefty, Aaron Loup, and Wade singled Mathias over to third, and Thairo Estrada singled in Mathias. Pederson struck out looking, but Flores singled in Wade to open the Giants’ lead to 8-3. When all was said and done, the Giants ended up scoring six runs in the top of the ninth.
“We were all screaming in here,” said Webb. “It was fun to watch.”
Camilo Doval came in to get some work for the bottom of the ninth, and he struck out the side without a problem, and the Giants won it, 8-3.
“[It] was definitely one win in [a] 162-game season,” said Kapler. “We gotta enjoy it for a minute, and then turn the page and get ready to get back to work tomorrow.”
Scott Alexander will open up what will be a bullpen game for the Giants tomorrow night, and Lucas Giolito will make the start for the Angels, as the first pitch will be at 6:38.
Other News and Notes:
Infielder Isan Diaz, whom the Giants had designated for assignment, was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers.
That cleared a 40-man roster spot for Luis Gonzalez, who will remain with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. Gabe Kapler hinted that Gonzalez, who spent a considerable amount of time with the Giants in 2022, could see some time with the big club later this season.
“We have a lot of long-term belief in Luis,” said Kapler. “I was talking to [Senior Director of Athletic Training, Dave Groeschner] earlier about this, and he reminded me that this is just kinda spring training for Gonz. So he’s going to be working through finding his swing, finding his rhythm [and] his timing, [and] building up all of those things. Hopefully, he’ll find his way back to the roster at some point.”