San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman (right) is congratulated by teammate Jung Hoo Lee (51) after hitting a bottom of the fifth inning home run against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Thu Apr 24, 2025 (AP News photo)
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Oracle Park
San Francisco, California
Milwaukee Brewers 5 (13-13)
San Francisco Giants 6 (17-9)
Win: Tyler Rogers (2-0)
Loss: Tyler Alexander (1-2)
Save: Camilo Doval (5)
Time: 2:50
Attendance: 28,592
By Stephen Ruderman
SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants came out on top in a wacky and semi-wild series finale at Oracle Park on Thursday, as they picked up a dejected Landen Roupp, and came back to beat the Brewers and take the series with a big 6-5 win.
Landen Roupp led the Giants out onto the field on a gray and foggy day at the ballpark, and as this writer would describe it: a beautiful and tranquil day for baseball. Unfortunately, things didn’t start well for Roupp. He walked Brice Turang to start the game, and Sal Frelick singled to right to put runners at the corners with nobody out.
You know the old saying: When you come to the ballpark, you may see something you’ve never seen before. Christian Yelich came to the plate, and knocked in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center field. However, Freclick was subsequently doubled off at first base, as he took off on the pitch and was all the way around second when the ball was caught by center-fielder Jung Hoo Lee. It was just your routine sacrifice double play.
It was very much a break for Roupp, who was getting hit hard. Rhys Hoskins and Jake Bauers both singled, but the double play allowed Roupp to get out of it without giving up more than one run.
On the mound for the Brewers was Tobias Myers, who was making his 2025 debut. As Steven Rissotto, the host of Rizzocast, and a producer for 95.7 The Game, noted, the Giants have tended to respond to the other team scoring, and that is exactly what they did in the bottom of the first.
Mike Yazstrzemski led off the inning with a base-hit to center and got to second on a balk when Myers tripped as he started his delivery from the set. Willy Adames grounded out, but Lee lined a double into the corner down the right field line to bring in Yaz and tie the game.
The Brewers got their lead right back, as Roupp’s struggles carried over into the second inning. It was actually quite simple. Garrett Mitchell walked to start the inning; stole second; got to third on a groundout; and scored on a wild pitch.
Mike Yastrzemski led off the bottom of the third, and he tied the game with a home run to the green tin atop the 24-foot-high Willie Mays wall in right. The Giants were in a great position to get their first lead of the day, as Adames and Lee walked, but Mitchell was able to wiggle his way out of it with the game still tied.
The Giants were unable to take the lead, and the Brewers made them pay in the top of the fourth. The Brewers had runners at the corners with one out for Eric Haase, who laid down a safety squeeze, but after Matt Chapman came in from third to field it, his throw was dropped by LaMonte Wade at first, and both runners scored to give Milwaukee a 4-2 lead.
Brice Turang singled Haase over to third, and up came Sal Frelick, who knocked in Haase with a chopper along the first base line to make it 5-2. Wade fielded the ball, and threw to second-baseman Tyler Fitzgerald, but Frelick was called safe by First Base Umpire Alex MacKay.
The Brewers had a 5-2 lead, and they had runners at first and second with one out. The Brewers were poised to blow this one open just as they did on Tuesday. However, the Giants challenged MacKay’s call at first, and it was overturned for a much-needed second out.
That did it for Roupp, and Bob Melvin brought in Spencer Bivens. Bivens’ first pitch to Christian Yelich was a cutter on the inside corner for a called strike, and Turang stole third. However, the Giants challenged the call by Third Base Umpire Brian Walsh, and the Giants were able to overturn back-to-back calls on back-to-back pitches for the final two outs of the inning.
That stymied the momentum for the Brewers, and eventually proved to be a massive turning point in this game.
The Giants were unable to do anything with a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth, but they struck in the bottom of the fifth against Abner Uribe. Lee walked to lead off the inning, and Matt Chapman hit a two-run home run to right-center to send a message and make it 5-4.
The Brewers took their 5-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth, as they brought in their left-hander, Tyler Alexander. Tyler Fitzgerald worked a walk to start the inning, and Wilmer Flores pinch-hit and lined a base-hit the other way to right to put runners on the corners with nobody out.
Luis Matos grounded out, and then Yastrzemski fouled off three-straight two-strike pitches from Alexander. Yaz then hit a ground ball to Durang at second, who was playing in along with the rest of the Brewers’ infield. Fitzgerald came home, but Durang’s rushed throw was high, and Fitzgerald scored to tie the game.
Brewers Manager Pat Murphy brought in Trevor Megill to face Adames. Adames worked the count full, and then hit a line drive right to left-fielder Christian Yelich, who was trying to position himself to make the catch and make a throw home to cut pinch-runner Christian Koss at the plate. However, Yelich dropped the ball, and Koss scored to give the Giants their first lead of the day.
Following his emergency save last night, Camilo Doval was summoned by his skipper, Bob Melvin, to close things out again today. However, things did not start well for Doval, who walked pinch-hitter Caleb Durbin on four pitches to start the inning, and fell behind 2-0 to Turang.
You couldn’t help but harkin back to last season, when Doval, as the full-time closer, had his ninth inning implosions. Doval was once again entrusted with picking up the save, and he was once again about to implode.
We have already seen numerous examples early on of how different 2025 has been than 2024 for the Giants, and we were about to see it again. After Patrick Bailey, who had just entered the game to catch, went out to talk to Doval, Doval settled down to retire Turang and Frelick.
Up came Yelich, who lined a base-hit to center to move the tying run to second. It wasn’t going to be easy, but Doval got Rhys Hoskins to fly out to center, and everyone went home happy.
The Giants are back to their season-high eight games over .500 at 17-9. This was their eighth comeback win of the season, and their third win when trailing after seven innings.
Through all of the madness, it was Tyler Rogers who got the win. Tyler Alexander took the loss, and Camilo Doval notched his fifth save, tying Ryan Walker. However, Bob Melvin was quick to stress that Walker would still be the guy in a potential save situation Friday night.
Speaking of Friday night, Bruce Bochy’s Rangers are coming in for a 2010 World Series rematch, and it will be a weekend of old friends and memories. Former Giant Joc Pederson will also make the trip with the Rangers, but most importantly, Brandon Crawford will have his official retirement ceremony before the game on Saturday.
Justin Verlander (0-1. 5.47 ERA), who will remain on the opposite end of Bruce Bochy, will take the ball for the Giants Friday night, and look for his first win in the orange and black. The veteran right-hander, Nathan Evoldi (1-2, 2.64 ERA) will make the start for Texas.
First pitch will be at the accustomed Friday night time of 7:15 p.m.
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