Tag: New York Yankees

San Francisco Giants Heliot Ramos praises the good Lord for his home run in the top of the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis on Sun May 11, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (24-17) got swept by the Minnesota Twins (21-20) losing game three in ten innings 7-6. San Francisco had their bats working today and led for the first five innings of this game. The Giants had 9 hits in the game but the Twins were on task with 13 hits. Trailing going into the bottom of the tenth inning, the Twins had to come from behind for the walk-off.

Game recap: The Giants got game three off with a bang taking a 1-0 lead much the same as Saturday but Sunday there was something different; the San Francisco bats were connecting. They started the first inning going in the right direction.

Heliot Ramos hit a sacrifice and Mike Yastrzemski scored from third for the early lead. The Giants would add to their lead in the fourth inning when again Ramos connected, this time a two run home run taking a 3-0 lead.

Just when it was looking great for the Giants, the Twins checked in with a two run home run off the bat of Brooks Lee in the fourth inning driving in Trevor Larnach with San Francisco still leading 3-2.

The Giants got an insurance run in the fifth inning when the other Lee, Jung Hoo, hit a sacrifice fly and Yastrzemski scored from third base after advancing on a balk. Through five innings the Giants were really hitting.

Lee who had been quiet the past few games already had two hits and Matt Chapman was also having a good game. Ramos was having a killer game offensively hitting the home run in the fourth inning while also making some amazing diving catches robbing the Twins of hits.

After five innings the Giants struck again in the fifth inning when Lee sacrificed and Yastrzemski scored for a 4-2 tally. The Twins answered in the bottom of the fifth when another sacrifice drove a base runner over home plate. Byron Buxton hit the sacrifice and Kody Clemens scored. Going into the sixth inning the score was 4-3 in favor of the Giants.

The Giants starting pitcher Landon Roupp was relieved in the sixth inning by Erik Miller. Roupp had pitched five innings allowing six hits, three runs, no walks and three strikeouts. Roupp had three really good innings to start the game and gave up the three runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

Miller struggled from the start of the sixth inning. With no outs, the Twins had loaded the bases getting hits from Brooks Lee and Will Castro with Ryan Jeffers walking. Royce Lewis came to the plate and singled, Lee scored and this game was tied 4-4 still with no outs.

The Twins already had nine hits in this game. This was it for Miller and he was relieved by Camilo Doval. Doval’s first pitch resulted in San Francisco’s first out of the inning at home plate saving the go-ahead run.

The Giants got their second out at second base but Castro scored from third base taking their first lead of the game 5-4. With the bases still loaded San Francisco’s Doval got out of the inning, striking out Buxton and coming away with minimal damage.

The Giants had some coming back to do going into the seventh inning. San Francisco was facing a very solid pitcher in the Twins Louis Varland. Varland had a great inning retiring the Giants in order in this very close game. The Twins would face a new relief pitcher for the Giants Hayden Birdsong who has a nice mix of balls. Birdsong gave up a double to start the inning but got a strikeout for the third out getting out of the inning.

Willy Adames got his first hit of the series , a single, to start the eighth inning. Matt Chapman had his second hit of the game and the Giants had runners at first and second with Ramos at the plate.

Ramos came through big time hitting the ball hard and Adames scored tying up the game 5-5. With only one out, San Francisco had runners at the corners. The Giants could not take advantage of the scoring possibility and it was on to the ninth inning after the Twins were unable to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Giants had led for most of the game and were now fighting for this game. San Francisco went quietly in the ninth inning. Tyler Rogers would take the mound looking to keep the Twins off the scoreboard. Rogers struck out the top of the Twins batting order, Buxton, Larnach and France as this game went into extra innings.

One of the best closers in the game today Jhoan Duran took the mound for the Twins facing Chapman, Ramos and David Villar. Chapman singled with Lee advancing to third. Villar who has not had a lot of at bats came through grounding out but allowing Lee to score giving San Francisco a 6-5 lead. Wilmer Flores struck out for the third out. The Twins had one last inning to at least tie up this game.

Ryan Walker came into the game to try and close out the game for the Giants. San Francisco got the first out of the inning at first base but France scored from third to tie up the game 6-6. Lightning struck when Dashawn Keirsey Jr. singled and Brooks Lee scored for the walk off 7-6.

Game notes: After losing the first two games of their series with the Twins, the Giants came into this game with one purpose in mind and that is to avoid the sweep. The Giants have not been swinging the bats very well. They had three hits in the first game and four in the second game and needed more to win the third game.

The Giants while they scored six runs and a two run 6-5 lead going to the bottom of the tenth inning couldn’t get closer Ryan Walker to close the door on the Twins. Walker allowed one earned run and two hits as the Twins scored twice in a walk off to sweep the Giants on Sunday.

This was a tough loss for San Francisco in game three compounded with getting swept in this series. The Giants will now head back to San Francisco and try to regroup and prepare to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game series that will get underway Monday evening. Justin Verlander (0-2 ERA 4.50) will take the mound for San Francisco and the Diamondbacks will start Merrill Kelly (3-2 ERA 4.09). First pitch for the game is scheduled for 6:45 PM.

By Barbara Mason

New York Yankees first base Ben Rice celebrates with outfielder Aaron Judge after hitting a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium.IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees leveled the series with the San Francisco Giants in game two winning the matchup 8-4. The Yankees took an early lead 2-0 and the game was tied going into the bottom of the fifth inning.

New York really went off scoring five runs taking a 7-2 lead. San Francisco fought back scoring a couple of runs in the sixth for a 7-4 tally but that would be it for the Giants. New York tacked on a Ben Rice solo home run for the final. The Yankees dismissed San Francisco in the top of the ninth inning striking Jung Hoo Lee and Matt Chapman out. Heliot Ramos grounded out for the final out and that was the ball game.

In the second game of the series it was the Yankees that struck first in the first inning taking a 2-0 lead. Cody Bellinger tripled with Aaron Judge on base and the Yankees were first up on the scoreboard 1-0. New York followed that up with a Paul Goldschmidt sacrifice bringing Bellinger home now leading 2-0.

Wilmer Flores put San Francisco on the board in the second inning hitting a home run to center with Heliot Ramos on base and this game was tied 2-2. New York threatened in the bottom of the second to bust this game open with the bases loaded and Aaron Judge at the plate. San Francisco pitcher Jordan Hicks was living dangerously but got out of the inning unscathed.

Both pitchers held their own through the third and fourth innings. Late in the fifth inning Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks was relieved by Randy Rodriguez. He finished allowing eight hits and seven earned runs in a rough outing. He allowed five hits in the fifth inning and a walk.

There was not a lot of action for the Giants in the top of the 5th inning but the Yankees really got something going in the bottom of the inning prompting some action in the San Francisco bullpen. Cody Bellinger got the party started hitting a single driving Ben Rice home extending the New York lead to 3-2.

Paul Goldschmidt would follow that up with a ground rule double and Judge scored for a 4-2 Yankee lead. New York was far from finished scoring three more runs before the inning was over. Cody Bellinger scored on a Antony Volpe sacrifice fly. Jasson Dominquez smacked a deep single and Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. both scored giving New York a 7-2 lead.

San Francisco had a lot of work to do going into the sixth inning. They were able to score some runs cutting the Yankee lead to 7-4. Wilmer Flores who has been terrific singled in two base runners, Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee.

This was Flores’s 19th RBIs; he had knocked in every San Francisco run in Saturday’s game. The Giants had finally gotten something going although it was getting late in the game. The Yankees had their first home run of the series in the bottom of the sixth inning off the bat of Ben Rice and New York had an 8-4 lead going into the seventh inning.

San Francisco left a couple of runners stranded in the seventh inning and two more runners in the eighth inning and the Giants were running out of time still trailing 4-8. Going into the ninth inning it was San Francisco’s last chance.

The Giants got a couple of runners, Mike Yastrzemski and Willy Adames on base with nobody out. Unfortunately Jung Hoo Lee struck out, Matt Chapman struck out and Heliot Ramos grounded out and that was the ball game. The Yankees had won the game 8-4 and leveled the series at one apiece.

Game notes: Saturday afternoon the Giants played the Yankees in game two under far more favorable weather conditions then they had Saturday in a six inning Giant win 9-1. The first six innings were played with a light rain falling from start to finish before the game was called with San Francisco loading the bases with two outs.

Completing enough innings to make Friday’s game official and the weather continuing to decline the decision was made to delay the game. Under overcast skies Saturday and no rain in the forecast, this game went off without a hitch. A lot of fans passed on this one due to the chilly weather, 41 degrees which felt more like 30 degrees. Saturday’s game Jordan Hicks started for San Francisco going four innings, giving up eight hits, seven runs, three walks and three strikeouts.

Sunday will be the rubber match with San Francisco’s Logan Webb taking the mound with a 1-0 record and an 1.89 ERA. The Yankees will start Carlos Rodon who has a 1-2 win/loss record ERA 5.19. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 10:35 AM.

San Francisco Giants Jung Hoo Lee runs the bases after connecting for a three run home run in the top of the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Fri Apr 11, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (10-3) beat the New York Yankee’s (7-6) at Yankee Stadium in six innings 9-1 Friday night. It was a rain-soaked windy day that started off with a San Francisco 5-0 lead in the first inning. Less than 5,000 fans remained when the umpires delayed the game with San Francisco loading the bases with two outs. Jung Hoo Lee had the only home run of the game, a three run homer.

Game recap: The stoppage did not delay the Giants offense in any way; the rain did not dampen their spirts, in fact they made quite an opening statement scoring five runs in the first inning.

Jung Hoo Lee got the inning going hitting a three-run home run with Mike Yastrzemski and Willy Adames onboard giving San Francisco an early 3-0 lead. It was a great start for the Giants who added a couple more runs before the inning came to an end.

LaMonte Wade Jr. doubled Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman home and San Francisco could not have asked for a better start leading 5-0 after one inning. The Yankees did not fare well at all in their first at bat. Aaron Judge walked but Giant’ starting pitcher Robbie Ray struck out Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt in a nice first inning for Ray.

The Yankees got a little something going in the second inning off a Austin Wells double driving Anthony Volpe home. The Wells hit came within a whisper of being a home run but was deemed in play after hitting the top of the wall and bouncing in.

Ray had walked two runners in the second; Volpe walked, went on to steal second base and score and Peraza also walked. With two outs, Ray was looking to get out of the inning and he did just that with the Giants taking a 5-1 lead into the third inning.

The Yankees threatened again in the third inning with two runners on base but came away empty. San Francisco had been unable to do further damage since the very productive first inning. Going into the fourth inning, the Giants had five hits, the Yankees two hits.

Neither team was able to do any damage in the fourth inning playing in a virtually empty stadium due to the inclement conditions with not only a steady rain but also some pretty gusty winds that was playing havoc with the ball.

Matt Chapman walked in the fifth inning, his third walk of the game, as did Jung Hoo Lee and San Francisco had two runners on base with one out. The Yankees had already gone through three pitchers in the game and there was action going on in the bullpen as Tim Hill relieved Ian Hamilton in the fifth.

Hill walked another runner Wade Jr. and the Giants had the bases loaded. They brought in three runs to extend their lead 8-1. All three Giants who had walked crossed home plate and the Yankees were really struggling on the mound.

Wilmer Flores grounded out to the pitcher and Lee scored followed by a wild pitch that allowed Matt Chapman to score. Finishing off the top of the fifth inning a Patrick Bailey double brought in another run and the Giants were cruising. San Francisco’s starting pitcher Robbie Ray was relieved by Spencer Bivens in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Ray had a good game allowing two hits through four innings with seven strikeouts and one earned run. He walked four Yankees. Through those four innings Ray had thrown 98 pitches.

After five innings the Yankees had walked seven runners opening the sixth inning with yet another four walks and San Francisco had the bases loaded again with no outs. Mike Yastrzemski scored and the tally was a 9-1 lead for the Giants.

When that run scored the tarps came out as the rain began to pickup and the players left the dugouts. Going through the five plus innings, this game was official should it be called. After deliberation the game was indeed called with San Francisco winning 9-1 in six innings.

The Giants had 12 runners on base in the game with Jung Hoo Lee hitting the only home run of the game driving in three runs for the early 3-0 lead in the first inning. San Francisco really capitalized on the 11 walks from the Yankees, with Matt Chapman walking three times. LaMonte Wade Jr. had three RBIs.

Game notes: The Giants rolled into New York taking on the Yankees’s Friday night for a three-game series. There was a slight delay as the threat of rain made good but the game finally got underway after a brief stoppage, a 26 minute set back.

A light rain continued as fans scrambled for shelter as this game attempted to plod through at least five innings. San Francisco came into this game after losing two out of three in a series to the Cincinnati Reds in San Francisco. The Yankees also lost their last series to the Detroit Tigers.

Saturday the second game of the series has a forecast of even more rain than Friday although later in the day and not at game time. Hopefully that forecast will hold up and game two will go off without a hitch. Jordan Hicks (1-0) will take the mound for game two of the series with a 2.38 ERA. The Yankees will start Will Warren (0-0 ERA 6.00) looking for a better start in Saturday’s game.