Razer close game Giants drop second contest to Padres 2-1 at Oracle

San Diego Padres reliever Joe Musgrove delivers to the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat May 21, 2022 (AP News photo)

San Diego. 2. 6. 0

San Francisco. 1. 6. 1

Saturday May 5, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Last night’s battle royale at Oracle Park served as a reminder of the wisdom of America’s vernacular philosopher, Lawrence P. Berra, whose First Law of Epistemology was “It ain’t over til it’s over.”

It began again this afternoon with San Francisco’s left handed hurler Carlos Rodón on the mound with a record of 4-2,3.49) and the Giants in third place in their division with a record of 22-16.

The Giants’ starter was throwing to Michel Papierski the 26 year old catcher they had picked up in the trade that sent Mauricio Dubón to Houston, who was brought up today and was making his major league debut. Rodón breezed past his first two batters.

Then Jurickson Profar checked his swing and sent an inoffensive bounding ball to first, where yesterday´s hero, Darin Ruf, a last minute substitute of the injured Brandon Belt, bobbled the ball, enabling the Padre’s weak hitting clean up and designated hitter to reach base on an error.

Two full count walks later, the bases were jammed with San Diegans. Rodón escaped scoreless when Austin Nola flew out to right.

San Diego’s stellar starter, Joe Musgrove, who began the day at 4-0,2.20 for the 24-14 Padres, also had two out trouble in the first. He yielded a double down the right field line to number three hitter, Mike Yastremski before retiring the side.

When the din of battle had subsided, the Giants had come out on the short end of another one run contest, losing this one 2-1 to the surging friars. Rodón was charged with the loss, and Musgrove credited for the win.

The Manny You Love to Hate put the Pads ahead 1-0 in the third with a towering 425 foot blast that just squeaked over the center field fence. At least some of the blow’s power was due to the 98 mph at which Rodón had thrown his pitch.

The teams traded zeroes for another two and a half innings until a visibly tired Rodón, who had entered the frame with a pitch count of 86, yielded another run in the sixth. Luke Voit led off with a double to left. He advanced a base on Nola’s single to center.

Ha-Seong Kim flew out to right, and runners held. Trent Grisham’s sacrifice bunt to second brought Voit in with the etally that doubled San Diego’s lead.

Crawford’s throw to first on José Azocar’s grounder to short just barely beat the Pads’ left fielder to first, a call that was challenged by the visitors but confirmed by New York, ending the threat.

San Francisco threatened in their half of the sixth. Tommy LaStella sent a ball on one hop into the left centerfield stands for an automatic double. He held his ground when Flores grounded out to short. Yaz walked. And then The Curse of the Lead Off Double struck. Ruf ground into a 6-4-3 twin killing.

Rodón didn’t come out for the Padres’ seventh, relieved by Jarlín García, who held them scoreless on a hit and a walk in his one inning of work. The starting southpaw had pitched well in his six innings of work and might have pitched even better if Ruf´s error hadn’t extended his pitch count in the first.

He ended up having yielded two runs, both earned, on five hits and four walks while striking out six. He threw an even hundred pitches, 68 for strikes, and reduced his ERA a smidgen to 3.43.

The Giants presented a whole new battery in the top of the eighth. Joey Bart was behind the plate, and Domenic Leone was on the mound.

Musgrave lasted seven scoreless innings, in which he gave up four hits and three walks, striking out four. Like Rodón, he threw an even hundred pitches. 64 of his were strikes.

Musgrave’s replacement, Robert Suárez, gave back half of the Padres´ lead. Flores tore into his cut fastball, driving it 386 feet into left field for a solo blast with one down, his. fourth roundtripper of ´22.

José Alvarez pitched to three batters in the top of the ninth, retiring Grisham easily, but walking Azocar and plunking Cronenworth. Mauricio Llovera was given the unenviable task of dealing with Menacing Manny Machado with two on and one out.

Llovera got the National League’s leading hitter to pop out to short, bringing up Profar and his .217 BA. He walked on four pitches, loading the bases. The Giants’ reliever rose to the occasion, striking Myers out looking at a 2-2 sinker.

Taylor Rogers came in to close for the Padres. The Giants countered by calling on the right handed Austin Slater to hit for left handed Pederson against the southpaw.

He singled to right. Crawford then lined out to right. Kim made a gorgeously acrobatic play at second to force Slater out on Estrada’s ground ball, buthis throw to first arrived too late to double up the speedy San Francisco second sacker.

All that stood between the Giants and defeat was Luis González. He took a called third strike.

The Giants will try to salvage at least one victory in this series in a game that will start tomorrow at 1:05. San Diego will start MacKenzie Gore (2-1,2.17) against the Giants’ Alex Wood (3-2,3.93)

Giants fans are the worst in baseball says Padres Profar; Profar was fantoss target of baseballs and beer bottles at Oracle Park Friday

Jurickson Profar (#10) of the San Diego Padres takes off for first after connecting for an RBI single in the top of the 10th inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO–A fan threw a beer bottle and another threw a baseball towards leftfield at Oracle Park in San Francisco in the bottom of the third inning during Friday’s game between the visiting San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants and that was enough for the Padres Jurickson Profar who was a target by one of the bad aimed fans.

Profar said after the near miss that Giants fans are “the worst in the league.” Profar exchanged words with fans in the bottom of the third inning after he threw a ball into the third base stands after warming up in the outfield. Profar faked throwing the ball for a souvenir into the left field stands and then turned and tossed it into the third base stands. A fan threw the ball back onto the field.

Fans in leftfield took exception with the verbal exchange and the faking of the souvenir toss and decided to do a little tossing themselves throwing a beer bottle and a baseball at the Padres leftfielder. Profar at that point talked to crew chief umpire Ted Barrett who came out to leftfield to see what was going on as Profar was pointing to the leftfield stands.

Fans started booing when Profar picked up one of the tossed balls and Barrett picked up the other. Profar said he tried to throw it to a Padres fan but a Giants fan intercepted the throw and threw the ball at Profar nearly beaning the Padre outfielder. Profar said the then threw the ball back in the stands then one fan threw a beer bottle at Profar.

Profar said after the game that the fans can talk all they want but when they start throwing things that’s a different thing. It didn’t end there Profar had an silver aluminum beer bottle thrown at him in the bottle of the seventh inning. Profar said he was pretty mad and that he could get a concussion if a beer bottle was to hit him in the back of the head.

Profar said that nobody from security came into the left field stands to stop the beer bottle throwing and after teammate Manny Machado talked to Barrett and a security guard on the field. Rightfielder Wil Myers said about the tough crowd that it’s a tough place but Oracle Park is a nice environment.

Barrett was informed before Saturday’s game that extra police and security will watching for fans tossing anything on the field. Profar was not positioned in the outfield to start Saturday’s game but was in the line up as the designated hitter.

Jurickson a former Oakland A’s player from across the bay played for Oakland for one season in 2019. In spite of that the fans attitude is he’s wearing the wrong uniform and fans at Oracle are viewing the Padres as a rival team.

Jerry Feitelberg is a baseball staff writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Padres Manaea returns to Bay with 8-7 victory over Giants in extra innings

San Diego Padres starter Sean Manaea delivers a pitch to the San Francisco Giants line up in the bottom of the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri May 20, 2022 (AP News photo)

San Diego. 8 11. 0

San Francisco 7. 10. 0.

10 innings

Friday May 20, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–It was welcome back to the bay night for ex Athletics on the San Diego Padres this evening. Sean Manaea, once the ace of Oakland´s rotation, the southpaw slider specialist from Samoa who no hit the then powerful Red Sox in 2018 started for the Pads, backed up by erstwhile teammate Jurickson Profar, playing left and batting clean up.

Manager Bob Melvin´s return was particularly gratifying since it marked his first game at the helm since his recovery from prostate surgery earlier this month. One time Oakland outfielder Ryan Christenson had been running the team in the skipper´s absence.

Manaea came into the game with a 2-3,3.77 record and had lost his only other start against San Francisco, which came on April 13. He pitched well in that game, allowing both of the Giants’ runs, which were earned, in six innings of work. The Padres had to come back twice from behind to capture the lead and got it for keeps in the top of the 10th inning for a one run 8-7 win at Oracle Park.

Friday night Manaea left without a decision, having surrendered four runs, all earned, in another six inning stint. He threw 96 pitches, 66 of which qualified as strikes, surrendering five hits, two of them home runs. His strikeout total was five, against two walks.

The Giants sent Jakob Juris, another pitcher who seldom throws fast balls from the mound. Juris had been up and down between Sacramento and San Francisco, as had Luis González, who was brought back to the big team when the Giants put LaMonte Wade, Jr., on the 10 day IL with an inflamed left knee.

In a roller coaster of a game, the Padres defeated the Giants in 10 innings.

San Francisco took an early lead in the second on a lead off single by Wilmer Flores, followed by ex-Athletic Tommy LaStella’s foul out to first.

A single by Thairo Estrada and a walk to Brandon Crawford loaded the bases and set the stage for Curt Casali’s sacrifice fly to right. But that was all the scoring the Giants could muster. González fanned to end the inning.

The Padres jumped ahead while it still was daylight. Ha-Seong Kim led off the top of the third with a liner that bounced through Juris’s legs and off Estrada’s glove at second for a single. After Trent Grisham forced Kim at second, Jorge Alfaro bounced a drive down the left field line for a double that brought Grisham home with the tying run.

Jake Cronenworth promptly made the score 3-1 with a 348 foot blast to right for his third round tripper of the season. It came off a slow slider.

San Diego padded its lead before the frame was over. Machado, the Manny you love to hate, singled to right and advanced to third when Eric Hosmer grounded out to short. He then scored on a wild pitch.

Ruff’s second four bagger of the year, with Slater on board in the Giants’ third, took a Manaea sinker 391 feet deep into left and brought the home team closer to the visitors, reducing their advantage to 4-3.

Ruf came through again to tie the game at four with another home run to left. This one went 381 feet and came off a change up.

Thanks to some spiffy fielding by Estrada, Juris got through the sixth frame unscathed and left the game in favor of John Brebbia. All four of the runs the Giants’ starter had allowed were earned. They came on seven hits, one of which went the distance. He didn’t walk anyone but did unleash a costly wild pitch. His pitch count was 76, 52 considered strikes.

Nabil Crismatt relieved Manaea to start the seventh. Curt Casali drove a hanging curve deep to left center field where Profar corralled it at the wall. González proceeded to smack a four seamer to the same field for a two bagger.

Mike Yastrzemski pinch hit for Slater and flew out to right, bringing up Ruf. Could he do it again? San Diego had learned its lesson, and Ruf walked on five pitches. Evan Longoria grounded out to end the threat, leaving the score knotted at four.

It fell to Tyler Rogers to pitch the Padres’ eighth. He almost made it through scoreless, but Will Myers jumped on a 2-2 72 mph slider with runners on second and third for a two run double to right that gave the Friars a 6-4 lead.

Crismatt got two quick outs in the bottom of the eighth but surrendered a double to deep right to Estrada, which ended Crismatt’s tenure on the mound. Lefty Tim Hill came in and retired Crawford on a fly to right.

Zack LIttell started the top of the ninth for the orange and black. He sandwiched a walk to Grisham between strikeouts of Kim and Alfaro and then turned the ball over to José Alvarez to face the top of the Padres order. He only had to face Cronenworth, who sent Yaztremski to the wall to catch his inning-ending fly to center.

Luis García took the mound when the Giants came up for their last turn at bat; it was his first save opportunity of the season. He struck out Joey Bart, who had replaced Casali behind the plate in the top of the inning, and González. Yastrzemski kept the Giants´hopes alive with a single to short, bringing Ruf to the plate once more at a critical juncture.

He took two balls and a strike, then a third ball. Then he swung and missed. He took a fourth ball, putting the potential tying run on base and the potential winning run at the plate. Joc Pederson was announced as a pinch hitter for Longoria. He worked a full count.

He walked, and the bases were loaded for Flores, who blooped a broken single over short tied the score and sent Pederson to second. Now it was up to LaStella. But he went down swinging, the game went into the tenth, and Camilo Doval came in to pitch

Cronenworth was the zombie runner He wasn’t for long; Machado brought him home with a double to center on Doval’s second offering.

He moved onto third when Hosmer grounded out to second and scored when Profar’s liner bounced off Doval’s foot and into right field. Once more, the Giants were down by two.

Robert Suárez came in and attempted to earn the save. Estrada’s ground out to second moved zombie runner LaStella to third.

Crawford, 0 for 3 for the night and hitting .217, singled him home. Bart then struck out for the second time and the second out. Luis González grounded to short and was thrown out on a close play that sealed the Giants´ fate.

García was the winning pitcher. His record now is 2-2,3.77. The loss went to Doval, his second against no wins, raised his ERA to 2.70. Suárez earned the save, his first.

The Giants will try to wreak revenge Saturday afternoon, when they will send Carlos Rodón (4-2,3.49) against Joe Musgrove (4-0,2.20) in the second game of this three game set, scheduled to start at 1:05.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Daniel Dullum: Padres in second and Giants in third place battle tonight at Oracle in 3 game set

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb deals against the Colorado Rockies through the bottom of the eighth inning at Coors Field in Denver on Wed May 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Daniel:

#1 In spite of the tough loss in Denver to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday the San Francisco Giants have won seven of their last ten games and are making a move on the first place Los Angeles Dodgers who are just three games ahead of the Giants.

#2 The Giants certainly got good pitching from their ace despite losing the game Logan Webb. Webb faced 16 batters and retired all of them in a row after giving up two runs in the first and one later in the eighth.

#3 Daniel, the Rockies CJ Cron got credit for breaking a 3-3 deadlock in the top of the eighth after reliever Jose Alvarez threw him a hanging curve ball and Cron just reached out and got it.

#4 Did the Denver thin air lend to the Rockies loses who were on a 12 game losing streak?

#5 Giants will try it all over again as they host the San Diego Padres Friday night at Oracle Park. The Padres will start Sean Manaea (2-3, 3.77) and for the Giants Jakob Junis (1-1, 1.74) first pitch at Oracle 7:15 pm PDT.

Daniel does the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants Good Again in 2022, Just Not In the Manner They Were Good in 2021

by Morris Phillips

Expanded playoffs, universal designated hitters, shrinking batting averages and greater reliance on relief pitchers. Seemingly, all of baseball’s newest machinations favor the Giants and their preferred methods of competing.

Currently the Giants are bundled with three other NL clubs (Dodgers, Mets, Brewers) at the top of the standings in the first season in which six teams will qualify for postseason play in both leagues. No more roll of the dice in a Wild Card game means no one goes home after an initial, bad playoff game. When you’ve got a great shot to be in, it’s even better if you can’t all of a sudden be out.

Throughout baseball, batting averages are down, as is scoring. Trying to buck that trend are the Giants with their .248 team batting average, well above the .235 number that this season is considered average among the 30 teams. The Giants also are averaging 5.11 runs per game, which trails only the Dodgers. But those key metrics don’t mean that individual sluggers on the team haven’t had their struggles. Benefitting the Giants of course, is their philosophy to seek game-altering extra-base hits and homers at the expense of on-base percentage and playing the old-school, station-to-station game.

Given that, the Giants still draw their walks (ranking second with 144 free passes), utilize the sacrifice fly (they rank first with 20), and steal bases consistently, if not frequently with 21 steals and only six caught stealing situations. Those numbers weigh heavier given that the Giants aren’t a record-breaking, home run-hitting club this season with only 40 hit so far.

What they do is hit more than their opponent by a nice margin augmented by their league-low 26 home runs allowed. And when those home runs are hit, it’s usually in a close, low-scoring game. That combination, as it was in 2021, is a real weapon for the Giants: they win close games.

A major piece of that formula is the team’s bullpen which is currently loaded with standouts from closer Camilo Doval with seven saves to Taylor Rogers, John Brebbia and Jarlin Garcia as the key, setup options. With so many returners from last season in the team’s bullpen, comparisons are easy. And so far, this year’s group’s been that much better than last’s.

The Giants have won 8 of 11 leading into Friday night’s meeting with the Padres. In the coming weeks the Giants will see the Padres, Mets and the Dodgers, teams they need to measure themselves against in preparation for a possible, postseason appearance.

On Friday, Jakob Junis gets the starting nod in a matchup with San Diego’s Sean Manaea.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants open three game series against Manaea and Padres Friday night at Oracle

Colorado Rockies rookie catcher Brian Serven flies out in the bottom of the fifth inning at Coors Field against San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb on Wed May 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 Michael, talk about how disappointed San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb had to be retiring 16 straight Colorado Rockie batters after giving up two runs in the first inning in seven plus innings of work in a 5-3 final. Reliever Jose Alvarez allowed two runs in relief for the loss.

#2 The Rockies CJ Cron broke the 3-3 deadlock with a two run homer it was a monster shot 454 feet in the eighth inning and helped hand the Rockies their first win after losing 12 straight games to the Giants. What are some of the successes the Giants have over the Rockies and how big a role did the Cron home run have in changing the direction of the game.

#3 Michael what was the pitch that Alvarez to Cron for the home run and did it seem like Alvarez struggled or did the Rockies just see some good pitches to hit off him.

#4 Rockies rookie catcher Brian Serven on his first big league pitch fouled the ball behind home plate where his family was sitting. The ball was picked up by a fan and the Rockies communications department traded the ball for a signed Brendan Rogers signed ball and Serven’s parents Jim and Laura received the foul ball. For Serven that had to be a special at bat to foul one off and his parents get the ball back.

#5 The Giants have Thursday off and will host the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park on Friday night at 7:15pm PDT. The Padres will start LHP Sean Manaea (2-3 ERA 3.77) and he’ll be opposed by Giants RHP Jakob Junis (1-1 ERA 1.74). How do you see this match up Friday night?

Join Michael for the Giants podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants, Webb run out of steam and blow their lead in a 5-3 loss to the Rockies

By Morris Phillips

As often happens, the decision to lift an effective, but laboring starting pitcher can be agonizing.

The decision to remove Logan Webb in the eighth inning on Wednesday was a no-win for the Giants and manager Gabe Kapler. Literally.

Trailing 3-2 to the Giants, and facing the likelihood of a record, 13th consecutive loss to their division rivals, the host Rockies rallied with three runs to gain a critical 5-3 win.

Connor Joe drew a leadoff walk against Webb, ending his streak of 16 consecutive, retired hitters, and that opened the door for Colorado. With Webb at 100 pitches, Kapler decided to remove his starter for reliever Jose Alvarez.

“After the second, which I thought was the more challenging inning, (Webb) was as good as we saw last year,” Kapler said. “This is a very, very challenging place to pitch into the eighth inning. I thought it was one of the better performances in recent memory for Logan.”

It also wasn’t the spot to lean heavily on his ace, thought Kapler. This early in the season, and with an effective bullpen cast ready to go. A two-run lead also provided Alvarez, who hadn’t given up a home run in more than 56 innings of work, a nice cushion.

But Charlie Blackmon sacrificed Joe to second, Yonathan Daza followed with an RBI single and C.J. Cron gave the Rockies a two-run lead with his long home run off Alvarez.

“We’d done a nice job up until that point with Cron,” Kapler said. “He hasn’t taken his best swings against us, which I think is a positive for our pitching staff. It’s really tough to fall behind him. He then is able to sit on a pitch like he did right there, and look, he’s one of the better right-handed hitters in baseball.”

Tyler Kinley retired the Giants in the eighth, and Daniel Bard recovered from a blown save on Monday to get the visitors out in the ninth, ending an agonizing slide for the Rockies, who were also trying to avoid a fourth straight loss overall.

The Giants concluded their road swing with a 3-3 record through Denver and St. Louis. They open a homestand on Friday night against the Padres.

Mike Yastrzemski had an RBI single on Wednesday and Austin Slater and Darin Ruf contributed run scoring, sacrifice flies. Ruf put the Giants in front in the fourth, and Webb cruised into the eighth. But it wasn’t enough to earn the Giants a sweep.

Sean Manaea gets the start for San Diego on Friday, and Jakob Junis goes for the Giants as they continue to utilize a bullpen strategy in the absence of injured starter Anthony DeSclafani.

Giants win 10-7 Coors Field slugfest over Rockies

San Francisco Giants hitter Tommy La Stella takes Colorado Rockies pitcher Chad Kuhl deep in the first inning at Coors Field in Denver on Tue May 17, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Tommy La Stella made his return to the San Francisco starting lineup a memorable one on Tuesday, as the Giants held on for a 10-7 win over Colorado in Denver.

The wild 3-hour, 40-minute win was the Giants’ 12th straight over an opponent, going back to last season. This streak equals the team’s longest winning streak over an opponent since the New York Giants defeated Philadelphia 12 consecutive times in 1945 and 1946.

Eight of the Giants’ 12 wins against Colorado have been at Coors Field.

La Stella, who was on the injured list with an Achilles injury, opened the game with a 464-foot home run to right off Rockies starter Chad Kuhl to lead off the game. It was La Stella’s sixth career leadoff home run – his fourth as a Giant.

The Giants’ bats didn’t stop there. In the second, Brandon Crawford tripled and scored on a throwing error. In the top o the third, Mike Yastrzemski hit a two-run double, and Darin Ruf and Thairo Estrada added RBI singles. In the top of the fourth, Ruf struck again with a two-run double.

Run-scoring singles by Crawford and Estrada in the sixth made it 10-2 in favor of the Giants.
San Francisco’s 10-2 lead after 5½ innings began to evaporate in the bottom of the sixth, when the Rockies scored five times.

After C.J. Cron and Ryan McMahon delivered RBI singles, Randal Grichuk capped the rally with a three-run homer to left, pulling the Rox to within 10-7.

Despite being responsible for all seven of Colorado’s runs, Alex Cobb (3-1) picked up the win, despite giving up 10 hits and a walk. The Giants’ bullpen delivered 3 2/3 shutout innings to preserve the win.

John Brebbia, Tyler Rogers and Dominic Leone shut down Colorado on a collective two hits, and Camilo Doval struck out one and walked two in a scoreless ninth to earn his seventh save.
Kuhl (3-2) gave up six runs – five of them earned – in three innings.

La Stella and Crawford were 3-for-5 as the Giants collected 14 hits. Cron was 3-for-5 to lead the Rockies’ 12-hit attack.

The Giants and Rockes wrap up their three-game set on Wednesday afternoon. Logan Webb (5-1, 3.48) starts for San Francisco, facing Colorado starter Kyle Freeland (1-4, 4.91). First pitch is at 11:10 PDT.

Yaz Strikes Late: Big home run in the ninth gets Giants past the Rockies, 7-6

By Morris Phillips

Game deciding home runs look great and feel even better. Ask Mike Yastrzemski.

That felt really good,” said Yastrzemski of his ninth inning blast that broke a 6-6 tie in Denver on Monday night. “Just really trying to get a pitch to drive and elevate, and I got one.”

The Giants had an awful weekend in St. Louis, losing Saturday and Sunday without putting forth much resistance. The Rockies had an awful week, bringing their fast start to the season to a grinding halt. On Monday, both teams were desperate to change their storylines.

For the Rockies to be the club to rebound closer Daniel Bard would have needed a better executed pitch against Yastrzemski. It wasn’t and Bard was saddled with a blown save for the second, straight day after allowing two late runs to the Royals on Sunday.

“It was a breaking ball, probably middle-in, and probably not down enough,” Black said. “It looked to be middle-down, on the inside part of the plate and he kind of golfed it.”

Golf or baseball, Yaz looked good rounding the bases, part of his personal resurgence after he was infrequently in the lineup in last year’s postseason.

Neither starting pitcher lasted long on Monday, and the Rockies’ Antonio Senzatela departed with an injury in the second inning. Alex Wood didn’t survive a rough, fifth inning that saw the Rockies cut into the Giants 4-1 lead. That stuff happens at Coors Field, leaving the game decision up to both bullpen and whatever hitters can supply late-game dramatics. Yastrzemski, preceded by Curt Casali, who homered twice in the game, were the guys for San Francisco.

Casali homered in the third and the fifth innings to give the Giants their 4-1 lead. It marked just the third multi-homer game of his career that’s been built on catching and defense.

“It’s one of those stretches where I just feel good at the plate right now,” Casali said. “I work hard on defense, and that’s always a constant for me, and sprinkle in some offense here and there. It’s nice to drive in some runs and score some runs. It’s fun, that’s all I can say.”

John Brebbia and Camilo Doval closed the door for the Giants in the eighth and ninth after Tyler Rogers allowed a pair of game-tying runs in the seventh.

Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt had rough nights going hitless with a combined five strikeouts. Joc Pederson was 0 for 3 in the three spot in the batting order, and Tommy La Stella was hitless in his only at-bat before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. It was La Stella’s anticipated, season debut after injuries shelved him out of spring training.

Alex Cobb and Colorado’s Chad Kuhl are the announced starters for Tuesday’s game two of the three-game set.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants leave St Louis after getting clobbered 15-6; SF to open 3 game series in Colorado tonight

Pitching for the first time in his 22 year career and tying the record for oldest player to pitch a MLB game St Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols picks up a ninth inning save against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium in St Louis (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 St Louis Cardinal pitcher Albert Pujols shut the door on the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Pujols who pitched in the top of the ninth inning giving up a three run homer to Luis Gonzalez and Joey Bart hit a solo home run still the Pujols and the Cardinals had plenty of room as Pujols retired the next three batter for a 15-6 win.

#2 After playing in the majors for 22 years Pujols never pitched and said after the game that it was a dream to pitch in the majors and he pulled it off.

#3 Pujols said he loved pitching that inning except giving up the two home runs to Gonzalez and Bart. Saying  “It was fun. It wasn’t fun giving up two bombs. I think the fans had a good time. I’m sure the guys that took me deep did, too.”

#4 Just a baseball fun fact Morris, Pujols became the oldest player to pitch since Lena Blackburne who did it at 42 years old in 1929 for the Chicago White Sox.

#5 The Giants open up a three game series in Colorado tonight starting pitcher for the Giants LHP Alex Wood (3-2 ERA 3.60) and for the Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (2-2 ERA 4.88) a 5:40 pm PDT first pitch.

Join Morris for the Giants podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com