Tag: San Francisco Giants

Phillies Level Series Beating San Francisco 6-4; SF’s Verlander continues to struggle giving up 8 hits and 4 earned runs

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San Francisco Giants starter Justin Verlander (42) deals to the Philadelphia Phillies line up in the last of the first inning at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Tue Apr 15, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Philadelphia Phillies (10-7) evened up the four game series at 1-1 with the San Francisco Giants (12-5) winning game two 6-4 at Citizens Bank Ballpark. San Francisco had a bit of a rally in the eighth inning hitting three straight singles with no outs bringing one run in. It was Jackie Robinson Tribute night and every ball player wore number 42 in this one.

The Giants only scored the one run in an inning with not much possibility of a rally. It was a tough night for both teams with some crazy wind involvement that made this game very challenging.

The Phillies hit two homers in this game while the Giants were unable to hit any long balls. The Phillies had ten hits, the Giants had eight. Trailing 2-0 early in the game, the Giants tied the game in the fourth inning and went on to take the lead in the sixth before Philadelphia took the lead for the remainder of the game.

Game recap: The Phillies got on the board in the second inning taking a 2-0 lead. The first run was a J.T. Realmuto solo home run to left center and the early 1-0 lead. They would expand that lead off a Brandon Marsh sacrifice fly allowing Max Kepler to score from third base for a 2-0 lead.

As in their last series, San Francisco had been doing a great job coming from behind. In the fourth inning the Giants tied up this game 2-2. Casey Schmitt singled both Chapman from third and Wilmer Flores home from second for the tie. Both Chapman and Flores had stolen bases to get into scoring position. The Schmitt single could not have been timed more perfectly.

San Francisco would take the lead briefly 3-2 in the sixth inning. Wilmer Flores grounded out and Jung Hoo Lee scored from third base; on top of the Phillies for the first time in the game. That lead did not hold for long as the Phillies went on to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth. They not only tied the game but took the lead by inning’s end 4-3.

J.T. Realmuto singled driving Kyle Schwarber home for the 3-3 tie. They would follow that run up with another run to take the 4-3 lead. Bohm singled Castellanos home as the sixth inning came to an end.

The Phillies relief pitching was doing a great job in the sixth and seventh innings. In the seventh inning Jordan Romano closed out the top of the seventh three up and three down. They would be looking for some insurance runs and they got right on task.

The first at bat Bryson Stott tripled with Trea Turner and Bryce Harper to follow. Turner grounded out to shortstop for the first out but slugger Harper knocked the Phillies second home run of the game out of the park, a two run homer, giving the Phillies a 6-3 lead going into the eighth inning.

The Giants started a rally in the eighth inning hitting three singles in a row with no outs. Heliot Ramos, Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee all had hits. The Lee single drove Ramos home and the score was 6-4 in favor of the Phillies.

With one out San Francisco had runners at the corners. Wilmer Flores struck out and the Giants were down to their last out in the inning. Casey Schmitt almost hit a long one but came up just short, the ball caught deep in the warning track. San Francisco was oh so very close to taking the lead in this game.

San Francisco relief pitcher Spencer Bivens dismissed the Phillies three up and three down in the eighth inning giving the Giants a chance going into the ninth inning trailing 6-4. One of tougher pitchers in the league to hit came in to try and close for the Phillies Matt Strahm.

Mike Yastrzemski flied out, Patrick Bailey struck out and San Francisco was down to their final out. Tyler Fitzgerald popped out and that was the ball game the final score of 6-4 with the Phillies leveling the series.

Justin Verlander went 5.2 innings allowing eight hits and four earned runs walking three with only one strikeout. Relief pitcher Hayden Birdsong had a struggle allowing two hits, two runs, and one walk in the seventh inning.

Game notes: The Giants took on the Phillies in game two of their series Tuesday amid some very gusty conditions as a cold front blew through at the start of the game and dissipated as quickly as it came in. After a brief respite from the wind the gusty conditions came back and remained throughout the game.

This was another game with great attendance for Philadelphia 38,119 on Tuesday after Monday night’s game with 40,636 fans watching the Giants beat the Phillies 10-4.

The Phillies got a more productive game today with a two run win over San Francisco. Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo 5.1 innings, five hits and three earned runs, and struck out four hitters. Giants starter Justin Verlander had another tough start this time surrendering eight hits and four runs in 5.2 innings of work.

Game three in this four game series will get underway with first pitch scheduled for 3:45 PM PDT Wednesday. Robbie Ray will take the mound for San Francisco with a ( 3-0, 2.93 ERA). The Phillies are slated to start Aaron Nola with a (0-3, 5.51 ERA).

Three Homers A Huge Part of Giants Win In Game One Vs Phillies 10-4

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San Francisco Giants Landen Roupp delivers a pitch to the Philadelphia Phillies line up in the bottom of the first inning at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Mon Apr 14, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (12-4) got off to a great start in their series with the Philadelphia Phillies (9-7) winning game one 10-4. The Giants knocked three balls out of the park off the bats of Tyler Fitzgerald, Willy Adames and Mike Yastrzemski. Beside the home run, Fitzgerald had two additional hits and San Francisco had gotten off to a great start in this series.

Game wrap: It was a hot start for the home team as the Phillies took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Trea Turner doubled Bryson Stott home for the early 1-0 lead. They built on that lead off a Nick Castellanos single driving Turner home extending their lead 2-0.

The Phillies finished off the inning with another run when Max Kepler grounded into a fielder’s choice to third and Kyle Schwarber scored. With the 3-0 Philadelphia lead the Giants had some work to do and they got on it early.

San Francisco got going in the second inning after a quiet start in the first inning. The hit-a-thon got underway with a Wilmer Flores single driving Heliot Ramos home followed by Patrick Bailey grounding into a fielder’s choice and LaMonte Wade scoring on a Philly error.

With the score 3-2 in favor of Philadelphia, the home runs starting flying out of the park, the first one a Tyler Fitzgerald shot to left with Flores and Bailey on base. Their second home run of the second inning was an Willy Adames hit to right center, a solo, and the Giants had taken a 6-3 lead.

Neither team would score until the bottom of the fifth inning; a Philly solo home run off the bat of Nick Castellanos, and the Phillies continued to trail going into the sixth inning 6-4 but they had made up a little ground.

Giant pitcher Landon Roupp finished the game going five innings allowing six hits, four runs, three walks and eight strikeouts. Roupp was relieved in the sixth inning by Randy Rodriguez. Erik Miller took over on the mound in the seventh inning.

San Francisco created a little more breathing room in the the top of the seventh inning keeping the Phillies at bay and taking an 8-4 lead. Mike Yastremski hit the Giants third home run of the game with Tyler Fitzgerald on base.

San Francisco already had nine hits through seven innings. The top of the Philly batting order came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Brice Harper singled and a Castellanos walk gave the Phillies an opening with two outs.

The Phillies had left a lot of runners on base so far in this game and they continued on this path to close out the inning leaving Harper and Castellanos stranded. San Francisco relief pitcher Erik Miller had gotten out of a sticky situation going into the eighth inning.

Tyler Rogers came in from the bullpen taking over to start the bottom of the eighth inning. It was a Tyler Rogers kind of inning; three up three down and the Giants were three outs away from winning game one of the series.

San Francisco added to their lead in the top of the ninth inning. Mike Yastrzemski doubled Fitzgerald home and the Giants extended their already healthy lead to 9-4. Matt Chapman got another run batted in, Yastrzemski scoring, and with the lead 10-4 in favor of the Giants, the Phillies had one more chance in the bottom of the ninth.

San Francisco was three outs away from winning game one of the series. Camilo Doval closed the game with a three up three down inning to finish off the Phillies 10-4. The Giants are now 8-2 on the road.

Game notes: After winning their series over the weekend against the New York Yankees, the Giants were back on the field Monday taking on the Phillies. This series got underway in much more temperate conditions than in New York, a welcome relief for San Francisco and also welcomed by the fans.

The stadium was buzzing with 40,000 plus fans on a Monday night. The Phillies had lost their weekend series to the St. Louis Cardinals. In Monday’s matchup, the Giants sent Landon Roupp who pitched five innings and gave up six hits and four runs struck out eight hitters. For the Phillies Taijuan Walker pitched five innings, giving up six hits and four runs and five strike outs.

Giants and Phils do it again in game two of the series with starting pitcher for San Francisco starter Justin Verlander RHP 0-0 ERA 6.92 he’ll be opposed by the Phillies starter LHP Jesus Luzardo (2-0 ERA 1.50). First pitch for this game is scheduled for 3:45 PM PDT at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

SF’s Jung Hoo takes NY’s Rondon deep twice; Giants Take Series Over Yankees Winning 5-4

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San Francisco Giants Jung Hoo Lee is psyched after hitting a three run home run in the top of the sixth innings against the New York Yankees at Yankees Stadium on Sun Apr 13, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (11-4) got a series win off the New York Yankees (8-7) in game three of their series winning 5-4 now with an 11-4 season record. Jung Hoo Lee had a terrific game hitting not one but two home runs, the first a solo shot and the second a three run home run.

He has been probably the most exciting player to take the field this year along with Wilmer Flores who was great in the game two of the series. Ryan Walker closed out the game beautifully dismissing Aaron Judge for the third out in the ninth inning.

Game recap: The Yankees got a hot start scoring three runs in the first and second innings. In the first inning, Paul Goldschmidt singled Aaron Judge home for the 1-0 first inning lead. New York extended their lead in the second inning with two additional runs.

J.C. Escarra doubled Jasson Dominguez home followed by a single off the bat of Ben Rice driving Escarra home for a 3-0 Yankee lead. New York was off and running.

San Francisco had been quiet in the first three innings able to contact the Carlos Rodon pitches although those hits didn’t have a lot of mustard on them. The Yankees were handling business in the outfield.

The Giants figured him out in the fourth inning and they did not look back. The ever consistent Jung Hoo Lee hammered a solo home run to right centerfield and San Francisco was on the board 3-1.

In the sixth inning, Lee hit his second home run, again to right centerfield, but this time Christian Koss and Willy Adames were on base and San Francisco had taken the lead 4-3 after having trailed 3-0 in the early innings.

The Yankees starting pitcher Rodon was relieved after 5.2 innings. To start the sixth inning, Rodon began to falter giving up an infield single, an Adames walk, a second Lee three run home run and another walk putting Matt Chapman on base.

Mark Leiter Jr. took over on the mound getting out of the inning. Rodon got through 5.2 innings allowing three hits, four earned runs, three walks with eight strikeouts in a mixed bag.

The Giants got an insurance run in seventh inning when Yankee first baseman Goldschmidt had a fielding error and Casey Schmitt scored giving San Francisco a 5-3 lead. The Giants had only four hits so far in the game but they were walked five times but gave them a real advantage.

San Francisco threatened in the eighth but came away empty leaving runners on second and third base. Lee and Chapman both walked but the Giants couldn’t get the hit to bring them home.

Wilmer Flores struck out, Mike Yastrzemski grounded out and Schmitt struck out; it remained a two run game. The Yankee’s went on to make it interesting in the bottom of the eighth inning when Jazz Chisholm Jr hit a solo home run making it a one run game 5-4 in favor of San Francisco.

San Francisco couldn’t get anything going in the top of the ninth inning. Patrick Bailey and Christian Koss both struck out and Heliot Ramos grounded out. The Yankee had one inning left to turn this game around with Austin Wells at the plate with the possible tying run.

Ben Rice and Aaron Judge would follow him. Wells flied out and Rice grounded out to third. Judge came to the plate New York’s last hope to at least tie up this game. With the count 2-2 closer Ryan Walker finished off Judge striking him out and San Francisco had taken the series winning this game 5-4.

San Francisco pitcher Logan Webb got his second win of the season now with a 2-0 record. He went five innings allowing five hits, three earned runs and five strikeouts.

Game Notes: Sunday afternoon the Giants played the Yankees in game three of their rubber matchup.

In game one the Giants dominated New York in a rain-soaked Yankee Stadium 9-1 which was called in the sixth inning on Friday.

Saturday the Yankees leveled the series winning in dominant fashion 8-4.

Sunday both teams were looking for a win in the series. Both teams had dominant wins in their respective games and this game was a good one. The crowd looked different Sunday with the absence of rain slickers and inclement weather gear. This was a much more comfortable day for everyone in the stands and on the field with no rain in the forecast.

It is now off to Philadelphia for a four-game series that begins Monday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 3:45 PM PDT. Landen Roupp (0-1 ERA 3.60) will be on the mound for the Giants and the Phillies will send Taijuan Walker (1-0 ERA 0.00) for the first game of the series.

Yankees Even Series Beating Giants 8-4

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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.

Giants Beat Yankees in a Rain-Soaked Yankee Stadium 9-1

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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.

San Francisco Giants podcast Morris Phillips: It’s off to the Big Apple as SF opens 3 game set with Yankees

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Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees will host the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium in New York on Fri Arp 11, 2025 to open a three game series (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast Morris Phillips:

#1 San Francisco Giant Mike Yastrzemski’s two run home run in the bottom of the tenth inning got the Giants a 8-6 win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park on Wednesday afternoon.

#2 The Giants Jung Hoo Lee got three hits which included a triple and a double. Lee’s hitting also help pace the Giants down from five runs to comeback for the win.

#3 The Giants Wilmer Flores jumped into the act as well with three hits and a home run. Flores has been clutch so far in this early part of the season.

#4 Morris, big win for San Francisco as they avoided getting swept in the series.

#5 The Giants open a three game series at Yankee Stadium in New York on Friday night. Look out for those scary torpedo bats. San Francisco will be starting Robbie Ray (2-0, ERA 3.18) for the New York Yankees Davis Martin (0-1 ERA 5.73) for a 4:05pm PDT first pitch. Giants and Yankees Morris will be it one of those classic match ups.

Join Morris Phillips for the San Francisco Giants podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Yaz walks it off, as Giants overcome their 2025 kryptonite with thrilling 8-6 comeback win over Reds

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San Francisco Giant Casey Schmitt (10) gives teammate Mike Yastrzemski (left) the Gatorade shower after Yastrzemski’s walk off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Apr 9, 2025 (San Francisco Giants X photo)

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Oracle Park

Cincinnati Reds 6 (5-8)

San Francisco Giants 8 (9-3)

Win: Erik Miller (1-0)

Loss: Emilio Pagan (0-1)

Time: 2:41

Attendance: 35,186

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants avoided the sweep with a thrilling come-from-behind win, as they came back from down 6-1 to beat the Reds 8-6 on a 10th-inning walk-off home run by Mike Yastrzemski

The Reds have seemed to be the Giants’ kryptonite early this season. They shut out the Giants in the first two games of this series, and they have been responsible for all three of the Giants’ losses so far this season.’

Wednesday, the Giants not only needed a win to avoid the sweep, but they needed a win to avoid having a three-game snide going into what is going to be a tough road trip through New York and Philadelphia.

Justin Verlander made his third start of the season, and he was hoping to fare better than he did in his last start in the home opener against the Mariners on Friday, in which he only lated two and a third innings.

We got vintage Verlander over the first two innings, as he retired the first six men he faced, and struck out the side in the top of the second inning. He struck out four in total over the first two innings

However, in the top of the third, it was a different story. After getting Spencer Steer to pop out to second for the first out of the inning, things got rough for Verlander. It started with a walk to Jake Fraley, who was the first base-runner for either team. Former Giant Austin Wynn then singled to left field to put runners on first and second with one out for the top of the Reds’ lineup.

TJ Friedl came up and hit a double off the bricks in right, which knocked in Fraley for the first run of the game, and got Wynns over to third. Santiago Espinal reached on a swinging bunt to third, and that brought up the Reds’ exciting young phenom, Elly De La Cruz.

Of course De La Cruz had to do damage, as he hit a chopper over LaMonte Wade Jr. at first down the right field line for a two-bagger, and that scored a pair to make it 3-0. Former Dodger Gavin Lux then hit a ground ball off the glove of the diving second-baseman, Tyler Fitzgerald, who along with the rest of the infield was playing in, and another two runs scored to make it 5-0.

Reds’ starter Nick Martinez also set down the first six hitters he faced. The Giants finally got in the hit column with a two-out double by Fitzgerald in the bottom of the third, but Wade grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Giants finally got on the board for the first time in this series in the bottom of the fourth. Willy Adames drew a lead-off walk, and Jung Hoo Lee brought him in with a triple down the right field line to make it 5-1. The Giants had a golden opportunity to get right back into this game, but Lee was thrown out at the plate on a ground ball off the bat of Heliot Ramos, and they had to settle for just the run.

The good news was that there were still five innings of baseball left, and the Giants have had a propensity for coming back here in the early part of the season.

Meanwhile, Verlander settled back down and threw two more 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth. The Reds would get one more run off Verlander in the top of the sixth, though it came on a walk to Wynns issued by Lou Trivino, who had just come into the game for Verlander.

Despite giving up six runs over five and two thirds innings, Verlander was fairly strong. If you take out the ugly top of the third, he was frankly dominant. Nothing said that more than his nine strikeouts, and no one believed it more than his skipper, Bob Melvin.

“[Verlander was] incredibly unlucky,” said Melvin. “His stuff was good the whole game today. I don’t think there was one ball hit [other than] Frito’s ball. To be able to finish the inning was huge.”

It was only a matter of time before the Giants would stage a rally to get back into the game. Even when they were shut out in the first two games of this series, they never gave up and kept hitting the ball hard.

That rally would come in the bottom of the sixth. Lee singled to right to lead off the inning. Matt Chapman and Heliot Ramos both struck out, but Mike Yastrzemski lined a double to right to move Lee over to third. A wild pitch from Martinez made it 6-2, and then Wilmer Flores lined a base hit the other way to right to make it 6-3 and put the Giants right back in the game.

Left-hander Taylor Rogers was summoned by Reds Manager Terry Francona to try and put out the fire. Rogers was greeted by his former battery mate, Patrick Bailey, who lined a triple to right to make it 6-4. Tyler Fitzgerald then lined an opposite-field base-hit to right to make it 6-5.

Randy Rodriguez held down the fort with a scoreless top of the seventh, and then the Giants wasted a leadoff double by Lee in the bottom of the seventh. By the way, for those of you keeping track, that was the third leg of the cycle for Lee. The only leg missing was the home run.

The other Rogers twin, Tyler, struck out the side in a 1-2-3 top of the eighth for the Giants. The first man to strike out in the inning was Will Benson, who took home the golden sombrero with his fourth strikeout in his 2025 debut.

Wilmer Flores then stepped in against Tony Santillan to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and on the very first pitch, Flores tied the game with a home run down the left field line. It was Wilmer’s fifth home run of the year, and he now has more home runs just two weeks into this season than he had all of last season.

Melvin brought in his closer, Ryan Walker, who threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth. Ian Gibaut did the same for Cincinnati in the bottom of the ninth, and we were going to extras for some Manfred Ball.

Erik Miller survived the ghost runner in the top of the tenth, and the Giants looked to win the game against Emilio Pagan in the bottom of the tenth. Heliot Ramos moved Chapman, who was the Giants’ ghost runner to third, and that brought up Mike Yastrzemski.

It turns out the Giants would not even need the ghost runner, as Yastrzemski launched the first pitch he saw into McCovey Cove to win it, and the Comeback Kids did it again. For Yastrzemski, it was his fifth-career walk-off home run, and his third into the water.

The Giants are now 9-3, and they got the massive win they needed going into what is going to be a tough three-city road trip through the Bronx, Philadelphia and Anaheim.

“It’s amazing, [and] about as much as I’ve ever had on the baseball field right now,” said Yastrzemski. “[It’s] an unbelievable group. Even when things got tough the last two days where we didn’t score any runs, we’re still here having fun. We’re smiling, we’re not letting [the losses] affect us, and I think that these are learning curves even for veteran guys. You see how hard it is to win a big league game, and we need to enjoy it every time we do.”

Erik Miller got the win, and Emilio Pagan took the loss.

The Giants have gotten off to this 9-3 start against three solid teams, and they will now be tested against two powerhouses in the Yankees and Phillies in their ballparks. This weekend will be a battle of old school baseball and new age analytics, as the Giants and their pitching staff will be up against Jazz Chisholm, Anthony Volpe, Giancarlo Stanton and the other Yankees using the abomination known as the torpedo bat.

The Giants will begin the road trip on Friday night at Yankee Stadium with left-hander Robby Ray (2-0, 3.18 ERA) on the mound. Opposing Ray for the Yankees will be Marcus Stroman (0-0, 7.27 ERA). First pitch will be at 7:05 p.m. in the Bronx, and 4:05 p.m PDT in San Francisco.

Giants News and Notes:

Yastrzemski walk-off was the 106th splash hit in the history of Oracle Park, and the fifth walk-off splash hit.

Barry Bonds hit the first off of left-hander Ray King of the Braves at then-Pacific Bell Park on Aug. 19, 2003. Brandon Crawford did so against the Rockies on April 13, 2014, and Yastrzemski hit his other two, both against the Padres, on July 29, 2020 and June 19, 2023.

SF Giants game wrap: Lodolo and Reds shutout Giants for second night in row in 1-0 win

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Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo (40) delivers to the San Francisco Giants line up at Oracle Park on Tue Apr 8, 2025 (AP News photo)

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

Cincinnati (5-7). 001 000 000. 1. 8 1

San Francisco (8-3).000 000 000. 0 4 0

Time: 2:05

Attendance:30,261

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–For the second night in a row, the fans at Oracle Park were treated to a nail-biter of a pitchers’ duel. I was going to call it a classical one, but that would have required that both pitchers stay in the game for more than six innings. But you take what you get, and Tuesday night’s five moundsmen gave us plenty, a Cincy’s Nick Lodolo, Graham Ashcraft, and Emilio Pagán combined to defeat San Francisco’s Landen Roupp and Hayden Birdsong, 1-0.

Lodolo, who earned his second win and one setback allowed three hits, a walk, and a balk over six frames, brought his ERA down to 0.96. He threw 87 pitches, 51 of which were balls, to the 23 batters he faced. Ashcraft took care of the Giants in the next two frames, surrendering a leadoff single to Sam Huff in the eighth before he was erased by Héliot Ramos hitting into a U4-3 double play. The Reds’ righty reliever then fanned Willly Adames. Pagán set Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, and Wilmer Flores down in order, to earn his second save of the season.

Roupp calls Logan Webb, the tough luck loser of Monday’s razor thin loss to the Rhinelanders, his best friend on the team. The rookie, who hails from Rocky Mount, NC, the home of Hall of Famer Buck Leonard, had nothing to be ashamed of in his performance, gave up the visitors’ only tally.

It came in the top of third on a lead off double by Spencer Steer, who advanced to third on Jake Fraley’s single to center, and scored on TJ Friedle’s ground out to third. The young hurler allowed seven safeties, chalked up four strike outs, and didn’t walk anyone, He left with a record of 0-1, 3.60. Birdsong threw three shutout innings, in which he walked one and struck out two. He has yet to give up an earned run this season.

The Giants will try to salvage one game of this series 12:45 tomorrow, Wednesday, afternoon. Nick Martínez (0-2,5.91) will go against fellow righty Justin Verlander (0-0,6.14).

San Francisco Giants podcast Michael Duca: Reds Greene was just unhittable against Giants on Monday

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Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene (right) leaves the mound after missing a complete game by one batter against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco. (AP News photo)

On SF Giants podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene pitched himself a gem on Monday night at Oracle Park going 8.2 innings, four hits, no runs, seven strike outs and one walk.

#2 Greene came one out from completing the game and it was an classic National League pitching duel between Greene and San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb both All Stars.

#3 This Giants line up are one of the best offenses in MLB they came in winning eight of their last nine games and it seemed like no one was going to stop them. But Michael isn’t you who came up with the phrase good pitching beats good hitting everytime?

#4 The Giants had that good run with a seven game win streak and it had shades of a team put together from the days of those post season teams of 2010-2014 how do you compare them?

#5 Reds and Giants get after it again tonight here at Oracle Park. Starting pitcher for the Reds Nick Lodolo 1-1 ERA 1.42 he’ll match up against the Giants starter Landen Roupp 0-0 ERA 6.75 for a 6:45pm first pitch. Talk about how you see this match up and who do you like in this one?

Michael Duca is a MLB podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Good pitching by Reds Greene snaps SF’s 7 game win streak in 2-0 shutout

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Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene threw a gem against the San Francisco Giants and was one out away from a complete game at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Mon Apr 7, 2025 (AP News photo)

Cincinnati (4-7)            000 000 020    2  5   0

San Francisco (8-2)     000 000 000    0  4   0

Time: 2:09             Attendance: 30,328

Monday, April 7, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Don’t look now, but your San Francisco Giants took the field this chilly Monday evening leading the National League western division. They’ve even been getting hits with runners in score position, if you’re willing to overlook that 11 inning marathon of frustration that was last Friday’s Alphonse and Gaston routine against the Mariners. 

But there weren’t all that many Giant baserunners to be stranded in Monday night’s 2-0 loss to  the Cincinnati Reds . The home team left a total of five on base for the game, three of them in the ninth, and the first of them got on with two outs. 

Logan Webb, Esef’s starting and winning pitcher in their Great American Ballpark season opener on March 27, shut out the Rhinelanders for seven innings by the shores of McCovey Cove, holding them to four hits without granting them a free pass but notching seven Ks. 66 of his pitches qualified as strikes. His performance lowered his ERA to 1.89.

Logan was followed by Camilo Doval, who promptly walked Spencer Steel and plunked Jacob Hurtubise, a last minute replacement for Jake Fraley. José Treviño laid down a sacrifice bunt,  and that was it for the Giants’ one time ballyhooed closer.

Erik Miller walked TJ Friedl to load the bases. Blake Dunn smacked a double into the right field corner, driving in Spencer and Hurtubise with what proved to be the only tallies of the game. Miller then wisely granted Elly De La Cruz an intentional walk and retired Gavin on a called third strike.  At this point, Lou Trivino replaced Miller and ended the inning by getting Christian Encarnacion-Strand to fly out to right.

San Francisco made a valiant attempt to bounce back in the home half of the ninth. LaMonte Wade, Jr., and Willy Adames went down quickly. But 이정후, known to Giant fans as Jung Hoo Lee, extended his base reaching stretch to niine games with a single to right center, which, along with  two brilliant catches, one in the first and another in the fifth, were bright spots in an otherwise disappointing night for the Gints. A walk to Matt Chapman put the potential tying run on a base, and drove the Redleg starter, Hunter Greene, from that mound. Tony Santillán retired Héctor Ramos on a line drive to left to end it all.

Greene got the well deserved win, bringing his record to 1-1,1.32. He toiled 8-2/3 frames and threw 104 pitches, 76 for strikes, allowing but four hits, one walk, and a wild pitch, while striking out seven opponents. One of those four hits was the 100th of Tyler Fitzgerald’s big league career.

Tuesday, the teams will pick up where they left off, in the second game of this three game series. Reds Southpaw Nick  Lodolow (1-1 ERA 1.42) will be on the bump for the Reds, and righty Landon Roupp (0-0,6.75) will toe the rubber for the Giants.