Giants blank D'backs

SF 5  ARI 0

Logan Webb gave up hits to the first two batters he faced tonight and then got 19 straight outs (a career high). After a one-out walk in the 7th he picked that guy off and then got the final out of the inning. Giants win two in a row for only the second time this season. And they get their first shutout. A sacrifice fly from LaMonte Wade, Jr. in the 3rd scored Patrick Bailey (who had doubled) with the game's first run. It stayed 1-0 until the 8th when the Giants finally broke through. A pinch-hit double from Wilmer Flores to score two was the big blow, and Mike Yastrzemski added a two-out hit for two more.

Webb whiffed five to go along with 13 groundouts. Tyler Rogers pitched a scoreless 8th and Ryan Walker struck out the side in the 9th for a satisfying win against a key division foe. The two teams now have identical 9-11 records.

Blake Snell matches up with Jordan Montgomery tomorrow night (7:15 PT). It's Montgomery's debut for Arizona. Snell's had two forgettable outings so far and everyone is eager to see something better.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants Win with Winn!

SF 3  MIA 1

Rookie Keaton Winn came into today's start with a 3.93 FIP against a 5.06 ERA (and 0-3 W-L record) which I think indicates he's pitched a little better than it looks. Today he got that elusive good result with a sterling six-inning effort that subdued the Marlins. His only blemish was a two-out, two-strike solo shot in the 6th from Bryan De La Cruz. He's Florida's DH and was seeing Winn for the third time. Winn threw 81 pitches to 21 batters, allowing four hits, one walk, and whiffing four. Whatever else happens in this season I'm excited by the young arms on the staff. Winn dropped his ERA by a run and picked up his first W. Rookie Erik Miller threw a scoreless 7th, Tyler Rogers ground-balled his way through the 8th, and Camilo Doval (he's only 26) had a dominant 9th for the save.

It was 1-1 when Winn left but the Giants scored a run in the 7th and another in the 8th to take the game and the series. The offense did just enough today to back up the strong start and solid relief.

Logan Webb (only 27) takes the hill at home against the Diamondbacks tomorrow night (6:45 PT).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

1st inning: 7-11

MIA 6  SF 3

1st inning: 7-11

Giants starter Jordan Hicks cruised through the first three frames before running into trouble in the 4th and giving up two runs. In the 5th he had to work hard to put up a zero and manager Bob Melvin chose to replace him in the 6th. It didn't work out. Ryan Walker and Taylor Rogers gave up a three-spot and that was the game. The Giants saw their 2-2 tie become a 5-2 deficit. Both teams scored in the 7th but the damage was done. The Giants will send out rookie Keaton Winn in the rubber match/getaway game scheduled for tomorrow morning (9:10 Pacific).

It has not been the early-season start that Giants fans were hoping for. The team has struggled to score runs—only 76 in 18 games for a paltry 4.22 rpg average. That sort of near-league average production works fine if you have a dominant pitching staff. But so far the hurlers are not clicking as a group. Overall the pitchers have allowed 90 runs which comes out to exactly 5.00 per game. Last time I checked 5.00 > 4.22 and that inequality needs to go the other way. You know, RS (runs scored) needs to be >>> than RA (runs allowed). It does seem that the fielding has been improved. Matt Chapman is certainly as good as advertised and Nick Ahmed and Jung-Hoo Lee have been solid defenders as well.

I feel like all the pieces are there for this to be a good team. But the April version of the club is what I will charitably call a "work in progress." There are 144 games left. That's plenty of time for the cold bats to warm up. And plenty of time for the rotation to come together and the 'pen to sort itself out.

The high-flying Dodgers are a mere 11-8 so the Giants are only 3-1/2 games back. The Padres (10-9) and Diamondbacks (8-9) aren't lighting the world on fire, either. Nothing a ten-game winning streak wouldn't cure!

--M.C.

Late rally lifts Giants

SF 4  MIA 3

This Giants team seems to have all the necessary parts but they don't quite add up yet. Tonight some pieces came together for a nail-biting win. Marlins starter Edwin Cabrera dazzled the Florida crowd with a 10-strikeout performance in his six innings. The Giants managed a run when Jung-Hoo Lee walked to lead off the 4th, moved to third on a single from Jorge Soler, and scored with two outs on a single from Michael Conforto. Otherwise the lineup was silent until the 7th. Lefty Kyle Harrison gave up three runs in the 2nd but held the Marlins in check through the 6th.

In the winning frame Thairo Estrada doubled with one out against reliever George Soriano and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Mike Yastrzemksi walked and Patrick Bailey made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly. A walk to Nick Ahmed followed and that was it for Soriano. Marlins manager Skip Schumacher went with lefty Andrew Nardi to face leadoff man Lee. It was a good battle and Lee fouled off several tough pitches before poking a single to left and tying the game. Wilmer Flores pinch-hit for LaMonte Wade, Jr. and singled to make it 4-3 Giants.

Tyler Rogers handled the 7th and Ryan Walker got the first two outs of the 8th. Manager Bob Melvin then appeared to signal for Camilo Doval but Taylor Rogers came out of the bullpen. He was stopped before taking the mound and the closer got the ball. Schumacher didn't seem to like that and he was tossed. Doval nonetheless came through with the four-out save and the Giants had a come-from-behind win.

Tomorrow's game is at 3:40 Pacific and Jordan Hicks will get the start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Bats back Webb for big win

SF 11  TB 2

After yesterday's discouraging loss the team rebounded with a sound thumping of the Rays. The lineup delivered a barrage of extra-base hits and the Giants cruised behind a stellar start from Logan Webb. I found myself thinking "who is our garbage time guy?" and it turned out to be Nick Avila. He gave up a run in the 8th. Erik Miller had a clean 9th.

Webb's line (7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 W, 4 K) included 12 groundouts with two double plays, one of which plated the only run he allowed. He threw 96 pitches (61 strikes) to 27 batters and earned his first W of the season.

LaMonte Wade, Jr. and Thairo Estrada continued their hot hitting. Wade is in a real good groove right now. His two-run shot in the 5th was the key blow. The team finished with 13 hits, five of which were doubles (Conforto, Lee, 2 by Bailey) and another five were homers (2 by Estrada, Wade, Soler, Chapman). When it rains, it pours. Let's hope this is a good sign and the Giants will get their offense going. Before today they managed only 54 runs in 14 games, a feeble 3.86 rpg.

Big-time FNG Blake Snell gets the start tomorrow morning (10:40 Pacific).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

That's a winning formula

SF 7  WSH 1

Let's see . . . combine great pitching with lots of run-scoring hits and . . . it's a win! This is a formula the Giants should get behind. Team MVP Jordan Hicks threw another good game. He's the best move of the off-season so far. Here's a piece on FanGraphs about the adjustments he's made to move from the bullpen to the starting rotation. Mostly, he's sacrificed some velocity on his big sinker to gain more command. And he's added a splitter. His career path is an unusual one and so far it is paying off for the Giants. I like rooting for this guy.

The youth brigade of Ryan Walker, Landen Roupp, and Erik Miller closed out the last three frames. They were overpowering. Hicks was pulled after six innings and 79 pitches—it was 6-1 by then. A solo homer from Joey Gallo was the only blemish. Speaking of homers, the Giants did not hit one. But they did steal three bases, two of those in one inning by rookie Tyler Fitzgerald. He and the other fellow at the bottom of the lineup (Nick Ahmed) combined for six hits, five runs scored, and three batted in.

Jung-Hoo Lee got the day off. He went through a long slump after a hot start. He had two hits yesterday but he is still making too many easy outs. I don't think he'd missed an inning of the first twelve games so this was a smart time to give him a break. There's an off-day tomorrow and then they go to Tampa Bay for three. Keaton Winn is scheduled for Friday at 3:50 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants eke out a win

SF 3  SD 2

Logan Webb gave up a lot of contact today—12 groundouts and 10 hits, nine of them singles—but didn't walk anyone and kept the ball in the yard. He got 21 outs and gave up two runs. It looked like that would be enough for San Diego to take the rubber match. But the over-matched Giants lineup got some help from Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim who made errors in the 6th and the 8th that led to runs. It was enough to overcome an otherwise feeble offensive effort.

A struggling Jung-Hoo Lee reached base leading off the 6th on Kim's first error, a bad throw. With the bases loaded and one out an infield chopper from Matt Chapman plated the run. In the 8th Wilmer Flores (pinch-hitting for LaMonte Wade, Jr.) singled with one out. Tyler Fitzgerald, pinch-running, raced to third on a blooper from Jorge Soler, just beating Fernando Tatis' throw. Michael Conforto hit a grounder to first and Jake Cronenworth stepped on the bag for the second out and threw to second for the tag play to end the inning. Kim then missed the ball for his second error. Fitzgerald scored and Soler, who never stopped running, made it to third. Giants finally had a little luck go their way. They capitalized on the break with a hit from Chapman that scored the go-ahead run.

Ryan Walker looked really good in a scoreless 8th and Camilo Doval struck out two batters in the 9th, gave up a hit, then got a strikeout to end it.

We finally get to see Thirty-million Dollar Man Blake Snell. He's listed as the starter tomorrow night (6:45 Pacific) against the visiting Washington Nationals.

Go Giants!

--M.C.