The Giants managed to take two of four from the Padres upon returning to Oracle Park.
Giants 9, Padres 1 – The Giants added to their list of firsts in 2021 by being the first to clinch a postseason playoff spot with this win in which they hammered four homers (La Stella, Longoria, Yastrzemski, Belt) off Yu Darvish. This was a dominating performance when it mattered (again), as we continue to stave off Los Angeles. Evan Longoria told AP: “It took us maybe half the season to get the recognition nationally, but now we understand we have a target on our back. It doesn’t get any easier from here.”
Giants 6, Padres 1 – The Gasman allowed just three hits and struck out seven in six solid innings before the bullpen held the Padres scoreless for three innings. This was the season-high ninth win in a row for the G-men. Buster Posey hit his 18th homer in the first inning, then beat out an infield single and scored the go-ahead run on an error in the third. Buster told AP: “I feel good, I feel like my legs are underneath me. I’ve been trying to implement that at the plate.”
Then lost two
Giants 6, Padres 9 – This game was a slog. A four-hour wrestling match with the Friars at the new yard started with Joe Musgrove bouncing back from a loss to the Dodgers his last time out, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings. The Giants hit four solo homers: pinch-hitter Thairo Estrada in the third, Kris Bryant in the sixth, then late lineup addition Steven Duggar and Brandon Belt each connected in the seventh. Duggar struck out against Emilio Pagán to end the eighth with two runners aboard and the Giants trailing 7-5. Evan Longoria had an RBI in the ninth, so the Giants scored at least six runs in ten straight games — most in our San Francisco history dating to 1958 and trailing only a stretch of 15 such games accomplished in 1929, which marks the longest run in baseball history since at least 1909.
Giants 4, Padres 7 – but they didn’t manage six in this one to get to eleven such games. Fernando Tatis hit his National League leading 39th home run off Gausman. Here’s the ESPN recap of this one. This was Gausman’s sixth loss (14-6), but first since July 30th. Gausman gave up four earned runs on eight hits over five.
The Braves came to town and the Giants stepped up their game behind Logan Webb, though he gave up two quick runs before they even came to the plate. The Braves went up 2-0 in the top of the first, and Brandon Belt erased that with one swing of the bat in the bottom half, a home run that scored Ruf, who had walked, 2-2. The Giants took the lead 3-2 in the third, and led this one most of the way, but, ahead 4-2, a collapse by Tyler Rogers in the top of the ninth gave up the lead 4-5. Then Donavon Solano, fresh off the Covid-19 injury list, stepped up and tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a two-out solo shot! The Giants played a great defensive pair of extras to win. Kevin Gausman hit a sacrifice fly just deep enough to allow the walkoff! Here’s the write up of this crazy one. Giants 6, Braves 5/11
Alex Wood and the platoon of relievers leading to Jose Alvarez who saved this one, managed to hold the Braves scoreless. Curt Casali – next man up style – had a two-run scoring single that made the difference. Great defensive performance. Giants 2, Braves 0
Let’s Go Giants! Sweep the Chop!
Braves send lefty Max Fried (11-7, 3.47 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 143 K) today
- Joc Pederson (L) RF
- Ozzie Albies (S) 2B
- Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
- Austin Riley (R) 3B
- Adam Duvall (R) CF
- Eddie Rosario (L) LF
- Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
- Dansby Swanson (R) SS
- Max Fried (L) P
against Anthony DeSclafani (12-6, 3.24 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 140 K) for the Giants
- Darin Ruf (R) LF
- Austin Slater (R) CF
- Kris Bryant (R) RF
- Evan Longoria (R) 3B
- Buster Posey (R) C
- Brandon Crawford (L) SS
- Wilmer Flores (R) 1B
- Donovan Solano (R) 2B
- Anthony DeSclafani (R) P
Tommy La Stella and Brandon Belt got a day off and this was a defensive battle won by a very good Braves team who shut the GIants out at home. Braves 3, Giants 0.
Giants Baseball Corner 