Back in March, Bob Melvin left a Cactus League game to go watch a split squad start by Landon Roupp. The youngster earned it with consistent performance, allowing five runs with a 14:1 strikeout to walk ratio over twelve innings during Cactus League play.
Given the chance to start ahead of Hayden Birdsong in the regular season, Roupp was excellent for four innings in Houston. He struck out the side to start the game, then struck out the fourth Astro as well before giving up a couple of walks and a run on an RBI flare single by Jose Altuve in the second. He ended the second with another strikeout with two on.
He gave up a meaningless single to Yordan Alvarez in the third, but controlled the inning, retiring everyone else. In the fourth he had two more strikeouts to make it eight for the game.
Meanwhile, the Giants offense continued rolling along. The entire order showed real patience, drawing walks to get runners on the paths. Wilmer Flores smashed a two-run dinger, Luis Matos added a home run, and Heliot Ramos had his sixth straight game with an extra base hit to score two more. Giants 5, Astros 1.
Roupp’s day fell apart in the fifth, as he walked the first batter, Chas McCormick, then gave up an infield single to Altuve to put a runner in scoring position. Roupp gave up another base on balls to Paredes to load them up with no outs.
I am sure BoMel hoped to allow Roupp a chance to get a win, but again he showed the wisdom of his experience and pulled Landon before any more damage could befall him. Bob Melvin shows every day that every win matters to him. His in-game management is about getting the W.
Melvin went to Randy Rodriguez. It might have all worked, but a critical error by first baseman Casey Schmitt allowed two more runs to cross the plate – these would be charged to Roupp. Giants 5, Astros 3.
Rodriguez buckled down, forcing a fly out to third and striking out the final two batters. It was an impressive display of holding it together.
Melvin went to Roupp’s competition for the fifth starter position, Hayden Birdsong, to start the sixth inning.
Birdsong gave up a single, but then replaced the runner with a FC on a grounder to third and struck out McCormick to make it two down with a runner on first.
Altuve, the little troublemaker, then did it again – singling to right and advancing Rafael Devers to third. But Birdsong got Paredes to fly out to center to end the inning. Birdsong’s four-seam fastball was touching 97 and 98 mph with regularity.
The Giants struggled to score after the second. The 5 – 3 lead would have to be held. Hayden Birdsong stayed on the mound and fell behind 3 – 0 to Alvarez before registering a strike. He walked Alvarez to bring the tying run to the plate.
But Birdsong then struck out Walker, got Diaz to foul out on one pitch, and got Peña to line out to third, also on one pitch. Despite the walk to Alvarez, an eleven pitch inning.
Both Roupp and Birdsong effectively worked around Alvarez. Bob Melvin never intentionally walked him. The young men were expected to be of the Majors.
LaMonte Wade, Jr., who has struggled to get a hit this year (he was 0 for 16 to start the season), but has had meaningful at-bats drawing walks, and thus scoring runs, suddenly smashed a pinch-hit homer off the bench in the eighth!
It was awesome to see Late Night LaMonte’s bat wake up that way. Giants 6, Astros 3.
Luis Matos stayed hot, with a single to left. Pat Bailey struck out and Mike Yasztremski – who had a poor day at the plate, going 0 for 3 – dribbled a grounder to first for the last out of the Giants’ eighth.
Melvin went back to Tyler Rogers in the bottom of the eighth who got Rodgers to ground out on two pitches, and struck out Devers and McCormick on three pitches each: three-up, three-down on eight pitches! Way to go Ty!
The Giants went quietly in the ninth as Fitzgerald flied out, Heliot struck out and Willy Adames, who was 0 for 4 today with a walk and a run, lined out to left.
BoMel handed the ball to Camilo Doval with a three-run lead to face Jose Altuve, Doval threw two 100mph fastballs to go 1 -1. His third pitch, a 90 mph slider, induced a grounder over his head to Fitzy, who threw him out with ease.
Doval threw a cutter to Paredes who ripped a liner to left, where Heliot Ramos made his second diving save catch of the season for out number two.
Doval induced a weak grounder from Yordan Alvarez, and importantly ran to cover the bag and make the play to end the game.
Randy Rodriguez got the win by protecting Roupp. Camio Doval got his first save of the season.
Great game! The Giants swept the Astros and come home for their opener with a 5 – 1 record.
Giants Baseball Corner 