28

 

GIANTS        85-49                       Thrilling win sets up the big series.

LA                  85-49           GB      Price gets first crack at Giants. 

San Diego      71-63    14   GB      Statcast gives them 50% shot at playoffs.

Yesterday

Giants defeated Milwaukee, 5-1, to save the series.

LA was idle.

Today

Giants host LA in the opener of a three-game series, the last time these clubs will face each other in the regular season. David Price starts for the Dodgers; he's started against the Giants twice this year, with one loss and one no-decision in which he pitched well. For the Giants, it might be newcomer Jose Quintana; anything's on the table when three starters (Wood, DeSclafani, Cueto) are on the IL.  

Yesterday's Game

How to describe it? "Well, it may be a cliche, but there was a playoff-game atmosphere at Oracle Park yesterday..."  Or, "Entire seasons may turn on one individual play, even one umpire's call..." Or even the old standby, "Oh, those bases on balls."

All true, all somehow inadequate. The Giants saved the Milwaukee series, their first-place standing, and maybe the division pennant with a four-run rally in the eighth inning, a rally that almost wasn't. It was classic Giants-- tie game, nobody on, two out, and Kris Bryant, the superstar the Giants traded for at midseason, at the plate against Milwaukee's tough reliever Devin Williams. Bryant walked on four straight pitches, setting up a glimmer of hope, but a situation the Giants have failed at time and again this past week of woe. With Brandon Belt at the plate and a 2-0 count, Bryant took off for second. It was a photo finish and he was called out, ending the inning just like that, another failure. But immediately heads started nodding in the San Francisco dugout, and the replay challenge was on. It took a long time, with Bryant and Wiley Adames kidding around at second base, the restive fans beginning a raucous chant of "Safe! Safe! Safe!", endless replays replaying on screens all over America, and finally the call. Safe! The inning went on. 

Williams appeared perfectly composed, but he walked Belt, which drew a mound visit. Darin Ruf stepped in. On a 1-1 pitch he absolutely clobbered one to deep left. It ricocheted off the wall as Bryant scored to give the Giants the lead, Belt stopping at third. Now Thairo Estrada, fresh up from AAA ball with Wilmer Flores going on the IL. Estrada, 0-for-3 on the day, with a chance to punch one through the infield and bring in two desperately-needed runs. Estrada-- who launched a 2-2 pitch high and deep and up and over the same plane Ruf's hit had described, half a dozen rows up into the seats as the crowd went completely crazy. After five runs in four games the Giants had five runs in this game and victory was at hand.

It wasn't quite over at that point, though. Kolten Wong opened the ninth with a single off Jake McGee. With two out, Adames faded one high and deep down the right field line. It cleared the wall, hit the promenade and caromed into the Bay, a two-run homer-- but almost immediately the umpires waved it off. Foul ball. A huge sigh settled over the park, then the crowd erupted again as Brewers manager Craig Counsell got himself ejected for arguing the second call that had gone against his club in ten minutes. McGee then got Adames to ground out, Estrada to Belt, and it was over. 

A brisk ballgame by today's standards, it lasted 2:31, and was already into the eighth at the two-hour mark. That notation brings us to Logan Webb, and it's absolutely criminal his name should be this far down here. The Giants' ace, for that's what he is, pitched seven innings of one-run four-hit ball, striking out ten. "Reminds me of Matt Cain," texted an astute Giants fan. Webb didn't get the win; that went to Tyler Rogers, who was basically unhittable as he struck out the side in the eighth. And Webb's effort was ably matched by Milwaukee's Eric Lauer, who pitched seven innings of one-run three-hit ball himself. Before the eighth-inning heroics, the Giants' only run was supplied by Austin Slater, who hit Lauer's first pitch for a home run.  Webb, pitching the game of his young career so far, made that run hold up as long as he was in there.  Congratulations all around!

Facing a third lefthander in three days, Gabe Kapler will probably devise a lineup similar to yesterday's, with Crawford and Belt the only left-handed bats and Buster Posey back behind the plate. Interestingly, Posey has yet to start a game at first base this year, not that he will tonight, necessarily, but it is an option if Kap wants to maximize his right-handed platoon advantage. Sammy Long will probably get a start this weekend and it could be tonight. If there's to be a "bullpen game," we'd expect it tomorrow. No indication yet whether Alex Wood, on the COVID list since Monday, can safely come off it and pitch Sunday. A manager's job is a lonely one sometimes.