Giants First Series Win Over Rangers
Longoria, Tromp blast homers – Rangers avoid sweep in San Francisco
San Francisco Giants’ Chadwick Tromp celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a two run home run against the Texas Rangers in the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
2020.08.02 – Evan Longoria and Chadwick Tromp homered for the San Francisco Giants showing blasting power for their first season series win over the Texas Rangers.
Willie Calhoun hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly after the Giants walked the bases loaded in the seventh inning, Joey Gallo followed with a three-run home run and the Rangers beat San Francisco 9-5 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Shin-Soo Choo also went deep for Texas. Scott Heineman had a pair of hits including a two-run double and Jeff Mathis added an RBI single.
“That’s one thing that we haven’t been able to do, we haven’t been able to capitalize and finish off some of these rallies,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “We still put ourselves in a situation late in the game, too, to keep pounding at them. We could have broke that game wide open with another big hit. That’s what we want to be as an offense.”
The Rangers entered the day last in the AL in scoring and hits before getting season-highs in both against the Giants.
Texas broke the game open with a four-run seventh after San Francisco scored three in the sixth to erase a 5-2 lead.
They got some help from San Francisco’s bullpen, too, when reliever Andrew Triggs (0-1) walked three consecutive batters on 14 pitches to open the seventh. After Calhoun’s sacrifice fly off Tyler Anderson made it 6-5, Gallo crushed an 0-2 pitch to right-center.
2020.08.02 (San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers) See video
2020.08.02 (San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers) See video
Gallo also singled, doubled and walked.
“To answer with runs after they put up a pretty big inning and started to get momentum on their side, you could feel as soon as we scored that four runs in the seventh that the game started to change,” Gallo said. “It was a huge boost for us.”
Jonathan Hernandez (2-0) retired six batters to win.
Longoria and Tromp homered for San Francisco. Tromp’s with the first of his career, Hunter Pence tripled to snap a season-opening 0 for 23 funk.
“We had real good energy, particularly on the offensive side of the ball,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “We’ve shown the ability to come back in a game. That’s very encouraging. We’ve shown some resilience.”
Choo pulled his second home run of the season over the right field wall into McCovey Cove off Giants starter Jeff Samardzija in the fifth. On Friday the Rangers leadoff batter hit an opposite field homer on the game’s first pitch.
Texas also got an encouraging outing from lefty Kolby Allard in his first start. Allard allowed one run and two hits before coming out after throwing 75 pitches in four innings.
Samardzija gave up five runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings and became the first Giants pitcher to make it through five innings, though he did have a blister on his pitching hand.
“No excuses,” Samardzija said. “That’s the way it goes. You have to learn to adjust and make adjustments.”
GIANTS SEND HAMILTON TO METS
The Giants traded outfielder Billy Hamilton to the Mets in exchange for right-hander Jordan Humphreys. Humphreys was immediately optioned to San Francisco’s Alternate Training Site.
Hamilton signed with the Giant in the off-season but was not on the team’s opening day roster.
“We recognize the value of having extra bats and extra arms in the (bullpen), and that just kind of made Hamilton a tougher fit, particularly with us going down to a 28-man roster size later this week,” Kapler said.
ROSTER MOVES
Triggs was called up from the Alternate Training Site before the game. RHP Jandel Gustave was designated for assigment.
Texas called up infielder Anderson Tejeda.
QUOTABLE
“It will get better. It will improve. I just think 2020 was meant to kind of test us all, especially right now. It’s just another test that we’re going to have to get through.” –Woodward
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: Woodward is hopeful that 2B Rougned Odor will be available for Tuesday’s game in Oakland. Odor left Saturday’s game with tightness in the oblique area on his right side. … OF Danny Santana was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right forearm strain. Santana is 1 for 17 and has not played since Tuesday.
Giants: LHP Drew Smyly was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left index finger strain. Smyly had seven strikeouts in four innings Saturday before leaving because of discomfort in the finger.
UP NEXT
Rangers: Texas will remain in the Bay Area and begin a three-game series at Oakland on Tuesday. LHP Lance Lynn (1-0, 0.00) starts the opener. Texas won in both of Lynn’s previous two starts this season.
Giants: No starter has been announced for Monday’s game in Colorado.
Related: See below 2020.08.01 (San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers)
Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Francisco Giants, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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Solano lead offense – Giants beat Rangers 7-3
San Francisco Giants’ Donovan Solano celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a two run single against the Texas Rangers in the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 1, 2020, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
2020.08.01 – Donovan Solano hit a two-run single for an early lead, and Evan Longoria goes 3-for-4 with two RBI and the San Francisco Giants beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 Saturday night.
Giants overcame an injury to starting pitcher Drew Smyly experienced discomfort in his left index finger while pitching to Rob Refsnyder leading off the fifth. The lefty was pulled and will have an MRI on Sunday.
“It happened on a pitch,” manager Gabe Kapler said.
Caleb Baragar (2-0) later recorded the final out in the inning.
Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor left the game in the bottom of the third with right oblique tightness.
Todd Frazier hit a two-run single in the first for Texas and Evan Longoria’s two-run double tied it in the bottom half.
Solano’s single made it 4-2 in the third.
Mike Yastrzemski drew a bases-loaded walk — one of his four free passes — in the sixth to give the Giants insurance and Solano singled in another run in the eighth.
2020.08.01 (San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers) See video
2020.08.01 (San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers) See video
Jordan Lyles (0-1) walked five and allowed four runs on three hits in four innings making his first start of the year for Texas.
The Rangers will try to avoid a sweep Sunday after losing 9-2 on Friday, which started a six-game stop in the Bay Area. Texas is set to play in Oakland next week.
“It wasn’t our best game. It’s frustrating when you have 11 walks and a hit by pitch,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said.
The Giants are 14-3 against the Rangers in San Francisco, and also beat them in both home game during the 2010 World Series.
SHORT STARTS
With Smyly’s untimely exit, San Francisco has now gone its initial nine games without a starting pitcher completing five innings, the longest such streak to start a season in major league history, according to STATS.
SIBLINGS CELEBRATE
Brothers Scott and Tyler Heineman walked out to home plate from opposite dugouts and represented the Rangers and Giants to confirm the lineup cards, then posed for a photo with the umpires.
Scott homered in the Texas ninth and his brother watched him round the bases. Tyler doubled in the eighth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: OF-INF Danny Santana missed his third straight game with tightness in his forearm near the elbow, a concerning issue that will have the Rangers be extra cautious and he is unlikely to throw for about a week. He was available as a left-handed hitter off the bench and to pinch run but can’t play defense. The Rangers have discussed placing him on the injured list. “It definitely has been brought up but I don’t think we’re ready to make that decision just yet,” Woodward said. … “He says he feels pretty good but we’re still going to be careful with it.”
Giants: OF prospect Hunter Bishop, who tested positive for the coronavirus before camp resumed, is close to ready to return. He posted on Twitter: “I’m completely healthy and strong! Obviously the protocols and testing are what is limiting from stepping foot on the field — but I’m all about safety and the health of the players present. Hopefully back ASAP.” Kapler added no specifics other than: “Hunter said it all. The ASAP that he put out there is really well said.”
ROSTER MOVE
Giants C Rob Brantly cleared waivers and was outrighted to the club’s San Jose alternate site.
UP NEXT
LHP Kolby Allard (0-0) makes his first 2020 appearance pitching the series finale Sunday for the Rangers while the Giants didn’t announce a starter.
Related: See below 2020.07.31 (San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers)
Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Francisco Giants, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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Flores homers to give Giants a win over Rangers 9-2
San Francisco Giants’ Darin Ruf, left, scores past Texas Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos during the sixth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Friday, July 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2020.07.31 – Wilmer Flores, a utility infielder who signed with San Francisco in the offseason, hit a three-run homer off Mike Minor in the fifth inning, and the Giants beat the Texas Rangers 9-2 on Friday night.
Darin Ruf drove in three runs and Chadwick Tromp had his first major league hit and RBI for the Giants.
Shin-Soo Choo hit an opposite-field home run for Texas on the game’s first pitch.
Flores made his first start of the season at first base in place of Brandon Belt, who has a lingering Achilles injury.
After a strikeout and a deep fly-out in his first two at-bats, Flores hit a 2-2 pitch from Minor into the left field stands to put the Giants ahead 4-2 in the fifth. It was the first home run allowed by a Rangers starter this season and came following consecutive one-out singles by Tromp and Mauricio Dubón.
“I was surprised,” Flores said. “I didn’t think I got it but with the ball carrying today, it was a good day just to put the barrel on the ball and good launch angle.”
Flores also walked and scored as part of San Francisco’s three-run seventh.
“Wilmer came into this season all of us knowing that he was such a threat against left-handed pitching, so we kind of envisioned this moment way back in the offseason,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.
“The whole dugout (has) a ton of confidence in his ability to produce in the big moments. That goes back to our experience watching him as a New York Met when he was kind of the king of clutch,” he said.
2020.07.31 (San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers) See video
2020.07.31 (San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers) See video
Texas scored an unearned run off Giants starter Logan Webb in the third but didn’t get another hit until the ninth.
Conner Menez (1-0), the second of six Giants pitchers, retired four batters to win.
Minor (0-2) allowed six runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Webb gave up four hits and walked four while allowing a pair of runs, one unearned.
The Giants have yet to have a starter make it through five innings after eight games. It’s the longest streak to start a season in Major League Baseball history, according to STATS.
They made up for it with one of their best games offensively so far. Eight players had at least one hit and San Francisco put a runner on base in every inning but one.
“We don’t have that big bat that’s going to hit homers all the time, so we have to keep the line moving, having good at-bats,” Flores said. “The rest will take care of itself.”
NOTEWORTHY
Choo has 24 career leadoff home runs with the Rangers, second in franchise history to Ian Kinsler’s 29. Choo was also hit by a pitch for the 151st time in his career, most among active players. … San Francisco’s Hunter Pence struck out twice and grounded out twice. Pence is 0 for 21 this season. “Hunter is swinging the bat better,” Kapler said. “He’s making hard contact. We have no concerns in case that question comes up.”
ROSTER MOVES
The Giants placed right-hander Sam Coonrod on the 10-day injured list with a right lat strain and recalled left-hander Sam Selman from the alternate training site.
The Rangers also made a series of moves, adding first baseman Greg Bird and right-hander Jimmy Herget from the alternate training site. Right-hander Ariel Jurado was designated for assignment.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: Belt was rested following Thursday’s 10-inning loss to the Padres. … Shortstop Brandon Crawford was also held out of the starting lineup.
UP NEXT
Jordan Lyles (0-0, 0.00) makes his first start of the year for Texas on Saturday, four days after the right-hander pitched two scoreless innings of relief. The Giants didn’t announce Saturday’s starter.
Related: See below 2020.07.30 (San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres)
Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Francisco Giants, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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