San Francisco Giants Increase Playoff Chance
Giants beat Diamondbacks, end Gallen’s record streak
San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski hits a single to drive in a run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning of a baseball game on Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
2020.09.07 – The San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks and are now at 21-21 and back to .500. If the season ended now, the Giants and Miami Marlins would claim the final two playoff spots in the postseason.
Mike Yastrzemski punched a pair of singles, Darin Ruf hit a two-run single in the sixth and Brandon Belt had a bases-loaded walk as the Giants beat the Diamondbacks 4-2 on Monday night.
Kevin Gausman and three relievers combined on a three-hitter, and the Giants ended pitcher Zac Gallen’s record-setting streak. The Giants have now won for the sixth time in eight games.
“It certainly speaks to the fight that this club has,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “The character of this team is continuing to shine through. Long way to go, lot of work left to do but certainly gratifying to get back to the .500 mark.”
The Giants did it by taking three of four from the Diamondbacks while beating a pitcher who had been on quite a roll.
Gallen had not allowed more than three earned runs in his first 23 career starts, a major league record to begin a career. The right-hander faced the minimum through five innings against the Giants before getting tagged for four runs in the sixth.
2020.09.07 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks) See video
2020.09.07 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks) See video
“It was just a weird outing,” Gallen said. “Even those first five innings, it seemed like I was rolling but I feel like I kind of got away with some pitches that weren’t my best stuff. In that sixth inning, I wasn’t making pitches.”
Gallen (1-1) allowed five hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked two.
“It just unraveled in a hurry,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It was one of those situations where he was making pitches early and then I think he just made some mistakes out over the plate and they took advantage of it.”
The biggest blow came from Ruf, who entered the game as an injury replacement in the fourth when Alex Dickerson fouled a ball off his right knee. Ruf looked at two pitches to complete Dickerson’s at-bat, but didn’t swing. He did in the sixth, singling up the middle on Gallen’s first pitch.
After Donovan Solano singled to load the bases, Arizona reliever Junior Guerra walked Belt to force in a run and make it 4-1.
Gausman (3-2) struck out nine in six innings to win his second straight. Gausman allowed one run and two hits, and retired nine of the last 10.
“To be honest it was kind of a grind from the get go,” Gausman said. “I didn’t really have that extra gear on my fastball and I wasn’t able to put it where I normally am. We definitely had to mix a little more today. Those are the days that you have to be able to buckle down and get some big outs in big situations.”
David Peralta homered off Sam Coonrod leading off the ninth for Arizona. Ketel Marte also had an RBI.
QUOTABLE
“It was a pretty cool run. Maybe it was meant to be, to end on number 23. To keep up that streak was going to be nearly impossible. All the other streaks come to an end at some point.” – Gallen on the end of his streak.
MATHISEN DEBUT
Diamondbacks third baseman Wyatt Mathisen went 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts in his major league debut after logging 649 games in the minors. “He’s worked hard to deserve this moment,” Lovullo said. “In my small discussions with him, he’s transformed his body, he’s made himself a totally different player than he was several years ago. It’s a lot of hard work that he’s putting in behind the scenes when nobody’s really paying attention.”
ROSTER MOVE
The Giants released INF Abiatal Avelino. Avelino had been at the alternate training site.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: Dickerson left in the fourth with a bruised right knee after fouling a ball off it. X-rays were negative. … 3B Evan Longoria was scratched from the original lineup as a precaution because he is dealing with some soreness in his right glute. Pablo Sandoval started in his place. … LHP Drew Smyly, sidelined by a sprained index finger on his pitching hand, could be ready to be activated as soon as Wednesday or Thursday. RHP Jeff Samardzija may face hitters one more time to increase his volume before being deemed ready to return from inflammation in his throwing shoulder. … Both Smyly and Samardzija could come back as starters before the season ends, nothing determined yet. … Kapler said RHP Trevor Cahill is OK after dealing with a right hip issue and is on track to make his next start.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Luke Weaver (1-6, 7.44) tries to snap his three-game losing streak Tuesday against the Dodgers. Weaver’s command has improved, with only five walks over his previous six starts.
Giants: RHP Logan Webb (2-3, 4.71) pitches against Seattle on Tuesday night. Webb has taken the loss in three of his previous five starts.
RELATED: See below 2020.09.06 (SF Giants vs. Arizona D-backs)
Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
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For more on the San Francisco Giants, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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Solano’s two-run blast keys Giants victory over Arizona
San Francisco Giants’ Tyler Rogers, from left, celebrates with Donovan Solano, Brandon Belt and Joey Bart after the Giants defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in a baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
2020.09.06 – Donovan Solano hit a two-run, go-ahead homer in the sixth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 on Sunday.
Brandon Belt and Chadwick Tromp also went deep for the Giants, who improved to 7-2 against the Diamondbacks this season.
“It’s nice to know that up and down the lineup right now we have some guys that can do some damage,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “It’s encouraging what we’ve seen our guys do over the course of the last two or three weeks.”
Solano, who got off to a scorching start at the plate this season, came in hitting just .216 over his past 12 games. But he went 3-for-3 Sunday with a double and single to go along with his third homer.
He hit a first-pitch sinker from Alex Young (1-3) in the sixth for a two-run shot to left that erased a 2-1 San Francisco deficit.
2020.09.06 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks) See video
2020.09.06 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks) See video
Belt came off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit solo shot in the seventh to extend San Francisco’s lead to 4-2 and continue his torrid streak at the plate.
He’s hitting .491 (27 for 55) over his past 19 games.
“He’s been amazing, like nothing I’ve ever seen,” Giants outfielder Alex Dickerson said. “He’s always a guy you fear, always a guy you fear to either walk or hit a ball hard, and he’s just doing it at an unbelievable rate right now.”
Tromp, drawing the start behind the plate, homered in the third to cut the Giants’ deficit to 2-1.
San Francisico starter Johnny Cueto steadied himself after a shaky first inning and held the Diamondbacks to two runs over 5 2/3 innings. Both runs came in the first, including Tim Locastro’s homer to lead off the game.
Arizona advanced a runner as far as third base in just two other innings after the first.
Cueto escaped the fifth unscored upon after putting runners on the corners with no outs. He got a lift from first baseman Wilmer Flores, who fielded a safety squeeze bunt attempt from Locastro and nailed Nick Ahmed at the plate.
“We had a chance to really blow that game open, there’s no doubt about it,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.
San Francisco’s bullpen turned in terrific work in support of Cueto, as Caleb Barager (5-1), Jarlin Garcia and Tony Watson bridged the gap to Tyler Rogers, who notched his third save.
DEFENSE SHINES
Dickerson and Darin Ruf each turned in excellent catches in left field that they had to leave their feet for.
Asked about them after the game, Kapler replied: “It’s interesting you bring those two guys up. They are viewed as offensive-first, but nobody on our team takes their defense more seriously than those two guys.”
ROSTER MOVES
Arizona recalled INF Wyatt Mathisen from its alternate training site and optioned RHP Artie Lewicki. It’s the first major league call-up for Mathisen, 26. … San Francisco recalled RHP Rico Garcia from its alternate training site and optioned LHP Andrew Suarez.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: LHP Caleb Smith, scratched from an outing Saturday at Arizona’s alternate training site because of mid-body soreness, threw in a game Sunday instead.
Giants: LHP Drew Smyly (sprained left index finger) and RHP Jeff Samardzija (inflammation in pitching shoulder) both came out of Saturday’s simulated games feeling OK. Manager Gabe Kapler said Samardzija could be brought back as a starter or a long reliever.
UP NEXT
Zac Gallen (1-0, 1.80 ERA) starts Monday’s series finale and will look to extend his Major League record streak of 23 games to start a career with three or fewer earned runs allowed (all starts). The Giants’ Kevin Gausman (2-2, 4.43 ERA) has won two of his past three starts.
RELATED: See 2020.09.05 (SF Giants vs. Arizona D-backs) Bumgarner
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
49ERS FIT – FREE 4-DAY PASS
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