Giants past Brewers for third straight win
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
2023.05.27 – Starting pitcher Logan Webb allowed one run over seven innings and Mitch Haniger hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning to give the San Francisco Giants a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers for the third straight win on Saturday.
J.D. Davis singled with one out in the eighth off Peter Strzelecki, who relieved to open the inning. After Michael Conforto struck out, Haniger sent the first pitch he saw from Strzelecki (2-4) 419 feet to center for his fourth homer.
That big hit came a night after Haniger, originally drafted by the Brewers, went 3 for 5 with a homer and four RBIs in the Giants’ 15-1 victory over Milwaukee.
Rookie shortstop Casey Schmitt — who took some good-natured flak after drawing his first walk Saturday — tried to take some partial credit for Haniger’s surge.
“I gave him a little Sour Patch before the game, today and yesterday, and he hit home runs in both games,” Schmitt said. “Just one singular one. I don’t know what flavor it was, but it was a good one.”
Haniger is 12 for his past 23 with eight RBIs in the past nine games after starting the season batting .183, but he got a kick out of Schmitt’s sweet contributions.
“I get on him for always bringing food into the dugout,” said Haniger, who is very careful with his diet. “But he gave me Sour Patch yesterday and today, so we’ll keep it going.”
2023.05.27 (SF Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers) See Full Highlights
San Francisco Giants’ Mitch Haniger hits a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
2023.05.27 (SF Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers) See Full Highlights
2023.05.27 (SF Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers) See Full Highlights
Webb (4-5) allowed four hits, struck out 11 and walked one as the Giants won for the 10th in 12 games. Webb, 0-4 with a 4.94 ERA after his first four starts, is 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA in five starts in May.
“I thought I had a pretty good feel for all three of my pitches today,” said Webb, whose start was pushed back two days for extra rest. “Even the four-seamer that I threw a couple of times, I felt like I could put it where I wanted to.”
Camilo Doval allowed a lead-off double by Anderson in the ninth, but a 12-pitch battle with Jesse Winker ended with a ground-out, he struck out Tyrone Taylor and got Turang to ground to second. He has finished 12 of the Giants’ 16 wins this month, his 11 saves this month are the most in May by a Giants pitcher, and his 14 saves overall are the most in the league.
Tyler Rogers tossed a scoreless eighth and Doval recovered after a leadoff double in the ninth to finish for his NL-leading 14th save in 15 opportunities.
“Webbie threw the ball great,” Haniger said. “Unfortunately, they pushed a run across there in the bottom of the seventh, but to go out there and put a couple runs on the board for the win, extremely deserving. He threw the ball really well.”
Brewers starter Corbin Burnes allowed one run and four hits in seven innings, struck out eight and walked three. But his errant pick-off attempt led to the Giants’ first-inning run.
“We’re not collectively swinging the bats well right now,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “But it’s this group that’s going to have to lead us to runs. You know it’s going happen. Whenever you go in little stretches like this, it’s really frustrating for the offense, understandably, and it puts a lot of pressure on the pitching.”
Milwaukee tied at 1 in the seventh when Brice Turang tripled into the right-field corner with two outs. Victor Caratini followed with a run-scoring single to right, but was thrown out trying for a double.
2023.05.27 – SF Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers (95.7 TheGame – post-game)
San Francisco Giants’ Mitch Haniger is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
2023.05.27 – SF Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers (95.7 TheGame – post-game)
2023.05.27 – SF Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers (95.7 TheGame – post-game)
“That was frustrating there. I’ve got to get out of that without giving up a run,” Webb said. “But that’s just baseball. Caratini put a good swing on it. Thankful that Hani (Haniger) hit that ball and it’s exciting to see him start to feel good again, and start swinging like he knows he can.”
Burnes’ error in the first contributed to the Giants’ first run. LaMonte Wade Jr. opened with a broken bat single and advanced on a ground-out. Davis walked and Wade advanced when Burnes’ pickoff attempt to second sailed into center field. Conforto followed with a sacrifice fly.
Schmitt’s walk in the fourth was his first in 69 big-league plate appearances, the fourth-longest streak to start a Giants career. “You want to talk about my walk?” he said as reporters approached him Saturday.
The razzing started when he got to first base, where first-base coach Antoan Richardson and Brewers first baseman Rowdy Tellez started laughing. “I think we got the ball!” Schmitt said. “I think the ball’s here somewhere.”
No one wants to see Schmitt trying to walk regularly. If he does so when nothing is near the zone, great. Otherwise … “He’s hitting (.329).” Haniger said. “He’s getting on base plenty.”
Schmitt rolled his right ankle on a relay to third on Turang’s triple, but he stayed in the game and after treatment, he said, he’s fine.
BREWERS MOVES
LHP Ethan Small was optioned to Nashville, and RHP Jake Cousins recalled. LHP Alex Claudio was designated for assignment.
Milwaukee threatened in the fourth on consecutive one-out singles by Rowdy Tellez and Anderson, but Webb struck out Jesse Winker and Tyrone Taylor bounced into a force-out at third.
2023.05.27 – SF Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers (Locked On Giants)
San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, right, and relief pitcher Taylor Rodgers, left, embrace after the 3-1 win of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
2023.05.27 – SF Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers (Locked On Giants)
2023.05.27 – SF Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers (Locked On Giants)
Conforto’s roll for the past two weeks has been a large part of the Giants’ 10-2 record, but he hasn’t homered in the past two games, so Haniger has filled the gap.
“We’re not going to have the same hitters show up on a daily basis and be the guy that delivers the big blow,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “So when it’s Conforto over a 3-4 game stretch, you know eventually he might need to not be the guy for a couple of days. And when you have a guy like Haniger step up and start to really drive the baseball consistently, it just makes our lineup look really, really deep.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: IF Thairo Estrada was placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left wrist (retroactive to May 26). IF David Villar was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.
Brewers: SS Willy Adames was placed on the seven-day concussion list after getting hit in the head by a foul ball in the dugout the previous night against the Giants. IF Andruw Monasterio was called up from Triple-A Nashville.
UP NEXT
RHP Colin Rea (1-3, 3.97 ERA) starts for the Brewers in the series finale Sunday, opposed by RHP Alex Cobb (4-1, 2.17).
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