Former Giants manager Roger Craig passes away at 93; Giants Gear Up For 3-Game Series with Colorado

American League manager Tony La Russa, center left, from the Oakland A’s, and National League manager Roger Craig, of the San Francisco Giants, watch batting practice at Wrigley Field in Chicago, July 10, 1990, both managed against each other in the previous season at the 1989 World Series. (AP file photo)

Former Giants manager Roger Craig passes away at 93; Giants Gear Up For 3-Game Series with Colorado

By Barbara Mason

Former San Francisco Giants manager Roger Craig who was hired to replace former Giant manger Jimmy Davenport with 18 games left in the 1985 season. Craig passed away at the age of 93 as announced by Giants Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer.

Craig managed the Giants to the National League West Division title in 1987 with some exciting former Giants first baseman Will Clark, third baseman and left fielder Kevin Mitchell and outfielder Jeffery Leonard to name a few.

Craig in 1989 led the Giants to a National League title and to the World Series against the cross bay rivals Oakland A’s. The A’s swept the Giants in four games but it was a turn around for the franchise who suffered so much of the 1980s until Craig came on the scene and helped mold them as a post season contender.

Craig will be remembered for the moniker “Humm Baby” which he got from former Giant catcher Brad Gulden who said “humm baby” to the pitchers before they delivered a pitch. The Giants adapted the moniker as their signature for the 1986 campaign “Humm Baby.” Craig managed the Giants from 1985-1992.

Roger also developed a pitching staff that used the split finger fastball that helped show what good pitching did to good hitting in order for those teams to advance to the post season the way they did. Craig also had a good relationship not just with his players but he was patient and answered and worked very well with the reporters who covered the Giants over the years. There is no doubt Roger Craig will be sorely missed.

Giants-Rockies series preview: Monday the San Francisco Giants (29-30) had a second day off in the past four days. They had a day off last Thursday preparing for their past weekend series with the Baltimore Orioles. San Francisco had a shutout in game two (4-0) of that series but dropped games one and three and find themselves below .500 once again. They are 5.5 games behind the co-leaders of their division: the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.

On Tuesday, the Giants travel to Colorado to take on the Rockies in a three game series. The Rockies have a 26-35 record and are at the bottom of the NLWest.

The Rockies have decided to send Dinelson Lamet to the mound with a 1-2 record and a 13.17 ERA. The Giants starter was undecided early this afternoon but it looks like they may send Sean Manea to the hill. The Giants have some great relief pitching earning a save rate of 76%.

San Francisco has a lot of fire power in contrast to the Rockies with Michael Conforto, Thairo Estrada and JD Davis. Conforto has 11 home runs this season, Estrada has a .301 batting average and JD has 31 RBI’s. They have a solid lineup, all of them able to put runs up on the board.

The Rockies home run leader is Ryan McMahon with 9 homers this season and Elias Diaz has a great batting average at .309. McMahon is also their RBI leader with 34 RBI’s.

First pitch in Tuesday’s game is 5:40 PM at Coors Field in Denver as San Francisco will be looking to not only get back on the winning track but also get their season record back over .500. Fans will be treated to a great match-up between these two teams.

MLB standings aside, both of these teams seem to raise their level of play when they meet so picking a projected winner does not always pan out. It will come down to who has more fire power in this series.

A rough third spells doom for Giants who fall to the Orioles 8-3

Photo courtesy of San Francisco Giants. DeSclafani readies to throw a pitch.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN FRANCISCO- The final game of their home series against the Orioles did not go well as the Giants lost by a final of 8-3.

The first pitch was thrown out at 1:07 p.m. with 9 mph winds going out to CF and the sun shining bright.

On the mound to start for the Giants was Anthony DeSclafani who came into the game sporting a 4-4 record with a 3.38 era. While for the Orioles Tyler Wells got the start with 3-2 record and a 3.23 era who also has a stellar 0.83 whip which leads the MLB.

The offense got going in the top of the third inning when Adam Frazier knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly to center field that got James McCann home. Following that up Austin Hayes singled on a line drive to right field and with Jorge Mateo on third it extended the lead to 2-0.

The top of the third continued to be a struggle for DeSclafani who walked Aaron Hicks and then walked Ryan Mountcastle and with the bases loaded that brought in the third run of the inning for Baltimore.

Offensively the Orioles were not done in the third as with the bases still loaded Josh Lester singled on a sharp line drive to center field. The hit knocked in three runs as Austin Slater made a poor throw to Brett Wisely which gave enough time for the third run to come home.

DeSclafani also hit James McCann with a pitch but was able to strike out Jorge Mateo finally bringing the top of the inning to a close.

At the top of the fourth inning not surprisingly the Giants made a pitching change bringing in Jakob Junis who came in with a 3-2 record and a 3.82 era.

In the sixth inning with Junis still on the mound McCann who was up to bat absolutely crushed a pitch to left field making it a 7-0 ball game.

With the Giants now up in the sixth Wilmer Flores walked which set up Blake Sabol who homered to right center field getting his seventh home run of the season and making it 7-2.

After the home run the Orioles made a pitching change taking out Wells and putting in Mike Baumann who had a 4-0 record along with a 4.11 era heading into the game.

Wells would finish with a stat line of 5.1 innings pitched, allowing four hits, two earned runs, and nine K’s.

In the seventh the Giants went to the bullpen once again this time calling on Ryan Walker who came in with a 1-0 record and a 1.23 era. Junis left the game with three innings pitched, three hits allowed, one run allowed, and 3 K’s.

The eight inning saw another pitching change for the Giants as Taylor Rodgers came into the game with a 1-2 record and a 3.93 era.

Baltimore followed suit in the bottom of the eight inning bringing in Yennier Cano who came into the game with a 1-0 record and a 0.90 era.

The Giants did get some excitement going in the inning with back to back hits from Lamonte Wade Jr. and J.D. Davis. Wilmer Flores was then able to reach on a fielders choice out scoring Wade from third making it 7-3.

Sabol then grounded out into a double play that was played beautifully by the Orioles defense bringing the inning to a quick close.

In the ninth to close the game out the Giants brought in Luke Jackson who was coming in for only his second appearance of the season so far.

Anthony Standar reached on a fielding error by Wisely and Hicks knocked him home with a triple bringing the score up to 8-3.

The bottom of the ninth saw the Giants go down in order with Austin Voth now dealing for the Orioles.

Taking the win home was Wells while DeSclafani took the loss.

The Giants next game will be on the road against the Rockies on Tuesday at 5:40 p.m.

Cobb, Giants get five hit shutout beat O’s 4-0 at Oracle

San Francisco Giants pitcher Alex Cobb works against the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Jun 3, 2023 (AP News photo)

Baltimore (36-22). 000 000 000 – 0. 5. 1

San Francisco (29-29). 003 001 00x. – 4. 10 0

Time: 2:35

Attendance: 32,416

Saturday, June 3, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Just when you thought things were beginning to gel for the Giants, they dropped two in a row to the marauding Pittsburgh Pirates and then laid an egg in the first of their current three game series against the high flying Baltimore Orioles, losing a 3-2 heart breaker and dropping their record to 28-29.

The Orioles, who began the Saturday at 36-21, occupy second place in the American League East, whose members are, like all the children in Lake Woebegone, above average.

Not a single team has a losing record. The Giants, after finally climbing above the .500 mark on May 29, began Saturday looking up at it. With their 4-0 triumph over the Orioles tonight, they once more are on an even plane.

Although Logan Webb, whose bobblehead was tonight’s stadium giveaway, is the putative ace of the Giants’ rotation, Alex Cobb, their starting pitcher for tonight, took the mound with the best won-lost record of the group (4-2) and the second best ERA (3.05).

Only Webbs’ 2.85 was better than that. The club’s Cobb Webb combo is complimented in the bullpen by Camilo Doval, who was named National League Reliever of the Month for May in spite of a mediocre performance against Pittsburgh on the 31st.

Tonight, Cobb improved that already solid record, gaining his fifth win of the season in the process of thorughly dominating the Orioles’ lineup.

His opponent was sophomore right hander Kyle Bradish, sporting a 2-1, 3.89 mark for the seasons. This was his first appearance against the Giants, or against any other NL West team, for that matter. He went 4-7, 4.90 in his rookie year.

His performance tonight was lackluster, lasting only four innings, in which he threw 79 pitches 53 of which counted as strikes. He yielded three runs, all of them earned, on seven hits, a walk, and a wild pitch. His ERA climbed to 4.13, and he was charged with the loss.

The home team took the lead in the third frame. LaMonte Wade, Jr. smacked a one out double against the right field wall and scored on JD Davis’s single to right. Mike Yastrzemski, aided by a clock violation first ball, doubled to right center.

Wilmer Flores singled up the middle to center, driving in Davis and Yastrzemski. Blake Sabol singled to right, putting runners on first and second. It looked for a moment as though Giants would blow the game open, but Aaron Hicks made a leaping catch in front of the Orioles’ bullpen of Haniger’s drive to deep center field.

The inning ended with San Francisco still in front, 3-0, in spite of a wild pitch that advanced the two stranded runners to second and third. On inning later, Wade’s second consecutive double, a two out blast that bounced into the bleachers behind the Visa advertisement in right center, went to waste when Davis fanned.

Keegan Akin relieved Bradish to open the Giants’ fifth. He struck Yazrzemski out looking but yielded a Texas League single to Flores and made an off line throw to second on Sabol’s bouncer to the mound.

The base on balls he issued to Haniger loaded the sacks with Giants, which cost Akin a trip to the showers and brought Bryan Baker out of the pen and into the game to face Casey Schmitt and his .315 batting average. Baker fanned him, keeping the Orioles in striking distance of their hosts.

Walks to Crawford and Wade followed by a fly out to deep right center by Davis that moved Crawford to third brought Cionel Pérez in to pitch for Baltimore and Austin Slater to pinch hit for Yastrzemski in the home sixth.

He came through with a run producing single to center, charged to Baker. He stayed in the game and made a nice diving catch of Austin Hays’s sinking. liner to center in the top of the seventh.

It was Bruce Zimmerman on the hill for Baltimore after the seventh inning stretch. He held the Giants to a single by Bailey.

Ryan O’Hearn doubled to left on Cobb’s 102nd pitch, sending Hicks, who’d gotten to first on an infield single, to third. The Giants challenged the call at second, which was upheld. Cobb retired Jorge Mateo, 1-3, the runners holding, and then left the game.

He’d gone 7-2/3 innings and thrown 103 pitches, only 33 of which were balls. He shut the O’s out on five hits and no walks while striking out seven, bringing his ERA down to 2.71. Scott Alexander got the final out of the inning and gave way to Duval for the top of the ninth.

Camilo Doval – who else? – was called on to face Balitmore’s second, third, and fourth batters in the top of the ninth. Adley Rutschman went down swinging. Anthony Santander grounded out to first. Hays grounded out to second, Doval earned his 15th save in 16 opportunities, and the Giants returned to .500.

The teams will play the rubber game of the series Sunday, afternoon at 1:05. Baltimore will send starboard side starter Tyler Wells (3-2, 3.29) to the mound against San Francisco’s righty Anthony DiScalfani (4-4, 3.48).

Orioles get 3-2 edge on Giants despite Wade Jr’s splash hit

San Francisco Giants’ LaMonte Wade Jr., right, is congratulated by teammate J.D. Davis, left, after hitting a home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Jun 2, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Troy Ewers

SAN FRANCISCO–In front of a crowd of 27,873 in Oracle Park on a beautiful 59 degree night, it was the Baltimore Orioles against the San Francisco Giants in their first meeting since 2019 and it was a duel between Logan Webb and Dean Kremer.

The Orioles came into this game with the third best record in the league (35-21) and it showed with good pitching to keep the Giants off balance and the O’s hitting to just get by 3-2 on Friday night to open a three game series.

The game started with Webb going three up three down in the 1st and the energy seemed like it was all Giants when LaMonte Wade Jr. hit a solo leadoff home run and not just any home run, the 100th “Splash Hit” here at Oracle Park.

The second inning was the Orioles time to shine when Austin Hays scored from a Ryan O’Hearn single, then Aaron Hicks scored off a short roller single by Jorge Mateo and the second inning ended with The O’s up 2-1.

In the third inning Mike Yastrzemski hit a double that scored J.D. Davis and evened out the score, 2-2. Between the fourth inning and the seventh inning, each pitcher had quick innings and no one had the upper hand it felt like.

The game changer was from Gunnar Henderson hitting a leadoff home run in the top of the seventh and now the Giants were gonna have to fight back. In the eighth inning no energy from the Giants’ bats , but in the ninth inning SF had to try to score on one of the top closers in the business, going for his 15th save of the season, Felix Bautista.

Bautista struck out the first two batters, then Casey Schmitt shot some adrenaline in the building with a double, but Bautista would still get his save when he struck out Michael Conforto to end the game and the Orioles came away with a one run win. This is the 15th save for Bautista, making him the second best closer in the MLB.

Next game is Saturday night at 7:05pm PT and it will be Kyle Brandish (2-1, 3.89) on the hill for the Orioles and Alex Cobb (4-2, 3.05) for the Giants at Oracle Park.

Giants look ahead to series with Orioles Friday night

San Francisco Giants’ Wilmer Flores hits a single to drive in a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed May 31, 2023 (AP News photo)

Giants Look Ahead To Series With Orioles

By Barbara Mason

Thursday, the San Francisco Giants (28-28) got a day off after a grueling 29-game schedule. It has been a long month for the Giants but they were able to get back to .500 winning series over the Astros, a two game series over Milwaukee, a series over Miami and Minnesota.

They swept the Phillies and most recently lost a series to the Pittsburgh Pirates. They beat some very good teams in the month of May and It will be a nice respite today although brief.

The team will be back in action Friday night taking on the Baltimore Orioles (35-21) in a a three-game series and they will be doing it at Oracle. After that series they will have another day off before heading to Colorado to take on the Rockies.

Friday’s game will kick off a challenging series for the team. The Orioles are second in the AL East which is an incredibly strong division with the likes of the Toronto Rays, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM with Logan Webb on the mound for the Giants. He has an ERA of 2.75 and a 4-5 win/loss record. He went 7.0 innings in his last outing against the Brewers allowing 4 hits and 1 run with 11 strikeouts in the 3-1 win.

Baltimore will send Dean Krenmer who takes the mound with a 5-2 win/loss record and a 4.58 ERA. He is 2-1 in away games. His last outing was on May 27 against Texas in a 5-3 loss. He allowed 5 hits, 3 runs and 5 strikeouts in that game.

The game will more than likely be played surrounded by the June gloom that accompanies the start of summer for the San Francisco Bay Area. The Giants will be looking to improve their .500 record as they take on Baltimore in this upcoming series.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants host second place Orioles in 3 game set Friday at Oracle

San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski scores a run on a wild pitch by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller, right, during the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed May 31, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 The San Francisco Giants (28-27) couldn’t win the rubber game match against the Pittsburgh Pirates (28-27) on Wednesday afternoon at Oracle Park in San Francisco as the Pirates Bryan Reynolds belted three RBIs and the Bucs scored four times in the top of the third inning which help keep Pittsburgh ahead for much of the game in a 9-4 win.

#2 The Pirates with the victory are now a game above .500 and had hit and run production from ex-Giant outfielder Andrew McCutchen and first baseman Connor Joe who both went 3-4 with an RBI. Pirates manager Derek Shelton was please that the offense is starting to pick up.

#3 For the Pirates have not won consecutive games since they dropped below the .500 mark since the beginning of the season when they were 1-2. Since their 20-8 start the Pirates have gone 8-19.

#4 Michael, the Giants committed two errors in the game and errors can cost you runs talk about how the two errors impacted the Giants on Wednesday afternoon?

#5 The Giants have the day off on Thursday and open up a series against the Baltimore Orioles (35-21) on Friday night. The Orioles will start Dean Kremer (5-2 ERA 4.58) he’ll be opposed by the Giants Logan Webb (4-5 ERA 2.75) first pitch at Oracle Park at 7:15 pm PT.

Join Michael Duca for the San Francisco Giants podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Bucs 4 run third boosts win over Giants 9-4 at Oracle Park in Wednesday matinee

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Rodolfo Castro, center, is tagged out trying to steal third base by San Francisco Giants third baseman J.D. Davis (7) during the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed May 31, 2023 (AP News photo)

Pittsburgh (28-27). 004 202 001. – 9. 14. 1

San Francisco (28-28) 011 011 000. – 4. 12. 2

Time: 2:32

Attendance: 23,817

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–This afternoon’s rubber game of the three contest series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and your San Francisco Giants was not a pretty sight. Exciting, yes. Interesting, yes. But you could tell by the quality of play that this was a day game – and a 12:45 start at that! – after a night game. The Pirates won it. definitively, 9-4.

The Giants chose Alex Wood (1-0, 3.51 at game time). The sinker, slider, changeup lefty was not sharp today. He lasted only 4-1/3 innings, in which he managed to throw 94 pitches, 55 of them counting as strikes.

Wood gave up six runs, all of them earned, and left two inherited runners, who didn’t score, when he was relieved by Ryan Walker. Wood took the loss, leaving him 1-1, 4.80 for the season. He struck out four and walked three.

Wood’s opposite number for Pittsburgh, righty Mitch Keller came to work with a 6-1, 3.01 record but was coming off an awful outing in Seattle where he yielded six runs in as many innings while getting credit for the win last Friday.

He wasn’t impressive today, either, but he got the job done, lasting six frames and allowing four runs, all earned, on 10 hits, a walk, and two wild pitches. He struck out eight and made 101 deliveries to the plate, 74 of them going for strikes. He was the winning pitcher, and his record now stands at 7-1, 3.25.

The Giants opened the scoring in the bottom of the second after Blake Sabol’s shot grounder just barely made it through to center for a single, he moved on a base on a walk to Haniger, and came home on Patrick Bailey’s single to left. Schmitt grounded into double play to end the inning, the third twin killing at this early spot in the game.

The Bucs counter attacked in the top of the third. Ji Hwan Bae drew a walk. Austin Hedges sent him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Bae scored on Andrew McCutchen’s double to left, tying the game.

With two outs, Wood plunked Connor Joe. Rodolfo Castro singled to left, driving in McCutchen. and sending Joe to third while Castro went on to second on Blake Sabol’s bad throw home.

Both runners crossed the plate on Ke’Bryans triple … again to left. When Jack Suwinski went down swinging for the third out, it was 4-1 in favor of the Pirates. They tacked on two more in the fourth on Bryan Reynold’s double with Bae and McCutchen in scoring position.

Flores’s Texas League single to center in the bottom of the frame plated Wade, who had doubled with one down, to close the gap. to 4-2.

The men from the Monongahela added two more tallies in the fourth on a Bryce Reynolds single with Bae and McCutchen in scoring position, and the home team countered with the fifth when Yastrzemski hit a triple that hit the wall between the AAA and State Farm Insurance advertisements in right center and scored on a wild pitch.

Hard hitting by Pittsburgh and bad fielding by San Francisco (specifically a throwing error by Wisely at second on what should have been a double play) enabled the Pirates to put two more runs on the board in the top of the sixth, giving them an 8-3 lead.

Schmitt almost made it a close game in the sixth, but Reynolds a leaping catch of his drive over the top of the left field fence that change what looked like it would be a home run into a sacrifice fly.

Luke Jackson came in to. pitch the top of the seventh or the orange and black, who still trailed 8-4. He kept it there, and Rob Zastrzyzny and Dauri Moreta combined to keep the Giants off the board in their half of the frame.

Tyler Rogers brought his submarine delivery to the mound for the Pittsburgh eighth. He held the Pirates to a lone single.

Robert Stephenson put the Giants down in order in the eighth.

Camilo Doval allowed another Pirate tally in the top of the ninth. It came on a walk to Joe, who stole second, and scored on a Texas League single by Suwinski, mixed in with three strike outs.

Yohann Ramírez closed it for Pittsburgh, allowing a single to Brett Wisely, who was erased in a game ending double play.

The Giants have tomorrow off and will play their next game at home at 7:15 Friday evening against the Baltimore Orioles. The orange and black against the orange and black– Halloween in June. Dean Kremer (5-2-4.58) is scheduled to start for the O’s; Logan Webb (4-5,2.75) for the Giants.

Pirates Aim to Right Ship with 2-1 Win

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Connor Joe (2) is congratulated by Jack Suwinski (65) after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue May 30, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Tony the Tiger Hayes

SAN FRANCISCO-A day after the Giants scored 14 runs against the Pirates, San Francisco had trouble making solid against Pittsburgh pitching losing 2-1.

The Giants managed to work seven walks off five Pirates pitchers, but just five hits in the loss.

After playing sourly most off May the Pirates hope tonight’s win bodes good fortunes for June.

The Pittsburgh club currently visiting the City by the Bay are a far version of the Pirates that shot out of the gate this season and opened eyes around baseball like a triple shot of espresso from Cafe Trieste.

After beginning the 2023 campaign 20-8, the youthful Pirates had people thinking the long struggling franchise had finally turned the corner.

No, no one was seriously considering the Pirates winning their first World Series title in 44 years this season.

But at least the Bucs – who went 20 straight seasons without a winning record after Barry Bonds left them to join the Giants after the 1992 season – had a vibrancy to them .

However, in recent weeks the Pirates’ ship has begun taking on water, losing 19 of their past 25 games and dropping in the standings as if it were weighed down by fools gold.

The Giants meanwhile have been the opposite version of Pirates. After struggling to string together wins the first month of the season the Giants have surged in May going 17-10 and climbing up the standings in the NL West into third place.

The club produced their most impressive win on Memorial Day, knocking the embarrassed Pirates into McCovey Cove with a dominating 18-hit, 14-4 win.

With the win Sunday, San Francisco moved a season best two games games over .500 (28-26). The battered Bucs (26-27) fell under .500 for the first time since April 2.

Tuesday night at Oracle Park however, the Pirates drew blood first when short-lived former Giant Connor Joe – San Francisco’s opening day left field starter in 2019 – clubbed a soaring solo home run down down the left field line off Giants “opener” John Brebbia to make it 1-0.

But the Giants didn’t waist any time tying the game in the bottom of the first off Pirates starter Johan Oviedo. After the young righty issued back to back walks to Mike Yastrzemski and J.D. Davis, Michael Conforto hammer a run scoring single to left.

The action reached a crescendo in the top of the fifth when Giants rookie catcher Patrick Bailey put on a defensive display that would have made Johnny Bench proud.

After the Pirates took a 2-1 lead on a wild pitch by Giants reliever Sean Manaea, Bailey went to work showing why the used a No.1 pick on the receiver a few years back.

With base runner Jason Delay charging hard from third on a sharp ground ball to Giants first baseman Lamont Wade, Bailey artfully blocked home plate and applied a sweeping tag on Delay for the putout. Pittsburgh challenged the play, but video showed conclusive evidence of the out.

With Andrew McCutchen up next, Palacios strayed too far off first and Bailey threw a dart to first to pickoff the hapless Bucco.

Headline Sports podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Jays Bassitt said Yanks Judge was stealing tips; Jays pitcher Bass in hot water over LGBTQ message; plus more

Toronto Blue Jays announcers Dan Shulman and Buck Martinez were questioning what the New York Yankees Aaron Judge was looking at during this at bat. The Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt said Judge was getting signals from the first base coach as to what was coming (New York Post photo still)

On the MLB podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 The Toronto Blue Jays broadcasters were drawing suspicions that the New York Yankees Aaron Judge was looking at the Yankees first base coach to get signs on what pitch was coming from Toronto pitchers. They had him on camera looking at something and then the pitch came and he went yard. Blue Jay pitcher Chris Bassitt said the Yankees were relaying pitches and Judge lied.

#2 The Toronto Blue Jays continue to make news as Jays pitcher Anthony Bass said that he believed in boycotting Budweiser and Target for their support over LGBTQ rights. Bass said this has become a political issue and said he didn’t understand what’s the big deal. Fans and critics say that the Jays have only one choice and it’s to get rid of Bass.

#3 The San Francisco Giants Patrick Bailey wasted no time on his 24th birthday Monday hitting a two run seventh inning home run that later led the Giants to a 14-4 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in the first of a three game series.

#4 Turning the NBA news the Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers is stepping down after 12 years at the helm. Myers 48 said “It’s just time” and is looking doesn’t know what his future holds but felt his time in the position was up and he wanted to move on.

#5 The Denver Nuggets host the Miami Heat on Thursday night at Ball Arena in Denver for game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Heat just knocked off the Boston Celtics after the Celtics came back from being down 3-0. The Nuggets have been off since Mon May 22 and will have ten days rest before taking on the Celtics.

Stephen Ruderman did Headline Sports and covers MLB at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

No Mercy rule in baseball, Giants take out Bucs 14-4 at Oracle Park

San Francisco Giants’ Patrick Bailey, front right, celebrates after hitting a two-run home run that also scored Casey Schmitt (6) during the seventh inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Mon May 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

Pittsburgh (26-27). 001 000 201. – 4. 9. 2

San Francisco (28-26). 050 100 80x. – 14 18 0

Time: 2:20

Attendance: 39,323

Monday, May 29, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–The San Francisco Giants now are a force to be reckoned with. Even after their 7-5 loss on Sunday afternoon to the Marlins, the home town team took the field at Oracle Park this afternoon 4-1/2 games out of first place in the NL West.

LaMonte Wade, Jr., is looking comfortable at first base (although he didn’t start today to avoid a lefty on lefty match up); Casey Schmitt is looking comfortable anywhere you put him. (And I’ve probably put a jinx on both of them by writing this).

Austin Slater came off the injured list today and went three for six with four RBI a the team massacred the stumbling Pirates, 14-4.

Their starting pitcher in this Memorial Day game, Anthony DeScalfani, isn’t one of the team’s glamorous members, but he gets the job done more of than not. He began the game at 3-4, 3.43 and went home the winning pitcher at 4-4, 3.48.

While on the mound, he hurled seven frames, allowing three runs, all earned, on eight hits, one of them yard, and no walks. He struck out two, and 48 of his 74 offerings were considered strikes.

The well travelled veteran of 19 big league seasons,Rich Hill who started this afternoon’s game for the stumbling Buccos no longer at the top of his game. But neither is he completely over the hill, although he clearly is on the downhill side.

He’s drawing a salary of $8,000,000 for 2023, so I’d say you could say he still is rich. He brought a lifetime record of 86-63, 3.86 (8-2,, 2.34 against the Giants) to the ballpark today. His season’s totals when he toed the rubber were 4-4, 4.27.

His most frequently thrown pitch is the curve, followed by the four seamer. Those two deliveries account for about 3/4 of his usage. The remaining arrows in his quiver are the cutter, sweeper, sinker, change of pace, and slider in that order of frequency.

Monday, he pitched six innings and gave up six runs, all earned, on nine hits, one of them a home run, and a walk. He threw 94 pitches, 61 for strikes, and was charged with the loss, making him 4-5, 4.75 on the year.

The game began with a textbook example of The Curse of the Leadoff Double. Tucupita Marcano smacked a first pitch double to right center. Bryan Reynolds lined the first pitch he saw to center for a the first out.

Then Andrew McCutchen broke his bat on a first pitch fly to center that Marcano was so sure would fall safely to the grass that he dashed for home and was doubled up at second when Bryce Johnson caught the ball and tossed it to Schmitt at second. The side was retired on three pitches.

San Francisco surged into the lead in the bottom of the second. Mitch Haniger led off with a single to center. Schmitt banged a double off the top of the SF Nothing Like It sign in left center, sending Haniger to third.

Patrick Bailey then lined a double down the right field foul line, plating Haniger and Schmitt. After a pause for David Villar to ground out to third, Brandon Crawford also doubled down the right field line, which drove in Bailey.

That set the scene for Austin Slater’s first home run of the year, over the Visa ad in center field. The ball landed 410 feet from home. The inning ended with the Giants up, 5-0.

The Pirates got one of runs back in their half of the third. Josh Palacios smacked a triple off the National Card Rental advertisement in left center and scored on Austin Hedges’ ground out to third.

The Giants relentlessly added a tally in the fourth, Bryce Johnson scoring from second, which he’d reached after forcing Crawford out and then pilfering the bag, on Davis’s single.

The score remained at 6-1 until Jack Suwinski led off the visitors’. seventh with a resounding home run to right, his tenth round tripper of the. season. Connor Joe followed that with a Texas League double to left center. Joe advanced to third on Ji Hwan Bae’s single to center and scored on Castro’s ground out to first. Joe just barely, but clearly, avoided Bailey’s tag at home. That made it 6-3, San Francisco at the seventh inning stretch.

During the singing of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” Cody Bolton threw his on the mound warm ups, relieving Hill when action resumed. He was no more successful than his predecessor. Singles by Davis, Flores, and Schmitt, a double by Haniger, and a splash hit, Bailey’s second homer of the year, made it 11-3.

Two walks, followed by a double by Slater, and the Giants had batted around and were leading 13-3 when Rob Zastryzny replaced Bolton. After walking Davis, Zastryzny got Flores to hit a grounder to third.

Castro bobbled the ball and couldn’t get the force on Slater, but third base coach Mark Hallberg pushed Slater towards the base, which resulted in his being called out for coach’s interference. Skipping over less interesting details, I’ll just report that SF was ahead 14-3 when the order was restored and the inning ended.

That was when Taylor Rogers took over on the mound for the Giants and made the three Pirates he faced walk the plank.

Brett Wisely came into the game as second baseman, and Schmitt moved to short in the top or the eighth. Wisely ended up pitching the top of the ninth and, after allowing a lead off home run to McCovey Cove to Suwinski, got the side out in order.

The Giants will start John Brebbia (2-0 ERA 3.68) for Tuesday’s, 6:45 game. Pittsburgh intends to send righty Johan Oviedo (3-4, 4.70) to the mound.