That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Dusty’s Dream Astros Win World Series

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker after managing his third World Series wins his first World Series as the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in game 6 at Minute Maid Field on Sat Nov 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

Dusty’s Dream: Astros Win World Series

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Manager Dusty Baker has done it! His Houston Astros have won the 2022 World Series beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in 6 games. This title, his first as a manager, should cinch his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, among managers, adding to the over 2,000 wins.

This was his ultimate dream since he became a manager, a very good player as we remember, for 19 years who also won a ring in 1981 as a member of the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

A career that began with the Atlanta Braves, where he was a teammate of the real home run holder Hank Aaron. Dusty had a front row at history, in Atlanta, Dusty was in the on-deck circle when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, passing Babe Ruth.

Winning a World Series as a player is one thing, but as a manager is totally different. A manager carries the frustration of his team. As a manager, Dusty’s frustrations were as recently as 2020 when he was coaching for the Astros he lost to the Tampa Bay Rays and was eliminated in game 7 during the American League Championship Series.

In 2021 his second season with the Astros, right after taking the helm from manager A.J Hinch and the much-publicized cheating scandal. He took that Astros team to the World Series only to lose to the Atlanta Braves in six games. At 73 years old, Dusty is now the oldest manager ever to win a World Series.

Before Dusty, it was Jack McKeon who managed the Marlins of 2003 and won the World Series at the age of 72. The Houston players are grateful and happy for Dusty Baker. He took them into a new era of Houston Astros baseball. José Altuve who was basically booed by fans all over the country, every time he came to the plate, for the cheating scandal that began in 2017.

There is the one player that was with the Astros during their bad years and then MLB conducted an investigation in 2019 after two Astros players claimed they were stealing signs. The Astros players and organization feel today like Dusty Baker was exactly the type of man they need at the helm to bring them to the ‘promised land’ and he did.

José Altuve currently has the longest tenure wearing an Astros uniform, he was with the team in 2012 when the team was in the National League Central division and they ended with a 55-107 record and the next season 2013 (the first year the Astros moved from the NL to the American League) as they ended with a dreadful record of 51-111.

After Dusty Baker, nobody enjoys this World Series Championship more than the veteran José Altuve, who called this title “a dream come true”. Altuve is the only player that was with the Astros during those very bad seasons in two different leagues. He was celebrating and happy for Dusty Baker who said “Houston is my town”.

Like many managers, Dusty had to endure all the criticism for his decisions. Dusty who was an excellent player in the majors for 19 seasons, was facing a different type of criticism as a manager. Some were brutal commentaries by prominent baseball writers of national acclaim, especially during the 2002 World Series, where Dusty’s Giants lost to the Anaheim Angels. I remember reading one; “Dusty cannot manage a bullpen”.

Today Johnnie B. “Dusty” Baker, who was born in 1949 and in 1967 was selected in the 26th round of the MLB Draft. He has been involved in baseball for the majority of his 73 years on this planet, as a player and as a manager, and is rejoicing with his players and having all the fun in the world.

Sometimes we sarcastically say “this could not have happened to a better person”, but in Dusty Baker’s case, it is true “this could not have happened to a better person”. I have been privileged to cover his career as a player and a manager. One word comes to mind that best describes the essence of this man….honesty. No wonder every player wants to play for Dusty.

Bravo Dusty!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary World Series podcast: Astros-Phillies get an extra day off due to rain out in game 3

Halloween night Mon Oct 31, 2022 at Citizen’s Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia before game 3 of the 2022 World Series between the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies rained out and rescheduled for Tue Nov 1, 2022 (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury podcast:

#1 The Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies have started off to a 1-1 tie and won each by scores of 6-5 how even do you see these teams in this World Series?

#2 The World Series goes back to Philadelphia tied 1-1 game three was canceled due to rain and rescheduled for Tuesday night does this give both teams time to get an extra day of rest and get ready for tonight.

#3 We’ve talked about playing baseball in November are there people who schedule these games to keep advertising revenue going rather than thinking baseball in November in cold rainy months is really not such a good idea?

#4 Amaury, how about the fans after a certain point like the beginning of November do they seem to tune out the game looking at it as a long enough season already but could the series go until Nov 6th almost five days short of Veterans Day?

#5 Let’s take a look at tonight’s starting pitchers for the Astros Lance McCullers who has an ERA in the post season of 2.45 will be opposed by the Phillies Roger Saurez (1-0 ERA 1.86) at Citizens Bank Ball Park in Philadelphia for game 3.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Astros Alvarez beats M’s with one swing of the bat in walk homer; Yanks Cole and Rizzo provide help in 4-1 win over Cleveland; plus more

The Houston Astros Yordan Alvarez watches flight of his home run in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Tue Oct 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Jessica:

#1 Jessica lets look at the MLB playoffs from Tuesday night. The Houston Astros took the first game of the ALDS getting by the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Field in Houston 7-5. The Astros Yordan Alvarez crushed a three run walk off homer in the bottom of the ninth for the win.

#2 The New York Yankees got a 4-1 win past the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole pitched 6.1 innings, four hits, one earned run, one walk, and eight strikeouts for the win. Anthony Rizzo hit a home run and had two RBIs in the win.

#3 The Philadelphia Phillies just got by the Atlanta Braves 7-6 at Truist Park in Cobb County. The Phils held onto to the win despite the Braves scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning in a last attempt to come back.

#4 The Los Angles Dodgers drew first blood in game one of the NLDS defeating the San Diego Padres 5-3 at Dodgers Stadium. The Dodgers scored early with two runs in the bottom of the first inning and three runs in the bottom of third inning.

#5 Lastly Jessica the Guardians pitcher Nick Sandlin will miss the rest of the 2022 post season after going through an MRI that showed he has a major muscle injury in the right shoulder. How will Sandlin’s absence impact the Guardians pitching in the post season?

Join Jessica Kwong for Headline Sports Wednesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants say it with Flores walk off home run in ninth as Giants sweep Phillies 5-3

Philadelphia (73-61). 3. 9 0

San Francisco (64-68) 5 8. 0

Sunday, September 4, 2022

San Francisco Giants come away with a two run 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park in San Francisco to conclude the three game series Sun Sep 4, 2022 (photo by @SFGiants)

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–A three game winning streak is nothing to write home about, but for the current version of your San Francisco Giants coming to work today with a record of 64-68, painting a triptych of triumphs was a consummation devoutly to be wished.

The visiting Philadelphia Phillies, at 73-61, were fighting to maintain their 2-1/3 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the final NL playoff spot.

When the last out was recorded, it was the Giants who were successful, vanquishing the visitors from The City of Brotherly Love before a sellout crowd of 41,181.

The Giants sent their ace, southpaw Carlos Rodón (12-7, 3.03 at game time) to face their Quaker City foes, who also chose a left handed starter, Ranger Suárez (8-5, 3.42 before today).

He had been a reliever until August of last year. Since then, he had started 35 games and achieved a noteworthy ERA of 2.76. A pitchers’ duel seemed likely, and that’s what we got for the first 3-1/2 innings.

Rodón pitched beautifully. He ran into trouble in the sixth, loading the bases with no outs, but got out of that mess with a string of strikeouts. He shut the Phillies out over his six inning stint, in which he threw 106 pitches, of which only 36 were balls. He allowed five hits and two walks. He wasn’t involved in the decision, but his ERA fell to 2.92.

Suárez started off masterefully but stumbled through the fourth inning and didn’t go any further. He gave up three runs, all earned, on four hits, two walks, and a wild pitch striking out four. Of his 69 deliveries, 44 qualified as strikes. He escaped with a no decision and saw his ERA rise to 3.52.

The Phils outhit the Giants 3-1 through 3-1/2 scoreless innings and would out hit them 9-8 for the game. In the bottom of the fourth, LaMonte, Jr .’s grounder threaded the needle between short and third for San Francisco’s second hit but, what was more important, it drove in JD Davis with the game’s first tally.

Davis had been on second base after Suárez had walked him and Thairo Estrada. Indeed, the Philadelphia starter’s control deserted him in this inning, and both Estrada and Wade advanced a base on a wild pitch to Austin Wynns, who eventually singled to right, plating Estrada.

Wade scored the Giants’ third run of the frame on a single to right by Bryce Johnson. Wynns was cut down at third trying to advance an extra 90 feet on that hit.

Suárez didn’t come out to pitch the fifth. Right hander Nick Nelson replaced the southpaw. Luis González greeted him with a first pitch single to left. That brought up Lewis Brinson, so left handed swinging Mike Yastrzemski pinch hit for him.

A wild pitch and a strikeout later, Pederson pinch hit for JD Davis. He, like Wilmer Flores before him, took a called third strike. So did Estrada. Villar and Wynns were now the only right handed batters remaining in the Giants’ lineup.

The Phillies were down but not out. Rhys Hopkins sent a Rodón four seamer up against the left field wall for a leadoff double in the sixth. Alec Bohm´s single to left just eluded Estada’s glove, so the runner stopped at third.

With runners at the corners and no outs, Rodón fanned the dangerous Bryce Harper on a 97 mph four seam fastball. Realmuto worked a full count walk to fill the footpaths with Phillies. Then Rodón whiffed Jean Segura, notching his 200th K of the season. He got his 201st on Stott to close out the frame. The pitch was a 98mph four swinger and Rodón’s 106th of the game.

Vinny Nittoli took over mound duties for the visitors in the home sixth. He set down the side in order.

It was no surprise that Alex Young replaced Rodón on the rubber for the top of the seventh. Sam Coonrod pitched the bottom half of the frame for Philadelphia. Both of them had 1,2,3 innings.

John Brebbia made his 63rd appearance of the season, After whiffing Hoskins, he yielded a single to Bohm that just whistled by his head on the way to center field and then another, a Texas Leaguer to right, by Harper.

It was the first time this afternoon that the lefty had faced a right handed pitcher. Then JT Relmuto lowered the boom. He tied the game with a 423 foot blast into the left center field bleachers off a hanging slider.

David Robertson faced the newly tied Giants in the home eighth. He surrendered a two out single to left by Estrada. Then Wade sent a line drive against the brick wall over the State Farm advertisement in right center that sent Estrada to third while Wade stopped at first.

David Villar was due up, and Brandon Crawford pinch hit for him. He drew a walk to clog the basepaths. Evan Longoria became SF’s fourth pinch hitter, stepping in for Wynns. He fanned, and the game remained tied, not just in runs scored at three, but in men left on base at seven.

Camilo Doval pitched the top of the ninth for the orange and black, allowing only a two out broken bat infield single.

Robertson returned to the mound for home ninth. He walked Johsnon and fanned González. Yaz went down flailing at a knuckle curve for the second out. On the next pitch, Wilmer Flores launched a drive over the happy Chevron cars billboard in left, giving the Giants a thrilling 5-3 victory.

Doval, now 5-6, 2,73, got the win. The loss went to Robertson, who saw his record fall to 3-2, 2.35.

The Giants head to Los Angeles on Monday night at 7:10 pm PDT to open a three game series. Starting pitchers for the Giants Logan Webb (11-8, 2.89) and for the Dodgers (2-1, 2.12) at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.

The Giants will be on the road until September 12, when they will return to Oracle Park to face the Atlanta Braves. The probable starters are TB.

Giants edge Phils 5-4 for second straight win at Oracle

San Francisco Giants’ LaMonte Wade Jr., left, scores past Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto during the third inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Sep 3, 2022

Philadelphia (73-60). 4. 12. 2

San Francisco (63-68). 5. 11. 1

Saturday, September 3, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO-Baseball players and managers are notoriously superstitious. Think of all those players jumping over the foul lines and managers wearing out their clothing before changing it and their luck. Branch Rickey famously pronounced, “Luck is the residue of design.” Baseball is fraught with design.

Friday night’s stunning 13-1 Giant triumph over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies provided fodder for those participants, spectators, and other fans who know something of the history of the two teams.

The numbers 13 and 1 in the context of a late season rush to the league championship are catnip to the Giants. On August 11 (i.e., double one) of 1951, the Phillies defeated the New York Giants, dropping the New Yorkers to 13 games out of first with only 44 left on the schedule.

The Giants went on a tear and, with a little help from their outfield signal corps, caught up with, tied, and, on Bobby Thomson’s pop fly with two away in the ninth inning of the third game of a three game playoff, a pop fly the landed in the left field overhang, about 265 feet from home, went on to the World Series.

The Phillies, too, are no strangers to late season reversals of fortune. In 1964, they led the league by 6-1/2 games with only 30 to go and yet managed to blow that seemingly invincible advantage.

Saturday game recap: This Saturday afternoon’s tussle between the representatives of the Quaker City and the Quaking City took place with San Francisco an even ten games behind the Phils, who were hanging on to the last wild card slot by the skin of their teeth.

The newly re-energized Giants sent right lander Jakob Junis (4-4, 4.04 at game time) to the mound. He lasted 4-1/3 innings in San Francisco’s bitterly contested 5-4 triumph.

Junis allowed three runs, two of them earned, on seven hits, one of which left the park and another a double that was lost in the sun, and two walks. He threw 78 pitches, 52 of them strikes. His no decision gave him a record of 4-4, 4.05.

The Phils countered with another righty, Noah Syndergaard (8-9, 3.98 when the game began). He, too, got a no decision after hurling 4-1/3 frames. He surrendered four runs, three of them earned, on seven safeties and a walk.

He notched three strikeouts, throwing a total of 75 pitches, 52 qualifying as strikes. His no decision left his won-lost record at 8-9 but raised his ERA to 4.07.

As luck would have it, the home team escaped The Curse of the Leadoff Double when, in the bottom of the first LaMonte Wade, Jr., lined one to right and, following Mike Yastrzemski’s foul pop to third, Thairo Estrada hit a nubber to Syndergaard that would have been a close play at first if the Phillies’ pitcher hadn’t heaved it into the warning track.

Estrada wound up on second, and Wade took third on the infield hit and scored an unearned run on the throwing error. The inning ended with the orange and black leading, 1-0.

The worm turned with a vengeance in the top of the second. Bryson Stott beat the shift with a bunt single to the left that Brian Crawford fielded cleanly but threw wildly to first, allowing the Phils’ shortstop to take second.

Jean Segura’s double to right knotted up the score, and after Brandon Marsh whiffed for the first out, Matt Vierling’s Texas League single to right brought in Segura to put the visitors ahead, 2-1, where the score remained when the frame came to a close.

San Francisco loaded the bases with nobody out in the home third on back to back singles to right by Knap and Wade, followed by a walk to Yastrzemski. Syndergaard struck out Estrada, but Pederson hit the third single to right of the inning, bringing in Knapp with the tying run and leaving the basepaths still jammed with Giants.

First baseman Rhys Hoskins couldn’t handle Crawford’s hard bouncer behind the bag, allowing Wade to cross the plate with the leading run. A 6-4-3 twin killing, initiated with a spiffy behind the back toss from Stott to Segura, ended the frame, but the Giants were back on top, 3-2.

Stott didn’t stop there. He led off the fourth with a 412 foot roudtripper to right off an 84 mph change of pace on 1-1 count, tying the game at 3-3.

It didn’t look as though it would stay like that for long. Kyle Schwarber led off the fifth with a lost in the sun double to the left field warning track. Hoskins followed with a broken bat Texas League single to center that advanced Schwarber to third.

Alec Bohm then hit a grounder to Crawford, who threw Schwarber out at home while Hoskins moved on to second. That ended Junis’s tenure on the mound. Scott Alexander relieved him and induced Harper into a 1-6-3 double play that put out the fire and preserved the tie.

Knapp opened the Giants’ fifth by popping out to third. Then Yaz sent an automatic double to right center that hopped over the Visa sign. Estrada dropped a bunt single to third that put men on the corners.

At this point, Connor Brogdon replaced Syndergaard on the mound. Pederson lined a single to right that plated Yaz and moved Estrada into scoring position at second. They were stranded there after Brogdon fanned David Villar and Tommy LaStella grounded out to second. The inning was over, but the Giants had reclaimed the lead.

That was nice while it lasted, but JT Realmuto led off the visitors’ sixth with a single to left. Bryson Stott forced him at second on a nice play from Villar to Thairo Estrada in the shift.

Jean Segura’s double to left center tied things up again at four. After Scott Alexander got Brandon Marsh to go down swinging, Zack Littel came on to retire Matt Vierlilng to end the inning. He wound up getting the win, bringing his record to 2-2, 4.38.

Lefty Brad Hand took over pitching duty for Philadelphia in the bottom of the sxith. Lewis Brinson, pinch hitting for Luis Gonazález, greeted him with a double off the top of the Toyota sign in left. After walks to JD Davis and Evan Longoria, with a strikeout of Wilmer Flores – all of them, by the way, pinch hitters – the bases were fraught with Giants.

Estrada forced Brinson out at home, 4-2. The bases still were loaded now, with two out, and. Pederson at the plate.

He worked the count to 3-2 before walking to drive in Davis with the leading run and avert The Curse of the Leadoff Double. Hand struck out Brandon Crawford on three pitches, but SF had a tenuous lead of 5-4.

Workhorse John Brebbia took over mound duties for the Giants in the top of the eighth, and Schwarber greeted him with a line drive triple that bounced off the gates between the State Farm and AAA Insurance advertisements in right center.

Brebbia then fanned Hoskins and got Bohm to ground to Crawford while Schwarber held his ground 90 feet from home before yielding the rubber to Jarín García. He granted a semi- intentional walk to Harper before ending the threat by overpowering Realmuto with an 0-2 95mph four seamer.

After the seventh inning stretch, Andrew Bellatti faced leadoff hitter Austin Wynns, now catching for the Giants and batting in Villar’s spot after the massive pinch hit outburst in the bottom of the sixth.

Wynns got the second lost in the sun double, both of them leadoffeers, with a fly to left that left Schwarber helpless. LaStella, up next, sliced a fly to left that wasn’t high enough to blind Schwarber, and there was one out.

A set of effective sliders, and Brinson went down swinging. The Curse of the Leadoff Double was fulfilled when Bryce Johnson, the right fielder who replaced the pinch hitting Davis, took a called third strike.

Alex Young became San Francisco’s fifth relief pitcher of the afternoon when he took the mound in the top of the eighth and gave up a leadoff single to right center to Scott. Segura then singled to left. Danny Sands hit for Marsh and worked a full count before bouncing into a tailor made 6-4-3 double play. Out went Young; in came Camilo Doval. It took him four pitches to dispose of Matt Viering.

José Alvarado held the boys from the bay scoreless in their half of the eighth, and we went to the ninth with Doval still on the mound for San Francisco to face the top of the Phillies´order. Helped by a spectacular diving catch by Austin Slater, who had just replaced Pederson in left, of a sinking liner by Hoskins for the second out, he set them down in order, notching his 19th save in 22 opportunities.

Hand was charged with the loss. His record now stands at 3-2, 2.21.

Tomorrow at 1:05 we’ll see if the Giants can keep up their momentum. Staff ace Carlos Rodón (12-7, 3.03) will face off against fellow portsider Ranger Suárez (8-5, 3.42)

Giants end 7 game skid against Phils; SF takes out frustrations on Philadelphia with 13-1 clobbering

San Francisco Giants’ Joc Pederson (23) celebrates with Andrew Knapp (33) after hitting a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Sep 2, 2022 (AP News photo)

Philadelphia (73-59). 1. 5. 1

San Francisco (62-68). 13 11. 0

Friday, September 2, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–It’s the start of September, the beginning of the stretch drive that will determine which teams will participate in the crap shoot known as the MLB playoffs. This context gave added meaning to tonight’s confrontation between Your San Francisco Giants and the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies came to town at 73-58, occupying second place in the race for a wild card spot, half a game ahead of the San Diego Padres, who in turn were leading the Milwaukee Brewers by two and a half. The Dodgers were leading the pack, eight games in front of the Phils.

The 61-68 Giants had a different struggle on their hands, the fight to finish the season at .500 or better. Their rivals weren’t Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, or any other team. Their own worst enemy was themselves, their pitching, especially out of the bullpen, their hitting, and their fielding, which has been worse than their numbers would make it appear.

Slow throws, missed double plays, Alphonse and Gaston routines with fly balls, missing the cutoff man, all these hidden errors and others camouflage shoddy glove, arm, and brain work. Injuries haven’t helped the situation any. The outlook wasn’t brilliant.

“But,” as W.H. Auden wrote in “Spain, 1937).” “to-day the struggle.” The Giants, surprisingly massacred the crew from the City of Brotherly Love, disposing of them by a score of 13-1.

The Giants sent their number three starter, Alex Cobb, to the mound. Opponents had been batting .248 against him., The Phillies’ team BA was .254 coming into the game, which was two points higher than San Francisco’s OBA of .252 for the 129 they’d played before today. The Giants, by way of contrast, had a team batting average of .233.

The Giants’ game notes unfailingly remind us of how deceptive his numbers (like the team’s fielding stats) are. Tonight, they informed us that “while his ERA is currently 3.81, his ERA is 3.14 … his FIP is currently 2.94 and his FIP sits at 2.85.” Maybe fielding independent pitching and expected ERA and FIP are concepts that need some adjustment.

Cobb pitched beautifully, earning his fifth win and lowering his ERA to 3.58. He went seven strong innings and didn’t allow a run, surrendering only three hits and a walk. He threw 88 pitches, 55 for strikes. He stayed focused on his job even though his teammates scored early and often and finished his work with a 12-0 lead.

The Phils also called on a righty. Kyle Gibson, at 9-5, 4.08, was making his 26th start of the year. Once Gibson threw his first pitch, he and Aaron Nola were tied for the team leadership in starts and wins.

Gibson’s performance tonight was horrendous. He threw 65 pitches in 1-2/3 innings; 28 of them were balls. Those aren’t bad numbers, but these are: seven runs, all earned, on five hits, includes a homer, four walks, and a wild pitch. He managed to strike out two. The loss dropped his won-lost record to 9-6 and raised his ERA to 4.48.

The combination of September roster expansion and Joey Bart’s concussion led the Giants to make some roster changes yesterday and today. The most notable was the promotion of veteran major league bench warmer Andrew Kapp from Sacramento.

He started tonight’s contest as catcher, batting ninth. Yermín Mercedes, who was San Francisco’s emergency back stop, was optioned back to the River Cats. The orange and black also purchased Lewis Brinson’s contract from Houston and placed the outfielder on the club’s active roster. Joining him there was David Villar, promoted from Sacramento.

Two southpaw hurlers, Andrew Vasquez and Jonathan Bermudez were sent outright to the Giants’ AAA farm team. Brinson entered the game in the bottom of the fifth, hitting for Pederson, and got his first big league hit of the season, a Texas League single to center. Villar also saw action, entering the game to give Crawford a little down time in the seventh. The Giants jumped off to an early lead.

With one down in the bottom of the first, Mike Yastrzemski blasted a double off the bottom of the 354 foot sign just to the right of the Toyota advertisement in left field. After Wilmer Flores walked, Joc Pederson took an 85 mph change of pace to the top of the same marker, driving in Yaz and sending Flores to third. He scored on Brandon Crawford’s solid single to left, which sent Pederson to second.

Each of those runners moved up a base, Crawford scoring, on a wild pitch to Evan Longoria. Longoria, batting in the sixth position, was fourth on the hit parade, lacing another two bagger, this one down the line to left, and Pederson crossed the plate.. Thairo Estrada reined in the parade, whiffing on a 3-2 count, and Luis González grounded out to short, ending an inning that put San Francisco up, 4-0.

The Giants continued their attack in the second. Knapp made his San Francisco debut with a walk. After Wade took a third strike, Yaz walked and was forced out at second on a ground ball to the pitcher. Pederson then whacked his 21st home run of ’22, 415 feet into the right field seats.

That gave four RBIs in two turns at bat, bringing his season’s total to 57. After Crawford walked to first on a base on balls, Gibson walked to the club house for a shower. Sam Coonrod replaced him and got Longoria out on a fly to left. SF now was up, seven zip.

No sooner had Cobb retired the Phils in order in the top of the third, than Coonrod found himself in hot water. He hit Estrada with a 96 mph sinker to start the frame and threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt for an error that sent the Giants’ second sacker to third. After González walked, Estrada trotted home on Knapp’s sacrifice fly to center.

Wade sent a single to right and advanced 180 feet on Yastrzemski’s Texas League single to right before Flores loaded the bases with a walk that sent Coonrod out of the game, giving way to Cristopher Sánchez.

Sánchez gave Pederson a free pass on four pitches. The Giants now had reached double digits in the run column; half of the ten were driven in by Pederson. A walk to Longoria gave San Francisco an 11-0 margin and kept the bases loaded, which is how they remained after Estrada fanned. All four third inning tallies were charged to Coonrod.

San Francisco tacked on a tally in the fifth to make it an even dozen. Sánchez lasted until the notes of ¨Take Me Out to the Ball Game” had died down. He did a credible job in his 3-2/2 innings on the mound, containing the Giants to that fifth frame run, which was earned. Andrew Bellatti became the Phillies’ fourth pitcher of the game when he relieved Sánchez and retired the side in order in the seventh.

Jarlín García did the same for San Francisco in the top of the eighth.

Back up catcher Garrett Stubbs was the position player pitcher for the Phillies in the final San Fran frame. He allowed a triple to González, who scored the Giants’s 13th run on a ground out by Knapp.

Philadelphia notched a meaningless run in the ninth on a double by Nick Maton and a single by Alex Bohm.

They’ll get another shot at the Giants at 1:05, when they’ll face San Francisco’s Jakob Junis (4-4, 4.04). The home team will hope to continue showing its prowess at the plate,, this time against Noah Syndergaard (8-9, 3.98)

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: How frustrating has it got as tempers rise amongst seven game losing streak

San Francisco Giants shortstop expresses his displeasure after third base umpire Ryan Blankney called Crawford out on a check swing and later tosses him out of the ball game in Wed Aug 31, 2022 game against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park in San Francisco (NBC Sports Bay Area photo grab)

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 How much of an opportunity was lost when the Giants were swept by the San Diego Padres this week at Oracle Park.

#2 The Giants now slip 10.5 games behind third for the wild card spot would be safe to say that’s too much of climb to make up in one month’s time.

#3 How much frustrating is it for Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford who got tossed from Wednesday’s game after getting called out on a check swing in the bottom of the second inning.

#4 The Giants who are on a seven game losing streak and didn’t lose on Thursday because they had the day off. Giants manager Gabe Kapler said that patience is thin, tempers flare and the stress level is high.

#5 For Friday night the Giants host the Philadelphia Phillies for three games at Oracle Park the Phils are going with Kyle Gibson (9-5, 4.08) and for the Giants Alex Cobb (4-6, 3.81) a 7:15 PDT first pitch.

Join Michael Fridays for the Giants podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Daniel Dullum: Padres Musgrove shuts down Giants striking out 11 batters

San Francisco Giants right fielder Luis Gonzalez cannot catch a double hit by San Diego Padres’ Wil Myers during the sixth inning of at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (AP News photo)

On the Giants podcast with Daniel:

#1 Joe Musgrove San Diego Padres had himself a game striking out 11 batters which is a season high and he kept the Giants batting order off balance.

#2 The Padres Manny Machado had three RBIs and helping defeat the San Francisco Giants 5-4.

#3 Luis Campusano and Jake Cronenworth also had RBIs for the Padres in a game where every run counted.

#4 The loss was the Giants seventh straight in the course of this seven game losing streak how bad has this team needed some good hitting.

#5 The Giants had Thursday off and get set to open up a three game series against the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night. Starting for the Phils Kyle Gibson (9-5, 4.08) for the Giants Alex Cobb (4-6, 3.81) a 7:15 pm PDT at Oracle Park.

Join Daniel for the San Francisco Giants podcast heard Thursdays at www.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants end three game win streak; SF opens four game set in Miami tonight

Philadelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber took San Francisco Giants pitcher Jarlin Garcia (pictured) deep in the bottom of the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Wed Jun 1, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 The Philadelphia Phillies (22-29) ended a four game losing streak to the San Francisco Giants (27-22) and the Giants ended a three game win streak on Wednesday with a 5-4 win.

#2 The Phillies Kyle Schwarber and Nick Maton both hit home runs and the Phillies picked up four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie up the ball game at 5-5. Giants bullpen just couldn’t hold it together?

#3 The Phillies had scratched star hitter Bryce Harper before the game with right forearm soreness and Jean Segura was out with a fractured index finger on his right hand. Segura will be out for three months. As it turned out the Phillies were able to scratch a win even with Harper out of the line up.

#4 Michael, talk about the Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores’ three run home run big fly but still the Giants fall one run short. Talk about the Flores home run and how he’s been seeing the ball of late?

#5 The Giants head to Miami to face off with Miami Marlins starting pitcher for the Giants Alex Wood (3-4, 4.81) and going for the Marlins Sandy Alcantara (5-2, 2.00) a 6:40 pm PDT for tonight’s game, how do you see this series and talk about Wood’s most recent performances?

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Sixth Inning of Separation: Giants rally, and get beat in the same inning of a 6-5 loss to the struggling Phillies

By Morris Phillips

One inning on Wednesday said it all about the Giants’ current situation. They may be the best right now at wiping out deficits late, but it appears their bullpen’s developed a leak.

Nine runs were scored in the sixth inning of the Giants’ 6-5 loss to the Phillies, but four of those–on two, big home runs–belonged to the hosts, who halted a tough string of losses in the process. The Giants saw their rally to go from down 2-0 to up 5-2 wind up as a footnote, as the Phillies quickly put up four of their own to halt a five-game losing streak.

Jarlin Garcia–arguably the most effective setup man in baseball this season (through 17 appearances) finally had a hiccup, allowing his first earned runs and home runs of the season. Nick Maton and Kyle Schwarber both connected with men on base against Garcia with Schwarber’s giving Philadelphia the lead. The cozy dimensions of Citizens Bank Park were in play with Schwarber’s home run, which probably would have been a flyball out at a lot of parks including San Francisco’s. Garcia’s poor outing also took a possible win away from starter Carlos Rodon who pitched the game’s first five innings.

Manager Gabe Kapler tried to make sense of the situation in which two of the team’s best arm talents couldn’t get it done.

“The most important thing we can do is protect our starters,” Kapler said. “Carlos is a guy we have to treat with that level of respect. When he’s super efficient … of course we’re going to give him that opportunity. Today wasn’t that day, and it wasn’t close. … You could point to any number of spots in the game where there were a couple additional pitches. Certainly we weren’t perfect on defense, and that hurt his chances to pitch deeper into the game.”

The Giants rallied in both of the previous games in the series and made it stick with a pair of victories. Their sixth inning rally in this one brought out the boo birds–predictably–but those same fans had to change their tune when three relievers shut down the Giants in the game’s final three innings.

The Phillies had dropped five in a row, and got worse news before the game when versatile infielder Jean Segura was declared out for at least two months with a broken bone in his index finger, and Bryce Harper was ruled out for the game with a forearm issue.

The Giants–experiencing issues of their own in winning ballgames–looked to pounce by sweeping the series, but it all crumbled with Maton and Schwarber’s home runs. Maton just joined the club, after a call-up from Triple A Lehigh Valley.

Aaron Nola pitched the first six innings for the Phillies, allowing all five Giants’ runs on five hits while notching five strikeouts.

“These guys have been grinding,” Phillies’ manager Joe Girardi said. “A lot of guys have played every day in this 16-day run. We get an off day and we get an off day Monday. Hopefully that refreshes our guys. But I think we really needed (a win) bad.”

The Giants open a four-game set in Miami on Thursday against the Phillies.