It was a riveting contest this afternoon in San Francisco. Logan Webb gave up three hits in the 1st but kept it at 1-0 with a double play to end the frame. Willy Adames hit a two-run homer in the bottom half. Dansby Swanson tied it with a homer in the 2nd. The Cubs threatened in the 3rd but a strikeout-caught stealing double play ended it. Patrick Bailey continues to be valuable even when he can't hit. Logan Webb picked off a runner in the 4th—pitchers have as much to do with controlling the running game as catchers. Meanwhile Shoto Imagana was putting up zeroes. In the 6th Michael Busch homered to make it 3-2 Cubs. Willy Adames finally broke the drought for the Giants with another homer to tie the game in the bottom half.
Both starters came out for the 7th and finished the inning, both were charged with three runs. Both allowed two homers. Webb was tagged for seven hits but no walks with seven strikeouts and Imanaga gave up five hits, a walk, and struck out five. 94 pitches/64 strikes for Logan (25 batters) with 92/63 for Shoto (26 batters). That's a real pitcher's duel! Webb got six outs on grounders and four in the air, it was two and seven for Imanaga, but we expect lots of grounders from our guy. A remarkably even contest. I'd say the Giants fielding plays really made the difference.
In the 8th José Buttó gave up a one-out double to Matt Shaw. The next batter Busch hit a liner towards RF that Casey Schmitt speared with a full-extension leap. Shaw had broken for third expecting it to be a hit and they doubled him off to end the inning. Adames took the throw, he was involved in all the double plays and also made a great play throwing out Nico Hoerner to start the 7th. Not a bad day!
The Giants went "up the middle" in the 9th with one-out singles from Schmitt and Wilmer Flores. Christian Koss ran for Schmitt and Jung Hoo Lee rapped a single to right and that was the ballgame. It was a poor throw from RF Owen Caissie and not close at the plate. Koss got a good read and would probably have made it anyway, it would have taken a strong defensive effort to nail him.
Just a dandy win, very nice, and that makes it five in a row. Baltimore is in town for the weekend. Robbie Ray opens the series tomorrow night at 7:15 PT.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
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