Carlos Rodón channeled his inner beast this afternoon in San Diego. He dazzled the national TV audience with a blazing four-seamer and a wicked slider that the Padres could not touch. He got 27 swings-and-misses out of 79 total strikes thrown! It was the first complete game by a Giants pitcher since Anthony DeSclafani in July of last season and it came at a most opportune time. Friday night featured a great matchup with Joe Musgrove and Logan Webb, today Yu Darvish started for the Padres and dominated the Giants for seven innings. Both Darvish and Rodón were shaky early, putting runners on in the 2nd inning and giving up a run on an out. Both pitchers flirted with danger but wriggled out of it and then proceeded to mow down the opposing hitters.
In the 8th Padres manager and our old friend Bob Melvin decided Darvish's 101 pitches were enough and he summoned well-traveled veteran righty Luis García. He'd only allowed one homer in 32-2/3 IP but that didn't stop Wilmer Flores from jacking one to give the Giants the lead. Joc Pederson walked with one out and Wilmer showed off all of his veteran savvy clutchness by waiting on a big breaking ball and launching it over the LF wall. Wilmer had hit the same pitch earlier in the at-bat for a long foul homer and you could see him get that "if he throws it again I'm gonna smack it" look and sure enough that's what happened.
Rodón came out for the 9th at 99 pitches and took care of the first two batters quickly. Jake Cronenworth whiffed on four pitches and Manny Machado grounded out to short on the second pitch, a beautiful curve ball that had him out in front. Machado had already struck out three times against Rodón, waving at fastballs and sliders well out of the zone. He saved that curve for when he really needed it! Rodón then walked Luke Voit on four pitches but got Jorge Alfaro 1-2-3 on pure 98-mph gas. It was his 12th strikeout.
The Giants get their 42nd win and avoid the ignominy of falling below .500 for the season. It was the kind of game that gives you hope they are going to turn things around and start playing better baseball. I was saying that this team needed a spark and a performance like we saw today--Beast Mode--could be just the thing.
Alex Wood gets the ball in the final with a chance to even the series tomorrow at 1:10 Pacific. Mackenzie Gore goes for the Padres.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
3 comments:
Not sure if you were able to get the game in SF with the usual announcers but here in Florida I could only get it on a national Fox TV feed. I loved it when they were saying how the giants lineup was lacking with Wilmer Flores as our number 3 hitter. Not that he isn't good but when you look at the Padres with Machado batting third and the giants with Flores, the giants are lacking. So glad that they basically had to eat their words although it was not mentioned after Flores went deep.
Despite Belt's error Rodon's one run given up was earned. Rodon had to make an adjustment which seemed obvious. In his one and only troubled inning he tried to put guys away after he had two strikes with off speed pitches. It was a mistake and he changed that, as even at that point they were just not touching his fastball which seemed to have a second and third gear. A game score of 87 for Rodon seemed to be the best game score for the giants this year. Hoping for the split tomorrow and perhaps a good final game of a series for two series in a row.
We had the Fox feed. We turned the sound off.
Yeah I noticed that too, that the Padres just waited for those early sliders and poked them the other way. Rodon made the adjustment. I thought he was going to have a meltdown, pacing around the hill and hyperventilating and etc, but he corralled The Beast and it was a beautiful thing.
Jake McGee DFA'd.
Did not see that coming despite the poor performance. Giants had him signed through this season and with an option for next. They are paying him regardless. He's a lefty with a long track record of success so I expect someone will pick him up.
Littell goes to the IL. He was excellent last year and has a bad line this year but like all the relievers he has been hurt by poor fielding. Looks like we will see more of Mauricio Llovera and Yunior Marte.
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