Giants avoid sweep

SF 3  BOS 1

After a couple of feeble losses the Giants put together a great pitching performance and added just enough offense to win the getaway game at Fenway. Kyle Harrison walked five but also struck out seven and allowed just three hits and one run in his five innings. Two of the hits were doubles but none left the yard. A 3rd-inning homer by Mike Yastrzemski was all the Giants could manage until the 7th. Three singles to start the frame plated the go-ahead run and a sacrifice fly added the other. Four innings of stellar, one-hit relief pitching made the difference. Ryan Walker needed 16 pitches for the 6th, giving up a single but also getting a strikeout. Erik Miller got three outs, one a strikeout, on 15 pitches in the 7th. Tyler Rogers got two groundouts and added a strikeout and only needed 8 pitches in the 8th. Camilo Doval went 3-and-2 to the first batter but then got a groundout, struck out the next guy, and closed it with a lineout, 14 pitches in all. Nice work—only one batter over the minimum.

Tuesday’s shockingly poor start from Logan Webb was supported by four hits, all singles. Even if he’d pitched well they would have lost the game. Wednesday’s bullpen game wasn’t much better, only five hits, but at least there was one double and one homer and thus a couple of runs. This offense should be better. Right now it’s all on the pitchers.

It’s a tough road ahead: they go to Philadelphia for three starting tomorrow. The Phillies are 21-11, the third-best record in MLB, just behind the Braves (20-9) and Guardians (20-10). Like the Red Sox the Phillies pitch really well. The Giants will have to match it. Jordan Hicks goes tomorrow against Aaron Nola (3:40 PT), Keaton Winn faces Ranger Suarez on Saturday (3:05 PT), and Logan Webb matches up with Tijuan Walker on Sunday (4:10 PT). It was encouraging to see a big game from the relief corps, don’t you think?

Go Giants!

–M.C.