Another Mile-High comeback gives SF Giants 7th straight win

The Giants mounted another late-inning comeback at Coors Field, turning a 6-3 deficit into a 10-7 victory

The San Francisco Giants broke their streak of one-run games Wednesday night at Coors Field, but they kept alive their more important streak of winning baseball games. Trailing by three runs in the late innings for a second straight game, the Giants put together a four-run inning for the second straight game, than tacked on three more in the 9th for a 10-7 win over the Colorado Rockies and a seven-game winning streak.

Maybe the Giants are paying tribute to the dearly departed LaMonte Wade, Jr. by saving their most impressive offensive explosions for after the sun goes down over the Rockies. Or, the baseball goes down in front of the actual, baseball-playing Rockies, like on Casey Schmitt’s RBI single in the 9th.

Still, the Geneva Convention still forbids the kind of fan treatment caused by the bottom of the 9th inning. Protecting a four-run lead, Camilo Doval walked a batter, gave up a home run, and two more singles before getting Orlando Arcia to ground out to end it.

You know who likes hitting in Denver? Willy Adames, who got his batting average back above .200 and collected three RBIs. One night after he homered, scored two runs, and drove in two at Coors Field, Adames started the Giants’ scoring by driving in Jung Hoo Lee with a two-run homer in the first inning off starter Kyle Freeland.

Adames had three runs, three hits, and three RBIs in the win. He got his third RBI on a play where, just like Tuesday night, Jung Hoo Lee turned a shallow fly ball into a sacrifice fly thanks to his intimidating speed.

The Giants’ big free-agent shortstop started off both of their late-inning rallies. Trailing 6-3, Adames led off the 8th inning with a single, followed by a Heliot Ramos single and a one-out single from pinch-hitter Dominic Smith. Casey Schmitt fouled off four pitches on his way to an eight-pitch walk, then Mike Yastrzemski crushed a Tyler Kinley (0-3) slider to right, just missing a grand slam but driving in two runs and tying the game.

How did the Giants tie the game? With last night’s loser Zach Agnos in to pitch, Bob Melvin called a safety squeeze for Tyler Fitzgerald that seemingly led to Schmitt getting nailed at home plate. But Melvin challenged the call and won, and the Giants had a 7-6 lead.

Safety squeeze at Coors Field? Let’s freakin’ go.

With Agnos still in the game, possibly out of some misguided ideas of tough love from Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, the Giants loaded the bases with no one out with two walks sandwiched around an Adames double. After a Wilmer Flores sac fly, Schmitt singled in Adames and Yaz grounded a single for the Giants’ 10th run.

Giants starter Robbie Ray cruised through two relatively uneventful innings before the Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman drove in Colorado’s first run with an RBI double. Goodman also went deep on Doval in the 9th and finished 3-for-5 with two doubles. For the series, Goodman is 5-for-10 with two doubles, a triple and a home run. He’s going to be tough to face for the next two-and-a-half seasons before the Rockies trade him for a disappointing return to save money.

Ray did induce an easy ground ball to second base from Giants hero Thairo Estrada with runners on second and third, but it turned into disaster when Jerar Encarnacion’s scuffling return to the Giants scuffled a whole lot harder. He couldn’t handle a pretty basic throw from Fitzgerald, and both runners scored. After a walk, another out, and an RBI single, the Rockies had a 4-3 lead.

Tristan Beck relieved Ray after the 4th inning, after Ray finished with a line of 4R, 2ER, 6H, 2BB, and 5Ks. While Beck did give up two runs, he held down the fort for three innings and earned his first win of the season.

The Giants lineup lost another member when Patrick Bailey joined Matt Chapman on the injured list. New catcher Logan Porter caught three innings without incident to close the game, though he struck out looking while Tyler Fitzgerald was caught stealing to end the 8th inning. But Schmitt has done an incredible job subbing for Chapman so far, hitting 4-for-8 with two runs and three RBIs in this series and showing off an amazing glove.

Do the Giants have the two best defensive third basemen in baseball? They just might.

While the Giants are thriving in late-night baseball, they’ll have to get it done in daylight in tomorrow afternoon’s contest with the Rockies if they want the series sweep. Spread the word. The San Francisco Giants are an offensive powerhouse now! At least after the 7th inning.