Giants outslug Brew Crew in 5-4 win

SF out-homered Milwaukee 3-2 and that was the difference in a gutty win by the orange and black

The Milwaukee Brewers did all the little things Tuesday night. They played incredible outfield defense, stole bases, threw strikes, and even went first-to-third on an infield groundout. But the San Francisco Giants did slightly more of the big things, riding three home runs to a 5-4 win.

On a hot night at American Family Field with 75% humidity, the Giants had to sweat out a victory. Starter Logan Webb was chased two batters into the sixth inning, and four relievers allowed a total of seven Milwaukee baserunners but didn’t yield a run as the Giants held on. The difference was Mike Yastrzemski’s 11th home run of the season, a two-run shot off losing pitcher Joel Payamps (3-6) that scored Matt Chapman that gave the Giants a 5-4 lead they would never relinquish.

Camilo Doval was the winner for the Giants in his second appearance since his two-week stint in Triple-A. He showed why he’s previously been such an effective closer when he struck out the first two hitters he faced, then showed why he got sent down to the minors when he gave up a two-out double, then walled the bases loaded. The first walk was aided by Doval’s signature move, a pitch clock violation, but he got rookie Jackson Chourino to fly out on the first pitch to escape the inning and set up Yaz’s heroics.

Chapman was the star hitter, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored, while Grant McCray scored two runs with a homer and a walk.

The Giants got on the board in the third inning by manufacturing a run, with some help from two pre-fabricated bases from Brewers starter Tobias Myers. Rookie Grant McCray drew a four-pitch walk, then stole second during a Curt Casali strikeout. He took third when Myers slipped off the rubber mid-delivery, something he apparently has done before. Thanks to the extra base, McCray came home on LaMonte Wade’s groundout to second.

Milwaukee took the lead in the bottom of the inning when their own rookie, the 20-year-old Chourio, took Logan Webb extremely deep with Brice Turang on first, whose feint towards second might have thrown off the Giants starter. Or perhaps that’s just what a pitcher tells himself after a hitter launches a changeup 449 feet to center field, Milwaukee’s longest home run of the season.

Most likely it was the humid Midwestern air, which saw countless fly balls drifting further than expected off the bat. Chapman hit one out in the top of the fourth to tie the game, though it only went a pitiful 393 feet.

One inning later, Thairo Estrada hit one over the wall in center, but unfortunately, Brewers center fielder Bryce Perkins was there to rob him. It’s his 4th stolen home run of the season. which in a just world should count for a full four of the Brewers’ 62 defensive runs saved on the seaosn.

Seeing that, McCray left no doubt two pitches later. He launched one into the second deck in right field, his third career home run traveling 422 feet.

Webb ran up a quick pitch count in this one, primarily thanks to Brewers catcher William Contreras, who fouled off 11 pitches on his way to a 15-pitch walk in the first inning. That, combined with a Tyler Fitzgerald error left Webb at 33 pitches after a scoreless first. Contreras didn’t relent, walking on six pitches in his next at-bat and making Webb throw six more pitches on his way to a fifth-inning lineout.

After five innings, Webb was at 96 pitches, but manager Bob Melvin kept him in the game, even after a six-pitch walk to DH Jake Bauers, who normally foils terrorism plots within 24 hours for CTU. Bauers stole second easily before Adames fouled off three more pitches, fighting his way back from an 0-2 count. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Adames hit one off the Miller Lite sign in left-center to end Webb’s night and give Milwaukee a 4-3 lead.

Tastes bad! Not filling at all!

Webb only gave up four hits in the game, but two of them went a combined 882 feet. That kept him from a win in a game where the Giants’ bats were unusually productive for him. Maybe Webb can only truly pitch his best when he’s expecting nothing from his offense.

While the Brewers made a few highlight plays in this one (and one lowlight when shortstop Adames threw the ball into the seats), the Giants had some wildly exciting first base defense. On a slow roller to the left side, Perkins went first-to-third as the charging Chapman vacated the base and Tyler Fitzgerald was slow to cover the bag. Wade ended up trying to hit Fitzgerald in stride, like a quarterback on a bootleg.

Later, after Canha replaced Wade at first, Tyler Rogers induced what looked like a double-play ball to first. Fitzgerald laid out like a wide receiver catching a pass on the sideline to corral the throw, drag his toe across second base to get the first down force out.

A broadcasting highlight occured just ahead of Chappy’s bomb, when Dave Flemming got into a debate about fine art with Hunter Pence. After Pence called Myers “Picasso” for painting the corners, Flemming mused that Picasso wasn’t exactly known for “painting inside the lines.” After the two took turns remembering some painters, Pence suggested that a more modern reference would be “Banksy,” the modern street artist who breaks all the rules, while Flemming speculated about the identity of the anonymous artist. They did miss a chance to shout “That one exited through the gift shop!” when Chapman went deep.

When Doval struck out Perkins two innings later, Pence declared that he’d painted the corner with a 100 MPH pitch “Banksy-style” as Flemming crowed that he’d “spray-painted the corner under the cover of darkness.”

Overall, this game was more of a Jackson Pollock painting. Big strokes, kind of sloppy, and the kind of experience that would drive you to drink. And ultimately, any game that gets the Giants over .500 (they’re 67-66 now) is, by 2024 standards, a masterpiece.