Giants rally in the 9th to complete Denver sweep

Big hits from Brandon Crawford and LaMonte Wade Jr. secure Giants 90th win.

For most of Wednesday’s get-away game, it looked like the San Francisco Giants bats had already left Denver on the early flight to Chicago.

After scoring 22 runs with 30 hits in the first two games of the series, Colorado Rockies starter, Jon Gray, kept the Giants hitters dull and ineffective, limiting them to two hits while striking out eight over five complete innings.

It was a downshift offensively to say the least, and not a clean one—like coming off 280 North into that first intersection at 19th Avenue. It happens fast and is just never pretty. And, yeah, I’ll admit I was on cruise control going into this game and was pissed I had to pump the brakes, wondering out loud to no one (my cat) why the score wasn’t 12-0 after the second inning.

Games like Monday’s and Tuesday’s are the best and make the most sense in the world when you’re watching them (Why don’t we hit 10 extra base hits in every game?), but those types of outputs are rare even for good teams. This is what makes baseball great/infuriating. Teams that win are going to lose a third of their games. Teams that lose are going to win. Good hitters will slump. Wednesday inevitably comes for us all.

The Giants bats had to come down from their start of the week. It’s the way the baseball universe works.

I just didn’t expect them to rebound as fast as they did.

Let’s get into it.

It was a good old fashion Coors Field pitcher’s duel the first two times through the line-up. Anthony DeSclafani, following up his six inning shutout performance against the Dodgers, did well to trade goose eggs with Gray for the first four innings.

But DeSclafani blinked first in the fifth. A lead off double and a passed ball by Curt Casali set-up a Jon Gray RBI single to put the Rockies on the board. DeSclafani then surrendered two more singles to leave the game with the bases loaded.

The Rockies were able to scratch two more runs across on some less-than-perfect defense. Reliever Jarlin Garcia got a ground ball from Charlie Blackmon that could’ve ended the inning, but Blackmon was able to beat out Crawford’s throw to first on the slow-developing play. Trevor Story then hit a ball to left that LaMonte Wade Jr. appeared to track down on the warning track, but hit off the heel of his glove and fell for an RBI double.

* I went to the Colorado Rockies official twitter account to try and find some highlights of these plays but all I found was this. *

I guess the Rockies had more important things to focus on. Congrats Larry.

Anyway…the Rockies’ 5th felt like a half-inning that could decide the game. Starting pitcher stifles a hot team then knocks in the only offense he needs with his bat, then defensive fumblings let the game get out of reach—I was ready to write that article. It was a Giants recap that maybe gets written in 2020, 2019, 2018…

The Giants flipped the switch in the top of the 6th.

Both Belt and Wade Jr. singled to the open right side of the infield before Brandon Crawford ended his home run drought with an opposite field fly ball that eeked out over the left field wall. A Coors Blast. Game tied at 3. It was Crawford’s 20th home run of the season and his first since August 11th.

Kris Bryant singled and Jon Gray was out of the game without recording an out in the 6th.

The Rockies answered with a solo shot from Elias Diaz off Zach Littell in the bottom of the inning, but that one run lead felt flimsy at best.

The Giants waited until the 9th to rally and secure the sweep.

Buster Posey led off the inning with a pinch hit walk. Thairo Estrada and Brandon Belt both singled to set up a bases loaded, two strike single from LaMonte Wade Jr. to put the Giants ahead for good.

It was Wade Jr.’s 17th go ahead RBI of the season. He is currently batting .600 in the 9th inning, going 9 for 15 with 9 RBI. The Legend of LaMonte grows…

Evan Longoria doubled to run up the score to 7-4 before Jake McGee worked a perfect 9th.

The Giants were able to beat a very-good home Rockies team (45-27 at Coors) to complete the sweep and cash in their 90th win of the season. They’re the first in the Majors to do it. It’s the first time since 2012 they’ve reached that mark.

I like watching this team.