Giants 4, Diamondbacks 3
Madison Bumgarner returned from the injured list in his first appearance in San Francisco as a member of the visiting team Saturday evening. Two solo home runs spoiled his homecoming, giving the Giants an early lead that they did not surrender as they defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-3.
The Diamondbacks struck first when right fielder Kole Calhoun walked. After a wild pitch advanced him to second and a grounder to the first baseman moved him to third, he scored on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Christian Walker. When Bumgarner came to the mound in the bottom of the inning, he threw a pitch with the lead for the first time all season. It took only seven pitches for him to sit the Giants down in order.
A Pair of Solo Shots
The second inning saw the Diamondbacks strand a runner in the top half. In the bottom half, Bumgarner made two pitches he’d like to have back. The first was to third baseman Evan Longoria, who batted first in the frame. “I threw it about where I wanted to. I was debating whether to throw that cutter up and in or down and in. Obviously, now, looking back, I should have (gone) with the down-and-in option,” Bumgarner said. Longoria launched his up-and-in cutter into the empty left field seats, tying the game with a no-doubt home run.
The next batter, left fielder Darin Ruf, was someone that Bumgarner was unfamiliar with. Bumgarner made a good pitch, but Ruf hit it onto the hitter’s background to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. “You have to tip your hat to him,” said Bumgarner, later adding, “I pitched him pretty (well), he just put a good swing on it.”
Neither team scored again until the sixth, with the Giants using three pitchers to get there. Joe Mantiply – the third Diamondbacks pitcher of the game – faced the minimum three batters, striking out the first while walking the second and getting the third to ground to first unassisted. Artie Lewicki took over on the mound and surrendered two consecutive one-run triples to make the score 4-1. He settled down, however, pitching a scoreless remainder of the game.
Varsho Visits McCovey Cove
The Diamondbacks fought back from the 4-1 deficit starting in the seventh. With two out, rookie utility man Daulton Varsho ripped a screaming liner to right. It soared over the high brick wall and into McCovey Cove, the first time in the history of the 20-year-old park that a visiting player hit his first career home run into the Cove. “It was pretty cool that I was able to do that,” Varsho said. “I never really thought about doing it.” He sprinted hard out of the box like he always does, because “I didn’t really think it was going right away until it left the field.”
The Diamondbacks scored another run in the eighth to narrow the gap to 4-3. Calhoun led off with another walk, and then second baseman Ketel Marte grounded into a 6-4 force play to take Calhoun’s place at first. Two batters later, left fielder David Peralta walked, putting Marte on second. With Peralta being the tying run, the speedy Tim Locastro ran for him. Third baseman Eduardo Escobar, whose average is still languishing below the Mendoza Line, drove Marte in with a single to left. Designated hitter Josh Rojas, up next, could not drive in the tying run, however, as he struck out to end the frame.
The Giants left two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth, and the Diamondbacks went down in order in the ninth against closer Tony Watson. Game 41 of the season is Sunday at 1:05 pm. Lefty Alex Young (1-2, 4.50 ERA) of the Diamondbacks will face veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto (2-0, 4.75 ERA).
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
