© Sergio Estrada | 2021 Sep 2
The first pitch the Giants faced from Milwaukee starter Eric Lauer provided a good omen for San Francisco. Outfielder Austin Slater sent the elevated fastball over the center field fence for his second career leadoff homer.
The shot — 107.3 mph off the bat — made Slater the 10th Giant with at least 10 homers. It also gave SF 200 as a team, 35 shy of the single-season franchise record. More importantly, it gave San Francisco its first lead in four games.
Gabe Kapler admitted pregame that the team knows they’re not playing their best baseball of the season. Much duller baseball minds than him could’ve also concluded that, as SF matched its season-high with four straight losses entering Thursday.
But Slater’s leadoff homer set the tone, starter Logan Webb (7IP, 1ER, 4H, 10K) continued to pitch like one of the best hurlers in baseball, and the Giants held off the Brewers to end their losing skid and avoid a series sweep, 5-1. After closer Jake McGee earned the save, Giants fans chanted “Beat LA” as they filed out of Oracle Park.
Slater’s home run got the Giants started, and a four-run eighth inning put SF ahead for good, but Webb guided them to the victory. He sat down the first 10 batters he faced — five of whom he struck out — in 35 pitches.
Over Webb’s last 14 starts, San Francisco is now 13-1. That run spans back nearly four months, to May 11 against the Texas Rangers. Webb has allowed 13 runs in 80.1 innings — a 1.46 ERA — in those contests, emerging as San Francisco’s clear-cut ace at age 24.
That May 11th win over Texas was Webb’s first double-digit strikeout game.
Webb located his sinker and slider combination all night. His 41% called strike-plus-whiff rate was his highest ever. He worked a five-pitch sixth inning, getting Milwaukee’s top three hitters to go down in order. By striking out Avisaíl García and Jace Peterson, he matched his MLB career-high with 10 strikeouts.
Webb’s excellent start couldn’t have come at a better time for the Giants, who are dealing with a plethora of bad luck. Alex Wood and Donovan Solano have COVID-19. Johnny Cueto hit the injured list with a right elbow strain and Wilmer Flores (left hamstring strain) joined him. Evan Longoria still hasn’t returned from his hand injury and Tommy La Stella has been unavailable with left side tightness.
And while SF’s depth is tested, it has lost its grasp on the NL West. Webb’s brilliant seven innings not only put the Giants in position to win, it also gave the bullpen needed rest.
Yet when Milwaukee did hit Webb, they took advantage. Luis Urías became the Brewers’ first base runner when he drilled a double off the arcade wall in the top of the fourth. He later scored on a Jace Peterson single to center field, the second hit Webb allowed.
For most of the afternoon, neither team could touch the other’s pitcher. After Slater’s game-opening homer, the Giants went seven straight scoreless innings.
Then against Devin Williams in the bottom of the eighth, Kris Bryant walked with two outs. He was initially called out trying to steal second to get into scoring position, but the call was overturned upon review. The Oracle Park crowd chanted “safe, safe, safe,” repeatedly as the umpires consulted on the field and cheered after the reversal.
Williams, who hadn’t allowed an earned run in 24 appearances, walked Brandon Belt to the vacant first base. Darin Ruf stepped up and drilled a 1-1 changeup down the left field line to score Bryant from second. Then Thairo Estrada popped a three-run homer into the left field seats to give McGee four runs to work with.
SF had recorded just three hits heading into the eighth. The fans at Oracle Park, quiet for most of the matinee — and the first three games of the series — came alive.
So did the Giants.