What we learned as the Giants squandered Snell’s gem and lost to the Braves in extras originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants’ Monday night game pitted last season’s NL Cy Young Award winner against this season’s leader. Somehow it exceeded the hype.
For the first time since 2010, both starting pitchers in a game at Oracle Park achieved double-digit strikeouts. Blake Snell and Chris Sale combined for 23 of them, and neither allowed a run in a scoreless extra-inning game.
It was a setback, but it didn’t do the Giants any favors, who should win due to their shooting in the second half. They were eliminated by the Atlanta Braves, losing 1-0 on the first night of a crucial four-game series.
The first and only run came with the help of the free runner at second base. Travis d’Arnaud’s sacrifice fly put the Braves on the board in the 10th, but Mike Yastrzemski’s catch in right prevented further damage.
The Giants got their own free runner in the bottom of the inning, but Yastrzemski and Marco Luciano struck out short of Patrick Bailey’s lineout to left field.
In their first home match since didn’t hit the Cincinnati RedsSnell again flirted with the story. He threw a no-hitter in the seventh, but Marcell Ozuna hit a low curveball and drove a double down the left field line. Matt Olson followed with an infield single off a slow dribble.
Snell’s only problem was a high pitch count, and that ended his night after he followed Olson’s single with his third strikeout over Orlando Arcia. Snell threw 114 pitches, tying the season record he set in Cincinnati.
Unattainable
Snell had a 9.51 ERA when he returned from the IL on July 9. It has now dropped to 3.91.
The lefty went 6 1/3 innings, continuing a stretch that is the best this franchise has ever seen. In his last seven starts, Snell has allowed fewer than three hits five times. He’s given up five runs total since coming off the IL, and in five of those seven starts, he’s walked off the mound with a zero on the scoreboard.
The latest gem came against a Braves lineup that had eight right-handed hitters and four seniors who combined for 89 home runs this season. Once again, Snell leaned heavily on his curveball, which held hitters to a .089 average early in the game.
Snell pitched 39 of them for the Braves and had eight hits. In his last seven games, he has struck out 56 times and only misses the curveball.
Snell… Sale… Eliminations
Through the first five innings, Snell had two different stretches of four straight strikeouts, but Sale was with him stride for stride. Sale hit five straight at one point and finished with a season-high 12 points, topping Snell.
For Snell, it was the 33rd double-digit strikeout game of his MLB career and his third as a Giant. All three have come in his last four starts, and he has 45 in 27 1/3 innings since July 27, the day he defeated 15 Colorado Rockies.
Entering the night, Snell ranked third in K/9 among MLB pitchers who have thrown at least 60 innings this season. Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet leads the majors and Sale leads the National League.
Like Snell, Sale reached double figures in the sixth inning when he struck out the side while facing the top of the Giants’ order. This was the fourth time this season with at least 10 hits.
The last time both starters reached double figures at Oracle Park was April 28, 2010, when Tim Lincecum had 11 and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels had 10. However, that happened in a Giants game ago. just one year. In the 2023 opener at Yankee Stadium, Logan Webb struck out 12 and Gerrit Cole struck out 11.
Welcome back
Giants coach Bob Melvin said he was eager to say hello to Jorge Solernoting that the two players San Francisco sent to Atlanta — Soler and reliever Luke Jackson — were good club guys. Both spent a lot of time before the game talking to former teammates, but only Soler took the field during the game. He had a return of ups and downs.
Soler hit leadoff and played left field, the latter being something he has never done this season for the Giants. He drew a leadoff walk in the first and walked again in the third, but walked in the sixth and struck out in the eighth.
Soler was not tested from the left until the 10th, when Bailey’s liner headed toward him. He made it all look easy, securing victory for his new team.
