Webb and Yastrzemski lead Giants’ most complete victory of the season originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — As Nick Ahmed stood at second base in the bottom of the eighth inning and clapped in the dugout at Oracle Park, the new lights went out and then flashed. Ahmed’s double came just yards from clearing the wall in left-centre and, as he bobbed in front of a white background, there was some confusion inside the stadium.
It was easy to see how someone could have gotten excited and pressed the button to celebrate home runs. The Giants have yet to score one at home and, as of Thursday night, had not won a night game under their new lights.
Ahmed’s double started a four-run rally that fend off the Arizona Diamondbacks for good – and also prevented the lights from being used to approach Camilo Doval, who was warming up the entire time and hopeful of finally being able to see his new entry in action. Doval sat after Mike Yastrzemski’s two-run single, but if the Giants keep playing the way they did on Thursday, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to run to the mound in the spotlight.
“That was probably as good a game as we’ve played all year,” coach Bob Melvin said after the 5-0 win. “That’s what we were looking for.”
The Giants really went all out on Thursday, and as always, it started with their ace. Logan Webb pitched seven innings for the third straight time and allowed just two hits.
For most of the night, Webb, as is customary, had no support. But the Giants went ahead in the eighth, with Wilmer Flores coming off the bench for a two-run double and Mike Yastrzemski ending the game with a two-run single.
It was a hilariously timed rally given the anticipation for the lights, but there was no one in the dugout to complain when Yastrzemski’s ball rocketed across the grass. The Giants are desperate for more production in right field, and Melvin has remained firmly behind Yastremski and Austin Slater, both of whom have struggled.
Yastrzemski entered the night with a .121 average and .358 OPS, and he appeared to have a bad chance when an injury forced the Diamondbacks to remove their right-handed starter and go with left-hander Logan Allen for most of the night. But Melvin resisted the temptation to go to the bench too early, and in the eighth, with left-hander Kyle Nelson on the mound, Yastrzemski beat the count and hit a fastball to right.
“These guys are here for a reason,” Melvin said. “Yaz, even if you look back years ago, he hit the pitch with his left hand, just like he hit the pitch with his right hand. The first hit was a great hit for him. It seems like he’s more balanced here recently and then he had two really good hits after that. He has the ability to do that.
“Not everyone is going to start well. Sometimes you start badly. But defensively, because of the plays he made there, whenever you are in front it is difficult to take him out of the game in any situation, because of what he did on the ball ( Gabriel) Moreno There’s still a lot of game left in Yaz.”
Although Yastrzemski struggled at the plate, he remained as steady as ever defensively. He is already at three defensive runs saved in 13 games and made a tight catch to prevent a leadoff single in the eighth inning of what was then a one-run game.
The Giants know Yastrzemski is as comfortable in right field at Oracle Park as anyone has ever been, but to continue being patient, they’ll need more at the plate. The single was a huge step in the right direction.
“Even the last four or five games I felt really good, but I had nothing to show for it,” Yastrzemski said. “Finally being able to find the outside grass at a bigger time was really good.”
Yastrzemski’s hit capped a great inning for the lineup, but for most of the night, position players contributed with their gloves. Ahmed kept the score scoreless with a sharp hit on a short-hop liner in the first, and Jung Hoo Lee went a long way to steal a double from Jake McCarthy later in the game. It was one of the best defensive efforts of the year for a rebuilt lineup filled with players known for their gloves.
“The defense in general today was incredible,” said Webb, who collected 13 strikeouts on the ground.
This was the type of game the Giants had in mind when they came into their own in the offseason. They’ve recommitted to defense and Webb leads what could be the best rotation in the National League. There was just one thing missing on Thursday, although Ahmed almost took care of that.
His ball to left was a rocket, but the Giants have yet to get over the wall in seven games at Oracle Park. This surprised Melvin, who otherwise felt nothing but positive after the Giants won consecutive games for the second time.
“Haven’t we hit a home run yet?” he asked. “Alright, let’s work on it.”
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