Yastrzemski’s big night lifts SF Giants to series-opening win over Pirates
Mike Yastrzemski homered and drove in 3 of SF's 5 runs, his second 3-RBI game this week.
SAN FRANCISCO — For most of Friday night, it seemed, Mike Yastrzemski was doing one of two things: driving runs in, or watching them leave the yard.
Three of Yastrzemski’s four trips to the plate resulted in Giants runs, including a second-inning solo shot, as San Francisco kicked off a seven-game home stand by getting back in the win column with a 5-3 triumph over the Pirates.
Yastrzemski’s contributions were just enough to back up a six-inning, two-run effort from Carlos Rodón, who racked up seven more strikeouts without issuing a walk but allowed twice the number of home runs as he had all season at Oracle Park.
The Giants’ win Friday night also kicked off a stretch of 12 straight games against opponents with losing records, possibly their best and last chance to make a push for the postseason. After this series with Pittsburgh (45-68), the Giants (55-57) host Arizona (51-61) for four, then travel to Colorado (51-64) and Detroit (43-71).
While praising his teammates, Rodón described a series of events that hasn’t happened enough this season for the Giants, who are still two games under .500 and 7.5 back of a playoff spot despite the win.
“We caught the ball. We hit the ball. And we ended up with a win,” Rodón said. “The boys hung on to the lead. The bullpen did their job. … So I’m happy about that.”
The homer-happy Pirates hit three solo shots — two off Rodón — but weren’t able to push across any other runs, stranding runners on third base in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings before Camilo Doval shut the door with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his 16th save.
After Pittsburgh starter Bryse Wilson retired the Giants in order in the bottom of the first, Yastrzemski started the second by launching the first pitch of the inning over the left-field wall. Another run scored the next inning, after the Giants loaded the bases and Yastrzemski hit a dribbler to first base and Michael Chavis bounced his throw to the plate. And in the sixth, a Yastrzemski fly ball turned around center fielder Bryan Reynolds, who fell down and let it drop, allowing Brandon Belt to score from second.
An accurate throw would have made for a close play at the plate, after Belt appeared to tag up at second despite there being two outs in the inning. Another Brandon’s baserunning blunder ended the inning. After Brandon Crawford was intentionally walked on a 2-0 count, he ambled a little too far off first base and was picked off by catcher Jason Delay.
Yastrzemski drove in three runs for the second time this week after a two-homer game Sunday in Oakland. Luis González, who had been hitless in his past 19 at-bats, drove in the other two Friday night.
The turnaround for Yastrzemski, who has been ice cold since the start of June, has to be encouraging for the Giants. His .169 average since June 1 was the lowest of any qualifying hitter entering Friday night but he is batting .300 (6-for-20) with three of his 12 home runs this season coming in the past week.
“Taking advantage of when I’m feeling good is how I get on a hot streak,” Yastrzemski said. “I’m just trying to find that again and ride it as long as possible.”
He was robbed of a fourth run-creating at-bat in the seventh, when Ben Gamel laid out to make a diving grab on a line drive to right field with runners on first and second.
All Yastrzemski could do was watch as his ball landed in the leather of Gamel’s glove, same as his limitations on a fly ball off Gamel’s bat in the top of the sixth that carried and carried and carried beyond the wall in left-center.
Gamel’s homer was the Pirates’ second off Rodón and one of three solo shots, which produced all three Pittsburgh runs. The two off Rodón can be classified as ultra rare, and the third as entirely predictable if still a little unbelievable.
Rodón had made nine starts at Oracle Park entering Friday and allowed one home run. He doubled that total in six innings, which also marked only the second time in 23 starts this season that he has surrounded multiple long balls.
In 10 home starts this season, Rodón has a 1.89 ERA.
“It’s definitely a good place to pitch,” Rodón said. “The field’s usually pretty big. But not tonight.”
Thomas Szapucki relieved Rodón to start the seventh and took a 60.25 ERA this season into the appearance, which also marked his Giants debut. Not a typo, that ERA was a product of nine runs (on four homers) he allowed in 1⅓ innings to the Giants right here at Oracle Park back in May. When he left Friday night, that figure had risen to 67.00.
Szapucki recorded one out — getting Delay to swing through a curveball — but first served up a home run to Greg Allen on the first batter he faced in a Giants uniform.
