What we learned as Yaz and Chapman led the Giants after the Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
RESULT
Blake Snell’s no-hit strategy didn’t work, but given the Giants’ batting technique, that hardly mattered.
Mike Yastrzemski, Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman hit home runs and San Francisco reached double-digit hits for the second time in three days en route to a 7-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
Using a solid mix of fastball, changeup and curveball, Snell posted eight strikeouts in six innings to improve his record to 2-3. The tricky left-hander allowed three runs – his most in a game since June 2 – and four hits with one walk. Snell, who threw 114 pitches in his masterpiece against the Cincinnati Reds, needed 93 to get through his afternoon in Washington.
Erik Miller followed Snell and allowed a run before Ryan Walker came in and delivered a pitch from a bases-loaded situation. Tyler Rogers retired three batters, then Camilo Doval worked in and out of a situation in the ninth inning for his 22and save.
With her 10th Win in the last 14 games, the Giants (58-58) are back at .500.
Chapman and Michael Conforto delivered RBI singles in the third inning to give the Giants an early lead.
After the Nationals scored three runs against Snell in the bottom half of the inning, two of them on Juan Yepez’s third home run of the season, the Giants followed suit.
Yastrzemski hit a home run in the fourth, then Ramos and Chapman hit a home run in the fifth.
San Francisco stayed with it, scored twice more in the sixth round and finally secured the win.
Here are the takeaways from Wednesday’s game:
Yaz ends electricity shortage
Yastrzemski had one of the longest performance slumps on the Giants’ roster before destroying an 0-1 fastball from Nationals starter Jake Irvin in the fourth inning.
The hit, which traveled 422 feet and had an exit velocity of 107 mph, was Yaz’s ninth of the season and first since July 11. All but one of his home runs came while deep in the lineup. This time, Yaz batted in the No. 7 spot.
Chappy’s Happy Place
Is there anyone more comfortable at bat than Chapman right now? He hit a double to left in the first inning, hit an RBI single into the infield in the third inning, and then broke his team-leading 19th Home run of the season in the fifth.
It is the seventh time this season that Chapman has had three or more hits in a game. In his last 14 games, the Gold Glove third baseman had a batting average of .377 (20-of-53) with six home runs and 13 RBIs.
Challenging times
The Giants have had mixed success in replays on the field this season, but luck was on their side against the Nationals on Wednesday.
The most significant moment came in the third inning, when Chapman was initially called out after hitting a grounder to third base. The play was so close that manager Bob Melvin appealed. After a brief review, the umpires overturned the call and Chapman was awarded an RBI single as Heliot Ramos scored.
Another challenge also benefited San Francisco earlier in the game. Nationals leadoff hitter CJ Abrams hit a grounder to first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr., who passed the ball to Snell, who was covering first base. The Nationals challenged that and were thwarted when the call was upheld.
Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast
This embedded content is not available in your region.
