Disaster. Recovery. Triumph.

SF 8  PHI 6

OK, that’s a bit hyperbolic, but this team needed a win so badly that another loss felt like the wheels would come off for good. Camilo Doval took the ball in the 9th with a three-run lead. The Phillies had the top of the lineup scheduled. Doval walked Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner and then gave up a homer to Bryce Harper. It was a nightmare outcome. I don’t know what to do about back-to-back blown saves. Doval has been great all year but has run out of luck lately and is having some serious command issues. The two bases on balls were all non-competitive pitches, well out of the strike zone, easy takes for MLB hitters.

Jakob Junis finished the 9th unscathed and the Giants counter-punched against Craig Kimbrel in the 10th. Patrick Bailey walked, Wade Meckler (who had two hits and a walk) was hit by a pitch. That moved Manfred Man Casey Schmitt to third base. FNG Paul DeJong (who hit a two-run homer earlier) drove in two with a single to make it 7-5 Giants. A Thairo Estrada sac fly made it 8-5. After the disastrous 9th it was quite the display of getting off the mat and getting back in the fight.

Alex Cobb started and threw five scoreless frames but also a lot of pitches. He gave up back-to-back homers (Schwarber and Turner) to start the 6th and that was it for him. Five relievers got the next nine outs before Doval’s collapse. Southpaw Taylor Rogers got the save chance in the bottom of the 10th and gave up a run but also struck out two including leadoff hitter Schwarber. Then Ryan Walker came in to face Turner (with Harper on deck) and he flew out to end it. Nothing is easy for this team.

It’s a blessed, welcome off-day tomorrow. Then it’s a six-game homestand: the Braves and the Reds for three apiece.

Go Giants!

–M.C.