For the second night in a
row
Braden
Holtby Jersey , a young San Francisco pitcher shut down the Arizona
Diamondbacks.
This time, Dereck Rodriguez blanked them into the seventh inning and the
Giants made it two straight wins in Arizona with a 7-0 victory Saturday.
Rodriguez¡¯s performance came a night after Andrew Suarez allowed one run in
six innings during San Francisco¡¯s 2-1 series-opening victory. The NL
West-leading Diamondbacks have managed just one run in the last 18 innings.
¡±It¡¯s big,¡± Rodriguez said. ¡±They¡¯re leading our division and we come in and
shut them down. That¡¯s big for our team and our pitching staff, gives us some
momentum.¡±
Brandon Crawford, Andrew McCutchen and Joe Panik homered on another rough
night for Shelby Miller, who struggled in his second start since returning from
Tommy John surgery.
Panik¡¯s homer, off reliever Jimmie Sherfy in the eighth, was his first since
April 3, a span of 162 at-bats.
Ty Blach and Cory Gearrin completed San Francisco¡¯s 10th shutout of the
season.
¡±Overall just a well-played game,¡± Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ¡±We got
the hits, the runs to give us a cushion there and what a job Rodriguez did. He
followed up a great start. He¡¯s been throwing the ball terrific.¡±
The Giants have won nine of 11 to pull into a tie with the Los Angeles
Dodgers for second in the NL West, 3 1/2 games behind the first-place
Diamondbacks. San Francisco can complete a three-game road sweep on Sunday.
Since returning from an 8-2 trip, the Diamondbacks have dropped two to the
Giants by a combined score of 9-1.
¡±An unfortunate offensive night for us once again,¡± manager Torey Lovullo
said. ¡±We didn¡¯t build as big of innings as last night but we had a couple
opportunities and we really couldn¡¯t cash in.¡±
Rodriguez (3-1), the son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan ¡±Pudge¡± Rodriguez,
dominated in his sixth major league start. He allowed six hits in 6 1/3 innings,
struck out five and walked two. In his last two starts, the 26-year-old
right-hander has given up one run in 13 1/3 innings.
Miller (0-2) was tagged for six runs and seven hits in five innings. He
struck out six and walked one, throwing 96 pitches. In his debut Monday night at
Miami, Miller gave up five runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings of a 9-5 loss to
the Marlins.
Miller said he is past being satisfied with getting through an outing
healthy.
¡±We are getting close to the All-Star break and we are playing division teams
that are right behind us trying to get first place away from us and I am going
out there and not pitching well,¡± he said. ¡±That is more what I am upset about.
I am not really focused on the little positives that I can take from coming back
from a major surgery, which is a pretty big deal, but it is getting at that
point in the season where we have to win ballgames, and every single one that we
can.¡±
Crawford and McCutchen each had a solo home run off Miller ¨C Crawford in the
second and McCutchen in the fourth.
Arizona¡¯s real trouble came in San Francisco¡¯s four-run third, which included
five singles. One of them, a dribbler up the middle by Pablo Sandoval, drove in
two runs. Crawford walked with the bases loaded to bring in another run.
ROTATION QUESTIONS
With right-handers Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija due back from the
disabled list
soon Youth
Christian Djoos Jersey , there might not be room for Rodriguez and/or
Suarez in the rotation.
¡±We want our guys back but at the same time when they¡¯re throwing like this
it does give you the luxury of making sure your guys are ready,¡± Bochy said.
¡±Depth is going to be so important. We¡¯re at the halfway point. You never know
what can happen and it¡¯s been great the way Suarez and Rodriguez have come up
here and handled themselves.¡±
TRAINER¡¯S ROOM
Giants: Cueto (right elbow sprain) threw four scoreless innings Friday night
in his second rehab appearance for Triple-A Sacramento. He allowed four hits,
struck out six and walked one.
Diamondbacks: INF Ketel Marte left with a right leg injury after beating out
an infield single leading off the seventh. He was able to walk off under his own
power. Lovullo said afterward it was a cramp and Marte is day to day. ¡ CF A.J.
Pollock (broken left thumb) went 0 for 4 with Triple-A Reno in his first rehab
game Friday night.
UP NEXT
Left-hander Derek Holland (5-7, 4.24 ERA) starts for the Giants in their bid
for a three-game sweep. RHP Zack Godley (9-5, 4.58) goes for Arizona.
¡ª
Seattle manager Scott Servais kept up the ruse on Friday night, denying that
he saw Ichiro Suzuki in disguise in the Mariners dugout at Yankee Stadium.
And he mostly kept a straight face as he said it.
In a performance almost as transparent as the fake mustache and hoodie the
former outfielder wore when he crashed the team¡¯s bench, Servais said before
Friday night¡¯s game against the Red Sox, ¡±I¡¯ve got to keep a closer eye on my
dugout.¡±
¡±Mustaches? I don¡¯t know anybody that¡¯s got a mustache,¡± Servais told
chuckling reporters at Fenway Park a day after Suzuki was caught by an
Associated Press photographer where he wasn¡¯t supposed to be. ¡±I don¡¯t know who
that is, but will definitely keep an eye out today.¡±
Suzuki, who is now in the Mariners front office, stretched with the team on
Friday night and took batting practice before the series opener against the Red
Sox. According to Major League Baseball rules, he isn¡¯t allowed to be in the
dugout during games.
The 44-year-old outfielder declined to comment when approached by the AP
before Friday¡¯s matchup.
Major League Baseball isn¡¯t expected to impose any discipline, given Suzuki¡¯s
stature in the game and the fact that his prank was playful and harmless.
The disguise was reminiscent of New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine, who
returned to the dugout in sunglasses and a fake mustache after he was ejected
from a 1999 game. Valentine, who also managed the Red Sox, was suspended for two
games and fined $5,000.
Suzuki usually spends the games in the clubhouse, but AP photographer Bill
Kostroun spotted him with his face nearly covered by a fake mustache, sunglasses
and a gray hoodie drawn tight over his head during in the first inning as the
Yankees hit a pair of two-run homers.
He was gone by the second inning.
¡±Crazy,¡± Servais said. ¡±Security is really tough in New York. So, surprised
somebody slipped in.¡±
Suzuki had 3,089 hits in the major leagues before coming off the Seattle
roster in early May, when he moved into the team¡¯s front office as a special
assistant to the chairman. The 10-time All-Star hasn¡¯t officially retired, and
there¡¯s speculation he might play when the Mariners open the 2019 season in
Tokyo.
¡ª