Game Wrap 4/9/2023: Giants 3 Royals 1

 Bryce Johnson's speed and Michael Conforto's power sparked a 3-run rally in the 8'th inning to salvage a win out of the 3-game series for the Giants.  Key Lines:

Bryce Johnson CF- 1 for 3.  BA= .250.  Just as I was yelling at Johnson through the TV that you can't expect to bunt your way on every effing AB, he blooped a single to LF with one out in the 8'th inning.  Things were not looking good when Thairo Estrada flied out to LF for out #2, but then as Johnson took off to steal 2B Wilmer Flores 1B smoked one down the 3B line and into the corner.  Johnson was completely focused on 2B and dived in head first but immediately popped up and was waved around 3B by Gary Hallberg and beat the tag at home because the throw was offline.  That was the essential run to try to stay out of a Save situation for Aroldis Chapman LHP in the 9'th inning, but the Giants weren't done.

Michael Conforto RF- 1 for 3, HR(3), HBP.  BA= .250.  Conforto came up in the 8'th inning with the score tied 1-1, Wilmer on 2B and facing a LHP, Ryan Yarbrough.  He crushed one well up in the stands beyond the deepest part of the ballpark in R-CF to put the Giants up 3-1.

Anthony DeSclafani RHP- 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 0.73.  Tony D was painting the corners and it was a good thing because the Giants were flailing at Kris Bubic LHP's junkball offerings.  He had just one stumble in the 4'th inning when Vinnie Pasquantino 1B, who bedeviled the Giants all weekend, doubled and came home on Salvador Perez C(who else?) single.  

Giants SP's, Cobb, Manaea and DeSclafani gave up just 4 ER in 19.3 IP for an ERA of 1.87 in the series If they keep that kind of starting pitching up, the Giants will be just fine in the long run.

Tyler Rogers RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, Save(1).  ERA= 0.00.  Vinnie Pasquantino(him again!) reached base on Sabol's catcher interference but Roger calmly got the ever-dangerous Salvy Perez to pop out to Brandon Crawford SS and Matt Duffy on a GIDP to end the game.

Logan Webb RHP tries to get the Giants off to a winning start against the Dodgers tomorrow evening facing Giants nemesis Julio Urias LHP.

The Win improved the Giants record to 4-5 leaving them in 4'th place in the NL West 1.5 games behind the D'Backs and Padres and 0.5 games behind the Dodgers.

Churn Watch:  With the Giants facing 3 LHP's in 4 games, they called up Heliot Ramos OF and optioned Matt Beatty 1B/OF to AAA Sacramento which takes platooning to a whole new level. Ramos got his first MLB hit of the season in the 5'th on a bunt single and made it down to 1B from the RH batters box in 4.0 secs per Mike Krukow.