Game Wrap 6/17/2023: Giants 15 Dodgers 0

 Luis Matos started a 4-run rally in the 5'th inning and the Giants kept piling on for a crushing win over the Dodgers in Chavez Ravine.  Key Lines:

Luis Matos CF- 2 for 4, 2 BB, SB(1).  BA= .375.  We'll start with Matos because he was the guy to sparked the Giants offense against Bobby Miller RHP who looked invincible until Matos drew a leadoff walk in the 5'th.  Miller had been blowing 100 MPH fastballs past helpless looking Giants hitters through 4 innings.  Matos led off the 5'th inning with a walk which didn't seem like much.  He was the third Giants leadoff batter to reach base.  The difference here is Matos stole 2B which might have rattled the rook a bit.  Patrick Bailey C struck out on a foul tip but then Miller tried to pick Matos off 2B.  The ball glanced off something into CF and Matos scampered to 3B.  Miller then hung a curveball to Brandon Crawford who singled Matos home.   The #9 batter, Casey Schmitt 3B was HBP to put runners at 1B and 2B.  Lamonte Wade Jr 1B deposited another hung curve into the RF bullpen and the route was one.  Matos ended up reaching base 4 times and scoring 4 runs. He also made numerous running catches in CF which he made all look easy including one where he had to climb the wall to bring it down.  A great evening for Luis Matos!

Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 3 for 5, HR(9), BB.  BA= .280.  3-run HR's win ballgames and LMWJ delivered that in the 5'th inning but he had two more hits and a walk driving in a total of 5 runs and scoring 3.  What a sensational season he is having!

J. D. Davis PH/DH- 2 for 3, HR(10).  BA= .291.  Well, Davis seems to have recovered from his ankle sprain enough to swing the bat and run the bases.  Kap brought him in to PH for Joc Pederson in the 6'th inning with 2 outs and the bases loaded.  Davis hit it out of the ballpark.  I mean, if 3-run HR's are winners, grand slams are crushers.  This one made the score 9-0 and erased any serious question about the outcome of the game.

Brandon Crawford SS- 4 for 4.  BA= .226.  Nice game for Crawford.  4 hits, 2 R, 2 RBI including the first run of the game.  If it seems like Crawford has been noticeably better since coming of the IL, well, he has.  .375 over his last 7 games and .341 over his last 15.

Alex Wood LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  Wood did not have his opponents overpowering stuff, but he had command of his pitches and was hitting his spots matching zeroes for 4 innings until the Giants could break through.  Very encouraging first start off the IL.

Tristan Beck RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K.  ERA= 3.31.  Beck just keeps saving the Giants bullpen in blowout games while getting invaluable game experience in the process.  I hope we'll see him in higher leverage situations in the near future.

The Win enabled the Giants to keep pace with the first place D'Backs 4.5 games off the pace.  The narrowed the gap with the Dodgers to just 0.5 games and continue to lead the race for the 3'rd Wild Card spot by 1.5 games over the Phillies.

Churn Watch:  The good news on Wilmer Flores IF is he does not have a fracture but as suspected he went on the IL anyway for a contusion on his foot.  What we didn't suspect was an injury to John Brebbia RHP who hit the IL with a grade 2 lat strain.  That could take awhile and Brebbia has been a workhorse and a key part of the bullpen and Kap's Opener strategy.  The adds were Alex Wood off the IL and Beck recalled.

Logan Webb RHP tries for the swwweeeeepppp tomorrow vs Tony Gonsolin RHP who is coming off the IL himself.