Game Wrap 4/26/2022: Giants 8 A's 2

A great manager named Earl Weaver once said the winning baseball consisted of great pitching and 3-run home runs.  It was as far as I know the first articulation of Moneyball.  Wilmer Flores DH and Austin Slater PH/CF/RF each hit a 3-run HR and Carlos Rodon LHP set a new Giants record for most strikeouts in his first 4 starts as a Giant as the Giants won this one going away.

Wilmer Flores DH- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(2).  BA= .283.  Wilmer is slashing .370/.414/.556 over his last 7 games.  He finished this game with 4 RBI's giving him a team leading 12 on the year.

Austin Slater PH/CF/RF- 1 for 2, HR(2).  BA= .233. For all his heroics, Kap will not let Joc Pederson RF face a LHP.  As soon as he comes up facing a lefty, Slater pinch-hits and replaces him in the OF, which of course means Slater may face a RHP later in the game.  That's what happened here as he just poked one down the RF line that clanked off the green tin roof in front of the arcade.  You could clearly hear the metallic impact on the TV feed.

Carlos Rodon LHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 1.17.  Rodon was not quite as dominant as we've seen him but was still darn dominating.  As mentioned, he set a record for most K's in their first 4 starts of a season.  

Yunior Marte RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.50.  Yunior is making a strong case to not get sent down when rosters shrink.

Kervin Castro RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Castro got called up to replace Zack Littell RHP who tested positive for COVID.  That's 2 on the COVID IL in 3 days.  Gotta think more to come.  Both YTY and Littell reportedly vaccinated + boosted so hopefully no serious illness.

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The Dodgers lost(yay!) so the Giants take the lead by 0.5 games in the NL West.  First place, baby!  

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Sam Long LHP makes his 3'rd start in 5 games tomorrow evening in what is almost certainly a bullpen game, although Jakob Junis RHP should be rested enough to do another bulk innings stint.  Paul Blackburn RHP goes for the A's.