Category: Sports News

Giants join historic MLB company after tightly contested homestand originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants are back to their tortuous ways, albiet in historic fashion.

San Francisco’s 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday was the seventh consecutive one-run game during the Giants’ homestand, marking just the fourth time such an event has occurred in MLB history.

HISTORICAL TORTURE 👀 pic.twitter.com/aCCKeCeBDs

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 8, 2025

Sunday’s victory also marked the fifth consecutive game the Giants won by exactly one run for the first time in 27 years, nearly matching the identical dates it happened during the 1998 MLB season.

Giants have won 5 straight games by exactly 1 run for first time since June 5-9, 1998

— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) June 8, 2025

After dropping a pair of one-run losses to the San Diego Padres to begin their seven-game homestand, the Giants since have rallied with five consecutive comeback victories, including a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves.

Following Saturday’s thrilling 3-2 win secured by Matt Chapman’s ninth-inning walk-off home run, Giants players seemed to embrace the tortuous path to victory this week.

“Torture. It’s torture baseball here,” Giants ace Logan Webb (6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K) said after Saturday’s win. “But that’s just the way we like it. We play a lot of close games, especially in this ballpark. We played great defense again today. And we’re going to try to come up with a big hit when we need to.”

While the Giants have been on the winning side of most of these one-run affairs, Chapman lightheartedly hinted at the desire to create more comfortable margins of victory moving forward.

“I wouldn’t love to play them [close games] every single day,” Chapman said. “It’s going to serve us because we know how to play those games, we know what it takes to come out on top when the pressure is on and you got to make a play. Everything’s heightened in those moments, so I think it’s good for us to get that experience.

“But it seems like we’ve played for three weeks straight, one-run games every single day. Everyone would prefer to probably score some more runs. But it’s nice that we’re coming out on top.”

Gutting out close contests has served the Giants well in years past, and with San Francisco sitting just one game back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West standings, a summer of torture could just be getting started.

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Mets right-hander Frankie Montas made his fourth rehab outing on Sunday, starting for Triple-A Syracuse, but the results, once again, weren’t quite there.

Facing the Buffalo Bisons, Montas allowed three earned runs on four hits over 3.2 innings, walking three and striking out two while allowing a pair of home runs.

While those numbers aren’t great, what’s more important to the Mets is that Montas continues to feel healthy and build up his pitch count, as he threw 76 pitches on Sunday (43 strikes).

On Saturday, Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza said the goal was for Montas to throw 80-85 pitches on Sunday, and while the right-hander came up a tad short in that department, he did have a significant increase in his workload after throwing 61 pitches in his previous outing.

Montas has now made four rehab starts while working his way back from a lat strain suffered at the start of spring training. He’s pitched a total of 12.0 innings, allowing 12 earned runs.

Mendoza said the team would wait to see how Montas felt coming out of Sunday’s game before determining the next steps, though the manager didn’t believe this would be his final rehab outing.

Giants exude confidence through highs, lows thanks to bullpen success originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants’ confidence hasn’t wavered once this season. And for good reason.

Despite having one of MLB’s more underwhelming offenses in 2025, San Francisco is capable of winning on any given night, against any given opponent, due to an excellent overall pitching staff and an elite bullpen.

There’s enough of a sample size (66 games) to definitively make that statement.

San Francisco, with a 4-3 win over the Braves on Sunday at Oracle Park, not only capped off a sweep of Atlanta and extended its winning streak to five games, but played its seventh-consecutive one-run game, 14th consecutive game decided by two-or-fewer runs (longest streak in franchise history), but tallied its 15th win when trailing by two-or-more runs this season, which is the most among MLB teams.

That last stat, in particular, is the most impressive and is a testament to just how much of an advantage the Giants can have late in games with the way their bullpen, led by Camilo Doval (1.50 ERA), Randy Rodriguez (0.61 ERA), Tyler Rogers (1.48 ERA), Erik Miller (1.25 ERA) and Spencer Bivens (3.07 ERA) has pitched this season.

“You look at the overall bullpen numbers, the pitching in general, but the bullpen’s been off the charts and a real reason for a lot of confidence late in games,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said postgame. “And even when we’re not doing much offensively, we really don’t get down because we know for the most part they’re going to keep us there and if we get an opportunity and scratch out a run, we end up winning a game.”

The starting rotation, anchored by Logan Webb (2.58 ERA), Robbie Ray (2.44 ERA), Landen Roupp (3.29 ERA) and Hayden Birdsong (2.55 ERA), is solid, and is pitching with extra confidence knowing they have an arsenal of lock-down arms in the bullpen that either will preserve their leads or maintain a likely-already-small deficit.

“Coming out of the game, whether there’s runners on or it’s a new inning, the bullpen’s been unbelievable this year,” Roupp said. “Full confidence in those guys. It’s really easy to just, I hate coming out of the game regardless, but it’s easy to turn it over to them because you know they’re going to do their job.”

The Giants’ offense, in most games, really doesn’t have to do much. Three or four runs oftentimes is enough to secure a win.

However, the slumping lineup, while benefiting from the consistent support of a dominant pitching staff, oftentimes finds itself under the microscope after losses.

“I think it goes both ways,” Mike Yastrzemski said postgame when asked if it’s easier to go through a slump when the rotation and bullpen are pitching as well as they are. “You know that there’s days where we’re lucky that we have them pitching as well as they are, and there’s days where we’re kicking ourselves for not giving them a win or for not finishing a job like we should.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to turn the page because there’s 162 of these things and every single one matters.”

The Giants’ offense has wasted quite a few all-around excellent pitching performances this season, and while there still are major concerns about the lineup’s potential, there might not be a team better equipped to overcome a slow month — or two — at the plate than the Giants.

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Giants trade Wade to Angels for cash or player to be named later  originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After nearly five seasons with the Giants, first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. is headed to Southern California to join the Los Angeles Angels.

San Francisco on Sunday traded Wade and cash considerations to Los Angeles in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later, the team announced shortly after its 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves.

The trade marks a deal between Giants general manager Zack Minasian and his brother, Angels general manager Perry Minasian.

The Giants designated Wade for assignment on Wednesday after the 31-year-old hit just .167 with one home run, 15 RBI and a .546 OPS in 50 games to start the 2025 MLB season. San Francisco that same day also DFA’d backup catcher Sam Huff and optioned infielder Christian Koss in a series of moves meant to energize — and send a message to — the team’s struggling lineup.

After plenty of memories in the Bay, Wade now will look for a new start with the Angels.

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Phillies swept in Pittsburgh, doing nothing offensively and need to figure it out fast originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH – The Phillies are going to need to find a way to generate offense without Bryce Harper and the early returns have been ugly.

The Phils were held to a lone run for the second straight day and were swept by the Pirates, falling 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park.

The Phillies have lost five consecutive games and 9 of 10. They went 1-5 on a road trip to Toronto and Pittsburgh this week and come home with a 37-28 record. They’re nearly as far behind the Mets in the NL East as they were after being swept at Citi Field in late April.

They knew Sunday wouldn’t be easy against Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who might be the NL Cy Young front-runner at the moment. Skenes used his 99 mph fastball and deep mix of seven pitches to hold the Phillies in check, just as he did on May 18 at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed one run over eight innings in a loss that afternoon and gave up just an unearned run over 7⅔ innings Sunday.

The Phillies mustered two hits off Skenes and they came in consecutive at-bats in the top of the third. Brandon Marsh lined a single up the middle and nine-hole hitter Rafael Marchan doubled. Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales made an errant relay throw that caromed off Marchan’s body and allowed Marsh to score the Phillies’ only run.

They went 1-for-19 with three walks the rest of the way. The only player to reach base twice was Marsh.

It was a shame for Cristopher Sanchez, who probably had his best command of the season. Sanchez struck out nine and began the eighth inning with just one walk. Manager Rob Thomson left him in to face lefty-hitting Oneil Cruz because Sanchez had handled him three times earlier with two K’s and a groundout. He couldn’t the fourth time, walking Cruz, who leads the majors with 23 steals in 25 attempts.

Cruz spun his wheels and did not seem to get a good jump but still stole second on reliever Orion Kerkering, scoring the game-winning run on an opposite-field single by Andrew McCutchen.

The Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park for a much-needed six-game homestand. The Cubs are in town Monday through Wednesday and the Blue Jays Friday through Sunday.

Zack Wheeler will start Monday’s series opener on 10 days’ rest. He missed the trip to Pittsburgh and Toronto on the paternity list. He’s their ace but he can’t swing the bat and will need more support than Sanchez received in Pittsburgh.

Phillies swept in Pittsburgh, doing nothing offensively and need to figure it out fast originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH – The Phillies are going to need to find a way to generate offense without Bryce Harper and the early returns have been ugly.

They were swept in Pittsburgh, shut down offensively and need to figure this out quickly, because Harper didn’t sound Saturday like he expected to be back when first eligible June 16.

The Phils were held to a lone run for the second straight day and were swept by the Pirates, falling 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park. They’ve lost five consecutive games and 9 of 10. They went 1-5 on a road trip to Toronto and Pittsburgh this week and come home with a 37-28 record. They’re nearly as far behind the Mets in the NL East as they were after being swept at Citi Field in late April.

“The easy thing is to say it’s a long season but we know we’re better than how we’ve been playing and we need to start doing it,” Bryson Stott said.

“It’s frustrating, just the hitters that we have and the outings we’re getting from the pitchers. Feel like we’re letting them down.”

The Phillies knew Sunday wouldn’t be easy against Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who might be the NL Cy Young front-runner at the moment. Skenes used his 99 mph fastball and deep mix of seven pitches to hold the Phillies in check, just as he did on May 18 at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed one run over eight innings in a loss that afternoon and gave up just an unearned run over 7⅔ innings Sunday.

The Phillies mustered two hits off Skenes and they came in consecutive at-bats in the top of the third. Brandon Marsh lined a single up the middle and nine-hole hitter Rafael Marchan doubled. Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales made an errant relay throw that caromed off Marchan’s body and allowed Marsh to score the Phillies’ only run.

They went 1-for-19 with three walks the rest of the way. The only player to reach base twice was Marsh.

“A little bit,” Stott said when asked if hitters are trying to do too much without Harper. “We saw it in ’22 when he was down, it took a second to finally have everyone calm down and realize we’ve still got to play our game. He’s Bryce Harper and you’re not gonna try to step up to be Bryce Harper, you want to be yourself. Obviously, you want to hit like him. But a little bit of trying too hard or coming out of approaches.”

It was a shame for Cristopher Sanchez, who probably had his best command of the season. Sanchez struck out nine and began the eighth inning with just one walk. Manager Rob Thomson left him in to face lefty-hitting Oneil Cruz because Sanchez had handled him three times earlier with two K’s and a groundout. He couldn’t the fourth time, walking Cruz, who leads the majors with 23 steals in 25 attempts.

“This was his best start in a while because he was attacking the zone,” Thomson said. “Fastball had a lot of life to it, changeup was really good, he was landing the slider. It’s all about attack for him. He’s got to attack the zone because his stuff is good enough to get anyone out.”

Cruz spun his wheels and did not seem to get a good jump but still stole second on reliever Orion Kerkering, scoring the game-winning run on an opposite-field single by Andrew McCutchen.

“It’s like that when a team isn’t performing like we are right now. I know our team can score a lot of runs,” Sanchez said. “We’re just going through a rough stretch.”

The Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park for a much-needed six-game homestand. The Cubs are in town Monday through Wednesday and the Blue Jays Friday through Sunday.

Thomson said he’s been “thinking about some different things,” so there may be a change or two to the lineup. Zack Wheeler will start Monday’s series opener on 10 days’ rest. He missed the trip to Pittsburgh and Toronto on the paternity list. He’s their ace but he can’t swing the bat and will need more support than Sanchez received in Pittsburgh.

What we learned as Yastrzemski helps cap Giants' sweep of Braves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — So, is the sky still falling?

The frustration and concern surrounding the Giants as recently as Tuesday was warranted, but things can change quickly in a 162-game MLB season. A league-best five-game winning streak certainly helps.

San Francisco sent Landen Roupp to the mound against Braves (27-37) righty Spencer Strider (L, 6 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) as it looked to cap off a series sweep of Atlanta on Sunday at Oracle Park. After trailing early, the Giants, for the fifth consecutive game, came from behind to secure the win.

Here are three observations from the Giants’ 4-3 victory that improved their record to 38-28:

Signs of Life?

Mike Yastrzemski was ice cold entering Sunday’s contest, batting just .040 (1-for-25) over his last eight games and .065 (3-for-46) over his last 15.

He got the scoring started for the Giants in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly that tied the game at one run apiece. Then, with runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom of the fourth, and San Francisco trailing 3-1, Yastrzemski roped a two-run double down the right-field line that tied the game 3-3 before he came around to score on a fielding error one batter later.

Yastrzemski was hitless with runners in scoring position in his last 17 at-bats before Sunday’s game, and the Giants certainly hope his three-RBI day is a sign that their longest-tenured player is heating up after a brutal month of May.

Settled In Nicely

Roupp (W, 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) had been lights out on the mound prior to Sunday’s start, posting a 0.40 ERA over his last four outings combined while surrendering two runs or fewer in each of his last six.

His dominance came to an end pretty quickly in the series finale against Atlanta. With runners on first and third with no outs in the top of the first, Braves slugger Matt Olson grounded into a fielder’s choice out that scored Ronald Acuña Jr. from third and gave Atlanta an early 1-0 lead.

Roupp ran into more trouble in the top of the third with the score tied 1-1. Once again, with runners on first and third and Olson at the plate, this time with one out, the Atlanta first baseman doubled home two runs on a line drive to center field that extended the Braves’ lead to 3-1.

The Giants righty settled in nicely after that, throwing two scoreless frames to get through six on a day when he did not have his best stuff.

Consistent As Can Be

With three scoreless innings on Saturday, the Giants’ bullpen lowered their ERA and WHIP this season to 2.27 and 1.07, respectively, both the lowest marks of any MLB team.

San Francisco’s relievers have combined to throw at least three innings while allowing zero runs 23 times, which is the third-most in the league behind the San Diego Padres (26) and the Houston Astros (24).

Roupp got through six frames on Sunday before handing the ball over to the bullpen. Ryan Walker, Randy Rodriguez and Camilo Doval shut down the Braves in the final three frames. Just business as usual for the league’s most elite bullpen.

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