One-Run Magic Continues in Sweep of Reeling Braves

The Giants have now played seven consecutive one-run games — their longest such streak since an eight-game stretch from April 11-18, 2014 — and have reeled off five straight wins to improve to 38-28 on the season, including yesterday’s 4-3 win over a reeling Braves team that can do nothing right at the moment. The win gave the Giants a three-game sweep of Atlanta and a 5-2 homestand. Not to shabby for a team that has trouble scoring runs.

Landen Roupp started the game for the Giants and pitched six, mostly strong innings in allowing three runs against five hits with two walks and two strikeouts. If you want to see the home field, Willie Mays Field version of advantages just watch Matt Olson’s double high off the brick wall in right in the top of the third inning off Roupp. In any other park it’s a three-run homer. But credit to Roupp for keeping the inning from getting out of hand. He did the same in the first after the Braves scored a lone run. It was an example of a pitcher gutting out the best he could and limiting the damage to a Braves team that can pretty much rake, from up and down the batting order.

Roupp won his fourth game of the season and solidified his place in the rotation. He has been an impressive piece of the Giants pitching dominance this season.

The Giants tied the game up at 1 apiece thanks to a Yaz sac fly in the bottom of the second inning. Yaz later had the big hit of the day, a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning, an inning in which the Giants took the lead for good when the winning run scored on an error by Ozzie Albies on a ball hit by hit by Tyler Fitzgerald. That run was scored by Yaz and it was his speed that helped propel him home. A lesser base runner may not score on the play. Good things happen when you put the ball in play!

As for the Braves, they were shackled by the Giants relief crew of Ryan Walker, Randy Rodriguez and Camilo Doval, each of whom pitched a shutout in their respective innings of work. Doval recorded two strike outs, one on a generous (WRONG) calle of an outside slider to Alex Verdugo. There was good fortunate for the Giants on this day but the better team made their good luck.

Speaking of the Braves, they are a team in a complete freefall since they blew a six run lead in the ninth against Arizona last week. Once again yesterday they blew two leads with Spencer Strider, their ace on the mound. It was interesting listening to the Braves announcers say “Not much is going right for the Braves these days” when it has nothing to do with “going right” and everything to do with playing better. The Giants won the last two games against the Braves on a wild pitch and an error.

Matt Chapman Injury Scare

The Giants experienced an injury scare in the bottom of the eighth, when Matt Chapman jammed his right hand after attempting to dive back to first base to avoid being picked off to end the inning. Chapman returned to third base for the top of the ninth and said X-rays came back negative, though he expected to undergo more testing on Monday’s off-day. He slid awkwardly, head first and seemed to be in considerable pain.