Powering their way to 4th straight win, sweep
SAN DIEGO — The year 1929 was a bit of a downer, what with that little stockmarket crash that wiped out a few folks. Before that bummer of an October day, the New York Giants had a nice fourgame run. They beat the Phillies 105, then whomped the Braves 106, 154 and 103.
With all the great offensive teams this franchise has had, through Mel Ott, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Barry Bonds and Buster Posey, the Giants have not since enjoyed another fourgame stretch of doubledigit scoring.
Who would have thought the 2019 team, with the thirdfewest runs in the majors and so many sickly batting statistics, would fall three runs short of matching the feat?
The Giants still celebrated Wednesday night after they beat San Diego 75 to complete their first series sweep of at least three games in more than a year.
Evan Longoria hit his fourth homer of the series. Alex Dickerson homered in his first start back since the Padres traded him to San Francisco last month, Brandon Belt had three hits and the Giants ran their win streak to four games, adding 40 runs on 42 hits (including
nine homers) to their totals.
The Giants went 119 in 20 straight days of ball. They get the Fourth of July off for the first time since 1941, then finish the first half with three home games against the Cardinals.
“It’s such a different feeling, a great feeling,” said manager Bruce Bochy. “I feel good for the guys having some success. We’ve had some tough games scoring runs. You almost hate to see a day off. We played our best ball at the end of a tough stretch.”
The Giants trailed 43 before they scored four sixthinning runs with a wacky rally.
It began with one out when Luis Perdomo, apparently thinking time had been called, tried to stop midpitch and threw a rainbow that landed on Kevin Pillar’s foot. Pillar was awarded first base.
With two outs, the Giants took a 74 lead with doubles by Donovan Solano, Pablo Sandoval and Belt, followed by Austin Slater’s single.
The inning should have ended 44 when Sandoval skied a flyball to center field. Center fielder Wil Myers jogged to the wall but lost track of the ball, which landed in front of him.
Solano’s double extended his hit streak to 10 games.
The Giants fell behind when the Padres used four singles in the second inning to score twice off Shaun Anderson (four innings, four runs).
Belt drew a oneout walk in the third, and one out later, Longoria hit his fourth homer of the series, a 430foot monster to leftcenter to tie it.
Dickerson untied it with a homer to right in his homecoming game. He grew up in the San Diego area and played for the Padres until they dealt him to the Giants on June 10.
The Giants had not hit backtoback homers this year. Longoria was the first Giant since Jarrett Parker in 2015 to hit four homers in three games. Longoria has five at Petco Park this season, one at Oracle.
Anderson might have avoided the tworun second inning with a bit more luck.
The key hit was a Renfroe smash that Longoria went down to backhand for that looked like the start of a highlightreel double play.
But the ball flew out of his hand as he rose and both runners were safe. Myers’ single got Franmil Reyes home and Austin Hedges blooped home another run with a hit that Pillarcould not catch.
The Padres did tie it 33 in the third on Reyes’ twoout single and Renfroe’s double, but Mike Yastrzemski threw Renfroe out at home trying to score on a Greg Garcia single.