Gausman takes step forward, but Braves rough up bullpen
ATLANTA >> Throughout the second half of the season, the Giants have been holding out hope that starter Kevin Gausman would regain the Cy Young-caliber form that helped him make his first AllStar team this year.
Gausman wasn’t all the way back to his old self in
Friday’s start in Atlanta, but six innings of two-run ball against a first-place Braves club represented a major step forward for one of the Giants’ most important arms.
That step came on a night the Giants’ bullpen stumbled.
Left-hander Tony Watson and righty Zack Littell combined to give up four runs in the bottom of the seventh as Jorge Soler’s three-run home run powered the Braves to a 6-5 defeat of the Giants to snap San Francisco’s win streak at four games.
The Braves held a 6-4 lead entering the ninth, but Wilmer Flores brought the Giants within a run as he sent a 3-1 offering from closer Will Smith into the left field bleachers.
The loss came with some additional concern as third baseman Kris Bryant exited the game in the bottom of the first after a 35-minute rain delay. The Giants did not provide a reason for Bryant’s early departure, but manager Gabe Kapler is expected to provide an update on Friday evening.
A Giants bullpen that’s been the best in the majors since June 1 and owns the second best bullpen ERA this season behind the Milwaukee Brewers is still capable of having a bad day at the office. Friday qualified.
After Gausman departed in line for a win, Watson issued a one-out walk to Joc Pederson and gave up a groundball single to pinchhitter Guillermo Heredia. With switch-hitter Ozzie Albies at the plate, Kapler chose to leave his veteran reliever in to face a player who has a much better track record against lefties than righties.
Albies made the Giants pay with a RBI double that convinced Kapler to turn to Littell, who watched the first pitch he threw to Soler get turned around for a goahead three-run home run. Littell wanted to go up in the zone with his fastball, but Soler caught up to the pitch and redirected it into the left center field bleachers.
The Braves’ late rally spoiled Gausman’s best outing since an August 4 win over the Diamondbacks and cost the Giants on a night they took an early 3-0 lead thanks in large part to a big swing from catcher Buster Posey.
After exiting Tuesday’s game in New York in the fifth inning and sitting out the final two games of the series, Posey returned to the starting lineup Friday and greeted Braves starter Max Fried by swinging at a 3-0 sinker and sending a high, arcing drive down the right field line.
Posey’s flyball didn’t appear to be struck particularly well, but the ball sailed over the right field fence and stayed inside the foul pole for a two-run home run. Posey’s 16th homer of the season left the bat with a 44-degree launch angle, which is the highest recorded launch angle on Posey home run since Statcast began tracking batted ball data in 2015.
Of the 156 career home runs Posey has hit, Friday’s first-inning blast was only the third that came on a 3-0
pitch. The Giants have been among the most aggressive teams against 3-0 offerings this season, as San Francisco’s nine hits and 19 balls in play on 3-0 pitches rank second only to the Toronto Blue Jays in each category.
The Giants added on against Fried in the second inning as Gausman helped himself out by laying down a bunt on an 0-2 pitch that put pressure on Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud to make a play. In an effort to force out the lead runner, Mike Yastrzemski, at third base, d’Arnaud hurried his throw and sent the ball down the left field line, allowing Yastrzemski to score.
Tommy La Stella scored Thairo Estrada with a hit in the fourth to give the Giants a 4-2 lead.