Pudge’s son puts clamps on Marlins
Rodriguez has quality start, Blach shines in relief of 16-inning win
MIAMI » Fifteen years after Marlins catcher Ivan Rodríguez withstood first baseman J.T. Snow’s attempt to barrel through him at home plate on the final play of the National League Division Series, Rodríguez’s son Dereck attempted to return the favor on behalf of the Giants by rolling through theMarlins on Thursday.
Once again, theMarlins took a shot and hung on as long as they possibly could.
But this time, Ty Blach and Pablo Sandoval finished the job for the Giants, combining for extra-inning heroics that helped San Francisco clinch a marathon-like 6-3, 16-inning victory.
Rookie right-hander Dereck Rodríguez pitched a career-best 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball Thursday, but the Giants needed 6 2/3more scoreless innings of relief from Blach to salvage the final game of an otherwise miserable series.
“You’re just trying to get zeroes,” Blach said. “That’s the goal every time you go out there. It’s just get a zero and give the offense another chance.”
Blach entered a tie game in the 10th inning and tossed 83 pitches before manager Bruce Bochy called on Sam Dyson to record the final out with the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the 16th.
“He was just determined and focused and what a great effort,” Bochy said of Blach. “He was determined not to lose that game and he gave us more than we thought, really.”
After a miscommunication between Andrew McCutchen and Joe Panik led to a dropped fly ball and eventually a game- tying run in the ninth, the Giants recovered after losing their eighth lead of the series thanks to Blach’s remarkable relief stint.
Though the Giants scored three runs in the first two innings, they didn’t plate another run until Sandoval smashed a two- run single in the top of the 16th to put the team ahead for good. Center fielder Gorkys Hernández added a sacrifice fly to make it 6- 3, and Blach ensured the Giants would escape Miami with at least one win.
“A tough game, a long game,” Sandoval said. “We battled every inning and the bullpen did a great job. Ty Blach, six and twothirds, he went out there and did his job. It’s exciting the way we played.”
Rodríguez was in attendance when Snow came dashing toward home plate in an effort to truck his father Ivan, dislodge the ball and score the tying run in 2003, so the 26- year- old knows Thursday’s game wasn’t quite as significant as the decisive Game 5 between the Giants and Marlins.
The Giants starter was also on hand for the first three games of his club’s four- game set in Miami, so he understood just how much his team needed a strong outing from him and an even better outing from Blach.
“That’s cool, two quality starts in one game,” Rodríguez said. “We’ll take it.”
The finale wasn’t entirely positive for the Giants, as third baseman Evan Longoria fractured his pinky and is out indefinitely after taking an 89- mile per hour fastball off of his left hand in the top of the fourth inning.
“I’ll just push as hard as I can to get back as soon as I can,” Longoria said.
For the second straight day, catcher Buster Posey reached base and McCutchen brought him home with another two- run home run that pushed the Giants out in front 2- 0 in the first inning. After hitting three home runs over the first two months of the season, McCutchen’s blast to left field Thursday marked his fifth home run in 50 June at- bats.
Instead of allowing the Marlins to immediately creep back into the contest, the Giants added to their advantage in the second inning as Mac Williamson drilled an 0- 2 offering from starter Dan Straily over the left field fence.
The solo shot was also Williamson’s first since returning from a month- long stint on the disabled list that ended May 25.
A 3- 0 edge was the Giants’ largest lead of the series and offered Rodríguez a healthy amount of breathing room.
With his father, aka “Pudge,” watching from the first row of the seats behind home plate, the rookie pounded the strike zone and mixed speeds with two different fastballs and his cutter.
“He’s right behind the plate,” Rodríguez said of his dad’s presence. “It’s hard not to notice him. But the good thing is I’ve got Buster back there and he helped me out a lot.”
With the game on the line, Bochy replaced Rodríguez in the seventh with Tony Watson, who recorded four big outs, allowing closer Hunter Strickland to enter, but he couldn’t secure his 14th save of the year after the dropped pop up.
“Great win, great win to head home on after a tough series here,” Bochy said. “I’m looking forward to getting out of Miami. Trust me.”