Drey Jameson Shows Maturity in Diamondbacks 8-4 Win
Drey Jameson's trademark competitiveness, poise and demeanor were on full display at Oracle Park today in the Diamondbacks 8-4 victory over the Giants.
Working with 1.4 MPH less than his average four seam fastball velocity, Jameson showed maturity beyond his years and experience. Instead of forcing the issue and trying to throw the ball by hitters, he was a pitcher instead. Going with a sinker, slider, changeup approach to navigate the Giants lineup, he threw strikes and worked out of trouble when he needed to.
A two out single and a stolen base by Thairo Estrada gave the Giants a runner in scoring position in the first, but Jameson struck out Mike Yastrzemski on a slider down and in. He induced David Villar to ground into a double play to end the second inning.
Jameson ran into further trouble in the third, loading the bases on a walk, and two singles. Estrada got a run home on a fielder choice giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. But he struck out Yastrzemski again, this time looking at a 97 MPH sinker up and in according to pitch tracking. Jameson struck out the side in the 4th, and worked a scoreless fifth. The Giants got their second run off Jameson in the sixth via a two out solo homer by J.D. Davis. Jason Vosler followed with a double off the right field wall. After a mound visit from pitching coach Brent Strom, Jameson struck out Villar on a sinker below the zone. Exiting the mound with a fist pump Jameson showed he will not back down from the moment.
His final line was six innings, six hits, two earned runs, two walks and seven strikeouts. He's now 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA in four starts, all against NL West opponents.
The offense meanwhile provided more than enough run support against Jakob Junis and the Giants pitching staff. Gabe Kapler used an opener in Scott Alexander and brought Junis into the game during the second inning. Last Sunday that strategy worked, but not today. Christian Walker knocked a ball into the right centerfield gap for a standup triple to start the fourth. He came home on a Josh Rojas sacrifice fly. Corbin Carroll doubled and Cooper Hummel walked. Sergio Alcántara hit a line drive double past Vosler in left, driving in both runners and giving the Diamondbacks a 3-1 lead.
After the Giants had closed to 3-2 on Davis' home run in the sixth, the D-backs answered right back by exploding for a five run seventh inning. Walker had an RBI double and Rojas singled home a run. Cooper Hummel hit a sacrifice fly and then Alcántara had the big hit once again, doubling to left and scoring the final two runs of the inning.
Walker fell a homer shy of the cycle with a single, double, and triple. He scored two and drove in one. Alcántara's two doubles produced four RBI. Corbin Carroll had two doubles, a walk, and scored a run. Jordan Luplow had three singles.
Mark Melancon allowed a solo homer to Yastrzemski in the eight inning and Reyes Moronta had a shaky ninth, giving up a base hit, a stolen base, a wild pitch and sacrifice fly, bringing in the Giants fourth run. He followed that by walking a batter before finally getting out of it thanks to a sharp line drive right at Christian Walker. On another day these reliever runs given up in the late innings would have created a different story line. But not this game, as Jameson and the hitters won the day.
