Max Muncy continues cursing SF Giants, leads Dodgers to 9-1 win
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The SF Giants fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night 9-1. Giants ace Logan Webb allowed four runs for the third time in as many starts this season, putting San Francisco in an early hole their offense was unable to escape. In the Giants first game of the season against their biggest rival, they looked like they remain a tier below the Dodgers.
Dodgers star second baseman Mookie Betts led off the game with a solo home run to left-center field. Webb would settle down, but it was another reminder that the Rocklin, California-native has been struggling to keep the ball in the yard early this season.
Looking to respond immediately, Giants infielders Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores struck out swinging for the fences against Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urías. Mike Yastrzemski hit a single up the middle, aided by baseball’s new ban against the shift, but got picked off trying to steal second, cutting J.D. Davis’ at-bat short.
Webb made quick work of the Dodgers in the second, his first 1-2-3 inning of the game. In the bottom half of the frame, Giants infielder David Villar worked a walk and recorded his first career major league stolen base. However, he was stranded in scoring position.
In the third, Webb would once again fall victim to the home run. After allowing a single to Betts and botching a grounder from Freeman, Webb hung a changeup to Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, who sent it 405’ for a three-run home run.
Prior to this season, Webb had never allowed multiple home runs in an outing more than once across a big-league season. He’s already allowed two homers in a start twice this year.
Webb would last six innings, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six. On the season, Webb has struck out 22 hitters while walking just three in 17 innings of work, but he has a 6.35 ERA thanks to his four home runs allowed. Still, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters after the game that he's confident Webb is heading in the right direction.
"What I see from Logan is a guy who's getting swings and misses, not walking guys, and throwing hard," Kapler said. "It's a good signal early in the year that he's coming out throwing 94. Obviously, in order for us to beat a team like the Dodgers, he's going to have to be great, and he wasn't at his best tonight."
Webb called his own game for the first time of his career on Monday night, and there was a notable change in his pitch usage. He threw his sinker 55.3% of the time (39.3% entering play today) and cut his changeup usage in half (35.8% to 14.9%). In his postgame availability, Webb acknowledged that he will need to adjust to making his own calls. He pointed to throwing a fourth consecutive slider to Muncy, which turned into a his first home run.
Giants infielder Wilmer Flores ended Urías’ shutout with a lead-off homer in the fourth inning. Flores jumped on a first-pitch changeup that hung in the middle of the plate, and sent it over the left-field wall for his second big fly of the season.
The Giants threatened after Flores’ homer with a Davis single and two-out walk by shortstop Brandon Crawford. But, in his first game back from the injured list, catcher Joey Bart worked a 3-2 count, but took a perfectly placed 94.2 mph fastball on the inside corner for a called strike three.
Davis singled with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Villar just missed a hanging breaking ball by Urías that could have brought the Giants within a run. Instead, center fielder James Outman caught Villar’s harmless flyout to finish Urías’ outing. The 26-year-old lefty allowed one run on four hits and two walks over his six innings pitched, striking out eight.
The Giants were dealt even more blows in the 7th. With two outs and one man on, Kapler tapped Sean Hjelle to replace southpaw Taylor Rogers, who had walked one over 0.2 innings pitched. Hjelle allowed three singles before who else but Max Muncy came to the plate. Muncy, the bane of many a Giants fan’s existence, broke the game open with a grand slam. He now has 23 career home runs against the Giants with a .272/.385/.618, and unsurprisingly, he has not hit more home runs against any other big-league team.
With an eight-run lead, Dodgers relievers Alex Vesia, Yency Almonte, and Andre Jackson combined for three shutout innings. The Giants worked a bases-loaded no-out rally in the seventh inning and for the second time in three days were unable to manage a run.
One of the few positives on an otherwise disappointing night, Giants right fielder Heliot Ramos (Giants #17 prospect) was 1-for-4 with a single that recorded a scorching 110.9 mph exit velocity. Most importantly, his hit traveled 244’ before hitting the ground. He also flew out to right field in his final trip to the plate of the night. It’s a good sign for a player that has wasted a lot of hard contact hitting straight into the ground during his young career.
The SF Giants want to compete with the Dodgers atop the National League West this season, but these squads are currently unevenly matched. The series continues as Giants lefty Alex Wood is scheduled to make his second start of the season tomorrow, facing off against Dustin May. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 PM Pacific.
