The San Francisco Giants defeated the Detroit Tigers in yesterday's game 4-3. The Giants had the upper hand 4-0 until the sixth inning when the Tigers attempted a comeback. They fell just short. They couldn't unlock Giants closer Camilo Doval and lost the game in the process.
It was a sigh of relief for the Giants faithful as their team was surprisingly trashed by the Cincinnati Reds two days ago. The Giants lost the series closer 10-3 and subsequently surrendered the series to Cincinnati 2-1.
In their game against Detroit, they managed to dominate the early proceedings before almost giving up the win to the opposition. They managed to come out with the victory thanks to some superb defensive plays.
"Bye Bye Báez 👋" - SFGiants
In the top of the fourth inning, Detroit star Javier Baez smacked a liner to right field. It bounced off the Levi's Landing wall and straight into Mike Yastrzemski's grasp. Baez had made up his mind to go for a double.
This, however, wouldn't happen. Yastrzemski fired a rocket toward second. Thairo Estrada caught it and successfully tagged Baez out.
Statistically, it has been a down year for the San Francisco Giants, so having them convert on these plays gives them hope. They rank in the bottom five of the league when it comes to DRS, or Defensive Runs Saved, with -25 and UZR, or Ultimate Zone Rating, with -14.9. The play to tag Baez out nonetheless was impressive.
San Francisco Giants' June Review
The San Francisco Giants have been bafflingly inconsistent this year. They currently own a 40-33 record and are third in the National League West. After battling it out with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres during April, they have declined in form.
Delivering in clutch moments has also been a theme. They've lost four walk-offs in the month against just one win.
The Giants have 13 wins against 12 losses heading into the final game of the month. If this is a sign of things to come, the front office should be worried. Injury setbacks against their pitchers and star players have hurt their cause this year.
Their battery order has stepped up, but their pitching staff has underperformed. If they fail to string up wins, the chances of reaching the playoffs in the stacked National League will be slim to none.