What we learned as Giants secure second straight win vs. Phillies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO — A quarter of the way through the season, the Giants have dropped series to the Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals. They also now have taken series from both teams that competed in last year’s World Series.
The Giants took advantage of some poor defense from the Philadelphia Phillies, winning 4-3 in a sloppy game for both teams. The go-ahead run came across on a misplayed two-out pop-up and the Giants’ bullpen took over from there.
The Phillies had been 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the series before breaking through in the fourth and knocking a wild Alex Cobb out of the game. An RBI single and a balk tied it, but the Giants struck right back in the bottom of the frame, getting plenty of help from the Phillies.
Casey Schmitt reached on an infield single and scored from first when Kody Clemens misjudged Joey Bart‘s two-out pop-up to shallow right. The first baseman threw his hands up, indicating he had no idea where the ball was, and it dropped behind him and just out of second baseman Bryson Stott‘s reach for an RBI double. Bart scored on LaMonte Wade Jr.’s single to left, extending the lead to two.
Taylor Made
It can be difficult to gain the trust of a new fan base when you struggle early on after signing a big deal, but Taylor Rogers certainly looks like the player the Giants hoped they were getting when they gave him a three-year deal.
Rogers entered with runners on the corners in the fourth and struck out Bryce Harper before getting a soft inning-ending grounder to second from Nick Castellanos. He came back out to face Kyle Schwarber in the fifth and struck him out.
Rogers has quietly thrown 12 consecutive scoreless appearances dating back to April 15. His ERA was 18.90 after his first five appearances for the Giants, but he has lowered it to 4.73.
Wobbly Cobb
It took just three innings for Cobb to tie his career-high with five walks, but he mastered “bend but don’t break.”
The first two Phillies reached in the first inning, but Cobb got Bryce Harper to bounce into a double play. He walked a pair in the second to load the bases with two outs, but Stott flew out to left. Two more walks got the Phillies going in the third, but Cobb froze J.T. Realmuto with a 95 mph sinker that curled back over the outer edge of the plate and ended the inning.