What we learned as Fitzgerald, Chappy, Webb fuel Giants’ win vs. Nats originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants are in the middle of their easiest stretch of the season, but sometimes the schedule lies. The Washington Nationals were 10 games under .500 entering this series, but over the last couple of years, they have given the Giants all they can handle.
The Nationals swept the Giants in Washington D.C. last year and took two of three at Oracle Park earlier this season, but on Monday, the Giants kept their momentum going with a 4-1 win at Nationals Park.
Logan Webb had a second straight strong start and was backed by Tyler Fitzgerald’s daily homer and a three-run bomb from Matt Chapman. The bullpen took it home in the late innings, as the Giants got back to .500 for the first time since June 1.
They had lost seven consecutive attempts to get back to .500, but right now they’re rolling, and the timing couldn’t be better.
FitzMagic
Since July 20, Fitzgerald has hit multiple homers at Oracle Park, Coors Field, Dodger Stadium and Great American Ball Park. He wasted no time getting the homer at Nationals Park out of the way.
The leadoff blast came on the second pitch of the game, a low sinker from Patrick Corbin that was hit 416 feet to left. It put Fitzgerald in some very select company.
The 26-year-old is the fourth shortstop to homer 11 times in 17 games, joining Alex Rodriguez, Trea Turner and Troy Tulowitzki, all of whom made at least three All-Star teams. You don’t fluke your way to 11 homers in less than three weeks.
Fitzgerald became the seventh Giant to do it, according to MLB’s Sarah Langs, and the list is littered with Hall of Famers. He joined Mel Ott, Walker Cooper, Willie Mays, Jim Ray Hart, Willie McCovey and Barry Bonds.
Happy Chappy
Chapman crushed a slow hanging breaking ball from Corbin in the third, breaking the game open. The three-run blast was his 18th of the season, extending his team lead and nudging him ahead of last year’s total in Toronto.
Chapman has quietly been one of the best players in the National League, and he entered the day ranked eighth in the league in FanGraphs’ version of Wins Above Replacement. He has been the third-most valuable third baseman in the big leagues.
Blake Snell‘s option has gotten most of the attention, but Chapman looks headed for a fascinating decision, too. He can opt out after every season of his three-year, $54 million deal, and while he’s happy to be back in the Bay Area and…