In San Francisco, the Giants are looking to shake things up after a tough start to the season. For the first time in franchise history, they were shut out in back-to-back games to kick off the year. In an effort to jumpstart their offense, they shuffled the batting order, moving Jung Hoo Lee to the leadoff spot and sliding Luis Arraez to third.
The tweaks brought a glimmer of hope, as Lee doubled and scored on a Matt Chapman single, finally breaking the Giants’ 20-inning scoreless streak. However, it wasn’t enough to avoid a 3-1 defeat, resulting in a sweep by the Yankees at Oracle Park.
The Giants showed some fight in the ninth against Yankees closer David Bednar. Heliot Ramos drew a leadoff walk after a successful challenge, and Willy Adames snapped his 0-for-10 slump with a single. But Bednar held firm, striking out Harrison Bader and inducing a double play from Patrick Bailey to seal the Yankees' win.
Manager Tony Vitello acknowledged the frustration, saying, “It’s not ideal to lose today and in such a tough way, but there were positives. We’ll take those on the road and hopefully gain some momentum.”
Despite being swept, the Giants had more competitive at-bats and outhit the Yankees 9-7. Their lone run through three games marks a franchise low, previously set at two runs in 1940 and 2018.
Adames reflected, “Today was better. We didn’t get the big hit, but that’s baseball. We didn’t want to start this way, but now it’s time for a fresh start with a new series.”
The Giants fell behind when the Yankees scored twice off Tyler Mahle in the third. A key defensive play by Ramos, throwing out Ben Rice at home, minimized the damage.
Ramos, who struggled defensively last year, has been working hard to improve. “I’ve been putting in the work, and it’s going to pay off,” he said.
Chapman’s RBI single in the third brought the Giants within one, but Aaron Judge extended the Yankees’ lead with a solo homer off Ryan Borucki in the fifth. Vitello considered walking Judge but opted not to, a decision he later regretted.
Vitello also stuck with Lee against lefty Tim Hill in the seventh, a move that ended in a strikeout. In the ninth, he pinch-ran Jared Oliva for Adames, a rare move in Adames’ career. “Tony makes the decisions, and he’s the manager,” Adames noted.
Looking ahead, the Giants might get more aggressive with their bench as they face the Padres next. Jerar Encarnacion, who hasn’t played yet, could see some action.
“We’re eager to involve him, even if it’s just a pinch-hit,” Vitello said. “Hopefully, that opportunity comes soon.”