What we learned as Giants offense led to comeback win against Rockies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
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SAN FRANCISCO – A punch in the gut isn’t easier when you expect it, and the Giants couldn’t hide their disappointment Friday after Jung Hoo Lee was told he would actually need season-ending shoulder surgery. When Mason Black gave up three runs a few hours later before most of Oracle Park had even found their seats, it looked like this was going to be a very dark day for an organization that has had a lot of them lately.
But Thairo Estrada had other ideas. His three-run explosion changed the score and the Giants never looked back, pulling out a 10-5 victory over a Colorado Rockies team that had surprisingly won seven straight.
Estrada had the biggest swing, but the Giants got contributions all over the lineup, which was rare. Seven different players singled and five scored a run. Luis Matos capped the scoring with a two-run double down the left field line in the eighth, giving him five RBIs this week and 10 in four starts. Matos joined Matt Chapman as the only Giants with a five-RBI game this season.
When the teams met last week at Coors Field, they were the only two in the major leagues without a three-game winning streak. The Rockies emphatically left that club, and the Giants will get a chance to finally get their third straight game on Saturday when future left-handed Opening Day starter Kyle Harrison advances past left-handed Opening Day starter Ty Blach.
Black Friday
With Keaton Winn on the IL and unavailable Sunday, the Giants pushed Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks back a day and brought back Black from Triple-A. He seemed ready for a few more starts, but that is now the question after how Friday’s return went.
Black gave up four straight hits to start the game and gave up four earned hits on six hits in three-plus innings. Jordan Beck brought home a fourth Rockies run with a homer in the second, and Black drilled Jacob Stallings to lead off the fourth before Bob Melvin finally came out with the hook.
Black had a good spring and was great in Triple-A this season. But in three big league games, he has allowed 10 earned runs and completed just 11 2/3 total innings. He had just three swinging strikes in his 50 pitches on Friday.
Thairo for the lead
With his final blast, Estrada tied Michael Conforto for the team lead in home runs (7). While Conforto did most of his damage early, Estrada has six of his seven home runs in the past 31 games. Estrada ranks second among NL second basemen in home runs and is tied for second with 24 RBI.
The go-ahead signal ended a painful but satisfying run for Estrada. Three pitches earlier, he fouled a throw from his left leg, and even though he was wearing a shin guard, the contact was so hard that he ended up in the mud and trainer Dave Groeschner came out. Estrada ran with it and soon started jogging slowly around the bases.
Closure Sean
There have been many flashes for Sean Hjelle over the years, but on the last road trip he finally seemed to have it all together. Hjelle struck out 10 in four relief innings during a sweep of Philadelphia, and he continues to climb the ladder in the bullpen.
Melvin used Hjelle in the seventh on Wednesday because Ryan Walker was out with back tightness, but he needed him early on Friday. Hjelle took over with a runner on and no outs in the fourth and immediately gave up a double, but got out of trouble with two groundouts and a fly ball to center.
With two scoreless innings, Hjelle has now allowed just two runs in 11 2/3 innings over his last eight outings. He has 17 strikeouts in that span.
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