SF Giants’ Webb continues excellent April by outdueling Peralta in win over Brewers
SAN FRANCISCO — For the second time this month, Logan Webb took the mound at Oracle Park against the ace of a team from the NL Central and pitched a fantastic outing. On April 8, he earned a no decision. On Wednesday night, he got the win.
Webb outdueled Freddy Peralta and Wilmer Flores drove in two runs to re-establish himself as baseball’s RBI leader as the Giants (16-9) defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-2. The Giants’ ace pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts to three walks as he recorded his fourth quality start of the year.
Through six starts, Webb now boasts a 1.98 ERA with 44 strikeouts over 36 1/3 innings, the second-most in all of baseball behind only the Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler (37 1/3).
“He’s one of the elite pitchers in the National League,” said manager Bob Melvin.
Webb recorded his third win of the season but was close to ending up with a no decision after closer Ryan Walker endured a second consecutive rough outing.
The Giants entered the ninth with a four-run lead and Melvin called on Walker, his first outing since blowing a save against the Los Angeles Angels by allowing four runs and recording no outs. Instead of bouncing back, Walker allowed two runs on Brice Turang’s bases-loaded, ground-rule double with one out, a swing that trimmed San Francisco’s lead to 4-2 and forced Melvin to summon Camilo Doval with runners on second and third.
Doval experienced his own struggles earlier this year, but the one-time All-Star slammed the door on Milwaukee (13-12) by striking out Jackson Chourio and getting Chrisitan Yelich to ground out, recording his fourth save of the year.
Walker has been uncharacteristically off his last two outings, allowing six earned runs and recording one lone out after converting his first five opportunities of the year. When asked about the future of the closer role, Melvin said the Giants like both Walker and Doval and will “figure it out as we go along.”
“It’s too early for me to say anything,” Melvin said. “Not talking to anybody, but we’re in a great position that we have two guys who can close games.”
Webb worked his way out of his own jams en route to recording his fourth quality start of the year. The Brewers loaded the bases against Webb in the top of the second inning on a walk and two singles, but the right-hander escaped trouble by striking out Chourio with the bases loaded.
Beginning with the strikeout of Chourio, Webb proceeded to retire 11 consecutive batters until William Contreras opened up the sixth inning with a loud single. Contreras attempted to advance from first to third on Sal Frelick’s single to right field, but Mike Yastrzemski threw a textbook one-hopper to an awaiting Matt Chapman, who applied the tag and recorded the out. Webb, having collided with Brewers’ third-base coach Jason Lane, didn’t see the play unfold.
“I don’t know if that’s on video, but I smoked him,” Webb said. “I apologized. I was like, ‘My bad.’ He apologized. We both apologized. I saw William running and I was like, ‘Probably shouldn’t do that.’ Yaz is one of the best at throwing people out, especially third base. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen that.”
Webb got more help from his defense when Christian Koss snagged Rhys Hoskins’ tricky one-hopper, slid counterclockwise and threw to first for the out to end the inning.
“In close games in our ballpark — and we’re going to play a lot of them — that’s the type of defense that we need to play to win games,” Melvin said.
Following six-and-a-half scoreless innings, San Francisco broke the scoreless tie by putting up a four-spot in the bottom of the sixth to establish a 4-0 lead.
Flores drove in two runs on a bases-loaded single to record his 26th and 27th RBIs of the year, the most in all of baseball, then the Giants scored two more runs thanks to a pair of errors from the Brewers. Chapman crossed home plate when Turang couldn’t handle LaMonte Wade Jr.’s grounder, then San Francisco added another run when Milwaukee shortstop Joey Ortiz’s errant throw allowed Flores to score.
The Brewers chased Webb from the ballgame with one out in the seventh after putting runners on first and second, but left-hander Erik Miller recorded two quick outs to strand the runners and ensure Webb didn’t get tagged for a run. Tyler Rogers pitched a scoreless eighth, and following Walker’s second straight hiccup, Doval closed the game out in the ninth.