What we learned as Chapman, Bailey fuel Giants’ comeback over Pirates

What we learned as Chapman, Bailey fuel Giants’ comeback over Pirates originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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The Giants, one night after giving up four runs in the ninth inning and losing in the 10^th, gave the Pittsburgh Pirates a taste of their own medicine Wednesday at PNC Park in a 9-5 win. This time, it was the Giants who completed a huge comeback.

San Francisco trailed 5-0 after a disastrous fifth inning, and then scored six runs between the eighth, ninth and 10^th innings.

LaMonte Wade Jr.’s third hit scored Luis Matos, who singled the at-bat before and hustled to second as Bryan Reynolds bobbled the ball, tying the game in the ninth inning. Patrick Bailey’s third hit in the 10^th inning was the exclamation mark on the Giants’ efforts, giving them a 6-5 lead. The Giants as a team scored four runs in the 10^th.

Blake Snell made his first major league start since April 19 but was taken out with one out in the fourth inning, the Giants already down 1-0 and the bases loaded after hitting Andrew McCutchen in the foot. The first batter reliever Sean Hjelle faced, Reynolds, hit a 368-foot grand slam into the right-field bleachers.

Snell’s ERA after being tagged for four earned runs actually dropped from 11.57 to 11.40.

Matt Chapman homered for the second straight game, and four Giants enjoyed a multi-hit night. Wade reached base six times. He was a perfect 3-for-3 and walked three times.

Here are three takeaways from the Giants gritting out a win.

Snell’s Return

Like the rest of Snell’s previous three starts for the Giants this year, last season’s NL Cy Young Award winner was underwhelming. Snell struck out five Pirates, tied for his most this season. He faced 19 batters and forced 15 swing and misses. Snell’s velocity was there, and he tossed some nasty breaking balls.

The lefty also struggled mightily with his control and command of the strike zone. It was evident right away, too.

Snell’s first two pitches weren’t close to being strikes. His fortunes didn’t turn in his favor from there. In just 3 1/3 innings, Snell had a season-high four walks. He also had a hit by pitch, threw a wild pitch and was saved multiple times by catcher Patrick Bailey.

While Snell threw a season-high 87 pitches, he also only recorded 10 outs. This wasn’t the step forward he and the Giants were hoping for after a dominant rehab outing in Triple-A Sacramento.

Making Jones Work

As Snell searched for his control, so did opposing starting pitcher Jared Jones. The issue has been a problem in the past for Snell, whose 99 walks led all starting pitchers last season. Wednesday was a first for the 22-year-old Jones.

Jones’ 1.2 walks per nine innings entering the night was the best in baseball. He had walked only seven batters all season long through his first nine starts. The Giants worked three walks from Jones in six innings.

That’s a new season-high for Jones, who had two walks total this month in his previous three starts. Chapman’s homer was off Jones, as was Bailey’s double. Two of Bailey’s three hits were off Jones, and so were two of Wade’s three.

Jones got the better of Snell, but the Giants made him work as much as any team has this season.

Stay Hot, Chappy

Chapman, like Snell, signed with the Giants late in the offseason and got off to an extremely slow start. His early-season struggles — for the time being — seem like a thing of the past. At least that’s what the last week has suggested.

The Giants third baseman on Wednesday went 1-for-3 with a two-run no-doubter that cut the deficit in the top of the sixth inning. Chapman’s homer certainly wasn’t a cheap one either.

He yanked an up-and-away fastball 421 feet into the left-field seats. Chapman’s homer had a 106.2-mph exit velocity, the second-hardest hit ball of the day. Ironically, the hardest hit belonged to former Giants catcher Joey Bart, a 109.5-mph single in the second inning.

Chapman also walked to load the bases in the eighth inning. Since May 17, Chapman has hit .579 (11-for-19) with two home runs, three doubles and five RBI in a five-game span. His .245 batting average would be Chapman’s highest since hitting .249 during his lone MLB All-Star season in 2019.

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