SAN FRANCISCO—Mike Yastrzemski tripled and scored when the relay throw skipped past Minnesota Twins third baseman Diego Castillo in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday, giving the San Francisco Giants a 3–2 victory.
After San Francisco closer Camilo Doval issued a walk and gave up two doubles to blow a 2–0 lead in the top of the ninth, Yastrzemski laced a 2-1 splitter from Jhoan Duran (5–4) into the gap in right-center field. Twins center fielder Manuel Margot fell while chasing the ball, allowing Yastrzemski to take third.
Minnesota second baseman Brooks Lee got the relay throw and fired the ball toward third, but Castillo failed to make the play and the ball went into the San Francisco dugout.
“Not the way you expect it to end, but it doesn’t matter how you get it done, just as long as you’re on the winning side,” Yastrzemski said following the Giants’ ninth walk-off victory of the season. “We can grind. We’re a group of very unselfish players. [Doesn’t] matter how it happens. We just want to win. Today shows it.”
Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli faulted his team’s lack of fundamentals in the ninth inning for the loss.
“It can happen kind of bam, bam, real quick in this game, and that’s exactly what we saw today,” Baldelli said. “A fairly well-struck ball to right-center field and then we don’t play the simple cut the way we need to, and we didn’t have anyone backing up, which was also not right.”
Ryan Walker (6–3) retired the final two batters in the top of the ninth and gained the win.
San Francisco’s walk-off victory came on a day when reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell had his best showing of the season.
Snell retired the first 18 batters he faced before Margot laced a 2–2 fastball into left field to break up the bid for perfection. Snell finished seven innings, with eight strikeouts and didn’t walk anyone for the first time this year.
It was far and away the sharpest Snell has looked this season after signing a two-year, $62 million deal with the Giants near the end of spring training.
“Found some things that I liked today, with consistency in my delivery and just repeating that,” Snell said. “Sequences, I was happy with them, but a couple that I could have done better. But overall, happy and feel good.”
Snell, who has been on the injured list twice this season and also spent time on the paternity list, is finally starting to look like his old self. He had been winless in his previous seven starts with a 7.85 earned-run average.
Snell’s outstanding outing followed a solid effort in his most recent start when he threw five scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 9.
Patrick Bailey and Thairo Estrada each drove in runs, while Yastrzemski also doubled twice and walked.
Minnesota starter Chris Paddack remained winless since June 10 despite a strong outing. Paddack had six strikeouts in five innings and allowed both Giants runs, one unearned, in his second start since coming off the injured list earlier this month.
Trainer’s Room
Twins: Shortstop Carlos Correa was held out of the game after undergoing an MRI, which revealed plantar fasciitis in his right foot. It was unknown whether the injury will cause Correa to miss Tuesday’s All-Star game in Arlington, Texas. … Infielder Jose Miranda was placed on the 10-day injured list because of a lower-back strain. ... Castillo was called up from Triple-A St. Paul, Minn., and started at third base.Up Next
Twins: Begin the second half of the season Saturday at home against the Milwaukee Brewers.Giants: Face the Rockies on Friday in Colorado.
