Blake Snell flirts with perfect game, SF Giants beat Twins in wild ending
SAN FRANCISCO — Blake Snell may have needed a few months to get going. But with the Giants needing to string together victories after the All-Star Break, the reigning Cy Young Award winner is finally looking like a reigning Cy Young Award winner.
Snell took a perfect game into the seventh inning, Mike Yastrzemski hit a walk-off “Little League home run” in the ninth inning, and the Giants beat the Twins 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park to close out the season’s unofficial first half.
“I thought he really had the chance today to do really, really special things,” Yastrzemski said of Snell. “Obviously, he did something special in terms of how well he pitched. It was awesome to see that.”
Before the madness of the ninth — a frame in which Camilo Doval’s blown save paved the way for San Francisco’s ninth walk-off win of the year — Snell’s dominance defined Sunday afternoon.
The left-hander retired the first 18 batters he faced until Manuel Margot singled to left field to begin the seventh.
The home crowd collectively groaned once Margot’s line drive touched grass, but those groans instantly gave way to a standing ovation. Margot would later be at the center of the drama — in both the top and bottom halves of the ninth.
Snell, for his part, remained locked in.
Following Margot’s single, Snell induced a double play off the bat of Willi Castro — who responded by vehemently spiking his helmet — and ended his afternoon by striking out the Twins’ Brooks Lee with his signature curveball.
Snell had eight strikeouts in seven innings, both season-highs, and no walks — no small feat given that he led the league in free passes last year.
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin in the dugout in the eighth inning of their MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)“That’s what you get when you get a Blake Snell that’s healthy, especially towards the second half of the season — that’s when he’s really, really good,” said Giants manager Bob Melvin. “He was a little uneven to begin with injuries and so forth, but he’s really hit his stride now where he feels confident when he takes the mound.”
Doval had appeared to be hitting his stride, too. Entering Sunday, Doval had only allowed one run in his last nine outings. Instead, Doval enters the season’s midway point on a sour note.
San Francisco’s closer inherited a 2-0 lead heading into the ninth, tasked with sending the Giants into the break on a high note, but was unable to finish the inning.
After allowing runners to reach second and third with one out, Doval allowed a game-tying two-run double to Margot, who also broke up Snell’s perfect game. Melvin wasted no time going to Ryan Walker to put out the fire. As Doval slowly walked back to San Francisco’s dugout with his ERA raised to 4.38, jeers filled the stadium.
Doval’s performance would soon be forgotten thanks to two miscues by the Twins on one play in the bottom of the frame.
Yastrzemski led off the ninth by muscling a ball into center field against Twins closer Jhoan Duran. Margot attempted an ill-advised dive and missed the ball by several feet.
Yastrzemski was more than three-quarters of the way to third base when second baseman Brooks Lee fired the ball to third, airmailing it out of play, allowing a jubilant Yastrzemski to trot home and score the winning run.
San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski (5) celebrates as he heads for home plate on a throwing error by Minnesota Twins second baseman Brooks Lee (72) after hitting a triple in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. The Giants won the game 3-2. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)For all his dominance, Snell could not get his first win of the season. The win went to Walker, who improved to 6-3.
But if Snell carries this momentum and continues his history of second-half dominance, the wins will follow.
The second half has historically been the time of year that Snell has been at his best. In 106 career first-half starts, Snell has a 3.98 ERA. In 82 career second-half starts, by contrast, Snell has a 2.46 ERA.
The Giants need him, too, as they enter the break in 10th place in the National League and three games out of the third and final wild-card spot.
San Francisco resumes play Friday in Colorado against the Rockies.
“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’s time in San Francisco began on an inauspicious note after signing a two-year, $62 million deal with the Giants in late March. The left-hander missed most of the season’s first three-and-a-half months due to a left adductor and groin strain. He wasn’t effective when he did pitch, either, a byproduct of missing most of spring training.
In his first six starts with the orange and black, Snell allowed 25 earned runs over 23 2/3 innings (9.51 ERA).
Upon returning from the injured list on Tuesday from the groin strain, Snell finally turned in his first truly excellent outing with the Giants: five innings, one hit, three strikeouts, three walks. On Sunday, he turned up the dominance.
“When he’s pitching like this, you really look forward to that day that he’s pitching,” Melvin said. “I know on the other side, when they’re looking for matchups, it’s not the guy you want to face.”
San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski (5) celebrates their 3-2 MLB win with teammates after scoring on a throwing error by Minnesota Twins second baseman Brooks Lee (72) after hitting a triple in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Fans react as San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski (5) heads for home plate on a throwing error by Minnesota Twins second baseman Brooks Lee (72) after hitting a triple in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. The Giants won the game 3-2. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski (5) celebrates their 3-2 MLB win with teammate Curt Casali (18) after scoring on a throwing error by Minnesota Twins second baseman Brooks Lee (72) after hitting a triple in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski (5) celebrates as he heads for home plate on a throwing error by Minnesota Twins second baseman Brooks Lee (72) after hitting a triple in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. The Giants won the game 3-2. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski (5) hits a triple off Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (5) in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. He scored the winning run after a throwing error on the play. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws against the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. He had a perfect game until he gave up a single to Minnesota Twins’ Manuel Margot (13) in the seventh. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski (5) celebrates after hitting a double off Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Steven Okert (16) as Minnesota Twins second baseman Brooks Lee (72) looks on in the sixth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ LaMonte Wade Jr. (31) hits a single off Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar (56) in the seventh inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants sidearm relief pitcher Tyler Rogers (71) throws against the Minnesota Twins in the eighth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Camilo Doval (75) throws against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. He gave up an RBI double to Minnesota Twins’ Manuel Margot (13) scoring two runs to tie the game. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Minnesota Twins’ Manuel Margot (13) slips while trying to stretch a double into a triple in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. The RBI double scored two runs to tie the game. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Minnesota Twins’ Brooks Lee (72) congratulates teammates Diego A. Castillo (39) and Byron Buxton (25) after they scored on an RBI double by Manuel Margot (13) in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. The double scored two runs to tie the game. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
[image error]San Francisco Giants’ LaMonte Wade Jr. (31) is congratulated by teammates after scoring on a single by Patrick Bailey (14) in the third inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Thairo Estrada (39) hits an RBI single off Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack (20) in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Minnesota Twins center fielder Manuel Margot (13) makes a leaping catch on a fly ball hit by San Francisco Giants’ Patrick Bailey (14) in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
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