SF Giants’ Flores delivers walk-off walk in 10th inning to beat A’s
SAN FRANCISCO — Of all the games Wilmer Flores has played over his 13-year career, he described his performance on Friday night as his favorite. He hit three homers, a feat he’s never accomplished. He drove in eight runs as well, tying Aaron Judge for the most in baseball in the process.
With that backdrop, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay decided to put the bat in Flores’ hands on Saturday night with the game on the line. Flores, as he is wont to do, cashed in.
After powering the Giants to a win on Friday, Flores used his patience to deliver another victory on Saturday, working a nine-pitch, bases-loaded walk against All-Star Mason Miller in the bottom of the 10th to deliver a 1-0 win over the Athletics. A month-and-a-half into the season, Flores’ 42 RBIs represent the most in the entire sport.
“Just unbelievable,” said starter Landen Roupp, who threw six shutout innings. “He’s playing really good baseball right now, and I’m sure we’ll continue to see it going.”
Flores’ walk-off walk was made possible by Kotsay’s decision to walk Mike Yastrzemski with two outs and runners on second and third. Despite Flores’ RBI proficiency, the decision gave the Athletics a right-on-right matchup, as well as an out at every base. Miller has also fared oddly bad against left-handed hitters this season; entering play, opposing lefties had a .286/.423/.714 slash line against the All-Star.
Miller got ahead in the count, 2-2, beginning the plate appearance with six consecutive fastballs, topping out at 103.9 mph. On the seventh pitch of the battle, Miller finally varied speeds by dropping in a slider, one that Flores fouled off. Flores watched a down-and-outside slider go by, evening the count at 3-2.
On pitch nine, Miller fired a 102.2 mph fastball. The pitch missed low — an easy take — and the game was over. For the second time in as many nights, Flores found himself doused by the contents of a Powerade bucket. At the game’s conclusion, Flores’ 1.244 OPS with runners in scoring position is the third-best in all of baseball.
“Wilmer’s at-bat was incredible,” said manager Bob Melvin. “3-2 (count) right there, you know you’re going to get a fastball and you’re going to have to start really early to get to it because the guy’s throwing 103, 104 mph. For him to take that pitch was vintage Wilmer stuff. Even the 2-2 slider, to lay off that, just an incredible at-bat.”
Until Flores’ game-winning free pass, pitching ruled the night on both sides.
Roupp delivered his best start in roughly a month, tossing six scoreless innings with five strikeouts. The right-hander had struggled since his fine outing against the Los Angeles Angels, posting a 5.50 ERA over his last four starts.
The 25-year-old shared that he changed his pregame routine ahead of today’s outing. Roupp typically won’t talk to anyone in the four hours before starting, but on Saturday, he waited about an hour-and-a-half before locking in on his day, enjoying a late lunch with Webb before getting to work against the Athletics.
“It definitely felt good not to have to lock in for so long before the game,” Roupp said. “Most of the time, four hours before the game, I don’t talk to anyone. So, it felt good to just chat with some guys when I came in today.”
Roupp was matched by Luis Severino, who also tossed six shutout innings with five strikeouts. Both bullpens tossed up zeros as well, but San Francisco’s core four was especially impressive.
Randy Rodríguez, Tyler Rogers, Ryan Walker and Camilo Doval didn’t just each throw a scoreless inning but only needed 34 combined pitches to do so. Rodríguez (nine pitches) and Rogers (four pitches) threw all strikes; Walker (seven pitches) threw just one.
Doval inherited the 10th inning, the automatic runner on second base representing an immediate threat. He retired his first two batters but walked Jacob Wilson on four pitches, putting runners at the corners for the perpetually dangerous Brent Rooker.
The right-hander began his battle against Rooker with a first-pitch ball — five straight — creating anxiety among the sellout crowd, but Doval responded with three straight strikes, striking out Rooker with a low-and-outside slider to end the inning and hitting his signature hop as he walked off the mound. Doval has now gone 17 consecutive appearances without allowing a run, lowering his ERA to a crisp 1.25.
“He’s been incredibly composed here for a good stretch now,” Melvin said.
The same can be said about Flores, who continues to deliver when the Giants need him most.
