What we learned as Giants' late comeback falls short vs. D-backs

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO -- In the top of the first inning at Oracle Park, the Arizona Diamondbacks got a leadoff single and then a double to right. In the bottom of the first, the Giants got a leadoff walk and then a double to right. 

The Diamondbacks, who rank second in baseball in hitting with runners in scoring position, scored three runs. The 27th-ranked Giants scored one. 

A lot more happened on Tuesday night, but that in a nutshell was this game, and a perfect example of why the reigning NL champions are headed back to October while the Giants can start booking tee times, even though they continue to show plenty of fight. 

That early lead held up, although just barely. The Giants had a spirited comeback in the final two innings but left the tying run on second in the bottom of the ninth, falling 8-7 and dropping to at least 10 games back of each of the top three teams in the NL West. 

The Diamondbacks scored six runs in the first three innings and took a 7-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but Mike Yastrzemski's 13th homer of the year ignited a long Giants rally. Slumping catcher Patrick Bailey kept things going with a nifty two-out bunt to get the Giants within a couple of runs, and Marco Luciano followed with a flare to right to drive in another run.

Marco Luciano cuts the lead to one 💪 pic.twitter.com/w4PBgQfANf

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2024

That brought up fellow Tuesday call-up Luis Matos, but he went down looking on a 101-mph fastball from Justin Martinez. 

After the Diamondbacks added an insurance run in the top of the ninth, the Giants again rallied. They scored and put two on with two outs, but Jerar Encarnacion struck out, dropping his team to three games under .500. 

Rough Start

Kyle Harrison's 24th start of the 2024 MLB season lasted just 2 2/3 innings. It was the shortest start of his career, and while there's some element of manager Bob Melvin being careful with a young arm, this mostly was about performance. 

Harrison gave up a two-run homer to Randal Grichuk in the first after it seemed he might limit the damage. The Diamondbacks scored again in the second and got two more runs in the third. Harrison was charged with six earned runs, tying a career-high. His fastball averaged just 91.2 mph, and the league's hottest offense took advantage. Harrison faced 16 batters and seven picked up hits. 

Welcome Back

Tristan Beck was headed for an Opening Day job in the spring, but he needed surgery to remove an aneurysm from his upper right arm. The procedure wiped out most of his season, but he finally got back on a big league mound Tuesday, a big win no matter how it went. 

Beck ended up pitching well, allowing one earned on two hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked two but also struck out four, showing off a sharp curve and good command of his four-seamer. 

Beck isn't fully stretched out and won't be able to get there this month, but as the Giants shut down others -- including potentially Harrison, who has surpassed his previous high for innings -- Beck seems like a good candidate to make a couple of shorter spot starts. He had a 3.92 ERA last year in 33 appearances, including three starts. 

New Look

Marco Luciano returned as a second baseman, and the first night back in the big leagues didn't go well on that side of the ball. 

His first real test came in the third when Adrian Del Castillo hit a grounder up the middle that was ruled an infield single when Luciano couldn't get a throw off. It was a tough play, but it was also the opposing catcher running and Luciano bobbled the ball several times. Two innings later, he made an error when he dropped Geraldo Perdomo's slow grounder to the right side. 

Luciano was 1-for-4 at the plate with an RBI. Matos had a pair of strikeouts after replacing Grant McCray midway through the game. 

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