SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: The Giants look to improve their advantage tonight with a win in game two…they are in the midst of a quick four-game road trip in Arizona, their first trip without leaving the time zone this year…SF is currently in a stretch where they play 12 of 16 games at Oracle Park.
ROSTER MOVES: LHP Alex Wood returned from his rehab assignment and was reinstated from the 15-day IL…RHP Cole Waites was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento postgame yesterday.
LET’S HIT UP OLD TOWN: According to Stats, LLC, since the Diamondbacks joined MLB in 1998, few teams have as many road wins against any opponent as the Giants do in Arizona (128-92)…since 2019, the Giants are 21-12 here at Chase Field with a +25 run differential. MLB, Most Road Wins vs. Any Opponent – Since 1998 (Stats, LLC) Team Opponent Wins
Red Sox vs. Orioles 133
Yankees vs. Orioles 133
Giants vs. D-Backs 128
Team Opponent Wins
Braves vs. Marlins 126
Cardinals vs. Brewers 122
HE’S JUST THE OPENER: Normally a reliever, RHP John Brebbia will make his second start of the season tonight…Brebbia tossed 1.1 scoreless innings against St. Louis on April 25…SF is 8-4 in Brebbia’s 12 career starts, with the pitcher posting a 0.73 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and nine strikeouts in 12.1 innings.
STRENGTH IN (POWER) NUMBERS: SF has 34 home runs over their first 17 road games in 2023…that mark is tied with the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals for most home runs by an NL team in their first 17 road games of the season…overall, SF has 12 different players with at least two homers this season, tied for second-most behind the Yankees (13)…14 different Giants have hit at least one big fly this season.
THE SCHMITT SHOW:IF Casey Schmitt continued his historically hot start to his Big League career with a 4-for-4 day yesterday, joining Hall-of-Famer Willie McCovey (1959) as the only Giants to notch eight hits in their first three career games…he needs two more in his next appearance to match Jim Davenport’s franchise record through four games (10) established in 1958… Schmitt is 8-for-12 (.667) with five runs, two doubles, two homers and four RBI through his first three games.
SCHMITT HAPPENS: The Giants’ No. 4 prospect on MLB.com tied a few other franchise records yesterday…he became the second Giant since 1901 to have at least two hits and one run in each of his first three games, with IF/OF John Bowker (2008) being the other…Schmitt also became the fifth Giant since 1901 to have at least two homers in his first three career games…per OptaStats, Schmitt is the second player in MLB history, the first being Hall-of-Famer Joe DiMaggio, with at least eight hits, four runs and four RBI in his first three MLB games.
STEALING THE SHOW: IF Thairo Estrada went 50-50 on his stolen bases attempts yesterday, nabbing his 11th steal of the season, fifth-most in the NL…Estrada became the first Giant to have 11 steals in the Giants’ first 37 games since OF Barry Bonds did so in 1996.
CONTACT CREATORS: After striking out five times on Tuesday, four times on Wednesday and three yesterday, the Giants’ 12 total in a three-game span is tied for second fewest in the Majors this season behind Baltimore’s eight strikeouts from April 24-26…the three strikeouts yesterday were the Giants’ fewest since May 27, 2022 at Cincinnati…Sports Info Solutions notes that the Giants’ 17.7% strikeout rate over the last seven
days is second-lowest in the Majors, 0.1% off the leading Yankees’ mark…even with this solid run of contact, the Giants still have a 25.6% strikeout rate, which is second-highest in the Majors behind Seattle’s 26.2%.
CA-MAY-LO: Giants closer RHP Camilo Doval is having a great month…he’s saved all five opportunities, striking out eight of the 18 batters he faced, while holding batters hitless with two walks in 5.1 innings (0.38 WHIP)…his nine May saves over the last two seasons are tied for second-most in MLB, trailing only Chicago-AL’s RHP Liam Hendriks (10)…the Giants are 13-4 when Doval pitches this season.
THE “D” STANDS FOR DOMINATION: After going 2-for-4 with a run yesterday, IF J.D. Davis now has an MLB-leading 1.283 OPS vs. Arizona since the start of 2022 (min. 30 plate appearances)…his .478 OBP in that stretch is also tops in MLB, while his .805 slugging percentage ranks second…Davis’ 1.079 career OPS against the D-backs is his fourth best mark against any team.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS NOTES:
HERE’S THE STORY
♦ The D-backs are 3-4 in their 10-game homestand vs. Nationals (2-1), Marlins (1-2) and Giants (0-1).
♦ The D-backs are currently second in the NL West, 3.0 games behind the Dodgers…Arizona has spent 23 total days this season in or tied for first place (April 2-30).
♦ The D-backs are 10-10 vs. Giants since 2022 (6-4 @ home and 4-6 on the road).
♦ Josh Rojas is hitting .354 (23-for-65) with 5 doubles, 1 homer, 9 RBI, 11 walks and 7 stolen bases in his last 20 games vs. Giants.
♦ Ryne Nelson is making his fi rst career start vs. Giants.
ROSTER MOVES
♦ The D-backs made the following roster moves:
- Recalled LHP Anthony Misiewicz from Triple-A Reno.
- Placed LHP Joe Mantiply (strained right hamstring) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive May 9).
LOVULLO AT GRADUATION, BANISTER AT THE HELM
♦ With Manager Torey Lovullo attending his son Connor’s graduation from Northern Arizona University, Bench Coach Jeff Banister will assume managerial duties for today’s game.
- Banister managed the Rangers from 2015-18, going 325-313 (.509)…won 2 American League West division titles (2015-16).
- Named the 2015 AL Manager of the Year after going 88- 74 (.543) and posting a 21-game improvement from 2014 (67-95)…was the fi rst AL manager to win the award with no previous Major League managerial experience.
AVOIDING THE SHUTOUT
♦ The D-backs are just 1 of 4 teams who have not been shut out this season (also: Angels, Blue Jays and Cubs).
♦ Arizona’s 38 games to start the season without being shut out is its longest streak since 2013 and fourth longest in franchise history (78 games in 2013; 54 games in 2012; 46 games in 2008; 38 games in 2023; 37 games in 2000).
LATE LIFE
♦ The D-backs’ .284 team batting average in innings 7-9 is the highest in the Majors while their 72 runs scored in the span are tied for the most in the Majors (also: Dodgers).
♦ The D-backs are also 1 of 6 teams without a caught stealing in the fi nal 3 innings…Arizona leads the group with 14 stolen bases, ahead of the White Sox (7), Rockies (7) and Angels (5).
SNAKE BITES
♦ Dominic Fletcher’s .419 average (13-for-31) over his first 10 games is the fourth highest in franchise history among D-backs players in their first 10 career games [min. 20 PA], behind Mark Reynolds (.459 in 2007), Stone Garrett (.424 in 2022) and Junior Spivey (.421 in 2001).
♦ Ketel Marte has a 12-game on-base streak (since April 28) and hit safely in 6 straight games (since May 6)…in his last 12 games, has 1 double, 1 triple, 3 homers, 10 RBI, 8 walks and 1 hit-by-pitch.
♦ Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has hit safely in 6 of his last 7 games, batting .478 (11-for-23) with 2 doubles, 4 homers, 10 runs, 6 RBI and 6 walks.
♦ Christian Walker’s 7 homers since April 21 lead the Majors while his 19 RBI are tied for third most (also: Sean Murphy/ATL and Andrew Vaughn/CWS)…has 5 multi-hit eff orts in his last 9 games… in his last 20 games, is hitting .342 (27-for-79)/1.067 OPS with 6 doubles, 7 home runs, 17 runs and 19 RBI.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – RHP RYNE NELSON ♦ #19
AT A GLANCE: Selected by the D-backs in the second round (56th overall) of the 2019 draft.
- Attended the University of Oregon, where he was a 2019 First-Team All-Pac-12 selection…finished his junior year with a conference-high 104 strikeouts and finished fourth in the nation with a 14.40 K/9 IP.
- A Nevada native, attended Basic High School in Henderson where he was a shortstop and pitcher.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Is making his seventh career start @ Chase Field (fifth this season).
- Has allowed 4 or fewer hits in 4 of his 6 career starts @ Chase Field.
- Enters 2023 ranked as the D-backs’ No. 5 prospect by The Athletic (No. 8 by MLB Pipeline)…rated No. 7 and tabbed by Baseball America with the Best Fastball in the system.
LAST START: Did not factor in the decision on May 7 vs. Nationals (2 ER in 5.0 IP).
VS. GIANTS: Will be making his first career appearance.
PITCH TRACKING: Opposing batters are 1-for-8 (.125) with 2 strikeouts off his changeup and 6-for-34 (.176) with 5 strikeouts off his cutter.
WHAT A DEBUT: In his Major League debut on Sept. 5, 2022 @ Padres, he set the D-backs record for most scoreless innings (7.0) in a Major League debut (later tied by Drey Jameson on Sept. 15) and tied for the most strikeouts (7) (also: Zack Godley on July 23, 2015 @ Brewers and Max Scherzer on April 29, 2008 vs. Astros).
- Came 1.0 inning shy of tying Geraldo Guzmán’s D-backs debut record (8.0 IP) set on July 6, 2000 @ Astros.
