Giants fall to Crew in ninth walk-off loss

Webb strikes out nine and allows just one run in six solid innings

August 7th, 2021

MILWAUKEE -- The Giants’ walk-off woes continued Friday night when Jarlín García gave up a single to Rowdy Tellez to lead off the 10th inning as the Giants fell, 2-1, to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family field.

The Giants, who were trying to become the first MLB team to reach 70 victories this season, have lost nine games in walk-off fashion this season.

Logan Webb allowed just a run while striking out nine over six innings, but took a no-decision for the fifth time in his last six starts. Brewers starter Corbin Burnes also allowed a single earned run on a homer while striking out five over seven innings.

“I thought Webb went toe-to-toe with Burnes,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “Burnes has some nasty stuff, but Webb matched him all the way through the game, with both his intensity and his stuff.

“He mixed his pitches well and I thought he was in the zone most of the time. He challenged their hitters and, overall, I thought he did a really good job.”

Milwaukee struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Avisaíl García got just enough of a 3-2 slider to clear the fence in left-center for his 19th home run of the season.

Things could have gotten out of control quickly as Tellez followed with a double off the wall and Tyrone Taylor walked, but Webb left both runners stranded to get out of the inning then allowed just one runner over his final four frames.

Webb retired his last 11 batters in a row, getting a huge lift along the way from Mike Yastrzemski who crashed into the wall in center to rob an extra-base hit in the fourth.

“That created energy for us and definitely for me,” Webb said. That was a special play.”

The play was even more impressive considering that Yastrzemski was back on the field for the first time Tuesday. He was scratched from Kapler’s lineup ahead of Wednesday’s game at Arizona and sat out the series finale against the D-backs on Thursday.

But Yastrzemski showed no signs of concern as he not only chased down Tellez’s drive, but also made a fairly hefty leap to grab it before hitting the ground. Yastrzemski stayed down for a while, but got up and looked no worse for wear.

“I hit it pretty hard and kind of feel like I ran into a wall, but nothing feels wrong,” Yastrzemski said. “Just a little sore.”

As good as Webb was pitching, Burnes was just a touch better. After giving up a single to LaMonte Wade Jr. to start the game, he faced just two over the minimum over his next four.

“He's a good pitcher,” Yastrzemski said. “He was executing his pitches tonight. When you're throwing 96 mph cutters that move across the plate, it's going to be a tough day for us.”

Brandon Belt's one-out homer in the sixth tied the game at one, but like the Brewers earlier, San Francisco put the go-ahead run on third only to come up empty, leaving the team's bullpens to settle the affair.

“[Webb] got us deep into the game, we had our best relievers on the mound for the seventh, eighth and ninth [innings] and one of our high-leverage weapons on the mound in the 10th,” Kapler said. “That’s what you ask for.”