Snell can’t find the strike zone, but Giants hold on to beat Mariners

The Giants did a lot of things that normally spell defeat, but won anyway Saturday in Seattle.

Blake Snell couldn’t find home plate in his hometown. The Giants were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.

But in the end, the Giants bounced back from a difficult defeat with a 4-3 road win over the Seattle Mariners.

Spencer Bivens (3-1) got the win with three innings of scoreless relief (and no walks) behind Snell, and recalled closer Camilo Doval set up the ninth for Ryan Walker with 1 1/3 shutout innings with a walk and two strikeouts.

Walker, who threw 25 pitches and two scoreless innings Friday night, got his third save by giving up just a single in the ninth.

Considering the Giants blew a 5-1 lead Friday night and then watched starting pitcher Snell last only three innings with six walks, coming away with a win at least enabled them to get back over .500 with a 66-65 record.

The Mariners, in their second game under Dan Wilson, who took over for the fired Scott Servais, lost for the eight time in the last nine games and are 65-65.

Mike Yastrzemski hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, his 10th of the season, against reliever Austin Voth. A low line drive that barely cleared the fence, it left Yastrzemski’s bat at 105.3 miles per hour.

“It was one of those balls that you hit hard that’s definitely a tough pitch below the zone,” Yastrzemski. “I kind of top-spun it but luckily hit it hard enough to get it out. Nice to get that one and kind of feel the barrel again.”

Yaz rips one to right pic.twitter.com/GtrjDIQc4G

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 24, 2024

Snell grew up 14 miles from Seattle but hadn’t pitched there in six years. He gave up no runs in six innings with 12 strikeouts that day in a no decision.

He got another no decision Saturday and was as hard to hit as ever, giving up no hits in three innings. But Snell’s control deserted him, as he walked six batters including Luke Raley and Julio Rodriguez with the bases loaded to account for both Seattle runs in the second inning. He had 40 pitches and five walks in the second inning.

“He’s had a lot of inniings recently and it kind of added up for him,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “Obviously he didn’t have his command in the second, so we juts kind of called it a day a little bit early to give him a break. He’s been pitching deep into games, throwing a ton of pitches.”

By that point, Snell had already thrown 62 pitches — 33 of them strikes. Even with a quick 12-pitch third inning, Snell was gone in the fourth inning in favor of Bivens.

“Got a find a way to get deeper into the games,” Snell said. “I had a 40-pitch inning, but that’s why the game is beautiful. There’s always something to work on, something to learn. Something I could have told myself to make that inning quicker.”

Melvin went to the ballpark assuming Walker wouldn’t pitch, but changed his mind after talking to his closer.

“Going out to play catch today I honestly felt great,” Walker said. “Not a lot of soreness if none, so I was ready to go. I’m glad I did and was able to bounce back like that for the team.”

Seattle starter George Kirby (9-10) didn’t make it through the fifth, when the Giants took a 3-2 lead on an RBI single to left by Thairo Estrada. It brought home Yastrzemski, who hit a two-out double and went to third on a wild pitch.

The Giants scored in the first against Kirby on a sacrifice fly by Matt Chapman, but had an opportunity for more.

Tyler Fitzgerald opened with a bunt single, and after Heliot Ramos was hit by a pitch, Michael Conforto worked Kirby for an 11 pitch walk to load the bases. Chapman hit a looping liner to left that Randy Arozarena caught with a sprawling dive — knocking the wind out of himself — and bringing home Fitzgerald.

Yastrzemski was retired on a soft liner up the middle to end the inning and the Giants settled for the single run.

A run-scoring single by Fitzgerald put the Giants up 2-0 in the second, an inning in which they left runners on second and third.

NOTABLE

Jordan Hicks, who experienced arm discomfort while warming up Friday night, felt fine after playing catch before the game and opened the seventh inning. Leading 4-2, Hicks appeared to get out of the inning unscathed despite two walks after Arozarena hit a 3-0 pitch with the bases loaded into a double play to short. The call was reversed on appeal, however, with the run scoring from third to make it 4-3. Hicks’ velocity was down from his season average during the appearance.

A Giants challenge that Justin Turner had interfered with the exchange at second was rejected.

Doval, recalled from Sacramento, was summoned from the bullpen and walked Jorge Polanco before retiring Mitch Haniger on a grounder to short to end the inning.