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Ross Stripling's homer woes return in SF Giants 7-3 loss to Brewers

The SF Giants left 10 runners on base, and starter Ross Stripling struggled to keep the ball in the yard in a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Marc Delucchi

Ross Stripling's homer woes return in SF Giants 7-3 loss to Brewers
Ross Stripling's homer woes return in SF Giants 7-3 loss to Brewers /
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The SF Giants were unable to extend their winning streak on Sunday afternoon, losing to the Milwaukee Brewers 7-3. The game was closer than the final score indicated, but San Francisco's offense missed several opportunities with players in scoring position, leaving 10 runners on base over the course of the game. After the loss, the Giants are 15-18 on the season.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the SF Giants on May 7, 2023.
Brewers catcher William Contreras rounds the bases after homering against the SF Giants on May 7, 2023 / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Brewers got on the scoreboard first in the second inning when catcher William Contreras sent a changeup from Giants starter Ross Stripling into the left-field bleachers for a two-run homer. Stripling was crushed by home runs early in the season but had gone three outings without surrendering a long ball.

The Giants answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run, two-out rally against Brewers starters Adrian Houser. Catcher Blake Sabol (Giants #33 prospect) got things started with a single through the right side of the infield and advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Center field Austin Slater worked a walk, which allowed Brett Wisely (Giants #22 prospect) and LaMonte Wade Jr. to record back-to-back RBI singles.

Stripling allowed the Brewers to retake the lead in the top of the third. Christian Yelich and Jesse Winker led off the inning with singles, and Yelich scored on a sacrifice fly by Willy Adames.

A double play helped Stripling get through the fourth inning in just seven pitches. However, the veteran was unable to keep the Giants deficit at just a run before he was pulled. In the top of the fifth, Stripling walked Jesse Winker before hanging another changeup, this time to Adames. The Brewers shortstop blasted the pitch well into the left-field bleachers and extended Milwaukee's lead to 5-2.

In his first appearance in nine days, Jakob Junis worked around several baserunners in three innings pitched. He struck out two while allowing a pair of hits and three walks. Recently recalled righty Cole Waites (Giants #26 prospect) made his first MLB appearance of the season. Waites struck out one and surrendered two runs (one earned) on three hits in the ninth.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell pulled Houser after 4.2 innings of work. He struck out five while allowing seven hits and a walk. It was Houser's first big-league appearance of the season after a lengthy stint on the injured list with groin tightness.

The Giants were unable to score a run against Milwaukee relievers Hoby Milner, Joel Payamps, and Peter Strzelecki despite a pair of opportunities with runners in scoring position and fewer than two outs.

San Francisco's biggest missed opportunity came in the eighth against Strzelecki. Wilmer Flores led off the inning with a single, and  Sabol lined a double off the right-field wall. Giants manager Gabe Kapler deployed J.D. Davis as a pinch-hitter for Slater, but he and Wisely struck out without getting a run across.

Facing Brewers closer Devin Williams, who had not allowed a run on the season entering play on Sunday, Estrada managed to hit a solo homer to left field, his sixth of the season. He finished the day 3-for-5 at the plate.

Five Giants hitters recorded at least two hits on Sunday afternoon, with Estrada and Sabol each adding three. Yet, despite a plethora of baserunners, they were unable to muster more than three runs.

After taking two out of three from the Brewers, the SF Giants will look to get another winning streak started against the Washington Nationals. The Nats are coming into the series with a 13-21 record. Anthony DeSclafani is set to face Cole Irvin tomorrow night. First pitch at Oracle Park is scheduled for 6:45 PM Pacific.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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