SF Giants take game two against Tampa Bay 7-0, Wade Meckler gets first hit

The SF Giants' old friend Zack Littell and the Rays came for victory and were not successful, as the Giants' offense surged for the first time in several days.

The SF Giants won the second game in their series against the formidable Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night, 7-0. They sit at 64-56, second in the wild card standings behind the Phillies, who are on a three game losing streak. They enter a particularly challenging rest of August, closing out with the Rays tomorrow before heading for Atlanta and Philadelphia, and then returning home to host Atlanta and Cincinnati.

In what ended up being more of a pitcher's duel than most folks who watch a lot of Giants baseball would expect, Jakob Junis and former Giants' reliever Zack Littell each went deep into the game.

Junis, who would typically be expected to throw only one or two innings in the opener format of bullpen games Gabe Kapler and the Giants have been employing, threw four innings Tuesday. He allowed only two hits and one walk, and struck out seven. 

Littell, who was a reliever during his time with the Giants but had a small amount of starting experience with the Minnesota Twins, has become a full fledged starter for the Rays. On Tuesday, he threw 5.2 innings, allowing two runs off three hits, and striking out five.

Of those strikeouts, two came at the hands of Wade Meckler. Though lack of plate discipline doesn't seem to be the issue. In fact, in the bottom of the fourth inning, Kapler got ejected for arguing with the umpire over what he believed were blown strike calls on Meckler, leading him to be overaggressive at the plate.

Gabe Kapler was ejected after expressing his frustrations with this high strike call on Meckler 😳 pic.twitter.com/xXfiJD7TXN

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 16, 2023

But Meckler didn't let that deter him. In the bottom of the sixth, just after Thairo Estrada hit a solo knock to put the Giants on the board 1-0, Meckler earned his first major league hit with a line drive to center field. 

Meckler collects his first MLB hit 🙌 pic.twitter.com/jifjYrlZbI

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 16, 2023

Littell was pulled from the game after Meckler's hit, and the Rays went to Kevin Kelly to close out the sixth for them. But Wilmer Flores, returning from a day off with an ear infection, refused to be left out of the fun. He hit a two-run jack to nearly the same spot as Estrada, scoring Meckler and putting the Giants up 3-0. Joc Pederson was out on a fly ball hit near the warning track to end the inning.

WILMER JOINS THE PARTY 💪 pic.twitter.com/dN2HhwJrAG

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 16, 2023

But Kelly wouldn't get out of the game without a bit more trouble. In the bottom of the seventh, Michael Conforto singled to lead off the inning, Patrick Bailey drew a walk, and Blake Sabol was safe on a fielding error by first baseman Yandy Díaz. Though Brandon Crawford struck out swinging and Thairo Estrada grounded into a fielder's choice that got Conforto out at home, luck was on the Giants' side. On an attempt to pick off Bailey at third, the throw went wild, allowing Bailey and Heliot Ramos, running for Sabol, to score. The Giants went up 5-0. 

In the eighth, the Rays sent out Erasmo Ramírez, who allowed an infield single to Wade Meckler before getting Flores out, and forcing Pederson to ground into a fielder's choice. But the Giants' offense wasn't willing to go down without even more of a fight. Conforto hit a double into the gap between left and center field, scoring Pederson on a very close throw that was challenged, but stood. The Giants went up 6-0. 

Then Bailey hit a single to left field over Randy Arozarena's head, scoring Conforto, and putting the Giants up 7-0. Hot hitting Ramos singled to put two men on for Crawford, who ultimately flied out to end the inning. Crawford was 0-4 on the night.

Comparatively, the Giants' pitching staff had a very quiet night. After Junis' stellar start, the Giants went to Sean Manaea, who's proven incredibly trustworthy in his last several appearances, and was just as strong Tuesday evening. Manaea threw three innings, striking out five, and only allowing one hit and two walks. He was taken out for Tyler Rogers in the top of the eighth inning, who finished the inning without allowing a hit or a walk. Luke Jackson came in for the final three outs and the normally frightening middle of the Rays' order went down swinging.

The Giants will play their final game of the series tomorrow against the Rays at 12:45 PM.