SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Blake Snell struck out a career-high 15 over six innings, Patrick Bailey hit a tiebreaking, two-run double and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 4-1 Saturday in a doubleheader opener.
Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, struck out 15 of 18 batters. His strikeouts were the most for a pitcher this season and the most for any pitcher in an outing of six innings or fewer since at least 1901.
“Cy Young Award winner last year for a reason — doing stuff like this,” said Giants manager Bob Melvin, who also managed Snell last season in San Diego.
Snell induced 30 swings and misses, one shy of Tim Lincecum in the 2010 NL Division Series opener against Atlanta for the Giants’ most since pitch tracking started in 2008.
“Putting together some good starts,” Snell said. “I’m starting to have more confidence, understanding how to make adjustments quicker now.”
Snell noticed how many strikeouts he had and was attempting to top his prior career best of 13, accomplished four times.
“I wasn’t trying early on,” Snell said. “Last couple innings, I was really trying. I knew where I was at: I need to get 13. I want 13. After the sixth, I was well aware of what I was trying to do.”
Snell walked two while pitching shutout ball and lowered his ERA from 5.83 to 5.10. A 31-year-old left-hander, he signed a $62 million, two-year contract as a free agent but is 0-3 in 10 starts. spending time on the injured list with a strained adductor muscle in his left thigh and a strained left groin.
“He’s always been kind of a second-half guy,” Melvin said. “Last year, when he went on a run like this, not only was it similar to this type of stuff every night that he was either giving up no runs or one run, he was able to pitch out of jams. He was able to get a strikeout with a man on third. It’s kind of his forte.”
Snell said he’s not worried about being dealt ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline as long as the Giants, who entered Saturday 50-55 , string together some wins. Snell can opt out of his contract after the World Series and become a free agent, giving up a $30 million salary for 2025.
“We just got to win,” Snell said. “If we win, I ain’t going nowhere. At least I believe that.”
Bailey broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning with a two-out, opposite-field double to the left-center field gap off Justin Lawrence (3-4).
Matt Chapman homered in the second for the Giants, and Michael Toglia hit a tying homer in the seventh against Ryan Walker (7-3). Peter Lambert threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the eighth.
Rockies starter Ryan Feltner allowed one run and four hits in six innings and is 0-9 in 18 starts since winning at Toronto on April 12.
Camilo Doval got his 19th save in 23 chances. With two on and one out, Michael Toglia hit a grounder to Chapman, who stepped on third for a forceout and threw to first. First base umpire Brock Ballou signaled safe, but the call was overturned in a video review, ending the game.
Right-hander Hayden Birdsong (2-0) was to start the second game for the Giants and Tanner Gordon (0-2) for the Rockies.
Colorado traded hard-throwing reliever Nick Mears to Milwaukee for minor league pitchers Bradley Blalock and Yujanyer Herrera. Pitcher Ty Blach was also designated for assignment.
Giants right-hander Mike Baumann was designated for assignment, and right-hander Spencer Bivens was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.
UP NEXT
RHP Jordan Hicks (4-7, 4.01) starts Sunday for the Giants and LHP Austin Gomber (2-6, 4.70) for the Rockies.
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