San Francisco surges with 10 wins in last 11 games to stay in Wild Card hunt
Chapman’s power, Devers’ consistency, and rookies’ rise fuel late-season charge
The San Francisco Giants kept their late-season surge alive, sweeping the Colorado Rockies in Denver to improve to 71–69. Winners of 10 of their last 11, the Giants’ offense has exploded for 86 runs during that span, pulling them within four games of the final NL Wild Card spot.
The San Francisco Giants started their road trip with a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, improving to 71–69 and climbing to just four games behind the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot. The sweep marked their 10th win in the last 11 games, powered by an offense that has erupted for 86 runs across that span.
San Francisco opened the series with an 8–2 victory behind rookie Drew Gilbert’s breakout performance. Gilbert went 4-for-4 with three singles and a home run — the best game of his young career. Rafael Devers homered for the second straight game, while Dominic Smith added a two-run single. Willy Adames extended his RBI streak to six games with a bases-loaded walk before hammering a two-run shot late.
On the mound, Kai-Wei Teng delivered his strongest outing of the year, striking out eight across 5.1 innings while holding the Rockies to two runs. The bullpen — Joel Peguero and Keaton Winn — shut the door by combining for 3.2 scoreless innings. Afterward, manager Bob Melvin praised Devers’ consistency, saying: “He’s a run producer, and we’re seeing why we made the trade. He’s a big part of why our offense is clicking right now.”
Tuesday’s 7–4 win was defined as much by chaos as by clutch hitting. Devers’ 30th homer of the season — a towering 397-foot shot to right — ignited benches to clear when Rockies starter Kyle Freeland accused him of showboating. Freeland yelled and motioned at Devers to run the bases quicker, and as Devers neared first, the two exchanged words. Benches emptied, shoves were thrown, and both Willy Adames and Matt Chapman were ejected alongside Freeland. MLB later noted that Chapman escalated the scuffle by shoving Freeland, while Adames had to be restrained by coaches after breaking free to shout toward the Rockies dugout.
With two regulars gone, the Giants scrambled defensively: Christian Koss slid over to short, Devers strapped on Chapman’s glove to play third for the first time this year, and Smith moved to first. Melvin admitted the adjustment was unusual but praised Devers’ adaptability: “He didn’t even have his own glove — he borrowed Chapman’s — and still played well over there.”
On the field, Casey Schmitt steadied the lineup with a solo shot in the fifth, Wilmer Flores crushed a two-run blast moments later, and Bailey provided the dagger with a two-run homer in the eighth. Logan Webb worked five innings for his 13th win, and Ryan Walker picked up his 13th save. After the game, Devers insisted he had done nothing wrong: “I didn’t do anything different from when I hit a home run. I don’t know why it bothered him.”
The win also marked the Rockies’ 100th loss, their third consecutive 100-loss season, while the Giants moved above .500 for the first time since mid-August. Devers and Adames were fined after Tuesday’s scuffle.
The finale turned into another slugfest, and the Giants had the last word in a 10–8 win. Chapman, appealing his 1-game suspension, made the Rockies pay with two home runs — a 450-foot no-doubter in the second and a back-breaking three-run blast in the sixth. His five RBIs powered San Francisco to a 9–5 lead after Robbie Ray faltered, allowing five runs in 4.2 innings.
The Giants piled on early, with Matos, Bailey, Ramos, and Devers stringing together hits in the third inning to build a 4–0 cushion. After Colorado stormed back in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead, San Francisco answered in the sixth with a rally capped by Chapman’s 3-run homer. Drew Gilbert added insurance with a 407-foot shot in the seventh, his second homer of the series.
But the Rockies refused to go quietly, rallying for three runs in the ninth to cut it to 10–8. Ryan Walker entered to secure the final two outs, striking out the last batter to notch his 14th save.
The win gave the Giants their 17th straight game with a home run, the second-longest streak in franchise history. Chapman, whose season has caught fire in September, summed up the mood in the clubhouse: “It’s better late than never, I guess. It’s been a lot of fun. We obviously hit a rough patch. But I feel like we’re really coming into our own right now and playing good baseball. We’re really just trying to keep it rolling.”
San Francisco departs Denver surging back into the playoff picture, armed with momentum, a potent lineup, and renewed postseason hopes. With Devers producing, Chapman finding his power stroke, and young guys like Gilbert and Matos emerging, the Giants have quickly transformed into one of the National League’s most dangerous teams heading into September.
The San Francisco Giants started their road trip with a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, improving to 71–69 and climbing to just four games behind the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot. The sweep marked their 10th win in the last 11 games, powered by an offense that has erupted for 86 runs across that span.
San Francisco opened the series with an 8–2 victory behind rookie Drew Gilbert’s breakout performance. Gilbert went 4-for-4 with three singles and a home run — the best game of his young career. Rafael Devers homered for the second straight game, while Dominic Smith added a two-run single. Willy Adames extended his RBI streak to six games with a bases-loaded walk before hammering a two-run shot late.
On the mound, Kai-Wei Teng delivered his strongest outing of the year, striking out eight across 5.1 innings while holding the Rockies to two runs. The bullpen — Joel Peguero and Keaton Winn — shut the door by combining for 3.2 scoreless innings. Afterward, manager Bob Melvin praised Devers’ consistency, saying: “He’s a run producer, and we’re seeing why we made the trade. He’s a big part of why our offense is clicking right now.”
Tuesday’s 7–4 win was defined as much by chaos as by clutch hitting. Devers’ 30th homer of the season — a towering 397-foot shot to right — ignited benches to clear when Rockies starter Kyle Freeland accused him of showboating. Freeland yelled and motioned at Devers to run the bases quicker, and as Devers neared first, the two exchanged words. Benches emptied, shoves were thrown, and both Willy Adames and Matt Chapman were ejected alongside Freeland. MLB later noted that Chapman escalated the scuffle by shoving Freeland, while Adames had to be restrained by coaches after breaking free to shout toward the Rockies dugout.
With two regulars gone, the Giants scrambled defensively: Christian Koss slid over to short, Devers strapped on Chapman’s glove to play third for the first time this year, and Smith moved to first. Melvin admitted the adjustment was unusual but praised Devers’ adaptability: “He didn’t even have his own glove — he borrowed Chapman’s — and still played well over there.”
On the field, Casey Schmitt steadied the lineup with a solo shot in the fifth, Wilmer Flores crushed a two-run blast moments later, and Bailey provided the dagger with a two-run homer in the eighth. Logan Webb worked five innings for his 13th win, and Ryan Walker picked up his 13th save. After the game, Devers insisted he had done nothing wrong: “I didn’t do anything different from when I hit a home run. I don’t know why it bothered him.”
The win also marked the Rockies’ 100th loss, their third consecutive 100-loss season, while the Giants moved above .500 for the first time since mid-August. Devers and Adames were fined after Tuesday’s scuffle.
The finale turned into another slugfest, and the Giants had the last word in a 10–8 win. Chapman, appealing his 1-game suspension, made the Rockies pay with two home runs — a 450-foot no-doubter in the second and a back-breaking three-run blast in the sixth. His five RBIs powered San Francisco to a 9–5 lead after Robbie Ray faltered, allowing five runs in 4.2 innings.
The Giants piled on early, with Matos, Bailey, Ramos, and Devers stringing together hits in the third inning to build a 4–0 cushion. After Colorado stormed back in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead, San Francisco answered in the sixth with a rally capped by Chapman’s 3-run homer. Drew Gilbert added insurance with a 407-foot shot in the seventh, his second homer of the series.
But the Rockies refused to go quietly, rallying for three runs in the ninth to cut it to 10–8. Ryan Walker entered to secure the final two outs, striking out the last batter to notch his 14th save.
The win gave the Giants their 17th straight game with a home run, the second-longest streak in franchise history. Chapman, whose season has caught fire in September, summed up the mood in the clubhouse: “It’s better late than never, I guess. It’s been a lot of fun. We obviously hit a rough patch. But I feel like we’re really coming into our own right now and playing good baseball. We’re really just trying to keep it rolling.”
San Francisco departs Denver surging back into the playoff picture, armed with momentum, a potent lineup, and renewed postseason hopes. With Devers producing, Chapman finding his power stroke, and young guys like Gilbert and Matos emerging, the Giants have quickly transformed into one of the National League’s most dangerous teams heading into September.
