The San Francisco Giants enjoyed their own fireworks show on the Fourth of July.
Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman supplied the boom, and they even provided a little sparkle behind Logan Webb, on their way to a rollicking 4-2 Independence Day celebration on a steamy evening in Atlanta.
With seven innings of two-run ball from Webb and a pair of fourth-inning home runs from Ramos and Chapman, the Giants secured their third series win in a row, taking two of three from the National League wild card-leading Braves.
Held hitless their first time through the order for the second straight night, this time by 17-year veteran Charlie Morton, LaMonte Wade Jr. ignited the Giants’ offense with a single to lead off the third inning and was quickly brought home by Ramos, who jumped on the second pitch of his at-bat and launched it 424 feet to center field.
The two-run shot tied the game at 2 after the Braves took an early lead against Webb and also gave Ramos the team lead with his 12th blast since being called up in the second week of May. Two batters later, Chapman knotted up the leaderboard and broke the tie on the scoreboard with a line-drive solo shot, his 12th of the year, to give the Giants their first lead, 3-2.
Chapman doubled home another run in his next at-bat, check-swinging a ball down the right field line to score Patrick Bailey, and that was all the Giants needed behind Webb, who held the Braves scoreless after spotting them two runs in their first time to bat.
After the Giants claimed the lead in the top of the fourth, Atlanta threatened to take it back in the bottom half when Webb walked the leadoff man, Matt Olson, and the next batter, Austin Riley, roped a double into the left-field corner.
Taking off from first base, Olson received the green light from third base coach Matt Tuiasosopo and was met at home plate by an immaculately executed relay throw from Michael Conforto to Chapman and ultimately to Bailey, whose tag was so perfectly timed and placed that it met Olson’s arm on its path to the plate.
The throw from Chapman to Bailey was clocked at 94 mph, the third baseman’s hardest of the season, and it was the sixth runner the Giants have thrown out at home plate since June 17, two more than any other team in the majors.
Despite going hitless while being rung up twice by home plate umpire Sean Barber, Bailey once again added value in other areas, putting himself in position to apply the tag while blocking Olson’s arm from touching the plate and in the second inning firing on a dime to shortstop Nick Ahmed, who tagged out speedy Forrest Wall trying to swipe second.
With seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and one walk, Webb reclaimed the major-league lead in innings, raising his total through 19 starts to 119⅓. It was the 11th time he completed seven innings, also most in the majors, while lowering his ERA to 3.09, ninth in the National League.
Manager Bob Melvin told reporters in Atlanta that Webb would make only one more start before the All-Star break, tentatively lined up to come Wednesday, meaning there should be nothing in the way of the 27-year-old right-hander and his first career selection. He started the Giants’ final game before the break last season and was passed over for teammates Alex Cobb and Camilo Doval.
Rosters for this year’s game in Arlington, Texas, are revealed Sunday on ESPN.
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Notable: OF Mike Yastrzemski was removed from the game after being hit by a pitch in the arm in the fourth inning. … RHP Camilo Doval celebrated his 27th birthday and earned his 16th save. … LHP Blake Snell (groin) threw five scoreless, hitless innings Wednesday night in a rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento, striking out nine with one walk. He is expected to rejoin the Giants’ rotation when the team returns home Tuesday.
Up next: Scheduled for a late-night arrival into Cleveland, the Giants can look forward to adding more reinforcements to their rotation when they begin the second leg of their road trip against the American League-best Guardians. LHP Kyle Harrison (ankle) will be activated from the injured list Saturday to get the ball in the second game of the series.
