Patrick Bailey, bullpen helps top Diamondbacks, 3-2

The young catcher drove in all three of the Giants’ runs in a game where the bullpen threw eight scoreless innings.

The future of the Giants looks far brighter after this series. Their catcher, shortstop, and third baseman of the future all made contributions to a 3-2, walkoff win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Sophomore catcher Patrick Bailey knocked in all three Giants runs Thursday, including a ground-rule double in the bottom of the ninth that scored shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald to win the game.

Matt Chapman scored a run and saved a run with his glove, while Landen Roupp and four other pitchers delivered eight innings of scoreless relief, allowing only five baserunners and striking out 12.

There was a different feeling before Thursday’s series finale between the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks. The sun was shining, Blake Snell was on the mound, and Chapman was back in the lineup, proving that at least one quality free agent was willing to commit to the Giants long-term.

The game did not start with a lot of promise. Snell gave up two runs in the first inning while giving up only one hit that went out of the infield. With two runners on, Tyler Fitzgerald threw the ball into right field looking for a force at second, scoring Geraldo Perdomo. After Snell got two outs, he walked the bases loaded, then struck out Joe McCarthy to seemingly end the inning. But Patrick Bailey couldn’t hold on to strike three, McCarthy reached first, and Arizona took a 2-0 lead.

That was it for Snell’s day. One inning, one hit, two walks, two Giants miscues, two runs, and Bob Melvin pulled his starter, probably so Snell’s arm is as strong as possible when he works out for the Dodgers in November. It could have been worse without some defensive magic from Chapman and LaMonte Wade, Jr., who retired Christian Walker after a replay review of validated his groundout.

But the wheels didn’t come off. Landon Roupp took over in the second and struck out five in four scoreless innings of relief. The Giants were getting steady baserunners off Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly, and even did well running the bases, almost unheard of for this team in 2024. Tyler Fitzgerald legged out a double in the second inning, though he was left on second. Grant McCray reached on an error, stole second, and went to third on a groundout in the third, though he was left on third.

In the fourth, Michael Conforto led off with a single and the $150 million man followed with a double. But Kelly struck out Wade and Fitzgerald, and it looked like the Giants would again fail to get runners in scoring position home. Arizona was so confident that the Giants wouldn’t get it done that they didn’t bother to play the infield in with McCray or Conforto on third with less than two outs.

Then at last, a clutch hit, courtesy of a dying quail off the bat of Patrick Bailey. Amazing things can happen when you make contact!

Kelly struck out eight Giants in his seven innings, retiring the last six batters he faced and 10 of his last 11 batters. But after 94 pitches, the Diamondbacks went to the bullpen, likely a huge relief to the Giants. From the eighth inning on, the Giants had two doubles, four baserunners and one big run against Arizona’s relievers.

The Giants’ own bullpen came through in some big spots. In the fifth, Roupp got out of a two-on, one-out jam by striking out Christian Walker and getting Forever Giant Joc Pederson to ground out. In the eighth, Walker doubled off Camilo Doval and went to third on a sacrifice bunt, but Doval and winning pitcher Ryan Walker (9-3) got back-to-back strikeouts.

Then, in the ninth, Fitzgerald led off with a single. Then, with the broadcasters speculating about the possibility of a bunt, Fitzgerald stole his team-leading 17th base (in just 78 games). Three pitches later, he was jogging home.

The game provided a ray of light in a gloomy season, but it did remind fans that the Giants may be set for quite some time at catcher and on one side of the infield, with Bailey, Chapman, and Fitzgerald (though his defense remains a little shaky). Considering the potential options in the outfield, maybe all this team needs is one big slugger. How hard can it be to sign one of those?