Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Zack Greinke was better. But in the unlikely pitchers’ duel, Drew Pomeranz may have been more dominant.
Yes, Greinke was sterling, limiting the Giants to five hits and no runs in seven innings, but Pomeranz – on the back of a low-90s fastball and low-80s knuckle-curve – was more confounding.
The more-efficient Greinke outlasted him, and the Diamondbacks squeaked across a seventh-inning run before the floodgates opened in the eighth that would decide the 4-3 Giants loss in front of 31,600 at Oracle Park on Saturday. But the Giants may have happened upon a major league piece they can turn into a future major league piece.
In many past starts, it’s gone wrong right from the start for Pomeranz, who entered with a 10.93 ERA in his first innings (17 earned in 14 innings). And it seemed as if the nightmares would continue on a night that started with an Adam Jones walk on five pitches and a Ketel Marte double.
But Pomeranz caught himself before he face-planted. Eduardo Escobar, David Peralta and Christian Walker were struck out, the start of a strong, if patently brief, performance from the 30-year-old.
Whenever Pomeranz came across trouble, he was able to swing his arm and make it disappear. Arizona was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position against him, stranding five in the five innings Pomeranz pitched.
Pomeranz, a trade candidate who’s making $1.5 million this year, struck out seven while allowing five hits and two walks. He was not pinpoint, walking two and 66 of his 103 pitches going for strikes, and he again could not last; he hasn’t pitched six innings since April.
But the Giants (35-47) will take flash points of dominance from Pomeranz, whom they took a flier on this offseason. He has struck out 18 in his past 10 innings and has had solid efforts in four of five outings — the LA disaster his only slip in an uptick that could end with a deadline deal.
Saturday, it wasn’t Pomeranz who dropped the ball. Or even Sam Dyson, the losing pitcher. It was Kevin Pillar.
The fateful inning came in the seventh, which began with Tim Locastro bouncing a sinker up the third-base line, which Dyson fielded but couldn’t complete the play. Greinke sacrificed him to second before Jones popped up in what seemed to be shallow right-center but became no-man’s land, center fielder Kevin Pillar eventually taking charge and eventually dropping the ball. Locastro ended up on third and Jones at second with one out.
Dyson nearly escaped, proceeding to get Ketel Marte on a comebacker, Dyson tagging out Locastro in a rundown. Escobar, though, stuck out his bat and struck one into left-center with two outs, bringing home Jones and breaking the scoreless tie in the seventh.
The Diamondbacks cracked open the game an inning later, adding three runs off Mark Melancon, with an assist by Brandon Crawford, who threw waywardly to third.
The Giants’ bat slept until the ninth, when Pablo Sandoval blooped in a single, Alex Dickerson got on with a swinging bunt and Stephen Vogt slammed a shot to right to pull the Giants within one.
But Brandon Crawford struck out, Pillar flew out and Joe Panik struck out, and the threat was gone.