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Another Gausman gem, Casali, Duggar near-cycles punctuate Giants’ four-game sweep of Diamondbacks

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© D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports


The Arizona Diamondbacks have the worst record in baseball. The Giants have the best record in baseball. A four-game sweep was always in play, and after Tuesday’s mind-blowing, grand-slam led comeback, it almost felt destined to happen. Thursday’s 10-3 win was the logical punctuation to a series between one team breaking out, and another which isn’t even hanging on.

It was a clinical win from the Giants’ perspective and further embarrassment for Arizona.

San Francisco was bolstered by a power show* (there is a caveat we’ll get to) from Curt Casali, who opened the Giants’ scoring tab with his first home run as a member of the team. He entered this game batting .135 and made his first home run difficult on himself, driving a 415-foot shot to left center for a 2-0 second-inning lead.

That was immediately followed by a Steven Duggar triple into the alley and an RBI single from Mauricio Dubon for a 3-0 lead. They tag-teamed again later in the fourth when Dubon doubled home Duggar after a leadoff single to push it to 5-0.

Casali continued the scoring with just his second career triple, courtesy of the Diamondbacks, who completely forgot how to catch a fly ball. He drove a deep fly ball to right center, just before the warning track, which… dropped as center fielder Pavin Smith and right fielder Josh Reddick just stared at each other, as the Giants grew their lead to 6-0.

It seemed they were on cruise control until a tricky seventh inning to a previously near-perfect Kevin Gausman, whose only hit allowed until that point was to Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen. An opening single, then deep double from Eduardo Escobar was followed by a Dubon error at short on a run which would have scored anyway.

Gausman later allowed another single, but finished out the inning and the game with his 90th pitch and a 6-2 lead. It was seven innings pitched, two earned runs on four hits, one walk and six strikeouts for the Giants’ ace.

Casali continued his hot streak in the seventh, racking up his third RBI of the game and second three-hit game of the series with a single to drive in Wilmer Flores. He was promptly driven in by Duggar, who also picked up his third hit of the day, and also missed out on the cycle (walk, single, double, triple).

It just kept rolling into the eighth inning, and the Giants came through with four hits and a pair of runs to get Casali an opportunity for the cycle. He came up just short, with a liner to right field, as San Francisco concluded its hitting onslaught with a 10-2 lead heading into the ninth. A leadoff Eduardo Escobar triple resulted in an inconsequential run.