The most unfathomable team in MLB flew home late Sunday, fresh off a 5-5 road trip featuring 6, 3, 19, 2, 3, 1, 12, 18, 2, and 2 runs scored. That ‘1’ was a victory, by the way, thanks to Bericoto’s homer and Webb’s gem, and the third 2 was a ghost runner W, but the 6 was a loss. They will be playing their 4th consecutive series without a day off, and had a very late flight out of the Windy City thanks to the NBC/Peacock broadcast. They are facing the Nationals for the second time, having gone 2-1 in the nation’s capital in mid-April. Series deets:
✽ Monday, 6:45, RHP Miles Mikolas (1-5, 6.59) vs. Logan Webb (3-4, 4.25)
✽ Tuesday, 6:45, LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 3.54) vs. Adrian Houser (2-5, 5.49)
✽ Wednesday, 12:45, LHP Foster Griffin (7-2, 3.63) vs. Robbie Ray (4-6, 4.12)
The Nationals played in Phoenix on Sunday, also on Peacock, but in the afternoon with a shorter flight time. Thank you very much, Mr. Manfred, for your consideration, and also for the weeklong blackout of yours truly.
The Nationals are 33-33, good for third place in the eastern division. Here is their current team,
🌸 1B Luis Garcia (37), 2B Nasim Nuñez (18), SS CJ Abrams (49, 14 HR), 3B Curtis Mead (28)
🌸 RF Dylan Crews (6), CF Jacob Young (27), LF Daylen Lile (30)
🌸 C Keibert Ruiz (27), DH James Wood (40, 17 HR)
🌸 bench: C Drew Millas, corner IF Andres Chaparro, IF Jose Tena, IF Jorbit Vivas
🌸 rotation: Cade Cavalli (3-4, 3.88), Mikolas, Alvarez, Griffin, Zack Littell (6-4, 4.76)
🌸 closer Clayton Beeter, set ups Brad Lord and Orlando Ribalta
Well, no wonder they are 12 games back of the Braves, having only one former Giant on the active roster, to Atlanta’s four.
Matt Chapman gets Player of the Post for driving in 8 runs during that 18 run, 7 homer outburst in Wrigley Field. This was a grand slam in the 4th, that moved the Giants into a commanding lead, a sacrifice fly in the 5th, and finally a Weaver in the 6th. Those were only his 3rd and 4th homers of the year, but driving in 8 in a single game is pretty good stuff. And Chapman has showed other signs of life on the road trip.
The 8 RBI feat hasn’t been done by a Giants since….May 17, 2025, when Wilmer Flores hit three homers including a GS in the first game of a double header (and then drew a bases loaded walk off Mason Miller in B10 for the only run of the nightcap). Flores was of course PotP! It seems like a good strategy to let the guys on the team know that driving in 8 runs is an absolute lock for Picture of the Post! But Matt Chapman iced the photographic recognition, by singling home Jonah Cox for a series win in the final game in Chicago.
