Dominic Fletcher is the talk of the series between the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks’ rookie right fielder, who was promoted from Triple-A Reno on April 30, is 8-for-12 with two home runs, a triple, a double and 11 RBIs in the first three games of the set in Phoenix.
Arizona — which lost Thursday but won on Friday and Saturday — will go for the series win on Sunday.
“Just having confidence in your abilities, trusting the work that you put in and going out there and doing what you know you can do,” Fletcher said about his impressive debut in the big leagues.
He hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning Saturday in a 7-2 Arizona victory. Fletcher also had a bases-clearing triple in the sixth inning against reliever Scott Alexander after the Diamondbacks chased starter Anthony DeSclafani earlier in the inning.
DeSclafani allowed only two hits in the first five innings before Jose Herrera singled to start the sixth, Josh Rojas followed with a double, and Ketel Marte reached on an infield single to load the bases.
Alexander then relieved DeSclafani.
San Francisco manager Gabe Kaplan said DeSclafani left with discomfort from a toe injury sustained when the right-hander dropped a piano bench on it “several weeks ago.”
“His toenail took the brunt of it, so that was bothering him,” Kaplan said. “He continued pitching and felt good enough to keep rolling. We had an eye on him. As that toenail was coming off, it was causing him quite a bit of pain, so we monitored him and monitored him and decided it was good to pull the plug on him.”
Kaplan said the injury should not prevent DeSclafani (3-3, 3.06 ERA) from his next scheduled start.
San Francisco will try to even the series Sunday with an experienced starter who has had success against the Diamondbacks. Giants right-hander Logan Webb (3-5, 3.46 ERA this season) is 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA in six career starts against them. He has 34 strikeouts, with nine walks, in 34 innings.
Webb will oppose Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (0-1, 12.10) on Sunday. Pfaadt, a fifth-round draft choice in 2020, has allowed six home runs in the first two starts of his career.
He gave up four home runs against the Texas Rangers on the road in his major-league debut May 3, but the Diamondbacks rallied to win 12-7.
Jorge Soler of the Miami Marlins hit two home runs against him in Arizona’s 6-2 loss Tuesday in Phoenix.
Pfaadt, whose fastball has been clocked as fast as 95 mph, has allowed 13 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings. He has as many home runs allowed (six) as he does strikeouts.
“There are some growing pains with Brandon,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “But he’s got the stuff. He’s got the ability to go out there and blend (his repertoire) and pitch and help us win baseball games.”
— Field Level Media
