Three teams completed sweeps of weekend series and each was notable in its own right. Here’s a quick review of what came from the Giants getting past the Diamondbacks, the Rockies topping the Mets, and the Angels defeating the Mariners.
Giants get revenge
The San Francisco Giants got revenge on the Arizona Diamondbacks by sweeping them in a four-game series in Arizona, making up for a four-game sweep by the Diamondbacks in AT&T Park.
Giants pitchers combined to hold the Diamondbacks to seven runs in four games, though that required some nifty escapes. Diamondbacks hitters were 4-for-31 with runners in scoring position for the series, 1-for-9 from the seventh inning on. The final two outs of the series came on a video-reviewed double play in which the call going the Giants’ way prevented the tying run from scoring.
The Giants’ top hitter was Denard Span, who was 8-for-17 with four runs scored, including 4-for-4 on Saturday.
One quirky stat to come from this sweep, via Elias Sports Bureau research:
The Giants became the first team to record a four-game road sweep in their next series meeting against a team that swept them four straight at home in 41 years.
The last team to do the same thing that the Giants did (sweep four straight on the road against a team that swept them four straight in their home park) was the 1975 Giants, who were swept four straight at home by the Expos, then swept four straight in Montreal in their next series meeting.
Standings impact: The Giants moved ahead of the Dodgers by a game in the NL West. The Diamondbacks dropped below the Padres, into last place, five games back.
Wolters helps Rockies down Mets
The New York Mets had won 11 straight against the Colorado Rockies entering this matchup, but the Rockies took three straight, outscoring the Mets 16-9 in winning games started by two of the Mets top pitchers from 2015 -- Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom.
A difference maker for the Rockies was light-hitting rookie catcher Tony Wolters, who went 3-for-8 with three RBIs in the first two games of the series, including a two-run double after a missed call on strike three.
Wolters has shown himself to be quite adept at framing pitches as well. In Friday’s win, he got three called strikes on pitches that had a strike probability (based on pitch location and count) of zero to 25 percent. The average catcher records just over one per game.
Standings impact:The Mets were fortunate in that the Nationals lost their past two to the Marlins, but they dropped into third place in the NL East behind the Phillies. The Rockies hung with the Giants and currently sit only 1½ games back in the NL West.
Angels steal two, then beat the King
The Seattle Mariners' bullpen had been so good this season, entering the weekend series at home with the Los Angeles Angels with a 2.34 ERA, which ranked second behind the Orioles (2.24). But in the first two games of the series, everything that could go wrong did, as Mariners relievers allowed nine runs in 5⅓ innings pitched.
The Angels won Friday and Saturday on a bloop and a blast, with C.J. Cron dumping in a two-run single the first night and Albert Pujols cranking a game-winning homer in the ninth the second night.
They beat Felix Hernandez, 3-0, in the finale. Hernandez entered that start with a 1.93 ERA in his past 17 starts against the Angels, but allowed three runs.
Johnny Giavotella was an unexpected offensive source, going 6-for-13 with four runs scored. This series marked the second time in his career that he had multiple hits in three straight games (he also did it last season).
Standings impact:The Mariners fell out of first place in the AL West, dropping a half game behind the Texas Rangers. The Angels still have plenty of ground to make up. They’re five games back of the Mariners, 5½ behind the Rangers.