Giants Explode in 7th, Hold Off Brewers’ Late Rally for 12-9 Win

Sometimes a baseball game isn’t decided by the team that plays the best, but by the team that plays the least terrible when it matters most. Thursday night at American Family Field, the San Francisco Giants proved they’re still capable of that kind of opportunistic baseball, thumping the Milwaukee Brewers 12-9 in a game that had more offensive fireworks than strategic depth.

The Giants came out swinging from the opening pitch. Casey Schmitt‘s leadoff homer in the first inning set the tone, and the San Francisco offense didn’t let up early. By the end of the third inning, the Giants had built a 6-1 lead, with Jung Hoo Lee‘s four-hit performance and solid contributions from Matt Chapman providing the offensive backbone. This looked like it was going to be a wire-to-wire Giants domination.

Then came the seventh inning, where Eric Haase absolutely took over the game with a grand slam that essentially put it out of reach. That blast, coupled with Luis Arraez’s sacrifice fly and Willy Adames’ RBI single, gave the Giants a commanding 12-4 advantage heading into the late innings. It was the kind of inning that should have ended any lingering drama.

Chourio’s Heroics Weren’t Enough

But Jackson Chourio and the Brewers weren’t ready to go quietly. The young outfielder launched two home runs on the night, including a two-run shot in the fifth and another two-run homer in the seventh that cut into the Giants’ lead. Chourio finished 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs, proving he’s become a legitimate threat in this Milwaukee lineup. David Hamilton added a solo shot in the eighth to keep the Brewers’ pulse alive.

The Brewers made it genuinely interesting in the ninth inning, scoring twice with some heads-up baserunning and clutch hitting. Blake Perkins’ walk and Sal Frelick’s RBI forceout got the tying run to second base with just one out, briefly making fans wonder if the Giants’ offense was about to blow another lead. But Caleb Kilian struck out the final batter to secure the save, and San Francisco escaped with a victory that felt closer than it should have.

Pitching Mattered Less Than Bats

The pitching situation was frankly a mess for both teams. Coleman Crow was tagged for six earned runs in just 2.1 innings for Milwaukee, getting nothing close to the kind of control you need in a pennant race. Sam Hentges picked up the win despite throwing only two-thirds of an inning, which tells you everything you need to know about how badly things fell apart early. The Giants’ offense bailed out their shaky pitching staff.

This game was ugly, chaotic, and ultimately decided by which team put more runs on the board when the other team was giving them away. The Giants’ lineup showed why you can’t count them out, and Jung Hoo Lee’s four-hit game proved San Francisco can still put together offensive explosions when they click. But the Brewers had no business losing this game given Chourio’s heroics and the chances they had to tie it late.

In June, a win is a win, and the Giants will take it. But if they’re going to contend down the stretch, they need their pitching to tighten up considerably. Allowing nine runs, even in a victory, won’t cut it when October rolls around.