Casali’s HR gives Giants 5-4 win, Phillies lose 11th of 15

By KEVIN COONEY
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Curt Casali hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning, and the San Francisco Giants beat Philadelphia 5-4 on Monday in a long-ball contest that extended the Phillies losing streak to four and added pressure to manager Joe Girardi.

“Sometimes, what you are going through seems like the worst thing you’ve ever gone through,” Girardi said. “But you can probably look back and point to another spot. They just have to continue to work and grind this out. It’s going to turn — it’s going to. I believe in them.”

Philadelphia has lost 11 of 15 games and at 21-28 is seven games under .500 for the first time since the final day of 2017. Girardi was hired ahead of 2020 and was expected to break the Philadelphia playoff drought that stretches back to 2011.

“Everyone in that room and in this room has gone through tough times in your life and you get to the other side,” Girardi said. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in this room.”

After Giants manager Gabe Kapler said he was going to suspend his protest and stand for the national anthem on Memorial Day, Kapler team gave him a win that even San Francisco at 2-2 on a 10-game trip.

“Eventually, we feel like we’re going to get that one good pitch to hit and have that crooked inning,” Kapler said.

Wilmer Flores and Evan Longoria also homered for the Giants. Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and Rhys Hoskins went deep for the Phillies, who lost in extra innings for the second straight day.

Eight of the nine runs scored on homers.

With the score 3-3, Casali drove a fastball from Andrew Bellatti (1-1) deep in the left-field seats for his fourth homer this season. Alec Bohm hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom half.

“I was just thinking about driving the ball and doing something better than I did in my first three at-bats,” Casali said. “I was just happy to get the job done and to go home.”

Dominic Leone (3-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Giants.

Philadelphia closer Corey Knebel allowed a ninth-inning homer for the second straight day, a two-out drive by Longoria that gave the Giants a 3-2 lead. Longoria has five home runs in his last five games.

On Sunday, Knebel gave up a tying home run to rookie Nick Plummer in the ninth and a walkoff double to Eduardo Escobar in the New York Mets’ 5-4, 10-inning win.

Giants starter Logan Webb allowed a career-high three home runs — he had given up more than one just once in a game.

Webb took a three-hitter into the ninth with 10 strikeouts and no walk. Originally told that his day was over after the eighth, Webb persuaded Kapler to let him stay in the game.

Seeking his first big league complete game, Webb gave up a leadoff homer to Schwarber on his second pitch of the ninth, his 100th and final pitch of the game.

“I wanted it and I was pretty comfortable out there,” Webb said. “I felt like it was my game.”

Castellanos homered in the second and Hoskins in the fourth for a 2-0 lead. Flores hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Kyle Gibson, who gave up two runs and six hits in six innings.

KAPLER WATCH

Kapler stood just outside the third base dugout at Citizens Bank Park during the national anthem.

“While I believe strongly in the right to protest and the importance of doing so, I also believe strongly in honoring and mourning our country’s service men and women who fought and died for that right,” he wrote in his blog before the game.

TRAINERS ROOM

Giants: 1B Brandon Belt remains in San Francisco while recovering from right knee inflammation. Belt has been hitting in the batting cage at Oracle Park, but there is not a firm timeline on his return. … OF Steven Duggar (left oblique strain) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday at Triple-A Sacrament.

Phillies: Mickey Moniak was activated on Monday, started in center and was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts for the Phillies. The top overall pick in the 2016 amateur draft broke his right hand during the final spring training game on April 6.

UP NEXT

LHP Ranger Suárez (4-3, 4.74 ERA) is to start Tuesday for the Phillies and RHP Jakob Junis (2-1, 2.76) for the Giants.

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