SAN FRANCISCO -- The first game of June would have fit right in with just about every game in May.
The Giants failed to score more than four runs for a 14th consecutive game, their longest streak since 1976, but the pitching was once again good enough to clinch a victory. Luis Matos hit a three-run blast and Hayden Birdsong and the bullpen did the rest as the Giants won 4-2, escaping Miami with a series win over the last-place Marlins.
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SIGN UP HERE San Francisco went 4-5 on a trip that wasn't all that difficult on paper, beating the Marlins and Washington Nationals but getting swept by the Detroit Tigers. They'll fly home for a homestand that will require a lot more from the struggling lineup. The San Diego Padres are coming to Oracle Park for four, followed by a weekend series with the Atlanta Braves, who just got Ronald Acuña Jr. back.
The Giants scored just 18 runs on the nine-game trip, but they allowed only 18. Things got a bit hairy in the late innings Sunday, but Tyler Rogers got out of one jam and Camilo Doval picked up his second four-out save in three days.
Let Duane Cook
It seemed like there was a bit more juice behind Duane Kuiper's home run call in the fourth, and it would be hard to blame him. The Giants had hit just three homers on the three-city road trip before Matos went deep.
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The homer was Matos' fourth of the year and first since May 5. He had been hitless over 18 at-bats in his previous seven appearances, and Sunday was a good time to break out of the slump for multiple reasons. The Giants expect to get Jerar Encarnacion back when they return home, and they'll have to make a roster move. They could move on from struggling first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr., but given how right-handed their bench is, it would make more sense to option a young player who isn't getting much time.
The homer was just Matos' fourth hit this season against left-handed pitching, but three of them have been homers.
Saved By The Submarine
For the second time in three days, Bob Melvin had to turn to Rogers to get another pitcher out of a jam rather than take on a clean eighth inning.
Jordan Hicks got the call with a three-run lead in the seventh, but he walked the bases loaded. Rogers entered with one out and immediately got a grounder, but it was hit so high off the artificial surface that there was no play at first and a run scored. After a strikeout of Jesus Sanchez, Rogers got Otto Lopez to ground out and keep it a 4-2 game.
The appearance was the 28th of the year for Rogers, and he has been charged with a run in just three of them. He has a 1.71 ERA, and with two strong months to open the year, he has lowered his career ERA to 2.85 over seven seasons.
Keeping Up
All of a sudden, there's a bit of a competition in the rotation. Kyle Harrison will get at least one more turn in the rotation as Justin Verlander's pec heals, and he threw so well on Friday that there's some pressure for the other young starters to keep up. Given that Harrison was the incumbent coming into camp, it wouldn't be crazy for him to keep a rotation spot whenever Verlander returns if he keeps pitching like this.
There are no easy moves, though. Landen Roupp had a dominant month, and while Birdsong's first two starts didn't fully live up to his expectations, he was sharp Sunday. The right-hander struck out five, walked none and allowed just one earned in 5 1/3. He has a 2.37 ERA overall this season.
Roupp's spot seems secure, although he sneakily already has surpassed his total for innings pitched in the big leagues last year. He's about 20 away from his total across levels last year, and at some point the Giants will have to deal with that. For now, they're dealing with a good problem. Their three young starters are all pitching so well that there's no reason to rush Verlander back until he truly feels 100 percent.