Jung Hoo Lee and San Francisco Giants hope to build a productive weekend when they start a four-game series Monday against the host Philadelphia Phillies.
San Francisco has been one of the best teams in baseball this season and won 11 of their first 15 games, including two of three at the New York Yankees this weekend. Giants captured the rubber game 5-4 on Sunday behind Lee’s two home races.
“Pretty a series for Jung Hoo here at Yankee Stadium,” said San Francisco manager Bob Melvin. “It’s pretty remarkable.”
Lee went three times over the weekend and now beats .352 on the young season with a league leader eight doubles.
“I don’t think he’s afraid of the limelight,” said Giant’s right -hander Logan Webb, which won the victory on Sunday after allowing three runs over five rounds. “I am happy to see him continue to grow and continue to be better. I think there is even more there.”
Philadelphia won six of its first seven matches in the period, but has since lost five of the last eight. The team was closed twice during a three-game set in St. Louis over the weekend, including a 7-0 defeat against the Cardinals on Sunday.
“As a crime, we must be better,” said Phillies Slugger Bryce Harper. “We had some opportunities to meet a few places above the zone and it just didn’t happen. We have to get better. We will find our way. Our eyeballs have been good lately, but you also have to beat with guys on the base and in points mode.”
Among the culprits in Filadelfia’s fighters are Brandon Marsh, who beat out twice on Sunday and is 0-for-24 in April. Marsh beats .108 in the season.
“I know I’m not doing my part, which stinks the worst,” Marsh said. “I just feel that I’m letting down my guys.”
Taijuan Walker (1-0, 0.00 era) endured the nightmare for Phillies last season, when he struck a 7.10 era in 19 performances, including 15 starts. But his first two excursions this season have been promising, as the right hand has not yet allowed a run in 10 2/3 rounds. He will start against San Francisco on Monday.
Most recently, Walker threw 4 2/3 speechless frames against Atlanta on Wednesday. He has done a nice job against the current Giants Infielders Matt Chapman and Wilmer Flores and held them to a combined 2-for-19 over the years.
San Francisco will give the ball to the country Roupp (0-1, 3.60), which will make their third start of the season. The 26-year-old right hand mostly struck out of the bull as a beginner last year, and he will meet Philadelphia for the first time.
In its last start on Tuesday, Roupp gave a run and seven hits over six speechless innings. He knocked out four beaters without a walk in a game that Giants lost 1-0 to Cincinnati Reds.
“It’s probably as good as I’ve known about it since the first game with spring training,” Roupp said about his cutter – a new pitch that he hopes will complement his lowering. “I got some weak contact on it and swinging and missed, and I threw it for strikes. It was encouraging.”
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