California sees its worst fire season on record, spreading to Washington, Oregon
In Southern California the Santa Ana winds are kicking up causing more problems for crews trying to contain the flames; Jeff Paul reports on the latest.
Mike Yastrzemski hit a three-run homer as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Seattle Mariners 10-1 for their fifth straight win Wednesday night under skies turned orange by raging wildfires in Northern California.
Players took batting practice with the lights turned on at Oracle Park on a late-summer afternoon. Some ash flakes rained down on the ballpark and the smell of smoke was noticeable but not overpowering.
“It was weird,” Giants pitcher Tyler Anderson said.
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“This morning I woke up and it was like 10 o’clock and I had to double check and make sure it wasn’t 10 p.m. All the car lights were on. Street lights were on. It was kind of a weird day, but the air quality wasn’t too bad. We checked the (air quality) index, it wasn’t too bad so it didn’t have much of an effect, it was just kind of a weird feeling," he said.
Anderson (2-3) pitched six shutout innings of three-hit ball for the win. The left-hander struck four and walked one as he won for the first time in three starts since pitching his first career complete game on Aug. 22 against Arizona.
Mariners starter Nick Margevicius (1-3) struck out six his first time through the order before the Giants broke through in the bottom of the third of a scoreless game. He gave up a season-high seven runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Joey Bart and Brandon Crawford were aboard on consecutive singles leading off the third when Yastrzemski hit a high-arching shot to right for his ninth homer on a 1-2 fastball Margevicius left over the plate.
Yastrzemski leads the majors with eight two-strike home runs.
![Wildfire smoke darkens the sky over a statue of former San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marichal outside Oracle Park before a baseball game between the Giants and the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, in San Francisco. People from San Francisco to Seattle woke Wednesday to hazy clouds of smoke lingering in the air, darkening the sky to an eerie orange glow that kept street lights illuminated into midday, all thanks to dozens of wildfires throughout the West. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2020/09/1200/675/Oracle-Park.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Wildfire smoke darkens the sky over a statue of former San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marichal outside Oracle Park before a baseball game between the Giants and the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, in San Francisco. People from San Francisco to Seattle woke Wednesday to hazy clouds of smoke lingering in the air, darkening the sky to an eerie orange glow that kept street lights illuminated into midday, all thanks to dozens of wildfires throughout the West. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
“I think there’s just a comfort level,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.
“In that particular at-bat against Margevicius he got to the fastball down and in and had seen several fastballs and had taken good swings on the fastballs, he was right on it and obviously a big three-run home run for us.”
Giants third baseman Evan Longoria got two hits and drove in three runs in his first time back in the lineup after missing two games with a glute strain.
The Giants scored at least four runs in their 11th straight game, their longest such streak since scoring four or more in 10 consecutive games in 2007.
“A rough game,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We haven’t had one of these in a while. We’ve been playing very consistent. Our starting pitching especially has kept us in the ball game. Not the case tonight. Things got away from us tonight,”
Giants rookie Luis Basabe grounded out to second in his first major league at-bat.
ROSTER MOVES
The Mariners added right-handed reliever Jimmy Yacabonis from their alternate training site. They optioned right-hander Brady Lail to the site. … The Giants signed switch-hitting first baseman Justin Smoak to a minor league contract. Smoak batted .186 with five homers and 15 RBI in 33 games this season with the Brewers before being released Sunday. He was added to San Francisco’s player pool.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: RHP Ljay Newsome is expected to make his next scheduled start after being struck in his pitching hand by a line drive in Tuesday’s game, manager Scott Servais said. Newsome will test his hand playing catch Friday. “We’re pretty optimistic,” Servais said, “but it’ll depend on how he feels when he goes out there on Friday.”
Giants: LHP Drew Smyly is expected to be added to the roster Thursday, Kapler said.
UP NEXT
Mariners: After an off day LHP Yusei Kikuchi (2-2, 5.23) will look to win his third straight start in Friday’s series opener in Arizona.
Giants: Haven’t named a starter for Thursday’s opener in San Diego.