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Chad Green saves day as New York Yankees upend San Francisco Giants

By Larry Fleisher, The Sports Xchange
New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

NEW YORK -- Chad Green gives the New York Yankees the impression of being someone who is calm in difficult situations.

The memory Green and the Yankees will have from the right-hander's first career save is his instincts.

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Green highlighted 2 1/3 scoreless innings by contributing to a double play to the end the eighth inning and the Yankees ended a 10-game homestand with a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.

"He's calm," Yankees catcher Brian McCann said. "The game goes slow for him, which is good. When you're a rookie, sometimes the game speeds up but he what's trying to do out there and he's able to slow the game down."

Those traits were evident with one out in the eighth and the tying run on deck when Ramiro Pena hit a ground ball past the diving attempt of first baseman Mark Teixeira to second baseman Starlin Castro, who fielded it at the edge of the grass.

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Green quickly ran from the mound to cover first base, got the first out and as Mac Williamson rounded third, he completed the double play. Green finished off the play by bouncing a throw to Chase Headley but the third baseman dove to his left and applied the tag on Williamson's arm.

"To be athletic enough to get over, cover first base and then have the awareness to make the throw to third base, the game is not sped up on him at all," McCann said.

Green was prepared to make the play.

"This might be the first time it's ever happened, but it's something we do," Green said. "We work on it pretty much in spring training and every day throughout the year.

Green was protecting a three-run lead because Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman were unavailable. The trio of hard-throwers had thrown a combined 132 pitches in seven innings over the past two games.

"It's really the play of the game," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Green's save began when he entered with the bases loaded in the seventh and the Yankees holding a 5-0 lead. He gave up a two-run single to Buster Posey but retired Brandon Crawford.

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After getting the double play, Green finished off the save by getting Brandon Belt on a groundout with the tying run on deck and Angel Pagan on third.

Before Green's save, Nathan Eovaldi (9-6) allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He threw 118 pitches, two shy of his career high and exited with runners at second and third.

The Yankees had a 5-0 lead by getting two-out home runs by Carlos Beltran and Teixeira in the first two innings off Jeff Samardzija (9-6). New York added three in the fifth on a double play grounder by Jacoby Ellsbury, an RBI single by Castro and a run-scoring double by Didi Gregorius.

Seeing Williamson run into the final out of the eighth put a frustrating conclusion to a 1-7 road trip for the Giants, who took the best record in the majors into the All-Star break.

"We love his energy and his enthusiasm, but we just can't get thrown out there three runs down with (one) out," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said.

San Francisco was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10. In their last eight games, the Giants have nine hits in 72 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

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"We're all just slumping at the same time," said Belt, who was 2-for-33 on the trip.

Before Posey's single, San Francisco's biggest chance came with the bases loaded in the fourth and with Pagan on third in the fifth. Pena ended the fourth with a groundout and Belt struck out for the final out of the fifth.

Samardzija allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

NOTES: According to the latest reports, at least five teams were trying to acquire LHP Aroldis Chapman. The Giants are reportedly not in on Chapman, based on word out of San Francisco. During manager Joe Girardi's pregame press conference, he fielded four questions about trade rumors. ... San Francisco C Buster Posey served as the designated hitter and manager Bruce Bochy said he will likely play first base Monday and get Tuesday off. ... Giants RF Hunter Pence (strained right hamstring) went 1-for-4 and play six innings with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. ... Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez did not start for the second straight game and third time in four games. Rodriguez, who is batting .206, reportedly met with owner Hal Steinbrenner on Friday. ... Bochy said INF Matt Duffy (Achilles) is running well and the Giants will make a decision about a rehab assignment on Monday.

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