WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Chapman homered in his third straight game, Logan Webb pitched into the sixth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Washington Nationals 4-1 on Monday night.
The Giants have won nine of their past 12 games and at 57-57 have reached the .500 mark for the first time since they entered play on June 1 at 29-29 before an eventual loss to the Yankees.
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San Francisco Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald, right, celebrates after his home run as he rounds the bases during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Nationals' Luis Garcia Jr. (2) is out at first against San Francisco Giants first baseman Mark Canha, center, during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Nationals' Jacob Young slides to second base with a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Francisco Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald, right, celebrates his home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Francisco's Tyler Fitzgerald had two hits and went deep for the second straight game. He has homered in 10 of his past 17 games, with 11 homers total.
Webb (9-8), coming off a five-hit shutout against the A’s, allowed a run on four hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked three while throwing 95 pitches. Camilo Doval struck out the side in the ninth for his 21st save.
Washington starter Patrick Corbin (2-12), who was seeking his 100th career win, allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings.
Travis Blankenhorn had two hits for the Nationals.
Fitzgerald led off the game with a home run.
In the third, Corbin walked Michael Conforto with two outs and a runner on second and Chapman hit the first pitch to him for his 18th homer to give the Giants a 4-0 lead.
Chapman is hitting .378 (17-for-45) with four doubles, five homers, 11 RBIs and eight runs scored over his last 12 games.
Webb carried a shutout into the sixth inning, but a 13-pitch walk by Keibert Ruiz followed by a balk and James Wood's RBI single got Washington on the board.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: CF Heliot Ramos (jammed right thumb) was out of the lineup for the second straight day, but manager Bob Melvin was optimistic Ramos will return on Tuesday. … INF Wilmer Flores (right knee tendinitis) will have a Tenex procedure on his knee on Tuesday.
Nationals: INF Joey Gallo (left hamstring strain) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. … RHP Trevor Williams (right flexor muscle strain) is throwing on flat ground from up to 125 feet and could begin throwing off the mound next week.
UP NEXT
San Francisco RHP Hayden Birdsong (3-0, 2.97) opposes LHP MacKenzie Gore (6-9, 4.54) in the second of the four-game series.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
San Francisco Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald, right, celebrates after his home run as he rounds the bases during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Nationals' Luis Garcia Jr. (2) is out at first against San Francisco Giants first baseman Mark Canha, center, during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Nationals' Jacob Young slides to second base with a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Francisco Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald, right, celebrates his home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Carla Bernat Escuder wasn't worried about anyone behind her, only those who were ahead. Thanks to a flop shot she only recently mastered, birdies on all the par 5s and a nervy 4-foot par putt to finish, the Spaniard stood alone at the Augusta National Women's Amateur.
Bernat Escuder rallied from a two-shot deficit against defending champion Lottie Woad and held off a late charge from teenager Asterisk Talley, closing with a 4-under 68 to add to the Spanish heritage at the home of the Masters.
“As of right now, I don’t think my brain has processed that I won,” said Bernat Escuder, a senior at Kansas State.
She grew up in the same region as Masters champion Sergio Garcia, and his father still coaches and encourages her. She was so nervous meeting two-time champion Jose Maria Olazabal last year that she got his name wrong.
Key to this win was U.S. Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester — also from Castellon — who makes his Masters debut this week. They have been friends since age 7, and she went to him with help on her chipping.
It paid off in a big way with her flop shot from a dangerous spot right of the 10th green, setting up a par that kept her momentum all the way to end.
She left her approach right of the bunker, with the golf ball slightly above her feet. Bernat Escuder hit a marvelous flop shot to 12 feet and holed the par putt.
“If there was one shot that you’re going to need the hands back to hit it higher, as he tells me, it’s this one,” she said. “So yeah, I appreciate that tip.”
She has watched the Masters enough to have ingrained in her mind that it doesn't start until the back nine. And there she was, leading by one after a 33 on the front nine and starting at a probably bogey until her flop shot came off beautifully.
The 10th hole was more pivotal than she realized.
Woad was looking to become the first back-to-back winner of the Augusta National Women's Amateur. She was tied for the lead with Kiara Romero going into the final group, birdied the first hole and led by two early. But it all came undone on the 10th.
From the fairway, she was aggressive with her approach and tugged the shot left and over the green, into a bush. Woad had to take a penalty drop, chipped on and missed the putt, giving her a double bogey and leaving her three shots behind.
“I put a good swing on it, it was just the wrong club,” said Woad, who went with a 5-iron. “Thought it was meant to be into the wind, and off the downslope it came out a bit too flat, so probably should have just hit one less club. Then got in an unfortunate position, so probably was always going to make 6 from there.”
She had to chase, just like a year ago when she delivered a memorable back-nine charge. This time, she could only manage two birdies and closed with a 72 to finish third.
“Pretty frustrated,” Woad said.
The charge came from Talley, the U.S. Women's Amateur and U.S. Junior Girls runner-up, who began the final round by holing out from the first fairway for eagle.
Coming off a birdie at the 16th to get to within three shots, Talley hit a remarkable recovery from under the pines left of the 17th fairway. The ball stayed under the limbs and rolled up along the edge of the bunker, using all of the slope to get to about 18 feet behind the hole.
Instead of scrambling for par, she holed the putt for birdie to give herself a chance.
Talley, however, was too strong with her approach on the 18th, leaving the ball on the top tier with the hole some 40 feet away in its typical Masters Sunday location. She did well to two-putt for par and a 68.
“I was just trying to shoot my score and having a lot of fun,” Talley said.
In the group behind was Bernat Escuder, who also was in the trees on the 17th, put it in a bunker and made bogey. That cut her lead to one shot with one hole to play.
The Spaniard found the fairway, also hit onto the top tier and navigated a 4-foot par putt to finish at 12-under 204 and claim what already has become as prestigious as any women's amateur event in the world.
Eila Galitsky started seven shots behind, shot 31 on the front nine and closed with the low round of the day at 66 to tie for fourth with Catherine Park (67).
How to celebrate? Bernat Escuder planned a nice dinner with her coach and all her support.
“And maybe a tattoo. We’ll see,” she said. “I was thinking maybe the flower of Augusta, but I need to decide on that. It’s a big decision.”
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Asterisk Talley hits from the second tee during the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Asterisk Talley reacts after hitting on the first hole during the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Lottie Woad, of England, follows her shot on the fourth green during the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Lottie Woad, of England, lines up her shot on the 12th green during the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Carla Bernat Escuder, of Spain, pumps her fist after making her shot on the 15th green during the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Carla Bernat Escuder, of Spain, walks across the bridge along the 13th fairway during the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Carla Bernat Escuder, of Spain, celebrates after winning the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Carla Bernat Escuder, of Spain, follows her shot from the 18th fairway during the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt York)
