BALTIMORE (AP) — Blake Snell struck out 12 over six innings and allowed just one hit to carry the San Francisco Giants past the faltering Baltimore Orioles 10-0 on Tuesday night.
The Orioles have lost seven of nine to fall four games behind the first-place Yankees in the AL East. Baltimore held a half-game lead on Sept. 5 before its current tailspin, during which it has been outscored 46-18.
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San Francisco Giants second baseman Donovan Walton (18) dives to field a ball hit by Baltimore Orioles' Anthony Santander to make the throw to first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. for the out during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Albert Suarez delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants' Grant McCray slides into first base after running through on a single line drive during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants' Grant McCray advances toward home plate to score on an RBI single hit in by Donovan Walton during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Colton Cowser had two of the Orioles' five hits in their most lopsided shutout loss of the season.
“We've been scuffling offensively,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “We had a tough night.”
In this one, the Giants got the only run they needed when Mike Yastrzemski drove the second pitch from Orioles starter Albert Suárez (8-6) over the right-field wall. Yastrzemski added an RBI single in the second after a sacrifice fly by Brett Wisely, and Snell had no problem making the lead stand up.
“Getting runs early on, it feels good to pitch with a lead,” Snell said. “You can be more aggressive.”
Facing a Baltimore lineup without several injured starters, Snell (4-3) flashed the form that enabled him to win the 2023 NL Cy Young Award. The left-hander had at least two strikeouts in every inning but the fourth, and made up for it by striking out the side in the fifth.
“We faced one of the better pitches in the game, and we didn't swing the bats well against him,” Hyde said.
Snell struck out All-Star Gunnar Henderson three times, the last one in the sixth to culminate his 98-pitch masterpiece.
“Gunnar. Changeups. He just struggles with them," Snell said. “A lot of lefties do.”
Snell waked two, and the only hit he allowed was a solid third-inning single up the middle by Emmanuel Rivera.
“I like where I was at mentally today,” Snell said.
Since his return from the injured list on July 9 following a groin strain, Snell is 4-0 with a 1.33 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings.
“The guy's unbelievable. He's on top of it right now,” Yastrzemski said. “He's a special pitcher. It's pretty cool to see how dominant he can be.”
San Francisco turned the game into a rout with a six-run ninth against Craig Kimbrel, who long ago lost his job as Baltimore's closer due to ineffectiveness.
The Giants snapped a four-game losing streak to begin their final road trip of the season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: SS Tyler Fitzgerald returned to the starting lineup after missing three games with lower back tightness. ... INF Matt Chapman headed home to be with his wife, who was ready to give birth.
Orioles: INF Jordan Westburg (hand) took batting practice and is expected to return before the end of the regular season, general manager Mike Elias said. ... 1B Ryan Mountcastle (wrist) is working out in Florida and has a chance to return before October. ... INF Ramón Urías (ankle sprain) could come off the IL before the end of the season, Elias said. ... RHP Grayson Rodriguez (lat strain) is making progress. But Elias said, “Time and the calendar is not our friend.”
UP NEXT
Hayden Birdsong (3-5, 4.74 ERA) starts for the Giants against Dean Kremer (7-9, 4.10 ERA) on Wednesday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
San Francisco Giants second baseman Donovan Walton (18) dives to field a ball hit by Baltimore Orioles' Anthony Santander to make the throw to first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. for the out during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Albert Suarez delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants' Grant McCray slides into first base after running through on a single line drive during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants' Grant McCray advances toward home plate to score on an RBI single hit in by Donovan Walton during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dangerous winds returned to Southern California on Tuesday as new wildfires broke out and a pair of major Los Angeles-area blazes burned for a third week, while officials made preparations to protect scorched neighborhoods from toxic ash runoff ahead of potential rain this weekend.
Forecasters cautioned that gusts could peak at 70 mph (113 kph) along the coast and 100 mph (160 kph) in mountains and foothills during extreme fire weather that's expected to last through Tuesday afternoon.
The National Weather Service warned of a “ particularly dangerous situation ” across Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties due to low humidity and powerful Santa Ana winds. Gusts will ease later in the day, but windy conditions are expected into Thursday.
Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft positioned across the region allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up over the holiday weekend, said David Acuna, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
“Our concern is the next fire, the next spark that causes the next wildfire,” Acuna said Tuesday. He said another worry was that the two major blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires near Los Angeles, could break their containment lines.
Evacuations were ordered Tuesday when the Friars Fire broke out near a San Diego mall and flames ran up a hillside toward residences, Cal Fire said.
Meanwhile, evacuation orders were lifted for the Lilac Fire in the Bonsall area of San Diego County, which burned at least 85 acres (34 hectares) of dry brush after threatening structures, the agency said. Nearby, crews fully contained the 17-acre (34-hectare) Pala Fire.
As a small number of residents were allowed to return to the devastated Pacific Palisades area, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Tuesday to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides, install barriers and reinforce roads ahead of possible rain this weekend that could create mud and debris flows.
“This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire, and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff,” Bass said during a news conference.
Bass also warned that winds could disperse ash and urged Angelenos to visit lacity.gov to learn about ways to protect themselves from toxic air during the latest Santa Ana wind event.
There's a 60% to 80% chance of a small amount of rain for Southern California starting Saturday, with most areas likely getting not more than a third of an inch (0.8 cm), said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the weather service's LA office. However up to an inch (2 1/2 cm) of rain could fall during localized thunderstorms, which would be a “worst-case scenario” if it's enough to trigger debris flows on scorched hillsides, he said.
“But even if the rain doesn't materialize this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that they’ll have to deal with for months or years," Kittell said Tuesday.
Los Angeles firefighters on Monday quickly extinguished a small brush fire near the iconic Griffith Observatory in a sprawling park overlooking the city. A man suspected of starting the fire was taken into custody, LA police said. Fire crews also quickly extinguished a small blaze near Tujunga and another one along Interstate 405 in the Granada Hills neighborhood that temporarily closed northbound lanes.
Southern California Edison said it had preemptively shut off power to more than 61,000 customers in five counties to prevent winds from toppling electrical equipment and sparking new fires. The utility said it was considering precautionary shutoffs for an additional 251,00 customers.
Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans and prepare emergency kits, and be on the lookout for fires and report them quickly.
The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds come as firefighters continue battling the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out Jan. 7. The Palisades Fire was 61% contained and containment of the Eaton Fire reached 87%.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff flew to Los Angeles Monday after attending President Donald Trump's inauguration and met with firefighters, volunteers and victims of the Eaton Fire in Altadena.
“We just came out to thank (firefighters), to thank the community and just remind folks that we're all in this together,” Harris said. She said their home in Pacific Palisades was still standing.
Trump, who criticized the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address, has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday said the devastation left by the fires underscores the need for partnership between the state and federal governments.
“I look forward to President Trump’s visit to Los Angeles and his mobilization of the full weight of the federal government to help our fellow Americans recover and rebuild,” Newsom said in a statement.
Associated Press radio reporter Julie Walker contributed from New York.
San Diego firefighters knock down a small brush along a hillside over the Mission Valley Shopping Mall in San Diego on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
FILE - Resident Pauly Harter, right, pulls his son Gavin on a cart during a walk Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - Nancy Belanger pours water on a neighbor's fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A woman search inside a destroyed home by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
FILE - Josh Lederer wears a mask to protect him from fumes as he retrieves his children's clothes from his fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A lone home stands among residences levelled by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
FILE - Jerome Krausse pushes his mother-in-law in a shopping cart as they evacuate from their home in the Pacific Palisades after a wildfire swept through their neighborhood in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
A firefighter pulls a hose while trying to keep the Lilac Fire from spreading near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A firefighter battles the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A firefighter sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Firefighters battle the Lilac Fire along Interstate 15 near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Vehicles drive along Interstate 15 as the Lilac Fire burns along a hillside in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Firefighters walk up a ridge to battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Firefighters stand along a ridge as they battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Two firefighters roll up a fire hose during the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Vehicles pass through smoke from the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Firefighters battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Strong winds carry embers as firefighters work to extinguishe a brush fire in the Winchester community of Riverside County, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A firefighter extinguishes a brush fire as strong winds carry embers in the Winchester community of unincorporated Riverside County, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Homeowner David Marquez, left, holds a metal detector as he shows recovered metal items found with his father, Juan Pablo Alvarado, right, inside the walls of their multi-generational home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Joel Parkes, a teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District returns to his destroyed home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Joel Parkes, a teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District returns to his destroyed home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Joel Parkes, a teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District, left, returns to his home with his wife in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Homeowner David Marquez, left, holds a metal detector as his father, Juan Pablo Alvarado, right, and a friend look for the remains of gold jewelry and other silver items inside the walls of their multi-generational home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Debris from a destroyed home is seen as a newly built ADU (accessory dwelling unit) stands behind after surviving the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)