Schmitt, Matos continue to shine as Giants topple Brewers

MILWAUKEE -- The Giants were thrilled to slot Matt Chapman back in at third base on Saturday, but his return from the injured list had ancillary benefits for the rest of the infield, as well.

With Chapman manning the hot corner, the Giants shifted another talented defender -- Casey Schmitt -- over to second base, upgrading the defense across the board.

Schmitt has toggled between first, second and third base this year, but he should have a chance to stick at the keystone for the rest of the season, which could help him find stability on both sides of the ball. That certainly seemed to be the case on Saturday night, when he went 2-for-4 with four RBIs to propel the Giants to a 7-1 win over the MLB-best Brewers at American Family Field.

Freddy Peralta kept the Giants off the board through the first five innings, but he needed 96 pitches to get through his start, which forced him out of the game early and gave San Francisco a prime opportunity to pounce on Milwaukee’s bullpen.

Schmitt tied the game, 1-1, with an RBI double off Grant Anderson in the sixth and then added a three-run shot off Carlos Rodriguez to extend the Giants’ lead to 6-1 the following inning. His big night backed another quality start from right-hander Logan Webb, who fired six innings of one-run ball to pick up his 12th win of the year and snap San Francisco’s four-game losing streak.

"I think we took some pretty good at-bats against [Peralta] and got his pitch count up,” Schmitt said. “We got him out of that fifth inning and then we got to the next guy. That was huge for us to go in there and have long, competitive at-bats.

“For me, I’m just going out there and trying to do anything I can to help the team win in whatever way possible. If we’re up by 10, down by 10, down by one, up by two, whatever it is, I’m trying to have the same consistency in my at-bats. Just not give away my at-bats and go in there and do the job that I need to do.”

Schmitt was more of a free swinger when he broke in with the Giants in 2023, but his at-bat quality has noticeably improved this year, especially now that he’s gotten a chance to play every day. The 26-year-old entered Saturday with a career-high 8.4% walk rate, up from 4.7% in ‘23. He’s also doing a better job of working deeper counts, averaging 3.76 pitches per plate appearance this season, compared to 3.48 two years ago.

The key to the improvement?

"It’s just been a little bit of everything,” Schmitt said. “Not trying to do too much. I always think back to when I first came back and had that instant success. I thought that was kind of sustainable and quickly realized that it wasn’t. I had to regroup and find other ways. That’s when I went into last year with a different mindset, different approach. I ended up having some success that way.”

Schmitt is now slashing .249/.326/.424 with nine home runs over 67 games in 2025, which should set him up to maintain a regular role in the Giants’ infield in the future. While he has the ability to play all over the infield, he said he’s looking forward to getting comfortable at second base for now.

“He’s swinging the bat really well,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Hopefully this configuration, keeping him at second base, is good. But his bat is really playing right now.”

Another young hitter who seems to be heating up is Luis Matos, who has started three consecutive games for the Giants since being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. The 23-year-old outfielder is making the most of the opportunity thus far, as he’s 6-for-11 with a home run since returning to the Majors and is bringing a new look to the lineup with his ability to put the ball in play.

After Schmitt put the Giants on the board in the sixth, Matos stepped up to the plate with runners on second and third and one out and kept the rally going by sending a sharply hit grounder to the left side that skipped past Milwaukee third baseman Anthony Seigler and rolled into left field. Seigler's error allowed both runners to score, putting San Francisco ahead, 3-1.

"I feel really good,” Matos said in Spanish. “I’m seeing the ball really well. My confidence level feels different now. I’m excited for the opportunity and just want to keep working.”