San Francisco Giants starter Robbie Ray hit two batters, walked a batter with the bases loaded and gave up a grand slam home run to the Atlanta Braves Michael Harris in the top of the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Aug 14, 2024 (AP News photo)

Atlanta (64-56) 501 012 022.   13 11 0

San Francisco (61-62).   100 000 100     2. 9 0

Time: 2:26

Attendance: 27,460

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Before Wednesday night’s 13-2 devastating loss to the recovering Atlanta Braves, the vacillating San Francisco Giants promoted Grant McCray from Sacramento. He had played in 47 games for the River Cats and produced a batting average of  only .270 in the hitter friendly triple A Pacific Coast League but his OPS was an encouraging .819. Earlier in the season, McCray’s numbers in those categories were .210 and .732 over 50 games for the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the  double A  Eastern League.

The 23 year old left handed batter started Wednesday evening in center field , occupying the ninth spot in the batting order.  The flip side of McCray’s unprepossessing  offensive record is that he’s considered outstanding in the field.

Anyone who was expecting a pitcher’s duel, or even a close game, after Monday and Tuesday’s ten inning thrillers would have been disappointed. Robbie Ray, only recently recovered from Tommy John surgery, made a cameo appearance as San Francisco’s starter – that’s “starter,”  not “opener” – in which he faced eight batters and hit the first two he pitched to, followed that with a strikeout and then two consecutive walks capped off by a grand slam by Michael Harris II.

Atlanta now led, 5-0. A strike out and a walk later, Ray was gone, and Sean Hjelle was on the mound. Tyler Fitzgerald tagged  Braves’ starter Grant Holmes’ first offering,a 93mph four seamer  for a 358 foot homer to left, the Giants’ shortstop’s 14th round tripper of the year. The loss left Ray with a record of 2-2, 6.00. 

After Ray’s departure,  Matt Olson’s  21st four bagger of the year, a leadoff  371 footer to left, restored the Braves’ five run advantage. Hjelle retired the next six Braves he faced, giving way to Erik Miller, who entered the game at the top of the fifth and promptly gave up a leadoff home run to Austin Riley.

Miller went 1-1/3 innings  and allowed two runs, both earned but one of which was posthumous . Melvin’s minions also used Landen Roup (1-2/3 innings, three hits, and a run, earned), Taylor Rogers (two runs in the eighth on a Laureano single and Sean Murphy’s seventh dinger), and Mike Yastrzemski, who threw soft tosses that resulted in two runs on two hits and a lot of hilarity.

Holmes, making his  fourth career start and 14th appearance  went to work  at 0-0, 3.79  gave a more than acceptable account of  himself. The 28 year old southpaw weakened in the seventh, surrendering a run on Bailey’s uncursed leadoff double and Wisely’s single to right before retiring the side on a fly by McCray to the warning track in left and a pair of  strikeouts.

The went seven frames and allowed two runs, both earned, on eight hits, one of them yard, and a walk while striking out half a dozen opponents. He threw 95 pitches, 68 qualified as strikes, to 29 batters, and went to the team hotel with a mark of 1-0, 3.60. 

Luke Jackson pitched the  eighth in Holmes’ stead and, in spite of a hit batter and a single to Casey Schmitt, kept the Giants off the scoreboard. Jimmy Hergel set the Giants down in order in the ninth.

The Braves’ baker’s dozen of runs was their season’s high. Harris’s homer was the first grand slam of his career and the first visitor’s grand slam splash hit. Atlanta’s leadoff hitter, Soler, hit by a pitch to start the game, now has a 22 game on base streak.

The ex-Giant left the game in the top of the fourth with tightness in his left hamstring. Yastrzemski’s misadventures on the mound were his big league pitching debut.

San Francisco will try to avoid the sweep Thursday, afternoon at 12:45. Logan Webb (10-8, 3.32) will start for the orange and black. He’ll face Max Fried (7-6, 3.56).