San Francisco Giants Heliot Ramos is thrilled after hitting a three run home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the top of the second inning at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Fri Apr 17, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (8-12) won the first game in their series with the Washington Nationals (9-11) 10-5. They scored multiple runs early in the second inning after leading after two innings 6-0. The offense everyone has been waiting to see finally revealed itself and it was great. Every single player in the lineup had at least one hit and Matt Chapman had 3 hits.

Game recap: The first inning was uneventful for both teams, the Giants Luis Arraez singled but that was it for the opening inning. The Nationals went three and out.

San Francisco got something really big going, more like an explosion, in the second inning. They strung out some hits with Casey Schmitt and Jung Hoo Lee both singling and then a big hit off the bat of Heliot Ramos for a three-run home run to center taking a 3-0 lead.

Daniel Susac singled but was thrown out trying to steal second base. With only one out, Drew Gilbert walked followed by a Willy Adames single. The Giants went back to work putting more runners on base. Luis Arraez grounded out and with two outs a Chapman single drove Gilbert and Adames home for a 5-0 lead.

San Francisco was not finished. Rafael Devers doubled and Chapman scored pushing the lead to 6-0 in favor of the Giants. A rough inning for the Nationals finally came to an end when Schmitt flied out but San Francisco had a huge inning already with six hits in the game. Starting pitcher for Washington Zack Littell gave up eight hits and six runs in the second inning.

Meanwhile Logan Webb worked his way through the second inning giving up a CJ Abrams single and then dismissed the next three at bats and this game went into the third inning. Webb was systematically working his way through the Washington lineup giving up very little.

San Francisco had scored a lot and they had scored early a huge edge going forward in the game but there was still a lot of baseball to be played. That aside what a great way to start a ball game for the Giants.

Littell had a vastly improved in the third inning, his best of the game with a three and out. The Nationals got something going in the bottom of the third, Jose Tena and Keibert Ruiz had back to back singles.

Top of the batting order for Washington James Wood came to the plate with no outs. Webb was in a bit of a jam but he did strike Wood out. The next at bat for the Nationals was a fielders choice ground out but Jose Tena scored for the first National run of the game.

With two outs there were two runners on base for Washington but Webb got the third out without giving up a lot. It had been a long inning for Webb; he already had a 55 pitch count going into the top of the fourth inning. San Francisco had given up the one run still leading 6-1.

The Giants got a great hit in the fourth inning from the bottom of the batting order. Drew Gilbert hit a solo home run, his first of the year, to right center, the second of the game for San Francisco.

Adames followed that home run up with a double. With Adames on third Chapman singled driving in another run for an 8-1 score.11 hits through four innings plus every player on the roster with at least a hit was probably the best game the team has played so far this season. Littell’s pitch count was really getting up there as well with 77 pitches though four innings.

The Nationals cut the Giants lead in the bottom of the fourth to 8-3 when Daviid Liles hit a 2-run home run with Joey Weimer on base. 79 pitches later Webb got out of the inning.

Littell was relieved in the fifth inning by Paxton Schultz. Littell allowed 11 hits, 8 runs, 1 walk, 2 home runs and 4 strikeouts.

The hits quieted down in the second half of the game for the Giants. San Francisco had one hit in the fifth inning, a Susac double but that would close out the inning. The Nationals went three and out in the inning and this game was moving along. It only took Webb five pitches to get out of the inning.

It was a three and out in the sixth inning for San Francisco. The Nationals were able to score in the bottom of the sixth. A Lile walk resulted in a fourth run for Washington when Tena singled him home for an 8-4 San Francisco lead.

The Giants extended their lead with a third home run in the top of the seventh inning 9-4. Schmitt hit a solo long ball 399 feet to left center. The Nationals would answer in the bottom of the inning when Wood blasted a Matt Gage pitch out of the park. Gage had relieved Webb after six innings. Webb finished with 7 hits, 4 runs 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. He allowed one home run.

Washington’s PJ Poulin relieved Schultz going into the eighth inning . Schultz had pitched for three innings for the Nationals. Schultz finished with 2 hits, 1 run, (a home run) and 1 strikeout. The Giants Caleb Kilian would take over for Gage in the eighth inning only giving up a walk and it was on to the ninth inning.

Richard Lovelady relieved Poulin in the ninth inning. The Giants threatened to bust this game wide open to finish. Lovelady gave up a single to Arraez, and a single to Chapman with no outs.

Lovelady went on to strike out Devers and Schmitt popped out for two outs. Lee walked loading the bases followed by a Ramos walk and Arraez scored. Getting that third out was a horrible struggle for Lovelady.

When all the dust had settled and the Nationals got that third out, the Giants were leading 10-5. It was only the one run scored but could have been a whole lot worse for Washington. Blade Tidwell closed out the game for the Giants winning game one 10-5.

Game notes: After breaking a four game losing streak Thursday beating the Reds 3-0, the Giants began a three-game weekend series with the Nationals at blustery Nationals Park Friday night. At the start of the game the winds were fairly calm and so wind was not be a factor in the game Friday night.

The Giants continued their winning streak with a convincing 10-5 win Friday night. Adames lead-off and Heliot Ramos batted seventh, Daniel Susac eighth and Drew Gilbert ninth. After Adames, Arraez, Chapman, Devers, Schmitt and Lee will fill in the roster.

The Giants had won the series opener. San Francisco finished the game with 15 hits and had won their second game in a row.

For Saturday’s game Adrian Houser will take the mound for the Giants in game two. Houser has an 0-2 win/loss record and a 5.06 ERA. Cade Cavalli will get the nod for the Nationals with a 0-1 win/loss record and a 4.60 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM PDT.