San Francisco Giants Bryce Eldridge (8) is tagged out by Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gaberial Moreno (14) in the bottom of the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Aug 29, 2026 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Arizona Diamondbacks 7 (73-64)

San Francisco Giants 1 (55-81)

Win: Merrill Kelly (9-12)

Loss: Matt Wilkinson (0-2)

Time: 2:38

Attendance: 39,190

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson pitched six-plus shutout innings in his Oracle Park debut, but Ryan Walker came in, and Lars Nootbaar hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning to power the Diamondbacks to a 7-1 win behind a strong seven-inning start by Merrill Kelly.

Of course, this was the first game of a unique doubleheader. The Giants are headed to Atlanta to play their makeup game against the Braves on Monday, and the Giants needed their off-day in between a three-timezone trip back east, per MLB rules.

Now, to clear a few housecleaning items here. Or, shall we say a housecleaning item. Of course we had the controversy last night with Nolan Arenado’s double that bounded over the third base bag. Balls that bound over the bag are not reviewable, but Tony Vitello and Logan Webb both thought it was a foul ball. Both were ejected—Vitello by Alan Porter, and Webb by Roberto Ortiz—for arguing after the end of the inning. When Ron Wotus took out the lineup card Saturday, he had a few choice words for Porter, and was promptly tossed. Wotus, like Webb last night, showed that he had the Giants’ rookie skipper’s back.

Once that was all settled, Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson, who was brought up as the 27th man on the Giants’ roster for the doubleheader, took the ball for his third big league start, and his first home start here at Oracle Park. It was an exciting opportunity for Giants’ fans—and yours truly—to get their first in-person look at a real throwback. Tugboat is a lot like David Wells. A big fat left-handed finesse guy with a low-90s fastball. However, their secondary pitches are different.

This one was a pitcher’s duel from the very get go. Wilkinson and Diamondbacks’ starter matched zeros through the first six innings. 

When Wilkinson would strike out a guy, the fog horn went off. You know, because he’s Tugboat. With Wilkinson being a finesse guy, he only struck out four. Though that’s what kept his pitch count down, and allowed him to go as long as he did.

Wilkinson had only given up three hits through the first six innings, and was back out for the seventh. However, after he walked Gabriel Moreno and Geraldo Perdomo to start the inning, he was done.

In came Ryan Walker, and I think you all know where this is going. Arenado reached on a fielder’s choice, in which Perdomo was out at second base. Tim Tawa then walked to load the bases. Lars Nootbaar pinch-hit for Jose Fernandez, and hit a grand salami into the water to give the Diamondbacks a 4-0 lead.

Fans have shown their frustration this season with sporadic booing of the Giants’ bad play. When Walker walked off the field to end the top of the seventh, he was showered with a whole chorus of boos.

Kelly finished off his day with a one, two, three bottom of the seventh. He gave up just two hits, and struck out seven.

Seth Lonsway came in to make his major league debut in the top of the eighth. Lonsway struck out Ildemaro Vargas on three pitches to start his big league career, and got lengthy applause for his first pitch and first strikeout.

The Diamondbacks did tack on a run in the eighth, and two more in the ninth off Lonsway. However, with the doubleheader, it was quite important for Lonsway to eat up a pair of innings. It wasn’t the greatest major league debut, but Lonsway certainly did his job. 

The Giants got on the board against Taylor Clarke in the bottom of the eighth when Jung Hoo Lee—on his bobblehead day—singled in Rafael Devers. Brandyn Garcia then ended it with a one, two, three inning in the bottom of the ninth.

Merrill Kelly got the win, and Tugboat got a major league hardnosed loss. 

With this loss, the Giants have fallen to 55-81, and have officially clinched their fifth-straight non-winning season. It is the first time in their 144-year history that the Giants have had five-straight non-winning seasons. That is correct. It has never happened before. They had their first blown ninth-inning six-run lead, and their first five-season non-winning streak in just four days. What a season!

Hall-of-Famer Jeff Kent will have his number retired prior to the second game, which will get underway at 7:05 p.m.

Roster moves:

Spencer Bivens was sent back to Triple-A Sacramento to make room for Seth Lonsway.