Tag: San Francisco Giants

Willy Adames after going 5-11 with two walks in the series against the Athletics in Sacramento. (Photo: San Francisco Giants on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — After the home cooking that Logan Webb enjoyed on Saturday night, the Giants looked to win their first series since June 20-22 against the Boston Red Sox. The Giants had taken two out of three from the Red Sox directly following the Rafael Devers trade, but it had been mostly downhill since. They were swept by the Marlins at home, then dropped two of three to the White Sox in Chicago. It was a grim stretch for the Giants, who were trying to find their offensive rhythm in the early days of the Devers era in San Francisco.

On Sunday night, they finally got back on track, winning their first series since Boston by taking two of three from the A’s, including a 6-2 victory in the rubber match.

The feeling in the clubhouse postgame was one of relief. Granted, the Giants still have work to do as they return home to face tough National League opponents—the Phillies and Dodgers for three games each—but the club can breathe a little easier.

“We played cleaner, got some big hits,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said after the win. “Willy was fantastic this series, swinging the bat great at this point in time. We got some hits when we needed to and just did enough on the pitching end…”

The big series win was in large part thanks to shortstop Willy Adames. Adames, who struggled at the plate early in his new six-year, $182 million contract signed this offseason, went 5-for-11 with two walks in the series against Sacramento. Melvin praised Adames even more after the game.

“[He, Adames] just looks more comfortable at the plate. When you get some hits and knock some runs in, it makes you feel a little more comfortable. I think maybe there was some pressure on him early on and he kinda got past it, and now we are seeing some better swings… He’s been pretty instrumental in the wins.”

The Giants’ pitching also played a key role in the series victory. Starter Hayden Birdsong labored through his outing on Sunday, throwing 90 pitches with only 46 strikes. Yet, he held the A’s to just one run on three hits, despite walking five.

“Obviously Birdie was a little off with his command,” Melvin said. “I think he finished 50/50 balls to strikes but found a way to get outs when he needed to, and I think that’s progress for what he has been dealing with recently.”

The Giants bullpen—Spencer Bivens in the sixth, Randy Rodriguez in the seventh, and Tyler Rogers in the eighth—allowed only one combined hit over three scoreless innings. Camilo Doval pitched the ninth and gave up a run on two hits and a walk in a slightly shaky but manageable outing that kept the game firmly in the Giants’ hands. The pitching staff did an excellent job silencing the A’s bats in the final two games after Sacramento exploded for 11 runs on Friday night.

With the win, the Giants improved to 49-42, while the A’s dropped to 37-55. If the season ended today, the Giants would be tied with the San Diego Padres for the third wild card spot in the National League. They hold a one-game lead over the Cardinals, who trail them, and sit seven games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Not ideal, considering the Giants were a game out of first when they played the Dodgers in L.A. at the end of June—but such is the game of baseball.

The Giants will return home to take on the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game series starting Monday at 6:45 p.m. PT. Landen Roupp (6-5, 3.48 ERA) is scheduled to start for San Francisco, countered by Cristopher Sánchez (7-2, 2.68 ERA) for Philadelphia.

Note of the day: In the early innings of the game, Jacob Lopez and Hayden Birdsong combined to strike out 11 straight batters—Lopez with seven in a row, and Birdsong with four. Birdsong is known for his swing-and-miss movement and velocity, while the league is still learning what makes Lopez so deceptive. Lopez, who typically sits around 89–91 mph with his fastball, told me that the fastball is the key to his strikeouts.

“I think I have a pretty good fastball,” Lopez said.

When I followed up and asked if that was due to “late life” on the pitch, he quipped, “I don’t know, I’ve never hit against myself.”

From someone who never has—and never will—face Lopez in the box, it certainly seems that “late life” is the likely explanation. Lopez ranks in the 97th percentile in MLB for extension, releasing his pitches just over seven feet from the mound, which often leads to a fastball that appears to jump on hitters. Whatever it is, Lopez put his strikeout ability on full display Sunday night.

Logan Webb against the A’s on Saturday night at Sutter Health Park (Photo: San Francisco Giants on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO–After the Giants fell to the A’s on Friday night, it seemed like they desperately needed a big outing from Logan Webb on Saturday to get them back on track. After splitting the series against the Diamondbacks in Arizona, the Giants needed a series win in a big way. They hoped that would start on Saturday — and it did, as they defeated the A’s 7-2.

Sacramento area legend and Rocklin native Logan Webb got the nod for the Giants on Saturday night and turned in a fantastic outing to help propel them to victory. Webb tossed six and two-thirds innings of seven-hit, two-run baseball, limiting the damage the A’s could do. He struck out six A’s hitters and issued three walks. Webb has become a calming presence for the Giants, who always feel they have a chance to win when he’s on the mound.

Bob Melvin spoke about the atmosphere for Webb’s start in Sacramento. “Yeah, you could feel the interest in him on the mound. Every time he came into the dugout there were a lot of people cheering for him… For him, he certainly had to tone it down some and not be distracted by it, and he threw a Logan Webb game — that’s pretty typical of him all year.”

Webb shared his thoughts on the experience of pitching an MLB game in his hometown. “It was really cool. I heard it the minute I walked out there,” Webb said to Susan Slusser in the postgame media scrum. “… It was a blast. I love being here and [I’m] happy I was able to get the win here.”

After his six and two-thirds innings of work, Webb was lifted for Randy Rodriguez to get the final out of the seventh. As Webb departed, nearly the entire Sacramento crowd came to their feet for a raucous ovation for the former Rocklin High School standout. Logan heard the cheers — and they meant something. “I did. I did [hear the ovation]. That was pretty cool. I wish I gave a wave or something back, but it’s always awkward in those moments. I don’t know why… I feel the love from the Sacramento crowd, and it was awesome pitching here.”

After Rodriguez got the final out of the seventh, he was followed by scoreless innings from both Tyler Rogers and Spencer Bivens. The Giants bullpen didn’t allow a hit or a walk in the final two and a third innings. Bob Melvin spoke about Rodriguez’s body of work this season and his All-Star candidacy when asked by Andrew Baggerly of The Athletic. “I think setup guys are part of this. I don’t know if there’s been a better setup man or a guy that’s come in and been a fireman and done what he’s done this year. What’s his ERA now? 0.70? And you look at his numbers against lefties too — which, for a righty, is quite the luxury to have. For me, if I’m voting, I’m voting for him.”

On the offensive side, the Giants scored early and often — something that has plagued them for much of the season. Melvin even said after the game that when the Giants score early, good things tend to happen, especially with a guy like Webb on the hill. Willy Adames got things started in the first inning with a two-out single that scored two runs. In the second, Adames added another two-RBI single to give the Giants a 4-1 lead. He finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBI — a much-needed boost for the struggling Giants offense. In the fifth, Heliot Ramos sent a Luis Severino offering 416 feet to center field to put the Giants up 5-1. The scoring was capped in the seventh when Brett Wisely ripped a two-RBI double to extend the lead to 7-1.

Logan Webb earned the win (8-6, 2.62 ERA), while Luis Severino suffered another loss for the A’s (2-10, 5.30 ERA). With the win, the Giants improved to 48-32, while the A’s fell to 37-54.

On Sunday, the A’s and Giants will play the rubber game of the series at Sutter Health Park. It will be the only MLB game played on a Sunday night this year that is not part of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM PST. Hayden Birdsong (3-3, 4.30 ERA) is slated to go for the Giants, while the A’s will send Jacob Lopez (2-4, 3.88 ERA) to the mound.

Note of the day: Newly drafted Sacramento Kings players Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud threw out the ceremonial first pitches on Saturday night. Neither was able to locate well, as their throws sailed on either side of one another. However, Logan Webb was locked in for the two rookie tosses. “I watched. I stopped warming up and I watched,” Webb said. “Of course I am [excited], I’m always excited.” Seems Logan has kept the faith — and is excited for the 2025–26 Sacramento Kings season.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.