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second from left San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray talks with Giants pitching coach Brian Price second from right in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wed Jul 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles, California

San Francisco Giants 8 (49-54)

Los Angeles Dodgers 3 (61-42)

Win: Robbie Ray (1-0)

Loss: Tyler Glasnow (8-6)

Time: 2:51

Attendance: 54,070

By Stephen Ruderman

Robbie Ray pitched five no-hit innings in his long-awaited Giants’ debut, and the Giants’ offense finally came to life and exploded in six-run top of the eighth inning enroute to a desperately-needed 8-3 over the Dodgers Wednesday night at Chavez Ravine.

There’s no sugar coating any of this. The Giants have been off to a horrendous start here in the second half. The offense has gone dead again, and they have dropped four of their first five.

The Giants were in need of a spark, and perhaps with left-hander Robbie Ray making his long-awaited Giants’ debut after signing with the team over the off-season, Wednesday night was the night they would get it.

The Dodgers also started a man tonight who was coming off the Injured List in Tyler Glasnow. Granted, he last pitched on July 5, and he’s been having himself a solid season, as he came into Wednesday night 8-5 with a 3.47 ERA. What his injury did was prevent him from pitching in his first all-star game.

Jorge Soler walked to lead off the game, and Matt Chapman drew a two-out walk three batters later. However, the Giants were unable to come though off Glasnow in the top of the first inning, as Michael Conforto struck out on a curveball in the dirt to end the inning.

We finally got to see Robbie Ray in the bottom of the first. Ray first came up with the Detroit Tigers in 2014, and then was traded over to the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he spent the next five and a half years.

Ray was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Toronto Blue Jays in the middle of the 60-game COVID-shortened sprint season of 2020. Ray had his best season with the Blue Jays in 2021, when he went 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA and struck out 248. Ray had another solid season with the Seattle Mariners in 2022, going 12-12 with a 3.71 ERA and 212 strikeouts.

Ray made his first start of last season on March 31, when he allowed five runs, three of them earned, to the Cleveland Guardians in three and a third innings. Ray ended up injuring himself, and had to have Tommy John surgery, which ended his season.

When the Giants signed him over the off-season, it was with the explicit understanding that he would not pitch until the middle of the season. The Giants had hoped to have him back sooner, but now was better than never.

Ray’s first inning back would be a long one. Shohei Ohtani flew out to deep left to begin the bottom of the first, but Ray hit Will Smith and then threw a wild pitch to Freddie Freeman, which moved Smith over to second base.

Freeman walked, and both runners advanced to second and third on another wild pitch by Ray. Just like Tuesday night, the Giants’ starting pitcher threw wild pitchers in the bottom of the first inning. Teoscar Hernandez was hit to load the bases, and Andy Pages walked to knock in a run. Ray then settled down and minimized the damage to one run.

Glasnow pitched a scoreless top of the second, and Ray a 1-2-3 bottom of the second. Brett Wisely singled and stole second to start the third, and Soler walked, but Heliot Ramos grounded into an inning-ending double play, as the Giants’ offense wasted another opportunity. Ray pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third, as he had settled down to retire eight-straight.

Matt Chapman led off the fourth with a home run just to the right of straight away center field to tie the game. Later in the inning, Tyler Fitzgerald, who had homered in five-straight games coming in, doubled. Mike Yastrzemski then grounded a base-hit up the middle into right-center to knock in Fitzgerald to give the Giants the lead. It was a much-needed RBI hit with runners in scoring position for the Giants.

Ray pitched two more 1-2-3 innings in the bottom of the fourth and fifth, and that would do it for him after five no-hit innings. His control was all over the place, when he gave up a run after walking two and hitting two, but he settled down to retire the final 14 men he faced, and he ended up striking out eight. With his pitch count at 86 in his first start in a year and a half, there was no way he was going any longer, but it was still a much-needed spark for the team.

Glasnow, meanwhile, threw a 1-2-3 top of the fifth to end his night. Anthony Banda came in for Los Angeles in the top of the sixth, and after striking out Chapman and Michael Conforto, he walked Fitzgerald and hit Yastrzemski. However, Curt Casali struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ryan Walker came in for the Giants and threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth, and Banda and Yohan Ramirez combined for a scoreless top of the seventh. Submariner Tyler Rogers came in and allowed a two-out double to Chris Taylor, who injured himself and had to leave the game. Rogers then got Kiké Hernández to fly out to end the inning, so no problem.

Ramirez was back out for the top of the eighth, and the Giants finally exploded. Chapman walked to start the inning; Conforto singled to right to put runners at the corners; and Fitzgerald walked to load the bases. Yastrzemski fisted a base-hit to right to score Chapman to make it 3-1, and Patrick Bailey pinch-hit for Casali and made it 4-1 with a base-hit to right.

The Giants were keeping the line moving, as Dave Roberts lifted Ramirez for veteran right-hander Joe Kelly. Brett Wisely flew out to left for the first out of the inning, and Soler knocked in Fitzgerald on a ground out to short to make it 5-1.

Kelly intentionally walked LaMonte Wade, which loaded the bases for Ramos. Ramos singled the other way to right to knock in a pair and open it up to 7-1. Matt Chapman knocked in Wade with a base-hit up the middle to make it 8-1, and the Giants’ offense had finally shown what they were capable of with a six-run top of the eighth.

Freddie Freeman doubled in Nick Ahmed—yes, that Nick Ahmed, who started the season with the Giants; was released; signed this very morning with the Dodgers; and made the start Wednesday night—off Erik Miller in the bottom of the eighth to make it 8-2.

Ryan Yarbrough pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, and the Dodgers got to left-hander Taylor Rogers in the bottom of the ninth, but it was for moot, as the Giants won it 8-3.

Robbie Ray got the win in his first big league start in a year and a half, and Tyler Glasnow took the loss. The Giants improve to 49-54, and they are now four and a half games back of the St. Louis Cardinals, who have slipped into the third wild card spot. The Giants are also now 5-0 when they are a season-high six games under .500.

Anyway, the Giants can salvage a split on getaway day Wednesday. Giants’ ace Logan Webb (7-8, 3.59 ERA) will try to bounce back from his rough all-star game appearance and rocky start in Denver Saturday. Clayton Kershaw of all people will come off the IL Thursday to make his 2024 debut for the Dodgers. First pitch will be at 1:10 p.m.

Shohei Ohtani belted a two run double in the bottom of the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles against the San Francisco Giants on Tue Jul 23, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles, California

San Francisco Giants 2 (48-54)

Los Angeles Dodgers 5 (61-41)

Win: Landon Knack (4-7)

Loss: Jordan Hicks (3-3)

Save: Evan Phillips (15)

Time: 2:55 

Attendance: 52,627

By Stephen Ruderman

The offense was dead again; Jordan Hicks had to push his way through three and two thirds innings; and the Dodgers beat the Giants 5-2, as the Giants have now dropped four of five to open the second half.

After a tough loss in the series opener Monday night, the Giants hoped for better luck Tuesday night against Landon Knack—hey, another good baseball name. Knack pitched a scoreless top of the first inning, and the Dodgers came to bat against Jordan Hicks in the bottom of the first.

Hicks has struggled since a great start to his season in April and May, and Tuesday night, the Giants were leaning on him to keep their rivals at bat. Hicks’ night appeared as if it was going to get off to a good start, as he struck out Shohei Ohtani (swinging) and Will Smith (looking) for the first two outs in the bottom of the first. 

However, Hicks hit Freddie Freeman, who got to second base on a wild pitch, and he walked Teoscar Hernandez. The runners advanced to second and third on another wild pitch with Gavin Lux at the plate, and then Lux roped a double down the right field line to knock in both runners, but he was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple.

Knack struck Matt Chapman and Michael Conforto both out swinging to start the top of the second, but Tyler Fitzgerald homered in his fifth straight game with a high soaring drive to left field to put the Giants on the board. Fitzgerald became the first rookie in Giants’ franchise history to homer in five-straight games, as well as the first rookie shortstop in National League/American League history to accomplish the feat.

Hicks was able to work his way through the second and third, but thanks to four walks, his pitch count was up to 65 through his first three innings. Knack also had a high pitch count, as he threw 74 pitches in his first four innings.

Hicks struck out Andy Pages in a six-pitch at-bat to start the bottom of the fourth, but after that, Hicks really struggled. He walked Jayson Heyward and gave up a base-hit to Cavin Biggio. 

During that time, Bob Melvin and Senior Director of Athletic Training Dave Groeschner came out to check up on him, but he stayed in the game. Hicks struck out Kiké Hernandez for the second out, but Ohtani knocked in a pair with a double to right to make it a 4-1 game, and that did it for Hicks.

Hicks threw 92 pitches over three and two thirds innings, and he had himself some interesting final totals. He gave up four runs on three hits, and he walked five, but he also struck out seven. 

Knack threw the game’s first 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth, and that capped off his night, as the Giants were stymied by another Dodgers’ rookie. For Knack, he gave up just a run on two hits and two walks, and he struck out six.

Sean Hjelle, who finished off the bottom of the fourth for the Giants, pitched through a jam in the bottom of the fifth. Brent Honeywell Jr. was the new pitcher for Los Angeles in the top of the sixth, and he threw a 1-2-3 inning. Left-hander Taylor Rogers gave up a leadoff base-hit to pinch-hitter Chris Taylor in the bottom of the sixth, but he pitched a scoreless inning.

Honeywell pitched a scoreless top of the seventh, and Luke Jackson came in for the bottom of the seventh to pitch the first 1-2-3 inning of the night for the Giants. Jorge Soler drew a walk off Blake Treinen with one out in the top of the eighth, and Heliot Ramos singled with two outs, but Patrick Bailey grounded out to second to end the inning.

Randy Rodriguez came in for San Francisco in the bottom of the eighth. Andy Pages was hit by a pitch—the third Dodger to be hit Tuesday night—to start the bottom of the eighth, and Heyward singled Pages over to second. 

Rodriguez got a reprieve when he struck Taylor and Kiké Hernandez both out swinging. Pages, meanwhile, had moved over to third on a wild pitch, and runners were at the corners with two outs for Shohei Ohtani.

In an unpleasant deja vu from the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday night, in which Teoscar Hernandez lined a two-out, two-strike base-hit to knock in a run for the Dodgers last night, Ohtani knocked in a run with a two-out, two-strike base-hit in the bottom of the eighth Tuesday night to make it 5-1.

The Giants then teased us in the top of the ninth. Alex Vesia walked Matt Chapman and Michael Conforto to start the ninth, and Fitzgerald lined a base-hit to left to score Chapman and make it a 5-2 game. 

Fitzgerald’s base-hit also brought the tying run up to the plate. Wilmer Flores pinch-hit and popped into an infield fly, and Brett Wisely struck out swinging. 

After Wisely struck out, Dave Roberts brought in his closer, Evan Phillips to face Jorge Soler. Soler then walked with two outs to load the bases for Late Night LaMonte Wade. The stage was set for the Giants to have another epic come-from-behind ninth-inning win at Dodger Stadium here in late July like they did twice in the crucial four-game set at Dodger Stadium in 2021.

Wade, who had so many big hits late in games for the Giants that season, including what proved to be the game-winning hit on July 22 of that year in the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium, was up. It was the perfect time for him to come up with the biggest hit of the season here in 2024.

However, it was not meant to be. Wade ended up grounding out to second, and the Dodgers won it 5-2.

Landon Knack got the win; Jordan Hicks got the loss; and Even Phillips got his 15th save.

There were at least a couple of positives to take out of this one. Heliot Ramos, who has slumped a bit following his all-star appearance last week, went 2-for-4 Tuesday night. Tyler Fitzgerald, who of course has now hit home runs in five-straight games, went 3-for-3, and knocked in both of the Giants’ runs Tuesday night.

However, the negatives far outweigh the positives. Really, reality outweighs the positives. The reality is that the Giants have lost four of five to start off the second half, and have tied their season-high six games under .500 at 48-54. They are also now five games back of the New York Mets for the third wild card spot. To be blunt, the Giants are in serious trouble.

The good news is that the Giants are 4-0 when they’ve been six games under .500 this season, and they will need some luck Wednesday. Left-hander Robbie Ray will make his long-awaited Giants’ debut Wednesday night, and he will be opposed by Tyler Glasnow (8-5, 3.47 ERA), who is also coming off the injured list Wednesday. First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m PT.