Alex Cobb, Wilmer Flores lead SF Giants to 4-0 victory over Orioles

Alex Cobb was dominant on the mound while Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr. led the charge offensively in an SF Giants win over the Orioles.

The SF Giants got back to .500 on Saturday evening, defeating the Baltimore Orioles 4-0 at Oracle Park. After dropping the past three games of their homestand, the Giants got a much-needed gem from Alex Cobb. With Cobb dealing, San Francisco needed just a couple of rallies to coast to a victory that improved the team's record to 29-29 on the season. They are now 5.5 games back of the Dodgers and Diamondbacks for first place in the National League West.

SF Giants DH Wilmer Flores doubles against the Orioles at Oracle Park on June 3, 2023 / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

It's undeniably been a difficult start to the season for veteran Giants infielder Wilmer Flores. After winning the 2022 Willie Mac Award, Flores has gone from playing every day to rarely cracking the lineup. As his playing time has dipped, so has his performance. Entering play on Saturday, Flores had a .704 OPS, which would be his worst single-season mark since his first full MLB season back in 2015.

Prior to the game on Saturday, Giants manager Gabe Kapler called Flores into his office to have a conversation with him about the change in his role. Kapler commended Flores for the way he has handled the circumstances.

"I just had a conversation with him... acknowledging how challenging it is to be in his shoes right now," Kapler said. "Last night's at-bat is a good example. Obviously, he draws that walk, but he's been getting at-bats against the toughest relievers in the game, and when you're not playing regularly, and your swing is not exactly where you want it to be, I can speak from personal experience that that is as challenging as any job in the sport."

Batting cleanup as the Giants designated hitter on Saturday, Flores capitalized on the opportunity to start. He lined a two-out double in the top of the first to put two runners in scoring position. However, designated hitter Blake Sabol (Giants #33 prospect) flew out to end the inning.

Orioles starter Kyle Bradish retired the side in order in the second inning and struck out Brandon Crawford to start the bottom of the third. But then things began to unravel. LaMonte Wade Jr. lined an opposite-field double to start a string of five consecutive Giants hits.

Wade scored on an RBI single by J.D. Davis. Davis advanced to third on a double by Mike Yastrzemski before Flores lined a two-RBI single up the middle to give the Giants a 3-0 lead. Sabol singled as well, but both he and Flores were stranded.

Thrice in the third 👌 pic.twitter.com/aMbOrI0G2M

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 4, 2023

Wilmer comes through clutch 💪 pic.twitter.com/cRTFckLyOS

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 4, 2023

An early three-run rally would be more than enough for Alex Cobb, who bounced back from a trio of erratic starts with a gem. Cobb, who has arguably been the most underrated pitcher in MLB, leaned heavily on his splitter early, throwing it more than 60% of the time in the first five innings against Baltimore.

The Orioles, whose lineup was further depleted during the game when young third baseman Gunnar Henderson left the game with lower back discomfort, looked overmatched against Cobb's arsenal of pitches. He surrendered just five hits over the course of his outing. Cobb struck out seven without allowing a walk in 7.2 shutout innings pitched.

Shortstop Brandon Crawford and Wade walked to start the bottom of the sixth against Orioles reliever Bryan Baker. Lefty Cionel Pérez replaced Baker with runners on the corners. Kapler deployed Austin Slater as a pinch-hitter for Mike Yastrzemski. Slater lined a run-scoring single into center field that extended the Giants lead to 4-0.

As Cobb's pitch count surpassed triple digits in the eighth inning, the Orioles began to generate hard contact against him for the first time in his outing. Ryan Mountcastle lined out to start the inning before Aaron Hicks singled and Ryan O'Hearn doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. Cobb induced a groundout from Jorge Mateo to keep the run from scoring. With Orioles lead-off hitter Adam Frazier, a lefty, due up, Kapler called upon southpaw Scott Alexander. Cobb received a standing ovation as he walked off the mound. Alexander induced an inning-ending groundout from Frazier that came with a little extra drama when Alexander fell over as he threw the ball to first base.

With a four-run lead heading into the ninth inning, Kapler turned to his closer Camilo Doval. Kapler has always tended to treat four-run leads as save situations during his managerial tenure. The reigning NL Reliever of the Month picked up where he left off in May, striking out one in a perfect inning of work while topping out at 103.2 mph. There are plenty of elite relievers around MLB right now, but Doval belongs in any conversation debating the best in the game.

After splitting the first two games of the series, the SF Giants will look to win the rubber match on Sunday afternoon against the Orioles. Anthony DeSclafani is scheduled to start for the Giants, facing off against Tyler Wells. First pitch at Oracle Park is scheduled for 1:05 PM Pacific.