Logan Webb falls just short of a shutout in SF Giants 3-2 win over Rangers
The SF Giants avoided a sweep on Sunday afternoon with a 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers. After dropping four consecutive games, the Giants were able to lean on ace Logan Webb in the final game of Bruce Bochy's first series back at Oracle Park. Webb delivered his 16th quality start of the season, he gave the Giants several chances to win. They finally did in the bottom of the tenth.
SF Giants ace Logan Webb pitches against the Texas Rangers on August 13, 2023.
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Webb leaned heavily on his changeup against Texas, throwing it more than 60% of the time. He did not use any other offering, including his signature sinker, on more than 15% of his pitches. His offspeed-heavy approach did not induce a lot of whiffs (although Webb's four-seam fastball did get three swinging strikes on five swings) but did generate plenty of soft contact.
Webb dealt with a runner in scoring position in three of his first four innings of work but seemed to settle in as the game went on. The Rocklin, California native pounded the strike zone and put himself in a position to work deep into the game. He recorded six strikeouts against six hits and one walk in 8.2 innings of work.
Facing off against Webb, Rangers righty Dane Dunning continued building on the most impressive season of his young career. The former first-round pick (and top-100 prospect) entered the day with a 3.21 ERA in 120.2 innings pitched (25 games) but had not accrued strikeouts at a notable rate. Like Webb, Dunning primarily relies on inducing soft contact with a four-pitch mix headlined by a sinker. However, the Giants' struggling bats found themselves struggling to put the ball in play.
Dunning racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts with 23 swings and misses across seven innings pitched. His slider did the bulk of the damage, inducing 12 swinging strikes, but the Giants whiffed on his sinker and fastball five times as well. Despite one of the best outings of his career, Dunning was on the hook for the loss because of Michael Conforto.
Conforto sat on a 1-1 sinker from Dunning that floated up in the zone in the bottom of the second inning. The former Mets' All-Star sent the pitch 408 feet and over the center field wall for his second home run of the weekend. It's no secret that Conforto has been one of the streakiest players on the Giants this season. After posting an abysmal .197/.290/.213 triple-slash with just one extra-base hit from July 17th through August 8th. He's 5-for-11 with a double and two home runs in his last four games.
The Giants stranded Thairo Estrada on second base after a one-out double in the bottom of the eighth inning. So with a one-run lead, manager Gabe Kapler allowed Webb to return to the mound even though his pitch count was already at 96 pitches.
Webb induced a fly-out from Adolis García before lefty Jonah Heim came to the plate. Heim rolled over a changeup for a soft ground out. However, recent call-up J.P. Martinez lined a double into right-center field to extend the game and led to a pitching change.
Kapler called upon closer Camilo Doval, who needed just one out to end the game. The flamethrower induced a soft groundball from Ezequiel Duran, but it was deep into the hole between third base and shortstop. Martinez, who has excellent speed, raced around third and scored as Duran beat out a throw from shortstop Brandon Crawford, tying the game.
With the game tied, Bochy brought Aroldis Chapman into the game. Chapman struck out rookie Luis Matos to start the inning, but then Heliot Ramos blasted a double high off the wall in right-center field, his second extra-base hit against Chapman in the series. In most other MLB ballparks, it would have been a walk-off homer. Instead, the Giants needed one more hit.
Kapler deployed righty Austin Slater and Wilmer Flores as pinch-hitters with the winning run in scoring position, but Chapman struck out both hitters.
So, the game went into extra innings. Doval returned to the mound in the top of the 10th. Rangers third baseman Josh Smith hit a blooper into shallow left-center field that fell between Matos, Ramos, and Estrada. With runners on the corners and nobody out, Doval needed some strikeouts.
Doval punched out Leody Taveras but was called for a balk by home plate umpire Doug Eddings, bringing in the go-ahead run. Doval induced an inning-ending double play from Corey Seager, but the Rangers had a 2-1 lead.
Rangers closer Will Smith entered in the bottom of the tenth, looking for his 23rd save of the season. Estrada led off the inning with an infield pop-out. Without any bats available off the bench, Pederson had to hit against the lefty and struck out, putting the Giants' hopes in rookie catcher Patrick Bailey's hands. He delivered a walk-off home run. Instead of a crushing defeat, the Giants had won the game.
The Giants have been lucky to avoid falling out of a postseason position during their middling past six weeks. Entering play on Sunday, they were just 16-19 since the start of July. While the Dodgers have capitalized on those struggles to take firm control of the National League West, the Philadelphia Phillies remain the only team ahead of them in the Wild Card.
The SF Giants will look to use Sunday's win as a catalyst for a winning streak on Monday when the Tampa Bay Rays come to town and begin a three-game series. While San Francisco has not announced a probable starting pitcher, Tyler Glasnow is slated to start for the Rays. First pitch at Oracle Park is scheduled for 6:45 PM Pacific.
