SF Giants hitting woes continue against Spencer Strider in 4-0 loss to Atlanta

The SF Giants went up against the best pitcher on the best team in the National League and looked overmatched in a loss to Atlanta.

The SF Giants lost the first game of an east-coast road trip 4-0 on Friday to Atlanta. Facing the best team in the National League, the Giants hoped All-Star starter Alex Cobb could go toe to toe with Atlanta's ace Spencer Strider. However, the 2022 runner-up in National League Rookie of the Year voting dominated the Giants' offense and kept San Francisco's bats quiet. The Giants fell to 64-58 on the season (4-9 since adding Cruise's cursed jersey patch) and are only a half-game ahead of the Reds for the second NL Wild Card spot.

SF Giants Alex Cobb throws against Atlanta at Truist Park on August 18, 2023 / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Cobb continued a recent trend of struggles early in his outings. Atlanta's offense jumped on Cobb for a two-run rally in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs on four singles and a hit by pitch. Then, in the second inning, Michael Harris II and Austin Riley extended Atlanta's lead to 3-0 with consecutive extra-base hits.

Cobb averted an entirely disastrous outing by limiting the damage and working around a few baserunners across the next few innings of work. The veteran righty surrendered a pair of walks in the sixth inning, leading pitching coach Andrew Bailey (who was handling pitching decisions while manager Gabe Kapler served a one-game suspension) to make a change with two outs in the inning. Bailey called upon lefty Scott Alexander to face Harris, who singled in an inherited runner. Cobb finished the day having allowed four earned runs on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts across 5.2 innings pitched.

After Alexander finished out the inning, Luke Jackson and Tristan Beck each completed a shutout inning of work, although Jackson had to escape a bases-loaded jam.

Atlanta's early offense was more than enough for Strider, who dazzled his way through the Giants lineup. Strider needed fewer than 50 pitches to record six strikeouts across three perfect innings to start the game before allowing the Giants' first base runner when he walked LaMonte Wade Jr. to start the fourth. Two batters later, Wilmer Flores singled. They were the lone two Giants to reach base against Strider, who finished seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts.

The Giants immediately built a rally against Atlanta's bullpen, with J.D. Davis and Patrick Bailey reaching base to start the top of the eighth against Joe Jiménez. However, the former Tigers closer struck out Brandon Crawford and induced a line out from Thairo Estrada before A.J. Minter entered and retired pinch-hitter Austin Slater to end the inning on another line out.

In a game lacking bright spots for the Giants, recent call-up Wade Meckler (Giants #7 Prospect) was 0-for-3 with a strikeout against Atlanta's ace but actually had three solid plate appearances against the top starter, two of which ended in line drive outs. He also continued to look comfortable in center field. Granted, Meckler still has not put a non-fastball in play since his call up. His two strikeouts, one against Strider and another against Raisel Iglesias in the ninth, came on off-speed pitches.

After losing to Atlanta's ace on Friday night, the SF Giants will send ace Logan Webb to the mound on Saturday to try and end the team's skid. He will face off against right-hander Yonny Chirinos. First pitch at Truist Park is scheduled for 4:20 PM Pacific.