San Francisco Giants Ace Does Something Not Seen in Two Decades

Logan Webb's gem on Wednesday was a masterclass in efficiency for the San Francisco Giants.

Jul 31, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb high-fives major league coach Alyssa Nakken. / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Baseball fans who watched or attended Wednesday night's interleague game between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics were treated to a quick, efficient contest.

The game featured almost no offense whatsoever, as both lineups combined for just one run, nine hits (including seven singles), three walks and no stolen bases. The teams were a combined 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, stranding 12 men on base. There weren't many strikeouts, either (nine), as batters were quickly putting the ball in play, often unsuccessfully.

The result was a 1-0 Giants win that lasted just one hour and 55 minutes on a cool summer night, wrapping up at 8:40 p.m. PT and sending the 38,668 fans at Oracle Park home relatively early.

It was the shortest game at Oracle Park since 2005 and tied for the second-quickest since the stadium opened in 2000.

For that, San Francisco fans can thank Logan Webb, who was absurdly efficient.

He went the distance for his second career shutout, throwing 73 of his 106 pitches for strikes. He scattered five hits (all singles) and one walk while striking out six.

Logan Webb finishes his second career shutout! 🕸️ pic.twitter.com/E6yppAtdwD

— MLB (@MLB) August 1, 2024

In terms of time, Webb nearly matched his other career shutout -- a 1-0 blanking of the Colorado Rockies last year. That masterpiece lasted just one hour and 56 minutes -- a mere one minute longer.

Webb, who prides himself on attacking hitters and inducing weak contact, joined Hall of Famer Greg Maddux as the only other pitcher since 1995 with multiple 1-0 shutouts that lasted less than two hours.

Wednesday's outing was a big rebound performance for the 27-year-old All-Star, who was 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA over his previous three starts. He's now 8-8 with a 3.49 ERA and leads MLB in innings (144.1) for the second year in a row.

After ending July on a high note, Webb is scheduled to make his next start early next week against the Washington Nationals.