Struggling San Francisco Giants Starter Throws Like Cy Young Winner Again

For all the struggles he’s had this season, San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell threw like the star they signed in the offseason.

Jul 9, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Oracle Park. / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell had a promising return to the rotation against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, July 9.

But, on Sunday, Snell pitched exactly like the two-time Cy Young winner the Giants signed in the offseason.

The left-hander gave the Oracle Park crowd something to really get excited about as he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning of San Francisco’s 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

The 31-year-old looked the sharpest he has all year, commanding the zone throughout the contest and retiring the first 18 Twins he faced before Manuel Margot singled to left field to end the perfect game bid.

Snell got through the seventh, as he induced a double play ground ball out of Willi Castro and then struck out Brooks Lee.

With that, he had his first seven-inning outing of the season, as he allowed one hit and struck out eight. He walked none. He threw 55 strikes out of 80 pitches.

“That’s what you get when you get a Blake Snell that’s healthy, especially towards the second half of the season,” manager Bob Melvin said. “That’s when he’s really, really good.”

Minnesota scored two runs after he left, but Mike Yastrzemski’s walk-off hit gave the Giants the win.

Snell has fought injuries this season, going on the injured list twice. When San Francisco signed him in late March, the belief was that he had kept himself in shape enough to start the year in the Majors and pitch his way into shape.

He took three turns in the rotation before he suffered a left adductor muscle injury that put him on the 15-day injured list in mid-April, which caused him to miss a month.

When he returned, he made a start against the Pittsburgh Pirates before going straight to the paternity list awaiting the birth of his child. He spent 72 hours on that list but returned to make his next turn on May 27.

He then went back on the 15-day IL on June 3, a day after he left a start against the New York Yankees with a groin injury. The injury was not related to his previous injury.

He was activated on Tuesday to make his first Giants start in a month and looked solid, giving up no runs and one hit in five innings. He walked three and struck out three.

With his last two starts he’s still winless (0-3) but has trimmed his ERA from 9.51 to 6.31. He has struck out 42 and walked 14.

Snell won his second Cy Young last season with the San Diego Padres, where he went 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA in 32 starts with 234 strikeouts and 99 walks.