Michael Conforto, Heliot Ramos provide SF Giants highlights in 9-3 loss to Rangers
The SF Giants lost to the Texas Rangers 9-3 on Saturday evening, dropping to 62-55 on the season. The Giants offense showed some signs of life, with veteran Michael Conforto delivering his best performance in over a month. But the team's woes in clutch situations wasted several prime run-scoring opportunities. The Giants are now only a game ahead of the Cubs for control of the second Wild-Card spot and are 8.5 games back of the Dodgers in the National League West.
SF Giants SP Alex Cobb throws a pitch against the Rangers on August 12, 2023.
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Unlike Friday night's pitcher's duel, both offenses managed to score a run in the first inning. In the top of the first inning, Giants starter Alex Cobb took a couple of hitters to settle in. While Rangers leadoff hitter Marcus Semien flew out, just missing a mistake, Corey Seager lined a solo home run to center field.
The Giants quickly evened the score in the bottom of the first inning. Wilmer Flores, who has spent the last month looking like the Giants' greatest right-handed hitter since Jeff Kent, lined a two-out double off Rangers starter Andrew Heaney. With a runner in scoring position, rookie catcher Patrick Bailey singled into left field. Third-base coach Mark Hallberg sent Flores home. The relay throw beat Flores to the plate by several seconds, but catcher Mitch Garver was unable to field a short hop, which allowed Flores to score safely.
Cobb should have had a 1-2-3 second inning, but center fielder Austin Slater seemed to lose a line drive in the sun. The ball bounced off Slater's glove and, for some reason, was ruled a double. Still, Cobb retired the next hitter to retire the side.
Heaney lost feel for the strike zone in the second inning, allowing a single to Conforto in between walks to Luis Matos and Heliot Ramos. Heaney struck out Mark Mathias but with the top of the order coming to the plate and only one out, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy went to his bullpen, calling upon right-handed sidearmer Grant Anderson.
Giants manager Gabe Kapler has been aggressive deploying pinch-hitters throughout his tenure to maximize platoon advantages. With Joc Pederson and Blake Sabol available off the bench, it seemed like an opportunity to send one of them to the plate for Austin Slater, who is much more productive against southpaws. Instead, Kapler stuck with Slater and Anderson induced an inning-ending double play to end the inning.
After shutout innings from Cobb and Anderson in the third, the Rangers began squaring up Cobb once again. A mix of hard contact and good batted-ball luck allowed the Rangers to score three runs in the top of the fourth on five singles and a walk.
Conforto managed to close the gap a bit in the bottom of the fourth, golfing a slider from Anderson to right field for a towering home run. It was Conforto's 14th blast of the season and his first since July 8th. The Giants need more from veteran hitters, like Conforto if they want to reach the postseason. He finished the day 2-for-3 with a walk.
Giants manager Gabe Kapler replaced Cobb with Alex Wood after another walk and two hits to start the fifth inning. Entering with the bases loaded and one out, Wood allowed two inherited runners to score. However, Wood righted the ship for 3.2 shutout innings before the wheels fell off in the top of the ninth. Wood allowed three runs before he was replaced by Jakob Junis to finish things out.
The Giants got two runners aboard with nobody out in the fifth and sixth innings but continued to miss opportunities with runners in scoring position. They did not score again. They finished the day 1-for-11 with at least one runner in scoring position.
While the game was out of reach, Ramos was responsible for a ninth-inning run for the second consecutive day. Ramos blasted his first career MLB home run off Brock Burke. With an exit velocity north of 110 mph, Ramos' blast travelled more than 420 feet.
The SF Giants will try to avoid getting swept on Sunday. The Giants will be sending ace Logan Webb to the mound against young Rangers righty Dane Dunning. First pitch at Oracle Park is scheduled for 1:05 PM Pacific.
