Spencer Strider outduels Logan Webb in SF Giants 5-1 loss to Atlanta
The SF Giants lost to Atlanta on Friday night 5-1, falling short in a battle between aces Logan Webb and Spencer Strider. Strider lived up to his billing as one of the best pitchers in the league, making his first start in a week. Webb, on the other hand, had his worst outing since July. Following the loss, the Giants fall to 66-62 on the season and have a negative run differential on the season for the first time since May 29th. They are now one game back of the Chicago Cubs for the final wild card.
SF Giants SP Logan Webb throws a pitch against Atlanta on August 25, 2023.
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Webb surrendered a solo home run to center fielder Michael Harris II in the top of the first inning, which quickly put the Giants behind. Harris pulled a fastball that was out of the strikezone and inside high over the right-field wall. It was the first of several run-scoring hits against Webb that would come on pitches outside the strikezone.
Webb exchanged zeroes with Strider in the second and third innings, but he was unable to keep Atlanta for long. Harris led off the fourth inning with a single and came around to score on a line drive double by Matt Olson. Marcell Ozuna drove Olson in with an RBI single to put Atlanta ahead 3-0.
Webb would be forced out of the game in the top of the sixth inning, when he faced the most dangerous part of Atlanta's lineup once again. Ronald Acuña Jr. tripled to lead off the inning and scored on an RBI single by Harris. After recording one more out, Giants manager Gabe Kapler replaced Webb with southpaw Alex Wood, who allowed Harris to score.
Despite allowing the inherited runner to score, Wood completed 3.2 shutout innings of work, saving the rest of the Giants' pen. He allowed just one hit and a walk alongside two strikeouts.
While Webb struggled through 5.1 innings pitched, Strider picked up where he left off last week when he completed seven shutout innings against San Francisco and struck out 10. Strider did allow a run, his first since August 7th, but he struck out nine in seven low-stress innings.
Wade Meckler (Giants Top 22 Prospect) and Luis Matos (Giants Top 4 Prospect) gave the Giants an early opportunity against Strider with back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the second inning. However, LaMonte Wade Jr. struck out and Acuña managed to catch a line drive from Thairo Estrada that was hit toward the right-center field gap.
Meckler did have another solid day at the plate, finishing 2-for-2 with a walk. He posted a new MLB career-high 99.7 mph exit velocity on one of his singles. He was the only Giants player to record more than one hit.
After that, the Giants did not come close to scoring again until the bottom of the sixth inning when got just under a 3-2 fastball from Strider in the bottom of the sixth inning and was forced to settle for a warning track fly out.
Finally, after Joc Pederson tripled to lead off off the seventh inning, the Giants scored their first run of the game on a groundout by J.D. Davis. Neither team would score again.
Davis doubled off the wall against Raisel Iglesias with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, a positive sign of life from the scuffling third baseman. However, he was stranded when Iglesias struck out recent acquisition Paul DeJong to end the game.
As the SF Giants continue to fall in the standings, they will look to begin righting the ship on Saturday afternoon against Atlanta. The Giants have not yet announced a starting pitcher, but whoever gets the nod will face Atlanta lefty Max Fried.
