Gerrit Cole outduels Logan Webb on Opening Day, SF Giants lose to Yankees 5-0
The SF Giants are 0-1 after losing to the New York Yankees 5-0 on Opening Day. Giants hitters looked overmatched against Yankees ace Gerritt Cole and struggled to put the ball in play all game. Yankees pitchers racked up 16 strikeouts and did not allow a Giants baserunner to reach third base.
Yankees star Aaron Judge homers against the SF Giants off Logan Webb. (2023)
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants were likely scheduled to play the Yankees because MLB was banking on the offseason's Aaron Judge sweepstakes sparking some added excitement. Judge, of course, spurned the Giants to re-sign a record-setting nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees. The Linden, California native did not wait long to remind everyone why he was so coveted.
In his first plate appearance of the season, Judge jumped on a sinker from Giants starter Logan Webb low in the zone and sent it over the center-field wall to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.
Despite the homer, Webb picked up right where he left off last season, showing off one of the most unique pitch arsenals in the league. He finished the game by setting the Giants Opening Day strikeout record, recording 12 strikeouts.
Webb's sinker, slider, and changeup all had elite movement, and he was able to consistently locate all three pitches. However, facing off against Cole, Webb had no room for error. Webb was handed a loss after allowing four earned runs on four hits and two walks.
SF Giants ace Logan Webb pitches against the Yankees on Opening Day. (2023)
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
In the bottom of the fourth, Josh Donaldson singled and came around to score on a two-run homer by Gleyber Torres. Webb left a first-pitch sinker in the middle of the plate, and Torres sent it into the right-field bleachers. Perhaps the winds at Oracle Park could have kept Torres' homer from leaving the yard, but Yankee Stadium is far from as forgiving.
John Brebbia replaced Webb in the bottom of the seventh, inheriting a leadoff walk from the Giants starter. Brebbia surrendered three hits, allowing a pair of runs (one of which was charged to Webb).
Cole walked LaMonte Wade Jr. on four pitches to start the game, but the Yankees ace quickly locked in. Cole was nearly unhittable on Thursday afternoon. Locating his high-90s fastball sat alongside his elite slider, Cole had Giants hitters' constantly playing from behind. He needed just four innings to rack up 10 strikeouts. It was just the third time in MLB history that both Opening Day starters in a game recorded at least 10 strikeouts.
Wade and Wilmer Flores walked while Thairo Estrada, Michael Conforto, and Roberto Pérez singled against Cole, but the Giants were unable to build any rallies against the Yankees ace. San Francisco faced a tall task going up against Cole, one of the best starters in MLB. However, the lineup's ugly performance did nothing to quell concerns about the offense's lack of obvious star power.
"He's one of the best pitchers in the game," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said about Cole postgame. "So I think our approach was as good as it could've been. We drove his pitch count up. We just weren't able to finish those counts with line drive base hits."
Cole finished six shutout innings before handing things off to the Yankees bullpen, where Wandy Peralta (former Giants reliever), Jonathan Loáisiga (former Giants prospect), and Ron Marinaccio would ensure the Giants remained scoreless.
Estrada was the closest thing to a Giants offensive standout, finishing 2-for-4 with a stolen base, including a pair of hits with exit velocities north of 107 mph.
Brett Wisely (Giants #22 prospect) made his big-league debut after unexpectedly cracking the Opening Day roster, but the career infielder was inserted for Mike Yastrzemski in center field. Wisely only official experience as an outfielder entering this season was in three games as a left fielder in the minors. The Giants, though, believe in Wisely's athleticism and were impressed with how quickly he took to the outfield during spring training.
The Giants took a chance by giving Wisely a roster spot over spring standout Bryce Johnson, one of the best defensive outfielders in the farm system. Time will tell if Wisely is ready to handle center field at the MLB level. He looked fine in his debut but was not heavily tested.
Both teams will enjoy a day off before the SF Giants continue their series against the Yankees on Saturday. Alex Cobb and Clarke Schmidt are the probable starters. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM Pacific.
