SAN FRANCISCO — Logan Webb apparently turned the calendar a day early.
Good thing, too, because the Giants needed every pitch of his second career complete game shutout Wednesday night to claim a split of their two-game Bay Bridge series against the A’s. Facing Ross Stripling, one of the worst starters in the majors since being shipped across the Bay this winter, the Giants managed just four hits and a lone run in a 1-0 win.
One of Webb’s most dominant starts of the season, if not his career, couldn’t have come at a better time.
Not only did it allow them to overcome another meager night from a lineup that received little help at Tuesday’s trade deadline, but it should quiet any concerns that Webb’s most difficult month since ascending to the top of the rotation was a sign of anything to come.
Webb took a 6.65 ERA in his previous four July starts into Wednesday’s game and lowered that figure to 4.78, but it still amounted to the highest ERA he has posted over the course of one calendar month since his 6.94 ERA over the final month of the 2020 season.
Going the distance for the third time in his career, Webb completed seven innings for a major league-leading 12th time but hadn’t done so since July 4, also the last time he earned a win. In between, he made three starts and allowed at least four runs and eight hits in each of them, issuing an uncharacteristic seven walks the past two times he took the mound.
J.J. Bleday lined a 108 mph single off Brett Wisely’s glove in the first inning that gave Oakland runners at the corners and one out, but Webb painted the outside corner with sinkers to ring up the next two batters, ending the inning, and didn’t allow another runner to reach third base.
Webb took the mound to start the ninth inning with no action in the bullpen and finished his first complete game of the season without drama. He issued only one walk and limited the A’s to five hits, his fewest since his final start in June.
All the more impressive considering the opponent, and not because of Webb’s 5.68 ERA in five previous starts against the cross-bay rivals. The A’s — yes, the A’s — scored the second-most runs in the majors this month, even after being blanked on its final day.
Related Articles
What becoming SF Giants’ full-time DH means for Marco Luciano’s development
SF Giants fall to A’s in first game since standing pat at MLB trade deadline
SF Giants bet on pitching, prospects at MLB trade deadline: ‘We feel we have the best rotation in baseball’
SF Giants add San Jose native, former A’s outfielder Canha at trade deadline
Kurtenbach: The SF Giants showed their true colors at the MLB trade deadline
It has been a different story for the Giants’ bats, who went silent for the second consecutive day after not getting a meaningful upgrade before Tuesday’s trade deadline. After being held to five hits in Tuesday’s loss, they needed only four to pull out a win behind Webb.
Stripling entered Wednesday with a 6.02 ERA, higher than all but six pitchers with as many innings, but limited his former team to one run on four hits over 5⅔ innings. The only run the Giants were able to manufacture came when Mike Yastrzemski advanced from first to third on a single from Marco Luciano and scored on a sacrifice fly from Brett Wisely.
The Giants secured a winning record — 13-12 — for the month of July, but they will have to do more than flirt with .500 the rest of the way if they want to achieve their goal of reaching the postseason.
Up next
The Giants are off Thursday while they travel to Cincinnati, where they begin a seven-game, two-city road trip with a weekend series against the Reds.
