- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,130,362
- Reaction score
- 59
The San Francisco Giants returned to Oracle Park on Friday night looking to bounce back after being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks, but instead opened their three-game set against the Chicago White Sox with a disappointing 9-4 loss.
Coming off an off day on Thursday, the Giants turned to rookie right-hander Trevor McDonald, while Chicago countered with Davis Martin. San Francisco struggled in nearly every phase early in the contest as the White Sox broke the game open with a nine-run fourth inning that ultimately put the game out of reach.
McDonald entered Friday having impressed across his first few starts of the season, carrying a 2-0 record and a 2.37 ERA after a strong outing against the Athletics in which he allowed just one earned run over 6 2/3 innings. Against Chicago, however, the young starter never settled into a rhythm.
The right-hander lasted only 3 2/3 innings, surrendering seven earned runs on three hits while walking one and striking out four. He threw 66 pitches before being lifted during the disastrous fourth inning.
According to Baseball Savant metrics, McDonald leaned heavily on his sinker, throwing it 47 times while mixing in 13 sliders and six changeups. His velocity dipped slightly compared to previous outings, with his fastball averaging roughly one mile per hour below his season norm. He generated eight whiffs on 30 swings overall, finishing with a 27 percent whiff rate.
Despite flashing swing-and-miss ability, Chicago capitalized on mistakes left over the plate and consistently pressured the Giants defensively throughout the inning.
The Giants’ defense did little to help their pitching staff during the pivotal fourth inning. A throwing error from Willy Adames helped extend the inning and allowed an additional run to score, while Rafael Devers committed a fielding error at first base.
The miscues only added to the momentum shift as San Francisco quickly fell behind in the opener.
Following McDonald’s exit, Ryan Borucki entered in relief and tossed 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, while striking out two. Though Borucki showed some swing-and-miss stuff, several pitches left in hittable locations led to additional White Sox scoring opportunities.
Left-hander Erik Miller helped stabilize the game in the sixth inning, delivering one scoreless frame while walking one and striking out two. Miller threw 19 pitches, 11 for strikes, and effectively slowed Chicago’s offensive momentum.
The strongest bullpen outing came from Justin Brubaker, who covered the final three innings. Bruihl allowed no runs while walking two and striking out one across 41 pitches, including 28 strikes, helping preserve the bullpen despite the deficit.
San Francisco attempted to claw back into the game midway through the contest. In the fifth inning, Adames drove in a run on a fielder’s choice that plated Jesús Rodríguez, while Luis Arraez followed with an RBI single to left field that scored Drew Gilbert.
Casey Schmitt would bring in the final run of the fifth, where he would ground out to shortstop but brought home another run.
An inning later, Rodríguez added an RBI to push the Giants to four runs. Despite the brief offensive push, the lineup cooled off again late and was unable to overcome the massive early deficit created by Chicago’s fourth-inning explosion.
The loss dropped San Francisco to 20-31 on the season as the club continued its recent struggles with a fourth consecutive defeat. The Giants will attempt to rebound Saturday when Adrian Houser is expected to take the mound opposite Erick Fedde for Chicago in the second game of the series.
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
Coming off an off day on Thursday, the Giants turned to rookie right-hander Trevor McDonald, while Chicago countered with Davis Martin. San Francisco struggled in nearly every phase early in the contest as the White Sox broke the game open with a nine-run fourth inning that ultimately put the game out of reach.
McDonald Suffers Toughest Start of Season
McDonald entered Friday having impressed across his first few starts of the season, carrying a 2-0 record and a 2.37 ERA after a strong outing against the Athletics in which he allowed just one earned run over 6 2/3 innings. Against Chicago, however, the young starter never settled into a rhythm.
The right-hander lasted only 3 2/3 innings, surrendering seven earned runs on three hits while walking one and striking out four. He threw 66 pitches before being lifted during the disastrous fourth inning.
According to Baseball Savant metrics, McDonald leaned heavily on his sinker, throwing it 47 times while mixing in 13 sliders and six changeups. His velocity dipped slightly compared to previous outings, with his fastball averaging roughly one mile per hour below his season norm. He generated eight whiffs on 30 swings overall, finishing with a 27 percent whiff rate.
Despite flashing swing-and-miss ability, Chicago capitalized on mistakes left over the plate and consistently pressured the Giants defensively throughout the inning.
Defensive Mistakes Compound Giants’ Problems
The Giants’ defense did little to help their pitching staff during the pivotal fourth inning. A throwing error from Willy Adames helped extend the inning and allowed an additional run to score, while Rafael Devers committed a fielding error at first base.
The miscues only added to the momentum shift as San Francisco quickly fell behind in the opener.
Bullpen Settles Things Down Late
Following McDonald’s exit, Ryan Borucki entered in relief and tossed 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, while striking out two. Though Borucki showed some swing-and-miss stuff, several pitches left in hittable locations led to additional White Sox scoring opportunities.
Left-hander Erik Miller helped stabilize the game in the sixth inning, delivering one scoreless frame while walking one and striking out two. Miller threw 19 pitches, 11 for strikes, and effectively slowed Chicago’s offensive momentum.
The strongest bullpen outing came from Justin Brubaker, who covered the final three innings. Bruihl allowed no runs while walking two and striking out one across 41 pitches, including 28 strikes, helping preserve the bullpen despite the deficit.
Giants Show Brief Offensive Life
San Francisco attempted to claw back into the game midway through the contest. In the fifth inning, Adames drove in a run on a fielder’s choice that plated Jesús Rodríguez, while Luis Arraez followed with an RBI single to left field that scored Drew Gilbert.
Casey Schmitt would bring in the final run of the fifth, where he would ground out to shortstop but brought home another run.
An inning later, Rodríguez added an RBI to push the Giants to four runs. Despite the brief offensive push, the lineup cooled off again late and was unable to overcome the massive early deficit created by Chicago’s fourth-inning explosion.
Giants Continue Slide
The loss dropped San Francisco to 20-31 on the season as the club continued its recent struggles with a fourth consecutive defeat. The Giants will attempt to rebound Saturday when Adrian Houser is expected to take the mound opposite Erick Fedde for Chicago in the second game of the series.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
