SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: With yesterday’s commanding 15-1 victory, the Giants improved to 26-25 on the year, marking the first time the club has been above the .500 mark this season… San Francisco has now won of nine of its last 11 games and improved to 4-1 on this seven-game road trip to Minnesota (2-1) and Milwaukee (2-0).
FLYING HIGH: The Giants 15 runs scored last night matched the most they have ever scored at this facility (also: July 7, 2010) and their 19 hits also ranked as the most they have ever had here surpassing their 18 hits on July 7, 2010.
APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS: After going 11- 15 (.423) in April, the Giants have gone 15-9 (.625) over 24 games in May, which is tied with the Yankees and Rays for the fourth-best winning percentage in the Majors this month behind the Rangers (15-7, .682), Dodgers (15-8, .652) and Astros (14-8, .636).
WEBB GEMS: RHP Logan Webb will take the hill today for the Giants…Webb had a rocky start to the season, going 0-4 with a 4.94 ERA and a .280 opponents average over his first four outings, but has turned things around as of late, going 2-0 with a 1.30 ERA and a 1.12 opponents average in his last four starts…according to Stats, LLC, Webb’s performance this May has been one of the best by a Giant in the modern era
KEEP RUNNING: The Giants have not been shutout by the Brewers in their last 73 meetings, their longest active such streak against any opponent…the last time San Francisco went 70 straight games or longer without getting shutout against a single opponent was against the Diamondbacks between 2010 and 2014 (74 games straight) (Stats, LLC).
BE LIKE MIKE: OF Michael Conforto is hitting .368 (21-for57) with 14 runs scored, two doubles, seven homers and 16 RBI over his last 15 games…his seven home runs since May 10 are tied for the third-most homers in MLB since May 10 behind NYY’s Aaron Judge (8)and CHC’s Christopher Morel (8).
FEW RUNS ALLOWED: San Francisco’s pitching staff has allowed four earned runs or fewer in 12 straight games entering today, the longest such streak in the Majors this year (see chart below)…during that 12-game stretch the Giants have posted a 9-3 record with the pitching staff posting a 2.38 ERA and a .201 opponents average…the 12 games mark the Giants’ longest such streak since May 6-19, 2016, when San Francisco had 13 straight contests.
TODAY’S STARTER – LOGAN WEBB RHP #62
2023 RECORD: 3-5, 2.91 ERA
WITH THE GIANTS: Is in the midst of his fifth season with SF…made his fourth career Opening Day roster and his second consecutive Opening Day start with his outing on March 30 at the Yankees… signed a five-year, $90 million extension on April 14 that keeps him in a Giants uniform through 2028…the contract bought out his final two arbitration years and first three years of free agency.
LAST TIME OUT: Twirled 6.0 scoreless innings last Saturday vs. Miami in SF’s 1-0 loss…he allowed four hits, walked two and struck out seven in the 91-pitch effort…he did not come out for the 7th inning after experiencing some lower back tightness…he told reporters postgame that he wasn’t too concerned about it…he’s pitching on six days rest today after being given an extra few days since his regular turn would have been Thursday’s series opener.
CORNER TURNED : Over his last six starts, Webb has looked more like the 2021-2022 version, posting a 1.74 ERA (8er, 41.1ip) on 33 hits with 10 walks and 37 strikeouts…the peripherals have been better than his first four outings (4.94 ERA, 26 hits, 23.2ip)…in this stretch, Webb’s changeup has been a key as its accounted for 62 of the 124 outs that he’s recorded according to SIS…overall, Webb’s 1.74 ERA since April 22 is fifth-best in the Majors among qualified starters in that time behind SEA’s Bryce Miller (1.15), TEX’s Nate Eovaldi (1.32), MIN’s Joe Ryan (1.50) and DET’s Eduardo Rodríguez (1.67).
I PUT ON FOR MY CITY: Webb’s 65.0 innings pitched are tied for 10th in the Majors entering play today.
I WATCHED A CHANGE…IN YOU: Through his first four starts this year opponents hit .344 with a .563 slugging % off his changeup… in his last five starts, opposing hitters have gone 13-for-72 (.181) against the pitch with three extra-base hits, 19 strikeouts and four walks…last season, they batted .204 with a .286 slugging %…during his breakout 2021 season, opponents had a .263 average with a .365 slugging % off the changeup.
VS. MILWAUKEE: Is making his fourth career start vs. the Brewers with his outing today…last faced them on July 17, 2022 at Oracle Park and notched the win in a 9-5 Giants victory…Webb pitched 6.0 innings and allowed two runs on four hits in that outing…in his lone start here in Milwaukee back on August 6, 2021, he twirled 6.0 innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts.
THE THRILL OF THE CHASE…: This season Webb’s chase rate is 32.7%, up from 30.7% a season ago and much closer to his 32.5% rate during his breakout 2021 campaign…overall, his career chase rate average sits at 29.9%…entering his start today, Webb’s 32.7% chase rate this season is 12th-best in the Majors but fourth-best in the National League among qualified starters.
STAYING GROUNDED: His 61.6 groundball percentage this season is slightly up from last year’s 57.8% mark and above his career average of 58.1%…entering play this afternoon the 61.6 groundball % is second-best in MLB behind teammate Alex Cobb (61.9%).
THIS IS MORE LIKE IT…: After allowing seven homers in his first six starts spanning 37.1 innings to begin the year, Webb has not allowed a homer in his last three starts (20.0ip) and has allowed one overall in his last four starts (27.2ip)…his 3.1 home run percentage is still way above his career norm (1.8%) but it’s at least coming down.
A CONCERNING RECENT TREND…: Over the last 2+ seasons as Webb has come into his own, the Giants as a team are 42-26 (.618) in games that he has started since 2021…however, SF is 3-7 in his 10 starts this season 8-11 in his last 19 starts dating to August 13, 2022…in those 19 starts, Webb has received one or fewer runs of support 10 times…he himself has a 2.58 ERA in those 19 starts while posting an 8.82 K/9ip ratio and a 4.52 K/BB ratio.
THAT’S STRIKEOUTS WITH A K: The righty has whiffed 65 batters in 65.0 innings so far in 2023 (9.00 K/9ip)…his 5.00 K/ BB ratio is fourth-best in the NL…for reference, Webb’s highest K/9 of his career came in his breakout 2021 season where he averaged 9.6 strikeouts per 9.0 innings…looking at this season a different way, Webb is striking out 25.3% of his batters faced (65 strikeouts in 257 batters faced)…last year his strikeout percentage was 20.7%.
EARLY RETURNS: Webb’s 70.0% first-pitch strike percentage is up from last year’s 65.3% average and above his career average of 64.8%…he posted a career-best 66.6% ground ball rate in his breakout 2021 campaign…his 70.0% first pitch strike percentage is fourth-best in the Majors and best in the National League.
GET THROUGH THE 1ST…: Opponents have gone 11-for-38 (.289) vs. Webb in the first inning this year…in innings 2-6 though, they are hitting a combined .213 (38-for-178).
MILWAUKEE BREWERS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: Is game 6 (2-3) of a 7-game homestand against Houston (2-1) and San Francisco (0-2)…..following this homestand and an off day on Monday, the team takes a 7-game road trip to Toronto (3g) and Cincinnati (4g)…..their next homestand will cover 6 games vs. Baltimore (3g) and Oakland (3g) from June 6-11.
IN THE TRAINER’S ROOM: SS Willy Adames (concussion), RHP Jason Alexander (right rotator cuff), LHP Aaron Ashby (left labrum), RHP JB Bukauskas (neck), RHP Matt Bush (right rotator cuff), LHP Eric Lauer (right shoulder), LHP Wade Miley (left lat), OF Garrett Mitchell (left shoulder), INF Luis Urías (left hamstring), 1B Luke Voit (neck), LHP Justin Wilson (left elbow) and RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) are on the IL…..Alexander, Ashby, Mitchell, Urías, Wilson and Woodruff are on the 60-day IL.
IN THE STANDINGS (58 days): The Brewers have spent the following number of days alone or tied at each position in the NL Central standings: FIRST: 37, SECOND: 19, THIRD: 2, FOURTH: 0, FIFTH: 0…..the team is currently in first place, leading the second-place Pirates by half a game.
SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Brewers are 8-8-0 in series play.
Game 1: 7-10, Game 2: 10-7, Game 3: 9-7, Game 4: 1-0
Sweep Wins (3): vs. NYM (3g, 4/3-4/5), at SEA (3g, 4/17-4/19), vs. KC (3g, 5/12-5/14)
Sweep Losses (1): at COL (3g, 5/2-5/4)
AT HOME: The Brewers are 15-11 at home, going 5-3-0 in series play…..the team went 46-35 at home last season, going 15-8-4 in series play.
ON THE ROAD: The Brewers are 12-13 on the road, going 3-5-0 in series play…..are 3-9 over their last 12 games and have dropped their last 4 series…..the team went 40-41 on the road last season, going 9-12-5 in series play.
LET’S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE: The Brewers have made 10 replay challenges this season, going 5-5…..their last challenge (lost) came on May 25 vs. San Francisco as a foul tip (Joey Wiemer) stood.
TODAY’S STARTER: #39 – RHP CORBIN BURNES (10gs, 4-4, 3.97)
BURNES AT A GLANCE: Corbin Burnes, 28, is making his 11th start of the season and second against the Giants…..Burnes last started on Monday vs. Houston and took a 12-2 loss (5ip, 7h, 5r, 5er, 2bb, 5k, 4hr, 1wp, 91 pitches)…..his 4 HR allowed marked a career high…..the team is 5-5 in his starts…..he has 5 quality starts…..opponents are batting .229 (48-for-210, 9hr)…..Burnes was selected by Milwaukee in the fourth round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of St. Mary’s (CA) College…..he is under club control through 2024.
LAST SEASON: Burnes went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA in 33 starts last season, finishing seventh in NL Cy Young Award voting after winning the award in 2021…..Burnes was an All-Star for the second straight season and was named Brewers Most Valuable Pitcher for the second year in a row…..his career-high 243 strikeouts led the National League and ranked second in the majors behind the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole (257)…..he became the first pitcher in franchise history to lead his league in strikeouts…..he also ranked among the NL top five in starts (T1st, 33), AVG (2nd, .197), K/9IP (2nd, 10.83), H/9IP (2nd, 6.42), innings pitched (4th, 202.0), K/BB (4th, 4.76), quality starts (T4th, 21) and WHIP (5th, 0.97)…..the team went 20-13 in his starts.
CY BURNES: Burnes won the 2021 National League Cy Young Award after going 11-5 with a Major League-best 2.43 ERA in 28 starts…..he became the third pitcher in franchise history to win a Cy Young Award, joining Rollie Fingers (1981) and Pete Vuckovich (1982)…..he became the first pitcher in franchise history to lead his league in ERA.
CAREER: Is 39-23 with a 3.29 ERA in 145 games/84 starts (572.1ip, 209er)…..is in his sixth Major League season, all with the Brewers (2018-23)…..is 31-20 with a 3.05 ERA as a starter (490.1ip, 166er) and 8-3 with a 4.72 ERA in relief (82ip, 43er)…..Burnes is a two-time All-Star (2021-22) and was a 2021 All-MLB First Team selection.
CAREER AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD: Is 19-13 with a 3.58 ERA in 71 games/44 starts (299ip, 119er)…..is 2-1 with a 4.78 ERA in 5 starts this season (26.1ip, 14er)
CAREER ON THE ROAD: Is 20-10 with a 2.96 ERA in 74 games/40 starts (273.1ip, 90er)…..is 2-3 with a 3.26 ERA in 5 starts this season (30.1ip, 11er).
CAREER vs. GIANTS: Is 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA in 13 games/6 starts (46ip, 12er), including a 6-4 loss this season on 5/5 at Oracle Park (6ip, 4h, 5r, 2er, 3bb, 5k, 1hr).
