SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: SF looks to salvage the final game of this three-game series in Detroit this afternoon after dropping the first two games on Friday and Saturday…the Giants have never been swept by the Tigers in any Interleague series of any length since they started playing one another in 2003.
AGAIN…REALLY?: SF suffered is second walk-off loss in as many days with the loss yesterday (also in the 11th inning like the night before)…since 2022, SF’s 11 walk-off losses are now tied for second-most in the Majors behind Arizona (12)… Miami and New York-AL also have 11 in that span…the last time SF suffered consecutive walk-off losses was June 19, 2022 (a walk-off loss at Pittsburgh on a Jack Suwinski three-run homer) and June 20, 2022 (a walk-off loss in Atlanta on an Orlando Arcia single ).
WE ARE MAYBE AFRAID OF GHOSTS SOMETIMES?: Since the automatic runner in extra innings was introduced for the 2020 season SF has played 39 extra-innings games (T-7th-most in MLB in that stretch) and gone 18-21 (.462)…the .462 winning percentage is 17th of 30 MLB teams…the Giants are 3-7 in extra inning contests dating to July 7 of last season.
EVERYTHING YOU OWN IN THE BOX TO THE LEFT?: The Giants scored all six of their runs and had eight of their nine hits yesterday off RH starter Michael Lorenzen in the first four innings…Detroit then brought in lefty Tyler Holton who threw 3.0 scoreless innings of one-hit ball as part of a Tigers ‘pen that limited SF to one hit over its final 7.0 innings…entering lay today, SF has an .863 OPS (2nd-best in the Majors) and 22 homers (third-best in MLB) vs. RHP…against lefties, however, the Giants .541 team OPS is last in MLB with three home runs.
HELLO OLD FRIEND…: LHP Matthew Boyd starts today for the Tigers and was a member of the Giants last season after signing a Major League deal with the club during the 2021- 2022 offseason…Boyd, however, never actually pitched in a game for SF as he was on the IL while recovering from surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon that he had done in September of 2021…Boyd was dealt to Seattle at the Trade Deadline last
year before he ever pitched a game in a Giants uniform.
WE’RE COMING…: Two of the bats SF would pencil in to a lineup vs. a LHP are on the mend in OFs Mitch Haniger and Austin Slater…Slater started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento Friday and is 1-for-4 with a homer, three runs scored and two walks in two games as the DH…Haniger is doing all baseball activity and the plan as of Friday was for him to start a rehab assignment at some point this week.
WE IN GOOD COMPANY:RHP Anthony DeSclafani has opened the year without walking a batter through his first three starts (19.0 innings) while striking out 16 batters…the only other Giants starter in the SF-era (1958-pres.) to not walk a batter through his first three starts and strike out at least 16 batters was RHP Tim Hudson, who didn’t walk a batter and struck out exactly 16 in 2014.
JUST DINGERS?: IF J.D. Davis homered for a second consecutive game yesterday and he’s now homered in back-to-back games twice in 2023 (also April 5-6)…his seven RBI over his last three games are the most he’s had in a three-game span in his career…in 67 career games in April, Davis is hitting .337 with 10 homers and an .989 OPS.
DEEEEEP CUTS: With two more home runs yesterday, the Giants have now hit 25 home runs so far this season, tied for third-most in MLB behind Tampa Bay (35) and the Dodgers (26)…the Giants 25 homers through their first 14 games are most in franchise history…the most homers through the first 15 games in SF history is 23, which this club has already surpassed…SF has been slightly homer-dependent this year with 60.8% (42 of 69) of their runs coming via the big fly.
SABOL SAYS…: C/OF Blake Sabol slugged his second homer of the season in yesterday’s loss to Detroit…yesterday’s homer came as an outfielder as Sabol played the game in left field… his first career homer came as a catcher earlier in the year… the last Giant to homer as both a catcher and an outfielder in the same season was John Rabb in 1984…he actually hit one as a catcher, one as a left fielder and one as a first baseman.
STARTING STRONG: Despite posting a 1-5 record so far this season, Giants starters have a 3.11 ERA overall in the year, third-best in MLB…they have also walked a Major-League low 14 batters and have struck out 75, third-best in the NL behind the Dodgers (80) and Reds (79).
ON THE FLIP SIDE…: SF’s bullpen has posted a 6.08 ERA (36er, 53.1ip) through its first 14 games, 27th of 30 MLB teams entering play today.
SAW IT ON THE WEBB: RHP Logan Webb, who signed a five-year, $90 million extension with SF on Friday, gets the start today looking for his first win of 2023…Webb has lost each of his first three starts of the year and it marks the second time in his career that he’s lost three consecutive starts (also August 18-30, 2022)…SF’s 26-year-old righty has a 4.48 ERA (44er, 88.1ip) in 17 career Interleague starts.
RETURN TO NORMALCY, TOMORROW: Today’s game ends a stretch where SF played predominantly American League opponents with 12 of their first 15 games coming against the American League…only three of SF’s next 32 games are against an AL team.
VAMOS A MIAMI: After today’s game, the Giants fly to Miami to wrap up their six-game road trip with three games in the 305… since 2015, the Giants have gone 21-25 (.457) vs. the Marlins, which is the club’s third-lowest winning percentage against a National League opponent in that span…SF has only fared worse against the Cardinals (18-29, .383) and Dodgers (65- 81, .445) in that stretch.
TODAY’S STARTER – LOGAN WEBB RHP #62
2023 RECORD: 0-3, 4.76 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 Friday 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: Saddled with his third consecutive loss after allowing four runs (one earned) in 6.0 innings in SF’s 9-1 loss to the Dodgers on Monday at Oracle Park…he allowed a leadoff homer to Mookie Betts and later in the game a three-run homer to Max Muncy…entering the start Webb had allowed the fewest homers at home in the Majors (six) since 2021 among starters who’d made at least 20 starts at home in that span…he struck out six and walked one in the 94-pitch effort.
VS. DETROIT: His lone career start against the Tigers came here last season on August 24 in SF’s 6-1 loss…Webb allowed six runs on four hits but all six runs were unearned thanks to a costly two-out error by Brandon Crawford in the 5th inning that opened the floodgates…Webb fanned six and walked three in the losing effort.
LOGAN’S WEBB: Over the last 2+ seasons as Webb has come into his own, the Giants as a team are 39-22 (.639) in games that he has started since 2021…however, SF has lost each of Webb’s starts this season and 7-of-his-last-11 dating to August 18, 2022.
THE AIR UP THERE…: Webb has allowed multiple homers in two of his three outings this season after doing so just one time all of 2022…last season, Webb’s 0.51 HR/9ip was the fourth-lowest in the Majors behind José Quintana (0.43), Framber Valdez (0.49) and Martín Pérez (0.50)…Webb allowed 11 homers in 192.1 innings in 2022 and has allowed four in 17.0 so far in 2023.
THAT’S STRIKEOUTS WITH A K: The righty has whiffed 22 batters in 17.0 innings so far in 2023 (11.6 K/9ip)…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.
GOOD VIBES ONLY: Webb’s 12 punchouts set the franchise record for most strikeouts on Opening Day, surpassing the 11-strikeout effort from Madison Bumgarner on April 2, 2017 at Arizona…the 12 strikeouts on Opening Day were also tied for 10th-most by any pitcher in MLB history on Opening Day… it was Webb’s fourth career 10+ strikeout game.
DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:
TIGERS EARN SECOND STRAIGHT WALK-OFF WIN: The Tigers overcame a five-run deficit to defeat the Giants in walk-off fashion, 7-6, in 11 innings on Saturday. Trailing 6-3, Detroit scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game before Miguel Cabrera came off the bench to deliver the pinch-hit, walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th. Javier Báez had a pair of hits, including a double, and drove in two in the victory, while Kerry Carpenter added a solo homer, his second of the season. Michael Lorenzen made his Tigers regular season debut, giving up six runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 4.0 innings. The Tigers bullpen was excellent, combining to throw 7.0 scoreless frames with only one hit allowed and six strikeouts.
MIGGY MAGIC: Miguel Cabrera provided the game-winning hit for the Tigers in yesterday’s game, knocking a pinch-hit single into center field to lift the Tigers to a 7-6 win. It marked his 15th career walk-off hit (last, May 26, 2022 vs. Cleveland) and his first in a pinch-hitting role.
The hit was the 3,095th of Cabrera’s career, putting him 15 shy of tying Dave Winfield (3,110) for 22nd in MLB history.
BACK-TO-BACK WALK-OFF WINNERS: The Tigers have started this weekend’s series against the Giants with consecutive walk-off wins after Nick Maton’s three-run homer on Friday and Miguel Cabrera’s single on Saturday. It marks the first time Detroit has posted back-to-back walk-off wins since 2021 (September 12 vs. Tampa Bay and September 14 vs. Milwaukee).
BULLPENNING AT ITS BEST: The Tigers bullpen was excellent in yesterday’s game as five Detroit relievers combined to throw 7.0 shutout innings with only one hit allowed, three walks and six strikeouts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marked the first time the Tigers bullpen had thrown 7.0-or-more innings in a game and allowed no more than one hit since May 2, 2013 at Houston (also 7.0 IP, 1 H). During the Tigers
current three-game winning streak, Detroit’s bullpen has allowed only three earned runs in 16.1 innings.
TIGERS AND GIANTS: The Tigers and Giants conclude their only series of the season this afternoon at Comerica Park. Detroit and San Francisco split their four-game season series in 2022, including a 1-1 record at Comerica Park. The all-time series between the two teams is tied 12-12 with the Tigers holding a 9-7 advantage in games played in Detroit.
INTERLEAGUE ACTION: The Tigers are 2-0 in interleague games this season after winning the first two games of this weekend’s series. With the balanced schedule in 2023, Detroit will play 46 games against National League opponents, compared to 20 in previous season. The Tigers went 11-9 in interleague play last season, including a 5-5 record at Comerica Park.
ON DECK: The Tigers continue their homestand tomorrow as they begin a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians, Detroit’s first series this season against an AL Central opponent. The Tigers went 9-10 against the Guardians last season, including winning sixof-10 games at Comerica Park.
TIGERS ON THE IL:
• RHP Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort, 15-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
• RHP Matt Manning (right foot fracture, 15-day IL on April 8, retroactive to April 7)
• OF Austin Meadows (anxiety, 15-day IL on April 12)
• RHP Casey Mize (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on February 17)
• RHP Freddy Pacheco (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on March 27)
• LHP Tarik Skubal (left elbow strain, 60-day IL on March 14)
UPCOMING MATCHUPS:
• Monday, April 17 vs. CLE – 6:40 p.m. (BSDET/97.1) LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2, 4.50) vs. RHP Hunter Gaddis (0-1, 8.53)
• Tuesday, April 18 vs. CLE – 6:40 p.m. (BSDET/97.1) RHP Spencer Turnbull (1-2, 9.00) vs. RHP Peyton Battenfield (0-0, 1.93)
• Wednesday, April 19 vs. CLE – 1:10 p.m. (BSDET/97.1) LHP Joey Wentz (0-2, 6.39) vs. RHP Cal Quantrill (0-1, 5.74)
TODAY’S TIGERS STARTING PITCHER – Matthew Boyd • 0-1, 4.00 ERA (9.0IP/4ER)
• Boyd will make his third start of the season today in the series finale vs. San Francisco…was signed by the Giants as a free agent in March, 2022, but did not pitch for the team due to an injury.
• Took the loss in his most recent start last Sunday vs. Boston, allowing two runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
• Will be facing the Giants for the first time in his career today…will mark the 27th different MLB team Boyd has faced in his career…in 73 career appearances, including 70 starts, at Comerica Park, he has a 22-25 record with a 4.08 ERA (395.1IP/179ER) and 346 strikeouts.
• Missed most of the 2022 season while rehabbing from an injury, but returned in September to pitch in 10 games and help Seattle to the playoffs…went 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA (13.1IP/2ER) and 13 strikeouts in his 10 outings with the Mariners.
• Is in his second stint with the Tigers…was with the organization from 2015-21, appearing in 147 games, including 143 starts, and compiling a 37-60 record with a 4.87 ERA (777.2IP/421ER) and 752 strikeouts.
