SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: The Giants are looking to continue their hot start to their longest road trip of the season (11 games)…a win tonight would be SF’s fourth-straight on the road after sweeping Pittsburgh to open the second half…the Giants have won five in a row and their last two series (vs. Colorado July 7-9 and at Pittsburgh July 14-16)…the Giants are 5-2 in Cincinnati over the previous two seasons, outscoring the Reds 42-21 (+21).
HOW SWEEP IT IS: The Giants’ three-game series sweep at Pittsburgh is their fourth series sweep on the road this season of at least three games, which is tied with their current opponent, the Reds, for most in MLB (Stats, LLC)…SF totaled just three total sweeps of three or more games on the road all last season.
CENTRAL PERK: The Giants are 16-7 (.696) against the NL Central this season, which is the best winning percentage against that division (min. 10 games), and the second-most wins, behind Milwaukee (20-9)…SF pitchers have a 3.12 ERA vs. the NL Central, which is second-best among teams with at least 10 games against the division (Tampa Bay, 2.14).
WE WANT ‘BAMA: The Giants have lived up to the moment when facing MLB’s best teams this year…based on teams’ current records, SF ranks fifth in MLB (second-best in the NL) with a .553 win percentage (26-21) in games against opponents with winning records this year (Stats, LLC).
SMALL BALL: Two of SF’s three wins in Pittsburgh were won without hitting a home run (Friday and Sunday)…the Giants’ 14 wins this year without hitting a home run are tied for third-most in MLB according to Stats, LLC…only Cleveland (18) and Baltimore (16) have more.
LOGAN’S WEBB: RHP Logan Webb is coming off one of his best MLB starts, tossing his first career shutout in a 1-0 win vs. Colorado in the final game before the break…the complete game effort lowered his career July ERA to 2.15, which is the best July ERA by any Giants pitcher whose career started after 1920 (min. 10g pitched in July), and third-best among active pitchers according to Stats, LLC.
Active Pitchers, Lowest Career ERA in July (min. 10 starts) (Stats, LLC)
Name ERA
Clayton Kershaw 1.79
Jacob deGrom 1.88
Logan Webb 2.15
Name ERA
Noah Syndergaard 2.30
Corbin Burnes 2.39
GOING STREAKING: Webb is not alone in putting the Giants in position to win…Per Stats, LLC, SF starters as a whole have a active 13-game streak of allowing three runs or fewer (June 29-present), which is the longest active streak in MLB, and one game shy of tying the season-high mark set by Seattle (June 12-June 27)…the 13-game streak by the Giants is their franchise-best mark since they had 15 consecutive games from June 12-27 in 2018 (Stats, LLC).
HAD ME A BLAST: The Giants have been one of the best teams in baseball since May 1, posting a 41-25 (.621) record in that span…SF’s .621 winning percentage in that stretch is second-best in the Majors…only Atlanta (43-22, .662) has been better
GOONIES NEVER SAY DIE: SF scored five runs in the 10th yesterday for the win…their 109 total runs in the 8th inning or later is second-most in MLB behind Toronto (119)…the Giants’ 106 RBI in the 8th inning or later is tied for second while their .751 OPS is seventh.
THE FUTURE IS NOW: Both the Reds and the Giants have received plenty of production from their rookies…the Giants and Reds both have 101 RBI by rookies this season, which lead MLB.
PATTY BARRELS: With yesterday’s off-the-bench effort in the extra innings win, the Giants are now 29-14 in games in which rookie C Patrick Bailey plays.
CONFORT-ABLE: OF Michael Conforto broke the game open yesterday, following DH Joc Pederson’s 10th-inning go-ahead sac fly, with a two-run double…the Giants are now 25-4 when Conforto knocks in a run…the 25 wins when Conforto records an RBI are tied for sixth-most in MLB for one player… Atlanta’s Matt Olson leads with 33 wins when recording at least one RBI.
THE (D)OVAL OFFICE: RHP Camilo Doval has 28 saves in 30 opportunities this season, which is tied for most saves in 30 opportunities by a Giant since saves became a stat in 1969 (Stats, LLC)…the last Giant to achieve that feat was LHP Will Smith in 2019…others to do so are RHP Brian Wilson (2008, 2010), RHP Robb Nen (1998) and RHP Rod Beck (1993, 1994).
HE GETS ON BASE: IF/OF LaMonte Wade Jr. is fourth in MLB with a .410 on-base percentage…if the season ended today, Wade would be just the seventh Giants player to finish inside MLB’s top-5 in on-base percentage since 1958, and first since C Buster Posey in 2012 (Stats, LLC).
FLO MOTION: After going 1-for-2 with a run off the bench yesterday, IF Wilmer Flores is slashing .369/.432/.538 since June 3 (22 games), with nine runs, five doubles, two home runs and eight RBI…SF is 15-7 in that span…Flores also missed a 10-game stretch in that time while he was on the IL after fouling a ball off his left foot on June 16 at the Dodgers.
TODAY’S STARTER – LOGAN WEBB RHP #62
2023 RECORD: 8-7, 3.14 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: Spun the first shutout of his career on the final day before the All-Star break in the Giants 1-0 win over the Rockies at Oracle Park…Webb scattered seven hits over the 9.0 innings and struck out 10 to send himself and the team into the break on a high note…at 26 years, 233 days, Webb became the youngest Gi- ant to hurl a shutout since LHP Ty Blach did so on June 2, 2017 (26 years, 225 days)…the last righty younger than Webb to do it was Tim Lincecum on July 15, 2010 (26 years, 30 days).
ONE MORE…: Webb’s shutout with 10 strikeouts and no walks was the first by a Giants hurler since Chris Heston’s no-hitter on June 9 at New York-NL when he struck out 11 and didn’t walk a batter.
ON POINT…: Webb entered the All-Star break with 127 strikeouts and just 23 walks to become just the fourth Giant to enter the break with 125+ strikeouts and fewer than 25 walks since the first All-Star Game in 1933…Webb and Arizona’s Zac Gallen (125k, 23bb) were the only pitchers in the Majors to do so this season.
LEADER OF THE PACK, VROOM VROOM: Webb enters today leading the Majors in innings pitched (126.0)…he also ranks among the NL leaders in ERA (3.14, 8th), strikeouts (127, 6th) and WHIP (1.11, 7th).
JUNE SWOON: After posting a 1.30 ERA in five starts during May, Webb logged a 4.70 ERA in six June starts despite the fact that he worked 7.0 innings in four of the six outings…Webb went 3-2 in June and the Giants won four of his six starts during the month… he permitted five homers in 38.1 innings (he allowed one in 34.2
innings in May)…as you can see from the chart below, Webb used his changeup much more in June and his sinker was hit much more than it was in May.
BUT IN JULY…: His pitch mix in his two starts this month has looked like this: changeup (42.4%, .207), sinker (29.1%, .429), slider (25.6%, .154) and four-seam (3%, .000)…it’s only two starts but his slider usage is way up and would be his highest usage of the pitch in any month since the first month of the season.
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 15 starts, hitters have gone 37-for-191 (.194) against the pitch with seven extra-base hits, 53 strikeouts and nine walks.
GOTTA MAKE WEBB DAY A WIN DAY…: Over the last 2+ seasons the Giants as a team are 48-29 (.623) in games that Webb has started since 2021… SF is 9-10 in his 19 starts this year…going back a bit further, SF is 14-14 in his last 28 starts dating to August 13, 2022… in those 28 starts, Webb has received two or fewer runs of support 16 times (SF is 3-13 in those games)…he has a 2.86 ERA in those 28 starts while posting an 8.93 K/9ip ratio and a 5.00 K/BB ratio.
SUPPORT SYSTEM: As mentioned above, the Giants have given Webb two or fewer runs of support in 16 of his last 28 starts dating to August 13, 2022…boiling it down to just this season, SF has given him two or fewer runs of support in 11 of his 19 starts…Webb’s 3.43 run support average in 2023 is fifth-lowest in the Majors (third lowest in the NL) among qualified pitchers.
VS. CINCINNATI: Is facing the Reds for a fourth time in his career (third time as a starter) and has yet to allow an earned run to them in those three outings (13.0 total innings)…he last started against Cincy at Oracle Park on June 25 last season, twirling 6.0 innings and allowing one unearned run with six strikeouts..in his lone start here at GABP he spun 6.0 shutout innings while scattering six hits…he’s 2-0 lifetime vs. the Reds.
LIMITING THE FREEBIES: Entering today’s start Webb’s 4.6% walk rate would be the lowest of his career (his best season was a 6.0% walk rate in 2021)…overall, Webb’s career walk rate is 6.3%…he’s walked only 23 of the 502 batters he’s faced so far in 2023.
THE HOMERS…: After giving up just one homer in five May starts spanning 34.2 innings he allowed five homers in 38.1 innings in June…in total he’s allowed 13 homers this year in 126.0 innings, already two more than he allowed all of last season in 192.1 innings…his 2.6 HR% is just shy of the highest of his career (a 2.9 HR% from his rookie year in 2019)…for reference Webb’s HR% rates the last three seasons were 1.4% (2022), 1.5% (2021) and 1.6% (2020).
STAYING GROUNDED: His 60.9 groundball percentage this season is up from last year’s 57.8% mark and above his career average of 58.3%…entering play today the 60.9 groundball % is-best in the Majors
CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:
TRANSACTIONS
- The Reds today placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Friday, IF Kevin Newman (gastritis)…selected from Louisville the contract of IF Edwin Encarnacion-Strand (#33).
- Encarnacion-Strand leads the International League in total bases (177), fourth-most among all minor leaguers, while ranking among the IL leaders in runs scored (65, 2nd), extra-base hits (43, 2nd), slugging percentage (.637, 4th), OPS (1.042, 5th), HR (20, T5th), RBI (62, 6th), batting average (.331, 7th) and hits (92, T7th).
- In August 2022 Encarnacion-Strand was acquired from the Twins, along with IF/OF Spencer Steer and LHP Steve Hajjar (rhymes with badger), for RHP Tyler Mahle.
- The name on the back of his jersey will be shortened to Encarnacion… please reference Encarnacion-Strand everywhere else.
TONIGHT’S GAME
- Is Game 1 of a 4-game series vs Anthony DeSclafani’s Giants and Game 4 (0-3) of a 10-game homestand (0-3 vs Mil, 0-0 vs SF, 3g vs Ari).
- Will follow this homestand with an 11-day, 10-game road trip (3g at Mil, off day & 3g at LAD, 4g at Chc)…won 7 of their last 8 road series.
- The Reds finished the first half with a 5-2 road trip (4-0 at Wsh, 1-2 at Mil).
SERIES NOTES
- In 2022, the Reds earned a pair of 2-1 series wins vs the Giants, their first series wins August 2018.
- Beginning with the 2008 season the Reds are 53-40 vs SF, at .570 the best winning percentage of any Giants opponent since then (minimum 50g).
FIRST PLACE NOTE
- The Reds haven’t been in first place this late in a full season since the end of the 2012 season, when they most recently won the Central Division (97-65, +9.0).
- Last season, the Reds were 36-58 after 94 games.
RUNNING MEN
- The Reds lead the Major Leagues with 113 stolen bases, their highest total since 2017 (120sb)…recorded 58 stolen bases all of 2022…are trying to lead the National League in stolen bases for the first time since 2015 (134sb).
- With Elvis Peguero pitching, Elly De La Cruz on 7/8 at Mil became only the fourth Reds batter ever to steal second, third and home in the same inning (Hans Lobert 9/27/1908, Dode Paskert 5/23/1910, Greasy Neale 8/15/1919)…became the first Major League batter to steal second, third and home in the same inning since Mia’s Jon Berti did it on 8/25/2020 at NYM…became the first Reds batter with a straight steal of home since Brandon Phillips did it on 7/10/2009 at NYM.
- The Reds recorded 50 stolen bases in June, their highest steals total in a calendar month since September 1912 (53sb).
- 5 times this season recorded at least 5 stolen bases in a game (6sb on 6/2 vs Mil, 9sb on 6/3 vs Mil, 5sb on 6/25 at Bal, 6sb on Tue at Wsh, 5sb on 7/8 at Mil)…prior to 6/2, the Reds hadn’t recorded 5 stolen bases in a game since 4/10/17 at Pit.
- Their 9 stolen bases on 6/3 vs Mil (Jake Fraley 3, Spencer Steer 2, Jonathan India 2, Will Benson, Stuart Fairchild) was their highest single-game total since 5/30/1976 vs LAD (9sb)…the Reds’ single-game record since 1900 for stolen bases in a game remains 10 (5/29/1913 at StL).
BIG ROAD MACHINE
- The Brewers’ 2-1 series win to end the season’s first half snapped a streak in which the Reds won 7 consecutive road series…won 7 straight road series for only the third time in their history…won 8 straight road series in 1976 (6/25-8/12) and 1923 (7/2-8/25)…courtesy @EliasSports.
- Beginning 5/26, the Reds are 20-5 over their last 4 road trips covering 8 road series.
- The Reds’ 27 road wins (27-20) was their highest total prior to the All-Star Game break since 1999 (29-13).
- Went 8-1 on their road trip to StL (2-1), KC (3-0) and Hou (3-0)…for only the second time ever, won 8 games on a road trip of 9 games or fewer (8-0, 9/21-9/27, 1964)…was their first road trip of any length with at least 8 wins since 5/28-6/9, 1999 (9-3)…courtesy @EliasSports.
RED HOTS
- The Reds’ 12-game winning streak from 6/10-6/23 tied their modern club record (5/16-5/27, 1939 & 4/30-5/12, 1957).
- From 6/14-7/8 Reds batters established a new franchise record for consecutive games with at least 1 home run (22g, 45hr), a streak snapped in the 1-0 loss at Mil in the final game heading into the All-Star Game break…the 1956 Reds held the team record by homering in 21 consecutive games.
- The Reds have used 51 players…in 2022 used a club record 66 players.
- Reds baserunners in 70 attempts have scored 69 runs from second base on singles…both lead the Major Leagues.
- The Reds are the first team in Major League history to move into first place alone in 9 games or fewer after falling 5 or more games under .500 while facing a deficit of at least 5 games…on 6/9 were 29-35 and trailed the first-place Pirates by 5.0 games…beginning 6/10 won 9 straight games to move into first place alone on 6/19.
- The Reds went 18-9 in June, their highest victory total in any month since June 2014 (18-10).
- Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer on 7/4 at Wsh became the first set of rookie teammates in Major League history to finish in the same game 4-for-4 with at least 1 RBI (since RBI became an official statistic in 1920)…courtesy @EliasSports.
- 11 Reds players have made Major League debuts this season (RHP Casey Legumina, RHP Levi Stoudt, IF Matt McLain, LHP Brandon Williamson, RHP Eduardo Salazar, OF TJ Hopkins, LHP Andrew Abbott, IF Elly De La Cruz, RHP Ricky Karcher, RHP Randy Wynne, RHP Jake Wong)…15 rookies played in at least 1 game for the Reds.
Tonight’s Pitcher – #55 Brandon Williamson, LHP
- Tonight is making his 11th career appearance and start.
- 2 of his last 3 starts were shortened by rain…in the top of the third inning on 6/26 at Bal did not return after a 1 hour, 44-minute rain delay…on 7/6 at Wsh,
remained in the game following a 1-hour, 43-minute rain delay in the top of the second inning. - Twice picked runners off second base, KC’s Bobby Witt Jr. (PO/CS 145) and SD’s Fernando Tatis Jr. (PO/CS 165).
- On 6/26 at Bal walked his second batter, Adley Rutschman, to snap at 10.0 his consecutive innings streak without issuing a walk.
- On 5/16 at Col, became only the 10th visiting pitcher to make his Major League debut with a start at Coors Field, the first since Hou’s José Urquidy on 7/2/19.
- Became only the fourth Reds pitcher to make his Major League debut with at least 5.2 innings, 2 hits or fewer allowed and at least 6 strikeouts, joining Tom Carroll (7/7/1974 vs StL, 7ip, 2h, 6k), Mo Sanford (8/9/1991 at SD, 7ip, 2h, 8k) and Johnny Cueto (4/3/2008 vs Ari, 7ip, 1h, 10k).
- Became only the fourth Reds pitcher in the expansion era (since 1961) to retire at least 14 consecutive batters in his Major League debut, joining Wayne Simpson (16, 4/9/1970 at LAD), Rob Bell (16, 4/8/2000 vs Cubs) and Johnny Cueto (15, 4/3/2008 vs Ari).
- In that 3-1 win on 5/16 at Col, allowed a single to Charlie Blackmon, his first career batter faced, but didn’t allow another hit until Ezequiel Tovar’s solo HR in the sixth inning snapped the scoreless tie…Williamson retired 14 consecutive batters leading up to Tovar’s home run.
