Giants’ Webb Regains ‘Ace’ Form, Throws Second Career Shutout to Beat A’s

Giants’ Webb Regains ‘Ace’ Form, Throws Second Career Shutout to Beat A’s
San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb works toward his second career shutout against the Oakland Athletics in San Francisco on July 31, 2024. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)
The Associated Press
Updated:
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SAN FRANCISCO—Logan Webb pitched his second career shutout, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 1–0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night in a speedy one hour, 55 minutes.

Webb (8–8) struck out six, limiting the A’s to five singles and a walk in his first complete game this season and the third of his career. His other shutout came July 9, 2023, in a 1–0 victory over Colorado.

“As the game went along, he just got better and better,” Giants Manager Bob Melvin said. “His movement was back today. Backdoor sinkers, changeups going straight down.”

Webb threw 73 of 106 pitches for strikes, getting 14 groundball outs. He had allowed at least four earned runs in each of his previous three starts.

“It’s a known thing I’ve been struggling a little bit, so I just wanted to go out there and get back to what I’m good at,” Webb said. “Today was a perfect example of that. [Catcher Patrick Bailey] called a great game, and the defense was amazing behind me. It was an all-around great game.”

The Giants snapped a three-game losing streak against their Bay Bridge rivals to split the two-game series. They will play twice more, in Oakland, on Aug. 17 and 18.

Oakland’s Ross Stripling (2–10) pitched well against his former team, permitting one run on four hits with a walk and no strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

“Ross did a great job,” A’s Manager Mark Kotsay said. “Getting through 5 2/3 of baseball and only giving up one run, I thought he did a phenomenal job for us, keeping us in the game and managing the workload.”

Stripling spent last season with the Giants before being traded to Oakland in February. He fell to 0–5 lifetime at Oracle Park.

“Obviously, this one was meaningful,” Stripling said. “Played here last year, basically tipping my cap to the first seven of the nine guys I faced, saying ‘What’s up?’ You know, those guys are buds. Always kind of a weird dynamic.”

Mike Yastrzemski and Marco Luciano hit consecutive one-out singles in the fifth to put runners on the corners. Brett Wisely followed with a sacrifice fly to score the game’s only run.

Miguel Andujar and JJ Bleday had two hits each for the A’s.

Abraham Toro singled with two outs in the ninth to put the tying run on base, but Seth Brown grounded out to second to end the game.

“We’ll put tonight’s game behind us offensively,” Kotsay said. “We did a great job on the mound. The bullpen did a great job of keeping the game at one run and giving us a chance to win a game.”

Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski scores the game's only run on Brett Wisely's fifth-inning sacrifice fly against the A's in San Francisco on July 31, 2024. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)
Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski scores the game's only run on Brett Wisely's fifth-inning sacrifice fly against the A's in San Francisco on July 31, 2024. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)

Trainer’s Room

Left-hander Tyler Matzek (left elbow inflammation), acquired in Monday night’s trade that sent designated hitter Jorge Soler to Atlanta, is nearing the end of his rehab and could potentially return in August. “I’m a couple of bullpens, live BP, and a rehab assignment away,” he said.

Up Next

Athletics: Right-hander Joey Estes (4–4, 4.92 earned-run average) is set to open a three-game series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. Right-hander Gavin Stone (9–4, 3.34) is probable for the Dodgers.

Giants: Rookie left-hander Kyle Harrison (6–4, 3.69) is expected to start Friday night at Cincinnati in the first of a three-game series. The Reds are set to counter with left-hander Andrew Abbott (9–7, 3.38).

By Ben Ross