LOS ANGELES—Veteran left-hander Robbie Ray pitched five hitless innings in his San Francisco debut, Matt Chapman hit a long home run, and the Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8–3 on Wednesday night, July 24.
The Giants held the Dodgers without a hit until Chris Taylor doubled to right field off reliever Tyler Rogers with two outs in the seventh inning.
Ray (1–0) made his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2023. He was electric after the first inning, when he struggled to find his control and allowed a run on a bases-loaded walk. He struck out eight and while throwing 86 pitches.
“I was a little amped up in the first to get out there,” Ray said. “Really excited. Everything felt good. Just kind of getting a little quick with my front side. I knew my stuff was going to play, regardless. I knew if I got through that first inning, I could settle down.”
The Giants snapped the Dodgers’ five-game winning streak and have a chance to split the four-game series on Thursday.
In the eighth inning, the Giants got to the Dodgers’ fatigued bullpen. San Francisco built on a 2–1 lead by scoring six runs on five hits, with five earned runs charged to reliever Yohan Ramirez.
“We haven’t had too many of those,” Giants Manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s nice to put a crooked number up. We felt good about who we had coming in the game [to pitch] for the last four innings. To put a crooked number like that, you’re able to not be so fine, and every at-bat doesn’t mean potentially a disaster.”
Chapman hit a solo home run to dead center field off Tyler Glasnow to tie the game 1–1 in the fourth inning. He was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, two RBIs, and two walks. Chapman’s homer was his 14th of the season.
Mike Yastrzemski added an RBI single later in the fourth to make it 2–1. Tyler Fitzgerald, who had hit a home run in each of his five previous games, scored after hustling his way into a double earlier in the inning.
Ray was wild in the first inning as he walked two and hit two, but gave up just one run.
He walked Andy Pages with the bases loaded to force in a run, but got out of more potential trouble. He was dominant after that, retiring 14 consecutive batters. Ryan Walker retired the side in the sixth to make it 17 consecutive batters, and it became 19 when Rogers got the first two he faced before Taylor’s double.
It was an emotional return for Ray, whom the Giants acquired from Seattle during the offseason.
“It was a flurry of emotions all around,” Ray said. “I was able to have my wife and my two oldest kids, too. For them to experience it, too, with the support they showed me, there’s no words that can describe it. Super special night all around.”
Los Angeles star Shohei Ohtani was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
Glasnow (8–6) returned to the mound after missing two weeks due to what he jokingly called “tall-guy back.”
“I think it was the rust of not pitching,” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said. “I think his stuff was good. Certainly, the command wasn’t there.”
Roster addition
Nick Ahmed was released by the Giants two weeks ago after he played in 47 games for them this season. The Dodgers put shortstop Miguel Rojas on the injured list, and signed Ahmed on Tuesday night.By Wednesday, he was in the lineup starting at shortstop against his former team. Ahmed singled in the eighth inning and made a nice-bare-handed play to get an out at first in the fifth inning.
Trainer’s Room
Giants: Right-hander Keaton Winn (right-forearm tightness) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. ... Outfielder Derek Hill, acquired Tuesday on waivers after being let go by Texas, was added to the active roster, and outfielder Luis Matos and right-handed reliever Randy Rodriguez were optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, Calif.Up Next
Giants: Right-hander Logan Webb (7-8, 3.59 earned-run average) is set to pitch against the Dodgers for the fourth time this season on Thursday. He allowed two earned runs and five hits over seven innings in a 5-3 Giants win June 28 in San Francisco.Dodgers: Left-hander Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to make his first start of the season following offseason shoulder surgery. He is on target to pitch in a game for the Dodgers for the 17th consecutive season.
