The Texas Rangers Adolis Garcia steals home on a slide ahead of the tag by San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey in the first inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sun Jun 9, 2024 (AP News photo)
Sunday, June 8, 2024
Globe Life Field
Arlington, Texas
San Francisco Giants 2 (32-34)
Texas Rangers 7 (31-34)
Win: Nathan Eovaldi (3-2)
Loss: Keaton Winn (3-7)
Time: 2:16
Attendance: 34,912
By Stephen Ruderman
The Giants were unable to get the sweep, as Keaton Winn got rocked for seven runs in his return from the Injured List, and the Rangers beat the Giants in the finale of this three game series in Arlington, Texas 7-2.
The Giants’ fortunes have dramatically changed over the last few days. They salvaged a game in their series in Arizona on Wednesday to snap a six-game losing streak, and they started a three-game winning streak. Sunday, the Giants looked to sweep the Rangers and make it four in a row.
Sadly, many Giants fans would not be able to watch the game, because it was being exclusively broadcasted on Roku, which requires a subduction. Roku is one of a handful of subscription platforms that Major League Baseball and Commissioner Rob Manfred have made deals with over the last two and a half years to broadcast games. With many fans wisely not wanting to pay for a monthly subscription to watch one baseball game, they were out of luck.
Anyway, making the start Sunday for the Giants was Keaton Winn, who was coming off the 15-Day Injured List. Winn strained his right forearm in last start on May 14 against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park.
Making the start for Texas was the longtime veteran right-hander, Nathan Eovaldi. Eovaldi was an instrumental part of the Boston Red Sox’ 108-win world championship season in 2018, as he was for the Rangers in their run to the title last season. He came into this game 2-2 over nine starts this season with a 2.70 ERA.
The Giants’ offense, which has thrived off hitting seven home runs in their last three games, but which has still wasted many opportunities, would have a hard rule against Eovaldi Sunday. The white-hot Heliot Ramos struck out looking to begin the game, and Eovaldi proceeded to throw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first.
Before going on the IL, Winn was off to a bad start. He was 3-6 with a 6.17 ERA in nine games, and the Rangers were ready to tee off him Sunday. Marcus Semien was hit in the hand by Winn’s first pitch back to start the bottom of the first. The trainers tended to Semien, who remained in the game, and then pulled a Rickey Henderson by immediately stealing second base.
Josh Smith walked, and Adolis Garcia lined a base-hit to left to load the bases with nobody out. Winn was in deep trouble, but he struck Nathaniel Lowe and Ezequiel Duran both out swinging, and he now had a chance to get out of the inning without any damage.
However, Wyatt Langford singled on a ground ball up the middle and into left-center to knock in a pair and give the Rangers an early 2-0 lead. Bruce Bochy then put on a crafty double steal. Langford stole second, and when catcher Patrick Bailey made the throw to second, Garcia stole him. That capped off a really tough inning for the Giants, and the Rangers had a 3-0 lead.
Eovaldi threw another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second, and the Rangers would be right back at it against Winn in the bottom of the second. Travis Jankowski lined a base-hit to lead off the inning and stole second. The Rangers had now already stolen four bases through the first inning-plus of this game. Leody Taveras struck out swinging, and then Semien hit a two-run home run to left to make it 5-0.
It was 5-0, but it was early. The Giants made a habit of coming back from big deficits during their last hot stretch two and a half weeks ago. However, the Giants were now home run happy, and if they wanted to come back Sunday, they would have to do what they did during their stretch two and a half weeks ago: string base-hits, keep the line moving and get the key hits with runners in scoring position.
The Giants actually did that in the top of the third. Casey Schmitt lined a base-hit to left with one out, and Trenton Brooks singled Schmitt over to second. Ramos flew out to center, and the Giants were preparing to waste another opportunity, but Bailey lined a base-hit the other way to left to score Schmitt and put the Giants on the board.
The Giants only got one run, but it was a start. Winn would now have to settle down on the mound, which he somewhat did when he escaped a two-out triple in the bottom of the third.
It was now 5-1 Texas going to the fourth. Michael Conforto and Thairo Estrada both grounded out for the first two outs in the top of the fourth, but Mike Yastrzemski then blasted his seventh home run of the season to right to make it 5-2.
The Giants were back in it, and Winn pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the day in the bottom of the fourth. Eovaldi countered that with a 1-2-3 top of the fifth, but the Rangers would be ready to pounce on Winn again in the bottom of the fifth.
Josh Smith drew a leadoff walk, and Garcia lined out to left. Lowe then doubled to left to put runners at second and third with one out, and that ended Winn’s day. Bob Melvin went to Randy Rodriguez, who has been quite reliable as of late, but Rodriguez was welcomed to the game with a base-hit by Tovar to right to score two and make it 7-2.
Rodriguez got out of the inning without any further damage, but enough damage was already done. Winn really did struggle in his return, as the Rangers torched him for seven runs in just four and a third innings.
After the Giants wasted an opportunity against Eovaldi in the top of the sixth, the rest of the game would prove to be quite uneventful.
Rodeiguez pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the Dutch, and Eovaldi pitched one last 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh to cap off another strong performance.
Left-hander Taylor Rogers got an appearance and pitched through a base-hit and a walk in the bottom of the seventh, and Luke Jackson threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth. For the Rangers, Jose Leclerc pitched a 1-2-3 top of the eighth, and Kirby Yates did the same in the top of the ninth to end the game. Rangers’ pitching ended up retiring 10-straight Giants to end it.
Nathan Eovaldi got the win, and Keaton Winn took the loss. The Giants were unable to back up to .500, as they fall back to 32-34.
The Giants will return home to San Francisco for an all-interleague six-game homestand against the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Angels. The Astros will come to Oracle Park for a three-game series Monday night. Kyle Harrison (4-3, ERA 4.18) will return to the rotation after his start was pushed back two days, and he will be opposed by Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (3-5, ERA 5.79). First pitch will be at 6:45 p.m.
Giants News and Notes:
With Keaton Winn activated off the Injured List, utility man Tyler Fitzgerald was optioned back to Triple-A Sacramento.
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