SAN FRANCISCO — In a dominant performance, Robbie Ray allowed just two singles over seven innings, helping the San Francisco Giants break their three-game losing streak with a 4-0 win against the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.
The Rockies, fresh from their initial consecutive victories this season, stumbled yet again, losing for the 17th time in their last 20 games. Their record dropped to a major league-worst 6-26. Furthermore, this marked the fourth occasion this year that they were shut out.
Ray, boasting a 4-0 record, showcased his skill by striking out eight Rockies batters, walking just two, and permitting only one Colorado player to advance into scoring position. Utilizing just 86 pitches, the 2021 AL Cy Young Award honoree, formerly with Toronto, demonstrated his efficiency on the mound.
In the final two innings, Hayden Birdsong held the Rockies to a single hit, securing the Giants’ first shutout of the season.
The Giants built a 3-0 lead in the second inning against Rockies’ starter Antonio Senzatela, who stands at 1-5 for the season. The highlight was an RBI double by LaMonte Wade Jr., who started the game with a modest .123 batting average.
Matt Chapman, enduring a 6-for-44 slump, extended the Giants’ lead in the third inning with a solo home run to left field, his sixth of the year.
The matchup was swift, lasting merely 2 hours and 2 minutes.
A key moment unfolded in the sixth inning when the Rockies had runners on the corners with two outs. Ray, however, induced Hunter Goodman to ground out to Chapman at third base, quelling the threat.
An important statistic showcases that San Francisco has clinched victory in all of Ray’s seven starts this season. This marks the longest streak to start a season for a Giants pitcher since Bill Swift’s 11-game streak in 1992, a year he led the NL with a 2.08 ERA.
Looking ahead, Saturday promises a right-handed pitching duel with Colorado’s Bradley Blalock (0-1, 10.29 ERA) going up against San Francisco’s Jordan Hicks (1-3, 6.12).