San Francisco – It’s been a while since Logan Webb notched a win – September 27, 2022 to be exact. Starting the season 0-4 entering Saturday’s matinee against the New York Mets wasn’t all that great either.
“It’s not fun. It’s not a great feeling,” Webb said.
That all changed when the San Francisco Giants dominated the Mets with a 7-4 win today. Webb recorded his best start of the season, behind a lineup that looked much better and stronger for the first time in the series. The Giants might’ve found the spark they needed to get back on the right track.
“We just (need to) do the little things and play good baseball,” explained Webb. “I don’t think teams have been beating us, we beat ourselves.
Today’s the start, I thought that was the best overall game that we played in general, the best brand of baseball that we’ve tried to play. It’s been tough lately but we know we’re capable of that.”
Webb tossed seven strong innings allowing just a pair of runs on five hits with eight strikeouts. He gave up a home run to Brandon Nimmo in the third inning with San Francisco up 6-1; something that’s plagued the Giants ace in the early goings of the season.
Despite the struggles, at least on paper, San Francisco’s manager Gabe Kapler wasn’t worried about Webb’s struggles entering today’s match-up.
“I think he’s been pitching (well) all year long,” Kapler said. “There’s been the home runs (allowed) and that’s been the difference and something that’s just uncharacteristic for him.”
Webb ran into some trouble with two away in the second inning and briefly in the third. In the second, after retiring the first two batters, Webb walked Mark Canha and then Daniel Vogelbach hit a double to deep right-center to score Canha to put New York on the board.
Webb struck out Brett Baty to end the inning but by the third, he allowed the homer to Nimmo with one out in the third. Then he gave up a single to Sterling Marte who ended up getting caught trying to steal second. Webb struck out Francisco Lindor to end the frame and escaped with little damage.
Much like their ace, the Giants lineup stepped up in a big way. Bouncing back from getting shut out with just five hits the night before. Brandon Crawford’s three-run home run to right in the first inning was the spark he and the team needed.
“The losses have been kind of piling on, so it was definitely nice,” said Crawford.
Crawford’s big blast was the highlight of the day, along with Wilmer Flores’ solo homer to left in the fifth frame to extend San Francisco’s lead 7-2.
“We had some great at-bats in that first inning,” Webb said. “(Brandon) really wanted that and the whole team needed that. That’s just the type of guy he is, moments where you feel down and out and you just need something to go your way and he came up big with that.”
“A tough start this season for Brandon, but it was nice to see that swing from him,” added Kapler.
The win ends the Giants skid that saw them lose four of their last five games, including the first two games of the weekend-long series against the Mets.
San Francisco will look to even up the series in the National game of the night on ESPN tomorrow night. Ross Stripling (0-1, 7.30 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants against Tylor Megill (3-1, 3.00 ERA). First pitch is at 4:10 p.m. PT.
Photo by SFGiants/Twitter
