Giants Find Silver Lining Amid Struggles

SAN FRANCISCO — In a first half that seemed to go awry at almost every turn, it’s important to acknowledge when the Giants’ rookie manager got it right.

On Sunday afternoon, Tony Vitello pressed all the right buttons, ensuring his struggling team finished the first half on a positive note with back-to-back wins.

Some eyebrows were raised when Vitello yanked the ball away from Trevor McDonald after the seventh inning, and there was another curious moment when he opted not to pinch-run for Rafael Devers, who would eventually score the winning run.

Just picture it: the Giants’ bullpen effectively contained the Rockies, and the hefty first baseman sprinted from first to third on a hit from Bryce Eldridge, later driving in the decisive run for a 3–1 victory.

With this win marking their final two games before the break, the Giants took three of four from the Rockies, now sitting at 13 games under .500. Ending an underwhelming first half, they managed to finish on a brighter note.

Up until Devers led off the eighth with a walk against Antonio Sensatella, the Giants were struggling against the league’s worst pitching staff. It seemed they might waste McDonald’s impressive outing, arguably his strongest performance to date.

McDonald’s only blemish came on his second pitch of the game—an early homer from Jake McCarthy—but he went on to complete seven strong innings, allowing just four more to reach base on 73 pitches.

So, it was a bit of a shock when Keaton Wynn took over to start the eighth and promptly allowed a two-out walk, potentially jeopardizing everything. However, Vitello brought in Eric Miller, who wrapped up the inning with a strikeout, successfully navigating the situation.

Interestingly, Vitello’s decision reflected a cautious mindset, as he recalled a previous incident where Devers, sent in as a pinch runner, ended up needing to score to tie a game. This time, San Francisco was on the brink of at least extra innings, so risking Devers’ bat perhaps wasn’t the wisest move.

All played out smoothly, as Eldridge, subbing for pinch runner Grant McCray, connected with a pitch, allowing Devers to advance easily from first to third. Another well-executed maneuver.

The quick outfielder’s hit to left field drew an errant throw from catcher Hunter Goodman, sailing into center, which allowed Devers to dash home. McCray advanced to third base as well.

Finally, Adames solidified the Giants’ lead with a single over the infield, although it turned out to be somewhat unnecessary since Miller closed the game without drama.

What It Means

McDonald might have just secured a spot in the starting rotation as they head into the second half. There’s talk of a trade for Robbie Ray or Tyler Marle that could open up a role, but McDonald’s trajectory seems to be declining, especially with Carson Whisenhunt strong in his last couple of appearances.

Who Is Hot

McDonald certainly made an impression, forcing McCarthy to sprint around the bases after a drive to the alley in right-center, before hitting a leadoff home run. Though it was initially ruled a triple due to a misplay by Lee Jeong-hoo, there are doubts whether McCarthy could have scored even if he was held at third.

Beyond that moment, only four Rockies reached base against McDonald, who sailed through those seven innings on just 73 pitches and managed the final three frames with minimal effort.

After a rough start to the season—where he gave up 11 hits and eight runs in 2 1/3 innings—he seemed to have turned things around with this performance.

Who Is Not?

The Giants struggled to score more than four runs in their final three games of the series, facing one of the few pitching staffs performing worse than theirs.

The Rockies sent out a starter with an ERA below 6 in each game, but Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.46) faced little trouble compared to the earlier matchups.

Heriot Ramos, who had been hitting well since returning from a quadriceps injury, went 2-for-4, but when trying to turn Drew Gilbert’s RBI into a substantial rally, he ended the inning with a flyout while the bases were loaded in the fourth.

This marked the 61st time in 96 games where the Giants were held to four runs or less—more frequent than any other team besides the Guardians (64) and Mets (62). Their record stands at 12-49 in those games.

To the Next

The All-Star break, or, if you prefer, a period of reprieve, assures that the Giants won’t suffer losses for four consecutive days. That hasn’t happened since the season opened on March 25th. This day happened to be an off day nestled between three consecutive wins.

Looking ahead, the Giants will kick off the second half against the Mariners on Friday at T-Mobile Park.