SF Giants lose second straight game in Toronto, this time with Logan Webb on mound
The Toronto Blue Jays have illustrated through two games why they went into Saturday with a three-game lead in the American League East.
The Giants, meanwhile, continue to plod along on the fringe of the National League wild card race after a 6-3 road loss at Rogers Centre.
Toronto (57-41) broke through for four runs against Giants starter Logan Webb (9-7) in the sixth inning after getting plenty of baserunners but no runs through the first five. The Giants (52-47) got a pair of solo home runs from Willy Adames – his 13th and 14th of the season – and a sacrifice fly from Heliot Ramos but nothing else.
Webb ended up giving up 11 hits in all and had just one strikeout — his lowest total of the season.
“They don’t strike out much,” Webb said. “It seemed like they swung at every first pitch I threw. Seemed like they were on every first pitch I threw. It wasn’t fun.”
Left-hander Eric Lauer (5-2) was the winning pitcher for Toronto, getting relief help from Chad Green, Brenden Little and Jeff Hoffman finishing up with an inning each. Hoffman recorded his 23rd save.
Tyler Heineman of Toronto hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth against Ryan Walker, his third of the season. Heineman played 15 games for the Giants in 2020, hitting .190.
Adames’ second home run of the game came against Green in the seventh inning. It left the bat at 107.5 miles per hour and carried 386 feet, getting the Giants within 4-3.
The Giants managed just four hits, however, while the Blue Jays had 14.
Lauer was done after six innings, throwing 81 pitches with 58 strikes. He had no walks and seven strikeouts, including five of the first six Giants’ hitters.
“He threw back door cutters and his fastball had a little bit more on it than we expected,” Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters. “His change-up was pretty good. Once Willy got the home run it felt a little bit better, but we ended with just four hits. Just not enough.”
Webb kept working out of trouble through five innings before things came undone in the sixth. It was the second straight game Webb gave up four sixth-inning runs, having done it against the Dodgers before the All-Star break.
Bo Bichette opened the Jays’ sixth with a single and was doubled to third by Addison Barger. Webb got Joey Loperfido on an infield pop-up before Ernie Clement singled on a seven-pitch at-bat, scoring Bichette and sending Barger to third.
That brought up Will Wagner, who doubled in between Matos in left and Jung Hoo Lee to bring in two runs. Heineman then hit a sinking liner to Ramos, with the Giants left fielder getting a poor break on the ball and then failing to secure it on a dive. It went for a double and another run.
By the time Webb got the third out, he’d thrown 24 pitches in the inning after not throwing more than 13 in any of the previous five innings. Randy Rodriguez took over in the seventh, with Webb having a 70 percent strike percentage (56 of 80) but giving up the four earned runs on 11 hits.
“It’s the second time in a row I’ve given up four runs in the sixth inning, so I’ve got to figure something out,” Webb said.
After Lauer had retried the first 12 batters, Adames hit a 391-foot home run to left field to give the Giants their first run of the game on their first hit. It was also their first run in 13 innings against Toronto. The ball left the bat at 106.5 mph, with Adames giving it an admiring look as it sailed over the fence.
In the sixth, Matos doubled into the left field corner, went to third on a fly to center by Patrick Bailey and scored on a fly to right by Ramos. Matos scored despite a strong throw from Barger in right field.
It was an unusual first three innings for Webb, who economized his pitch count (32) while at the same time giving up four hits, a walk and a hit batter. He was helped by two double plays, including a line drive to Casey Schmitt by Bichette to end the third.
NOTABLE
— Clement, Wagner and Heineman — Toronto’s 7-8-9 hitters — were 6-for-10 and accounted for four runs and five RBIs.
— Robbie Ray, the other Giants starter who was an All-Star, takes his 9-3 record into Sunday’s game hoping to avoid a sweep against Jose Berrios (5-4).
— In the first two games of the series, the Giants struck out 21 times and didn’t draw any walks.
— After getting two hits and hitting the ball on the nose three times in Friday’s game, Rafael Devers was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.