BOX SCORE
SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants still are seeking consistency in their offense. Justin Verlander still is seeking his first win as a member of the Orange and Black.
Both were key issues that arose from the smoke that represented San Francisco’s 2-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday night at Oracle Park.
For the second consecutive start, Verlander pitched as well as he has all season but had nothing to show for it. The three-time Cy Young Award winner had five strikeouts and allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.
With very little offense to support him – the Giants had only four hits – Verlander remained winless with San Francisco.
The lack of offense is a little concerning, although Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi spun a gem. Eovaldi pitched six scoreless innings before giving way to the Texas bullpen, which tidily mopped up to finish the series opener at 3rd and King.
Here are the takeaways from Friday’s game that dropped the Giants to 17-10 this season:
Verlander still seeking first SF win
For the second consecutive start, Verlander had good enough stuff to win. For his sixth consecutive start with the Giants, it wasn’t enough to earn him a victory in a San Francisco uniform.
The three-time Cy Young winner and nine-time All-Star went six strong innings against the Rangers and allowed five runs on two hits. Verlander had five strikeouts and walked one. He has walked 12 in 30 2/3 innings this season.
The problem was that he got Cained, a reference to former Giants pitcher Matt Cain, who had a history of pitching well in games but not getting enough run support.
Bochy’s return
Legendary former Giants manager Bruce Bochy was back in town for the second time since joining the Rangers in 2023, and it’s clear that the feelings between him and Giants fans remain as strong as ever.
After holding a brief meeting with reporters in the Texas dugout before the game, Bochy made his way through a small crowd of fans standing near the batting cage, stopped to take a few pictures and signed some autographs before getting back to work.
The ongoing love affair is no surprise. Bochy’s 1,052 wins as the Giants manager are the second most in franchise history. He also guided the team to three World Series championships.
Don’t try me
Giants catcher Patrick Bailey has one of the top pop times in the major leagues and showed it off against the Rangers when he threw out Josh Jung attempting to steal second base.
Although Jung is not known for base-running prowess, he got a good jump and was initially ruled safe before the call was overturned by replay. It’s only the fourth caught-stealing by Bailey in 12 tries this season.
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