Drew Smyly pitched well before leaving with a finger injury, and Donovan Solano increased his RBI total to 13 in the Giants’ 7-3 win over the Rangers on Saturday night.
There are no fans at Oracle Park this season, but that hasn't kept the Giants from turning the first weekend at Oracle Park into a party.
They drew 11 walks from Rangers pitchers and five of those runners came in to score in a 7-3 victory that clinched the first series win of the year. Through nine games, the Giants are a game above .500, and they've scored 30 runs in their last four games. They'll go for a nice early-season sweep Sunday.
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SIGN UP HERE This one dragged, but the Giants were happy to sit back and let the Rangers beat themselves at times. The opportunistic lineup was once again backed by a dominant bullpen.
Here are three things you need to know ...
Brutal Break
Drew Smyly was at just 71 pitches and looked poised to become the first Giants starter to go five innings this season, but he was pulled while facing the first batter of the fifth inning because he felt discomfort in his left index finger. Smyly struck out seven in four innings against his former team and allowed two runs, but both came after a botched two-out rundown in the first inning.
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Smyly looked down at his finger as he faced the first batter of the fifth and was immediately checked by manager Gabe Kapler and trainer L.J. Petra. He threw a couple of warm-up pitches and then came out.
The Giants had already set an MLB record by going the first eight games of the season without a starter lasting five innings. It was extended with the Smyly injury.
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A Couple of Finds?
The Giants have a couple of rookie relievers who look like they might be a part of the solution. Right-hander Rico Garcia had his fifth appearance of the year and it was scoreless like the other four. He hit 98 mph in a clean sixth inning.
Caleb Baragar bounced back from a rough outing in the Padres series and got the biggest out of the game. He froze Joey Gallo, the Rangers' most dangerous hitter, with two on and two out in the fifth.
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Stay Hot, Donnie Barrels
Donovan Solano had a two-run single to give the Giants the lead in the third and they never looked back. The knock gave Solano the big league lead with 12 RBI and he added another one later. That got him more than halfway to last year's total of 23.
Solano's 13 RBI through nine games are tied for the third most by a San Francisco Giant, trailing Willie Mays (17 in 1964) and Kevin Mitchell (14 in 1989). He tied Pedro Feliz (13 in 2005) and Mays again (13 in 1966). That's a fun list.