SAN FRANCISCO — Logan Webb has apparently moved the calendar up a day.
Fortunately, the Giants needed every pitch of his second career complete game Wednesday night to win a two-game series at the Bay Bridge against the A’s. Facing Ross Stripling, one of the least skilled starters in the major leagues since he was sent across the Bay this winter, the Giants scored just one run in a 1-0 victory.
One of Webb’s most dominant starts of the season, if not his career, couldn’t have come at a better time.
Not only did it help them overcome another lean night from a roster that received little help at Tuesday’s trade deadline, but it should allay any concerns that Webb’s toughest month since ascending to the top of the rotation was a sign of something to come.
Webb had a 6.65 ERA in his previous four starts in July heading into Wednesday’s game and lowered that to 4.78, but that still represents the highest ERA he’s posted in a calendar month since his 6.94 ERA in the final month of the 2020 season.
In going the distance for the third time in his career, Webb completed a major league-high 12th seven innings, but he hadn’t done so since July 4, the last time he won. In between, he made three starts and allowed at least four runs and eight hits each time, issuing an unusual seven walks the last two times he took the mound.
JJ Bleday hit a 108 mph single off Brett Wisely’s glove in the first inning that gave Oakland runners on the corners and one out, but Webb painted the outside corner with sinkers to hook the next two batters, ending the inning, and didn’t allow another runner to reach third base.
Webb took the mound to start the ninth inning with no action in the bullpen and completed his first complete game of the season without incident. He allowed just one walk and held the A’s to five hits, his fewest since his last start in June.
That’s all the more impressive considering the opponent, and not because of Webb’s 5.68 ERA in his previous five starts against the cross-bay rivals. The A’s — yes, the A’s — scored the second-most runs in the major leagues this month, even after being shut out on their final day.
The story was different for the Giants, who went quiet for the second straight day after failing to secure a significant upgrade before Tuesday’s trade deadline. After being held to five hits in Tuesday’s loss, they needed just four to earn a victory behind Webb.
Stripling entered Wednesday’s game with a 6.02 ERA, higher than all but six pitchers who pitched that many innings, but held his former team to one run on four hits in 5 1/2 innings. The only run the Giants managed came when Mike Yastrzemski advanced from first to third on a single by Marco Luciano and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brett Wisely.
The Giants went 13-12 through July, but they’ll have to do more than hover around .500 the rest of the way if they’re going to achieve their goal of reaching the playoffs.
Following
The Giants are off Thursday as they travel to Cincinnati, where they begin a seven-game, two-city road trip with a weekend series against the Reds.
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