SF Giants take road win series from Texas Rangers
San Francisco Giants’ Heliot Ramos hits a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 8, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
2024.06.08 – Heliot Ramos’ two-run homer drove in all the runs need it for the Giants and put San Francisco ahead for a 3-1 victory over the Texas Rangers to take the series.
The Giants, who won three World Series titles with Bruce Bochy from 2010-14, have taken the first two games for a series victory against their former manager, who came out of a three-year retirement and led Texas to its first championship last season.
After Austin Slater came back from an 0-2 count for a game-opening walk, Ramos drove him in with a double. The game was tied at 1 in the third when Slater hit a one-out single and Ramos followed with his sixth homer — and 17th hit in a span of 40 at-bats.
“Ended up being a good combination there for a while,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “What do you say about Ramos? It’s pretty incredible what he’s doing, playing with a lot of confidence.”
Slater played only his second game since missing 22 after a concussion, and he was in the leadoff spot against a left-handed starter.
2024.06.08 (SF Giants vs. TX Rangers) See Full Highlights
Heliot Ramos of the San Francisco Giants celebrates his two run home run against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field on June 8, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
2024.06.08 (SF Giants vs. TX Rangers) See Full Highlights
2024.06.08 (SF Giants vs. TX Rangers) See Full Highlights
An injury-plagued and unproductive spring training for Slater poured into a dismal start to the season in which he batted .128 and hardly got on base enough to justify penciling him in for the job. On May 10, the San Francisco Giants outfielder slammed into the center field wall and suffered a concussion that sidelined him nearly a month, but a longer road back to health gave the 31-year-old the time in Triple-A he desperately needed.
“I was lucky to get quite a few at-bats in Triple-A and felt like I was able to find my swing and get into a rhythm at the plate,” Slater said. “For me, spring training was less than ideal in terms of health and trying to focus on playing baseball, getting through a game healthy. It gave me a second to focus on my approach and plan and swing, which was nice.”
In previous years, Slater has been a weapon to get on base against left-handed pitching. He did just that as the lead-off hitter on Saturday afternoon, setting the table for one of baseball’s hottest hitters, Ramos.
Ramos will enter Sunday having reached base in 16 of his past 24 plate appearances. That included three home runs, seven RBIs, nine hits and six walks over that stretch.
“When you do it well, it can really boost the energy in the dugout,” Slater said. “It’s just to get on base. And if (Ramos) keeps this up, I’ll be getting a lot more fastballs.”
Since his call up on May 8, Ramos entered Sunday slashing .327/.419/.554 with a .973 OPS in 28 games. Making difficult reads look easy in every outfield post — playing center field on Saturday, he breezed in to catch Josh Smith’s sharp line drive that looked bound for a wall in the eighth — Ramos’ 2.0 WAR ranks second on the team behind Matt Chapman’s 2.7.
2024.06.08 – SF Giants vs. TX Rangers (NBC Sports – Post Recap)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Spencer Howard throws to the Texas Rangers in the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 8, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
2024.06.08 – SF Giants vs. TX Rangers (NBC Sports Post Recap)
2024.06.08 – SF Giants vs. TX Rangers (NBC Sports – Post Recap)
“What do you say about Ramos,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Pretty incredible what he’s doing. Playing with a lot of confidence, makes it look easy. That ball was hit and I wasn’t sure if it was going to get caught. Shows what some confidence can do.”
Erik Miller (1-2) worked a scoreless inning with two strikeouts after relieving Giants starter and former Texas right-hander Spencer Howard with two outs in the fifth. Camilo Doval worked around two runners in the ninth for his 11th save in 13 chances.
Texas starter Andrew Heaney (2-7) struck out five while allowing three runs over 5 2/3 innings.
“Slater had a good at-bat (to start the game), get 3-2 on Ramos … just trying to throw a strike, not trying to walk the first two batters of the game,” Heaney said. “I mean, one guy beat me today. And the guy in front of him … kind of set the table for him.”
Giants third baseman Matt Chapman singled in the sixth to extend his on-base streak to 25 games, the franchise’s longest since Eduardo Núñez reached base in 33 consecutive games in 2017.
Jon Gray, just off the injured list, replaced Heaney with two on in the sixth and struck out Jorge Soler to get out of that jam before working two more scoreless innings. Gray had last pitched May 21 before being sidelined with a right groin strain, and likely will be starting again next week.
2024.06.08 – SF Giants vs. TX Rangers (Locked On Post Game)
San Francisco Giants 2nd basement Thairo Estrada tags-out Texas Rangers (16) Travis Jankowski in the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 8, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
2024.06.08 – SF Giants vs. TX Rangers (Locked On Post Game)
2024.06.08 – SF Giants vs. TX Rangers (Locked On Post Game)
The Rangers (30-34) got their lone run in the first, when Marcus Semien drew a leadoff walk and scored on Nathaniel Lowe’s sacrifice fly. It was the third time in five games that they scored only one run, and had two runs in another game.
“Not much to say, except that we’re just not doing much offensively,” Bochy said. “That’s been the story for a while here.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: RHP Alex Cobb threw off a mound in his rehab from offseason left hip surgery, with the catcher in front of the plate Friday. “I don’t know if that counts. He was on a mound, but hopefully next week he actually throws a real bullpen,” Melvin said.
Rangers: SS Corey Seager (left hamstring tightness) did some agility work in the outfield before the game but was out of the lineup for the second game in a row. Bochy said the World Series MVP is getting better but that it wasn’t worth the risk to have him hit in the ninth with two runners on. … RHP Gerson Garabito was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock to make room on the active roster for Gray.
UP NEXT
Giants RHP Keaton Winn (3-6, 6.17 ERA) is expected to come off the injured list to start Sunday in his first appearance since May 14. He had been sidelined by a right forearm strain. Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 2.70 ERA) is set to make his third start since missing 3 1/2 weeks with a right groin strain.
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SF Giants 2014 World Series Champions