Giants’ Robbie Ray dominates Dodgers with 5 hit-less innings
Robbie Ray #23 of the San Francisco Giants throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on July 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
2024.07.24 – Robbie Ray pitched five hit-less innings in his San Francisco debut, Matt Chapman homered and the Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-3 on Wednesday night.
The Giants held the Dodgers without a hit until Chris Taylor doubled to right off reliever Tyler Rogers with two outs in the seventh inning.
Ray (1-0) had his first outing since Tommy John surgery and a flexor-tendon repair, in May 2023. He was electric after the first inning, allowing just one earned run on a bases-loaded walk. He struck out eight and threw 86 pitches.
Ray started the first inning hitting two Dodgers, walked two others and threw 33 pitches — two of them wild, only 15 of them strikes.
The Giants have had Ray’s season debut on their mind for months, but ever more so the past month as they try to edge their way back toward playoff contention.
Ray’s first inning created some momentary doubts about how much help he actually might be — and then he trotted back out for the second and struck out the side and breezed through three more innings after that, five no-hit innings in all in San Francisco’s victory.
2024.07.24 (SF Giants vs LA Dodgers) See Full Highlights
Robbie Ray #23 of the San Francisco Giants throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on July 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
2024.07.24 (SF Giants vs LA Dodgers) See Full Highlights
2024.07.24 (SF Giants vs LA Dodgers) See Full Highlights
“I was a little amped up in the first to get out there,” Ray said. “Really excited. Everything felt good. Just kind of getting a little quick with my front side. I knew my stuff was going to play regardless. I knew if I got through that first inning I could settle down. “
The Giants snapped the Dodgers’ five-game winning streak and have a chance to split the series Thursday.
In the eighth inning, the Giants got to the Dodgers’ fatigued bullpen. They scored six runs on five hits, with five earned runs charged to reliever Yohan Ramirez.
“We haven’t had too many of those,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s nice to put a crooked number up. We felt good about who we had coming in the game for the last four innings. To put a crooked number like that, you’re able to not be so fine and every at-bat doesn’t mean potentially a disaster.”
Chapman hit a solo home run to center field off Tyler Glasnow to tie it at 1 in the fourth inning. He was 2 for 3 with two runs, two RBIs and he walked twice. Chapman’s homer was his 14th of the season. Mike Yastrzemski added an RBI single in the inning to make it 2-1.
Ray was dominant and retired 14 consecutive batters. Ryan Walker retired the side in the sixth to make it 17 consecutive batters and it became 19 when Rogers retired the first two he faced before Taylor’s double.
“I’m not going to say I expected that first inning to go like that, but how can you blame him?” catcher Curt Casali said. “His first outing since last March — obviously there was some serious adrenaline going on. It was a grind of an inning and then you couple that with the next four that he threw, it was a pretty impressive turnaround.
2024.07.24 – Giants vs Dodgers (NBC Sports: Post Recap)
Matt Chapman #26 of the San Francisco Giants hits a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on July 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
2024.07.24 – Giants vs Dodgers (NBC Sports: Post Recap)
2024.07.24 – Giants vs Dodgers (NBC Sports: Post Recap)
It was an emotional return for Ray.
“It was a flurry of emotions all around,” Ray said. “I was able to have my wife and my two oldest kids too. For them to experience it too, with the support they showed me, there’s no words that can describe it. Super special night all around.”
According to MLB statistician Sarah Langs, Ray’s five hit-less innings were the most by a Giants starter in his team debut since Juan Marichal in his big-league debut July 19, 1960, when he threw 7⅔ hit-less innings.
“To bring somebody with that pedigree into our struggling team right now is a huge boost of confidence,” Casali said. “Just knowing that he’s going to go out there every fifth day and compete his butt off is a really nice thing to have.”
Ray could be a free agent after the season, with an opt-out in the five-year, $115 million deal he signed with Seattle. If he chooses to stay with the Giants, he’d earn $25 million.
2024.07.24 – Giants vs Dodgers (Locked On: Post Recap)
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat against the San Francisco Giants in the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on July 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
2024.07.24 – Giants vs Dodgers (Locked On: Post Recap)
2024.07.24 – Giants vs Dodgers (Locked On: Post Recap)
Los Angeles’ Shohei Ohtani, the player the Giants coveted most this winter, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, including yet another strike, by rookie left-hander Erik Miller, who has faced the NL home run leader five times and struck him out each time.
Ohtani was 2-for-12 with eight strikeouts in the first three games of the series.
Glasnow (8-6) returned to the mound after missing two weeks due to what he jokingly called “tall-guy back.”
“I think it was the rust of not pitching,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think his stuff was good. Certainly, the command wasn’t there.”
Glasnow walked four in five innings.
THE OTHER SIDE
Nick Ahmed was released by the Giants two weeks ago after he played in 47 games for them this season. The Dodgers put shortstop Miguel Rojas on the injured list, and signed Ahmed on Tuesday night.
By Wednesday, he was in the lineup starting at shortstop against his former team. Ahmed singled in the eighth inning and made a nice-bare-handed play to get an out at first in the fifth inning.
“Its fun. I love how it works out sometimes,” Ahmed said. “God has a funny sense of humor at times. Excited to compete against those guys.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: RHP Keaton Winn (right forearm tightness) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. … OF Derek Hill was added to the active roster and OF Luis Matos and RHP Randy Rodriguez were optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.
Dodgers: INF Rojas (right forearm tightness) was placed on the IL, dating back to July 22. … RHP Kyle Hurt (ulnar collateral ligament) will have season-ending Tommy John surgery. … OF Taylor (left groin tightness) was taken out of the game in the seventh inning after his double. He is scheduled for an MRI but he’ll likely land on the IL, according to Dave Roberts.
UP NEXT
Giants: RHP Logan Webb (7-8, 3.59 ERA) pitches for the fourth time against the Dodgers this season. He allowed two earned runs and five hits in seven innings in the Giants’ 5-3 win on June 28.
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his first start of the season following off-season shoulder surgery. He’ll pitch in a game for the Dodgers for the 17th consecutive season.
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