Logan Webb threw his 96th career start* this afternoon and achieved two things: his first complete game and his first shutout. The Giants got a 4th-inning homer from J.D. Davis and with Webb's dominant outing that was enough for a 1-0 win. That's the club's 49th victory of the season and I'm a bit disappointed as I was hoping for 50 by the All-Star Break. Nonetheless the 49-41 record and .544 percentage is better than many people expected when the season started. Remember that they were 6-13 at one point and finished April at 11-16. They then went 35-20 in May and June including a ten-game winning streak. They also had a franchise-record streak of ten consecutive road wins. They swept a three-game set in Colorado (6/6-6/8), then back-to-back three-game sweeps of the Cardinals and the Dodgers (6/12-6/18), and the first game of the series in Toronto (a shutout against Kevin Gausman on 6/27). It was quite a run.
With today's win the Giants improve their July record to 3-5. Overall they are in third place in the NL West, three games behind the 52-38 Arizona Diamondbacks. They score 4.66 runs per game, putting them in the top third, just a little above the MLB average of 4.58 rpg. On the pitching side they allow 4.33 runs per game, good for 13th-best. If they are a .544 team then they project to win 39 more games out of the remaining 72. That would get them to 88 wins and right on the Wild Card bubble (just like they are now). If they can summon that May-June magic and be a .600 team they'll finish 92-70 which would most likely secure them a spot. Regardless they are going to have to play as well the rest of the way, and likely a little better overall, as they've played in the first 90 games.
But that's getting ahead of ourselves. Today was about Logan Webb throwing one of his best games ever (10 strikeouts, 10 ground ball outs, no walks) and the Giants getting a much-needed win. I should point out that Webb's 126 IP is the most in MLB.
The Giants return to action on Friday, July 14th in Pittsburgh (4:05 Pacific). Meanwhile, enjoy the break!
--M.C.
*It was his 99th game--he pitched in relief once in 2020 and twice in 2021.
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