SF Giants get strong start from Whisenhunt, take series opener against last-place Colorado

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants took a robust step on Thursday night in their quest to avoid becoming the worst team in Major League Baseball.

Facing the National League-worst Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park, San Francisco seized on a strong start from call-up Carson Whisenhunt and turned on the jets late in the game, extending a two-run lead into an 8-2 blowout with an eighth-inning rally in front of 32,031 fans.

The Giants are now 39-54 this season, two games up on Colorado (38-57) for the worst record in the NL and second-worst in MLB. Only the Angels are worse at 37-57.

Casey Schmitt got the scoring started for the Giants with a 420-foot solo home run to left-center field in the first inning.

Whisenhunt escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third, getting Cole Carrigg to fly out to Drew Gilbert in deep left-center to end the inning. Other than a fourth-inning two-run homer by Willi Castro, Whisenhunt was excellent, allowing just three hits overall and striking out four while navigating four walks across 5 2/3 innings.

Three Giants relievers – JT Brubaker, Erik Miller and Caleb Kilian – combined to pitch 3 1/3 scoreless innings to close out the win.

Bryce Eldridge tied the game with a splash hit in the fourth, muscling the ball out with a chicken-wing swing that nevertheless fully cleared the right-field bleachers.

Then San Francisco retook the lead in the fifth. Luis Arraez doubled to drive in Drew Cavanaugh, then Rafael Devers added on with an RBI single to right-center, scoring Heliot Ramos.

Schmitt brought in an insurance run in the eighth, batting in Arraez with a sharp double to deep left-center. Devers furthered the Giants’ cause with a ground-rule double that lodged itself under the padding along the right-field line, scoring Schmitt.

Then Willy Adames really put the game out of reach, lacing a two-run homer to left to put San Francisco up six.

The Giants will face Colorado three more times before beginning the All-Star break after their game on Sunday afternoon.

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