Despite Schmitt’s early exit, SF Giants beat Brewers behind Mahle’s strong start, McCray’s homer

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 on Monday night at Oracle Park, but the victory comes secondary to the status of utilityman Casey Schmitt.

Schmitt, who is in the midst of a career year, exited during the bottom of the second inning with an apparent lower-body injury after rounding first on a bloop single, then quickly slamming on the brakes and aggravating his left knee. He walked off the field very gingerly, and his status is currently ambiguous.

The 27-year-old is in the midst of the best year of his career, having already totaled career-highs in homers (21), RBIs (55) and steals (nine) while providing invaluable defensive versatility. Losing Schmitt, who has been one of the team’s most valuable players, would be the latest punch to the gut in a season full of them.

Despite the shock of losing Schmitt to injury, the Giants (45-61) played well enough to beat the team with the second-best record in baseball.

Tyler Mahle, who could be traded at the Aug. 3 deadline, turned in one of his best starts of the year, allowing no runs over six-plus innings.

Mahle hasn’t had the best year after signing a one-year, $10 million deal in the offseason, posting a 4.96 ERA over 17 starts, but his broader résumé might be grounds for a contender to trade for his services. It helps that he’s held the Brewers, Phillies, Dodgers and Rays scoreless during his starts against them this year.

Along with Mahle, outfielder Grant McCray hit an impressive opposite-field two-run home run on a cold San Francisco night, his first home run in the majors since 2024. McCray has shown off the breadth of his physical tools during this homestand, recording both a steal and an outfield assist in Friday’s win over the Angels.

Up next

Landen Roupp (7-8, 3.93 ERA) will take the mound on Tuesday evening against the Brewers’ Logan Henderson (4-1, 3.05 ERA) as the Giants hope to secure a winning homestand.