Left-hander Robbie Ray hopes to continue one of the greatest starts to a season in San Francisco Giants history when he duels the host Miami Marlins on Saturday.
The Giants opened the three-game set with a 2-0 victory Friday night, getting stellar pitching from lefty Kyle Harrison and six relievers. San Francisco had taken the field saddled with a three-game losing streak.
Ray (7-0, 2.56 ERA) has gone unbeaten in 11 starts this season, running his streak to 13 games since last August.
The 11 in a row to start a season is tied for seventh-longest in Giants history, with Ray now getting a chance to tie Kevin Gausman (2021), Rosy Ryan (1923) and Hooks Wiltse (1904) for fourth-longest with a 12th straight on Saturday. Only Rube Marquard (18 in 1912), Noah Lowry (14 in 2004) and Joe McGinnity (14 in 1904) have had longer unbeaten runs to open a season in Giants history.
The streak of 13 bridging two seasons is tied for 21st-longest all-time among Giants. Ray’s teammate, Logan Webb, tied Carl Hubbell’s franchise record, set 85 years earlier, with 22 straight unbeaten starts bridging the 2021-22 seasons.
At the start of play Friday, Ray joined the New York Yankees’ Max Fried (then 7-0) and the Philadelphia Phillies’ Jesus Luzardo (5-0) as the only pitchers who remained unbeaten this season through 11 starts. But Fried took the loss in Friday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers, an 8-5 defeat, while Luzardo is slated to pitch Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Also in play Saturday could be National League Pitcher of the Month honors. Ray has gone 4-0 with a 1.41 ERA in five May starts.
“I’m feeling really good,” the 33-year-old said. “It definitely feels good to be able to do this consistently. I’m just looking to keep it rolling.”
Ray has compiled a 4-4 record with a 2.41 ERA in 10 lifetime games (nine starts) against the Marlins. He’s just 2-3 at Miami.
Ray’s counterpart Saturday is scheduled to be right-hander Edward Cabrera (1-1, 4.73), who likewise is unbeaten in May, having gone 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA in four starts.
The 27-year-old has never lost to the Giants, posting a 2-0 record and 2.08 ERA in three career starts against San Francisco.
Cabrera will be seeking the type of defensive support the Marlins provided for starter Cal Quantrill and reliever Janson Junk in Friday’s low-scoring loss. Thanks to an error-free defense that also converted a center field-to-third base double play in the second inning, Miami limited the Giants to two runs despite the visitors putting 13 batters on base.
Before Friday’s first pitch, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough announced a move designed to shore up his team’s porous infield defense. He has decided to move Otto Lopez from second base to shortstop, declaring that touted prospect Xavier Edwards, currently on the injured list with a strained back, would return from a minor-league rehab stint as a second baseman.
“X (Edwards) is a team guy. (He) is up for thinking this is what’s best for us right now,” McCullough said. “He’s trying to get up to speed as quickly as he can back at second base, and (I) feel like it’s going to pay dividends and help us win games.”
The Marlins expect Edwards to come off the injured list Monday when they begin a three-game home series against the Colorado Rockies.
– Field Level Media
