Giants' Streak Ends
Trevor McDonald's shutout start powers Giants to 6-4 victory, ending D-backs losing streak
Trevor McDonald delivered one of the best starts of his young career on Wednesday night, pitching six scoreless innings and allowing just one hit as the San Francisco Giants finally beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4, according to AP News. The win snapped an eight-game losing streak against Arizona — a skid that had pushed the Giants to the brink of a 0-9 start against a single opponent, which would have been the first in franchise history.
Victor Bericoto hit a 422-foot two-run homer and Heliot Ramos added a 427-foot solo blast and an RBI triple to power the Giants' offense, per Yahoo Sports. Caleb Kilian struck out two in a perfect ninth inning to seal the save and end the nightmare streak.
McDonald Shuts Down Arizona With Near-Perfect Outing
The 25-year-old right-hander was dominant from the start. McDonald allowed just one hit — a leadoff single by Ketel Marte in the fourth inning — and walked nobody, per AP News. He struck out five and threw 6.0 scoreless innings, moving his record to 3-6 on the season. It was the kind of performance the Giants badly needed heading into the series finale.
McDonald faced Arizona starter Zac Gallen, who struggled badly by comparison. Gallen allowed 6 runs on 7 hits over 5.2 innings and fell to 3-8 on the year, according to Sports Illustrated. Analysts noted he looked sharp early but unraveled in the fifth and sixth innings as the Giants piled on.
Bericoto and Ramos Power a Six-Run Giants Burst
San Francisco did its damage in the fifth and sixth innings. Ramos hit his 427-foot solo shot in the fifth, then Bericoto followed with a 422-foot two-run homer to make it 3-0, per AP News. In the sixth, Ramos added an RBI triple, and run-scoring singles from Jung Hoo Lee and Drew Cavanaugh pushed the lead to 6-0, according to San Mateo Daily Journal.
Bericoto, a 24-year-old rookie, has been one of the Giants' brightest spots in a tough season. He hit a 445-foot walk-off homer against the Athletics on June 24, per NBC Sports Bay Area. Wednesday's two-run blast was another reminder of his raw power at a moment the team needed it most.
Arizona Rallies Late But Falls Short of Historic Sweep
The Diamondbacks made it interesting in the eighth inning, scoring four runs against the Giants' bullpen to cut the lead to 6-4, per Sports Illustrated. But Kilian came on in the ninth and retired the side in order, striking out two to earn his seventh save of the season.
The loss denied Arizona a third sweep of the Giants this year. Before Wednesday, San Francisco had never started 0-9 against a single opponent in franchise history. The Diamondbacks still lead the season series 8-1 and sit at 43-43 overall, while the Giants fall to 35-50, good for fourth place in the NL West, according to Houston Chronicle.
Giants Find a Small Bright Spot in a Difficult Season
The win offers a brief moment of relief for a Giants team that has struggled all year. San Francisco sits 19 games below .500 and trails the division-leading Dodgers, who are 54-30, by a wide margin. The team has also dealt with internal friction, including starter Tyler Mahle publicly complaining that a pitch count was not communicated to him before a late-game collapse on June 30, per Wire Report.
NBC Sports Bay Area framed the win as a sign of a potential second-half turnaround, pointing to McDonald's development and the offensive sparks from Bericoto and Ramos. The Giants next travel to Colorado for a weekend series starting July 3. Whether Wednesday's performance marks a real turning point — or just a one-night reprieve — remains to be seen.
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