The San Francisco Giants continued to struggle against left-handed pitching as Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore piled up 10 strikeouts over six scoreless innings, while Washington’s offense erupted for 17 hits. The Giants managed just three singles and saw Jung Ho Lee’s eight-game hitting streak come to an end. The defeat marked San Francisco’s fourth straight home series loss and spoiled Justin Verlander’s milestone 3,500th career strikeout.
San Francisco closed out its homestand with another frustrating loss, falling 8–0 to the Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park.
Verlander became just the 10th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,500 strikeouts when he fanned Nathaniel Lowe with a 95.2 mph fastball in the first inning. But the Nationals quickly seized control. In the second, James Wood roped a two-run double down the right-field line, and CJ Abrams followed with a 375-foot, two-run homer to right — his 15th of the season — to make it 4–0. Paul DeJong added a two-run single in the fourth, and by the time Verlander exited after five innings, the Giants trailed 5–0.
Washington kept adding on against the bullpen. Spencer Bivens allowed an RBI single to DeJong in the sixth, then surrendered a two-run double to Wood in the seventh, capping an eight-run, 17-hit outburst for the Nationals.
On the other side, the Giants were completely stifled by Gore, who entered with a 4–12 record but carved up San Francisco’s lineup. The lefty struck out 10 over six scoreless innings, limiting the Giants to just three singles — from Heliot Ramos, Matt Chapman, and Pat Bailey. The struggles continued against the Nationals’ bullpen, as San Francisco finished the day 3-for-30 with 15 strikeouts.
It was another chapter in the Giants’ season-long difficulties against left-handed pitching. Lee, one of the team’s few bright spots in recent weeks, went 0-for-4 to snap his eight-game hitting streak, dropping his batting average to .256.
Rookie Drew Gilbert also went hitless again, still searching for his first hit in a Giants uniform.
For Verlander, the milestone moment was bittersweet. While he added to his Hall of Fame résumé, his record fell to 1–9, and his 3,500th strikeout will be remembered more for the loss that followed.
With the series defeat, the Giants fell to 59–59 and continue to slip in the NL Wild Card race. They’ll try to bounce back quickly, opening a crucial series against the division rival San Diego Padres on Monday at 3:40 p.m. PST, still searching for answers to their home struggles and in desperate need of a spark to keep their postseason hopes alive.
San Francisco closed out its homestand with another frustrating loss, falling 8–0 to the Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park.
Verlander became just the 10th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,500 strikeouts when he fanned Nathaniel Lowe with a 95.2 mph fastball in the first inning. But the Nationals quickly seized control. In the second, James Wood roped a two-run double down the right-field line, and CJ Abrams followed with a 375-foot, two-run homer to right — his 15th of the season — to make it 4–0. Paul DeJong added a two-run single in the fourth, and by the time Verlander exited after five innings, the Giants trailed 5–0.
Washington kept adding on against the bullpen. Spencer Bivens allowed an RBI single to DeJong in the sixth, then surrendered a two-run double to Wood in the seventh, capping an eight-run, 17-hit outburst for the Nationals.
On the other side, the Giants were completely stifled by Gore, who entered with a 4–12 record but carved up San Francisco’s lineup. The lefty struck out 10 over six scoreless innings, limiting the Giants to just three singles — from Heliot Ramos, Matt Chapman, and Pat Bailey. The struggles continued against the Nationals’ bullpen, as San Francisco finished the day 3-for-30 with 15 strikeouts.
It was another chapter in the Giants’ season-long difficulties against left-handed pitching. Lee, one of the team’s few bright spots in recent weeks, went 0-for-4 to snap his eight-game hitting streak, dropping his batting average to .256.
Rookie Drew Gilbert also went hitless again, still searching for his first hit in a Giants uniform.
For Verlander, the milestone moment was bittersweet. While he added to his Hall of Fame résumé, his record fell to 1–9, and his 3,500th strikeout will be remembered more for the loss that followed.
With the series defeat, the Giants fell to 59–59 and continue to slip in the NL Wild Card race. They’ll try to bounce back quickly, opening a crucial series against the division rival San Diego Padres on Monday at 3:40 p.m. PST, still searching for answers to their home struggles and in desperate need of a spark to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Chongwoo Chang / chongwoo.chang@baynewslab.com
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