San Francisco rides a dominant start and explosive offense to secure the series and surge into September with momentum
The San Francisco Giants capped their homestand in dominant fashion Sunday afternoon, routing the Baltimore Orioles 13–2 behind a vintage performance from Justin Verlander and an unrelenting offense that applied pressure from start to finish. The victory secured the series and marked San Francisco’s seventh win in its last nine games, sending the club into September with momentum.
After struggling to find consistency for much of 2025, Verlander finally rediscovered his rhythm at Oracle Park. The veteran right-hander delivered five shutout innings, striking out 10 while allowing just three hits. He escaped early jams in the first and second before overpowering the heart of Baltimore’s lineup, striking out the side in the fourth and walking off to a standing ovation after fanning Ryan Mountcastle to end the fifth. It was one of his sharpest outings of the season, improving his record to 3–6 and lowering his ERA to 4.29.
San Francisco’s bats wasted no time against Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano. In the first inning, Rafael Devers launched his 28th home run of the year to center field, extending the Giants’ home-run streak to 14 games — their longest since 2002. An inning later, Drew Gilbert and Heliot Ramos set the table before Devers added an RBI single. Willy Adames’ sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 3–0.
The floodgates opened in the fourth. Luis Matos singled, Pat Bailey walked, and Christian Koss drove in a run on a misplay at third. Gilbert followed with a two-run triple down the right-field line, Ramos added an RBI single, and Devers smashed a double off the wall to continue his torrid day. Dominic Smith capped the rally with an RBI single, chasing Sugano from the game and stretching the margin to 7–0.
With Verlander’s day done after five, the bullpen preserved the lead while the offense piled on. In the sixth, Smith lined an RBI single, Matos drove in another on a fielder’s choice, and Bailey worked a bases-loaded walk to make it 10–0. By the eighth, San Francisco was feasting on Baltimore’s relievers. Casey Schmitt doubled home a run, Matos lifted a sacrifice fly, and Gilbert ripped an RBI double off the right-field wall. By night’s end, the Giants had tallied 13 runs on 16 hits, with multi-hit performances from Devers (3-for-5), Ramos (3-for-5), Gilbert (2-for-5, three RBIs), and Matos (two RBIs).
The Orioles spoiled the shutout with a pair of ninth-inning runs off Spencer Bivens, but the right-hander still worked three innings to secure his first save of the season. San Francisco left Oracle Park with a 13–2 win, a series victory, and its fifth consecutive series with at least two wins.
Now 7–2 over their last nine contests, the Giants enter September with renewed confidence. With Verlander flashing glimpses of his old form and the lineup firing on all cylinders, San Francisco heads to Colorado with a chance to extend its late-season push.
After struggling to find consistency for much of 2025, Verlander finally rediscovered his rhythm at Oracle Park. The veteran right-hander delivered five shutout innings, striking out 10 while allowing just three hits. He escaped early jams in the first and second before overpowering the heart of Baltimore’s lineup, striking out the side in the fourth and walking off to a standing ovation after fanning Ryan Mountcastle to end the fifth. It was one of his sharpest outings of the season, improving his record to 3–6 and lowering his ERA to 4.29.
San Francisco’s bats wasted no time against Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano. In the first inning, Rafael Devers launched his 28th home run of the year to center field, extending the Giants’ home-run streak to 14 games — their longest since 2002. An inning later, Drew Gilbert and Heliot Ramos set the table before Devers added an RBI single. Willy Adames’ sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 3–0.
The floodgates opened in the fourth. Luis Matos singled, Pat Bailey walked, and Christian Koss drove in a run on a misplay at third. Gilbert followed with a two-run triple down the right-field line, Ramos added an RBI single, and Devers smashed a double off the wall to continue his torrid day. Dominic Smith capped the rally with an RBI single, chasing Sugano from the game and stretching the margin to 7–0.
With Verlander’s day done after five, the bullpen preserved the lead while the offense piled on. In the sixth, Smith lined an RBI single, Matos drove in another on a fielder’s choice, and Bailey worked a bases-loaded walk to make it 10–0. By the eighth, San Francisco was feasting on Baltimore’s relievers. Casey Schmitt doubled home a run, Matos lifted a sacrifice fly, and Gilbert ripped an RBI double off the right-field wall. By night’s end, the Giants had tallied 13 runs on 16 hits, with multi-hit performances from Devers (3-for-5), Ramos (3-for-5), Gilbert (2-for-5, three RBIs), and Matos (two RBIs).
The Orioles spoiled the shutout with a pair of ninth-inning runs off Spencer Bivens, but the right-hander still worked three innings to secure his first save of the season. San Francisco left Oracle Park with a 13–2 win, a series victory, and its fifth consecutive series with at least two wins.
Now 7–2 over their last nine contests, the Giants enter September with renewed confidence. With Verlander flashing glimpses of his old form and the lineup firing on all cylinders, San Francisco heads to Colorado with a chance to extend its late-season push.
Chongwoo Chang / chongwoo.chang@baynewslab.com
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