The San Francisco Giants hope Rafael Devers can build upon a recent surge when they seek a second straight home win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
Devers contributed a single and a solo home run to a 5-2 win in the series opener Friday, running his hitting streak to eight games.
The multi-hit effort was his first of the streak, during which he has improved his batting average from .203 to .229. He is a career .274 hitter.
“He looks good,” Giants manager Tony Vitello told the media of Devers after the win on Friday. “You could see it coming. The foul balls, the balls barreled up … they have been very good. It’s good to get (positive results).”
Devers has never gotten a hit off the Braxton Ashcraft (1-2, 3.02 ERA), the Pirates’ scheduled starter in the rematch. They faced each other for the first two times last season — both with Ashcraft in relief — first when Devers flew out deep to left field in a home loss in July, and later when Ashcraft struck out the slugger in Pittsburgh in August.
The right-hander didn’t get a decision after shutting out the Cincinnati Reds over 7 2/3 innings in his most recent start last Sunday in a game the Pirates won 1-0. He’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of his seven starts, but has just a 1-1 record to show for those efforts.
The second-year major-leaguer has never started a game against the Giants. He has faced them in just the two aforementioned relief appearances last summer, going 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA over 5 1/3 innings.
Seeking their first winning streak since a two-game mini-streak at the end of their last homestand, the Giants would like to see right-hander Landen Roupp (5-2, 3.18) start a new run of his own.
The 27-year-old saw a personal four-game win streak come to an end in a 5-1 loss at Tampa Bay last Saturday when he allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.
The third-year major-leaguer has never faced the Pirates.
Pittsburgh managed just two runs and five hits against four Giants pitchers in the series opener. Even while winning three times, they’ve totaled just eight runs in their last five games. Included in that span were two 1-0 victories.
The Pirates were held to one run in six innings by left-hander Robbie Ray. Their best inning was the ninth against right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian, who gave up one run as he faced left-handed hitters Brandon Lowe, Spencer Horwitz and Ryan O’Hearn.
The Pirates have hit 30 of their 42 homers off right-handers this season.
“The guys are just having great at-bats. Hitting the ball hard. Swinging at strikes,” O’Hearn told reporters earlier this week. “We don’t have a lot of guys who are trying to hit home runs. Quality at-bats and passing the baton and getting guys on base. Then the big homers come.”
Marcell Ozuna homered off Ray to produce Pittsburgh’s first run Friday.
– Field Level Media
