Kyle Harrison’s return to the mound on Saturday in Cleveland didn’t go quite as planned. After being sidelined for the last 19 games due to an ankle sprain, Harrison’s first start since June 10 was a rough one. He gave up four runs early, setting the San Francisco Giants up for an uphill battle that they couldn’t quite overcome. Despite their late efforts, the Giants ultimately fell to the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians, 5-4.
Jorge Soler, batting lead-off, shone brightly, going 1 for 3 with a double and two walks. Tyler Fitzgerald also made his mark with an RBI single that brought in two runs. Fremont native Steven Kwan had a standout game for Cleveland, going 2 for 4 and blasting a solo home run.
"Kyle’s been out for a while and hadn’t thrown in a game," said Giants manager Bob Melvin. "Once he got into it a little bit, he looked like he got better toward the end. For a while there, it looked like I had to get someone up there in the first, but he got through it and kept us in the game. We battled back really nicely and made it a game where at the beginning, it didn’t feel like it. We had our chances offensively, but I think overall, Kyle will be much better next time out."
Harrison’s struggles started early. In the first inning, Steven Kwan singled, Angel Martínez was walked, and José Ramírez singled to load the bases. Cleanup hitter Josh Naylor scored Kwan on a groundout for Cleveland’s first run. After Harrison loaded the bases again by walking David Fry, Jhonkensy Noel brought home Martínez with a deep sacrifice fly to center field. Tyler Freeman then knocked in Ramírez, giving Cleveland a 3-0 lead by the end of the first inning.
Things didn’t get any easier in the second inning. Kwan homered on a high pitch that sailed over the center field wall, pushing the Guardians’ lead to 4-0. Harrison exited in the fourth inning after throwing 72 pitches, 44 of them for strikes. "Honestly, I think it was just a tough first inning," Harrison said. "I was working a little too fast and didn’t have my legs quite under me in the first and had too many walks. … I wasted a lot of pitches, and so they came at me in the first. I was pretty mad because I knew I didn’t have too many more."
The Giants had their struggles, too, especially against Cleveland starter Logan Allen. San Francisco managed just two hits through four innings. However, the offense found its rhythm in the fifth. Soler started the inning with a lead-off walk, and Heliot Ramos followed with a single. Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt then replaced lefty Barlow with right-handed pitcher Scott Barlow. In Barlow’s first at-bat, Matt Chapman walked to load the bases with one out. Fitzgerald singled to center field, scoring Soler and Ramos and putting the Giants on the board. They capped off the rally with a double steal, allowing Chapman to score from third and cutting Cleveland’s lead to 4-3.
Cleveland responded in the sixth inning when Noel homered to left field off reliever Luke Jackson, restoring the lead to two runs. It was the fourth homer Jackson had given up this year. The Giants closed the gap again in the seventh after Michael Conforto’s RBI double scored Chapman, making it 5-4.
In the ninth inning, Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase shut the door on the Giants, retiring Mike Yastrzemski, Ramos, and Conforto to secure the win for the Guardians.
As the road trip winds down for San Francisco, they will play Cleveland one more time before starting a six-game homestand leading up to the All-Star break. Righty Hayden Birdsong is expected to start on Sunday, aiming to help the Giants bounce back from this close defeat.
Despite the loss, the game had its highlights, like Soler’s performance at the plate and the Giants’ fifth-inning rally. These moments show promise for the team as they look to find their groove and make a strong push before the All-Star break. With Harrison shaking off the rust and the team showing resilience, there's hope for better outcomes in the upcoming games.
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