© John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
SAN FRANCISCO –– With a dominant pitching performance by Jeff Samardzija (1-0) and a timely home run by Kevin Pillar, the San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 1-0 on Thursday.
The game featured a pitching showcase from both starting pitchers Samardzija and Jon Gray. Samardzija started out dominantly, recording five strikeouts and allowing only three baserunners through four innings of work. Gray proved to be a worthy opponent early on for Samardzija, however, producing four scoreless innings and five strikeouts of his own
As the fanbase entered into the ceremonious seventh-inning stretch, the dominance continued. Samardzija posted another three innings of shutout ball, adding two more strikeouts to his tally.
Gray would cruise through two more innings, but in the bottom of the seventh on the first pitch he saw, Giants newcomer Kevin Pillar belted a fastball out to right center. Rockies centerfielder Ian Desmond gave chase, but in the end the ball scraped over the wall, and the Giants had a 1-0 lead.
HR #3 on the season for @KPILLAR4
414 feet
105 MPH
24° launch angle#SFGiants pic.twitter.com/SeJmgfTQgl— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) April 12, 2019
Later in the inning, lefty-reliever Mike Dunn came in relief, and Jon Gray’s night was over. Gray pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run on 102 pitches. Gray’s ERA moves to 4.12.
Samardzija’s night would come to an end as well in the eighth, as left-handed reliever Tony Watson came into the game. Samardzija recorded seven strikeouts and allowed only three hits in seven innings of work, and his ERA moves to 1.62.
The lefty from Sioux City, Iowa breezed through the eighth, retiring the Rockies in order, setting up Will Smith to close it out.
Clinging to a 1-0 lead, Smith held on to seal the win for the Giants. With the help of a spectacular hit-saving, diving catch by Joe Panik, Smith retired the side on eight pitches, earning his fourth save of the season.
Jon Gray is handed his third loss of the season, and Samardzija tallies his first win.
The Giants will play Colorado again on Friday night.
