BOX SCORE
SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants’ original City Connects weren’t at all popular when they were first released, but over time, Tuesday nights at Oracle Park came to be associated with winning. The creamsicles were 30-16 before getting retired last September.
The new version took the field for the first time on Tuesday, but it was another quiet night for the lineup and another loss to the Cincinnati Reds. After getting blanked 2-0 in the opener, the Giants fell 1-0 on Tuesday. The series loss is their first of the year, and they’ll try to avoid the sweep on Wednesday behind Justin Verlander.
Debutando nuevos uniformes 🟠🟣 pic.twitter.com/Vfzf8ZWkUT
— SF Gigantes (@SFGigantes) April 9, 2025
A night after getting overwhelmed by Hunter Greene, the Giants had just three hits in six innings against lefty Nick Lodolo. Trailing by a run, they got a leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth, but the runner was quickly erased when Heliot Ramos bounced into a double play. Willy Adames followed with his third strikeout of the night and 15th of the season.
The Reds got a leadoff double from Gavin Lux in the top of the ninth, but Hayden Birdsong got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts that stranded Lux on third. In his third career relief appearance, Birdsong allowed just one hit over three innings, but it didn’t lead to a comeback.
Here are three observations from the Giants’ second consecutive shutout loss:
Much More Like It
Landen Roupp fought his command the first time out, but on Tuesday he looked just like the pitcher who spent all spring winning a rotation job. Roupp needed just 81 pitches to cruise through a career-high six innings. He scattered seven hits, struck out four and walked none.
Roupp got two strikeouts on his sinker and two on his curve, which is the norm for him, but his cutter was also a standout. It’s a pitch Roupp added in the offseason as a way to give lefties a different look and he threw 10 of them, eight of which were strikes.
First Of All
Casey Schmitt had a costly misplay in Houston, but it made sense. He was starting at first base for the first time in six years and had just a couple of days to prepare before games. Given an extra week, and a lot of extra coaching on this homestand, Schmitt looked much more comfortable Tuesday.
The biggest moment came in the fourth, when the Reds put two on with one out. Jose Trevino tried to put a squeeze down, but Schmitt charged it and made a perfect exchange and throw to the plate, preventing a run. The Giants always knew Schmitt had the hands and athleticism to handle first, but they were concerned that it might take some time for the natural third baseman to figure out where to be on every play. That wasn’t an issue Tuesday.
Schmitt nails the runner at the plate ‼ pic.twitter.com/mmn5RfGQzx
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) April 9, 2025
Schmitt also picked up his first two hits of the year, a double down the left field line and a single to right that was the first hit off Lodolo’s changeup this season.
On The Board
Schmitt wasn’t the only one who put a batting average on the scoreboard. Sam Huff was hitless in his first 10 plate appearances of the year, but he lined a single through the right side of the infield in the third inning and then singled again to lead off the bottom of the eighth. Huff also made a strong throw down to second in the fourth inning to keep Christian Encarnacion-Strand from swiping a bag.
The Giants need their backup catcher to keep it up, because they’re having a hard time finding breaks for Patrick Bailey. The starting catcher has appeared in all 11 games this season, never getting a full day off. He has entered all four of Huff’s starts in the late innings, and he did so Tuesday.
After Huff’s second hit, Christian Koss took over as a pinch-runner. Bailey was behind the plate for the top of the ninth.
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