The Giants head into Arizona carrying some momentum after back-to-back series wins over the Athletics and the Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park, and now they’ll try to keep that stretch going in a three-game set against the Diamondbacks.
San Francisco still has plenty of ground to cover if it wants to stay in the playoff conversation, but the task in front of it is the same one it’s been all along: chip away day by day. That process has been harder on the road, where the Giants are 17-26. Their most recent trip away from home ended badly, with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins before they returned home and won those two series.
For Monday night’s matchup with Eduardo Rodriguez, manager Tony Vitello rolled out this lineup:
- 3B Matt Chapman
- 2B Luis Arraez
- SS Casey Schmitt
- 1B Rafael Devers
- RF Heliot Ramos
- DH Bryce Eldridge
- LF Victor Bericoto
- C Eric Haase
- CF Jonah Cox
Tyler Mahle gets the ball for San Francisco, and he’s still trying to bring his season numbers down. His ERA sits at 5.49, and the Giants haven’t gotten the kind of production they expected from him this year. Still, the one-year deal gives him some intrigue for a contender looking for pitching help ahead of the trade deadline.
The Giants’ bats have started to wake up late in June. They’ve scored eight runs over their last two games, and they’ll need that kind of output again against Rodriguez, who enters Monday night with the fifth-best ERA in the majors at 2.27. He’s also been sharp at Chase Field in 2026, where he owns a 1.84 ERA.
Even so, San Francisco has a few hitters in this lineup who have handled Rodriguez before, and Schmitt stands out among them. He has five hits in eight at-bats against Rodriguez in his career, and he’s been one of the Giants’ most productive bats this season with a .290 average and 16 home runs. Batting him third makes plenty of sense.
Chapman is the only starter in this group who has gone deep against Rodriguez, and he’s hit .333 against him overall, going 8-for-24. Chapman has been scuffling a bit lately, hitting .211 over the last seven days, though he has found his power stroke across June.
In Other News...
Giants Just Moved On From Buddy Kennedy And It Says Plenty
Buddy Kennedys stop with the Giants was short and fairly ordinary, which is part of why the move was easy to read. The 27-year-old veteran infielder had been used around the diamond this season, and his limited run in San Francisco never gave the club much reason to keep him in the mix after a handful of quiet games. His major league track record has been that of a depth piece more than a fixture, and the Giants have now chosen to clear the spot.
What makes the move worth noting is the contrast between his big-league struggles and the bat he showed in Sacramento, where he put together a much better stretch at Triple-A. Kennedy has bounced through several organizations since Arizona drafted him in 2017, which makes this latest change feel more like another turn in an already winding career than a surprise. Still, the timing suggests the Giants were ready to pivot, even if his next opportunity now belongs to another club. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Rookie Drew Cavanaugh Delivers A Debut Fans Will Absolutely Love
Drew Cavanaughs first day in the majors came with a little more responsibility than most rookies can expect, and the Giants handed it to him right away. Called up after Daniel Susac landed on the injured list, the 2023 17th-round pick out of Florida Southern stepped behind the plate in his MLB debut and caught Trevor McDonald, a big leap for a player who was still climbing through the system not long ago.
Cavanaugh also checked off the first-hit box in the fifth inning, giving his debut the kind of finishing touch that tends to stick with a clubhouse and a fan base. After the game, he handed the authenticated ball to his mother, a simple gesture that fit the moment and made the whole night feel a little bigger than a standard roster move. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Grind Out Another Tight Home Win To Take The Series
Robbie Ray gave the Giants exactly the kind of start they have been leaning on during this home stretch, working deep enough to keep the game in their hands and limiting Atlanta to one unearned run. San Francisco did just enough behind him, with Luis Arraez picking up a run scored and an RBI and the Giants turning two Braves errors in the sixth inning into the lead they would not give back in a 3-2 win.
The finish still had plenty of tension. Atlanta kept pushing late enough to force San Francisco to guard every pitch, but Caleb Kilian handled the ninth and closed it out as the Giants continued to stack one narrow home win after another. It was the kind of series-clinching result that can quietly matter in the bigger picture, especially for a club that keeps finding ways to win games that stay tight deep into the night. [Read more 🡒]