Robbie Ray has been slinging it for the San Francisco Giants this season. In eight consecutive starts to begin the season, he has not lost a game while on the bump. The last time the Giants achieved this feat was in 1992, behind the first 11 starts for Bill Swift. Every game is important for a team vying for a shot at their stacked division.
Ray is Looking Good
In Ray’s latest conquest, he shut down the hottest offense in the league, the Chicago Cubs. In six innings of one-run ball, he helped the Giants earn a series victory and helped them out in the National League West standings. With Wednesday’s win against the Cubs, he is now 5-0 with a 2.84 ERA. It’s a fantastic turnaround for a pitcher who sorely needed one. He has breezed through all the contenders he has faced this year. Ray has had strong outings against the Seattle Mariners (one run on four hits), New York Yankees (One run on two hits and 7 Ks), and Milwaukee Brewers (two runs on five hits).
He had back-to-back eight-strikeout gems against the Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies, leading up to his showdown with the Cubs. Ray, a 12th-round pick by the Washington Nationals in 2010, debuted for the Detroit Tigers in 2014. He didn’t fully find his footing until 2017 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, going 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA, earning his first and only All-Star appearance.
His best season of his career came in 2021 while pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, which earned him the American League Cy Young Award. In 32 starts, he went 13-7 with a league-leading 2.84 ERA and 1.045 WHIP. He also led the league that year in strikeouts (248), WAR (6.9), games started (32), and innings pitched (193.1).
The Giants
In baseball’s toughest division, the Giants seem to be holding their own. They are tied for 3rd place with the San Diego Padres in the National League West, with both teams only one game behind the leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Everybody expected the Dodgers and Padres to be where they are, and most were hoping the Giants would match it; they didn’t believe it would happen this quickly.
