SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants' 2024 MLB season ended in the same fashion that it began, with a loss. In between those two games was a bittersweet six-month run that will force the front office to take a serious look at changing things up for 2025.
San Francisco's 6-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday in front of 32,348 at Oracle Park prevented the Giants (80-82) from finishing the season at .500 in Bob Melvin’s first year as manager.
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In many ways, the season finale capsulized the Orange and Black’s entire 2024 campaign.
They got good starting pitching, this time a strong-but-unspectacular 4 1/3 innings out of Hayden Birdsong. But with very little offense to back it up, the result wasn’t very surprising.
Birdsong pitched decently enough and got good support from the bullpen, although Randy Rodriguez (three runs in one inning) got roughed up in his second appearance since coming back from the Injured List.
Brett Wisely provided the lone offensive highlight with an RBI single in the seventh.
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There was some fun at the ballpark on the final day of the regular season.
Giants third baseman Matt Chapman was honored with a rousing ovation from the Oracle Park crowd when he left the game after one at-bat and two innings. Easily the best all-around player on the roster during the 2024 season, Chapman wasn’t hurt but it was Melvin’s way of giving the veteran infielder a chance to get some love from the hometown fans as he left the game.
Logan Webb and Matt Chapman had a strong message for fans after the season finale 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Ejso0R29HB
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 29, 2024
Here are the takeaways from Sunday’s game:
Birdsong makes pitch for 2025 spot
When the Giants start making plans for their 2025 starting rotation, there’s no reason to think that Birdsong won’t be a big part of those discussions.
Birdsong came out strong against the Cardinals and breezed through the first two innings, fanning six of the first nine St. Louis batters. The young right-hander’s lone glaring mistake came in the third inning when he left an 0-1 curveball over the middle of the plate to Brendan Donovan, who smashed the pitch into the right field stands for a solo home run.
Oracle gives Hayden Birdsong a standing ovation after the rookie's 11-strikeout day 👏 pic.twitter.com/4EDO9rn6xH
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 29, 2024
Birdsong is not at an elite level yet but he is solid enough to be a big part of the back end of the rotation for next season.
Woeful offense ... again
One of the Giants’ biggest problems this season was hitting with runners in scoring position, but that wasn’t much of an issue on Sunday.
That’s because for most of the game, San Francisco couldn’t muster much of anything at the plate. The Giants managed seven hits, didn’t draw a walk and got only two guys into scoring position.
Pitching prospect debuts
Trevor McDonald made his MLB debut after being called up from the minors before the game because the Giants needed an extra arm in the bullpen for the final game after using seven pitchers Saturday when starter Blake Snell was scratched from his scheduled start.
Trevor McDonald's family is here for his MLB debut 🥹 pic.twitter.com/71WjOOWHZC
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 29, 2024
An 11th-round draft pick in 2019, McDonald didn’t allow a hit over three scoreless innings. The 23-year-old right-hander had one strikeout and one walk before walking off the field to a strong ovation.