Thanks to Carlos Rodón's most efficient start in orange and black, the Giants got their latest road trip off to a winning start Friday night.
Rodón pitched through eight innings for the first time as a Giant and the lineup did just enough for a 2-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. It was the sixth win in seven games for the Giants.
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Early on, it looked like they might be headed for a blowout, with Luis Gonzalez and Joc Pederson hitting homers and the lineup putting constant pressure on Pirates starter Zach Thompson. But the lineup couldn't keep the momentum going -- or cash in on those chances -- which made it necessary for Rodón to have a big night.
The lefty was up to the challenge as the Giants improved to 36-27.
Nearly Unhittable
For four innings, it looked like Rodón might flirt with history against a lineup that entered the night ranked 28th in the Majors in batting average (.219). He cruised through the lineup the first time through and got to two outs in the fifth on just 58 pitches, but Jack Suwinski broke up the modest no-hit bid by lining a slider up the middle.
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Rodón ended up throwing 26 pitches in the fifth, but he followed that with a couple of quick innings, totaling 18 pitches over the next two innings. That gave him a chance to get extended.
Rodón had only completed seven innings one previous time and that came back on April 15, his second start with the team. He struck out eight Friday, allowing two hits and two walks.
Leadoff Luis
While the Giants are on the road, LaMonte Wade Jr. will start a rehab assignment and Steven Duggar will become eligible to return to the active roster. What will they do with Gonzalez when they're fully healthy? That's a tough one, but he continues to make it clear he belongs in the big leagues.
Gonzalez smoked a leadoff homer over the entirety of the short porch in right and onto the portwalk behind the ballpark. The homer was his third of the year and the first leadoff homer of his career.
Triple-Double
The Giants had six baserunners in the first three innings but the only run came on the Gonzalez homer, mostly because they hit into three double plays. It was hard to place too much blame on the hitters, though.
With Evan Longoria at the plate in the first inning, Mike Yastrzemski took off for second base, which inadvertently brought the second baseman right to the bag as Longoria bounced one up the middle.
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Austin Wynns hit a 100 mph grounder down the third base line with the bags juiced in the second, but Ke'Bryan Hayes turned it into a double play. An inning later, Yastrzemski lined out to first with a runner on, and that turned into an unassisted double play.