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SAN FRANCISCO – We’ve seen this movie before.
San Francisco Giants get decent game from their pitching staff. San Francisco Giants do not get decent game from their offense. San Francisco Giants lose baseball game, starting pitcher (who pitched well) takes loss.
Jeff Samardzija was the latest victim of the trend that has plagued the Giants all year. The Shark had a decent game, giving up only three earned runs on four hits in six innings of work. He was burned by the long ball twice Saturday, something he’s struggled with in the past.
Although his win-loss record (2-8) doesn’t show it, The Shark has been one of the better starting pitchers for the Giants in 2017. Saturday he struck out his 100th batter of the year, and has only walked 12 batters.
Samardzija says there’s a reason for his success, being able use five pitches…something he’s never been able to do before in his career.
“I think over the past couple of years at any given point in the year I’ve only had three of them working,” said Samardzija. “And I’ve been trying to find another one of them, or two of them. But to have the curveball and the splitter being there for me, I can attack the zone.”