SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Wilkinson’s MLB debut was shorter than most Giants fans hoped, but it helped set the course for a solid win in Cleveland.
The Giants never really tried anything interesting with their pitching over the first four months, even as they struggled with both their rotation and bullpen. They took a new approach Wednesday, and it certainly paid off in a 1-0 win over the Guardians.
Wilkinson was an opener in his debut and handed the baton off to Adrian Houser, who took the shutout into the eighth. When he walked the leadoff batter, closer Dylan Smith entered and struck out three straight. Smith gave up a one-out single in the ninth, but he had a good fastball and stuck with it to get the final two outs. The last one came with some extra juice.
Patrick Bailey had a flair for the dramatic in San Francisco even when he was struggling, and he was sent up to pinch-hit with two outs in the ninth. He watched a 95-mph fastball down the middle to end the game. DYLAN SMITH pic.twitter.com/KyWFFQwyT1
— SF Gigantes (@SFGigantes) August 20, 2026All AboardWilkinson reached the big leagues at 23,...