SAN FRANCISCO — Because he started the opener of this three-game series, Robbie Ray hasn’t had time to catch up with old teammates, but after getting the win in his return to Oracle Park, he said he was looking forward to doing so over the next two days. The handshake line might be a lot shorter than he might have expected when he was traded to San Diego on August 3.Four of the nine Giants hitters who faced Ray on Friday were not in the big leagues when he was traded. Two of the three pitchers who took the mound for the Giants were not even in the organization the last time Ray wore orange and black, and the third was in the minors and never played with Ray.
A lot has changed, but the two imposing sluggers in the heart of the Giants lineup Friday were players Ray knows well, and they were the ones who got to him.
Bryce Eldridge smoked a fastball up the middle in the first inning, giving the Giants an early lead and extending his on-base streak to 19 games. Four innings later, Rafael Devers capped a patient rally by golfing a curveball into the arcade. It wasn’t close to being a strike, but right now that doesn’t matter to Devers,...