What we learned as Rafael Devers, Justin Verlander fuel Giants’ win vs. Orioles

SAN FRANCISCO – Rafael Devers came within a triple of hitting for the cycle, Justin Verlander put together his finest outing of the season in his 550th career start and the Giants beat the Baltimore Orioles 13-2 on Sunday at Oracle Park.Drew Gilbert had three hits and three RBI. Heliot Ramos also had three hits, while Luis Matos and Christian Koss added two hits apiece as the Giants quickly bounced back from Saturday’s 11-1 loss and won for the seventh time in their last eight games.Devers led the way for San Francisco’s offense that has been picking up steam lately. Saturday’s game marked the ninth time in their last 10 games that the Giants have scored four or more runs, with two of the games against the Orioles being lopsided victories for the home squad.Every starter in manager Bob Melvin’s lineup, along with defensive replacement Casey Schmitt, either reached base or drove in a run. As a team, the Giants batted around in the fourth and sixth innings.Considering that offense came on a day when Verlander pitched was a welcomed gift for the veteran pitcher. The Giants had scored only 45 runs in his previous 23 starts with the Orange and Black.Verlander (3-10) was in vintage form most of the afternoon while winning consecutive starts for the first time since September 2023. His fastball clocked in about 2-3 mph above his season average, and he was dominant after escaping jams in the first two innings.The 42-year-old pitcher threw 121 pitches in five scoreless innings and had a season-high 10 strikeouts, marking the 73rd time in his Hall of Fame career that the Cy Young Award winner has reached double digits for strikeouts. He’s also the oldest Giants pitcher to have double-digit strikeouts in one game since Vida Blue in 1986. A standing ovation for Verlander after strikeout No. 10 pic.twitter.com/7ubNsZAfZ0 — SF Giants on NBCS (&commat;NBCSGiants) August 31, 2025 Here are the takeaways from Sunday’s blowout win:Devers DayThe 28-year-old slugger has been one of the Giants’ better hitters lately, especially at home, and that trend continued in the series finale.Devers got the game started with a loud bang when he demolished a pitch from Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano for a home run in the first inning. He followed that with an RBI single in the third then doubled in the fourth, setting the stage for an intriguing final two at-bats. Rafi rocket for the lead pic.twitter.com/acFmcPY4BV — SF Giants on NBCS (&commat;NBCSGiants) August 31, 2025 Oh look, another Rafael Devers RBI pic.twitter.com/u394esBzHn — SF Giants on NBCS (&commat;NBCSGiants) August 31, 2025 Unfortunately, Devers didn’t complete the cycle.He reached on a fielder’s choice and scored in the sixth, then grounded into an inning-ending double play in the seventh.It was going to be a tough task getting the triple anyway. Devers hadn’t gotten a three-bagger since July 28, 2024.The last Giants player to hit for the cycle was Pablo Sandoval, who did it against the Rockies in Colorado on Sept. 15, 2011.Bye, Bye, BabyDevers’ 28th home run of the 2025 MLB season extended the Giants’ streak of consecutive games with at least one dinger to 14, matching the 14-game streak they had in 2002.It’s the longest active streak in the majors and a big factor why San Francisco still harbors hopes of playing in the MLB playoffs.For Devers, the homer continued what has been his best offensive stretch at Oracle Park. Despite sputtering through his first home games after being acquired in a trade from the Boston Red Sox, the veteran slugger has become a lot more comfortable at the plate.The franchise record for consecutive games with at least one home run is 19, set in 1947 when the team still played in New York.Good Fortune Goes A Long WayFar too often this season, the Giants have been on the wrong end of fluke plays or mishaps. That tide changed Sunday.During a four-run fourth inning when the Giants batted around and broke the game open, San Francisco had two infield singles, benefited by a throwing error from Orioles third baseman Jeremiah Jackson then tacked on a pair of runs when Baltimore left fielder and former Giant Daniel Johnson slipped on the turf and fell, allowing two more runs to cross the plate. That's one way to clear the bases pic.twitter.com/wlFYYQoHLm — SF Giants on NBCS (&commat;NBCSGiants) August 31, 2025 Certainly not the way you’d draw it up, but for a team trying to stay on the fringe of playoff contention, the Giants will take it however they can get it.Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

What we learned as Rafael Devers, Justin Verlander fuel Giants’ win vs. Orioles

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