Justin Verlander vs. Chris Bassitt.
I hope you all had a delightful break from baseball, and I hope you’re all happy and excited that it’s back. The San Francisco Giants kick off the second half of the season today, and they’re headed north of the border to visit the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-game series.
It’s a slightly new-look roster for the Giants, who added left-handed reliever Matt Gage to the roster. Gage, who was drafted by the organization in the 10th round in 2014 but has yet to play for the Giants (though he’s played for three MLB teams, including Toronto), replaces Scott Alexander.
Taking the mound to open the second half of the season is right-hander Justin Verlander, who will hope to break his curse and get a win in a Giants jersey. In 15 starts, Verlander is 0-7 with a 4.70 ERA, a 4.16 FIP, and 67 strikeouts against 26 walks in 76.2 innings. He made some tweaks before his last start and showed improved velocity and movement, which led to seven strikeouts and no walks in six innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, with four runs (two earned) allowed.
He’s up against Chris Bassitt, a right-hander who spent many years playing for Bob Melvin in Oakland. In 20 games this year (19 starts), the 36-year old is 9-4 with a 4.12 ERA, a 3.78 FIP, and 104 strikeouts to 29 walks in 107 innings. He squeezed in a final appearance before the All-Star break from the bullpen, pitching a perfect inning against the Athletics.
Enjoy the game! Go Giants!
Lineups
Giants
- Mike Yastrzemski (L) — RF
- Heliot Ramos (R) — LF
- Rafael Devers (L) — DH
- Matt Chapman (R) — 3B
- Willy Adames (R) — SS
- Jung Hoo Lee (L) — CF
- Casey Schmitt (R) — 2B
- Dominic Smith (L) — 1B
- Patrick Bailey (S) — C
RHP. Justin Verlander
Blue Jays
- Nathan Lukes (L) — CF
- George Springer (R) — DH
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) — 1B
- Bo Bichette (R) — SS
- Addison Barger (L) — RF
- Alejandro Kirk (R) — C
- Joey Loperfido (L) — LF
- Ernie Clement (R) — 2B
- Will Wagner (L) — 3B
RHP. Chris Bassitt
Game #98
Who: San Francisco Giants (52-45) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (55-41)
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
When: 4:07 p.m. PT
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area
National broadcast: n/a
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM