​After an 8-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday, the San Francisco Giants aimed to carry that momentum into the second game of their four-game series. With the 2026 MLB All-Star Game approaching, every matchup has grown more consequential. Instead, the Giants fell 4-3.
Caleb Kilian took the loss after blowing the save in the ninth inning, dropping to 0-5 on the season. Robbie Ray took the mound following a standout June, posting a 1.36 ERA during the month and marking his best stretch of the year. With the trade deadline looming, his recent form could make him an appealing target for teams exploring options, should the Giants decide to pursue trades.
The Giants also had a prime chance to jump ahead early against Rockies starter Tanner Gordon, who entered with a 6.95 ERA across 45.1 innings. Given Gordon’s struggles this season, San Francisco appeared well-positioned to capitalize. And they did just that in the bottom of the second inning when Rafael Devers hit a solo homer to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. The blast underscored a strong run for Devers, who has steadily recovered from a slow start and once again has emerged as one of the Giants’ most dangerous hitters near the top of the order. Over his last 15 games, Devers has posted a .314 batting average with a .407 on-base percentage and a .765 slugging percentage, clearly finding his rhythm at the plate. The question now is whether he can sustain this level of production as a consistent force in the lineup.
Ray delivered a solid start, keeping Colorado off the scoreboard until the fifth inning when Jake McCarthy hit an RBI double after Ezequiel Tovar opened the frame with a double. Beyond that sequence, Ray limited the damage and escaped the inning on a groundout from Kyle Karros to Willy Adames. The fifth inning, however, proved more challenging than the others.
The sixth inning proved especially difficult for Ray. He issued three consecutive walks to load the bases with nobody out, forcing the Giants to call on Dylan Smith. Despite the dire situation, Smith delivered one of the Dodgers’ and Rockies’ crucial moments by escaping the jam without allowing a run. Gripping a bases-loaded, nobody-out scenario, Smith’s flawless execution preserved the tie and prevented Ray from taking the loss.
Overall, Ray logged a respectable if not dominant outing. He worked 5.0 innings, yielded four hits and one earned run, and walked six while striking out four. Three of those walks came in the pivotal sixth inning, and without Smith’s escape act, Ray’s final line and ERA could have looked far worse. Following Smith, the Giants relied on Keaton Winn and Sam Hentges in the seventh inning. Winn secured the first two outs before manager Tony Vitello handed the ball to his bullpen for a longer appearance, as the game continued to unfold with the Rockies applying late pressure.
In the end, the Giants could not sustain their early lead, and Kilian’s late miscue in the ninth doomed them to a 4-3 defeat. The loss adds salt to the wound of a tough stretch for the team as they approach the heat of late-season races and the looming trade deadline, with the All-Star festivities capturing headlines and focus across the league. The on-field story remains a team that showed promise in flashes, with Devers delivering in a notable power-and-prowess display and Ray offering signs that, with a few tweaks, he could still be a valuable asset to any contender.