What we learned as Webb gets roughed up in Giants' loss to Red Sox

What we learned as Webb gets roughed up in Giants' loss to Red Sox originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

After scoring 21 runs in Logan Webb's previous three starts, Giants hitters returned to their form from 2023, when they gave their ace the worst run support in the big leagues. On Tuesday, that wasn't the only issue.

Webb was in trouble from the start and failed to get out of the fourth inning at Fenway Park, where the Giants got blanked 4-0 on the first night of a three-city trip. They had just four hits, so perhaps it wouldn't have mattered anyway, but it certainly was a disappointing night for Webb, who gave up nine hits and walked three while allowing all four runs.

The night actually could have been a lot worse for the Giants. The Red Sox left 13 runners on base.

The Giants did have a moment of excitement in the bottom of the eighth when they thought Matt Chapman started their first triple play since 2008, but the Red Sox challenged the play and Tyler O'Neill was clearly safe at first base.

Weird One For Webb

Like any pitcher, Webb has his off nights, but even when he gives up runs he very rarely deals with inefficiency. That was the issue Tuesday, as he needed 55 pitches to get through the first two innings and was at 80 after three. In his previous start, Webb needed just 15 pitches for the first six outs and threw 106 in eight innings.

The Red Sox were patient, particularly with Webb's changeup, one of the best pitches in baseball. He threw 39 of them and gave up five singles, a double and a triple while recording just five outs on the pitch.

The rough outing raised Webb's ERA from 2.33 to 2.98. For the first time since April 2 in Los Angeles, Webb failed to go at least seven innings.

Tough Start For The Staff

Without Blake Snell on Wednesday, the Giants likely will again turn to Daulton Jefferies, who joined the team on the flight to Boston. The staff is hopeful that he can go much longer than the two innings he lasted in San Diego on the fourth day of the season, and the Giants will need the length.

There are no more off days on this trip, and it's a tough one. After two more in Boston, the Giants play a very good Philadelphia Phillies team and then travel to Coors Field for three games in a ballpark that always chews up pitchers, even if the Giants have been successful there the last couple of seasons.

Webb is the reigning MLB innings champ and was on top of that leaderboard after his last start, so the expectation was he would give the bullpen a break on Tuesday and keep some guys fresh for Wednesday's game and the rest of this trip. That's not what ended up happening.

Hometown Guys

Mike Yastrzemski is of course from the Boston area and has plenty of support whenever he plays at Fenway Park, where his grandfather, Carl, was a superstar outfielder. But Nick Ahmed also is from the area, and Tuesday's game was his first at Fenway Park, which is located about 90 minutes from his hometown of East Longmeadow.

Neither had a memorable first night back. Yastrzemski and Ahmed combined to go 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, and both failed to bring Thairo Estrada home from second in the eighth inning. Yastrzemski took a sinker off the arm in his second plate appearance, but he walked it off.

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