The San Francisco Giants won their first game since the blockbuster trade for Rafael Devers and avoided a series sweep with a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.
Initially it appeared that the lackluster offense was going to continue to fail starting pitcher Logan Webb, but he managed to record his seventh win of the season.
Quietly, Webb reached a historical feat back on May 16 that illustrates his value to the Giants’ starting rotation.
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According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Thursday marked Webb’s 39th start pitching at least seven innings since 2023, which leads all MLB pitchers by four.
His 101.1 innings pitched as of June 20 are the third-most in baseball, as were his 204.2 innings in 2024. He led the MLB with 216 innings pitched in 2023.
He’s currently on pace for a career-high ERA and ERA+. Entering play on June 20, Webb has a 2.49 ERA and 153 ERA+ with 114 strikeouts to 20 walks in 101.1 innings.
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It will be challenging for Webb to surpass the likes of Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes for the NL Cy Young award and All-Star start. However, his value to San Francisco can’t be overstated.
Over the last two seasons, the Giants are 15-8 in games where Webb pitched seven or more innings and are 5-3 through the 2025 campaign.
The real effect is on San Francisco’s bullpen, which enters play on June 20 boasting an MLB-leading 2.58 ERA over 255.1 innings pitched, which is the ninth fewest innings by a bullpen.
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Batters are also hitting an MLB-low .200 against their bullpen.
That’s illuminated in Webb’s 3.2 wins above replacement, which is tied with Skenes for second-best in baseball.
The Giants still have work to do to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers—whose 46 wins lead the National League—in the NL West.
With the addition of Devers, that should infuse a momentum boost that complements Webb’s longevity he’s displayed for three-plus seasons.
For more Giants news, head over to Giants On SI.
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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh clubbed his 40th home run of the season on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Angels, not only extending his major league lead but also making him the first player in baseball to reach the 40-home run mark this season. It also helped him make some history. With his 40th home run, Raleigh became both the first catcher and the first switch-hitter in baseball history to reach the 40 home run mark before the end of July. Here is a look at his 40th home run. He is already in the process of having one of the best seasons ever for a Mariners player, and also one of the best seasons ever for a catcher, for any team. Especially when you add in his defense, where he is one of the best defensive catchers in the league. His only serious competition for the American League MVP Award remains New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. But with Judge sidelined for some time now due to an elbow injury, it might open the door for Raleigh to put himself in the lead for that award.
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Dallas Cowboys fans appear to have one thing on their mind during training camp, and they made sure to let team owner Jerry Jones know about it on Saturday. Hundreds of Cowboys fans showed up to the team's annual "Opening Day Ceremony" on Saturday in Oxnard, California. Jones addressed the crowd, and the 82-year-old was greeted with a lot of restless supporters when he took the microphone. As Jones began talking about how disappointed he was with his team's 7-10 season last year, many fans shouted the same two-word message: "Pay Micah!" The fans eventually settled enough for Jones to urge them to take note of all the changes the Cowboys have made this offseason. "I was shocked last year when we ended up with the record that we had. I never saw that coming. I want you to know, and I want you to look for as you watch practices this week, I want you to watch what we've done in the areas that we needed to work on," Jones said. "Look at what we've done in this offensive line. Look at what we've done, if you will, with our receiver cops. Look at what we're doing with our defense. A lot of changes out here -- a lot of coaching changes, a lot of player changes." Parsons is set to make $24M in the final year of his rookie contract this season. He is undoubtedly seeking to become the highest-paid defensive player in football, which would mean topping the $41M per year T.J. Watt recently got with his new deal from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Parsons had 12 or more sacks in each of his first four NFL seasons. Jones has hinted that he is playing hardball with the star linebacker in contract negotiations, and Cowboys fans do not seem to appreciate it.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin has been seeking a contract extension this offseason, but he is no longer holding out for a new deal. McLaurin began training camp as a holdout earlier this week, as he did not show up to the team facility on the first day of mandatory practice. The veteran is now officially in the building, although he is still not practicing. McLaurin reported to training camp on Sunday morning. The Commanders announced that they have moved him from the reserve/did not report list to the active/physically unable to perform list. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that McLaurin has "some sort of ankle injury." Schefter also said that McLaurin's decision to show up to work is not an indication that the Commanders have made progress in extension talks with their star receiver. By showing up for training camp, McLaurin will no longer be subject to fines of $50,000 per day. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters he is "really pumped" to have McLaurin back with the team. McLaurin is in the final year of a three-year, $68M extension he signed in 2022. He is reportedly seeking to become one of the five highest-paid receivers in the NFL, which would mean an average annual salary of around $32M or more. McLaurin led Washington last season with 82 receptions, 117 targets and 1,096 receiving yards. He also had 13 touchdown catches, which was second in the NFL. Though the Commanders acquired Deebo Samuel in a trade this offseason, McLaurin has a close relationship with Jayden Daniels. The second-year quarterback made that clear recently when speaking about his teammate. McLaurin will turn 30 in September. He is trying to capitalize on signing an extension in the wake of his fifth consecutive season with 1,000 or more receiving yards.
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