DENVER -- Giants ace Logan Webb was nearly untouchable in June, when he logged a 0.71 ERA over five starts en route to earning National League Pitcher of the Month honors for the first time in his career on Friday.
But he couldn’t sustain that momentum when he took the mound for the first time in July.
Hours after his recognition was announced, Webb was rocked for seven runs over a season-low three innings in the Giants’ 15-3 blowout loss to the Rockies in Friday night’s series opener at Coors Field.
The defeat dropped the Giants a season-high-matching 15 games under .500 at 36-51, leaving them tied with the Rockies and Mets for the fewest wins in the NL this year.
Webb pitched at least seven innings in each of his starts in June, but he saw that impressive run come to an end after giving up a season-high 11 hits in his 76-pitch clunker, which raised his ERA from 3.09 to 3.66 on the season.
“I just got my [butt] kicked today,” Webb said. “We had a good game plan. Sometimes it happens.”
The night began inauspiciously for Webb, who surrendered a leadoff homer to Jake McCarthy on his first pitch of the game. The Rockies followed with three consecutive singles to load the bases for Cole Carrigg, who then drew a five-pitch walk to force in another run. It marked the first time in Webb’s eight-year career that he’s allowed the first five hitters of a game to reach base.
“Just big misses,” manager Tony Vitello said. “The ball can do different things here than the average park, but coming out to shoot first pitch of the game, it looked to me like it kind of ran down-and-in to the lefty. He was supposed to go the other way. Just some big misses. Just one of those outings for him.”
The first-inning damage likely would have been worse were it not for a spectacular defensive play from Casey Schmitt, who got his second consecutive start at third base in place of the injured Matt Chapman on Friday. Schmitt ranged into foul territory to make a stabbing play on Tyler Freeman’s bouncer down the line and alertly stepped on third base before firing to Bryce Eldridge at first base to complete the dazzling double play.
The Rockies extended their lead to 3-0 on the sequence, though Webb managed to induce another groundout from Edouard Julien to end the inning.
Still, Colorado continued to pressure Webb in the second, when No. 9 hitter Ezequiel Tovar worked an 11-pitch at-bat that ended with a two-run shot to right-center field. Webb gave up two more runs in the third before being replaced by left-hander Matt Gage in the fourth.
“It was a good game plan [against me], and I didn’t adjust very well,” Webb said. “But it’s not the last time I’ll face them. I’ll have something different for them next time.”
Gage didn’t fare much better, as he was torched for six runs while laboring for 51 pitches over 1 1/3 innings. The biggest swing came from McCarthy, who launched a grand slam to kick off a seven-run rally that pushed the Rockies’ lead to 14-2 by the end of the fifth. McCarthy finished the night 4-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs out of the leadoff spot for Colorado.
Designated hitter Rafael Devers delivered one of the only offensive bright spots for the Giants, smoking an 0-1 sweeper from Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner into the upper deck in right field for his 16th home run of the year in the sixth.
Shortstop Willy Adames returned to the Giants’ starting lineup on Friday after missing three games with back spasms, and went 0-for-3 before being replaced by Christian Koss in the bottom of the sixth.
“Just trying to look after his back,” Vitello said. “It didn't make much sense at that point to try to get him another at-bat.”