In rare relief appearance, Ray leads SF Giants to win in Game 1 of split doubleheader

Robbie Ray was always slated to pitch on Wednesday at Truist Park against the Atlanta Braves and he remained right on schedule, tossing 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball.

Out of the bullpen.

With Tuesday night’s game suspended due to rain, Ray made his fifth career relief appearance beginning in the bottom of the second and led the Giants to a 7-2 win in Game 1 of Wednesday’s weather-induced doubleheader.

"It didn't really bother me all that much,” Ray told reporters in Atlanta. “I was still able to go through my pregame routine like I normally would. There wasn't anything other than being the away team and going out there first that felt different.”

One of the most intriguing elements of Ray’s afternoon was his sinker usage. Before Wednesday, Ray had only thrown 60 sinkers all season over his first 14 starts. Against Atlanta, by contrast, Ray threw 29 sinkers, the most he’s thrown in a single outing since Oct. 2, 2022 (25).

The left-hander has gradually incorporated more two-seamers into his repertoire in recent outings. In his first 11 starts, Ray’s sinker barely accounted for one percent of his total pitches this season. Over his last four starts, by contrast, Ray’s sinker has accounted for 20.3 percent of his pitches.

Ray’s outing was the best that the veteran left-hander has looked in quite some time. Entering play, Ray had a 6.15 ERA (and 6.21 FIP) over his last seven starts.

As concerning as the runs Ray was allowing were the walks he was issuing. During that seven-start stretch, Ray walked 22 batters over 33 2/3 innings. Before Wednesday, Ray’s walk rate of 11.5 percent was his highest in a full season since 2019 (11.2 percent).

Ray’s impact on Wednesday afternoon was two-fold. Not only did the left-hander lead the Giants to a win, but he helped manager Tony Vitello keep his bullpen fresh for Game 2 after Adrian Houser threw one inning on Tuesday night. Following Ray’s departure, Vitello only needed to use two relievers (Dylan Smith, Caleb Kilian) to record the game’s final five outs.

"He was awesome,” Vitello told reporters. “I mean, it was … a left-handed version of what (Logan Webb) did before we got on the plane. You know, the offense certainly did a good job of swinging the bat, but in my opinion, I felt like they were feeding off the vibe of how he was throwing a little bit."

Along with Ray, the Giants’ offense played no small part in the win, getting home runs from Rafael Devers (10th), Jung Hoo Lee (fourth) and Willy Adames (12th)

Rookie Bryce Eldridge extended his on-base streak to 21 games, the longest streak by a rookie in the majors this season, by recording a single and a walk before Tuesday’s game was suspended, then another single on Wednesday. His streak is the longest by a rookie in the majors this season, as well as the longest by a Giant rookie since Buster Posey, who reached base in 25 consecutive games in 2010.

Worth noting

• Left-hander Carson Whisenhunt will start Game 2 of the split doubleheader and make his season debut. Whisenhunt pitched well for Triple-A Sacramento, posting a 3.65 ERA over 69 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
• Left-hander Matt Gage was reinstated from the 15-day injured list after Game 1. Left-hander Reiver Sanmartín was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.
• Outfielder Will Brennan cleared waivers and was outrighted to Sacramento.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 1:16 PM.