August 2, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Mark Canha (16) high-fives teammates after a victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports The San Francisco Giants will get a chance to showcase their newest player in front of their home fans, but he won't need any introduction Friday night against the visiting Detroit Tigers when the club opens a three-game series.
Mark Canha will return to the Bay Area and the Giants will build on successful trips to Cincinnati and Washington for their fifth straight game against an opponent with a losing record.
San Francisco acquired Canha, a former Oakland Athletics member, from Detroit at the trade deadline after he hit .231 with a home run in 93 games in his first season with the Tigers. Detroit received 21-year-old minor league right-hander Eric Silva in exchange.
Canha, who started four games in San Francisco's 5-2 trip, went 7-for-15 with four hits and two RBIs in Thursday's 9-5 win over the Nationals in 10 innings.
Two rain delays and overtime hampered the Giants' trip home, but San Francisco head coach Bob Melvin promised he would enjoy the long trek nonetheless.
Kania gave the Uprising two runs in the ninth inning to take the lead.
“You talk about some fighting,” Melvin said. “Anytime you have a lead like that and you give it up … to come back on the next inning and do what we did, it shows a lot of fight.”
The Giants will begin a seven-game homestand on Friday with left-hander Robbie Ray (2-1, 4.40 ERA) on the Hill. The veteran will return to the spot where he has performed his worst in three games this season. On July 30, in his only start of the year in San Francisco, he allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 5-2 loss to the Athletics.
Ray had his first major league season with the Tigers in 2014, going 1-4 with an 8.16 ERA. After that season, he was traded again to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The 32-year-old has faced the Tigers just twice, going 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA.
Facing a similar uphill climb in the playoff chase, Detroit will play its sixth consecutive game against an opponent above .500 and will be at a distinct emotional disadvantage. The Tigers gave up a two-run lead in the ninth inning against Seattle, 4-3, on Thursday.
The Tigers actually went the bullpen route for eight innings against the Mariners and will try to get nine innings from other types of relievers in the opener in San Francisco.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch spoke proudly of former top prospect Casey Mize's return from a strained left hamstring at the end of the month as he looks to reduce bullpen action. Mize pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings in his first return start Thursday at Triple-A Toledo.
“We want to have him ready as soon as possible,” Hinch said. “It's really hard for starting pitchers to plan because for them to have five (innings) and 75 (pitches) or six and 85 so they can start normally, it's like a 3 1/ 2 week process.
–Scene-level media