SAN FRANCISCO -- One night after Logan Webb and Hunter Greene matched up in a classic pitchers¡¯ duel, Landen Roupp and Nick Lodolo decided to stage one of their own.
Unfortunately for the Giants, the outcome was the same.
Roupp tossed six innings of one-run ball in the best start of his young career, but he was bested by Lodolo, who worked six scoreless frames as the Reds shut out the Giants for the second straight night at Oracle Park. The Giants¡¯ 1-0 loss ensured their first series loss of the year.
The Giants got off to a hot start, winning eight of their first nine games. But their bats have gone cold against Cincinnati¡¯s pitching, which has allowed only eight hits over the first two games of this series.
¡°It¡¯s tough to waste two really good pitching performances in the last couple of nights, but we¡¯ll get back at it tomorrow,¡± manager Bob Melvin said. ¡°Hopefully, the offense is better.¡±
Roupp kept the Giants in the game by scattering seven hits while walking none and striking out four in his 2025 home debut. He allowed the only run of the game in the third inning, when Spencer Steer doubled, advanced to third on a single by Jake Fraley and scored on Jose Trevino¡¯¡¯s RBI groundout.
The Reds also threatened after putting runners on the corners with one out in the fifth, but Casey Schmitt -- who was making only his third career appearance at first base -- came charging in to field a safety squeeze from Trevino and threw to catcher Sam Huff, who tagged out Steer at home to keep another run off the board.
Despite being charged with the tough-luck loss, Roupp crossed off a couple of notable milestones with his efficient 81-pitch effort on Tuesday. He recorded his first quality start after getting through six innings for the first time in the Majors.
¡°Obviously, we¡¯re not happy with the way it ended, but I¡¯ll try to go longer next time,¡± Roupp said.
Roupp¡¯s performance certainly validated the Giants¡¯ decision to carry the 26-year-old right-hander in their rotation after he beat out Hayden Birdsong and Kyle Harrison in the fifth-starter competition during Spring Training.
Roupp lasted only four innings in his first start of the year against the Astros last week, but Melvin felt he might have been affected by his disrupted schedule. Roupp had to travel to Cincinnati and Arizona before finally getting a chance to take the mound in Houston.
¡°I think he was just settled,¡± Melvin said. ¡°His schedule was a little uneven the last time out. From the beginning today, the sinker was good. The curveball was good. He threw changeups, kept them off balance. He only gave up the one run in six innings. He didn¡¯t walk anybody, which is key for him, too.¡±
Roupp leaned on his curveball while working primarily out of the bullpen as a rookie last season, but he has expanded his arsenal this year. That is one of the reasons the Giants believe he can develop into a long-term rotation piece for the club.
He threw his sinker 52% of the time against the Reds, but he also mixed in 10 cutters (12%), which is a new pitch that he hopes will help him better neutralize lefties this year.
¡°It¡¯s probably as good as I¡¯ve felt with it since the first game of Spring Training,¡± Roupp said. ¡°I got some weak contact on it and swing-and-miss, and I was throwing it for strikes. That was encouraging.¡±
The Giants ended up using only two pitchers on Tuesday, as Birdsong came in after Roupp and gave up one hit over three scoreless innings. Birdsong, 23, hasn¡¯t allowed a run over seven innings in his first three relief appearances this year, showcasing the young pitching depth that has become the strength of the Giants¡¯ organization in recent years.
¡°I think he¡¯s just pitching,¡± Melvin said of Birdsong. ¡°I don¡¯t think he really cares. He wanted to make a team. He did make a team because he deserved to. He just embraced the role that he¡¯s in right now. It¡¯s been really good.
¡°Getting a key strikeout with a man on third, less than two outs. There¡¯s a lot to like. The velocity is there out of the bullpen, as well. All of his pitches were working. It just looks like he¡¯s really confident out there.¡±