SF Giants probable pitchers & starting lineup vs. Texas Rangers, April 26

The SF Giants (17-10) bats went cold on Friday night, as they dropped the first game of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers (15-11). Robbie Ray will take the hill to get them back in the win column.

SF Giants probable pitchers & starting lineup vs. Texas Rangers, April 26

The veteran pitcher has tallied a 4.07 ERA through five starts this season. While that is a quality mark, there are quite a few underlying red flags. Most notably, the sharp spike in his walk rate to 6.7 BB/9, while his strikeout rate has plummeted to its lowest rate (9.2 K/9) in a full season since 2016.

His 5.86 FIP, 5.04 xFIP, and 5.09 xERA all indicate that he has pitched worse than his baseline ERA would suggest. Plus, he has an 87.1 percent left on base rate, which is well above the league rate of 72.6 percent.

The Giants will need Ray to throw more like a mid-rotation arm, but that has not quite happened yet. Nevertheless, it is still very early in the season, so he has plenty of time to turn it around.

Who is hot for the SF Giants?

Similar to Jung Hoo Lee, Mike Yastrzemski has kept the hot start going. He appeared in three games during the four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers and registered three hits, including a home run, in 10 at-bats. Overall, he has a .902 OPS with four home runs and 13 RBI in 91 plate appearances this season.

Who are the SF Giants facing?

The Giants will have their hands full, as they face off against Tyler Mahle. Mahle is off to an impressive start with a 0.68 ERA in five starts with the Rangers. He will throw a low 90's four-seam fastball with a splitter, slider, and cutter.

SF Giants starting lineup, April 26

• 1. RF Mike Yastrzemski
• 2. SS Willy Adames
• 3. CF Jung Hoo Lee
• 4. 3B Matt Chapman
• 5. DH Wilmer Flores
• 6. LF Heliot Ramos
• 7. 1B LaMonte Wade Jr.
• 8. 2B Tyler Fitzgerald
• 9. C Sam Huff

Rangers starting lineup, April 26

• 1. CF Kevin Pillar
• 2. LF Wyatt Langford
• 3. 3B Josh Jung
• 4. 1B Jake Burger
• 5. 2B Marcus Semien
• 6. C Jonah Heim
• 7. DH Kyle Higashioka
• 8. RF Josh Smith
• 9. SS Nick Ahmed

How to follow today's game?

The Giants are home at Oracle Park against the Rangers, starting at 1:05 PM PST. The TV broadcast will be played on Fox, and the radio play-by-play broadcast will be carried on KNBR 680.