Justin Verlander collected more accolades for his Hall of Fame plaque, Rafael Devers did the heaviest offensive lifting with three hits, including a home run, and the San Francisco Giants blasted the visiting Baltimore Orioles 13-2 in the finale of a high-scoring, three-game series Sunday afternoon.
Rookie Drew Gilbert had his first three-hit game, featuring his first triple, and Heliot Ramos lashed three singles for the Giants, who sandwiched Saturday’s 11-1 loss with 15-8 and 13-2 triumphs.
Verlander (3-10) worked a laborious five innings to earn his third win of the season, the 265th of his career. He needed 121 pitches to get his 15 outs, 10 of which were strikeouts.
He was denied a combined shutout in the ninth when the Orioles got back-to-back doubles by Daniel Johnson and Jackson Holliday, then an RBI single by Gunnar Henderson off Spencer Bivens, who nonetheless was credited with his first save.
The double-digit strikeout performance was the 73rd of Verlander’s career, giving him a lifetime total of 3,530, just four shy of eighth place on the all-time list, currently held down by former Giants great Gaylord Perry.
The right-hander struck out 10 or more in just five innings for the third time in his career. One of the previous two had also come against the Orioles when he totaled 11 while a member of the Houston Astros in August of 2019.
At age 42 years and 192 days, Verlander became the oldest pitcher to have a double-digit strikeout game since Randy Johnson had 13 at age 44 in 2008.
Verlander, who gave up three hits and four walks, pitched with a lead from the second inning on, with Devers having put the Giants on the board in the bottom of the first with his 28th homer of the season, a solo shot.
Devers added an RBI single as part of a two-run third and had a double amid a four-run uprising in the fourth that featured a two-run triple by Gilbert.
Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano (10-7) was pulled immediately following Devers’ double, charged with seven runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.
The Giants piled on with three-run innings in the sixth and eighth, the latter capped by Gilbert’s third hit and third RBI on a double.
Devers, Gilbert, Ramos and Dominic Smith scored twice apiece for the Giants, who completed a 5-1 homestand. Luis Matos contributed two singles and two RBIs to a 16-hit attack, while Christian Koss also chipped in with a pair of singles.
Henderson, Ryan Mountcastle and Luis Vazquez had two hits each for the Orioles, who lost for the ninth time in their last 11 games.
