5/2 Gamethread: Giants @ Rays

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 10: Landen Roupp #65 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 10, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The San Francisco Giants are set to face the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon, and the hope is that they can start to turn around a miserable road trip, though they’re fast running out of time. San Francisco has lost the first four games of the six-game swing, and that underscores how bad it’s been: two of the losses have been shutouts, and the other two were walk-off losses after blowing ninth-inning leads.

In other words: please win today.

Thankfully, the Giants have the best guy for the job, as right-handed pitcher Landen Roupp will take the mound. Roupp has been the Giants best pitcher (and player, I’d argue) through the first month of the season, and through six starts is 5-1 with a 2.55 ERA, a 2.77 FIP, and 37 strikeouts against 14 walks in 35.1 innings. In his last start, against the Miami Marlins, Roupp gave up three earned runs, but went 7.2 innings deep.

The Rays, on the other hand, are opting for an opener, as right-handed reliever Griffin Jax will kick things off for Tampa. Jax has had a rough go of it in 12 appearances this year, as he’s 1-2 with a 6.35 ERA, a 6.58 FIP, and 12 strikeouts against eight walks in 11.1 innings. It will be interesting to see how long Jax pitches, as he told reporters that he is beginning a transition to a starting role. In his last game, which was his first start/open of the year, he went a season-high 2.1 innings. The bulk of the innings, however, are expected to be eaten by righty , who in four games this year is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA, a 4.26 FIP, and 14 strikeouts against six walks in 19.2 innings.