Blake Snell’s return to Tropicana Field as a member of the San Francisco Giants was a disappointing one, as the two-time Cy Young Award winner struggled mightily against his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays. Snell allowed seven runs over four innings, including a pair of home runs, in a 9-4 loss.
Amed Rosario opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning, and René Pinto added a three-run drive in the fourth. Pinto, who had just two hits and nine strikeouts in his previous 13 at-bats, made Snell pay for his mistakes.
Snell, who signed a $62 million, two-year contract with the Giants in the offseason, gave up six hits, two walks, and struck out four. He threw 48 of 78 pitches for strikes.
“I got to get better. I just go to locate pitches better,” Snell said. “I get mad when I don’t do good. Bad location. I’ll get better results, but until then nothing’s going change until I start commanding.”
The seven earned runs tied Snell’s career high, and only one San Francisco starter gave up more than seven earned runs last season.
“I think the guys had patience today,” Rosario said through a translator. “I think they had the plan and I think we executed it right, and did what we wanted to do.”
Snell, who won his first Cy Young with the Rays in 2018, said he felt no emotions returning to Tropicana Field.
“I already went through that,” he said.
Giants manager Bob Melvin said he believes Snell is still adjusting to his new team.
“He’ll give up some walks and get nicked up a little bit but it’s rare that you see him get hit like that and I think that’s just more kind of still feeling his way,” Melvin said.
Snell will look to bounce back in his next start, which is scheduled for Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
