Giants fall to Marlins 4-2 on June 25 as Justin Verlander sets a franchise record with a 12-start winless streak to open the 2025 season. Read more.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was another one of those nights at Oracle Park. A night filled with flashes of hope quickly extinguished by frustrating reality. The San Francisco Giants fell to the Miami Marlins 4-2, but the final score felt secondary to the historical marker set by their own future Hall of Famer. Justin Verlander, in his return from the paternity list, officially etched his name in the Giants' record books for the wrong reason, extending his winless streak to a franchise-record 12 starts to begin a season.
Justin Verlander's 12-start winless streak to open the 2025 season is now the longest in Giants franchise history.
All eyes were on Justin Verlander as he took the mound, and for five innings, he battled. The 42-year-old veteran wasn't dominant, but he kept the Giants in the game, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out five. Yet, the win column remains stubbornly empty. The loss drops his record to 0-5, and he hasn't tasted victory since last May. The combination of bad luck, inconsistent run support, and key mistakes has created a perfect storm of futility, a narrative no one, least of all Verlander, expected when he signed with San Francisco.
The offense showed a brief sign of life in the fifth inning, thanks to an unlikely source. Christian Koss continued his recent power surge, launching a two-run homer—his second of the season—to give the Giants a temporary spark. But the story of the night was what could have been. In that same inning, Rafael Devers was gunned down at the plate trying to score from first on a Heliot Ramos double. The 7-6-2 relay was perfectly executed by the Marlins and snuffed out a rally that could have changed the game's complexion. Outside of Koss's homer, the offense was quiet, unable to solve Miami's pitching, culminating in Calvin Faucher locking down his eighth save.
With another frustrating loss in the books, the Giants must turn the page quickly. The task of salvaging the series finale falls to the team's undisputed ace, Logan Webb. Sporting a stellar 7-5 record and a 2.49 ERA, Webb has been the model of consistency and the stopper the team has desperately needed all season. He'll face off against Miami's Edward Cabrera in a crucial rubber match. A win isn't just about avoiding a series loss; it's about shifting the clubhouse momentum and washing away the bitter taste of Wednesday's historic disappointment.
Tonight was a tough pill to swallow, defined by a record-setting struggle and a critical baserunning out. But in baseball, redemption is always just a day away. The Giants will hand the ball to their ace tomorrow, hoping Logan Webb can do what he does best: dominate, stop the skid, and remind everyone that one frustrating night doesn't define a season.
