SAN FRANCISCO -- Landen Roupp usually goes back and analyzes video from each of his starts, but he had no desire to revisit his first outing of the season against the Dodgers last month.
The 26-year-old right-hander couldn’t get out of the second inning when he took on the Giants’ archrivals at Chavez Ravine on June 14, allowing a career-high-matching six runs while recording only five outs in his shortest start of the year.
The clunker didn’t sit well with Roupp, who is known as one of the fiercest competitors in the Giants’ clubhouse.
“Normally, I watch every outing I throw,” Roupp said. “That one, I kind of put it in the past and moved forward.”
Roupp had to wait nearly a month to get another crack at the Dodgers, but he was determined to deliver better results this time around. He rebounded with six strong innings in his rematch with Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon, though he was charged with the tough-luck loss after the Giants fell, 2-1, to even this three-game series between the National League West foes at Oracle Park.
Roupp gave up only two runs (one unearned) on seven hits while walking one and striking out eight, leaving him with a 3.27 ERA over 19 starts in the first half, which ranks 13th in the National League.
“I knew coming in today that I didn’t want to let happen what happened last time,” Roupp said. “I just had full control of everything. My last outing there at Dodger Stadium, I really just didn’t have a feel for anything. Today it was a little different, and I was able to get through six.”
“I think he probably had a little target on this one because he didn’t pitch very well against them [last month],” manager Bob Melvin said. “That’s kind of who he is.”
Roupp’s quality start lowered his Oracle Park ERA to 1.80 over eight outings this year, which is tied for the third-best home mark in the Majors, but he was ultimately bested by Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, who struck out four over three scoreless innings in his fifth start since returning from his second right elbow surgery.
Ohtani topped out at 99.9 mph while striking out the side in the first inning and allowed only one hit in his first career start on the mound at Oracle Park. The two-way sensation also batted leadoff and went 0-for-4 while serving as Los Angeles’ designated hitter.
“It was crazy, honestly,” Roupp said of getting the full Ohtani experience. “Going into today, I was kind of shocked he was still leading off just because you have to throw your pregame bullpen. But he does it so well that it’s just fun to watch.”
Ohtani threw 36 pitches before giving way to bulk-innings pitcher Emmet Sheehan, who held the Giants scoreless until the eighth.
San Francisco trailed, 2-0, before Patrick Bailey singled, Mike Yastrzemski walked and Heliot Ramos drilled a line drive up the middle to load the bases with one out. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts subsequently brought in lefty reliever Alex Vesia to face Rafael Devers, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to bring the Giants within one. San Francisco couldn’t add on, though, as Matt Chapman then grounded into a forceout to end the inning.
The Dodgers capitalized on a throwing error from shortstop Willy Adames to score an unearned run against Roupp in the second inning and then doubled their lead behind Hyeseong Kim’s two-out RBI single in the sixth. Still, Roupp avoided more damage after Kim was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double, putting a nice bow on an impressive first half for the sophomore starter.
Roupp won the fifth spot in the Giants’ rotation out of Spring Training, but he’s continued to climb the ladder and has now emerged as the club’s No. 3 starter behind All-Stars Logan Webb and Robbie Ray this year. He plans to spend the All-Star break in his native North Carolina, where he’s hoping to take a few days to relax and go out for some deer hunting. He’ll try to continue to hit the mark for the Giants in the second half, as well.
“There’s a lot of growing in this game from outing to outing,” Roupp said. “Just learning what works and what doesn’t. The changeup was super good today. The curveball was good. The two-seam was good. I mixed in a couple of four-seams, which is not usual. It just felt really good about today. I feel really good about the season, and I’m ready to continue going.”