SAN FRANCISCO — Jeff Samardzija continues to pitch with record-setting control, but his propensity for coughing up the long ball is keeping him out of the win column.
Samardzija earned his National League-leading eighth loss of the season Saturday afternoon after he surrendered two more home runs, giving the Minnesota Twins all the offense they needed to record a 3-2 win at AT&T Park.
But it wasn’t all bad news for Samardzija (2-8) at China Basin Saturday. He fanned four more batters before issuing his second walk in eight starts in the fifth, giving him a Major League record 63 strikeouts in a span where he allowed just one batter to reach via base on balls.