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Local High School Products Meet as Twins Visit Giants
Pitching products of San Francisco Bay Area high schools will face off for the first time Friday night when the Minnesota Twins visit the San Francisco Giants for the start of a three-game interleague series. This matchup is notable as the clubs haven’t met in San Francisco since 2017. The Giants took two of three in Minnesota last May after being swept in a three-game set at Minneapolis the previous year.
The Twins head west after opening a six-game trip by taking two of three from the Chicago White Sox. While Minnesota had Thursday off, the Giants dropped a 5-3 decision to the Toronto Blue Jays, completing a 2-1 series loss to kick off a six-game homestand.
Pitching Matchup: Joe Ryan vs. Kyle Harrison
Joe Ryan
Twins right-hander Joe Ryan (6-5, 3.29 ERA) will be facing the Giants for the third consecutive year, having won games against San Francisco in each of the last two seasons. Ryan, 28, was born in San Francisco and attended Sir Francis Drake High (now known as Archie Williams High) in suburban San Anselmo, California, where he was a water polo standout. Drafted by the Giants in the 39th round upon graduation in 2014, Ryan opted for Cal State Northridge before moving on to Stanislaus State in California’s Central Valley, where he led all NCAA divisions in strikeouts.
Ryan credits water polo for much of his pitching success.
“In water polo you learn how to skip the ball,” he said. “I spent 10 years trying to skip the ball in water polo, and it’s the same concept as throwing a fastball: Get the shoulder in position and then let the hand work and get it out front. Throwing a baseball feels the same way. You get that zip right at the end.”
In the past two years, Ryan has been very successful against the Giants, only allowing them to score one run and get eight hits in a total of 11 innings during 9-0 and 7-1 home victories. He had a 2-0 record with a 0.82 ERA in those matches. Even though he hasn’t played at Oracle Park, he’s familiar with returning to the Bay Area, as he pitched a game in Oakland last July, where he started a 5-4 win and gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings without a decision. Ryan comes into this game with a five-game undefeated run, having won two games with a 3.26 ERA. He recently won a home game against the Houston Astros with a score of 9-3, where he struck out eight batters in 5 2/3 innings and gave up three runs.
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Kyle Harrison
Giants left-hander Kyle Harrison (4-4, 4.24 ERA) will be making his first career start against the Twins. Harrison, 22, prepped at De La Salle High in Concord, California, a nationally recognized football powerhouse on the Oakland side of the bay. The San Jose native was drafted by the Giants after high school graduation and took their offer in 2020 after being a third-round pick. Harrison, a second-year major-leaguer, has never won an interleague start, going 0-1 with a 4.34 ERA in four outings.
His most recent start was a 5-4 loss at Cleveland on Saturday, in which he allowed four runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings. That outing came after a four-week stint on the injured list caused by a sprained right ankle. Harrison believes he’ll be better in his second comeback effort.
“I was working a little too fast and didn’t have my legs under me,” he said of the Guardians’ three-run first inning. “But I was able to get back out there and I felt good. I’m ready for my next one for sure.”
Bridging the stint on the injured list, Harrison is winless in his past five starts, going 0-3 with a 5.61 ERA.
Conclusion
As Joe Ryan and Kyle Harrison face off, both pitchers bring a sense of local pride and a desire to outdo their former high school competition. Ryan’s established success against the Giants and his recent strong performances give the Twins confidence. In the meantime, Harrison aims to bounce back from recent challenges and secure his position in the Giants’ starting lineup. This exciting battle brings an added element of thrill to the first game of the series between the Twins and the Giants.
