Webb shines in homecoming start, earns All-Star nod

The San Francisco Giants were the road team against the Athletics this past weekend, but that didn't mean they were outnumbered. Sutter Health Park was a sea of black and orange for the majority of the series, especially Saturday night when homegrown product Logan Webb took the bump just under 25 miles from the pitcher's mound he graced at Rocklin High School. Many in the announced sellout crowd of 12,298 wore Webb jerseys to welcome their star pitcher home. Webb's homecoming did not disappoint, as he was the winning pitcher in Saturday's 7-2 victory, pitching 6⅔ innings, striking out six and surrendering two runs and seven hits. He received a standing ovation as he walked back to the dugout in the bottom of the seventh inning. "That was pretty cool. Wish I'd given like a wave or something, but it's always awkward in those moments," Webb said of his hometown welcome. "I don't know why. You don't know whether or not to wave or do something, but I felt the love from the crowd. It seemed like a home game." Webb grew up a fan of the Athletics and says he expected the Giants faithful to come out in droves like they always do for matchups between the rivals. "Every time I got a strikeout, I felt like the whole crowd was cheering. The Giants are proud fans. It's cool to see," said Webb. "I grew up here. I was one of the other ones and I remember being a lot of Giants fans." Several fans from Rocklin traveled to cheer on their star, ensuring their voices would be heard among the rest of the faithful. "I always get a few 'Go Thunder' and 'Go Rocklins,' stuff like that. I got that a lot (Saturday). A couple guys were giving me a hard time, but it was a blast," said Webb. "I love being here and I'm happy I was able to get the win here." Although he's a star in the Bay Area now, Webb still couldn't forget his Sacramento roots. When he saw Sacramento Kings draft picks Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud were throwing the ceremonial first pitch, he made sure to pay attention. "I stopped warming up and I watched. I'm excited for what they'll bring to the Kings this year," said Webb. Before Sunday's game, Webb learned he was selected to the MLB All-Star Game for the second consecutive season while he was golfing with his dad and brother. Webb is one of the top pitchers in the National League this season, leading all of Major League Baseball in innings with 120⅓. He's also top five in the NL in ERA (fifth, 2.62), strikeouts (second, 133), home runs per nine innings (second, .524) and groundball rate. Webb learned he was an all-star via phone call from manager Bob Melvin while hitting the links. He called his mother and his wife with the news soon after. "That was pretty cool," Webb said of the call before Sunday's game. "It's always an honor to be an all-star." Webb will be joined by teammates Robbie Ray and Randy Rodriguez at the summer classic on Tuesday, July 15, in Atlanta. Ray praised Webb, noting he has been as consistent as they come this season. "He's exactly who we all expect him to be. I mean, it's tough, because he goes out there every single time, and you expect seven, eight, nine innings, keeping the team in the game, giving us a chance to win, just a really dominant performance day in and day out," Ray said of Webb. "It doesn't surprise any of us, because we know what he's capable of, but it's really fun to watch."