Giants' Jeff Samardzija: Wins with first scoreless outing of season

Samardzija (10-8) pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out three in Wednesday's 1-0 victory over the Marlins.

Analysis:

Samardzija entered the game on a three-game losing streak, but was able to end that by notching his first scoreless outing of the season. After starting the year strong (7-2 with a 2.54 ERA through his first 10 starts), the righty has struggled mightily throughout summer. In his last 12 outings leading up to Wednesday, Samardzija was 2-6 with a 6.30 ERA and had allowed 16 home runs during that stretch. Although the 31-year-old put forth a nice effort at Marlins Park, Samardzija's recent body of work calls for more evidence before owners should feel confident he's found his form. He'll look to earn more trust when he takes the hill Tuesday against the Pirates. Samardzija dealt his shortest outing of the season on June 22 against the Bucs when he was tagged for six runs on six hits, including three homers, in just three innings; so, the upcoming start will offer a better barometer of whether or not he's improving.