Coming into the second game of their three-game series against the Seattle Mariners, the San Francisco Giants were looking to build on Friday's 7-0 victory to begin the second half of the season.

Instead, the Mariners rallied for a 4-3 walk-off win in 10 innings, handing Dominic Smith his second loss of the season.

While the loss will grab the headlines, the bigger takeaway from this game was another encouraging performance from Bryce Eldridge.

The rookie gave the Giants an early 1-0 lead in the third inning with an RBI single after launching a two-run homer in Friday's opener. Although his offensive production has cooled somewhat in recent weeks, Eldridge continues to look remarkably comfortable at the plate.

Considering the struggles he endured last season, his rookie campaign has been one of the more impressive developments for San Francisco.

More than the numbers themselves, what has stood out is his approach.

It's easy to look at a stat line and conclude that Eldridge has simply become a better hitter, but the improvement runs deeper than that.

Teammates have consistently praised the maturity of his approach, one that appears well beyond his years. When you combine that advanced plate discipline with his natural power at just 21 years old, it's easy to envision him remaining a fixture in the Giants' lineup for years to come.

Across 55 games this season, Eldridge is hitting .274 with a .366 on-base percentage and an OPS of .843, making it clear he has been well above league average offensively.

His value isn't limited to the batter's box, either.

Because he has served as the designated hitter in 42 games, it's easy to overlook what he has done defensively. In 15 appearances at first base, however, Eldridge has handled all 116 chances without committing an error while recording 110 putouts and six assists.

That defensive growth makes an interesting long-term conversation even more compelling.

At this point, it's fair to argue that Eldridge is already a stronger defensive first baseman than Rafael Devers.

At the same time, the Giants also have to consider Devers' contract.

It doesn't make much sense for the organization's highest-paid player to serve exclusively as a designated hitter. While third base is his natural position, Matt Chapman occupies that spot, making first base the most logical defensive home for Devers.

Even so, Eldridge has already shown in limited opportunities that he can provide excellent defense while producing offensively.

Whether the Giants eventually keep Devers at first base or move him elsewhere down the road, Eldridge has demonstrated that he possesses the talent to become the club's long-term answer at the position.

His RBI single may not have ultimately changed the outcome of this game, but it perfectly illustrates why he has become such an important part of the Giants' lineup this season.

The Giants received additional offensive production in the sixth inning when Rafael Devers and Willy Adames each connected for solo home runs.

For Adames, it continued the momentum he built Friday night after hitting a seventh-inning grand slam. Devers' homer, meanwhile, was his 20th of the season and his first since the All-Star break.

While Devers has endured one of the most difficult offensive seasons of his career, he has quietly begun showing signs of turning things around.

It's not unreasonable to say this has been his toughest offensive season since 2018, his second year in the majors.

However, as the season has progressed, his at-bats have looked increasingly competitive, and the recent results suggest he may finally be finding his rhythm at the plate.

Logan Webb also entered Saturday looking to rebound after a difficult stretch.

Although he was selected to the All-Star Game, he did not pitch, making his July 8 start against the Toronto Blue Jays his previous outing.

Webb worked seven innings in that game but surrendered five earned runs while striking out only two batters. That followed another rough performance against the Colorado Rockies, when he allowed seven earned runs in just three innings.

Combined, Webb had given up 12 earned runs over his previous two starts entering Saturday.

For six innings against Seattle, however, he looked like himself again.

Facing a Mariners team that remains in the playoff hunt despite offensive inconsistency, Webb held Seattle scoreless through six innings while allowing just two hits.

The outing unraveled in the seventh when he surrendered a game-tying, three-run home run before being removed.

Naturally, that's the moment most people will remember, and allowing a home run in that situation overshadowed much of the good work he had done earlier in the game.

Still, there were far more positives than negatives.

Webb finished with seven innings, two hits allowed, one walk, five strikeouts, and 100 pitches, including 69 strikes. While the home run ultimately erased his lead, this was arguably his sharpest outing since June 27 against the Atlanta Braves, when he tossed seven scoreless innings.

After several weeks of inconsistent command and uncharacteristically rough starts, Saturday represented meaningful progress. One mistake shouldn't completely overshadow the improvements he showed throughout the afternoon.

The Giants ultimately fell 4-3 when Julio Rodríguez delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning.

While the result was disappointing, this game offered more encouraging long-term takeaways than the final score might suggest.

Eldridge continued to reinforce why he looks like a cornerstone of the franchise, Devers showed more signs of finding his swing, and Webb delivered perhaps his most encouraging start in nearly a month despite one costly mistake.

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