Tyler Rogers had one job: keep the ball in the yard. He hadn't allowed a homer in 2020, despite inconsistent work, but streaks like that don't last. I wonder if the Rogers experiment might need re-thinking. It was certainly an intriguing idea, that a submariner could work both sides of the plate, get a lot of ground balls, and do multiple-inning stints. I was all for it, in fact. Unfortunately the results haven't been there for Rogers. Today he gave up a hit, got a strikeout, and then got tagged with the big three-run bomb. Overall for 2020 he's faced 43 batters in 8-1/3 IP (9 appearances), yielding 12 hits and 11 runs with two walks, three hit batters, and six strikeouts.
Gabe Kapler will likely take some heat for pulling Kevin Gausman with one out and one on in the 7th. He dominated a tough LA lineup with a sizzling fastball through six innings and then gave up a long fly out to Mookie Betts to start the next frame and a single to Cody Bellinger. Kap had seen enough even though it was only 80 pitches (Gausman had thrown 83 in Colorado in his last start). You have to figure they are being really careful about stretching out their starters. Gausman is one of those guys who seems to have all the parts but the sum hasn't always been there. The Braves dumped him after a very poor start last season and the Reds gave him a shot but kept him in the bullpen. The Giants took a chance on his live arm and, I think today, tried to protect him from that "third time through the lineup penalty." It didn't work out. Like I said Kap will get some heat for sticking to his saber-script instead of going with his gut but it was a defensible move. Rogers needed to execute in that situation and unfortunately did not. Gausman records the Giants first "quality start" (6-1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K) of 2020.
The Giants offense couldn't really get anything going against Walker Buehler and the Dodgers relief corps. Mike Yastrzemski got a clutch two-out two-run single, but that was it. The Giants bullpen fell apart in the 8th and LA cruised to a win in a game that looked like the Giants might sneak away with.
Giants head for Houston tonight and play tomorrow at 6:10 p.m. PDT.
--M.C.
p.s. I should note that Yankees manager Aaron Boone had a similar decision today, his starter James Paxton had a 3-0 lead over the Rays after six and he let him come out to pitch for the 7th. Result? Double, out, homer, homer and a 3-3 tie! Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
4 comments:
Giants go 3-4 in LA and came damn close to 4-3. Not bad. That's it for Dodger Stadium for 2020, LA comes to SF at the end of the month (25-27). No Giants-Dodgers in September.
I don't know if you have followed MadBum but he is really not himself: 17-1/3 in 4 starts, 20 hits, 19 runs. He gave up 4 HR in 2 IP today.
Gausman threw 94 pitches in a start on August 2nd for the Braves last season. After that he made 16 appearances for the Reds, never throwing more than 44 pitches (in a start) and averaging about 25 in 1-2 inning relief stints.
He is currently tied with Madison Bumgarner with most hits allowed (20) in the NL!
So I think Kap had the right idea to limit his pitch counts. The idea is to see if the 2018 Gausman (31 starts, 183-2/3 IP, 4.32 FIP) is alive and well.
It was a gamble but it was up to the relievers to do their job. They did not. Period. If he had last years pen, he probably would have had a much better chance to have a positive outcome, but certainly not guaranteed. Gausman looked really good yesterday. Too bad the runner he left on scored, otherwise he had actually left the game with a shutout going. At least an outfielder did not lose a fly ball that cost him a no hitter.
I think the important thing is that Gausman is healthy and pitching better. That will translate into wins, at some point!
It's a young 'pen and they've had a little too much asked of them. I agree--it was a gamble and it was up to the relievers to deliver. Leaving him in was a gamble, too. Starting pitchers, as a general rule, aren't as good the later the game goes. If you have Strasburg (or deGrom or Cole) then you can just sit back and let him pitch until he gets tired. Giants don't have anyone like that. All the guys they have on their staff this year are newbies or coming off re-hab or trying to re-build their careers (and FA/trade value). They are going to be "managed."
The more I follow the game the less concerned I am with whether or not the manager "shoulda" done something (or NOT done something). I mean, I'm just an amateur observer! The actual professionals involved are smarter and more experienced than I am. I'm much more interested in WHY moves are made, and I try to see the move from the mind-set of the manager, even if I disagree with it. And although I was surprised by the move, I could understand the rationale.
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