Webb strikes out 4 hitters in one inning; Moronta makes it back
W hen Logan Webb returned to the dugout after the first inning at Scottsdale Stadium on Saturday, the Giants right-hander immediately found Buster Posey.
“I apologized for not telling Buster where the ball was,” Webb said during a 5-4 win over the Indians on Saturday. “And they told me to stop apologizing.”
The Giants didn’t want to hear anything Webb had to say. They wanted to see more of what had just transpired.
Webb struck out four Cleveland Indians batters — you read that right — in the most dominant inning of his baseball career.
After inducing strikeouts by Eddie Rosario and Andres Gimenez, Webb got three-time Silver Slugger winner José Ramírez to swing out of his shoes at a changeup in the dirt. The inning should have been over, but the ball rolled away from Posey, allowing Ramírez to reach first base and extend the inning.
Pitching out of the stretch hardly flustered Webb. He retired Franmil Reyes on four pitches, getting the Indians outfielder to swing and miss for strike three at a changeup that’s been a highlight of Giants camp this spring.
Webb picked up two more strikeouts in two more scoreless innings, giving him six on the day against Cleveland. Strikeouts are always a positive development for a pitcher, but they could be particularly indicative of a breakthrough for Webb, who struck out more than five batters only once last year.
Webb continues to build his case to make the Giants’ opening day roster, with three consecutive impressive starts to open the spring.
It appeared Webb was likely ticketed for Triple-A to begin the season after veteran Aaron Sanchez signed a one-year, $4 million deal to join the Giants early in camp. A one-month delay to the start of the minor league season coupled with Webb’s outstanding spring performances could make the Giants reconsider. There’s no way for him to pitch in games in April without being in the big leagues.
If Webb, 24, continues to fool hitters like he did on Saturday, it’s possible he could be ready to take a big step forward this year.
“It’s as good as I’ve ever seen his changeup look,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “I don’t want to overdo it here, but he’s been really impressive in this camp.”
SLATER’S BOOMING RETURN >>
Austin Slater was absent from Cactus League action until he appeared as a pinch hitter Friday, having tweaked his hamstring while preparing to round first base in his first at-bat of the spring.
The Giants wanted Slater to get two at-bats and play the outfield on Saturday, but Slater didn’t put too much stress on his body.
Webb dominated on the mound, and when Slater came to the plate in the second inning, he knew he wouldn’t have to spring as soon as he made contact with an offering from Cleveland starter Zach Plesac. The Giants outfielder clobbered a towering three-run home run that landed on the right-center field berm, giving his team a 4-0 lead.
Slater struck out in his first at-bat against Plesac and said he was eager to have the chance to face him again to simulate the regular season experience.
“It’s nice to get multiple (at-bats) off the same guy and get more of an in-season rep there to help you game plan and start to think about multiple at-bats off the same guy,” Slater said.
Slater has mostly played the outfield during his Giants career, but he’s also made a few cameos in the infield and picked up the first baseman’s glove. Prior to spring training, Kapler informed Slater the team wanted him to focus exclusively on outfield play this year, in part because the roster features so many veteran infielders.
“They thought it was in my best interest,” Slater said. “We have a really crowded infield right now and a ton of great bats and good defense there. I think a lot of it is straight need-based for what our team needs right now.” MORONTA MAKES IT BACK >> Eighteen months after right-hander Reyes Moronta collapsed on the mound at Oracle Park with a shoulder injury, he returned to the mound in a game for the first time Saturday.
Moronta, who was one of San Francisco’s best relievers in 2018 and 2019, was a candidate to rejoin the Giants bullpen at the end of last season, but concerns regarding his conditioning and fastball velocity kept him at the team’s Sacramento alternate site.
The concerns that kept him off the roster last season still appear valid, even if Moronta picked up a strikeout in a 1-2-3 eighth inning against Cleveland on Saturday. A fastball that averaged 97.1 mph during the 2019 season topped out at 93 and consistently hit 92 on the stadium radar gun in Scottsdale, which is believed to run a bit hot.
“It’s something that we notice,” Kapler said of Moronta’s diminished velocity. “We feel like when Reyes is at his best, he’s throwing a little bit harder than that.”
March is Women’s History Month. We have so many amazing women to look up to in our modern lives:
• scientist and COVID-19 vaccine researcher Kizzmekia Corbett;
• Vice President Kamala Harris;
• activist and author Malala Yousafzai, and many more.
This week in The Mini Page, we look back at a formerly enslaved person, Sojourner Truth, who helped pave the way for women and Black Americans.
Early years
Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in about 1797 near Albany, New York. Her name was Isabella Baumfree. She and her family spoke Dutch, as did many people in that area.
At about 9 years old, she was sold away from her parents to owners who spoke only English. They beat her when she did not follow their commands, even though she could not understand them.
Walking to freedom
When she was about 30, Isabella took one of her daughters and walked to a nearby farm owned by Quakers, who worked against slavery. The Quaker family paid her owners the remainder of her contract with them.
She moved to New York City and began preaching in churches. In the mid-1800s, Isabella became convinced that God wanted her to go out in the country and preach against injustice, telling the truth. She changed her name to Sojourner Truth. “Sojourner” means traveler.
She spoke out for women’s rights, the rights of freed slaves and prison reform. She opposed slavery, capital punishment, tobacco and drinking.
A speaker in demand
Sojourner Truth became one of the most popular speakers of the time. She spoke powerfully with a sharp sense of humor, and she often moved audiences to tears. She ended up traveling thousands of miles, usually by train, to preach for human rights.