Nothing can save Astros’ Giles from putrid postseason
HOUSTON — Now playing the role of Dellin Betances, Ken Giles.
Hey, at least when Betances experienced his October meltdown for the Yankees, he already had dropped pretty low on Joe Girardi’s depth chart. The Astros are locked into a tight World Series, and they must plan to win this thing without their closer, who has turned to jelly under the October glare.
Giles, whom the Yankees knocked around pretty good in the American League Championship Series, reached what should be his nadir Saturday night in Game 4, pitching a terrible ninth inning in the Astros’ 6-2 loss to the Dodgers at Minute Maid Park. It should be the right-hander’s lowest point because, with the World Series tied at two games apiece, it’s virtually impossible to envision a scenario in which Astros manager A.J. Hinch would turn to him in anything resembling a high-leverage situation.
“I need to do better,” said Giles, who recorded 34 regular-season saves for the Astros. “I need to pick up this team. I need to carry my weight. I need to do better for these guys.”
In seven postseason appearances totaling 7 2/3 innings, Giles has a ghastly 11.74 ERA, allowing seven runs (all earned) on 12 hits and five walks while striking out 10.
“To be a back-end reliever you’ve got to live on that edge of not carrying too long of a memory because of the things that can happen at the back of the game,” Hinch said. “But you have your ball in your hands at the most critical times because you have the best stuff. He can get outs, and he’ll continue to get outs, but it’s been tough on him.”
Hoo boy, yes. He has allowed runs in six of his seven appearances. He has blown two saves, including ALCS Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. In this game, he entered in a tied ninth inning and took the loss.
Corey Seager led off with a groundball single to right field that evaded the Astros’ shifted infield. Justin Turner drew a walk. And following a mound visit from Astros pitching coach Brent Strom, rookie Cody Bellinger, who entered the night 0-for-11 in World Series play, stroked his second consecutive double, this one to left field, scoring Seager with the go-ahead run.
Giles exited right there to a stream of home-fan boos. He got charged for all three of those baserunners when Joe Musgrove relieved him and, after striking out Yasiel Puig, intentionally walked Logan Forsythe, served up a sacrifice fly to Austin Barnes then gave up a threerun homer to Joc Pederson.
“He knows I have confidence,” Giles said of Hinch. “I believe in him, and everybody believes in me. I’m going to be ready to go.”
Actually, Hinch had been managing with a lack of belief in Hinch before Saturday.
“I’m going to have my ups. I’m going to have my downs,” Giles said. “And right now I’m down, but the only way to get back on track is to get up and dust myself off and be ready to go.”