Cueto is off, but offense rallies for win
SAN DIEGO — Johnny Cueto stood at his locker with tape covering the tips of the index finger, middle finger and thumb on his right hand. His pitching hand. “It feels like they’re cut,” he said. Cueto had blister problems in the first half for the first time in his career. Friday night, for the first time, Cueto acknowledged what others in the game have been suggesting: Baseballs are different this year.
He made the statement after lasting just four innings and 82 pitches in the Giants’ 5-4 victory over the Padres.
“I think so. Probably,” Cueto said through interpreter Erwin Higueros when asked if he thinks the balls have changed. “I feel the ball tight. This is the first time I’ve had blisters in my career.”
Throughout the majors, with home runs being hit at a record pace, pitchers have said they’ve noticed changes in the ball, that it’s smaller and more tightly wound, with lower
seams. Toronto’s Marcus Stroman said it’s a reason for the spate of blisters.
In the first half, Cueto had blister issues on two fingers. Friday, he had issues with his thumb, too. “Hot spots,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “They’re not blisters yet, but they feel like blisters, like the last time.”
Either way, it appears Cueto will miss his next start, a blow to the Giants for multiple reasons, including the possibility he might be trade bait leading to the July 31 trade deadline.
Cueto said he might need a break and miss his next start, at least.
“I can’t tell you whether or not I’m going to skip it,” he said. “I just don’t know. It depends on how I feel. Right now, it feels bad.”
Cueto told Bochy after four innings that he couldn’t finish his pitches. It was his quickest hook in two seasons as a Giant.
“We’ll evaluate him tomorrow,” Bochy said. “I know he’s frustrated with it. If we need to skip him, we’ll skip him.”
Cueto gave up six hits, issued three walks and exited trailing 3-2. The Giants rallied for two runs in the sixth inning and topped off their scoring with Buster Posey’s 429-foot homer in the seventh, breaking a four-game losing streak that earned them a 34-56 record before the AllStar break.
Gorkys Hernandez collected a career-high four hits, and third baseman Eduardo Nuñez made two superb defensive plays in his first game since June 19.
After Cueto sported a 4.51 ERA in the first half, the Giants were hoping he’d open the second half pitching in top form as he did in 2016. But he walked his second batter and never found a groove.
A reason the Giants would trade Cueto is his contractual power to opt out after the season and become a free agent. He had been projected to have three more scheduled starts before the trade deadline to improve his value.
Sam Dyson, the closer for as long as Mark Melancon remains on the disabled list, gave up a run on three hits in the ninth but earned his fourth save as a Giant.
Dyson gave up singles to Manuel Margot and Wil Myers, and Jose Pirela’s high chopper turned into an RBI single as shortstop Brandon Crawford was unable to make a play. Dyson plunked Cory Spangenberg to load the bases before retiring Jabari Blash on a fly to right to end the game.