Giants 4, Rockies 3: S.F. wins on walkoff sac fly.
Johnny Cueto enjoys his time on a baseball diamond, and sometimes he just doesn’t want to come off the field.
Never in a rush, Cueto moseys to the mound and moseys back to the dugout. He rarely runs hard to first base, preferring to save his energy for pitching.
Giants fans saw a new Cueto trait in Tuesday night’s 4-3 victory over the Rockies. He broke into perhaps the slowest home run trot in history for a man who didn’t hit a home run.
The game was won on Hunter Pence’s bases-loaded walkoff sacrifice fly that scored Orlando Calixte. Pablo Sandoval and Ryder Jones had opened the ninth inning with infield singles ( Jones on a bunt) before Kelby Tomlinson singled to right to load the bases.
Facing five infielders, Pence hit a drive to right-center, with Carlos Gonzalez making a diving catch and Calixte, running for Sandoval, scoring easily.
Pence drove in three runs, including a two on a homer in the fifth, and it just so happened Cueto was on first base after reaching on a rare single. Pence was unable to run as fast as he normally does because Cueto was in front of him in a near-crawl.
It was good comedy, as it generally is with the goodnatured pitcher, who nearly got passed by Pence, which would have nullified the home run. Cueto turned to Pence approaching third base and signaled for him to slow down.
“I think that might’ve been the slowest of my career,” Pence said of his home run trot.
It took 18 seconds for him to reach third and another 12 to reach home, thanks to his teammate’s progressively slower pace. Thirty seconds in all. Or nearly double what it takes former A’s infielder Adam Rosales, who sprints after his homers, to round the bases.
“I kept telling him to slow down and enjoy the home run,” Cueto said, “because he’s always running really fast.”
“The starting pitcher expends so much energy, every pitch is like a sprint,” Pence said. “He said, ‘Take it easy, take it easy.’ You’ve got to take it easy if they’re taking it easy in front of you. That’s kind of funny.”
Manager Bruce Bochy said Cueto was running so slowly that “I thought hit the homer.”
And you know what? That’s all perfectly fine with the Giants, who love Cueto’s personality, makeup and, most of all, abilities as a pitcher.
Cueto can opt out of his contract after the season and turn to free agency, but the Giants would be surprised if he takes that route, especially after his season was cut short by injuries.
Cueto hasn’t been at his best when healthy, but the Giants see him turning it around next season. On Tuesday, he lowered his ERA to 4.49 (a far cry from last year’s 2.79) by limiting the Rockies to two runs in 62⁄3 innings.
“I plan on Johnny being back,” Bochy said. “That’s how I think. I’m optimistic, and from what I know and from what I hear, Johnny likes it here. So I’m planning on him being back.” Pence is hoping. “Absolutely,” he said. “He’s got a wonderful presence. He’s always having a good time. He’s a tremendous competitor.”
Cueto received a nice cheer as he strolled off the field with two outs in the seventh. It might have been his final home start of the season.
He’s on target to pitch twice more, Monday in Arizona and the season finale at home against the Padres, but it’s possible Bochy could slot someone else into the finale.