Ex-starters struggling
The bullpen remains the Giants’ strength, with Will Smith, Tony Watson, Sam Dyson, Reyes Moronta, Trevor Gott and Mark Melancon usually giving manager Bruce Bochy the outs he needs.
The same cannot be said about the long relievers, Derek Holland and to a lesser degree, Dereck Rodriguez.
Holland had a 6.75 ERA when he was moved out of the rotation and has not improved in relief, allowing 14 runs (10 earned) in 15 innings with an opponents’ OPS of .900 and four homers. Opponents have scored in half his 10 outings.
When asked to relieve Jeff Samardzija in the sixth inning Saturday and retire one lefthanded batter, Holland walked Max Muncy on five pitches. Bochy was muttering as he walked out of the dugout to pull Holland. Then in the eighth, Rodriguez walked two batters with the bases loaded to put what was a 3-2 game out of reach.
Rodriguez pitched well in his first two relief appearances, 62⁄3 shutout innings against the Diamondbacks and Orioles. But he had not worked since May 31 when Bochy asked him to start the eighth.
Bochy sounds like he has more patience with Rodriguez because he is new to relief. In contrast, he seemed exasperated when asked whether unfamiliarity with the job might be an issue.
“It is with Dereck,” he said. “It shouldn’t be with Holland because he did it last year. He did it already this year. … With his experience, it shouldn’t be a factor.”
The pitching staff has been in flux all year, and that will not change. Rookie lefty Travis Bergen is pitching in minorleague rehab games after recovering from shoulder trouble and should be activated soon. Who goes? Rodriguez has looked better in long relief but has minorleague options. So he is more at risk than Holland, who lacks options and has a $7 million contract. Briefly: Bochy sounded more cautious when asked whether Buster Posey (hamstring strain) will be ready to come off the injured list when eligible Wednesday. Posey will come to the park on Monday’s off day and run bases. … Brandon Belt was scratched with a stomach virus and was not well enough to pinch-hit late in the game. … The Giants were 1-for-18 with runners in scoring position over the Saturday and Sunday losses. … Madison Bumgarner became the third Giants pitcher since at least 1900 to lose a 1-0 home game to the Dodgers on a home run. The others were Tim Lincecum (Dioner Navarro) on July 20, 2011, and Shawn Estes (Trenidad Hubbard) on Sept. 20, 1998.