Unwritten but not unnoticed
Giants 8, Angels 2: Skid ends at 5 games — offense hums, bullpen improves
The paradox of a fivegame losing streak that ended in Anaheim on Tuesday was how well the Giants generally played.
They have an offense that can post big numbers, their 115 runs ranking among the top six in the National League. In Tuesday’s 82 win, they chased one of the majors’ hottest starters after four innings and four runs, including homers by Mike Yastrzemski and Pablo Sandoval, who, reassuringly, went deep on a pitch at his neck.
The rotation largely has stabilized and the defense has played a little better, too.
As the Giants have learned all too painfully in recent days, a spotty bullpen can undo a lot of good.
The Giants and their fans need to understand the problem will not disappear in 2020. Will Smith, Drew Pomeranz, Mark Melancon and Sam Dyson are not coming back. This season was always going to be a tryout for pitchers with big arms and small
paychecks in a bid to identify those with the intestines to pitch in late, tight ballgames.
This inexperienced unit will have good days like Tuesday, when Tyler Rogers, Tony Watson and woebegone Trevor Gott were off and manager Gabe Kapler got four hitless innings from Caleb Baragar, Sam Selman, Wandy Peralta and Jarlin Garcia.
Even with a sevenrun lead, the Giants found a way to turn the ninth inning eventful. Shaun Anderson allowed a run and drew the ire of Mike Trout, who did not appreciate Anderson’s generous offer to give him a haircut with two fastballs he had to duck.
Still, the Giants got to enjoy a faux handshake line for the fourth time in their past 15 games.
“We got really highquality work from our pitching staff today, and I think it’s important to have the bullpen work that we did,” said Kapler, who swore Anderson was not trying to hit Trout or make a statement after Evan Longoria took a ribseeking missile in the back.
“I’m going to be very direct,” Kapler said. “Shaun hasn’t been on a mound in five days. He got a little jumpy. We don’t throw at people. That’s not who we are.”
The reliever who needed his shutout inning most was Peralta. In Sunday’s 153 loss to the A’s — which came between Gott’s two blown saves against Oakland and Monday’s in Anaheim — Peralta faced five hitters. All scored, including Chad Pinder on his first pitch.
Kapler could have extended other relievers Tuesday and not used Peralta but wanted to get the lefty back on the mound quickly, as he hopes to do with Gott.
The other big takeaway was Sandoval’s afternoon, not just because he had two extrabase hits and a walk, but also the great imitation he did of the old Panda when hit a tworun homer on a Dylan Bundy fastball that was about shoulderhigh.
“That one kind of confused me,” Bundy said. “That’s where I wanted to throw it, so you’ve just got to tip your cap to him for hitting that one out. Not much I can do on that.”
Kapler has stuck with Sandoval through a rough first month that has included an undisclosed personal issue. For all of Kapler’s emphasis on “winning the strike zone” on each pitch, he said he will let Pablo be Pablo.
“That’s the right approach with him,” Kapler said. “Maybe you can get a little value at the margins by talking about where his best zone to attack is. I don’t think you ever stop pursuing that. What makes Pablo so dangerous is the ball does not have to necessarily be in the middle of the plate for him to do damage with it.”
Other Giants are increasingly doing more damage. That includes Brandon Belt (2for5, double) and Brandon Crawford (two doubles, two RBIs).
Meanwhile, Yastrzemski keeps humming. Tuesday’s damage included the homer, two walks and a catch that saved starter Trevor Cahill two runs. Cahill went four innings, longer than Kapler would have liked in the righty’s second start, but necessary given the state of the bullpen.