Stratton steps up to help hold battered rotation together
SAN DIEGO >> The Giants didn’t plan for any of this. How could they? Madison Bumgarner was rounding into form when he took a line drive off his pitching hand. Johnny Cueto was working out in between starts when he rolled an ankle in a cardio drill. Jeff Samardzija, one of the most reliably durable pitchers in the game, has never been on the disabled list until now.
Yet here they are. After starting the season with a 6-6 record through 12 games, the Giants dropped three in a row in a brutal series loss to the San Diego Padres.
The only game the Giants won against their National League foe came Thursday, when Chris Stratton delivered a career night with seven innings of one-hit ball in a 7-0 victory.
“He was coming in as the No. 4 starter on this club and now that makes him the No. 1 guy,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He can do that. He can handle it.”
Stratton, 27, had to pitch his way into the rotation during spring training. Now, suddenly, he’s the best the Giants have to offer. He dazzled against the Padres, but the Thursday start marked the first time in Stratton’s career he has lasted seven innings.
“Was I surprised?” Stratton said, when asked about sticking through seven innings. “No, I don’t think so. My pitch count wasn’t that high. I got a couple early outs and with the score being the way it was, they were trying to put their offense together.”
The next night, Ty Blach was on course to matching Stratton, tossing four no-hit innings before San
Diego began jumping on early offerings. With four hits in the fifth inning and three more to open the sixth, the Padres chased Blach, setting the stage for a weekend in which the depth of the Giants’ bullpen would be tested.
Though there were glimmers of hope from Reyes Moronta and flashes of brilliance from Tony Watson, half the team’s relievers struggled to throw strikes.
Over the next six days, the Giants will face a pair of first-place teams, the Diamondbacks and Angels, that have just seven losses between them.
The Giants expect Cueto to rejoin the rotation today, and after rookie Tyler Beede was optioned to Triple-A following Sunday’s loss, there’s a possibility Samardzija could slot in and start a game later this week.
The reinforcements are on the way, but if the Giants are going to steer their ship back into calmer waters, they’ll need Stratton and Blach to pitch as if they belong toward the top of the rotation anyway.
Blach, 27, was initially penciled in to begin the year as a long reliever, but in his brief major league
career, he has demonstrated the ability to pitch deeper into games. Beginning in May of last season, Blach recorded five straight outings of at least seven innings, including a seven-hit shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies.
But Blach hasn’t lasted longer than the sixth inning in his last eight starts.
After Friday’s start, Blach indicated he wasn’t disappointed in pitch execution, but he was frustrated the Padres figured out how to take advantage of him.
“I think they definitely made some adjustments at the plate,” Blach said. “Some pitches we were throwing earlier in the game, they made adjustments and started taking the other way.”
Both Blach and Stratton have the demeanor to handle pressure, and over the past two years, they’ve showcased the type of maturity typically seen from more experienced pitchers. Although neither has racked up loads of service time, both have used their days in the majors wisely, picking up tips from veteran players and also passing them along.
“They’re the epitome of guys who work hard every single day,” Beede said. “They’re professional and they’re getting better every day and it’s easy to see.”
In spring training, Stratton shared a lesson he learned from Matt Cain, who chided the righthander for looking into the dugout when things were going bad. Cain told Stratton it was a sign of weakness, a hint he’s looking for a manager or pitching coach to help save him.
Stratton kicked the habit.
Over time, the pair of homegrown pitchers will make the most of other valuable learning opportunities. Right now, though, they’re both in the process of understanding the nuances and high-level thinking it takes to pitch deeper into games.
It’s important that they process it quickly, too, because each time Stratton or Blach is given a quick hook, it makes for a long night for a Giants bullpen that isn’t quite built to be repeatedly taxed.
Though the Giants didn’t plan for Stratton and Blach to serve as stand-ins for a cast of 10-big-league veterans, they did enter the season with the expectation that both pitchers would take the next step in their development.
It’s only the middle of April, but given the reality of the Giants’ situation, that step needs to be taken soon.