It’s been ‘way better’ this spring for Smyly
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. >> Fans behind home plate whipped out their phones and opened their cameras on Saturday. The best player in baseball was coming to the plate mere feet in front of them.
It was the Giants’ — and their fans’ — first opportunity to see the Angels’ Mike Trout in person this spring. Maybe they wanted to see Trout do some damage in this exhibition game, but the at-bat ended in cheers anyway when Drew Smyly froze him on an 0-2 hook on the inside corner.
Smyly is no stranger to baseball’s most dangerous hitter. It just felt good to finally get the best of him this time, even though it doesn’t really count. They’ve faced off 20 times in the regular season, resulting in five extra-base hits and a 1.128 onbase-plus-slugging percentage against him.
“There’s no doubt he’s the best hitter in the game, so I love facing him,” Smyly said after his commitments were fulfilled in this eventual 10-3 loss. “He’s gotten me quite a few times, but it’s cool when I get him every now and again.”
The strikeout of Trout started a streak of six straight outs for Smyly, who was lifted after two shutout innings and 12 pitches (11 strikes). To end the inning, he got Justin Upton looking on the same curveball.
“For Drew to come out and show the velocity that he showed his first time out with his fastball, drop his breaking ball in there for strikes, execute the slider down below the zone against a really, really difficult part of their lineup is notable and important for us,” manager Gabe Kapler said.
It had to feel particularly good to use his curve to such success in just his second spring outing. Smyly’s spring in 2019 consisted mostly of just rebuilding strength, rather than refining his breaking pitches. He hadn’t pitched since 2016 because of a rash of injuries, beginning with a diagnosis of a “soggy” elbow in spring training 2017 that eventually required Tommy John surgery.
While he’s working his way up to a full workload like every other starter, he said the Giants aren’t taking any additional precautions because of his injury history. Twelve pitches might seem like a light outing, but two innings was the plan, and they stuck to it. Expect Smyly to pitch three innings his next start, then four and so on.
For Smyly, it’s just nice to get back to a normal spring training.
“My body feels way better,” Smyly said. “My arm feels way better. This year I just feel so much stronger.”
Smyly’s two scoreless innings means Giants starting pitchers (at least those who project to make the rotation) have pitched 16 1/3 innings this spring without allowing a run.
NOT SO SMOOTH AFTER SMYLY >> One other thing Smyly noted was the strength of the Angels lineup. Their 2-3-4 consists of Trout, Anthony Rendon and Justin Upton. After them are slugging catcher Jason Castro and shortstop Andrelton Simmons.
For Smyly, it was in the context of his excitement to face a true test. For everyone else, well, the talent disparity was particularly evident the inning after Smyly’s exit. Left-hander Conner Menez, who appeared in eight games with the Giants last season, came in and quickly retired the first two outs.
Then the lineup turned over and the onslaught began. Menez did not record another out, beginning with a Trout single and ending runners on second and third after a two-rbi double off the bat of Upton.
Olbis Parra wasn’t much relief. The first six batters he faced reached base, allowing six more runs to score (two credited to Menez), and he failed to record an out himself, but got out of the inning anyway when the throw from cutoff man Yolmer Sanchez beat Jarred Walsh to the plate for the third out.
The Giants who relieved Smyly combined to issue eight walks, with only one 1-2-3 inning (Enderson Franco in the fifth) between them.
PENCE TO (RE-)DEBUT WITH GIANTS ON MONDAY >> That’s right. The Giants made a splash went they went out and signed the quirky outfielder who played a key part in two World Series championships. On Monday, fans will see Hunter Pence in orange and black for the first time since 2018.
Pence will get the start in right field against the Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields.
“It’s a day earlier than we thought,” Kapler said. “A lot of that is Hunter is extremely ambitious and even a little bit persuasive.” WATSON DEALING WITH SHOULDER TIGHTNESS >> One of the last pitchers on the 72-man roster the Giants are carrying this spring to step onto the mound is the man presumed to be the one closing games for them this season. Tony Watson has been dealing with some tightness in his shoulder, Kapler said, but he is “totally fine.” The 26-year-old lefty threw 20 pitches in his first bullpen session of the spring on Friday.
“Sticking with the theme of ramping guys up slowly,” Kapler said.
EXPECT RUF TO GET A LOOK IN OUTFIELD >> Darin Ruf, in camp on a minor league deal, has played more innings at first base this spring than any other Giant, but he has yet to see the field anywhere else. That should change in the coming days.
“They’re going to give me the opportunity to play the outfield the next few days to see if that’s something I could help them with,” Ruf said.
Ruf has split time between first and the corner outfield spots his entire career, including the past three years he spent playing in Korea.
He got his first hit of the spring — a big one — Friday in the Giants’ split squad game against the Royals. Ruf went the opposite way and crushed the ball over the right-field wall.
Ruf has added a leg kick to his swing as a timing mechanism, and the early returns look good.
ROSS FEELING GOOD AFTER FIRST START SINCE INJURY >> Bishop O’dowd and Cal alumnus Tyson Ross snuck out of Scottsdale Stadium after Friday’s night game (a win over the Rockies). But, somewhat overlooked, was his first time back on the mound in nearly a year.
Ross, who’s battling for the fifth spot in the rotation but is likely destined for Sacramento, pitched the seventh inning, allowing the first two batters to reach and one to score but otherwise escaped unscathed.
He hadn’t pitched since being diagnosed with ulnar neuritis in his right elbow last May. He said he didn’t have any feeling in his hand in his final start with the Tigers.
Ross was sitting at 93 mph with his fastball, which he said was “better than where I was last year.”