Giants see hope in Jake McGee’s tough start

SAN FRANCISCO — Even in a win, it’s never hard to find something to complain about. How about the three ultimately inconsequential runs allowed by Jake McGee in the ninth inning Monday night?

The runs didn’t matter in an 85 victory to start the Giants’ series with the Rockies. They more likely raised eyebrows for being part of a third consecutive rocky outing for the San Francisco’s once-reliable backend arm, raising his ERA in 10 appearances this season to 9.64.

But McGee and manager Gabe Kapler view it differently.

Kapler, asked in not-so-innocent fashion afterward, What’s going on with Jake?, had this to say:

“This is going to sound crazy and I understand why. Bear with me. It was the best fastball he’s had in some time.”

McGee’s start to the season had sparked some internal concern, not for the results it produced but data behind them. McGee’s average fastball velocity had dropped by a full mile-per-hour from last season, and he wasn’t locating it as accurately has he had in the past.

The fastball, which averaged 94.9 mph last season, is an integral piece of McGee’s arsenal. At times, it can feel like it is the entire arsenal. He’s thrown it on 82.3% of his pitches this season, which is actually its second-lowest usage since he stopped throwing his sinker in 2017.

So, when the pitch isn’t up to par, “it makes it a lot harder,” McGee said.

“The stuff just hasn’t been as crisp,” Kapler said. “It hasn’t had the same life and carry through the zone.”

On Monday night, he touched 97 mph and averaged 95.3 mph on his 18 fastball offerings.

“Very encouraging,” McGee said. “I felt like it was back to where it was last year.”

The frustrating irony for McGee is that he has felt he’s pitched his best in his past two outings, even though both have ended with him allowing three runs. Maybe, he pondered, the shortened spring training was taking its effects on his velocity and command during his first few outings.

“They just were on it. Sometimes that happens,” Kapler said. “The Jake before tonight was not as good as this Jake.”

It was also hard to get in a rhythm, McGee said, with his inconsistent usage. He went six days between his second and third appearances of the season and another four between appearances eight and nine.

Ideally, he would throw every three days, he said. So he has adopted the habit of throwing off the mound in the bullpen every three days, even if he doesn’t appear in a game. Sometimes even if he does. He threw a pregame bullpen before coming in to pitch the ninth Monday night, hitting his highest velocity of the season.

“Still went out and was still throwing really hard. It’s good the body’s strong right now,” McGee said. “I’ve had some stretches where I’ve had five or six days off but now I feel like I’m in a good spot with my stuff now. … As long as I have my stuff like I did last night, things are eventually going to go my way.”

It was two non-heaters from Monday night that McGee was particularly proud of: the sliders he used to get Ryan McMahon and, to end the game, Yonathan Daza swinging. He got into 0-2 counts on each batter and felt confident enough to mix in two of the only off-speed offerings he threw all night.

“I don’t need to rely on my slider too much, but if I know my fastball’s there, I can use my slider in better situations like I did last night,” McGee said. “I know I can throw my slider and I know if I miss with it, I can come right back with a fastball in the strike zone. That helps the confidence a lot too.”