Doubleheader: Bats quiet for 14 innings in sweep
Pitcher Kevin Gausman doesn’t want to be traded. He wasn’t pleased when dealt at the deadline two years ago, and the reasons he wants to stay with the Giants go far beyond baseball.
Changing teams during the coronavirus pandemic is not what he’s craving.
The trade deadline is Monday, and Gausman, who took the loss in the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader in China Basin — which the Dodgers swept 70 and 20 — could be a valuable asset for a contender either as a starter or reliever.
“It’s just weird,” Gausman said. “If I get traded to a team, I could show up the first day and just
not like the protocols they’re going through. I feel like the Giants have done a really good job of making it go as smoothly as it can.”
The offense, usually the Giants’ most dependable component, struggled all day and collected just six hits, four off Clayton Kershaw in the opener. Brandon Belt had the only hits in the nightcap.
For the first and second time this season, the Giants were shut out. The games lasted seven innings, as all do in doubleheaders during the pandemic.
Now, decisions need to be made approaching the deadline. Does management believe the sevengame win streak, which was snapped Thursday, is a sign of things to come in September? Or is the preceding streak of five losses more telling of this club?
And how does Thursday’s offensive noshow factor into the planning?
The Giants play three games before the deadline, all in Arizona, and if president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is as active as he was at last year’s deadline, it’ll be movement aplenty.
One consideration is that with 16 of 30 teams making the playoffs this year, playing into October could be considered realistic. Zaidi is targeting a lefthanded hitter and righthanded reliever.
“Obviously, I don’t want to leave these guys, honestly,” said Gausman, who’ll be a free agent after the season. “It’s been really great. They’ve made coming to the ballpark really fun.”
In July 2018, in Gausman’s sixth season in Baltimore, the only bigleague team he knew, he was dealt to Atlanta, where he helped the Braves reach the playoffs.
“To be honest, I didn’t really handle it very well,” Gausman said. “For a couple of days, it was pretty hard on me. I took it as Baltimore giving up on me as opposed to the Braves really wanting me. It was kind of in my head about that. Luckily, I was with my wife, who settled me down.
“I definitely feel more comfortable this time around. Whatever happens, it’s just part of the business. It has no bearing on where I end up next year. I could get traded and definitely see me resigning here. I really like this team. I really like all these guys.”
In his final start before the deadline, the hardthrowing righthander lasted 41⁄3 innings, struck out six and surrendered two runs on three hits: a homer to Joc Pederson and backtoback doubles by Pederson and Will Smith.
Logan Webb started the opener and got knocked out in the fourth inning, charged with five runs. Kershaw was dynamite over six innings, striking out four and walking none while receiving help from outfielders Cody Bellinger and A.J. Pollock, who robbed Wilmer Flores and Darin Ruf of extrabase hits in the first inning.
Joey Bart was among the hitters to struggle, going 0for5 with four strikeouts on the day and 0for10 with seven K’s in the series.
The Giants, who entered the series averaging a leaguehigh 6.53 runs in home games, were shut out in a doubleheader for the first time since 1943 at Wrigley Field.
“All of us were waiting for them to explode. It was such a weird game today,” said Gausman, who mentioned Wednesday’s game being postponed because of the teams’ protest of Sunday’s police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.
“We’ve been playing really good baseball, man. It was kind of tough with the two games played today. I feel if it had been normal, it would have been a little different series with us winning the first game and having some momentum coming in.”
The Giants finished their season series with the Dodgers at 46.