Stratton shuts down first-place D’backs
Right-hander has best start yet since return from minors
SAN FRANCISCO >> Young players experience setbacks quite frequently, but some are so severe that teams can’t afford to have players iron out issues at the major league level.
That was the case for
Giants right-hander Chris Stratton, who was a leader in the rotation for much of April before summer struggles forced the franchise to demote him to Triple-A.
San Francisco sent Stratton on a mission to rediscover his command with the Sacramento River Cats, and in his second start back as a member of the rotation, the journey has fostered hope.
With the division leaders in town, Stratton fired a career-high eight shutout innings on 117 pitches against the Diamondbacks in a 2-0 Giants win.
“They just wanted me to get back to what I was previously and just help this team win,” Stratton said of the demotion.
“Hopefully we can get on a good roll here and hopefully this is a good momentum builder.”
Stratton joined ace Madison Bumgarner as the only Giants pitchers to record an eight-inning start this year as he retired 10 in a row and 18 of the final 19 batters he faced to conclude his outing.
“He’s thrown some really nice games if you go back last year and early this year,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “But I’d have to put that up there. That’s one of his best games.”
Bochy wanted to stay away from closer Will Smith due to a heavy workload of late, so he called on Tony Watson to record the first two outs of the ninth before Hunter Strickland picked up his first save since June 10.
Though Stratton’s sea- son ERA climbed to 5.52 after a dreadful threeinning start against the D’backs August 3, the right-hander lowered it more than half of a point with 6 1/3 innings of tworun ball against the Mets and one of the best performances of his career Monday.
Like Stratton, rookie outfielder Steven Duggar understands setbacks are a part of the game. After a breakout 2016 season with Double-A Richmond put Duggar on the fast-track to the big leagues, a hip injury sidelined him for the first half of last season.
The lost time likely cost Duggar a chance to prove he could start in center field right out of the gate in 2018, but after spending more than three months adjusting his swing at Triple-A Sacramento, Duggar has finally received an opportunity to show he belongs.
After Duggar’s RBI triple proved to be the difference in Sunday’s win over the Rangers, the Giants center fielder provided another key hit in Monday’s game against Arizona lefty Patrick Corbin, who made his sixth start against San Francisco this season.
With two outs and the pitcher on deck in the bottom of the second, Duggar lined a two-run home run into the right field arcade for his first career homer at AT&T Park. The fastball from Corbin was right on the inside corner, but Duggar turned on it for his second homer of the season and became the first player to homer off Corbin since Michael Conforto of the Mets took him deep June 16.
“Off a pitcher of his caliber, he’s one of the tougher ones that I’ve seen for sure,” Duggar said. “To be able to get
one, square one up and see it leave, that was definitely exciting.”
After Duggar’s home run, the Giants didn’t record another hit against Corbin until Andrew McCutchen doubled in the sixth, but Stratton was as dominant as he’s been in any start since he tossed seven innings of one-hit ball against the Padres April 12.
The right-hander had plenty of help from shortstop Brandon Crawford, who was all over the diamond Monday as he continued to build his Gold Glove candidacy. With one out in the sixth, Crawford stole a single from Goldschmidt with a diving stop in the hole between third and short on a play that will end up on his end-ofseason highlight reel.
“That was unbelievable,” Stratton said.
With back-to-back impressive outings, Stratton has given himself an opportunity to remain in the rotation and build his résumé for a spot as a starter next year. Though the odds of the Giants being able to rely on Stratton were slim at the beginning of the month, a fix he made with his mechanics during a bullpen session with former San Francisco right-hander Ryan Vogelsong has triggered a drastic change in his results.
“I think all of my starts are important and I think every day here is a blessing,” Stratton said. “I’m just happy to be here and I appreciate the opportunity and like I’ve said before, learning from guys like Bum and (Matt) Cain and Vogelsong, guys just pouring into you has really helped out.”
POSEY UNDERGOES SURGERY >> Catcher Buster Posey underwent surgery Monday to address his right hip impingement and repair a torn labrum. The operation was performed by Dr. Marc Philippon in Vail, Colorado.
The recovery process to take between six-to-eight months.