Webb struggles in final tuneup, but is unconcerned
Always his harshest critic, Logan Webb expressed after his most recent start how much he'd like to see a zero in the runs column next to his name, even in a meaningless spring training box score.
He had one final tuneup to do it, Friday against the Cubs, and after laboring through 4 1/3 innings in a 13-12 come-from-behind win, Webb said, “I did the opposite.”
Ahead of the third Opening Day start of his career, Thursday in San Diego, Webb surrendered nine runs on nine hits, including a pair of home runs with the ball flying on an especially arid day in desert. Allowing the Cubs to bat around in the first, Webb was pulled before he could escape the inning and reentered to start the second.
The start raised Webb's ERA in six Cactus League starts to 10.97.
“I know it doesn't look good,” Webb said. “But I'm actually somewhat happy with how I was feeling.”
The lineup behind Webb resembled the one that could take the field with him on Opening Day.
Jung Hoo Lee led off, playing center field, and added two more hits to his impressive spring ledger, raising his batting average to .414. Jorge Soler, batting second as the designated hitter, singled him over, and LaMonte Wade Jr. drove him home to score one of his two runs.
Matt Chapman lined an opposite-field home run, and lining up next to him on the left side of the infield, Nick Ahmed started a double play that helped Webb limit the damage in the second inning to one run. Mike Yastrzemski nabbed a runner at the plate with a rope from right field and contributed a pair of hits.
SNELL TO START SUNDAY >>
Blake Snell isn't expected to start for the Giants until at least their second series of the season, and when the team departs for their three exhibitions in Northern California, Snell will stay back in Arizona.
After a bullpen session of about 30 pitches went well Thursday, Snell is scheduled to pitch in an intrasquad game Sunday, manager Bob Melvin said.
The camp game will be the most live action Snell has faced since last season. He has been facing hitters at a training site arranged by his agent, Scott Boras, throwing up to 65 pitches over four innings his final session before signing, but it's impossible to replicate live game reps.
After Webb pitches the season- opener against San Diego, Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks will start the second and third games, respectively, of the series.
The Giants could face a San Diego rotation of Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish and Dylan Cease.
SLATER SUFFERS SETBACK >> The group of outfielders that breaks camp with the Giants could look different than was expected as recently as this week.
Luis Matos, who's been one of the team's top hitters this spring, has a newfound path to the roster after Austin Slater's name reappeared on the injury report Friday morning. Slater was listed as day-to- day with a sore elbow, the team said, a setback in his recovery from offseason surgery.
“We're getting close to where it would be tough to start (the season) with him if he's not gotten some consistent at-bats in some games,” Melvin said.
Slater, 31, has taken only 12 at-bats this spring, with two hits, three walks and nine strikeouts, and played only two games in the field. He supposed to be in the lineup at designated hitter Friday but was scratched. Melvin said that he will need to be cleared to play the field in order to make the roster out of camp.
The 23-year- old Matos has a team- leading four home runs, six doubles and a .292/.346/.667 batting line in 19 Cactus League games.
SPLIT SQUAD >> In the Giants' split squad game against the Cubs in Mesa, a 7- 3 San Francisco win, Keaton Winn allowed one run, one walk and three hits in four innings, a good sign for his availability to start the season. Winn was making his second start of the spring after being slowed by elbow soreness and is only expected to be stretched out to 75 to 80 pitches by his first regular season start.