Giants search for fixes to defensive dilemma

The Mets’ top offensive feat in their first two games at Oracle Park this week was ... weak contact?

Infield singles absolutely bedeviled the San Francisco Giants, with Alex Cobb pitching well Monday but allowing four of them, and Tyler Rogers snowed under by tappers and grounders Tuesday that found holes despite his best efforts.

Both executed their pitches, hit their locations, followed the game plans, and avoided walks — but Cobb allowed six runs, and Rogers seven in just one-third of an inning, doubling his ERA to 7.41. Both men’s metrics in other areas are similar to or even better than last year — Fielding Independent Pitching, hard-hit ball rate and the like.

Manager Gabe Kapler checked in with former third-base coach Ron Wotus, who still works with the organization’s infielders, about the flood of poorly struck hits. The two concluded that there are times the team should play more aggressively on grounders.

“The one where I’ve seen many players get burned is out in the grass, when you lay back,” Wotus said, adding that against a fast team such as the Mets, “You get a bouncing ball, and you’re always better off coming to get it when you’re on the grass than laying back.”

With Rogers on the mound, Kevin Padlo, playing third, got a sharp shot from Brandon Nimmo that took a big hop and he couldn’t handle it.

“It was a tough play,” Wotus said. “He could play shallower or he could come get it, because (Nimmo) can really fly. He could possibly play that ball a little bit different, play a little shallower if need be.”

Kapler discussed the benefits of different positioning before Wednesday’s game, saying, “Rogers got the ball on the ground, he’s getting weak contact ... so are there adjustments to make? Always. Are there maybe some positioning things that we need to think through? Maybe. Do we just flat-out need to catch the ball more? Yeah, we probably do.”

The Giants could use better defense across the board, certainly. Through Wednesday, they ranked last in the majors in FanGraphs’ overall defensive stat, at minus-16.2, and they were last in defensive runs saved at minus-26. Last year, they

were ninth and 11th, respectively.

Rogers will be disproportionately affected by mishits, poor defense, improper position and the like because he is an extreme groundball pitcher. But positioning precisely behind him is difficult: Rogers' submarine-style delivery induces a lot of unusual swings, and players can be way out front or very late, so grounders are sprayed from line to line.

“Hitters take awkward swings and they slap the ball and they get jammed in, the ball has funny spin on it,” Kapler said. “So our charts are always going to be a little bit different. One thing that we're going to continue to dig into is: Do we just have to think about this in a completely different way? Do we have to play a little shallower? Play a little deeper? Just asking those questions constantly. These are conversations that have been happening over a long period of time. They happen six months ago. They happen in spring training. They happened yesterday. They'll happen today. We'll keep looking under every stone on how to defend them.”

Because of his style and the weak contact he gets, Rogers might be more vulnerable against faster teams. It's a little unfair, the better job he does and the worse contact opponents get, the more they might benefit if they have much speed. “Probably,” Kapler said when asked if fast teams are a worse matchup for Rogers, then added, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.”

Might there be times when the team would consider five infielders? Maybe, sure, if the game is on the line and a groundball hitter is up. That's not going to be the norm, certainly.

There is always a give-and-take when it comes to infield positioning. Deeper infielders mean better range, more balls gobbled up. Playing in takes away more dribblers. The key is finding the right balance, having the right information and sometimes just plain getting lucky.

Seldom will teams get the preponderance of infield hits the way the Mets did this week against the Giants.

“I don't know if there was a full moon or if the baseball gods were upset about something, but I've never seen so many weak-contact base hits,” Wotus said. “We've just seen a lot of it in a short period of time. If we do our due diligence, it doesn't happen all the time.”

Williams dealt: Utility player Luke Williams, designated for assignment Saturday, was traded to the Marlins for minor-league infielder/ outfielder Hayden Cantrelle, 23. Cantrelle, a switch-hitter who was a Brewers' fifth-round pick out of Louisiana-lafayette in 2020, was batting .185 with three homers in 28 games at Double-a Pensacola.

In addition, the Giants optioned reliever Mauricio Llovera back to Triple-a Sacramento, a move that will allow Jake Mcgee to come off the injured list Friday.