PHOENIX — As the Giants cling to their fading playoff hopes, they’re searching for pitching help wherever they can get it.
Ahead of Tuesday’s quasi-bullpen game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants optioned right-hander Keaton Winn and recalled right-hander Trevor McDonald, who has yet to pitch an inning in the majors this season.
“It’s something you have to do,” said manager Bob Melvin. “(Kai-Wei) Teng pitched pretty well last night. … Just kind of blew up on us in the sixth. You know you’re going to have to go through these. We’ve had some games where we’ve been successful with it and other ones we haven’t.”
The Giants’ bullpen, due to both injuries and trades, has undergone significant changes over the last two months. Left-hander Erik Miller hasn’t pitched since early July due to a left elbow sprain. Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval were dealt at the deadline. Randy Rodríguez will undergo Tommy John surgery at the end of September.
Despite all those moving parts, San Francisco’s bullpen collectively still found ways to prevent runs. On Aug. 22, Rodríguez made his last relief appearance of the season. From Aug. 23 to Sept. 12, the Miller-less, Rogers-less, Doval-less, Rodríguez-less bullpen still managed to post a 2.82 ERA and 3.16 FIP.
Over their last three games, San Francisco’s bullpen has been shellacked. The Giants’ relievers have allowed 19 earned runs over their last 14 innings, the central reason as to why the team has been outscored 31-10 over these last three games. This current unit has had spurts of success, but trying to replace four high-leverage relievers is a tall, if not impossible, task.
San Francisco’s rotation is facing its own problems as well. Landen Roupp is likely out for the rest of the regular season due to a bone bruise, and Carson Whisenhunt is currently recovering from a back strain. Right-hander Blade Tidwell, acquired in the Rogers trade, is also recovering from a right shoulder injury that has delayed his Giants debut.
With Roupp, Tidwell and Whisenhunt on the mend — Whisenhunt will pitch for Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday — the Giants are trying to cobble together innings on days where Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander don’t start.
Teng was limited to four innings on Monday and isn’t expected to pitch deep into games. The fifth and final spot in the rotation remains in flux too, as evidenced by Tristan Beck starting on Tuesday. Whisenhunt stands to assume that spot when he’s healthy, but his timetable to return is unclear.
At the minimum, McDonald has the capacity to help the bullpen cover innings. The 24-year-old owns a 5.31 ERA with Sacramento, partially the product of pitching in the Pacific Coast League, he’s pitched 142 1/3 innings with the River Cats and tossed at least six innings in five of his last six appearances.
McDonald, who pitched three innings for the Giants last season, has narrowed his repertoire with Sacramento, downsizing to a three-pitch mix featuring a sinker, slider and changeup. The rookie also believes he’s made strides with his maturity, saying that he’s “not letting things spiral and staying in control as a pitcher.”
“He’s been pitching a lot better lately,” Melvin said. “The sinker and slider have been really good, kind of streamlined his repertoire recently to what works for him. Sometimes in the (Pacific Coast League) you can get a little tricky and try to throw too many pitches to try to find something, but that’s kind of his best repertoire.”
The Giants can help mitigate their pitching woes by putting up runs, but San Francisco’s offense has suddenly gone cold over the last week and change.
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On Sept. 5, the Giants totaled 18 hits, matching their season-high, and extended their home run streak to 18 games, one shy of the franchise record. Since then, they’re posting a collective .189 batting average and .606 OPS, scoring three runs or fewer in five of their last nine games.
“We need to hit to win. That’s what’s kind of got us over the hump as far as going through a bad stretch. When we don’t hit, it doesn’t feel great. We haven’t the last three games and we’ve given up a lot of runs, but all it takes is one game and we have guys in our lineup that can hit.”
