Three-time All-Star Robb Nen joined The Audible Thursday morning to recap the Giants’ 3-0 win.
When asked what’s the difference between these 2016 Giants and the 2010, 2012 and 2014 world champion teams, the longtime MLB closer didn’t hesitate.
“This pitching staff is more dominant,” Nen said. “We we’re real good back then, but I think they have more depth. They’ve got guys that can get you later in games. All those guys are 1 and 2’s , they run through and do what they need to do.”
And what about Madison Bumgarner? How do you put 23 consecutive scoreless innings in elimination games into words?
“He does what he does,” Nen said. “He goes out there. He throws strikes. He pounds the zone. He gets ahead. The first full nine guys, he didn’t even throw a breaking ball for the most part. Then all of a sudden, he starts throwing breaking balls. He knows what he’s doing out there. He’s established, he’s confident, he knows what he wants to do. He and Buster Posey are on the same page.”
But the Giants will need their bullpen if they want another even year title. Sergio Romo is the closer right now and was warming up in the bullpen before Conor Gillaspie’s now legendary three-run homer. Is Romo reliable enough?
“Romo has done it before,” Nen said. “He’s closed big games out. With him being on the backend of that, he knows how to pitch. He knows how to throw that slider with everything. He can throw it for a strike, for a ball. He’s got different ways to throw it. For me, Romo is definitely going to be in a comfortable situation out there. If it was someone who has never been in the postseason, and never gone out and closed games, I think it would be a little tougher for (Bruce) Bochy.”