Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGELES — Logan Webb, Rocklin native, is naturally going to remember his starts against the Dodgers.
His introduction to the rivalry was a Sept. 28, 2019, start at Oracle Park, in which he held Los Angeles to two runs in six innings.
“That was Bochy’s last series, so there was a packed crowd,” Webb said Friday. “That felt like a rivalry game.”
But it did not have stakes, with the Giants long out of the playoff hunt.
There were a couple meetings in 2020, including a four-inning, one-run effort at Dodger Stadium at the beginning of last season, but there was not a fan on hand to witness it during the throes of the pandemic.
“So it’s not my first time, but definitely [will be my first] with the opposing crowd,” Webb said, looking ahead to his Saturday start that will take place with more than 17,000 fans in the seats. “Yeah, I’m excited.”
Webb will be returning to the rotation following a right shoulder strain that forced him to miss a start and ushered in to a heated venue for a fight between two 31-20 clubs. It is probably too soon to talk about playoff hunts in May, but each win the Giants stack up now would add to belief that they will be in a playoff hunt in August and September.
The timing for Webb’s shoulder soreness — after back-to-back strong starts, in the midst of a run in which he had posted a 3.14 ERA in five starts, which includes a blow-up at Coors Field — must have been frustrating. But he believes he has found something and pointed back to his April 30 game in San Diego as the turning point.
“I started to figure out how to pitch, figure out myself,” said Webb, who will oppose Julio Urias. “I had a couple really good [starts]. I had one bad inning in Colorado that took away from it. I just feel like I’m getting more confident each time out here, and I’m excited to keep that going.”
He has backed off his changeup a bit and has been throwing more two-seamers and sliders. But he does not feel as if it’s a strict pitch usage tweak that has helped turn him into a starter the Giants just can’t keep out of the rotation. He has been officially bounced once — but then Johnny Cueto went down — and an Aaron Sanchez injury created a second opening.
Even after strong Webb outings, Kapler has pointed to a couple wasted, non-competitive pitches that Webb has lost. The manager continually talks about another level he wants Webb to reach, and the 24-year-old has been responding.
“I think it’s just when I’m in the zone, everything else kind of works itself out,” Webb said. “When I started with these bad misses that Kap talks about … I have a bad miss and then [I leave] something over the middle. It’s little things like that that we’re trying to stay away from.”
Mistake pitches to the Dodgers’ lineup don’t typically stay in the ballpark unless Mike Tauchman brings them back. Webb has talked some with Anthony DeSclafani about approaching the powerful LA lineup, which welcomes back Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry on Saturday.
Webb also has banked some information from past meetings with the Dodgers. He has seen the club — just not at a Dodger Stadium that will be rocking.
“Based on the last two years, I feel like you get to know the guys a little bit,” said Webb, who has a lifetime 5.27 ERA in 13 2/3 innings against the Dodgers. “I’ve gone back and looked at the guys I’ve faced before — I know Bellinger will probably bat [Saturday]. I’m just excited for the challenge. It’ll be fun.”