No pitcher has appeared in more games than Tyler Rogers this season, and he was called upon again on Thursday — this time to pitch two innings for only the fourth time in his career.
Rogers had a feeling he might have to go two when he was warming up. The game was tied, 4-4, and flamethrowing closer Camilo Doval had recorded saves in each of the past two nights. Tony Watson joined Jake McGee on the injured list, and about all SF’s other arms were spent.
In the series finale against the Diamondbacks, San Francisco’s MLB-leading relievers faced one of its biggest challenges of the year: a surprise bullpen game. After Scott Kazmir limped off after one out in the first inning with a hamstring strain, the bullpen had to pick up 8.2 innings while inheriting the bases loaded.
Rookie Kervin Castro replaced Kazmir, walking one run in but striking out two to limit the damage. Johnny Cueto made his first career relief appearance, showing flashes of a potential postseason difference-maker. Zack Littell, Dominic Leone, and José Álvarez’s scoreless appearances set up Rogers, who shut Arizona down.
“I don’t think you can overstate the importance of (Rogers) for us this year,” catcher Buster Posey said. “His flexibility, going two innings tonight, with a bullpen that’s not only taxed but stretched thin tonight with (Kazmir) going out in the first. He’s a selfless player. And you’ve got to have those guys to win as many games as we have this year.”
In all, six SF relievers pitched 8.2 innings of one-run ball. They struck out 12 while walking three. The third leg of the sweep was also the 16th time in September a Giants reliever was credited with a win — the most of any MLB team in any month since 1901.
“It’s been awesome to watch, to see how Kap pieces it together inning by inning,” Rogers said. “And how each guy just comes in, pumping strikes, even if he has to come in in the third. That’s weird, for a bullpen guy to come in that early. But those guys, it doesn’t seem to phase them.”
Rogers added that the relievers got a boost of energy when the Giants put up a run in the first inning. They knew then a comeback was more than possible.
Still, covering over eight innings without any prior notice is an undertaking. The Giants had to devise a plan on the fly, and relievers had to ramp up quicker than they anticipated.
“We definitely didn’t want to go this way,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “Obviously would have loved Kazmir to stay healthy there and get through four or five innings there, maybe not put so much pressure on the bullpen.”
The plan, essentially, was read-and-react and make as many winning decisions as possible. Deploy the relievers for matchups, and use their resilience and unselfishness to SF’s advantage.
It started with Castro. Since the run he walked in was charged to Kazmir, he still hasn’t allowed a run in 12 career MLB innings. Kapler said pregame that he’s earned the trust to handle high-leverage situations in the sixth or seventh innings. The pressure was on for him Thursday in the first.
Cueto then handled the third and fourth innings, throwing 34 of his 48 pitches for strikes. He struck out three while walking one and allowing one earned run off a triple that should’ve been caught by outfielder Kris Bryant. All the while mixing up pitch speeds and delivery cadence.
“As long as he’s been in the big leagues, it obviously had to be a very different feel coming out of the bullpen,” Posey said of Cueto. “But it was the same old Johnny.”
Littell, Leone, and Álvarez allowed three baserunners in 2.2 scoreless innings. Each have been malleable and effective in favorable matchups all year. Against Arizona, the trio set up Rogers for the eighth inning.
Keeping Rogers in for the ninth came down to his efficient eighth (only 11 pitches) and the likelihood of extra innings. Kapler did the math with what other options they had — Jarlin García and Doval after pitching four of the last five games — and rolled the dice.
LaMonte Wade Jr.’s sixth ninth-inning go-ahead or game-tying hit prevented either from entering.
San Francisco’s pen has been a strength all year, with an MLB-leading 3.02 ERA. Even during September, when it was strained seemingly to the brink while having to handle nine innings twice a rotation, the relievers battled and thrived.
And now, without Watson, McGee, and José Quintana (designated for assignment), the bullpen is even more overextended. They responded on Thursday anyway.