SAN FRANCISCO — However unconventional it is, Johnny Cueto’s made a $130 million living on inconsistency. The right-hander hardly ever keeps his pitching motion consistent, rocking his shoulders and shimmying hitters to death.
The shoulder shake has become a trademark of Cueto’s, a dance on the mound he’s translated to dominance this season. That is, until Bill Welke turned off the music. The first-base umpired called a balk on the Giants right-hander in the first inning, nailing him for the shoulder shimmy he’s repeated countless times through his nine-year career.
With runners on second and third, the call evaporated Cueto’s 29.1 inning scoreless streak at AT&T Park, sinking the Giants before ever stepping in against Clayton Kershaw.
“That’s a tough time to get that called,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “(Cueto’s) had that hesitation and those gyrations for quite a while now.
“…I’ll be honest, I’m not quite sure (why the balk was called) even after having that explained.”
MORE COVERAGE:
- ▶︎ Bochy bristles at Casilla question: ‘He’s our closer’
- Giants bullpen spoils dominant outing by Cueto
- ▶︎ Cueto, Bochy explain what umpire told them about controversial balk call
The Dodgers (33-29) turned the shaking around on Cueto, (9-1, 2.16 ERA), scoring two in the first before he retired 22 of the next 23 hitters. But Santiago Casilla spoiled the duel between Cueto and Clayton Kershaw, allowing ninth-inning home run to soil another game in the late innings, and the Giants (36-26) lost, 3-2.
Several innings before Casilla’s hung a slider to Justin Turner, questions still hung about the conspicuous balk call. Welke told a pool reporter after the game that two balks were called on Cueto in that moment, one for stopping his motion, and another for his patented rock-and-throw.
“He came to a complete stop, (and) he paused,” Welke said. “(That’s one balk). Second thing is then he does this (rocking motion with shoulders). That’s not acceptable with a runner on base.”
Video courtesy of MLB.com
Cueto didn’t agree with the call, and couldn’t recall ever drawing a balk on that motion. He got back to work in short order, but not before Adrian Gonzalez drove in the Dodgers’ second run. With Kershaw and his 1.23 ERA at AT&T Park brewing in the visitors’ dugout, Cueto induced two groundouts at Brandon Belt to end the frame.
He proceeded to allow just one baserunner over the next seven innings, and turn in another dominant outing across 114 pitches.
“I felt stronger as the game progressed,” Casilla said through a translator.
He was lifted early by a Matt Duffy home run in the first inning, and again five innings later by Buster Posey’s game-tying double. Those were the only two blemishes over Kershaw’s eight innings, still an impressive feat against an ace who’s allowed less than two runs in more than half his starts this year.
Cueto did well to match his counterpart frame-for-frame, and no Dodger ever stood on base after Chase Utley was skimmed by a pitch in the sixth inning. That’s because Turner didn’t stand on any bases, he circled them.
Video courtesy of MLB.com
Casilla served him a slider over the heart of the plate, one Posey said “didn’t have the finish” that one of Casilla’s good breaking pitches does. It’s becoming a tired narrative for Bochy and the Giants, who’ve seen their bullpen blow another game, and four of the last five save chances (Friday notwithstanding).
“That’s come up a lot,” Bochy said when asked about Casilla’s closer status. “He’s our closer, and that was his situation. … Sure, I’m surprised when he gives up a home run, he’s our closer.
“I will admit, we need to get a little better later in the ballgame.”
And even with the trade deadline far down the horizon, it’s an admission the Giants have to make. Cueto did his part, dancing his way through the Dodgers’ lineup for eight innings. Heck, the Giants’ bats even did their part against the best pitcher in baseball.
But the bullpen bug bit the Giants again, and there was no time for remedy.