The last time Webb took the ball, the Giants momentarily forgot how to play baseball. San Francisco committed three errors in a single inning, each as baffling as the previous, forcing an early departure for a previously cruising Webb and a 4-2 loss to the last-place Rockies.
That game was Webb’s first loss at Oracle Park in 18 starts, tying a franchise record. But he felt he rediscovered his feel for his pitch arsenal during the unfortunate outing.
Webb’s hunch apparently had merit, as he tossed seven shutout innings against Kansas City, buying time for his offense that needed over four innings to simply record a hit. Webb’s gem, plus Luis González’s double and run-saving throw from right field, led to the Giants’ fifth consecutive win — a 4-2 victory over the last-place Royals. Tommy La Stella drove in two with a pair of sacrifice flies, Wilmer Flores reached base three times and Camilo Doval earned the save to support them in another Giants (35-26) win.
San Francisco’s energy seems to have shifted between that embarrassing Rockies loss and Webb’s next turn in the rotation. Between the ace’s starts, the Giants won four straight games, including a statement sweep of the rival Dodgers. Instead of spiraling, the Giants floated up near the top of the division.
In those four games after the four-error Colorado finale, the Giants committed one error. They’ve swapped head-scratching miscues for sliding, tumbling, sprawling outs.
On Tuesday, the Giants turned two solid double plays. Wilmer Flores added a diving stop. And to keep Webb’s shutout intact as his pitch count rose into the triple digits in the seventh, González made a perfect one-hopped throw from shallow right field to Austin Wynns at home for an outfield assist.
Webb didn’t need any help from his defense in the top of the sixth — KC’s first real scoring chance. After Andrew Benintendi walked to put runners on the corners with two outs in the sixth inning, pitching coach Andrew Bailey walked out. The entire infield joined the powwow on the mound. With third-hitter Bobby Witt Jr. due up, Webb needed his best stuff — the stuff he had against Colorado but didn’t get the necessary defense to show for it.
Webb found it, and Witt had no chance. First pitch: slider low and away, whiff. Second pitch: sinker low and inside, whiff. Webb then hit Austin Wynns’ glove with an 0-2 slider, but Witt didn’t bite. The next one bit even more, and the rookie Witt flailed for his third strikeout of the night.
That strikeout of Witt was Webb’s eighth of the night. He was dealing, albeit in a 0-0 ballgame.
Then González deposited a double into the left field corner for the Giants’ first and only extra base hit of the game. Flores plated him with an RBI single, Darin Ruf drove in Flores with a single to deep right-center, and La Stella added a sacrifice fly.
Before that sequence, the Giants had just one hit — Crawford’s single. After it, they owned a 3-0 lead and knocked KC starter Kris Bubic out of the game.
Then came the seventh inning, for which Webb trotted out from the dugout with 94 pitches to his name. After a walk and single, Gabe Kapler visited Webb. He’d yanked the ace after 87 pitches last week in Miami. But this time, the Oracle Park crowd cheered when the manager returned without gesturing to the bullpen.
Webb stayed and escaped, thanks to González. Webb’s ninth strikeout fooled Kyle Isbel, then González charged Michael A. Taylor’s should-have-been RBI single. The National League Rookie of May corralled, crow-hopped and fired in one motion, beating MJ Melendez by several steps. González’s throw topped out at 97.4 mph — SF’s second-fastest outfield assist in the tracking era.
The trust in Webb, the confidence in the field, the execution. This is the same team — again featuring Brandon Belt, who got hit by a pitch in his first game back after being sidelined for 23 — with the same coaches, processes and mentality, as it has been all year.
But something during this streak — San Francisco’s fourth five-game run of the year — has felt a bit different. Maybe winning just kaleidoscopes things.