Gabe Kapler made a bullpen decision on Thursday that KNBR host Brian Murphy said had “fans a little upset.”
After falling into a 5-0 hole, the Giants clawed back to make the game 5-4 in the fifth inning. At that point, reliever Tristan Beck — making his major-league debut — had thrown 1.1 scoreless innings. Beck then gave up a run in the sixth, extending the Mets lead to 6-4, but keeping the game very much in reach.
Yet Kapler decided not to pull Beck, and then kept him in the game after he gave up three more runs in the next frame. Ultimately Beck would never leave, giving up four runs in 5.1 innings.
It looked to some like the Giants were prioritizing giving a young pitcher some experience over trying to chase a win. Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow disagreed with that assessment when he joined the Murph & Mac Show on Friday.
“I think they still were in the game,” Krukow said. “He gets to the sixth and seventh inning, it’s a two-run ballgame. Then all of the sudden it became a 9-4 ballgame. At that point in time, it’s we need you to do what you’re going to do. And they extended him. He’d only pitched like 14 innings or something in Triple-A ball. So, he was extended.
“To me, that was the choice to make, because you’re down five runs, and you need a bullpen that needs rest. At that point in the game, you start managing for the health of your bullpen and the ability to be able to use a full bullpen the next day. So if fans were upset about that I can understand it, but in the grand scheme of things I think the game was played the way it should have been.”
The larger issue is that the bullpen is taxed because Giants starters have not been able to pitch deep into games. Sean Manaea only lasted 3.2 innings on Friday, giving up five runs in the process.
Overall, fans are just frustrated that the team isn’t playing well. Though 18 games the Giants are 6-12, and have the second worst record in the National League.
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