SF Giants: Bullpen meltdown overshadows historic outing by Sean Manaea
SAN FRANCISCO — It was almost a big day for the Giants’ offseason acquisitions on Saturday.
Sean Manaea was masterful in six innings of one-run ball and Michael Conforto played an important role in the revamped offense.
But Ross Stripling, who signed a two-year, $25-million deal with the Giants in December, let it all fall apart while allowing four runs in the late innings as the Royals overcame a four-run deficit to topple the Giants, 6-5, at Oracle Park.
“There’s just a level of consistency and sharpness that I’m just not at yet,” said Stripling, who has allowed eight earned runs in 6 2/3 innings to begin his Giants career. “Even through late spring training and these first couple outings, a lot of 1-0, 2-1 counts and balls out of the hand that aren’t even competitive.”
With seven starting pitchers on the staff, the Giants think they have all the pieces of the puzzle, they just need to figure out where they fit.
Manaea, who also signed to a two-year, $25-million deal this offseason, looked shaky as a reliever in his first outing, but hit several milestones in his first start for the Giants on Saturday.
There was the 97 mph heater Manaea threw in the second inning that marked the hardest pitch he’s ever thrown in a game he’s started. There were eight strikeouts. And there was the history he made with catcher Blake Sabol as the two formed Major League Baseball’s first-ever all-Samoan battery.
“There’s not too many of us Samoan baseball players,” Manaea said. “To form a battery like that is incredible for all of us.”
A year ago, Manaea averaged 91 mph on his sinker, the pitch he’s thrown more than any other during his eight-year big league career. Saturday, he averaged 94 mph, touching 97 mph.
The newfound velocity was a pleasant sight for manager Gabe Kapler, who said, “When he’s throwing hard and he’s in the zone with all of his pitches, he’s a tough customer. His ball is heavy. It gets heavier as he’s throwing harder. He’s going to be good for us.”
Manaea said he didn’t fight it when Kapler told him he was done after six innings, despite tossing just 76 pitches, 54 for strikes. That was the plan all along after he had thrown just two innings his first time out. He exited with a 4-1 lead before Stripling entered.
Stripling immediately allowed a solo shot to Franmil Reyes, then served up a three-run shot to Salvador Perez in the eighth.
“He basically golfed that thing,” Sabol said. “It was just an impressive swing. He’s done it for a long time… I’m sure (Stripling) is going to bounce back and contribute to a lot of wins for us this year.”
Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood have pitched strictly out of the rotation thus far, while Stripling and Manaea have each done both and Jakob Junis has looked strong exclusively out of relief.
Kapler is still figuring out who will pitch where, but said after Manaea’s impressive start, “I think he’s earned the opportunity for us to discuss him starting again the next time through.”
Said Manaea, “I think I can definitely start. I’m also here to help this team win, so wherever that’s going to be.”
The Giants had a chance to regain the lead in the eighth when they loaded the bases with nobody out, but Estrada, Crawford and Sabol all struck out swinging to end the inning with the score still tied.
The Royals plated their eventual winning run on a wild pitch by Camilo Doval in the ninth.
“We were one hit away from blowing the game open,” Kapler said.
The Giants moved to 3-5 on the year with one more game against the Royals on Sunday before the Dodgers come to town on Monday.
Also….
— Sabol and Manaea were both born in the United States, but have parents with Samoan heritage. Manaea said he’s learned a lot from Sabol, whose family is more in-tune with the culture, and Sabol said he’s hoping Saturday’s game attracted “a lot of people from the Polynesian community out in the stands, some people watching on TV, hopefully some little boys or girls looking at that like, ‘Wow, maybe I should play baseball.’ ”
— Conforto had two hits and scored a run in the Giants’ four-run fourth inning. The former Met has five hits in his last 12 at-bats.
— Sabol stumbled in foul territory before making a diving catch for the second out in the eighth inning. Sabol said his neck was sore, but he was OK after the game.
— Wade hammered a line drive over everything in right field for his first home run of the year in the fourth inning. It was also the Giants’ 98th career splash hit into McCovey Cove as they approach No. 100 that seems likely to be hit this year. Barry Bonds hit 35 of the 98 splash hits. Wade has four.
— Wade’s home run started a big fourth inning that was capped off by a pair of two-out, RBI singles by Estrada and Crawford.
