PHOENIX, Ariz.–This was not the way Matt Moore was supposed to finish the season.
And according to Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy, it won’t be the way he concludes the year.
On Tuesday evening, Moore made the final start of his 2017 campaign, lasting just 1.1 innings while allowing seven earned runs. Moore walked the leadoff batter in each of the two frames he pitched in, and surrendered a grand slam to Diamondbacks’ slugger J.D. Martinez on his final offering of the evening.
“That’s not a good start,” Bochy said. “He was off tonight, there was no getting around it. Tough night for Matty, he’s been throwing well. He’s been on a pretty good role and you look at the last seven or eight starts, it’s been really so much better and tonight was just off.”
Though the Giants have their rotation set for the weekend, Bochy indicated he’d like to give Moore some work in relief just to get the sour taste of Tuesday’s game out of the southpaw’s mouth. Moore could back up Matt Cain, who will make a farewell start on Saturday against the Padres, or pitch on Sunday as the Giants have Johnny Cueto tentatively scheduled to start.
“I’ll find a way I think maybe to get him out there for some work,” Bochy said. “I don’t want him to go out like this either because he has been throwing the ball well. I’ll talk to him but this ballpark is not very forgiving.”
Though Moore hadn’t had an opportunity to speak with the Giants’ manager before Moore met with reporters, he did say he would appreciate the chance to make one final appearance and end the season on a high note.
“Yeah you know, I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet but that was kind of taking the words out of my mouth because this is baseball,” Moore said. “It can teach you some tough lessons and sometimes if you’re hard-headed, it’s just, the last start of the season, this is nothing that you know, I want to sit on heading into the break. I hope that is the case. Even if it’s not getting a start, obviously we have plenty of guys to go around.”