John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
It was the smallest crowd (26,627) for a Giants game at Oracle Park since 2010. Though Bruce Bochy contended his team was indeed trying, he called the group “flat.” There was little outside or inside interest in another Wednesday night game in September against the Pirates, two teams playing for next season.
Which made Logan Webb’s disconsolate face and tone all the more stark.
Webb was not exactly beaten down by the Pirates, who dinked and dunk and ran their way to four runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. The defense was poor behind him and he was not solid, but he was not terrible. No moral victories for Webb, who beat himself up.
“It’s frustrating to not win,” Webb said quietly after the Giants’ 6-3 loss Wednesday.
“[I] want to put the team in the best position to win. I didn’t do that. Again,” said the rookie making his fifth career start. “It’s frustrating.”
It went wayward in the second, when Jose Osuna doubled and Adam Frazier singled, but wound up on second after Mike Yastrzemski’s throwing error. A ground out and wild pitch later, Frazier was on third with one out, when the Giants curiously played the infield in while down just 1-0. Kevin Kramer blooped one over Mauricio Dubon’s head, and the Giants never put their head above water again.
“Couple mislocations,” said Webb, whose ERA plunged to 6.75, the righty with two solid outings and three missteps. “When you do that, you tend to give up hits.”
His night ended in the fifth, when a Kevin Newman one-out single and stolen base set up a two-out Colin Moran RBI single. He couldn’t finish off Josh Bell, who walked on seven pitches, and he slumped off the mound.
“He had good stuff tonight, he did,” Bruce Bochy said accurately. “…But it’s about being consistent where you’re putting the ball.”
Chris Shaw’s fifth-inning walk stood out after drawing pitches became such a struggle for him last season, when he came up in late August and struck out 23 times in 54 at-bats.
Facing righty Michael Feliz, Shaw got into a 1-2 hole that he climbed out of, laying off three straight balls.
Shaw admitted it’s “slightly” more difficult to stay prepared when he’s not getting playing time; he has yet to start a game and is 1-for-7 in pinch-hit attempts.
“At the same time, you do so much preparation, pregame, things like that, your swing feels fine,” Shaw said. “… It’s definitely a little more difficult, but it’s my role right now so I gotta make the most of it.”
Alex Dickerson, who came through his batting practice OK, said he is targeting Friday to be available off the bench and Saturday to start.
