Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The new-rules 10th inning went much better this time.
For Gabe Kapler, really everything went much better the second time.
In a season in which the Giants manager has gotten plenty of heat for sticking with, well, choose-your-struggling-Giant, he enjoyed a bit of vindication in Tuesday’s 7-6, 10-inning victory at Minute Made Park.
The Giants, who seem heavier on heart than talent thus far, came back from their fourth four-run deficit of the year beginning in the seventh inning, when Gabe Kapler called upon Hunter Pence, who entered 2-for-32 this year, to pinch-hit for Alex Dickerson against lefty Blake Taylor with two on and two outs.
“[Kapler has] expressed confidence [in me] and understands these types of things go on in baseball,” said Pence, referring to his slump. “It’s about the process, it’s about doing the work.”
Kapler has mentioned how much work Pence has put in, hours and hours with the hitting minds and with slider machines. But it’s what happens in the nine (or 10) innings that matter, and Pence’s process paid off by staying with an outside slider and sending it just clear of the right-field fence to turn a 6-2 game into a one-run game.
“He’s been training hard,” Kapler said over Zoom, putting the focus on the player and not the choice. “And to see that swing show up at just the right time, it’s really rewarding for his teammates, for all of us, and I’m sure pretty rewarding for Hunter as well.”
The buttons Kapler pressed continued to yield results, Darin Ruf — who hit for Brandon Belt in the seventh in a righty/lefty switch — singling in the game-tying run in the ninth. So the Giants went to extra innings, which is where Kapler’s worst moment as a Giant came back on July 31.
Just like his resilient team, Kapler bounced back. Brandon Crawford’s biggest hit of the year drove in the Giants’ inherited runner in the top of the 10th, and after Trevor Gott pitched a solid ninth, Kapler turned to the same pitcher who burned him two days prior.
And as Kapler surely appreciated, there would be no need to replace Tyler Rogers in the inning.
After Yuli Gurriel’s ground ball moved George Springer to third, Rogers went down 2-0 but bore down against Carlos Correa. A couple whiffle balls, such is his submarine breaking ball, were too much for the Houston star, with an assist to Tyler Heineman, who made sure none got away. It was an 84-mph fastball against Kyle Tucker that finished off the Astros’ chance.
.@tyrogers2020 earned his first career save ? pic.twitter.com/rfQATRvNYJ
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 12, 2020
After Rogers had unraveled Sunday, Kapler approached him and told him (and well as said publicly) that he’s still in his trusted circle of relievers.
“That’s big when a manager does that for a player, especially after a couple tough games,” Rogers said after recording the first save of his career. “Just to be able to validate his decision tonight to put me back in there was just rewarding for me.”
As well, surely, for his manager. The Giants are proving their mettle in the late innings.
And proving they’re playing for their manager.
“We do have a team mindset of keep fighting, be as scrappy as we can, grit it out and keep going,” Pence said. “I’m very appreciative of a lot of the teammates, even the starting pitchers, a lot of the guys that are coming out and being on the side of the dugout and continuing to push and continue to bring energy even when we’re behind.”
Kapler announced Trevor Cahill will be the Giants’ starter on Wednesday. The Giants will have to make a corresponding move to put him on the roster.