Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Trevor Gott has lost a job he never officially had.
Which is what happens when an ostensible closer loses five balls over the fence in three appearances. When he loses command and/or confidence. When he loses three out of four games for the Giants.
Gabe Kapler signaled that he will be looking elsewhere for closing games after Gott blew a third straight ninth-inning lead in a 7-6 loss at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Monday, when the Giants watched their lead and game go when Tommy La Stella hammered a walk-off, two-run shot.
“In the long term, my confidence level in terms of Trevor Gott has not changed,” the manager said over Zoom before admitting the unavoidable. “In the short term, we may need to look for a softer landing spot for him and evaluate what other options we have for the high-leverage moments.”
Gott had gone 4-for-4 in his first save attempts this year, his first chance serving as a closer at the major league level (even if Kapler never used the term). But Friday’s collapse was historic, surrendering five runs while recording an out. It was four runs in two outs on Saturday. He retired just one batter this time, running his runs allowed to 11 in three games.
And he did not even have to face Mike Trout, who watched the Angels stun the Giants from the on-deck circle.
“Short term I think we’re gonna need to figure out how to get his confidence back,” Kapler said of a closer who Saturday said his confidence is still high.
He sure looked shaken, and has every right to be, after watching it happen yet again, his ERA climbing to 14.73.
The Giants’ best reliever has been Tony Watson, a lefty who was given the eighth inning and retired three righty batters in nine pitches. Gott, a righty, faced two lefties and a righty, the lefty-hitting La Stella playing the Stephen Piscotty and Mark Canha role for the night.
Kapler said he was confident with the way both Gott and Watson can get out lefties and righties — and plus he was not sure if or when the Angels would turn to lefty-hitting pinch-hitting Shohei Ohtani.
It’s not a dilemma he will be facing again — or at least anytime soon — with these two pitchers. Tyler Rogers and perhaps Jarlin Garcia will see more late-inning appearances.
And Gott will try to build back up and forget a skid that has become virtually unforgettable.