Brad Martens / SF Giants
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — There are plenty of experiments being conducted defensively for the Giants, who started a corner infielder (Jason Vosler) at second and an outfielder (LaMonte Wade Jr.) at first on Sunday.
They saved one test for the later innings.
Righty Sam Wolff had loaded the bases in the seventh inning with two outs and was laboring. Gabe Kapler had options, and he opted for an intriguing lefty whom the Giants are stretching out as a starter.
In his first mid-inning appearance, Sam Long needed three pitches to strike out Nicky Delmonico — a major league hitter — in the Giants’ 9-4, eight-inning victory over the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark.
He came back for the eighth and had little trouble, allowing one hit and striking out three in his 1 1/3-inning day while putting on display a fastball that consistently touched 96 mph and a big-time curveball that Kapler called “nasty.”
“It wasn’t out of the question for him to go up and down,” the manager said of the Sacramento State product, who signed this offseason and hasn’t pitched above Class-A ball.
Sam Long strikes out Nicky Delmonico looking on a curve with the bases juiced, leaving the tying run at the plate. Dude's good. pic.twitter.com/bRQLLbVm1r
— Hum Buss's Habitually Humble Buddy (@BartAndBaileyGM) March 7, 2021
Yet he’s impressed just about everyone who has seen him, including Cincinnati’s Rocky Gale, who swung through his final fastball and only saw three pitches.
The one hit Long allowed was a bloop, and he’s been among the most impressive arms the Giants have put on the rubber. Most of the bullpen spots are taken by relievers who don’t have any more options, and the Giants have plenty of starting options — for now. Long is probably not competing for a major league job at the moment, but he has firmly put himself on the radar for a call-up.
If not as a starter then perhaps a bulk reliever, which the Giants just got a peek at.
“Went back out and stayed poised,” Kapler said of his eighth inning. “Then started throwing his changeup for strikes, too, so we saw three weapons, and we saw three weapons thrown for strikes as well. Really encouraging.”
While away from the game after being cut by the Rays, Long began taking EMT classes and was on his way to being a firefighter. Perhaps if he ends up at the back of the bullpen, he’ll be putting out different kinds of fires.
Anthony DeSclafani looked like a healthy Anthony DeSclafani, which also is encouraging.
The 30-year-old, who struggled through ineffectiveness and injury last year, was consistently touching 95 mph with his fastball and had a harder slider working well in his first appearance of the spring.
He threw two innings, allowing one run that scored after an Eugenio Suarez double, which was the only baserunner he let up. He struck out one, Shogo Akiyama, on a slider in the dirt.
He did it against his pals in Cincinnati, including Joey Votto, who flew out to center.
“Just knock it all out at once: Giants debut and against the old team,” said DeSclafani, who also appreciated working with Curt Casali, his old Reds catcher.
Joey Bart is now 5-for-8 in Cactus League play after homering in the eighth inning.
“Joey had his best day,” Kapler said after the catcher, who’s expected to open in the minors, went 2-for-3. “And he had a positive day from every angle. Behind the plate he controlled the pace; he asked our pitchers to speed things along a little bit. … He had a really nice game plan with each of the pitchers that he caught. Thought he did a nice job on the bases. And that ball was blistered to left-center field.”
Jake McGee, who virtually only threw fastballs last year, got two outs off of his slider, which he’s trying to throw more this season.
The Giants have several defensive projects going on, and that showed in the sixth inning. Votto doubled, and shortstop Marco Luciano, third baseman Arismendy Alcantara and second baseman Jason Krizan all went into the outfield for a cutoff. No one was at second, so pitcher Dominic Leone caught the throw from the outfield nearby the bag.
The Giants began running more, with steals from Bart, Mauricio Dubon, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Jason Vosler.
Luciano had his first hit of the spring, a slow roller toward third that he beat out for an infield single. He’s now 1-for-6.
Steven Duggar, who has had a frustrating early camp, went the other way for a second-inning homer off Sean Doolittle. He is now 2-for-11 with seven strikeouts.