Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
SCOTTSDALE — As most pitchers are, Logan Webb is a big fan of hitting, if not of hitters. (Although taking hacks became less fun as he got older, reaching Double-A and realizing these weren’t high school pitchers anymore.)
Yet, he would have been OK if pitchers had their bats removed, and the NL adopted the DH again this year.
“My last at-bat in ’19 was a base hit,” he said of his Sept. 28 single, the only one of his career. “So, I was hoping to finish my career of hitting with the base hit.”
It’s unclear when he’ll get another chance to hit in a major league game, his roster spot appearing blocked (for now) by a veteran rotation that is filled with injury risks. But his stuff looked good enough Monday for his arm (and bat, incidentally) to find its way onto a major league mound.
Webb was solid in his second outing of the spring, throwing two scoreless innings in the Giants’ 2-2 tie with the Diamondbacks at Scottsdale Stadium.
The 24-year-old struck out three, all on changeups that worked well when paired with a fastball that touched 94 mph, according to the stadium gun.
“It’s kind of the theme of what I’m trying to do, is getting that changeup and breaking ball for strikes,” the Rocklin product said over Zoom. “Early in the count getting some swing and misses. I think just being [more] comfortable compared to last year — just being more confident in my pitches and knowing that I can do stuff in the zone with those pitches and just trusting it.”
He was ahead in all three counts that led to strikeouts, getting Josh Rojas, Trayce Thompson and Josh VanMeter. All started with fastballs, all ended with changeups as he gave a little peek into the plan of getting ahead on strike one then rely on his offspeed stuff.
The one hit he surrendered came off David Peralta’s bat, a well-hit drive into center that LaMonte Wade Jr. — trying to make an impression at that position — did well to get to, but couldn’t hold on as he sprinted straight back. It went for a double that would be stranded with Thompson’s strikeout.
“A lot of the credit in my opinion goes to Buster [Posey] here because he recognized early on that Logan’s changeup was working well,” said Gabe Kapler, who also complimented Webb’s pace. “… That’s something that we’re working on this camp, is getting back on the bump, delivering another strike and doing that over and over, winning each pitch. Logan did a nice job.”
The Giants were held hitless until Mike Yastrzemski’s lined single in the sixth.
Their runs were scored off an Evan Longoria crushed homer and Wade driving in Arismendy Alcantara in the seventh.
Shun Yamaguchi, a potential longman, had a nice inning, striking out two and allowing a triple to old pal Stephen Vogt, the ball caroming off Luis Basabe‘s glove at the right-center field wall. Vogt was left stranded when the 33-year-old turned to his splitter to get Juniel Querecuto swinging. Both his strikeouts were off the splitter.
“I was able to get ahead of the count with my secondary pitchers,” Yamaguchi said through a translator.
Scott Kazmir threw a bullpen session and Kevin Gausman faced live hitters before the game.
“Both guys came out throwing a lot of strikes and also threw their secondary weapons for strikes. Gausman had a nice changeup working. The command was really strong as you’d expect,” Kapler said.
“And then Kaz really ripped his change up well, also. That’s a pitch we’re all really familiar with him throwing over the years, and really looked like vintage Kaz, so super encouraging.”
Aaron Sanchez will throw a live batting practice Tuesday.
Giants outfielder Joe McCarthy flew out to his little brother, Jake, who was playing left for Arizona. Jake smiled far more than Joe after the catch. The two met up on the field after the game.
Prospects Patrick Bailey (catcher) and Logan Wyatt (first baseman) recorded their first hits of the spring, both singles.
Jimmie Sherfy‘s inning had to be ended after he threw more than 20 pitches, allowing two runs and leaving the two on base.
Austin Slater (hamstring) is expected to run the bases “in the next three or four days,” Kapler said.
Brandon Belt (non-Covid illness) will be increasing his baseball activities “for at least the next few days,” Kapler said.