Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Saturday will be a different sort of Opening Day for the Giants.
Not the season- or home-opener, but the opposing-righty opener.
They again will have distinctly different lineups against opposing righties and lefties, although perhaps the platooning is not quite as extreme as it was to start the 2020 season. Making their first starts will be Tommy La Stella (at designated hitter) and Alex Dickerson (in left field). Austin Slater will be in the lineup again, but making his first career start in center, in place of Mauricio Dubon.
The full 1-through-9 against the Mariners’ Chris Flexen, a graduate of Memorial High School in Newark:
1. Tommy La Stella, DH
2. Mike Yastrzemski, RF
3. Donovan Solano, 2B
4. Brandon Belt, 1B
5. Evan Longoria, 3B
6. Alex Dickerson, LF
7. Austin Slater, CF
8. Brandon Crawford, SS
9. Curt Casali, C
Evan Longoria has struggled against righties in his time with the Giants, but he also has been sizzling to start the season. He will get his third straight start at third after barely playing the field during the Cactus League season because of plantar fasciitis. It is a good sign he can continue playing, and the Giants want their best defensive look.
“Longoria is our best defender at third base, [Donovan] Solano is our best [at second base],” Gabe Kapler said from T-Mobile Park, in explaining why La Stella is not playing the field. It has do with the best alignment and not any lingering issues with La Stella’s knee, which was contused last week.
Slater, who increasingly has shown the capability of hitting righties as well as lefties, is getting the nod over Dubon, who has struggled in his short career against righties and wants to prove that knock against him wrong. He will get his chances.
“First and foremost, Slater has been healthy, and his body’s feeling really good,” Kapler said of Slater, who dealt with a groin strain and a flexor strain in his elbow last year. “One of the things that we’ve been consistent about is if his body is bouncing back well, he’s going to be one of the best athletes on the field.”
Last year, the Giants favored Mike Yastrzemski in center and Slater in right, but Kapler said “it’s nice to just leave Yastrzemski alone” and let him focus on right field.
There are plenty of options just about all over the field for the Giants, except at shortstop. Brandon Crawford will get another start at short, where the Giants really only have Dubon behind him. They have not signed a Triple-A-type defender as depth yet, as they hope to, and are in desperate need of Crawford to remain healthy.
Perhaps they will give him a blow against a Padres lefty — they’re facing two in the three-game series that starts Monday in San Diego — and allow Dubon the start at short.
Speaking of which, the expected starters:
Monday: Anthony DeSclafani-Adrian Morejon
Tuesday: Aaron Sanchez-Yu Darvish
Wednesday: Kevin Gausman-Blake Snell
That sets up Johnny Cueto for the home-opening start.
Righty Silvino Bracho suffered a strained oblique in his last spring outing, Kapler said. He’s 7-10 days away from mound work. That’s why he isn’t on the alternate site roster.
Kapler did not want to reveal whether Jake McGee would be available for a third straight game, though heavy odds say no.
The Giants do not have a closer in name, but the lefty has established himself already as the most trusted arm in the bullpen. Friday was McGee’s first save since June 21, 2018.
“It’s a little more adrenaline,” McGee said of pitching in the ninth, “but not as much nerves as I used to when I was younger. For me, just having the confidence in knowing my pitches are working really well gives me even more confidence than [when] I closed in the past.”
