D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
As the Giants transition from a veteran team to one that incorporates the youth that has been percolating in the minors for years, there will be moments like these: sink-or-swim flashpoints that the Giants and the prospects can learn from.
Sometimes, they will sink, and so will the team.
The Giants let a golden Kevin Gausman outing go to waste when Gregory Santos, making his second appearance of his young career, allowed a two-run shot to Jesus Aguilar in the ninth as the Marlins stole a game from the Giants, 5-2 at Oracle Park on Saturday in front of 8,282, the largest crowd of the year and among the most disappointed.
A frame earlier, Gabe Kapler had pinch-hit Jason Vosler — making his major league debut — with the bases empty for Gausman, who had thrown 101 pitches. Vosler fouled out, and Kapler apparently did not have his top arms to choose from for the ninth.
The manager had used Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee in a four-run game Friday, ignoring the “save” situation and feeling he wanted the security of his best options in a game he felt was close. Perhaps he regretted the move a night later.
The 21-year-old Santos, who had so impressed in his debut, quickly walked Magneuris Sierra before Aguilar’s second two-run, ninth-inning bomb in as many nights. The Marlins tacked on two more once Wandy Peralta was brought in.
Mike Yastrzemski knocked his fourth homer of the year in the bottom of the ninth, but it was not enough.
For the Giants (13-8), they dropped just their second game of nine at home, but there are always regrets when they cannot capitalize on brilliance, and Gausman was brilliant. Their own offense was not.
The Giants’ only run before the ninth came in the fifth, which is also when they picked up their first hit (by Alex Dickerson, after Corey Dickerson had gotten the Marlins’ initial hit an inning prior. Neither offense had enough Dickersons.)
After Alex’s drive to left-center, Buster Posey walked, and Dickerson came around to score on an Austin Slater bounce out. The Giants were held to four hits, though, and did not threaten much.
They could have added more in that fifth, but Mauricio Dubon lined a shot right at Jazz Chisholm at shortstop, who doubled off Posey at third. Dubon, who has had less luck than anyone on the club, spiked his helmet in frustration.
It must have been a feeling familiar to Marlins batters against Gausman.
Gausman was as good as he has been as Giant, which is to say, really good. His eight innings pitched was his high while with the Giants, and his 11 strikeouts matched a career high. He shelved his slider and only threw fastballs and splitters, and Miami was fortunate to make contact with either.
Their only run off the 30-year-old came in the seventh, when he left a splitter too high against Jon Berti, who crushed it to left-center to tie the game, 1-1, and stun a crowd that felt he was invincible.
Gausman was excellent but it was an excellence shared with a makeshift Giants defense that posted one of its strongest efforts of the season while shorthanded.
Slater was not supposed to be in the starting lineup, getting a day off against the righty with Dubon in center. But about an hour before the game started, Brandon Crawford was scratched with right quad tightness, and thus Slater was inserted and Dubon moved to the infield.
So of course, the second Marlin to put the ball in play was Garrett Cooper, who hammered a shot to center that Slater chased down, jumped, adjusted his glove and caught it against the wall. He flipped the ball back to the infield a second later, playing off the moment like Fonzie might.
Hell of a catch https://t.co/hVE1r84stk pic.twitter.com/vEk956quNh
— Jacob Rudner (@Jacob_Rudner) April 25, 2021
An inning later, it was Tommy La Stella’s turn to keep intact what then was a perfect game. The second baseman quickly scurried to his left and knocked down an Aguilar smoked shot. He scrambled to his feet, got the ball and threw just in time to get the slugger, allowing Gausman to be perfect through four.
The defense was excellent, as was the starting pitching. That usually has been enough for the Giants, whose bats and bullpens let them down Saturday.