© Darren Yamashita | 2021 Aug 21
It took Alex Wood 36 pitches to get out of the fourth inning of the first game of last weekend’s Bay Bridge Series. He’d surrendered two walks, a double and a shallow single into center for two earned runs. Manager Gabe Kapler and the coaching staff were ready to end his night.
But Wood, at 85 pitches. had other ideas.
“I fought for the fifth,” Wood said.
Wood’s winning argument paid off, as Wood got Oakland to go down in order in the bottom of the fifth on 11 pitches. He struck out two.
Just one game prior, Anthony DeSclafani felt some discomfort in his right ankle. Instead of pushing through the pain and risking further injury, DeSclafani was honest during his second-inning mound visit. Manager Gabe Kapler said it was the right move to get him out of there.
The polar examples highlight a delicate balance SF has tried to strike. Kapler said the Giants have been aggressive throughout the season with pushing their starters to go deep into games, but have also listened to their feedback when necessary.
“I feel like we’ve worked really hard to create a culture where pitchers can be honest with us, and they don’t have to be, like, macho,” Kapler said before SF’s Aug. 20 matchup with the A’s.
Now DeSclafani has been placed on the 10-day IL, making it even more imperative that the Giants, especially their pitchers, stay fresh. For the stretch run of the season — and the grueling 16 games in 16 days stretch upcoming — the Giants need their pitchers to stay as healthy as possible to stave off the surging Dodgers. Efficient, deep starts are crucial to keep their bullpen rested. It starts with developing trust between the pitchers and the coaching staff, as well as an emphasis on recovery to remain spry.
“This is a fun time of year,” Wood said. “Guys are just doing everything they can to feel as good as possible and win as many games down the stretch as we can, propel ourselves into the postseason.”
Sunday, a day after his A’s start, Kevin Gausman spent about 25 minutes on a Keiser stationary bike. It’s part of his unorthodox recovery routine that includes cardio, but never ice — which he said he’s “allergic” to. He used to go on long runs on the field the day after starts, but that became too strenuous on his body, and he switched to biking in 2020. On the stationary bike, he said he also uses a blood flow restriction machine to add tension.
Gausman, the ace of the staff, has never missed significant time due to injury. His $9 million arm has held up despite relying on his splitter, which can be hard on the elbow.
Yet after Saturday’s start, Gausman’s thrown about as many innings as he had in the past two seasons combined. No starter hurled more than 84 total innings in last year’s shortened regular season. The strangeness of 2020 may have thrown pitchers out of sync.
Logan Webb, for instance, has completed nearly double the amount of innings in 2021 as he did in 2020. Webb, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016, hit the injured list when he reached his innings pitched total from last year. He’s since added extra arm care to his routine, he said.
For Gausman, it’s possible some fatigue set in after the All-Star Break. His ERA in 31.1 second-half innings is 5.17 compared to 1.73 in 114.2 first-half Cy Young-level innings pitched. Gausman has recorded just one quality start in his last seven turns. He’s also dealt with family matters in that span, which could also help explain the downturn in efficiency.
It’s not just Gausman. San Francisco’s starters haven’t gone as deep into games in the second half of the year as they did in the first. On average, SF starters have lasted 4.2 innings since the All-Star Break compared to 5.1 beforehand, per Fangraphs. This puts more pressure on the bullpen.
Getting — and keeping — Gausman and the rest of SF’s pitchers healthy may be the difference in winning the division and being a wild card team. Closer Jake McGee said Sunday that the high-leverage relievers want to be called on every day, but communication with the coaching staff will be vital for the last month or so of the season.
“Obviously that’s the biggest part about the postseason, is making sure everybody’s healthy and firing on all cylinders going into it,” Gausman said. “Try to rest guys when you can or give a bullpen guy an extra day or two here and there, but every game’s important, so you’ve got to win. It’s kind of that weird space where you want to win, but you also want to protect some guys.”
SF’s starters have added responsibility to post when considering the relative lack of depth in the organization. Sammy Long (5.72 ERA), called up from Triple-A Sacramento to start in place of DeSclafani against the Mets, hasn’t been a reliable option. Tyler Beede hasn’t proven he can handle MLB lineups over the past three years. The Giants released Aaron Sanchez in August as he dealt with arm and blister issues.
The Giants don’t exactly have a clean bill of health at the moment, either. DeSclafani’s injured right ankle — his push-off foot – is serious enough that he couldn’t throw his previously scheduled bullpen session and hit the IL. Johnny Cueto is expected to return for the Mets series, but hasn’t pitched since Aug. 9 with a right flexor strain and has also had Tommy John surgery in the past.
All that raises the stakes for SF’s active arms. Even as San Francisco has won 15 of 20 games in August, the Dodgers have made up ground in the division. Giants pitchers are aware of the thinning margin for error, too.
“You name it, I’m doing it,” Wood said.