Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Trevor Cahill, in other years, with other organizations, would have just solidified himself as the front-runner for the No. 5 rotation spot and begin to get stretched out so he can throw 100 pitches and seven innings his first time through the rotation.
The 32-year-old righty was perfect through three innings Saturday, no White Sox batters reaching base and five striking out. In 4 2/3 innings thus far, he’s struck out eight, he and Andrew Suarez the first to separate themselves from the pack after Tyler Beede’s injury.
Yet, Cahill knows firsthand how the game, as they say, has changed. He pitched with the Angels last season, where he was coached by buddy Andrew Bailey, now the Giants pitching coach and once, long ago, his roommate. The Angels had lots of success with a revolving door at the back of the rotation, often one opener per turn.
So while the Giants are looking for a fifth starter, Cahill knows it’s not quite that simple.
“What we did last year [with the Angels], we needed 27 outs, how are we going to get them?” said the veteran, who didn’t proclaim a preference for starting or relieving, yet did mention appreciating the clean mound.
Cahill is building up to be ready for six innings, yet it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Giants experiment with him and their other flexible pitchers, perhaps three innings of him and three of Suarez before the bullpen kicks into gear.
“I don’t think we have to lay out the whole round map right now, kind of just taking the step right in front of us, which is continuing to stretch guys out so that we have multiple options come the fifth day of the season,” Gabe Kapler said after the game. “… We don’t have that all the way planned out because we want to see what the options are.”
Cahill has history with Bailey, Farhan Zaidi (from the A’s) and Scott Harris (from the Cubs). He understands the mission statement, and he signed up for it. And with a fastball that touched 93 mph, plus a changeup, slider and curveball that baffled Chicago hitters Saturday, you see why they signed up for it, too.
The former A’s second-round pick is back in the Bay Area. And yeah, he knows a bit about it.
“I know how expensive it is,” he said.
Other takeaways from the Giants’ 12-7 win over the White Sox at Scottsdale Stadium in front of 9,721 that brought them up to 7-7-2 in the Cactus League.
— Third baseman Zach Green hit the farthest ball of camp, a home run that traveled about a mile. It went deep over the left-center-field berm and earned a rare standing ovation by an appreciative crowd. It was Green’s second long ball of camp, and after September back surgery, he’s 5-for-12.
— Darin Ruf tried to match him. Ruf’s eighth-inning blast to dead-center — his second of the day — cleared the batter’s eye 430 feet away. The dinger came off lefty Bernardo Flores, and the Giants brought in the righty Ruf to specialize against southpaws.
Ruf went 3-for-3 on the day, including going back-to-back with Joey Bart, who now has two homers in camp.
— Mauricio Dubon finds a way to get himself noticed every game. This time it was from second base, where he ranged to his right, made a diving stab of a Luis Gonzalez hot-shot, then glove-flipped to Donovan Solano, who completed the double play. Dubon, whose bat has impressed in camp, has always had a smooth glove.
— Solano, who just hits, is 8-for-16 after going 2-for-2 with an RBI double.
— Jaylin Davis’ tough camp continued by diving for a James McCann hit that went by him, winding up a triple.
— Lefty Wandy Peralta, who is yet to give up a run, struck out three in a perfect 1 1/3-inning outing.
— The third inning played out nicely for the aging Giants.
Brandon Crawford worked a walk, then went first to third on an Evan Longoria single to left-center. Brandon Belt lined a bullet off the right-field wall that would have been a double had he not hit it so hard. Buster Posey then lined a single to left, two runs in and 30-somethings looking like 20-somethings.
The good vibes ended with Pablo Sandoval’s double play, but the veteran Giants are not playing like they will be the next victims of this regime. Crawford went 1-for-2 with that walk, his spring average up to .412. Belt went 2-for-2 with a rare infield single, and Posey’s 2-for-2 day also brings him up to .412.
