The Giants didn’t finalize their starting lineup until 30 minutes before first pitch. There were too many variables up in the air.
For one, they weren’t sure if Alex Cobb, their All-Star pitcher, was healthy enough to start. He missed his scheduled start the night prior and was still battling a stomach bug. They didn’t know if they’d need Sean Hjelle to cover innings, or exactly how to make room for newly acquired outfielder AJ Pollock.
Cobb posted through discomfort, clarifying much of San Francisco’s uncertainty. He’d been sick since Saturday night, couldn’t hold down much food and required an IV after his start, but gave the Giants six innings anyway.
Cobb surrendered a trio of solo home runs, but the Giants countered with two of their own. Brandon Crawford tied the game with a sixth-inning shot, and LaMonte Wade Jr. put San Francisco a solo homer the next inning. The same offense that snow-shoed through the month of July rewarded Cobb for his gutty six-inning effort in a 4-3 victory. And against one of the fastest teams in MLB, Giants catchers caught nailed three runners on the base paths — including Patrick Bailey’s game-ending back pick.
The Giants (59-49) stayed quiet during the deadline, hoping that their organizational depth can propel them through a muddled National League playoff race. A win against the Diamondbacks keeps the Giants on top of a tight wild card race and puts a pinch more separation between them and Arizona.
Even though Cobb wasn’t feeling 100%, the Giants needed 100% length from him. They’d just endured three consecutive bullpen games, including two straight that went 11 innings. Camilo Doval and Taylor Rogers each pitched in all three, and Tuesday night would’ve been Taylor Rogers’ third straight night of action.
“I’ll characterize tonight’s pitching performance as gutsy across the board,” Gabe Kapler said postgame. “We weren’t sure if (Cobb) was going to be able to go two hours before game time. Just a side note: Logan (Webb) was ready to pitch for us. For me, it’s really about what you’re willing to do for the team. Cobb is willing to do that for the team. Webb is willing to do that for the team. Sean Manaea’s willing to come out of the pen to close out a game for the team.”
Cobb, a consummate competitor, provided even more than the Giants could reasonably expect. He needed 47 pitches to get through four scoreless innings, allowing just two base runners.
Then in the fifth, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tagged Cobb for a solo homer to left field. Then in the next inning, lefty Alek Thomas went the opposite field for a solo shot of his own.
Both dingers came on Cobb sinkers. So did Ketel Marte’s later in the sixth. Marte cleared the right-field bricks to give Arizona a 3-0 lead.
Still, Cobb gave the Giants a quality start. Until the sixth inning, the Giants didn’t reward him as much of their same offensive difficulties from July spilled over into the first game of August.
But then in the sixth, rookie Luis Matos drove in Blake Sabol with a two-out double. Right after him, Brandon Crawford crushed a game-tying home run.
The Oracle Park crowd erupted as Crawford’s homer soared 420 feet and into the Diamondbacks’ bullpen. Crawford’s blast, in his third game back from the injured list, allowed Ryan Walker to enter a 3-3 game in the seventh.
Then Wade, who has battled his own health issues this year, jumped on a 3-1, 96.4 mph sinker from reliever Miguel Castro for the go-ahead home run. It was Wade’s first homer since June 17.
Patrick Bailey threw out Jace Peterson from his knees for SF’s second caught stealing of the night (starter Blake Sabol had one earlier) to help Walker toss a second scoreless frame. The rookie had allowed two runs in his previous 13 innings prior to Monday, and only continued to thrive.
Walker trotted back out to the mound for the ninth and his third inning of work. He recorded one more out and let southpaw Sean Manaea handle the rest for his first career save. The prodigal Bailey snapped a back-pick throw to first base for the final out. After the game, Manaea passed around the official lineup card for his teammates to sign and joked that the encased game ball is his second most-prized possession (behind the game ball from his first career hit in 2018).
The word “unselfish” has echoed through the Giants’ clubhouse in recent weeks. Between Cobb overcoming his illness, Walker picking up a thin bullpen and Manaea continuing to pitch in any role asked of him, it’s easy to see why.
“Sean’s been a guy,” Cobb said. “We talk about having a lot of dogs in the clubhouse, guys who are going to do whatever it is. He showed everybody really early on here, as a Giant, what kind of mental attitude he brings to the clubhouse. In that Mexico game, took a line drive off the knee cap at 110 (mph), let the pain settle in a little bit and went right back to competing. That showed a lot. Ever since then, he’s just shown a lot. Been asked to do different roles. He’s the glue in the clubhouse.”
