For his past three starts, Logan Webb has looked mortal.
He lost his 24-game unbeaten streak with a dud in the second game of a doubleheader in New York.
He labored through a tough outing in Washington D.C. in which he retired the side only twice.
And on Saturday, he allowed a career-high 11 hits in another matchup with the Nationals.
It hasn’t been easy for the Giants’ 25-year-old ace. His earned run average in the last three games is 5.03. Even so, Webb has competed and the Giants won two of those contests, including Saturday. If this is him at his lowest, San Francisco can take it.
“Today was just one of those days,” Webb said from the Giants’ dugout Saturday. “Just a grind again. Hopefully get one of those that’s not a grind like that, but glad we came out on top.”
Manager Gabe Kapler has always been hard on Webb, spanning back even to the beginning of last year. He knows how much talent Webb has, so holding him to a high standard is natural.
With that tough coaching comes trust. In the sixth inning, after Webb allowed his third run of the afternoon on a Victor Robles single, Kapler walked out to visit the starter on the mound. Reliever John Brebbia was warming up in the bullpen, but Kapler had no intention of pulling Webb. He just wanted to give him a breather so he could finish out the frame.
“Webb grinded today,” Kapler said. “I don’t think he has the type of finish that he wants right now on his pitches, and I think as a result there are just more balls in play, and you’re seeing more hits than you normally see against Webb. But he’s still the same guy with the same movement profiles and the ability, when he gets in the strike zone with his pitches, he’s going to get weak contact.”
Kapler said Webb’s pitches don’t have the same “finish” they usually do. The late bite on his slider, the fade on his changeup, the run of his sinker.
They were missing that “edge,” Kapler said, which leads to him missing fewer bats.
“I just don’t think everything’s very sharp right now,” Webb said. “There’s some mechanical things that I’m working through. Although it was better today, it’s still not there yet.”
He’s still inducing soft contact, there’s just more of it.
There are signs this recent lull will only be temporary for Webb. After exiting his start Saturday, pitching coach Andrew Bailey and other members of the coaching staff told him they think they found a mechanical issue that may have been hampering his arsenal. Webb and the coaches will meticulously pore over game film to diagnose and remedy whatever’s been going on.
Webb has a couple theories.
First, at least as it pertains to Saturday, the Nationals had a sound game plan. They followed Juan Soto’s example by being selectively aggressive early and counts, but also refraining from chasing pitches out of the zone. They slapped good pitches to the opposite field and they found holes in the defense.
It was also the second time Washington saw Webb up close in the span of a week. They’re familiar with him the fourth, fifth and sixth times through the order. But Washington still doesn’t project as an elite offense. Webb has shut down scarier lineups, and in more pressurized situations.
Another possible root of the issues is Webb’s physical condition. His body “isn’t feeling the best right now,” he said. He didn’t specifically mention it, but he suffered a minor ankle sprain in the season-opener. Then five days later, he became the first pitcher in the big leagues to finish eight innings.
Every pitcher had a shortened spring training due to the winter’s work stoppage. But that, combined with the early load, could possibly lead to a breakdown in mechanics.
Webb quickly shut down the idea of wanting an extra day to rest between Saturday and his next scheduled start. Like the best pitchers in the game, he’s going to post.
Even without his A+ game, he’ll have to compete.
“He’s not at his best right now, I think he’ll tell you that,” Kapler said. “But even when he’s not at his best, he still has to have that killer instinct, that attack mentality and that confidence level that will lead to athleticism. And his athleticism will lead to that finish that he’s looking for.”
