The Giants’ 2017 season has been borderline unwatchable.
But for a team that’s been as dull as a PBS fundraising telethon, Ty Blach’s starts have come complete with the drama of a daytime soap opera.
Sure, Blach isn’t ready for primetime just yet, but when he’s on the mound, it’s harder to pick up the remote.
That’s why Blach’s Friday start against the Mets was such a terrific flop, and why it stings deeper for a Giants team that’s already been cut to the core this year.
Against a Mets lineup that had dropped seven of its past eight games, Blach floated his changeup high in the zone, couldn’t throw a breaking ball for a strike and allowed New York’s hitters to turn AT&T Park into a playground.
Five days after gutting out an impressive Father’s Day start at Coors Field in Colorado, it was obvious Blach started the game on empty, as the rookie allowed seven runs on 11 hits in just three innings of work.
“Yeah I just thought I made a few good pitches that they hit, but then I made a lot of mistakes that they hit really hard,” Blach said. “So credit to those guys for taking advantage.”
The defining blows came off the bats of Mets pitcher Seth Lugo and left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, who both touched him up in the top half of the second inning to help New York stake out an early lead.
Lugo snuck a double past the glove of third baseman Conor Gillaspie, while Cespedes rocketed a three-run home run over the left field wall as the Mets took advantage of a pair of pitches Blach elevated.
“The changeup was up to the pitcher, that’s the ball, the groundball seeing-eye double he got was a changeup up,” Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy said. “That really caused a lot of the damage and he couldn’t get out of the inning without the six spot there. With Ty, it’s location and tonight, he was just off a little bit.”
By the time Aaron Hill pinch hit for Blach before his first plate appearance, an impressive, vibrant crowd at AT&T Park was left with the realization that yes, it was watching a team preparing to fall 22 games under .500.
For much of the season, Blach’s passionate demeanor, his relentless drive and his willingness to put his heart on the line when he takes the mound has made his starts some of the most intriguing. Win or lose, the Giants have been able to count on Blach to keep them in the game, but lately, that hasn’t been the case.
After tossing his first career shutout in Philadelphia on June 2, Blach has suffered through the most difficult spell of his career, allowing 22 earned runs in his last 21 and 1/3 innings over four starts. The Giants have lost each of those games, and on Friday, Blach wasn’t competitive.
As Blach has fallen, so too have his teammates, as San Francisco enters the final week of June having won just five games this month.
While Blach’s show isn’t going to be pulled from a Giants rotation that will undoubtedly go through a ratings decline this summer, his starts of late have hardly been a can’t-miss product.
“We’re going to go back and watch a few things,” Blach said. “I haven’t been able to do that yet, but usually when I’m leaving the ball up, it’s because I’m too quick on the backside.”
For Blach, it’s time for a series of re-runs, as he’ll head back to watch the tape and analyze his mechanics. For the Giants, it’s another night searching for some original programming, as they’ve become desperate to keep viewers engaged.