John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants would not swear this is final, but their rotation again has five members.
Dereck Rodriguez, for the moment at least, is the odd man out, as he may piggyback off Johnny Cueto on Sunday. Cueto is set to throw about 70 pitches for a second straight start; he made it through five innings last week.
“We could keep D-Rod on his day” by using him Sunday, Bochy said before the Giants faced off with the Marlins for the series finale Sunday. Rodriguez has not pitched since last Sunday.
Instead it will be Logan Webb who opens the series in Boston, as the 22-year-old righty will throw on six days rest, after going 4 2/3 innings and allowing four runs against the Pirates on Wednesday. While the rotation has been whittled down, Bochy said they could flip-flop Webb and Rodriguez again.
Jeff Samardzija will go Wednesday and Madison Bumgarner Thursday at Fenway Park, while Tyler Beede would open the series in Atlanta. The way the rotation is arranged, the Giants should be able to give Bumgarner the ball on the season finale — Bochy’s career finale — at Oracle Park on Sunday, Sept. 29.
“I really haven’t put any thought into that,” Bochy claimed. “We’re still a ways away. I think you know what he means to me and what this guy’s done for the organization. He’s just special.”
Will Smith (back) is available out of the bullpen, Bochy said. Alex Dickerson (oblique) is available as a pinch-hitter.
“We’ll see where we’re at when we get to Boston,” Bochy said of Dickerson, who hasn’t played since grimacing after a swing in St. Louis on Sept. 3. “Possibly play or DH or use him off the bench.”
Bochy, there’s no way you would dare give Mike Yastrzemski a day off at Fenway Park, right?
“Depends how he does today. He’s got to pick it up a little bit,” Bochy joked of Yastrzemski, who is OK after getting hit in the foot Saturday.
The outfield had a different feel Sunday, with Yastrzemski in center, Mike Gerber in right and Joey Rickard in left against Miami righty Elieser Hernandez. Bochy said this is not the start of giving fresher faces more of a look.
“Just want to give [Kevin Pillar] a day [off],” Bochy said of Pillar, who has played 144 games this season. “This was a tough stretch. By giving him a day, he has two days to recover [from the] aches and pains from riding through this part of the schedule.”