© D. Ross Cameron | 2021 Sep 18
Dominic Leone dug his cleats into the mound right behind the rubber for the seventh time in a ninth inning all year. He’d been recently serving as SF’s opener, drawing praise for his unselfishness and flexibility. This time, he had a save opportunity.
And he needed just 11 pitches to retire three batters and end the game. Leone was the last leg of a seven-pitcher team that completely shut out the Braves Saturday, striking 10 batters out and allowing five hits.
It was much less anxiety-inducing than Friday night’s bonkers extra innings win, but the dominant pitching display in Saturday’s 2-0 victory was arguably more impressive.
As the season dwindles down, the Giants (97-52) are rolling. With the month-starting nine-game winning streak, the Giants are 13-4 in September and hold a two-game lead over the Dodgers. They calmed any sky-is-falling panic from their two-game losing skid against the Padres with two more victories.
Saturday, it started with Alex Wood’s first start since getting infected with coronavirus, a boon to a team that’s run out bullpen games twice every five games without him and Johnny Cueto (hamstring).
The Giants weren’t sure what, or how much, they were going to get out of Wood. He’d pitched a full bullpen session and a 21-pitch simulated game this week, but hadn’t faced real MLB competition since late-August when he contracted COVID-19.
Wood was sick. He had chills, body aches and other flu-like symptoms. Being away from the team during what he calls the most fun part of the season was disheartening for him, too. Plus he was losing money for every start he missed due to a bonus clause in his contract.
After nearly three weeks, Wood is back. In his return, the 30-year-old southpaw struck out four across three hitless innings. He threw 37 pitches and hit one batter — Atlanta’s lone base runner through the first third of the game.
Wood is more important to the Giants than his basic statistics may indicate. He’s 10-4 on the year and the Giants are 11-1 in games he starts immediately after a loss. He’s especially efficient during his first time through an order. In opposing batters’ first plate appearances against Wood before Saturday, they’re hitting .161 with a .441 OBP. He’s allowed just two home runs in 2017 plate matchups during such situations this year
But Wood clearly hasn’t built up enough endurance to go deep into games quite yet. After retiring Ozzie Albies to end the third inning, Wood retreated down the clubhouse steps with manager Gabe Kapler momentarily, then returned to the dugout railing to chat with athletic trainer Dave Groeschner. Donovan Solano pinch hit for Wood, and Zack Littell replaced him on the mound.
Wood’s start was essentially an extended “open” to initiate another bullpen game.
Littell worked a scoreless fourth, with an extra hand from center fielder Steven Duggar. In fact, the first hit the Giants allowed came when Jorge Soler tore into a 1-0 Littell slider. He sent it over the center field fence for what looked like a no-doubt home run, but Duggar timed it perfectly to bring it back. He robbed the home run but didn’t come down with the out, sending Soler to second. Soler ended up stranded at third after three consecutive strikeouts — all via Littell’s fastball.
Still, even if it wasn’t a quality start, Wood’s three-scoreless innings set the tone for the rest of the game and helped rest a taxed bullpen already down its closer. The Giants hung two on starter Charlie Morton in the bottom of the fourth via two consecutive singles, Mike Yastrzemski’s sacrifice bunt and Curt Casali’s two-RBI flare into shallow right field.
The two runs held as the bullpen propped up the Giants as relievers just kept missing bats. Littell fanned three. Jay Jackson punched out two. Nine of Atlanta’s first 15 outs came via the strikeout.
Atlanta’s offense isn’t prone to getting silenced. The Braves rank seventh in MLB on the season in OPS and third in home runs.
A combination of Wood and six relievers kept Atlanta in the yard and in check. And unlike in the series-opener, the high-leverage arms did the trick, as Tyler Rogers retired Atlanta’s top three hitters in order before Dominic Leone earned the save. SF didn’t need extra innings this time.