Nearly a week after they dueled in San Francisco, Giants right-hander Logan Webb is set for a rematch with Pirates rookie right-hander Mike Burrows on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.
Neither Webb nor Burrows factored in the decision on Wednesday when the Pirates squeaked past the Giants for a 2-1, 10-inning win.
Still, the contest produced positive signs for both pitchers.
Webb (9-8, 3.31 ERA) struck out 11 while allowing one run on five hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings. It was the fifth double-digit strikeout game this season for Webb, who needed a bounce-back performance after what had been a rough month of July to that point.
Webb compiled a 7.36 ERA over his prior four starts, allowing 18 runs on 32 hits in 22 innings.
For Webb, a two-time All-Star who is 1-1 with a 2.59 ERA in four career starts against Pittsburgh, it was the fewest runs he had permitted since giving up just one in seven innings during a June 19 start against the Cleveland Guardians.
Unfortunately for San Francisco, Webb’s outing did little to reverse the club’s recent struggles, which turned the Giants into sellers instead of buyers at last week’s trade deadline.
The Giants followed a stretch of 12 losses in 14 games, capped by a three-game sweep at the hands of the Pirates, by taking two of three against the host New York Mets over the weekend.
Things turned sour again on Monday night when San Francisco’s bullpen let a three-run lead slip away as the Pirates eventually earned a 5-4 walk-off victory.
The Giants traded two of their best relievers last week, Tyler Rogers and closer Camilo Doval. All-Star Randy Rodriguez had his first blown save since taking over for Doval when he gave up two runs in the ninth inning on Monday.
“Usually he finishes those guys off,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said of Rodriguez, who issued a walk, hit a batter with a 1-2 pitch, gave up a tying single to Joey Bart on a 1-2 pitch after three foul balls, then allowed the go-ahead fielder’s-choice grounder on a 2-2 pitch. “The longer the Bart at-bat went on, typically some of those don’t go the right way. He’s taking pretty good swings at several pitches, and finally he found one that he could put in play.
“Just couldn’t finish ’em off, and that’s something Randy is as good as anybody (at) doing normally.”
Burrows (1-3, 3.88 ERA) continued a recent stretch of strong outings when he lasted six innings on Wednesday for the second consecutive start. Against the Giants, he allowed one run on three hits, walked one and struck out seven on 91 pitches, marking his second start in a row allowing one run or fewer and third in a row allowing two or fewer.
The seven strikeouts represented the second-highest total of Burrows’ career.
Burrows credits much of the success to a changeup he has thrown 24 percent of the time this season, according to BaseballSavant.com.
“I love using it. It’s a great pitch,” Burrows said recently. “I think it’s definitely one that’s been overlooked for the past couple years in a way. There’s been a sweeper that came out, now cutters are the thing and I think the changeup has kind of always been there, but it’s been the unsung hero.”
Burrows hasn’t scored a win since June 4 against the Houston Astros.
The Pirates, however, continue to add to their best stretch of the season, having picked up their 10th win in 13 games with the Monday comeback. Pittsburgh improved to 4-0 this season against the Giants, and the team is 37-38 since promoting Don Kelly to manager after firing Derek Shelton on May 8.
–Field Level Media
