Anthony DeSclafani struggles with control in SF Giants 8-3 loss to Orioles
An early six-run inning from the Baltimore Orioles led them to an 8-3 victory over the SF Giants on Sunday afternoon. After splitting the first two games of the series, the Giants dropped the final game of the homestand, falling to 29-30 on the season. The Giants continue to believe that they are more than a .500 team, but they missed a prime opportunity to build some positive momentum coming off of their last road trip this week.
SF Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani pitches against the Orioles on June 4, 2023.
John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
On the same day the Giants placed their number four starter Alex Wood on the injured list, their number three starter Anthony DeSclafani turned in his worst performance of the season. He was replaced by swingman Jakob Junis after three innings of work. He surrendered six runs (five earned) on five hits, three walks, and a hit batter with two strikeouts.
DeSclafani worked around a throwing error by J.D. Davis in the top of the first inning, which was the first in a series of defensive miscues from the Giants on the day. Brett Wisely (Giants #22 prospect) struggled mightily at second base with an error and a pair of borderline plays that could have been ruled against him on the stat sheet. Right fielder Mitch Haniger also misplayed angles in right field on a couple of extra-base hits.
A leadoff walk in the top of the third inning from DeSclafani was a foreboding sign of things to come from the veteran righty. DeSclafani's normally above-average command was unusually erratic throughout his outing. After the walk in the third, he left a sinker up to Jorge Mateo that was lined down the right-field line for a double.
A sacrifice fly by Adam Frazier gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead but also was the second out of the inning. DeSclafani needed to retire just one more hitter to end the rally. However, he lost control of the strike zone. Austin Hays singled in another run and put runners on the corners. After fouling off a first-pitch changeup, Aaron Hicks took four consecutive balls to load the bases for Ryan Mountcastle. DeSclafani could not throw a strike and issued a run-scoring four-pitch walk.
With the bases still juiced, Josh Lester, a left-handed hitter who was called up earlier in the day, capped off a nine-pitch at-bat with his first career MLB hit. With all three baserunners running on the pitch since the count was 3-2 with two outs, a pair of runs easily scored. Then, second baseman Wisely mishandled a cutoff throw from Austin Slater, which allowed another run to cross the plate. In the blink of an eye, the Giants were trailing 6-0.
On the other side of things, Orioles starting pitcher Austin Wells dominated the Giants through the first five innings of the game. Wells' changeup was immaculate for most of his outing and induced several dreadful swings from Giants hitters who were looking for his four-seam fastball or cutter. Wells racked up a career-high nine strikeouts across 5.1 innings of work. He was lifted for a reliever after Blake Sabol (Giants #33 prospect) sent a changeup from Wells 426' into right-center field for a two-run homer.
Sabol still has plenty of swing-and-miss in his game and added two more punchouts to his season tally on Sunday. Yet, even with a strikeout rate north of 35%, he's gotten into his plus power enough to remain productive. His homer against Wells was his seventh of the season, all of which have come against right-handed pitching. With Joc Pederson nearing a return from the injured list, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler are going to have some difficult decisions on the roster and in the lineup.
Junis allowed a solo home run to James McCann in the top of the sixth but did not allow another run across three solid innings. He was followed by rookie righty Ryan Walker who continues to look like a viable setup option.
Walker's unique closed delivery combined with his high three-quarters arm slot is incredibly difficult for right-handed hitters to pick up. Walker's arsenal maximizes that deception with a mid-to-high 90s sinker and elite sweeping slider. He struck out two in a perfect inning of work and now has a 1.17 ERA with eight strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched (six appearances) since he was called up. While Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, and Luke Jackson are three proven veteran righties ahead of him on the depth chart, it only seems like a matter of time before he receives some opportunities in higher-stress situations.
The Giants offense showed some more life in the eighth inning. LaMonte Wade Jr. led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on an opposite-field double by Davis. Wade scored on a fielder's choice by Wilmer Flores.
Taylor Rogers completed a shutout inning of work in the eighth while Jackson finished the bullpen's day by allowing an unearned run.
The Giants will travel to Denver and enjoy an off day on Monday before beginning a three-game series against the Rockies on Tuesday. The Giants trip to Coors Field marks the start of a rough stretch of travel for the team, which will send them to Colorado, back to San Francisco, and east to face the Cardinals before heading to Southern California to take on the Dodgers. First pitch for the SF Giants game on Tuesday is scheduled for 2:40 PM Pacific.
