Camilo Doval Begins Giants Rebirth with Electric Inning Against Dodgers

Camilo Doval has made it clear that now that he's back with the San Francisco Giants he never wants to leave again.

It's one thing to say it. It's another thing to show it.

On Saturday the right-hander — in his first appearance since the Giants claimed him off waivers on Thursday — showed it.

Doval took the ball in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and wouldn't you know it? Manager Tony Vitello gave him an opportunity to face the heart of the Los Angeles order, including Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani. Doval didn't just retire the side. He struck out the side.

Camilo Doval’s Return

Camilo Doval struck out the side -- Betts, Ohtani and Rushing -- in his return to San Francisco: pic.twitter.com/jlE0AGdRSd
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) September 26, 2026

Doval worked Betts to a 2-2 count before he threw him an 87.9 mph slider on the inside left corner of the plate. The home plate umpire originally called it a ball. But Giants catcher Andrew Knizner challenged the call, and the ABS system overturned it, striking Betts out.

Ohtani was next. Ohtani swung and missed at a 1-2 slider that was 88.7 mph and ended up on the bottom left-hand portion of the plate against the left-handed hitter.

Dalton Rushing gave Doval his most challenging at bat. The reliever got ahead 0-2 in the count and Rushing fouled off a 99 mph cutter to stay alive. The next three pitches were balls before the payoff pitch, an 88.2 mph slider, landed on the outside corner at the knees.

The home plate umpire called the pitch a ball but again Knizner challenged and ABS overruled the call for the third out.

It was Doval’s first action in a week. He last pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 19 against Kansas City where he gave up four hits and two runs in one inning and struck out two.

The organization signed Doval as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic in 2015. Before he was traded to the New York Yankees last season, the Giants were the only team he knew. With San Francisco he became their closer in 2022 and emerged as an All-Star in 2023 after he went 6-6 with a 2.93 ERA with 39 saves in 47 chances. Batters hit just .209 against him.

With the Yankees last season, he went 0-1 with a 4.82 ERA and had one save in three chances. He started this season with the Yankees before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the deadline. For this season he is 3-2 with a 4.22 ERA with eight holds and a save in six chances.

This could be the perfect scenario for both sides. Doval does not want to leave, and the Giants desperately need help in their bullpen in 2027. If Doval pitches like an All Star, or close to it, this could end up being the best move of the 2027 season.

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