SF Giants: Three Takeaways from the Colorado Rockies Series

SF Giants: Three Takeaways From the Rockies Series

2. Anthony DeSclafani is off to a strong start

Anthony DeSclafani has strung together a pair of strong starts, including one against a stout San Diego Padres lineup. When the Giants signed him to a one-year, $6 million contract, he was coming off of an injury-riddled, subpar season.

In nine appearances, he had registered a 7.22 ERA, 6.10 FIP, 1.69 WHIP, and a 1.56 SO/W ratio across 33.2 frames with the Cincinnati Reds. If this profile sounds familiar, it is the type of gamble the Giants have been taking since Farhan Zaidi took over as team president of baseball operations.

In the case of DeSclafani, a change of scenery may be all that he needed. The right-handed hurler has yielded a fly ball in 35.9 percent of his batted ball events in seven seasons, which is not an ideal profile if you play in a hitter-friendly home ballpark. It just so happens that DeSclafani pitched half of his games in the hitter-friendly confines of the Great American Ball Park.

On the road, the 30-year has posted a 3.58 ERA, but he has struggled to the tune of a 4.94 ERA at home, most of which took place with the Reds.

On Sunday, DeSclafani authored a strong start against the Rockies. Across six frames, he yielded six hits and one walk with eight strikeouts. There was some traffic on the bases, but he was able to pitch out of jams.

Plus, he executed a nice, sacrifice bunt, and it feels like forever since the last time the Giants were able to execute a good bunt.

On the year, he has posted a 0.82 ERA in two starts. He will not get a revenge game against the Reds, who come into town on Monday, but he will get a revenge game against the Miami Marlins later this week. DeSclafani was drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, but he was shipped to the Marlins in 2012 and he debuted for them in 2014.