SF Giants: Three key takeaways from the Rangers series sweep

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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: Manager Gabe Kapler #19 of the San Francisco Giants looks on from the dugout against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Oracle Park on May 10, 2021. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

The SF Giants swept a brief, two-game series from the Texas Rangers, nabbing a 4-2 victory on Tuesday. San Francisco strengthened their hold on first place in the National League West and are now 2.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres.

SF Giants: Three takeaways from the Rangers series

1. Gabe Kapler’s bench management continues to pay dividends

Despite the Giants’ strong start to the season, Gabe Kapler has not received a ton of credit. While his bullpen management has been questionable at times, his management of the bench has been strong.

On the year, Giants pinch hitters have registered a .181/.326/.458 line with three doubles, one triple, five home runs, and 16 RBI. The batting average is not great, but the Giants have still found a way to get on base at a high clip, and they are hitting the ball with authority.

This was on display during Monday night’s game. Right-handed hurler Kyle Gibson started the game for Texas, so the Giants used a lineup heavy with left-handed hitters. However, when the Rangers went to a left-handed reliever, Kapler used three consecutive, right-handed pinch hitters consisting of Austin Slater, Darin Ruf, and Mauricio Dubón.

Before this maneuver, the game was tied at one. Slater walked, and then Ruf and Dubón slashed back-to-back singles to score Slater. Ruf scored in the very next at-bat due to an errant throw by former Giants prospect Charlie Culberson.

The Giants created a 3-1 lead, and the bullpen shut the door to save the game. The outcome of this game might have looked different had Kapler not used three pinch hitters in a row. San Francisco has a strong bench with everyone fulfilling a specific role, and Kapler has put players in the position to succeed. His management of the bench is one characteristic that stands out early in the season.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 30: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on April 30, 2021. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

SF Giants: Three Takeaways From the Rangers Series

2. Logan Webb’s stellar performance

Before the season, Giants fans were eager to see how Logan Webb would perform in his third major league season. Webb had built up a lot of excitement in spring training as he was racking up the strikeout totals while flashing improved command.

Despite this, the young righty got off to a slow start. Webb combined to yield six earned runs on five walks and 15 hits in his first two starts. At this point, he was briefly demoted to the bullpen, but injuries enabled him to return to the rotation rather quickly.

Since then, the 24-year-old has found a little more consistency. The pitcher we saw on Tuesday was a different, and hopefully, new hurler. Tuesday’s game began like many starts from Webb in that he struggled to find the strike zone.

He escaped the first inning while giving up only one run, but Buster Posey and Curt Casali asked him to pick up the tempo. Webb did not look back after that.

The former fourth-round pick was in command of his arsenal and knew how to avoid contact as he racked up 14 swinging strikes. After a tough first inning, the Rangers’ offense struggled to muster anything against Webb.

He finished the day with six innings of work, including two runs (one earned run), three hits, two walks, and 10 strikeouts. Webb is seemingly on the fringe of the rotation discussion, and he has to state his case each time out. With more performances like the one we saw on Tuesday, Webb’s hold on a rotation spot will only get stronger.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: Mauricio Dubon #1 of the San Francisco Giants hits a pinch-hit rbi single, scoring Austin Slater #13 against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning at Oracle Park on May 10, 2021. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

SF Giants: Three Takeaways From the Rangers Series

3. Is Mauricio Dubón heating up?

The Giants’ offense is beginning to show signs of life, but some key contributors are still struggling at the plate. Wilmer Flores is one example, but he is a veteran hitter and San Francisco believes that he will regain his form soon enough.

However, Mauricio Dubón is less established, so there is uncertainty on where his potential upside sits. Dubón showed glimpses of his potential with a good performance down the stretch in 2020, but he has struggled to regain that consistency in 2021.

On the year, the 26-year-old has slashed .212/.264/.318 with one home run and eight RBI. One detail that is not included in his bottom line stats is that Dubón has had some baserunning blunders as well.

With that being said, he might be turning the corner at the plate. In his last 15 games, the right-handed bat has posted a .873 OPS including a clutch hit against the Rangers on Monday.

Dubón came to the plate against a tough lefty in John King in the bottom of the seventh inning with two runners on base. He battled for seven pitches and roped the eighth offering from King into left field to score Austin Slater and give the Giants the 2-1 advantage. San Francisco added an insurance run after that, but Dubón’s single gave the Giants the momentum they needed to secure the victory.

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He recorded one more hit in his only plate appearance on Tuesday, so Dubón went 2-2 in the series, but made a noticeable impact. The Giants are hoping to see more from the super-utility player.

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