Despite getting win, SF Giants manager Tony Vitello makes another questionable bullpen decision on Monday night

The SF Giants secured a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night. However, that win came with another questionable bullpen decision late in the game on Monday night.

I will preface this by saying that I recognize that Vitello has few reliable bullpen options, if any at all. The bullpen is light on stuff, strikeouts, and control. All of these ingredients help make a leverage reliever, but the Giants do not have much in the way of leverage relievers.

Outside of Erik Miller's dominant July before he was traded to the Boston Red Sox, they have not had reliable left-handed relievers. Lacking these qualities makes managing a bullpen extremely tough, which is why he probably should just get a pass in bullpen management in the final two months of the season.

Nonetheless, there was another instance on Monday night that should hopefully lead to growth. Dylan Smith made quick work of the eighth inning. Vitello used that as an opportunity to send him back out for the ninth inning.

SF Giants manager Tony Vitello will need to adjust bullpen usage after 2026

A lot of Giants fans felt uneasy about that decision, and it backfired right away. He allowed three of the first four batters to reach base before allowing a sacrifice fly from José Fermín to tie it and force the game into extra innings. Smith did not even finish the inning. The Giants were in trouble, but Reiver Sanmartín recorded the final out.

The Giants eventually won the game. Jason Foley pitched two innings, allowing only an unearned run to score. However, that brings up the necessary question? Why was Foley not used in the ninth inning in the first place if he was available?

The Giants have been burned by stretching relievers to try to get more than three outs. Most of them are not built to get more than three outs. With the lead, it is best to limit them to one inning and then go with a fresh arm.

This is true for Smith, who has recorded more than three outs twice this season. Of course, one of those instances was on Monday night, when he threw a season-high 35 pitches.

To be fair to Vitello, Smith has been one of the few bright spots in a bullpen that has been mostly a disaster. I get trying to ride him to victory.

Take the results out of the equation. I would rather the Giants blow a lead with a new pitcher than try to stretch a reliever beyond what he has been trained to do all season. Relievers generally lose effectiveness quickly, and that threshold is often after the first three outs. I can live with Vitello admitting that he would not want to push a reliever beyond an inning. In fact, that would be a great answer.

Vitello does not have much to work with in the bullpen, but there was just no reason to stretch Smith beyond the first inning. Foley was available and is a capable arm in those spots. He proved that on Monday night, as he helped secure the victory.

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