SF Giants starter Carlos Rodón put together another stellar performance in 4-1 win
At this rate, we are going to run out of ways by the middle of the season to describe SF Giants pitcher Carlos Rodón's pitching. Last week, he was electric. And, this week, he was stellar.
SF Giants starter Carlos Rodón put together another stellar performance in 4-1 win
Next week's adjective will likely be other-worldly. That is how good Rodón has been to start the season. The left-handed hurler faced off against a surprisingly good Cleveland Guardians lineup that has scored the most runs in baseball.
Despite this, Rodón was not fazed by the challenge and delivered yet again. He was extremely efficient at the beginning of his start, needing only 47 pitches to get through five innings. In his final two innings, his command wavered a little bit as he issued two walks, but the Guardians did not have a legitimate answer for the 29-year-old hurler.
In total, the veteran southpaw yielded just one earned run on two hits, two walks, and nine strikeouts. The question with Rodón as the season progresses will be health, as he has missed substantial time throughout his career.
However, the Giants have built up enough pitching depth that they have fallback options in case an injury or two arises. For what it is worth, Rodón looks to be healthy as his four-seam fastball was reaching as high as 99 MPH in the final inning of his start on Friday.
Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval followed Rodón with a scoreless outing apiece to preserve the lead and take the first game of the series.
On offense, the Giants got help from the long ball as they blasted three homers for the third time in the first seven games of the season. Brandon Crawford and Joc Pederson provided some early offense with solo shots.
Then, Joey Bart swatted a two-run homer in the eighth inning that was confirmed after an umpire review. This was a big hit for the 25-year-old backstop as it provided a pair of much-needed insurance runs for the Giants. The rookie catcher is off to a nice start at the plate to start the season while offering good defense behind the dish as well.
The Giants face off against right-handed hurler Cal Quantrill on Saturday as they look to take the series against a good Cleveland team. They are off to a good start after posting a 5-2 record against some quality teams.