SF Giants manager Tony Vitello makes questionable bullpen decision in loss to Phillies

The SF Giants had all the breaks go their way in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday. That is, until Tony Vitello went with Ryan Walker to preserve a 2-1 lead.

SF Giants manager Tony Vitello makes questionable bullpen decision in loss to Phillies

Walker had a couple of good outings leading up to that appearance, but he has been shaky closing out games for over a year now. Unfortunately, Giants fans knew how this story would play out.

The right-handed reliever blew the save and then lost the game. Oddly enough, he threw 21 pitches, 20 of which were his sinker. He only threw one slider. The Phillies are also not a particularly bad team at hitting sinkers, so something must have been going on behind the scenes with Walker's slider. Perhaps, he did not have control of it.

It has been more of the same since the start of the 2025 season. He began last year as the closer after a strong 2024 campaign, but was quickly supplanted after several rough outings.

Walker later regained that role. Though, that was due to injuries and trades. Camilo Doval originally replaced Walker as the closer, but was shipped to the New York Yankees in a five-player deal. For a brief moment, Randy Rodríguez took over but finished the year on the injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The 2025 season was a tough year for Walker, as he pitched to a 4.11 ERA in 68 outings. He also converted 17 saves in 23 chances. This year, he has pitched to a 4.26 ERA in 13 appearances. He has now blown two saves in five chances.

The 30-year-old pitcher has the stuff to be an effective closer, but it has not played out like that at all. As Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle notes, Walker now has a 6.02 ERA in 45 save opportunities.

They are just forcing him into a role where he is not having success. This is why I typically separate the process from the results. The process could be sound and still lead to suboptimal results. However, using a struggling reliever to close out a game is a choice, and a bad process one. Anything that follows is a reflection of that.

Walker's struggles have coincided with the bullpen as a whole being a surprisingly strong unit. Keaton Winn has arguably been one of the best relievers in the early going. In a tight spot with a one-run lead on the road, Tony Vitello should have gone with Winn. If he blew the save, there is still comfort in the process, given how he has performed this year.

Vitello did not, and went with Walker instead. Unfortunately, it played out about as expected. There were better options on the table.

Walker could still have a role in this bullpen, but it is hard to justify continuing to use him in leverage spots like the one Vitello put him in on Thursday morning. The best thing for him and for the Giants is to try to rebuild his confidence. Use him in a lower-leverage spot where the stakes are not as high, so he can work through his struggles.

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