SAN FRANCISCO -- It is tradition for the manager and starting pitcher to speak to reporters after every MLB game, but the Giants, who have used the bullpen to soak up most of their innings lately, have made that a bit tricky. So, on a night when five relievers took down 27 outs and there were no clear offensive stars, John Brebbia looked up after changing and saw a pack of notebooks and cameras waiting.
"What are we doing here," he said, smiling. "This is literally the stupidest thing I've ever done. What are we doing? I accidentally threw an inning. Oh my goodness."
Technically, Brebbia was the starting pitcher, but there were plenty of reasons to get his view beyond that designation. He has pitched well in that role, taking the ball nine times and throwing nine shutout innings. Plus, with Jake McGee and Dominic Leone gone, Zack Littell back in Triple-A, Jose Alvarez on the IL and Jarlin Garcia on the paternity list, Brebbia is one of the last men standing from the original 2022 bullpen.
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It is a group that grew wary when reporters would approach their corner of the clubhouse this summer. The results had generally not been positive, and much of the focus for the first five months was on figuring out what had gone wrong after the Giants led the Majors in bullpen ERA a year earlier.
But on Wednesday, after a 6-3 win in the latest "bullpen game," Brebbia got to focus on the positive. The bullpen, with an infusion of new faces, has been asked to carry a very heavy load this month. In general, the group has responded, giving the Giants hope that they can better piece things together in a much better way in 2023.
After Wednesday's win, the eighth in nine games, the Giants bullpen has a 3.09 ERA in September, the sixth-lowest in the Majors. Giants relievers have totaled 131 innings in September, 10 more than the next closest team, although that number is skewed a bit by the way they've brought guys like Jakob Junis and Sean Hjelle out of the bullpen at times. They have nine wins, which ranks first, and 11 saves, which is second.
"I think it's a really cool thing to see to finish out this year and then going into next year," Brebbia said. "It's just kind of what's in store. I think, yeah, we've had a couple of bullpen games for a few series now and I think it's been a nice little window -- it helps to have the extra guy in September for us -- but it's a nice window, I think, into what our bullpen is capable of. There have been a lot of moves throughout the season but we've seen, especially lately, a lot of efficient, excellent talent."
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The mix right now is an interesting one. Camilo Doval has emerged as one of the best closers in the game, and when Brebbia is not opening games, he generally serves as Doval's top setup man. Tyler Rogers had a 4.58 ERA at the end of August, but he has thrown 14 1/3 scoreless innings in September and, after briefly serving as more of a long reliever, returned to the eighth inning on Wednesday.
Yunior Marte has been in and out all season long, but the Giants are still intrigued by his elite repertoire. Scott Alexander, Alex Young and Thomas Szapucki have stabilized the bullpen from the left side, with Alexander in particular looking like a potential late-innings weapon if he's back and healthy next season.
All three lefties are newcomers, with Young, who didn't pitch for the Giants until Aug. 2, serving as the longest-tenured of the trio. But that's been a theme for the bullpen in the second half.
With all the struggles in the first half, and their place in the standings, the Giants have essentially held an audition the last few weeks. They are looking for pieces for their next good bullpen, and that constant shuffle has helped get them to 65 players used, a franchise record.
Two of the latest to join are Jharel Cotton and Shelby Miller, veteran right-handers who are trying to prove they're still big leaguers. Miller, in particular, has opened eyes. He struck out five batters in two dominant innings Wednesday and has struck out 12 of the 18 batters he has faced since joining the bullpen.
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"Oh man, the poor guy, I think they've made contact twice now in the six innings, so he'll get better, for sure. It's just a work in progress," Brebbia deadpanned. "No, it's been super-cool to see him fill up the zone and then finish every at-bat with a swing-and-miss or a (called strike) or something like that. I think watching strikeouts is fun. I'm biased, of course, as a pitcher, but I think he's able to mix in so many different kinds.
"He gets a swing-and-miss on a chase, he freezes a guy on a fastball, he elevates, he goes down. It's a mix of everything. And it's really cool because he does one of each in every outing because he just strikes everybody out."
Those strikeouts have been a needed addition for a group that came into the year relying on getting weak contact, only to discover that it wouldn't work given how bad the defense has been this season.
Even this month, the Giants still do not rank that high in relief strikeouts, but their rate is up 8.52 per nine innings and a steadier defense has helped take care of a lot of other issues. After months of inconsistency, they have been a strength during this winning September, and the individual relievers will continue to get chances to prove that they should be brought back next season.
With Alex Wood done for the year, Junis often pitching behind an opener, Logan Webb on an innings count and Carlos Rodón also being watched closely, there are a lot of innings to be soaked up over the next seven games. And, likely, a few more starts for Brebbia, who will reach double-digits the next time he pitches the first inning.
"I'll be here," he said. "Hopefully. Unless they lock the door on me."
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