Logan Webb’s Tough Return in Denver
DENVER — About a mile high, Logan Webb faced a challenging day on the mound here, still fresh from a stint on injured reserve. Just a month earlier, he had left a game due to pitching limitations, but this time, he managed to pitch five innings.
However, during his return on Friday night, he was pulled after just three innings, having started the day as the National League Pitcher of the Month following five dominant appearances.
“Today went really bad,” Webb reflected, more than three hours after his game wrapped up.
It seems the Rockies were caught off guard—unaware that Fourth of July fireworks were set for after the game. Jake McCarthy initiated the celebrations right with Webb’s first pitch.
As the leadoff man, McCarthy drove the first pitch, a sinker, into the home bullpen. Unfortunately, this was just the start of a dismal outing for Webb, who ended up allowing seven earned runs and 11 hits, both career highs, in a lopsided 15-3 loss to one of the only teams with a worse record than the Giants.
Manager Tony Vitello noticed right away that Webb’s pitching was adversely affected by the high altitude. “The ball can do different things here than at your average park,” he observed, noting that Webb’s initial pitch didn’t behave as expected.
The Rockies had a well-thought-out approach and capitalized on Webb early. Out of the 21 batters he faced, nine connected on one of the first two pitches, totaling seven hits.
“It was a good game plan,” Webb admitted. “I wasn’t able to adjust very well.”
Possibly the most frustrating moment came on Ezequiel Tovar’s second-inning at-bat. After a lengthy duel, Tovar sent the Rockies’ second of three homers sailing. Though the Rockies lit up Webb for three innings, they also scored heavily against pitchers Matt Gage and Ryan Walker, bringing 12 batters to the plate in one inning.
Gage struggled, giving up hits to the first three batters, with McCarthy hitting a grand slam, marking his remarkable achievement of the night—hitting a leadoff home run, a grand slam, and stealing a base.
What It Means
This was not the start the Giants hoped for as they kicked off July. With a condensed schedule ahead, they face only three games against teams with winning records this month. Playing poorly against a struggling Rockies team wasn’t encouraging for their chances.
“There’s no easy part of the schedule in this league, especially on the road,” Vitello reflected.
Who Is Hot
Amidst the disappointment, Casey Schmidt, filling in for injured Matt Chapman, displayed why scouts see him as a future Gold Glove candidate. After Webb let the first five Rockies’ batters get on base, Schmidt turned in one of the season’s most impressive double plays.
Hit by a hard grounder, he backhanded the ball, stepped towards third for the forceout, and with a deft sidearm throw, completed a crucial double play.
Outfielder Jonah Cox, when given another opportunity to play, also impressed with his fielding, throwing accurately to first base. Vitello had previously praised Cox’s athleticism, noting that consistency in routine plays is what he needed.
Who Is Not?
It’s pretty clear Webb won’t repeat as Pitcher of the Month this July. He’s had 11 hits in his past two innings. While he’s allowed seven earned runs twice before, it’s never the same outing each time.
Interestingly, only once in Webb’s career has he struggled like this. In his fourth start, he allowed eight runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Cardinals when he was just starting out.
Coors Field can be daunting for pitchers, but Webb has navigated it relatively well—at least compared to last year. Among pitchers with a significant number of innings at Coors over five seasons, Webb’s ERA of 3.29 is impressive.
“This place is tough, no matter what,” Webb stated. “If you make excuses during or after the game, that’s on you. I’ve pitched here before.”
To the Next
Robbie Ray, with a record similar to Webb’s, will aim to improve in Saturday’s game against Tomoyuki Sugano, who was Webb’s first manager on Independence Day.
