The Giants have already done enough against Cincinnati to lock up the series, and now they get a shot at the clean finish. On Wednesday afternoon at Oracle Park, San Francisco will try to complete the sweep with Logan Webb on the mound.
There’s no escaping how rough the bigger picture looks. The Giants are 54-78, and the season has been battered by bad news.
But after two straight wins and just one run allowed to the Reds through the first two games, this series has given them something to hang onto. A sweep would be their first of the year.
Tony Vitello is going with a heavily shuffled lineup for the finale, and the changes are tied in part to Cincinnati left-hander Nick Lodolo. Rafael Devers is the only player staying in the same spot from Tuesday.
Drew Gilbert, who had been leading off the last two games, is out of the lineup. Jonah Cox will start in center field and bat first.
Jung Hoo Lee is also getting the day off, which pushes Basabe up to No. 3 behind Devers. Buddy Kennedy will hit cleanup and handle third base after Shay Whitcomb started there on Tuesday.
Behind the plate, Drew Cavanaugh is out after catching Tuesday night’s win, with Andrew Knizner taking over.
The rotation of names doesn’t stop there, because the pitching staff is taking hits too. The Giants are trying to steady a beat-up group after Houser exited Tuesday’s game after just 1 2/3 innings. Carson Whisenhunt was pulled Monday night with left elbow discomfort, and he has since been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament that appears to require surgery.
That leaves even more on Webb, who makes his 24th start of the season Wednesday. He comes in at 8-8 with a 3.75 ERA and 112 strikeouts, and over 141 2/3 innings he has allowed 122 hits while walking just 35. San Francisco needs length from him, plain and simple, if it wants any kind of break for the bullpen.
Lodolo will oppose him for Cincinnati at 3-3 with a 5.04 ERA and 59 strikeouts. Webb has a chance to finish off what would be one of San Francisco’s best series of the year, and the Giants will be looking to turn that into a sweep.
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Philadelphia is among the clubs reportedly weighing a claim, which adds a familiar September wrinkle for a player with real right-handed power and enough offensive value to matter to a contender. For the Reds, it leaves Surez in a strange spot, with his immediate future tied to whether another team sees enough in the profile to make a run at him before the waiver process plays out. [Read more 🡒]