Camilo Doval returned to the Oracle Park mound Saturday for the first time since the Giants traded him to the Yankees last year, and what a reintroduction it was! The prodigal right-hander hit 99.5 mph with his fastball and absolutely carved up Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Dalton Rushing, striking out the side in the seventh inning. Yet, despite that electrifying performance, San Francisco still dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker to the Dodgers.
Doval’s Dominant Return Raises Big Questions
Yeah, you read that right: 99.5 mph. Against Betts and Ohtani. That’s serious gas. It’s even more impressive considering walks helped hasten Doval’s departure last year because he struggled to throw strikes. Those strikeouts? That’s the kind of stuff that makes you sit up and pay attention. Now the Giants have to figure out if he’s part of their plans for next season. His velocity and success against the top of the L.A. lineup certainly won’t hurt, and neither will his eagerness to pitch for the team. But can he throw strikes consistently? That’s the real test, and it’s the only way he’ll secure a spot in that late-inning bullpen role the Giants desperately need to fill this winter.
Another One-Run Loss Adds to the Bullpen Panic
Speaking of desperate, Saturday’s 4-3 defeat means the Giants are now a major-league worst 16-29 in one-run games. Sixteen and twenty-nine! That stat alone screams “bolster the bullpen!” They did tie it up in the eighth on a Bo Davidson sacrifice fly, but Kiké Hernández’s homer off Trent Harris in the ninth sealed their fate. This team is using roster moves like crazy, tying the 2025 Braves for most players used in a season with 71. There’s even a chance they’ll set the all-time record Sunday if catcher Zach Morgan, currently on the taxi squad, finally gets into a game. Manager Tony Vitello has said repeatedly he wants to get Morgan in there after two previous stints on the roster without seeing action. It’s clear the final month of the season is all about finding “keepers” for next year, and man, are they ever trying everything.
Wilkinson Shines, Offense Stalls, and the Season Winds Down
It wasn’t all bad news on the mound. Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson jumped into the rivalry in style. After five scoreless innings last Sunday, he followed up with three more innings Saturday, allowing just a solo homer by Betts. That kid likes facing the Dodgers! But things shifted once he left, with Los Angeles scoring twice in the fourth off Duncan Davitt. Meanwhile, former Giants starter Blake Snell kept his old team quiet for four innings. The offense, shut out the night before against Tarik Skubal, only managed a sacrifice fly from Turner Hill in the fourth and a pinch-hit RBI triple from Drew Cavanaugh in the seventh. Cavanaugh even dunked a two-out, two-strike double in the ninth, but Tanner Scott struck out Christian Koss to end the game. In other bullpen news, left-hander Seth Lonsway, a 2021 sixth-round pick with a 5.11 ERA in Triple-A but good numbers against lefties (.218 rate), got promoted, while Friday’s starter Yunior Marte got optioned out. Going into Sunday’s finale, San Francisco is a season-high 31 games under .500, trying to avoid a Dodgers sweep and keep L.A. from hitting 100 wins. What a mess.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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