Doval shoulders heavy load as Giants sweep Phillies

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants had been hoping to get some length out of Ross Stripling following a rare short start from Alex Cobb on Tuesday, but another injury concern ended up forcing them to stage an impromptu bullpen game for the second consecutive day. 

Stripling exited his start in the fourth inning with low back tightness, but San Francisco’s relievers once again stepped up in a pinch, firing another 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball to give the Giants a chance to rally for a 7-4 win over the Phillies on Wednesday afternoon at Oracle Park.

The Giants’ bullpen, which entered Wednesday with the third-worst ERA in the Majors (5.68), allowed only three runs over 15 2/3 innings during this series, with closer Camilo Doval converting three saves in three days to lock down the club’s first sweep of the year.

“This was the bullpen that we expected coming into the season,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “A bullpen that performs and is deep. … I think we’re making strides in the right direction. It’s not perfect and it’s always going to be a work in progress, but I’m proud of where we are relative to a week ago.”  

San Francisco’s bats pounded out 11 hits -- all singles -- to record the club’s first win without an extra-base hit since Aug. 8. 2022. The Giants scored four runs in the first inning to knock out Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker early and then snapped a 4-4 tie with a three-run rally in the eighth that was highlighted by Thairo Estrada’s go-ahead single off left-hander Gregory Soto.

Wilmer Flores added a two-out, two-run single to hand a three-run lead over to Doval, who Kapler had initially hoped to stay away from due to his heavy workload in recent days. Despite having already pitched on back-to-back days -- including a four-out save in Monday’s series opener -- Doval told the Giants his arm felt good and he’d be available to pitch if needed.

“I think everybody around the league does three-in-a-rows a little bit different,” Kapler said. “One way we think about it is we talk to the players, find out if they’re feeling strong and healthy and like they can go. Camilo wanted this opportunity today. We planned that out pregame. We weren’t even prepared to use him in a tie-game situation. But with the save, it was clear. He’s earned that right, and we trust him.”

With an off-day looming on Thursday, Kapler felt a bit more comfortable extending Doval, though the 25-year-old fireballer ended up having to navigate a stressful top of the ninth after allowing the Phillies to load the bases on a single, a hit-by-pitch and a walk. That brought Trea Turner to the plate with two outs, but Doval managed to shut the door by getting the two-time All-Star to swing through a slider for the final out of the game.

“One of the things that we look for is, is a guy able to sustain his stuff in pitch 15, pitch 20, pitch 25?” Kapler said. “We haven’t seen much dip from Camilo over the last couple of years. We also haven’t seen much of a dip in stuff on back-to-backs. I thought it was great that he had all his stuff against Turner, but it doesn’t surprise me.”

Doval now has a 2.29 ERA over a team-high 20 appearances and is tied for second in the Majors with 11 saves this year. At 20-23, the Giants still have work to do to establish themselves as contenders, but if they manage to get back into the playoffs, they should benefit greatly from having a lockdown closer who has shown that he’s willing and able to pitch three days in a row.

“That’s why I’m starting to get ready now,” Doval said in Spanish. “It’s just for me to get ready and get used to pitching as many days as possible. I want to make sure that whenever there’s a save opportunity, I’m ready.”