PHOENIX -- Alex Cobb had been one of the Giants’ most consistent pitchers since the All-Star break. However, the right-hander’s impressive second-half run came to a bit of a halt on Saturday night.
Cobb allowed five earned runs over five innings as San Francisco took a 5-2 loss to Arizona at Chase Field. It was the first time since July 24 that Cobb allowed more than three runs in a start, and it was the first time since May 23 that he was charged with five or more.
On the other side, the Giants didn’t mount much offense against D-backs right-hander Merrill Kelly, who tossed seven strong innings. Jason Vosler had an RBI single in the fourth and Mike Yastrzemski hit a leadoff homer in the sixth, as San Francisco’s winning streak ended at five.
Here were three notable moments from the Giants’ loss.
1. The Giants break a franchise usage record -- again
For the second time in four years, San Francisco broke its franchise record for players used in a season. When Ford Proctor trotted out to second base in the bottom of the first inning for his MLB debut, the 25-year-old became the 65th player used by the Giants this season. They used 64 in 2019.
San Francisco (74-78) may not have had the season it had hoped for after winning 107 games in 2021, but there are some positives that came from shuffling through so many fresh faces.
“I think, more than anything else, it’s fun,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “You get to see and evaluate a lot of players, and in this particular case, give a guy a chance to succeed at the Major League level. That’s always going to be exciting more than anything else.”
Proctor, who was called up from Triple-A Sacramento and given jersey No. 65 as a nod to the record, had his family and his fiancée in the stands, as they flew in from Texas on Saturday morning. Proctor started at second base and batted eighth, going 0-for-3. But he should get some more playing time over the final 10 games because of his versatility -- he’s played all four infield positions and catcher in the Minors.
“I think second base and shortstop are the two positions he’s most comfortable at, but we have a chance to get to know him,” Kapler said. “He’s done good work in Sacramento for us.”
2. An incredible defensive play for the highlight reels
Brandon Crawford has made plenty of impressive plays over his 12-year career in San Francisco. That’s why he’s a four-time Gold Glove shortstop. However, there haven’t been too many plays (if any) quite like this one.
Arizona’s Carson Kelly led off the bottom of the third inning by ripping a 98.7 mph laser to third, where Vosler couldn’t corral it, the ball deflecting off his glove and going straight up in the air. Crawford then positioned himself under the ball, preparing himself to grab the ball with his bare hand and throw to first -- which is exactly what he did, firing it over to Wilmer Flores just in time to nab Kelly.
“I thought what was most impressive about that play is how he crow-hopped before he had the baseball in his hand,” Kapler said. “Like he got his feet into throwing position so all he had to do was grab the baseball and deliver the throw. It was sensational.”
“Probably the highlight of the year,” Cobb said.
3. One inning takes Cobb’s night off course
Cobb was cruising early, retiring nine of the first 10 Arizona batters he faced. His only blemish over three hitless innings was a two-out walk to Josh Rojas in the second.
But things unraveled in the fourth, when the D-backs scored all five of their runs and sent nine batters to the plate. The first three all recorded singles, with Christian Walker’s knock tying the game at 1. Arizona took the lead on an Alek Thomas fielder’s choice grounder to first base, added another run on Kelly’s sacrifice fly and capped the rally with Geraldo Perdomo’s two-run single.
“First three, I felt really good, I thought it was going to be a good day,” Cobb said. “I think that’s also where the frustration comes. You can kind of feel the momentum of the day and a control of the game, and then it just spiraled out of control and kind of lost it. It’s not really how I envisioned that game going.”
Still, it’s been a solid season for Cobb, who has a 3.67 ERA in 26 starts and should take the mound one or two more times. That will give him an opportunity to reestablish his momentum and carry it into 2023, the second year of his contract with the Giants.