SAN FRANCISCO -- After losing two starters -- Carson Whisenhunt and Adrian Houser -- to the injured list earlier this week, the Giants found themselves extremely pressed for pitching depth ahead of Saturday’s doubleheader against the D-backs at Oracle Park.
Given their dearth of options, the club decided to take the rare step of promoting right-hander Yunior Marte directly from Double-A Richmond to the Majors. The 23-year-old -- the organization’s No. 24 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- was officially called up to start Game 2 on Saturday and delivered a solid performance in his MLB debut, giving up one run over 4 2/3 innings in a 7-2 victory for the Giants.
“I think it’s a reflection of all the work I’ve been doing this season,” Marte said in Spanish. “I got the opportunity to start, and I tried to take advantage of it.”
With the win, the Giants (56-81) secured a split of both the doubleheader and their four-game series against Arizona.
It was the second promising start of the day by a Giants rookie, as left-hander Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson also allowed two runs over six innings in the club’s 7-1 loss in Game 1. Another newcomer, lefty Seth Lonsway, was called up for his debut in Game 1 and threw two innings before being optioned back to Triple-A Sacramento between games to clear a roster spot for Marte.
Fourteen players have now debuted with San Francisco this year, which is the second-most in the Majors behind only the White Sox (15).
“What Tugboat did and [Marte] did and what Lonsway did made it a really good day,” manager Tony Vitello said. “I guess when you’re playing two games, one thing affects another. All three were outstanding.”
Acquired from the Royals in exchange for outfielder Mike Yastrzemski last year, Marte logged a 3.85 ERA in 22 appearances (20 starts) between High-A Eugene and Richmond before earning his callup on Saturday. The 6-foot-6 hurler experienced an unforgettable moment even before he stepped onto the mound, as he got to meet Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, who was in town for Jeff Kent’s jersey number retirement ceremony.
“It was an awesome experience,” Marte said. “He was our first Dominican Hall of Famer, and he’s a pitcher. Before going out for the game, I got to meet him, and he gave me some tips.”
Marte looked composed throughout his outing, topping out at 95.8 mph with his four-seam fastball while mixing in his slider and changeup. The only damage he allowed came in the third, when Ildemaro Vargas reached on a bunt single and scored on Lars Nootbaar’s RBI double to left field.
“He lets it go,” Vitello said. “‘Here’s my stuff, deal with it.’ He has good stuff, to boot.”
“He’s just like the nicest guy ever,” said first baseman Bryce Eldridge, who finished 4-for-5 with four RBIs. “Very happy for him. He’s very deserving. His stuff looked gross.”
Marte got to keep several mementos from his debut, including the lineup card and a couple of game balls. He said he planned to dedicate them to his brother, Alex, who passed away from a blood disorder at the age of 25 last year.
“This was his biggest dream, to see me debut in the big leagues,” Marte said.
With Whisenhunt and Houser sidelined, Marte should get plenty of more opportunities to pitch for the Giants this year and show that he deserves to be in the mix for a rotation spot in 2027.
“He’s big and physical,” Vitello said. “I don’t think he’s anywhere close to where his ceiling is. But more than anything, he’s got that personality and that panache that you want in the big leagues. You probably need that, too, to survive and be at your best. We’ll see what the future holds for him, but I think it’s not going to be the last time he gets to pitch at Oracle.”