Garrett's cutter key in win, 8 K's vs. Giants

May 21st, 2023

SAN FRANCISCO -- Facing a Giants pitching staff that has been particularly stingy of late, the Marlins' opportunities to scratch runs across have been few and far between in their first two games at Oracle Park.

That just meant that Miami had to manufacture some better chances at the plate and on the basepaths, an approach that finally came to fruition in the eighth inning of Saturday afternoon's 1-0 win in San Francisco.

After reaching on third baseman J.D. Davis' fielding error to lead off the frame, advanced to second base on ' sacrifice bunt. That had Hampson well-positioned to score when  knocked a base hit to right field, with Hampson barely beating out a throw to the plate from right fielder Michael Conforto to break the scoreless tie.

That late-arriving offense, plus a lockdown effort from the bullpen, was just enough to secure the Marlins' second shutout win of the season and to even the series at a game apiece, setting up a rubber match on Sunday.

"Tough game -- good pitching out there," said Hampson, who also ran down a Wilmer Flores fly ball, likely robbing him of extra bases, for the first out of the ninth inning. "Just kind of scratching and clawing for a run there. Berti coming through huge there; great swing on a tough pitcher."

One run ended up being all the support that Marlins starter needed as he dueled with Giants ace Logan Webb, though Garrett was out of the game when Miami grabbed the lead and got a tough-luck no-decision.

Tossing 6 1/3 scoreless frames, Garrett allowed only two baserunners, both of whom reached in the first two innings -- Thairo Estrada led off the game with a base hit, then LaMonte Wade Jr. drew a one-out walk in the next frame. From there, Garrett set down his final 15 batters in order.

"He did a good job of filling it up," Giants rookie catcher Patrick Bailey said. "He threw a lot of strikes and kept us off balance. I feel like we hit some balls hard, just right at them."

Garrett had a minor injury scare after being struck by a comebacker off Mitch Haniger's bat with two outs in the fourth. The Marlins' lefty walked off the mound a little gingerly but quickly dispelled any concerns about his health with a sharp fifth inning, getting three quick outs on just four pitches. Garrett was sporting a bandage above his left ankle after the game but said it was just a little sore.

After completing six frames for the first time in 2023 -- and matching his season high with eight punchouts -- Garrett retired one batter in the seventh before being pulled at 76 pitches in favor of right-hander J.T. Chargois.

"I just felt like it was time," manager Skip Schumaker said. "Probably the toughest pull that I've had to do … so far in my young career, because he was just dominating."

The Marlins' southpaw is pitching with added confidence after incorporating a cutter into his repertoire. Garrett first threw a pitch that was registered as a cutter on April 27 in Atlanta, and since then it has become one of his most-used offerings.

Braxton Garrett's pitch percentage by game

On Saturday, Garrett leaned most heavily on his slider (33 percent), cutter (26 percent) and sinker (25 percent), also working in his curveball, changeup and four-seamer.

"I was throwing a four-seam for a long time, and I've just always tried to get that thing on guys' hands,” Garrett said. “It was coming back arm-side just a tad, and I wanted my four-seam to stay truer or have some natural cut. When I'm able to get guys' hands in here, I can get sliders under, get the sinker back out. So it just complements everything, really."

Said Schumaker: "If you're thinking in as a hitter, then it opens up lanes. That's why the sinker was so effective today."

The newly added cutter has enhanced every offering in Garrett's six-pitch arsenal, giving him a more complex mix to work with and opening up different ways to attack opposing batters. So far, he's liking the early results.

"A three-pitch mix over a two-pitch is huge. It keeps guys guessing," Garrett said. "They don't know what's coming. That's the objective with me. I'm just trying to keep them on their toes."