Perez would embrace chance to pitch for Giants

SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy used all seven of his relief pitchers Thursday night, leaving him in quite a predicament in the late stages of the game.

Yusmeiro Petit, who also pitched two innings Wednesday, entered the series finale against Arizona in the ninth inning and finished the final two frames, but not before giving up the game-winning run in the 10th inning as the D-backs pulled off a 6-5 victory.

But if the game had gone on longer, who was Bochy's next option in line?

"There was no option," Bochy said. "He was pretty much our option. You might've seen [outfielder Juan] Perez out there, but I don't know."

As he watched Bochy mix and match his bullpen starting in the sixth inning Thursday, Perez said he gave some thought to getting on the mound.

"Earlier in the game we were joking about it. I said, 'I'm ready to pitch,'" Perez said. "I was joking. I didn't know there was a chance to go out there."

Perez, 27, hasn't logged a single inning pitching since being drafted in 2008 and it took him a moment to remember the last time he took the mound: during his college days at Western Oklahoma Community College.

Ultimately Perez didn't get to show off his arm, but said he would have embraced the opportunity.

"Not nervous," Perez said. "I would have enjoyed it, for sure."

The bullpen could be receiving a new face in the coming days as Jeremy Affeldt needed just 12 pitches to get through a perfect inning for the Class A Advanced San Jose Giants on Thursday night. Bochy said the plan is to have Affeldt throw about 35 pitches Saturday before re-evaluating the bullpen situation.

The skipper didn't rule out the scenario of having a 13-man pitching staff, meaning a reserve hitter could be on the way out when Affeldt returns.

"That's a possibility," Bochy said.