The San Francisco Giants are a team that has vastly outperformed their expectations this year.
They own a record of 61-49 and are just 2.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
One of their key strengths this season has been their bullpen.
With “bullpen games” becoming more commonplace in recent years, the Giants are a team that essentially has it down to a science.
On Twitter, Bob Nightengale pointed out just how well the Giants have performed in bullpen games this year.
The #SFGiants have mastered those bullpen games so far this year, going 15-5, winning 1-0 over the #Dbacks despite generating just 2 hits in their 1-0 victory.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 3, 2023
After Thursday’s 1-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants are 15-5 in bullpen games and have perfected the strategy.
The strategy of a bullpen game certainly isn’t easy to master for any team.
When a team employs this strategy, they run the risk of taxing their bullpen.
This is ultimately what makes starting pitching so important.
However, sometimes bullpen games are required if a rotation spot needs to be filled.
With that in mind, the Giants employed the bullpen strategy on Thursday against a powerful Diamondbacks ballclub.
Scott Alexander pitched the first inning before giving way to Tristan Beck, who gave San Francisco four innings of two-hit ball and ultimately earned the win, his third of the year.
Sean Manaea, Luke Jackson, Taylor Rogers, and Camilo Doval ultimately pitched the rest of the game and secured the win for San Francisco.
So, while a bullpen game is usually the last thing that a team wants to have to do, it worked for the Giants, and it’s been working all season long.
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