Why the Giants pulled Logan Webb out of one-hit game against Rockies

SF Giants beat Rockies in rain-delayed game as Logan Webb flirts with no-hitter

An hour-long rain delay at Coors Field didn’t take Logan Webb out of his zone.

Webb held the Colorado Rockies hitless through his first five innings as his teammate whipped up a four-run lead for him in the Giants’ 6-1 win. Sean Bouchard’s single up the middle with one out in the sixth broke up Webb’s no-hit bid, prompting manager Gabe Kapler to pull Webb immediately from the game at 66 pitches.

Webb wasn’t supposed to go more than five innings in order to manage his workload. The 25-year-old has pitched a career-high 187.1 innings in 31 starts this season. Webb knew before the game of his innings limit, he told reporters after the game. His dad and reliever Tyler Rogers joked before his start about Webb testing that limit with a no-hit bid.

“‘What if you’re through five with 50 pitches and have a no-hitter?’” Webb recalled them saying. “And I’m like, ‘Dude, first of all, it’s Coors Field. I’m going to give up a hit.’”

If that no-hitter continued, Webb would have fought to stay in the game. Lucky for Kapler, Bouchard’s hit made the choice easy. There’s no need to overwork the 25-year-old starter who can be a centerpiece on Giants teams to come.

“I can tell you that we didn’t have any plans of letting him get a sixth up in this game, so even giving him that sixth up was a diversion from the game plan,” Kapler said. “So good for Logan. He pitched his ass off and was absolutely excellent tonight.”

Every Giant in the lineup had at least one hit and five had multi-hit games, including Wilmer Flores who went 3-for-4, totaling 15 hits in all. The Giants will go for a four-game sweep on Thursday afternoon.

What remains of this lost Giants season is still an opportunity for the Giants to shuffle through a few players they may want to have on the 2023 roster. So they did a little shuffle before Wednesday’s rain-delayed game to bring up a recently-acquired pitcher who is likely to pitch in Thursday’s final game in Denver.

Jharel Cotton, claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, reported to Coors Field on Wednesday. Sean Hjelle, who gave up two runs in five innings as the bulk pitcher in Tuesday’s win, was optioned to make room on the roster. John Brebbia is slated to start the game, Kapler told reporters.

The Giants also designated Lewis Brinson for assignment to make room on the roster for infielder Jason Vosler, adding another left-handed bat to a right-handed dominant roster.

Vosler had an RBI triple and scored in Wednesday’s game. He was batting .288 with four home runs in 23 games with the big league team this year and is batting .242 with 18 home runs with the Rivercats this year.

The Giants acquired Brinson in a trade with the Houston Astros. The 28-year-old former Marlins top prospect batted .167 with three home runs in 15 games with the Giants and could refuse an outright assignment and become a free agent if he goes unclaimed.

But Brinson may find an assignment to Triple-A Sacramento could give him a clearer path to re-joining a big league team always on the look out for diamonds in the rough.

LaMonte Wade exited in the fifth inning with hamstring tightness, Kapler told reporters.