SF Giants clinch series win vs. Phillies after bullpen steps up to back Cobb’s tough outing

SAN FRANCISCO — If two players on the Giants have had more disparate starts to the season, it might be Alex Cobb and Taylor Rogers. Cobb took the National League’s best ERA into his start against the Phillies Tuesday night, while few relievers in the majors have had a tougher go of it than Rogers since inking a three-year, $33 million contract this winter.

But the script flipped in a 4-3 win, with Rogers and the Giants’ maligned bullpen bailing out Cobb, who tied a career-high in walks and turned in his shortest outing since last May. Reaching base three times, LaMonte Wade Jr. played a part in both the Giants’ scoring rallies, and San Francisco clinched a series win over Philadelphia.

Cobb’s early success and Rogers’ struggles might as well represent a microcosm of the Giants’ pitching through the first quarter of the season. Their starters have been among the upper third of the league; their relievers in the bottom third. But after getting only 3⅓ innings from Cobb, who struggled to locate all game long, Rogers and three other relievers blanked the Phillies the rest of the way until an inconsequential Kyle Schwarber solo shot in the ninth inning.

Visibly frustrated, Cobb handed off a two-on, one-out pickle to Rogers in the top of fourth. Managing to pitch around five walks through his first three frames, Cobb found himself in trouble after a balk, a couple soft singles and a pair of wild pitches had already plated two runs, with Bryce Harper coming to the plate.

Rogers retired the two-time MVP with ease. Alternating sinkers and sweepers, Rogers coaxed three swings and misses from Harper on four pitches, none of which were in the strike zone. Facing three batters, Rogers struck out two and retired them all.

After allowing eight runs (seven earned) in his first six outings with the Giants, Rogers hasn’t allowed a run since April 15, a streak of 11 straight scoreless appearances that has lowered his ERA from 18.90 to 4.73. And the Giants are showing they’re comfortable using him in higher leverage situations again, calling his number in the seventh or the eighth inning in his past three appearances before bringing him in to face one of MLB’s most fearsome left-handed hitters.

The Giants got another 1⅔ scoreless innings from John Brebbia, who struck out three and lowered his ERA to 4.96, and two shutout frames from the other Rogers in their bullpen, Tyler, before handing the ninth inning to Camilo Doval, who has converted all seven of his save opportunities in May. The home run allowed to Schwarber marked the first run Doval has allowed in eight appearances this month.

It was a weird day all around, not just for Cobb, whose ERA remained in the ones (1.94) even after his worst start of the season.

The Giants’ decisive scoring rally in fourth was a product of an infield single, a dropped pop up and a close play at the plate that was only upheld (not confirmed) upon video review.

Casey Schmitt beat out an infield single, reaching base for his seventh time in eight games, and was able to sprint home from first when Phillies first baseman Kody Clemens and second baseman Bryson Stott couldn’t locate a high pop-fly in the grass behind first base off the bat of Joey Bart.

Bart barely beat the throw home from left fielder Kyle Schwarber after a soft line drive single from Wade. Opting not to slide, Bart narrowly skirted the tag of J.T. Realmuto, and the call was upheld after a Philadelphia challenge.

A pair of RBI singles from Thairo Estrada and Michael Conforto, driving in Wade and Blake Sabol, gave the Giants a brief 2-0 lead in the third.