SAN FRANCISCO _ Santiago Casilla hadn't pitched in a full week since giving up his latest damaging home run, to Arizona's Jake Lamb Sept. 9 in Phoenix, and effectively lost his job as the Giants' full-time closer.
But manager Bruce Bochy brought Casilla out of mothballs Friday night against the St. Louis Cardinals and liked what he saw. Casilla pitched a scoreless eighth inning on just 10 pitches and struck out two.
"I loved the way he went out there, how he pitched," Bochy said before Saturday night's game. "He could have gone in and just started throwing, but it looked like he had good focus out there. I needed to get him out there to see where he's at. Plus, we needed to win the game and with who was coming up, he was the guy I wanted out there."
Bochy said he'll continue to lean on Casilla in late-inning situations, depending on the matchups.
"He's in the mix, including closing," he said. "They're all going to be used."
