Johnny Cueto was on the money Sunday. It was enough to deliver the San Francisco Giants a 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks _ but was it enough to convince a pitching-starved contender to take on his money Monday?
That's one of many questions for the Giants with the MLB trade deadline looming less than 24 hours away. Another: Are they themselves a contender who could use Cueto's services down the stretch? The win in Arizona on Sunday gave them a series win over one division rival and pulled them within one game of another, the Colorado Rockies, currently in the second wild-card spot and up next on San Francisco's schedule.
First, hard decisions will have to be made by the 1 p.m. Monday trade deadline.
On Sunday, Cueto's 6 2/3 strong innings carried the Giants to their first road series victory of the season _ with another series away from home on deck in Colorado _ and to pull them within two games of .500.
Alex Dickerson sent the sixth pitch of the game into the right-field bleachers, where it landed with a clank audible on the television broadcast. For six innings, it appeared that might be enough to carry the Giants to a shutout victory.
But manager Gabe Kapler sent Cueto back out for the seventh inning at 91 pitches. A leadoff walk and a single forced Cueto to use 20 pitches the inning prior, though he had been able to escape unscathed.
Cueto did not get so lucky in the seventh.
With one out and the bases empty, Arizona third baseman Eduardo Escobar forced a 2-2 count, and Cueto went back to the pitch that had given him multiple strikeouts in earlier innings. Chadwick Tromp set up low and outside, but Cueto's quick-dropping changeup stayed over the middle of the plate, and Escobar whacked it over the right-field fence.
Cueto exited after issuing a two-out walk to Jake Lamb, whom he got looking as one of six strikeouts earlier in the game, taking him out of the decision. But the Giants did not wait long to answer.
It was Dickerson again who delivered the decisive base knock.
With the bases loaded and one out in the following half inning, Dickerson popped a 95-mph Archie Bradley heater the other way into left field, bringing home Brandon Crawford to pull San Francisco ahead again, 2-1.
With Arizona's infield still playing shallow, Evan Longoria followed with a knock past the outstretched glove of Ketel Marte, through the second-base hole opened by the shifted infielders, allowing two more runs to score.
The insurance runs would prove unnecessary, as the Giants bullpen closed the door with 2 1/3 clean innings. Kapler opted to give the eighth inning to Tyler Rogers and the ninth to Sam Coonrod who retired the side 1-2-3 for his first career save.
The return to form Sunday was a welcome sign for Cueto and the Giants. He allowed six runs to the Dodgers his last time out _ his most of eight starts this season. Escobar's home run was the only run Cueto surrendered to the Diamondbacks and just one of three hits. Cueto struck out six, including a stretch of four in a row, and walked three.
Some other relevant numbers: $26 million, or the amount Cueto is due between his 2021 guaranteed contract and 2022 club option. That has made San Francisco's other veteran starters the more rumored trade candidates, though Trevor Cahill, Drew Smyly and Jeff Samardzija are currently injured.
Now, as one of seven team within two games of the second wild-card, Giants executives will have to answer _ in the form of action or inaction _ some of those outstanding questions. Namely: Will San Francisco's roster look any different following Monday's off day and 1 p.m. trade deadline?
