SAN FRANCISCO — What goes up must come down, right? In the case of that bases-loaded fly ball off Logan Webb’s bat, sure, blame gravity for one of the longest RBI singles by a pitcher in baseball history.
But Webb’s profile in the San Francisco Giants rotation will only continue to rise, as long as his sinker keeps sinking. The young righthander twirled six shutout innings to beat the Colorado Rockies, 7-0, lowering his season ERA to a career-best 2.96 and extending his stretch of excellent innings since the second week of May.
Webb allowed baserunners in each of the first two innings but erased them both times with double plays induced by the sinker. After a single by C.J. Cron’s in the second inning, Webb didn’t allow another hit until an infield single in the sixth.
Webb’s use of his sinker is at an all-time, and so is its effectiveness.
Webb is throwing the pitch more than any other in his repertoire for the first time in his MLB career, 33.7% of the time, according to Statcast. This season, it moves an average of eight inches every time it leaves his hand, compared to 4.2 inches last season. And Webb has forced batters to hit the ball on the ground more than ever — over 60% of plate appearances.
His 1.53 ERA in 10 starts since May 11 is the lowest of any starting pitcher in baseball with at least nine starts in that span besides Mets ace Jacob DeGrom. Over his past two outings, Webb has struck out 17 and allowed one run over 12 innings of work.
Against his final batter of the night, Webb quickly got ahead 0-2 on a pair of sinkers to Trevor Story, then pulled the string with a slider to get him swinging for his eighth strikeout, stranding two Rockies to end the sixth.
Lamonte Wade Jr. added to the Giants MLB-leading long ball total — a three-run shot to right field — to provide insurance for Webb. But all the offense Webb needed Thursday night came on his own not-quite-long-enough ball.
The Giants had already gotten on the scoreboard with an RBI single from Curt Casali in the fourth inning when Alex Dickerson stepped in runners on second and third but first base open. The Rockies opted to intentionally walk Dickerson to bring up the pitcher, Webb, and create a force play around the bases.
Only Webb, with one hit in 23 previous at-bats this season, turned on a 1-1 fastball and gave it a ride.
The ball traveled 399 feet in the air, according to Statcast, but caromed off the very top of the wall in center field. With three tagging runners in front of him, Webb could only crack a smile when he pulled in at first base — a 399-foot RBI single.
Webb got to turn and watch a ball leave the yard on the next at-bat, when Wade cleared the bases and capped a six-run inning with a ball that easily sailed over the right-field wall.
