Story by
Camilo Doval dominates top of Dodgers' lineup in Giants return at Oracle Park
- Story by
- Camilo Doval dominates top of Dodgers' lineup in Giants return at Oracle Park
Camilo Doval dominates top of Dodgers' lineup in Giants return at Oracle Park originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — A few weeks into his MLB career, after getting out of a jam at Petco Park, Camilo Doval returned to the Giants dugout and found that then-coach J.P. Martinez was waiting to check his pulse.
Advertisement
The Giants learned early on that Tranquilo Camilo doesn't feel pressure, and on the surface, there was none when he returned to the mound in the seventh inning Saturday. No $7 million decision is made on one inning, or because of a weekend at the end of the season, but still, Doval certainly helped his cause a bit.
When he returned to the clubhouse Friday , Doval said this is his home and he'd like to be here the rest of his career. Twenty-four hours later, he buzzed through Mookie Betts , Shohei Ohtani and Dalton Rushing .
"I just want to do what I'm capable of," Doval said after the Giants' 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers . "I know what I can do. I know the talent I have."
Doval made an MLB All-Star team in San Francisco and saved 107 games, but over the past two seasons, he has worked with four different pitching groups across three organizations. That kind of upheaval led him to attempt to change the way he pitches, but he said he returned to San Francisco with a simpler approach.
Advertisement
He doesn't want to alter anything. The plan is to trust himself and his talent, and on Saturday he went heavy on his slider while striking out all three hitters he faced.
"I told myself that back at home, I'll do what I can do," he said through interpreter Erwin Higueros.
The seventh inning Saturday certainly allowed Giants executives to dream a bit. This will not be their big bullpen move, team sources said this weekend. The plan is to still go out and find an established arm, ideally someone who can pitch the ninth next Opening Day. That would allow Doval and a returning Randy Rodriguez to serve as setup men.
There's a lot to be done before that plan comes to fruition. Doval is arbitration-eligible and the Giants must decide whether to tender him a contract — which likely would be in the $7-8 million range — or try to agree to a lesser one-year deal that's a win for both sides. They could also simply non-tender him and let him test MLB free agency for the first time, but that's unlikely.
Advertisement
Doval was eager to get on the mound this weekend and show that he should be back, and his first inning as No. 57 certainly gave the front office a bit more to think about.
"There's nothing like being back at home," Doval said. "I'm super-happy and super-thankful to get back out on that mound."
Cut Short
Matt Wilkinson pitched just three innings in his final outing of the season, and Tony Vitello said after the game that he was dealing with back tightness throughout. It popped up during Wilkinson's final pitch in the bullpen, and initially there was concern that he might not make it out of the first.
Advertisement
Wilkinson ended up going three, allowing just one run on a Betts homer. He finished his first year in the big leagues with a 3.58 ERA in eight appearances.
What's On Deck
Sunday will be all about Mike Krukow at Oracle Park, but the Giants do have nine more innings to fill, and Vitello said it will be a bullpen game. They added Seth Lonsway to the roster on Saturday to bolster the depth ahead of the final two games.
The big question is whether they'll also activate catcher Zach Morgan, who has been here on the taxi squad this week. The indication has been that Morgan will get into Sunday's game, which is the right move. He spent 10 days on the active roster earlier this year but never played, and the 26-year-old seems like a strong candidate to get caught up in the roster crunch that's coming after the MLB playoffs.
Advertisement
If and when Morgan plays, he'll become the 72nd player to see the field for the Giants this year. That will break the MLB record set by the 2025 Atlanta Braves .
