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Tidwell Strengthens Case for Giants’ 2027 Rotation Spot
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- Tidwell Strengthens Case for Giants’ 2027 Rotation Spot
Tidwell Strengthens Case for Giants’ 2027 Rotation Spot
(© Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images)
Saturday night gave San Francisco Giants starter Blade Tidwell another opportunity to strengthen his case for a place in the rotation next season.
After a rocky previous start against the Colorado Rockies on August 16, in which he allowed six runs on three hits (one home run) with five walks and a strikeout to get a no-decision in a 13-7 home loss, Tidwell responded with the best outing of his MLB career.
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The 25-year-old delivered 5.2 scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox , surrendering only three hits while striking out seven and walking two. It was a relatively short but dominant performance that initially appeared sufficient to put Tidwell in position for a victory.
Then everything changed in the ninth inning.
San Francisco carried a 2-0 advantage into the bottom of the ninth and needed only three outs to secure the win. Instead, the bullpen surrendered three runs as Boston turned what appeared to be a certain Giants victory into another painful loss.
A season to forget
The collapse continued a miserable season for San Francisco.
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The Giants are 52-78 and sit 27.5 games behind the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
San Francisco has also lost eight of its last 10 games and is only two games ahead of the Rockies for last place in the division.
The Giants have not finished last in the National League West since 2017, when they ended the season an astonishing 40 games behind the Dodgers.
Saturday should have been about Tidwell strengthening his claim to a rotation spot with a scoreless performance.
Instead, another bullpen failure became the overriding storyline.
Carson Seymour followed Tidwell with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief before the back end of the bullpen returned to its season-long problems. San Francisco recorded its 19th blown save of the year.
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Despite the brutal ending, Tidwell gave Giants fans a legitimate reason for encouragement.
Manager Tony Vitello already knows the young right-hander particularly well. Before becoming San Francisco's first-year manager, Vitello coached Tidwell at the University of Tennessee.
Tidwell believed he established control of Saturday's game immediately by striking out the side in the first inning.
According to Susan Slusser from the San Francisco Chronicle , Tidwell explained that doing so established the tone against Boston because his objective was to become the aggressor rather than allowing hitters to dictate the matchup.
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"Any time you do that, it sets the tone to the other team," Tidwell said.
"I wanted to be the aggressor, not the one on the other side of that."
Tidwell's mindset
That aggressive mentality is one of Tidwell's most important qualities.
He possesses the confidence to challenge hitters early rather than pitching cautiously, something particularly important for a young starter attempting to establish himself .
His ability to respond also stood out Saturday. A difficult outing against Colorado could have carried into his next appearance, but Tidwell instead produced his strongest MLB start.
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His familiarity with Vitello could also benefit his development. The manager already understands his personality, preparation and capabilities from their time together at Tennessee.
San Francisco's season may be slipping away, but evaluating pitchers such as Tidwell carries significant importance.
Saturday's bullpen collapse cost him the victory, but it did not erase what Tidwell accomplished or what the performance could mean for his place in the Giants' 2027 rotation .
