Pitcher Adrian Houser knocked out early by Rockies in Giants' 8-3 loss
The "Giants Postgame Live" crew highlight the play of pitcher Adrian Houser after San Francisco's 4-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.
Pitcher Adrian Houser knocked out early by Rockies in Giants' 8-3 loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
What was tough in this game is that the Giants got into a little bit of a hole early thanks to the start from Adrian Houser, which was his worst in a long time.
Because he's been one of the bright spots.
He had been really good in the month of May up until tonight.
Gave up two runs in the first inning, which, as Sean mentioned, 37 pitches really kind of set the tone in this game.
But eight hits, four earned runs, two walks and four Ks.
Only made it three and 2/3 innings pitched.
What was the issue for Houser tonight, Sean?
He had no feel for the fastball.
We talked about him pregame, Carolyn.
What's made him so successful in the month of May has been the sinker and the four-seamer.
The four-seamer especially in his last start, was very effective against the White Sox.
But the sinker as a whole in the month of May, hitters were nine for 58 against the sinker.
He had thrown over half of his pitches were a sinker.
He couldn't find that pitch early in the game.
He was missing very high with the fastball.
He was missing off the plate with the sinker.
He was missing down below the strike zone with all of his other stuff.
He just really couldn't find that release point early in the game.
He fell behind a lot of hitters.
He walked a couple hitters in the first inning.
He hit a batter.
And then the pitches that he had to come over the middle part of the plate got whacked.
So, like I said, the tone was set early in this game.
I said 32 pitches.
You were right.
It was 37.
It was a lot worse than that.
and then you- Sorry and then you thought, and then you thought a little bit, you know, in the second inning I think he had, what'd he have, an eight-pitch second inning?
Yep.
So you thought, "Okay, maybe, yeah, maybe he's gonna, you know, figure it out."
Well, then he backed that up with a 27-pitch third inning.
It was just one of those games where he could never get in a rhythm on the mound.
Never looked real comfortable out there.
And when he doesn't have his fastball command, he's in trouble.
He really is, because that's where he can get, even if he gives up some base hits, he can still have the ability to sink the ball and get a ground ball to get a double play.
And that's what you have to do in that ballpark.
you know, they didn't hit him extremely hard at times, but he did give up a lot of loud contact as well.
And that's as, as a result of falling behind in the count so much.
he got four outs with the fastball tonight but he gave up seven hits with the fastball.
Rockies hitters were 7 for 11 against his fastball tonight.
And that's not a great recipe s- for success if you're Adrian Houser when that's where he makes his hay is with that sinker.
It's just another head-scratcher, because his command on all of his pitches had really been good.
2.82 ERA in the month of May up until this point.
But just a really tough outing for Adrian Houser.
