TEMPE, Ariz. — There are a selection of perks that include a job in San Francisco. Good climate. Beautiful surroundings. Ample tradition. And about as little of an opportunity of dealing with Shohei Ohtani as there will get, enjoying within the reverse league of the Angels.
So, think about being Alex Cobb, making his Giants debut Sunday, and the primary batter he has to face is none apart from Ohtani, the man who asks about world information as a result of he has a practical probability of breaking them. All of them.
Cobb is aware of this about Ohtani as a result of he was teammates with him final 12 months with the Angels — and skilled with him this offseason.
“Watching him hit a first-pitch curveball out the opposite day in a spring coaching recreation will get you slightly rattled,” stated Cobb, who goes first-pitch curveball greater than every other providing. “He’s an animal. … One more reason I went to the NL. After all I pulled him first up.”
So, Cobb didn’t really feel too unhealthy about issuing free passes to Ohtani each occasions he confronted him Sunday, whereas working into the fourth inning with out surrendering a run in his first begin of the spring. No, Cobb is extra involved that his first begin in black and orange can be one in every of solely two he makes this spring earlier than slotting in on the again finish of the Giants rotation.
Cobb used solely 40 pitches to work by an environment friendly first three innings, so he petitioned supervisor Gabe Kapler to let him again out for the fourth and recorded a fast out, giving him another probability at Ohtani. However he labored the rely full once more and laid off ball 4, prompting Kapler to make his method to the mound.
Cobb has thrown two simulated video games and plans to undergo one other at Oracle Park after his remaining spring begin, however nothing can replicate actual, stay motion.
“You'll be able to’t rent three or 4 thousand followers to pile in and watch your stay (BP). To get even the actual umpires again there, seven fielders behind you, none of that’s actually there,” Cobb stated. “Arizona has its personal challenges. You’re chewing in your tongue on the market, it’s so dry. There’s no moisture within the air, you possibly can’t actually really feel the ball. It's a must to perceive that after you get on the coasts, the ball’s going to maneuver slightly bit extra, you’re going to have a greater really feel. However I wasn’t actually proud of the way in which my changeup is transferring. Curveball did OK. However I appreciated the life on the fastball right now.”
Cobb has been hobbled by accidents since his first three years with the Rays, when he was the most effective pitchers in baseball with a 3.21 ERA in almost 500 innings. Now he’s build up his sturdiness throughout a shortened spring whereas having totaled solely 158 innings the previous three seasons. With an identical plan for different fragile starters resembling Anthony DeSclafani, the Giants are assured in his means to spherical out their beginning 5.
“We will get him to the place he must be,” Kapler stated. “We really feel quite a lot of confidence that with Alex, with our medical employees, with our pitching coaches, we're in a great place to assist him take down as many innings as potential, which we predict can be greater than he’s had the final couple years.”
With Cobb’s 3⅓ shutout innings Sunday, the Giants’ projected beginning rotation has thrown 19⅔ frames this spring and allowed solely two runs, a 0.92 ERA.
After dealing with various former teammates — none extra intimidating than Ohtani — Cobb made it clear that he would have been interested by a reunion with the Angels, who acquired his expiring contract earlier than final season. The relationships he made there in a single 12 months really feel like he’d been there for a decade, he stated. An extension would have allowed him to complete his profession with Joe Maddon, his supervisor when he broke into the massive leagues greater than a decade in the past with Tampa Bay.
As an alternative, the 34-year-old ground-ball pitcher wound up in San Francisco, enjoying for Kapler, who additionally crossed paths with Cobb in Tampa Bay, solely in the course of the twilight of his enjoying profession across the similar time Cobb was coming into the massive leagues. Different outdated connections in his new clubhouse: Bullpen and catching coach Craig Albarnaz was Cobb’s batterymate in his skilled debut, and Cobb was the pitcher on the mound for Curt Casali’s main league debut.
“I … walked right into a clubhouse I really feel like I’ve been part of for my complete profession,” Cobb stated. “It’s very arduous to enter an offseason and select what staff’s going to win all through the season, however you possibly can improve your odds. I feel in the end that was the most important (deciding issue).”
One other profit: avoiding Ohtani, a minimum of throughout most common seasons.
Cobb acquired a firsthand have a look at the Angels’ two-way phenom all final 12 months, as Ohtani slugged 46 residence runs whereas additionally posting a 3.18 ERA in 23 begins. He actually got here to concern — and respect — Ohtani after they teamed up this offseason for a couple of exercises.
Whereas they have been locked out by MLB homeowners, Cobb and Ohtani have been among the many gamers to get in exercises at Driveline’s newly opened facility in Phoenix. They shared the house a couple of occasions, Cobb stated, although he solely acquired to see Ohtani, the pitcher, in these exercises.
“Every part that he does when he trains, he desires to beat the world document in,” Cobb stated. “That’s not me exaggerating. He really asks what the world information are and he desires to beat them.”
On Sunday, Cobb confronted Ohtani, the hitter, who lately slugged a first-pitch curveball for a house run — an unnerving sight for a man who turns to his hook for his first pitch greater than a 3rd of the time. Ohtani laid off those from Cobb sufficient to attract two walks, then exchanged some jovial phrases returning to the dugout after being stranded on third base.
“He simply instructed me ‘You throw a pleasant curveball’ and I instructed him I used to be scared after seeing that,” Cobb stated. “There have been some high quality pitches that he noticed out of the hand and he took. I’d wish to get into midseason kind and check out it once more on him.”
Notable
- With Cobb and Carlos Rodón, each of the Giants’ new additions to their rotation, making their spring debuts in opposition to their former groups, it begged the query: are the Giants doing this on objective? Pure coincidence, in accordance with Kapler: “As a lot as I’d wish to say we’re lining up spring coaching begins in opposition to former groups, there’s nothing there.”
- As a participant within the thick of a battle to make the roster, Mauricio Dubon did lots to assist his case Sunday. He slugged a well-hit, two-run residence run in his first plate look, then made a diving play at second base, flipping the ball to Brandon Crawford for the out. Most of all, Kapler observed the brand new maturity proven by the babyfaced utilityman: “The mentality is totally different — noticeably totally different. It’s calmer, extra comfy, extra certain of himself in his personal pores and skin.”
- Joc Pederson and Wilmer Flores will each have bruises however nothing worse to indicate for a pair scares Sunday. Pederson took a pitch off his shoulder however remained within the recreation and got here round to attain on a single by Jason Krizan. Flores took a line drive off his glove hand whereas enjoying third base, inflicting Kapler a second of panic however no long-lasting concern.
- Reliever Tyler Rogers, who was hit by a comebacker off the bat of Joey Votto on Saturday, had his proper shin taped and bandaged. However he underwent X-rays that got here again detrimental. The most important casualty can be a couple of days of golf.