Gabe Kapler’s first experience with MLB’s quirky new extra innings rule was one he will never forget, for all the wrong reasons.
The Giants fell apart completely in the tenth inning, giving up six runs in an eventual 12-7 loss to the Padres, with an embarrassing moment for Kapler and his new staff mixed in amid the carnage. Kapler came out to eliminate Tyler Rogers with four runs already in, but because pitching coach Andrew Bailey had just come out on the mound, Rogers was not allowed to be removed. He was called up from the shelter to face one more hitter.
The moment brought back memories of two previous mistakes, one that Kapler’s predecessor caught and one that Kapler made.
One of Bruce Bochy’s best regular season moments came in 2010 when he saw Don Mattingly turning around and returning to the mound for what counted as a second visit, prompting the umpires to eliminate Jonathan Broxton in a game that the Giants would win. One of Kapler’s lowest moments in his first stint as manager came in his first series, when he called in a reliever, Hoby Milner, who wasn’t even warming up. The umpires took pity on Milner and allowed him to pitch some pitches for his health, but Kapler reportedly received a letter from MLB for his decision that day.
Kapler came to San Francisco hoping to leave questions about bullpen management in his past, and he generally pressed the right buttons during the first six games of this season, particularly in two wins over the Dodgers over the weekend. That was not the case on Thursday, and he began his post-game press conference with an explanation.
“That was just a mental mistake on my part,” said Kapler. “I’ve been in the game for a long time and I only had a memory lapse on the bench. We were talking about a lot of different things and I showed up and went looking for it and obviously that was just a mental problem. Ruining my part. I just wanted to own That is 100 percent my responsibility. “
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Kapler also apologized to Rogers, who was the one who was left hanging. In the worst outing of his career, the right-hander had already returned to the shelter when the officials informed the Giants of the error. Rogers stood up and watched the gathering on the mound for a few seconds, then went back out for one more pitch, a pressure bump that gave the Padres their fifth run of an inning that started with a runner in second.
“Gabe is a foot guy and when he makes a mistake he will be the first to say it,” said Roger. “I told him he was fine. If he had thrown a little better, he wouldn’t have had to do that.”
Rogers had an easy ninth place, and when the game became extras, he became the first Giant to experience the runner-in-second rule, which is designed to speed up games this season that are played during a pandemic. He walked with Manny Machado on a 3-1 call and then singled out Tommy Pham that brought the runner home.
Trevor Gott was warming up, but Kapler stayed with Rogers. He punched a hitter and left two more singles, and when Austin Hedges approached the plate with no outs, Bailey came out to a meeting that allowed Rico Garcia a little more time to break free. When Bailey returned to the shelter, Hedges searched and prepared. But Kapler, who has tended to run for launch changes, left the house and walked toward the mound, pointing at Garcia with his right arm.
Because Bailey and Kapler had dated consecutively, Rogers was sent back during the commercial break.
“Gabe came and took the ball from me, so I went on the bench, that was it,” Rogers said. “They told me I had to go out again. It’s not a big deal. Just keep going.”
Rogers gave up a fifth race before leaving forever, legally, this time. Garcia finished the inning, and the Giants brought their own running back home at the bottom of the frame. But it was too little, too late, and it didn’t distract from a difficult time for a manager trying to prove that it was the right choice.
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The Giants had a solid 3-3 start as they entered the night, and eliminated a five-run deficit to send this one to the extras. However, that tenth inning was difficult to swallow, and brought back some bad memories for the new manager.
“I think the most important thing is that I only own and take responsibility,” Kapler said. “And don’t make the same mistake twice.”
