Called up on short notice, the young lefty stifled a potent Atlanta Braves lineup to secure a crucial victory and prove he can stabilize the San Francisco Giants' fluctuating rotation.
This wasn't the first time Carson Whisenhunt was called up by the San Francisco Giants, but everyone was well-aware this wasn't a permanent move.
The 25-year-old will likely be bouncing around between the majors and Triple-A, depending on when the Giants need another spot start.
In an unusual doubleheader, the team called his name and he made sure to deliver. After sporting a 5.01 ERA in five starts a year ago, Whisenhunt impressed in the 5.0 innings he threw in game two against the Atlanta Braves.
Ultimately, Whisenhunt got the win, the third in his young big league career. Sure, his ERA was a bit high last season, but in just six MLB starts he already sports a 3-1 record.
Giants Make the Most of Their 27th Man
"I thought our guys’ effort was phenomenal,” manager Tony Vitello said. “I think a lot of guys, obviously Whiz being one of them, made it a good day.”
San Francisco improved to 31-43 on the year after they resumed game one, 7-2, and dominated game two, 7-5. With the series finale ahead of them, the Giants know they'd like more consistency out of their starting rotation, something Whisenhunt was able to provide.
The lefty's final line saw him record 15 outs, even though he went back out for the sixth inning. He finished with exactly 5.0 innings pitched, allowing six hits in the process.
It wasn't completely clean as he gave up a pair of earned runs, but he didn't give up a homer, something that haunted him a year ago, including a game where he gave up three in just four innings against the Washington Nationals.
The North Carolina native struck out two batters and also walked a pair, but all-in-all, he threw 85 pitches and 51 of them were strikes.
Post-Game Comments
“It was a quick turnaround from finding out yesterday, but everything was good,” Whisenhunt said. “It was obviously not the best it could have been, but for what I had to work with there, I felt pretty solid.”
Remember, Whisenhunt didn't arrive in Atlanta until 10 a.m. the morning of the doubleheader. For him to pitch as well as he did on such short notice, that goes a long way in the organization.
Fellow youngster Bryce Eldridge chimed in, "He came in early this morning with not a lot of rest. To see him do that against the best offense in the league shows what he’s capable of.”
The Braves are no joke, so this is a huge series for the Giants to be taking with the trade deadline looming, one where many assume they're going to be extremely busy.
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