In Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tony Vitello emphasized cleaner execution and sharper fundamentals as the San Francisco Giants were swept.
The San Francisco Giants closed out their series against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a frustrating one-run defeat on Wednesday, falling 3-2 and finishing the homestand without a victory in the matchup.
Despite the loss, manager Tony Vitello believed the Giants showed signs of the blueprint they want to follow moving forward, particularly on the mound.
“We got on the scoreboard first, which is what we want,” Vitello said. “T-Mac did exactly what we’re looking for our guys to do. He was relentless in the strike zone and gave us a good opportunity to win.”
Trevor McDonald continued to impress in his latest outing, attacking hitters consistently and limiting damage throughout the afternoon. Vitello compared the young right-hander’s approach to the identity the organization wants from its pitching staff.
“He’s doing exactly what we want to do,” Vitello said. “If you got more guys than not taking that approach, it ends up being a good pitching staff.”
Base Running Mistakes Continue to Hurt Giants
While pitching kept the Giants competitive, another aggressive base-running sequence in the eighth inning proved costly.
Vitello acknowledged the club has struggled in that area throughout the season and admitted it remains something the team must continue emphasizing beyond spring training.
“I think those things need to be revisited more,” Vitello said. “Just because you do things in Spring Training, days go by. Those things need to be revisited, whether mentally or physically with reps.”
The Giants entered the inning searching for a tying run, but an aggressive send at the plate resulted in an out that stalled momentum late in the game. Vitello stopped short of criticizing the decision outright, instead describing it as a situation where results often dictate perception.
“It’s very easy to say you would like to do it the other way when the guy gets thrown out,” Vitello said. “If the throw gets away, maybe everybody’s celebrating.”
Vitello Still Believes Club Is Competing
Despite mounting losses and visible frustration, Vitello defended the team’s overall effort level following the sweep.
“The effort’s pretty damn good,” Vitello said. “I don’t think there’s a massive team adjustment that needs to be made.”
Instead, the Giants skipper pointed toward situational focus and avoiding avoidable mistakes as the biggest areas needing correction.
“We can’t afford to take a pitch or two off at this point,” Vitello said.
The Giants will now look to regroup heading into Friday when Logan Webb is expected to return to the rotation as San Francisco attempts to halt its recent slide.
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