Roupp Encouraged by Bounce-Back Outing Despite Giants’ Loss

Landen Roupp did not get the result he wanted Thursday, but the San Francisco Giants right-hander walked away from the 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians feeling encouraged by his performance.

Roupp worked into the sixth inning against a Cleveland lineup that featured an unusual number of left-handed hitters. The matchup presented a different challenge for the right-hander, forcing him to adjust his approach while trying to keep the Guardians from getting comfortable at the plate.

“This is one like that,” Roupp said. “You don't see that often, so it's kind of hard to adjust to.”

While the lineup presented a challenge, Roupp also saw an advantage in consistently facing hitters from the same side of the plate. It allowed him to establish a particular approach while focusing on executing his pitches.

The matchup also influenced his pitch selection. Roupp wanted to use his curveball less frequently while incorporating his changeup more often and making sure he could throw it for strikes.

“It definitely calls for, you know, mixing up your pitches a little bit better,” Roupp said. “Not throwing the curveball as much, and getting the changeup in there for strikes.”

The first inning did not go according to plan, but Roupp felt increasingly comfortable as the afternoon progressed. Rather than allowing the early struggles to dictate the rest of his outing, he settled into the game and continued attacking the Cleveland lineup.

“Honestly, today, I felt much better today than I have in my past four or five starts,” Roupp said.

That was perhaps the biggest positive for Roupp. Although he eventually ran into trouble in the sixth inning, he believed he was able to make the necessary adjustments and give the Giants a chance to remain competitive.

“Obviously, the first inning didn't go as I planned,” Roupp said. “But it felt nice to bounce back and get into the sixth.”

Roupp said his ability to get ahead of hitters was particularly important. When he establishes the strike zone early in counts, he believes his overall performance improves.

“I felt like I just threw strikes and got ahead and got them to hit the ball,” Roupp said.

That approach will remain a major focus for Roupp over the final five weeks of the regular season. The right-hander identified walks as one of the biggest areas he needs to improve.

“Obviously, cut down the walks,” Roupp said. “The walks are a big issue for me right now.”

For Roupp, limiting free passes goes hand in hand with getting ahead of hitters. He believes the more consistently he can work from favorable counts, the better chance he has of pitching deeper into games and helping the Giants.

“You can see it when I get ahead. I'm doing well,” Roupp said.

Rather than setting an individual statistical goal for the remainder of the season, Roupp wants to focus on helping the Giants win. That means attacking hitters, limiting unnecessary traffic and putting the team in a position to compete.

“Just, you know, helping the guys more, putting us in a situation to win,” Roupp said.

The Giants have five weeks remaining in the regular season, giving Roupp plenty of opportunities to build on Thursday's outing. The sixth inning provided a reminder that there is still work to do, but the right-hander believes the way he recovered from the first inning can serve as something to build upon.

For now, Roupp's objective is simple: throw strikes, get ahead and give San Francisco a chance.

“My main focus is just pounding the strikes zone and getting ahead of guys,” Roupp said.