Complete games are rare enough these days. But complete game shutouts are almost unheard of in this day and age. Nevertheless, Alex Cobb, the San Francisco Giants' No. 2 starter, pitched an absolute gem as he kept the Cardinals off the board for nine frames. The defense behind him was mostly spectacular, a continuation of a theme for the year: defense hasn't consistently hurt the Giants despite fears that last year's defensive struggles would carry over into 2023.
Unfortunately, Joey Bart had to come out of the game with an injury after he pulled up limping on a big double late in the game that contributed to the Giants' winning rally. It was really unfortunate timing for Bart, who seemed to finally be playing the best baseball of his major league career. He was framing well, carrying himself with genuine poise and confidence, leading the pitching staff, putting the ball in play more, having more competitive at-bats. If Bart has to miss any time at all, it's likely that Gary Sánchez will get the call from Triple-A, particularly because he can opt out of his minor league contract if he isn't in the majors by May 1.
In better injury news, Mitch Haniger and Austin Slater were finally activated and were inserted straight into the lineup. Both contributed to the Giants' win, and should help a lot as the Giants look to improve against left-handed pitching, which has somewhat unexpectedly given them fits so far in 2023. However, one of their best bats against lefties, Darin Ruf, was simultaneously put on the IL with wrist inflammation, so it was two steps foward and one step back—and that was before potentially losing Bart.
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick
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