San Francisco Giants & The Week That Was: Week Three Another Down Week
Pitcher of the Week: Jeff Samardzija
Jeff Samardzija had to wait until his fourth start as a Giant to finally make his home debut at AT&T Park, but the Shark was very comfortable playing near McCovey Cove. After starting in Milwaukee’s Miller Park, Colorado’s Coors Field, and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, Friday was Samardzija’s time to shine in front of his new fans.
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Faced with stopping a five-game losing streak, Samardzija took the ball in the Giants’ series opener with the Miami Marlins. He responded by holding the Marlins to one run and six hits over 7.2 innings, striking out five while walking none. Samardzija set the Marlins down in order four times. He threw 117 pitches on the night, the most he’s thrown without allowing a walk in his big league career. On his last pitch, he struck out J.T. Realmuto with a 94-mile-per-hour fastball and walked off the mound to a huge ovation from the hometown fans.
It’s still extremely early in his Giants’ tenure, but Samardzija has looked like a pitcher that would warrant a $90 million contract. His delivery is more crisp and repeatable, his pitches have been sharp and nasty, and he’s even helping himself out with the bat. He had three RBI on Friday, including a two-run double. Like Hank Schulman tweeted after the game, pitching coach Dave Righetti, bullpen coach Mark Gardner, and scouting director Dick Tidrow (all former long-time major league pitchers) probably had a plan for Samardzija before even putting pen to paper. That plan is working so far.
Honorable mentions can also be given to Jake Peavy (who pitched five much-improved innings on Monday and seven strong innings on Saturday night), Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, and Steven Okert (who pitched three impressive outings in mostly high-leverage spots in his first week in the major leagues).
Next: Hitter of the Week