PHOENIX \u2014 As the Giants cling to their fading playoff hopes, they\u2019re searching for pitching help wherever they can get it.<\/p>\n
Ahead of Tuesday\u2019s quasi-bullpen game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants optioned right-hander Keaton Winn and recalled right-hander Trevor McDonald, who has yet to pitch an inning in the majors this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something you have to do,\u201d said manager Bob Melvin. \u201c(Kai-Wei) Teng pitched pretty well last night. \u2026 Just kind of blew up on us in the sixth. You know you\u2019re going to have to go through these. We\u2019ve had some games where we\u2019ve been successful with it and other ones we haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Giants\u2019 bullpen, due to both injuries and trades, has undergone significant changes over the last two months. Left-hander Erik Miller hasn\u2019t pitched since early July due to a left elbow sprain. Tyler Rogers<\/a> and Camilo Doval<\/a> were dealt at the deadline. Randy Rodr\u00edguez<\/a> will undergo Tommy John surgery at the end of September.<\/p>\n Despite all those moving parts, San Francisco\u2019s bullpen collectively still found ways to prevent runs. On Aug. 22, Rodr\u00edguez made his last relief appearance of the season. From Aug. 23 to Sept. 12, the Miller-less, Rogers-less, Doval-less, Rodr\u00edguez-less bullpen still managed to post a 2.82 ERA and 3.16 FIP<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over their last three games, San Francisco\u2019s bullpen has been shellacked. The Giants\u2019 relievers have allowed 19 earned runs over their last 14 innings, the central reason as to why the team has been outscored 31-10 over these last three games. This current unit has had spurts of success, but trying to replace four high-leverage relievers is a tall, if not impossible, task.<\/p>\n