{"id":668512,"date":"2026-04-07T14:39:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T14:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/668512\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T14:39:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T14:39:21","slug":"giants-get-blunt-tony-vitello-quote-after-painful-bullpen-collapse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/668512\/","title":{"rendered":"Giants Get Blunt Tony Vitello Quote After Painful Bullpen Collapse"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Tony\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The Yankees spoiled Tony Vitello’s debut as San Francisco Giants manager.<\/p>\n

The San Francisco Giants<\/a> dropped their seventh home game in eight tries on Monday night, falling 6-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies<\/a> at Oracle Park. The bullpen surrendered four runs in the seventh inning. A night earlier, they had given up four in the eighth.<\/p>\n

Back-to-back collapses. A 3-8 record. And a manager who had heard enough of the noise.<\/p>\n

After the game, Tony Vitello was asked about the difference between a bullpen loss and any other kind of defeat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say it\u2019s painful just to lose,\u201d Vitello said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Another Bullpen Implosion<\/p>\n

Adrian Houser<\/a> had pitched well and was sent back out to begin the seventh inning against Justin Crawford<\/a> and Trea Turner<\/a>. Both singled. Lefty Ryan Borucki<\/a> entered from the bullpen to face Kyle Schwarber<\/a> and Bryce Harper<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It did not go according to plan. Borucki walked Schwarber on four pitches. Harper pulled a fastball past Rafael Devers<\/a> to tie the game. Due to the three-batter minimum, Borucki then had to face right-handed Alec Bohm<\/a>, who doubled to give the Phillies a lead they would not relinquish.<\/p>\n

Borucki did not mince words after the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been preparing for that moment the last two days, and I knew what the pocket was going to be,\u201d Borucki said<\/a>. \u201cYou can\u2019t start by walking Schwarber on four pitches.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went further when reflecting on what the collapse meant for a pitcher who had otherwise done his job.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should have won that game, and I didn\u2019t do my part to get the job done,\u201d Borucki said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It was the kind of honest accountability that is easy to respect. It does not change the result, though.<\/p>\n

A Bullpen Without Solutions\"\"<\/p>\n

GettyManager Tony Vitello of the San Francisco Giants<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Giants did not prioritize the bullpen in the offseason, operating under the belief that a combination of returning arms and young pitchers would eventually give them reliable late-game options. That belief is being tested early.<\/p>\n

Vitello delivered a positive injury update before Monday\u2019s game, noting that right-hander Joel Peguero<\/a> has begun a rehab assignment, lefty Sam Hentges<\/a> is not far behind, Jason Foley<\/a> has advanced to bullpen sessions, and Reiver Sanmartin<\/a> has started a throwing program.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s weird to have momentum on the injury list, but it\u2019s a good group of arms,\u201d Vitello said before the game<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The problem is that none of those arms were available Monday night. And without them, the Giants are running out a bullpen that has no defined closer, no continuity in the seventh or eighth, and no margin for error against quality lineups.<\/p>\n

The Phillies closed out Monday\u2019s game with Jose Alvarado<\/a>, Brad Keller<\/a>, and Jhoan Duran<\/a>. The gap between what Philadelphia rolled out and what San Francisco has available right now is significant.<\/p>\n

What It Means for the Giants\"\"<\/p>\n

GettyLuis Arraez and manager Tony Vitello of the San Francisco Giants.<\/p>\n

The Giants are 3-8 and off to their worst home start since the opening year of Oracle Park. The bullpen is the headline concern, but the offense is not helping. San Francisco managed just two hits over the final five innings on Monday.<\/p>\n

It is a combination that makes close games nearly impossible to win. The lineup is not putting games out of reach early, and the bullpen is not holding leads late. Until one of those problems is solved, the losses will keep coming.<\/p>\n

The returning arms offer genuine hope. Peguero, Foley, and Hentges could all make a real difference when they are healthy. The question is whether the Giants can stay afloat long enough for that reinforcements to arrive.<\/p>\n

Final Word for the Giants<\/p>\n

Two painful nights. Two fourth-inning leads blown in the late innings. A manager who is not interested in splitting hairs about how they lost.<\/p>\n

The bullpen help is coming. It cannot arrive soon enough.<\/p>\n

Vitello said it best. It is painful just to lose.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tKeith Watkins<\/a> Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on SF Giants\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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