CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device
SAN FRANCISCO — Johnny Cueto looked like himself.
And that’s all the San Francisco Giants could hope for on Tuesday night.
Cueto needed 69 pitches to throw five shutout innings of one-hit ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates in an outstanding 2019 season debut that keyed a 5-4 Giants win.
“I know it was a great outing and I just hope that there’s many more to come,” Cueto said through Spanish-language translator Erwin Higueros.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL in his pitching elbow last August, the right-hander returned to the mound at Oracle Park for the first time since July 28, 2018.
“It’s obviously been a long road for him to come back and he was just so happy today,” catcher Stephen Vogt said. “Before the game, during the game, after the game, you could just tell he was having fun.”
Cueto racked up four strikeouts and only allowed two baserunners against Pittsburgh, both of which reached in the third inning. The only batter who recorded a hit against Cueto, left fielder Kevin Kramer, was the last hitter he faced as Cueto won an eight-pitch battle by striking out Kramer on 3-2 changeup to close out the top of the fifth.
“I think we both kind of got that feeling and it turned into, alright we’re going to get this guy,” Vogt said. “Whatever we need to do to finish off the inning with this guy, we need to do it.”
Cueto’s battery-mate, Vogt, gave the Giants an early 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the first inning off Pirates starter Mitch Keller.
Vogt struck again the fifth, lofting a two-run home run into the right field arcade seats above the brick wall in right field to extend the Giants’ lead to 5-0. The four RBIs were Vogt’s most since he recorded five in a September 15, 2016 game while playing for the Oakland A’s.
Left-hander Andrew Suárez helped preserved the lead by escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the top of the sixth and by pitching a scoreless seventh, but fellow lefty Wandy Peralta gave up a two-run home run to Josh Bell in a four-run Pirates eighth inning to narrow Pittsburgh’s deficit.
Rookie Shaun Anderson entered with two outs in the eighth and recorded four outs to pick up the first save of his career.
“It’s awesome, closing in the big leagues, it’s a big deal,” Anderson said. “Words can’t describe it, it’s a lot of fun.”
The Giants’ 5-4 win on Tuesday marked their 34th one-run win this season, which is the most one-run wins Bochy has ever recorded in his 25-year managerial career.
Cueto received a standing ovation from the crowd at Oracle Park after an 11-pitch first inning in which he retired all three batters he faced. It didn’t take long for Cueto to look like his old self as the veteran pitcher was determined to keep hitters off balance with various windups and deliveries.
“That’s my game, every time I pitch I just want to have fun,” Cueto said.
Cueto’s fastball velocity maxed out at 93.4 miles per hour and he showed an ability to command all four of his pitches for strikes, all while shimmying and tinkering with his timing.
“He’s got an entertainment aspect to his game,” Bochy said pregame. “That’s who he is. He likes to entertain. He’s got great focus, too. What’s incredible with all of the twists and turns and quick pitches is his remarkable control.”
Cueto made six rehab starts over the last five weeks and was on pace to pitch in the majors for the first time this year at Dodger Stadium over the weekend. A bout with back tightness forced Cueto and the Giants to take a cautious approach and push his debut back, but after a solid bullpen in Los Angeles, the Giants targeted Tuesday’s game against the Pirates as Cueto’s return.
Cueto said over the weekend that he lost nearly 20 pounds during his rehab process as he worked himself into better shape. The dedication Cueto showed throughout his recovery process made quite an impression on his manager.
“You see the shape he’s gotten himself into,” Bochy said. “He’s just a very determined man to get back on the mound and get back to being the great pitcher that he is.”
The Giants were eager to see Cueto regain form as the 33-year-old has two years and more than $40 million remaining on his contract after this season. They’ll rely on Cueto to spark fan interest next year, which is clearly waning in the final days of the season.
For the second consecutive night, the Giants announced a paid crowd of fewer than 27,000 fans. Tuesday’s attendance of 26,877 featured a few dozen more fans than Monday’s crowd of 26,826, which was the fifth-smallest in Oracle Park history.
