By Morris Phillips
SAN FRANCISCO–The snapshot of the 2016 baseball season after 87 games will show the San Francisco Giants on top and Johnny Cueto’s handprints all over the accomplishment.
After beating the Rockies Wednesday night, 5-1, the Giants have surpassed the Cubs for the best record in either league as Cueto collected another complete game and improved his record to 13-1. As a resume for Cueto to be named the National League starter in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, the veteran pitcher couldn’t have made a better case.
“You look at his record, his numbers, what a great first half he’s had,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s obvious we’re pulling it to happen.”
“It would mean a lot because it would be the first time that I would ever pitch in an All-Star Game,” Cueto said through his interpreter. “And I want to pitch.”
But not hit, as in the Home Run Derby on Monday in San Diego. When asked about participating in that contest as Madison Bumgarner expressed interest, Cueto, possibly thinking of his 118 pitches thrown Wednesday, or his 0 for 26 hitless streak that ended on Wednesday, he quickly said, “Hell no.”
Whether Cueto surpassed his limit of energy spent against the Rockies or not, he clearly asked for this one. Cueto saw the Giants’ bullpen stain Bumgarner’s excellent effort on Tuesday and hinted that it had been a while since his last complete game effort—in May versus the Padres—a feat he might chase against the Rockies.
After throwing 110 pitches through eight innings, Bochy elected to send the $130 million free agent signee out to finish the job in the ninth. And Cueto delivered, retiring D.J. LeMahieu, Giants’ killer Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzales with just eight more pitches. As the team gathered to exchange handshakes before leaving the field, Cueto was honored as all of the team’s infielders, at Brandon Belt’s behest, tucked their caps under their left arms just as the pitcher does while leaving the mound after each inning.
The complete game win was the 16th of Cueto’s career and fourth of the season.
“I would say he seems to have an extra gear,” Buster Posey said of his battery mate. “I think he does a nice job of pacing himself at the start of the game to where he has enough in the tank to finish it off.”
The Giants won for the 37th time in their previous 52 games, enough to knock the Cubs off their perch as MLB’s team with the best record for the first time this season. The Cubs fell to the Reds on Wednesday, their 12th loss in their previous 17 games.
Posey backed Cueto with his 11th home run in the sixth. Brandon Crawford had a pair of RBI, and Brandon Belt kicked off the scoring with an RBI triple in the first. Belt’s effort no doubt supported his quest to be voted in as the final invitee for the All-Star Game, an online contest that pits him against Colorado’s Trevor Story, Pittsburgh’s Sterling Marte and two others.
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