Giants look to Ryan Vogelsong in another big postseason moment
SAN FRANCISCO — In 2012, they believed in Ryan Vogelsong. San Francisco Giants fans ate “rally enchiladas” because that was Vogelsong’s pregame meal. They sung the praises of “Vogey,” as he lined up alongside Timmy, Cain and Zito, pitching the Giants through the postseason.
Things are a little bit different in San Francisco now. Tim Lincecum waits for his call out of the bullpen. Matt Cain had season-ending surgery. Barry Zito is probably on a beach somewhere.
And Vogelsong’s different too. He’s something of an afterthought with Madison Bumgarner, Jake Peavy and Tim Hudson around. Yet, in a page right out of 2012’s World Series run, Vogelsong is getting the ball for the Giants in another big postseason spot.
The Giants can clinch a berth in the NLCS with a win Tuesday against the Washington Nationals. The Giants lead the series 2-1, but they’re looking to prevent a momentum shift after they literally threw away Game 3. A loss Tuesday sends the series back to D.C., where either Stephen Strasburg or Jordan Zimmermann is looming for the Nats.
Vogelsong’s 2014 numbers don’t inspire the confidence of having, say, Bumgarner on the mound. He was 8-13 with a 4.00 ERA this season — great in August (3-1, 2.29 ERA) and not so great in September (0-1, 5.40). More important than any number, if you ask Giants manager Bruce Bochy, is that Vogelsong has been here before. The postseason has served him well in the past.
“He’s a guy we have all the confidence in the world in. He’s been in this situation, and we’re very confident with him out there,” Bochy said after his team’s Game 3 loss. “Vogey is a guy that helped us in 2012 and he’s got the experience. I think he’s having an even better year than what the numbers showed. He’s got good stuff.”
Vogelsong pitched the Giants to two wins in the 2012 NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals, including staving off elimination in a Game 6 in which he threw seven innings, striking out nine and allowing just one run. He also earned a win in the World Series that followed, beating the Detroit Tigers in Game 3. His career postseason line looks a lot better than 2014’s: 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA.
There’s a chance — a good chance, in fact — that Vogelsong, 37, never puts on a Giants uniform after this postseason. He’s a free agent-to-be and seemingly an odd man out in San Francisco. So how about one last hurrah that sends the underdog Giants past the Washington Nationals and into the NLCS?
“It definitely helps being through it one time,” Vogelsong said. “I think moreso, you learn how to curb the emotions, the adrenaline. So it definitely helps, but every game is different. Every pitch is different. You can take some of the experience from before, but it comes down to making your pitches and getting the location down and making the pitch that you need to make.”
Other things are different too. Know this, Giants fans, if you’re getting into 2012 mode and prepping a pregame meal to rally Vogey, he’s switched to spaghetti these days.
Cook accordingly.
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
