Armed with new pitch, Giants lefty Ray looking like old self

Armed with new pitch, Giants lefty Ray looking like old self  originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SCOTTSDALE — The Giants moved Thursday’s first pitch up an hour to avoid the rain that was headed for the valley, but there was nothing that could be done about the wind. The flags were blowing straight out, which usually is a problem for pitchers. 

But Robbie Ray, who continues to work on his changeup, found that the wind was surprisingly helpful. It allowed his off-speed pitch to appear even slower than it usually does. 

“It was almost like it just never got (to the plate),” he said of the changeups he threw. 

The pitch is a new one, with a grip borrowed from American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Ray thinks it could be a game-changer in his second full season with the Giants, and right now it looks like he might have the same effect on the rotation.

Ray gave up a wind-aided homer, but otherwise was dominant against a Texas Rangers lineup that was filled with regulars. He struck out the side in the first and whiffed eight overall in 4 1/3 innings.

In three Cactus League appearances, Ray has 17 strikeouts and no walks in 9 1/3 innings. After the latest appearance, manager Bob Melvin called it a “different look” from last year.

“We’ve seen him this spring look like Robbie Ray again,” Melvin said. “Right now, his stuff looks like it did before.”

The Rangers were a particularly good test Thursday, and not just because they brought a bunch of regulars across the valley. The first eight batters in Bruce Bochy’s lineup batted right-handed, which allowed Ray to repeatedly test his changeup against the pitchers it is meant for.

“It’s just another look and something that has some arm-side movement, something I don’t normally do,” Ray said. “Everything (I threw before) is kind of hard-in to righties. You’ve seen it so far this spring, it’s been really effective getting righties off my fastball-in. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a swing-and-miss pitch, it’s just something that gets them off of my swing-and-miss pitches. I definitely think it’s going to be a big pitch for me.”

The Future

The next game day at Scottsdale Stadium will feature a doubleheader. After Saturday’s game against the Seattle Mariners, the Giants will host a Spring Breakout game, featuring many of their best prospects.

Bryce Eldridge will return from minor league camp to highlight the Giants’ prospect-filled lineup, and Carson Whisenhunt (No. 2 on their MLB Pipeline top 30) will pitch. Last year’s first-rounder, James Tibbs (No. 4), will be on the roster, along with infielder Jhonny Level (No. 5), outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 6), lefty Joe Whitman (No. 7), outfielder Rayner Arias (No. 8) and outfielder Bo Davidson (No. 9).

End Of An Era

The Giants entered the day with a Cactus League-leading 3.48 ERA, but the pitchers that followed Ray had a rough day. The 7-3 loss ended the Giants’ eight-game winning streak, although at 13-4-3 they still have the best record in the Cactus League. 

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