Matt Palmer waited a long time to make his big-league debut Saturday night. Unfortunately for the Giants, it came and went too quickly.
Palmer joined the rotation as a replacement for Jonathan Sanchez, who developed a shoulder strain and was placed on the disabled list. Palmer figured he was fully prepared, having served seven years in the minors, including the past three in Triple-A.
He lasted only 21/3 innings, and the Giants were whipped 11-5 by the Braves at Turner Field. The score was that close only because the losers scored three times in the final two innings.
The Giants returned to 20 games below .500, which shouldn't be shocking when 15 players have made their big-league debuts. Palmer was the 15th, helping the Giants break a franchise record set in 1926.
The last team with 15 pre-September debuts was the 1954 Philadelphia A's.
So, yes, it's officially a youth movement, a few folks in their 30s notwithstanding, and this particular youth movement involves plenty of agony.
Palmer, a 31st-round pick in the 2002 draft, faced 18 batters, and 12 reached base: seven hits (not a single cheapie), four walks, one hit batsman. He led the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts but fanned no Braves.
He also led the PCL in walks, and it showed. Thirty-one of his 66 pitches were balls.
"I wasn't nervous, but I felt a little uncomfortable," said Palmer, adding that he thought big-league baseballs are bigger than PCL baseballs. "I'm not using anything as an excuse. Just inefficient with my pitches. I've got to use more of the plate rather than hitting edges."
Palmer, who left 27 tickets for friends and family, was promoted Thursday for a long-relief role, and his move to the rotation made Billy Sadler (31/3 innings) the long guy. Alex Hinshaw and Sadler gave up the final five runs, and Tyler Walker provided a different twist with a scoreless eighth inning.
Sanchez was coming off one of his best starts of the season, seven innings of two-run, five-hit ball in Houston, and he said his shoulder felt fine during his between-starts throwing session Thursday. But on Friday, while playing catch, he felt stiffness.
"I stopped right away," Sanchez said. "I didn't want to keep trying. I'm going to be fine. I can throw. It's not like I can't throw anymore."
Still, the Giants figured it was a red flag and shut him down, replacing him on the roster with Sergio Romo. This is Sanchez's first extended crack at starting in the big leagues, and he has thrown 135 innings, the most in his career, counting the minors. His previous high was 1252/3 in Class A in 2005.
Asked if he hit a wall, Sanchez said, "Could be possible, but I'm not sure why. I feel good. It's not like I feel tired or anything. I still have my velocity. When you get tired, you lose your velocity. In Houston, I was throwing 94 (mph). I don't think I'm getting tired."
Pitching coach Dave Righetti said the Giants eventually might have pulled back Sanchez anyway, especially because he's a strikeout pitcher.
Before the Houston game, Sanchez had a rough spell, posting a 7.96 ERA in six starts, all Giants losses. But in Houston, Sanchez seemed to have erased any doubts. He's 8-9 with a 4.53 ERA in 24 starts, and his 133 strikeouts rank 12th in the league.
Pablo Sandoval, who started at first base and finished as the catcher, collected his first three big-league hits, his first coming off Mike Hampton, who has won two games in three years, both against the Giants, both in the past 12 days.
"I feel confident at the plate," Sandoval said. "I'm trying to do the same thing I did in the minor leagues."
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