It hasn't always been easy for young flamethrower Camilo Doval, even with a filthy repertoire of pitches and velocity that is something of a cheat code.
Upon his arrival late last season, the young closer quickly established himself as one of the game's electric arms out of the bullpen and must-see television whenever he toes the rubber.
In Monday night's win over the San Diego Padres, the 25-year-old closed out the ninth with a jaw-dropping 102.9-mph cutter, tying former closer Brian Wilson for the fastest-recorded pitch in Giants history. Doval didn't break any records in Friday's 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Oracle Park, but he did impress manager Gabe Kapler with his pitch selection in his 16th save of the season.
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"This is the best we've seen him," Kapler told reporters postgame. "I thought the [Bryan] Reynolds at-bat was particularly special, starting him with a sinker and then executing sliders, elevating a four-seam fastball at 101 (mph) and then going right back to the slider underneath, mixing his pitches. He's going to be most effective when he's mixing the sinker, the four-seamer, and the slider rather than leaning on one offering exclusively. Camilo really stands out tonight."
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In 47 innings pitched this season, Doval has a 2.87 ERA with 59 strikeouts to 19 walks. He's blown just two saves in 18 opportunities and has continued to earn Kapler and the Giants' trust in the biggest moments.
San Francisco Giants
As the Giants continue to pursue one of the final NL Wild Card spots, they will rely on their closer to match the intensity down the stretch.