Giants activate Keaton Winn from 15-day IL

Winn has the numbers of a closing candidate for the Giants, but manager Tony Vitello has bypassed him for that role at every opportunity. It looks like that’s happening again here after both Erik Miller and Caleb Kilian were traded today. The Giants didn’t need a closer tonight up while 5-0 in the ninth, but we’re guessing the job is Dylan Smith’s to lose.

Single, walk, bunt single, single. That was enough to doom Kilian tonight. In total, the three hits had a combined xBA of .970. Mickey Moniak grounded through the right side of the infield to start the frame. After a walk, Jake McCarthy went to sacrifice the runners, but he wound up with a hit because Casey Schmitt was playing rather far back at third for some reason; McCarthy had already showed bunt twice in the at-bat. After that, Kyle Karros hit a ball up the middle at just 69 mph, but that was still hard enough to elude a drawn-in infield and plate two runs. Combined with his four-run outing in a loss to the A’s on June 25, this makes two really ugly lines for Kilian in the last few weeks. Still, in neither blown save was he hit very hard at all. He’ll likely remain the Giants’ closer for now, but the team does have a potential alternative with Keaton Winn back from the IL. Winn retired two of the three batters he faced tonight.

The 28-year-old righty was blasted for three runs on three hits over 2/3 of an inning during his last outing against the Nationals on Monday and it sounds like the elbow issue may have been a factor. No word yet on how long he’ll be sidelined for. Tristan Beck was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move on Sunday.

This is a big failure for Winn, who was trying for his second save of the year and instead saw his ERA jump from 2.40 to 3.23. Give the advantage back to Caleb Kilian in the San Francisco pen.

Winn, who was given a one-run lead in the top of the ninth, cost himself a win by surrendering a game-tying homer to Pete Crow-Amstrong. The Giants previously used Caleb Kilian in the bottom of the sixth today, and he got one out there and then two more in the seventh. Winn probably didn’t hurt his stock much by giving up a homer to a red-hot hitter. It was just the second he’s allowed in 29 innings this season, and his ERA stands at 2.48. He has just one save to date, but he is a candidate for more, even if he’s possibility a little behind Kilian.

Winn becomes the sixth Giants pitcher to earn a save this season, but nobody has collected more than three. Caleb Kilian is one of those relievers with three, but he would’ve been pitching for the third time in four days on Wednesday. Winn’s metrics are strong enough that he could be considered the best arm in this bullpen, but manager Tony Vitello has mixed and matched all year long.

Winn might have been left in to go for the two-inning save if the Giants didn’t score three runs in the top of the ninth, taking their lead from three runs to six. JT Brubaker went on to finish from there. Winn also threw a quick seven-pitch inning on Sunday, so the Giants will probably want to avoid him on Tuesday. Caleb Kilian should be the favorite for the save then.

He had to deal with a Luis Arraez error to start the inning, but he induced a double-play ball after the first walk and then got a flyout to end the inning. Keaton Winn again entered early today, getting three outs between the sixth and seventh. Joel Peguero might have closed if the Giants had taken a lead. He pitched a scoreless ninth and then was charged with two runs, including the automatic runner, while getting one out in the 10th. With Ryan Walker officially out of the picture, Kilian is probably the most rosterable reliever in the Giants pen right now. However, Erik Miller should also enter that mix when he comes off the IL.

Walker allowed three hits and walked one after coming on during the fifth inning. Those who picked up Caleb Killian or Keaton Winn still aren’t assured much of anything, but that Walker was used so early and fared poorly tonight bodes well for the Giants’ alternatives in the ninth.

It’s definitely encouraging how Kilian was used tonight, even if it wasn’t quite a save situation. However, his performance wasn’t great, and fellow closing candidate Keaton Winn turned in a strong seventh for his eighth hold. Ryan Walker did not appear, as it was Matt Gage who had the eighth. Kilian now possesses a 1.59 ERA, while Winn is at 2.76. Kilian will almost certainly be unavailable Saturday after throwing 35 pitches tonight, so maybe Winn or Walker will get a save chance.