Santiago

Casilla

Casilla gave up three runs in 2 1/3 innings during his brief stint in the Oakland bullpen.

The A’s have be relying on Sacramento’s entire pen before long. Casilla, the former Jairo Garcia, had a 4.34 ERA and a 17/6 K/BB ratio in 18 2/3 innings in Triple-A. The A’s will try him in middle relief.

Casilla hadn’t been given a save situation since picking up saves on Aug. 24 and 26, but it was no fault of his own. He’s been pretty close to flawless with his 1.36 ERA this season.

After a strong debut, Garcia had struggled in his last two appearances. He’ll be back in September, but he’s hurt his chances of being included on the playoff roster, assuming that the A’s make it.

Garcia will eventually be a fixture in Oakland’s pen. He’s probably not going to be used in close games now, though.

Casilla displayed wicked movement while fanning Reds threats Zack Cozart, Drew Stubbs and Joey Votto in order on 14 total pitches (11 of which were strikes). The 31-year-old right-hander is filling in as the Giants’ closer this season while Brian Wilson recovers from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. And he’s looking like a must-own in fantasy leagues.

Casilla can’t be totally blamed for his first blown save of the season. The leadoff man, Corey Hart, got aboard on a fielding error from Connor Gillaspie. Casilla then got the next two hitters out before allowing the game-tying double to Travis Ishikawa. It’s nothing for owners to be overly alarmed about.

Casilla started the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead and allowed Jason Bay to reach on an infield single. With the left-handed Lucas Duda pinch hitting, manager Bruce Bochy turned to Lopez to face him. Lopez retired Duda and walked Kirk Nieuwenhuis before allowing a game tying single to Josh Thole. Sergio Romo eventually got out of the inning, but got into trouble of his own in the tenth before being bailed out by Clay Hensley. We still think Casilla is the first choice for saves, but it’s clear that Bochy isn’t afraid to play the matchups.

Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery, which “went as planned,” according to Giants’ trainer Dave Groeschner. It’s the second Tommy John procedure for Wilson, who will miss the rest of the season and possibly the early part of the 2013 campaign. Santiago Casilla has the edge for save opportunities in his absence.

It’s well worth noting that Casilla wasn’t reserved for a save situation tonight; manager Bruce Bochy brought him into a tie game to start the eighth. There’s no pure closer in San Francisco right now. Still, Casilla should be regarded as the favorite for saves.