Doval reclaims closer role during Giants' bullpen shuffle

DETROIT -- A familiar face is back in the closer role for the Giants.

After the Giants fell, 4-3, to seal a sweep at the hands of the MLB-best Tigers on Wednesday afternoon, manager Bob Melvin announced that Camilo Doval will replace Ryan Walker as the club’s top ninth-inning option moving forward.

Melvin said he made the decision a couple of days ago, though the role change didn’t become immediately apparent since there wasn’t a save opportunity for the Giants (31-25) during this three-game series at Comerica Park. The new pecking order eventually came to light when Walker came out to pitch the eighth inning with the club down by one run on Wednesday.

Walker hit Wenceel Pérez to lead off the inning and then gave up a double to Zach McKinstry that put runners on second and third with one out, but he managed to strike out Trey Sweeney looking and coax a groundout from Jake Rogers to escape the jam.

While Walker has been pitching better of late, he endured a bumpy start to the season and has logged a 4.95 ERA while converting 10 of 12 save opportunities for the Giants. Doval, meanwhile, hasn’t allowed a run since April 7 and is currently riding an 18-inning scoreless streak, giving him a sparkling 1.16 ERA through his first 25 appearances this season.

Given Doval’s track record -- he was an All-Star closer in 2023 before losing the job to Walker amid a down season in 2024 -- the Giants felt it was time to make a change. Melvin said he spoke to Walker following the club’s series at Washington and said the 29-year-old right-hander took the news well.

“He’s fine,” Melvin said. “He just wants to pitch and help his team win.

“Today, he got out of a jam when he had to. Look, it can be fluid. The same thing happened last year when Doval had it and Walker took over. We’re lucky to have two guys that can close.”

Walker emerged as San Francisco’s most dominant reliever last year, when he logged a 1.91 ERA over 76 appearances, but he’s struggled with some command issues this season and is still working to regain the form he showed in 2024.

“I’ll just compete wherever they put me,” Walker said. “Camilo is absolutely unreal right now, and he was the closer before. I totally understand the move. If that’s the best position we can be in to win games, which I agree with Bob [it] probably is, then let’s do it.”

While he won’t be handling ninth-inning duties for now, Walker believes he’s trending in the right direction and has been encouraged by some of his recent results on the mound. He’s recorded a 1.50 ERA over his last six outings, which is a significant improvement from the 13.50 ERA he posted in his eight appearances before then.

“It was a rocky start, obviously,” Walker said. “I do believe with how rough I was pitching-wise, I got through it OK. I also believe I’m in a way better spot now. My last few outings have been a lot better. Way more of who I am. Just keep moving forward in that way. Obviously, there’s going to be bad outings again. But I think we’ll progress forward. I’ll just keep competing.”

Doval, 27, led the National League with 39 saves in 2023, but he was demoted from the closer role and briefly sent down to Triple-A Sacramento after struggling to a career-high 4.88 ERA over 62 appearances in '24. Despite the nightmare season, the Giants remained confident Doval could bounce back and re-establish himself as a key piece in the bullpen this season.

“It’s having confidence and being blessed by God,” Doval said in Spanish. “I never put my head down. I always kept moving forward, no matter what happened. I always said, you have to keep moving forward. Just keep doing my job and what I know how to do.

“For me, [the ninth is] a normal inning. I’m just happy that the team gives me the opportunity to pitch and be an important piece to win a game.”

The switch should only further fortify a San Francisco bullpen that leads the Majors with a 2.48 ERA this season, but the club will still have to find ways to score more runs to take some pressure off the pitching staff.

San Francisco went up, 3-0, behind an RBI double from LaMonte Wade Jr. and a two-run homer from Heliot Ramos on Wednesday, but it couldn’t hold the lead after the Tigers rallied to score four runs off starter Landen Roupp in the fifth. The Giants couldn’t add on after that, marking the 11th consecutive game in which they’ve been unable to score more than four runs.

“We’re just one hit away,” Wade said. “We’re in every ballgame. We’ve just got to keep grinding, keep running out the offense.”