Giants' top pitching prospect Whisenhunt hangs tough in debut

SAN FRANCISCO -- The last 48 hours were quite nerve-wracking for Carson Whisenhunt.

The Giants’ No. 3 prospect was slated to start for Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday, but he ended up being scratched at the last minute. The 24-year-old left-hander initially feared he’d been traded, though he eventually learned he was on the move for a different reason.

With the Giants in need of rotation help, Whisenhunt was called up from Triple-A Sacramento to make his Major League debut against the Pirates on Monday night. It wasn’t the smoothest start for Whisenhunt, but San Francisco’s top pitching prospect managed to settle in and deliver a solid performance in a 6-5 series-opening loss at Oracle Park.

Whisenhunt gave up four runs on five hits over five innings in his first appearance for the Giants (54-53), who have lost 10 of their last 12 games to tumble four games behind the Padres for the third National League Wild Card spot. The 2022 second-round Draft pick allowed runs in each of his first two innings, but he came back to retire 10 of the final 12 batters he faced and ended his night with three scoreless frames.

"Obviously, it’s an honor just to be able to get a chance to play in the big leagues,” Whisenhunt said. “It’s every kid’s dream. I just tried to go out there and compete and fill up the zone. Tonight, there was a little adrenaline here and there. Overthinking things a little bit, trying to do a little too much. I’ve just got to go out there and be myself.”

"Once the game started, it felt like he knew what he was doing,” manager Bob Melvin said. “You get him on the run and you score four runs in the first two innings, and then you settle down and pitch better, I think that’s a good sign. There are always probably going to be some nerves, especially this time of the season with what’s at stake for us.”

Whisenhunt walked two, struck out three and threw 85 pitches (49 strikes) before departing with the game tied at 4. He was replaced on the mound by fellow rookie Carson Seymour, who was charged with the loss after surrendering a two-run, go-ahead homer to former Giant Andrew McCutchen in the seventh inning.

The Giants came into the year with three pitching prospects named Carson, but they ended up parting with one of them after they designated right-hander Carson Ragsdale for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Whisenhunt on Monday.

Whisenhunt said he had about 8-10 friends and family members in the stands for his debut, but his dad Dennis almost didn’t make it since he was in the Philippines on a work trip. Dennis had to scramble to get on a 13-hour flight to San Francisco, though he made it to Oracle Park in time to see his son take the mound in his No. 88 jersey. Whisenhunt said he picked the number in part because it was the one his father wore when he played football.

Whisenhunt, who was brought up to fill in for the injured Landen Roupp (right elbow inflammation), is known for his plus changeup, but he hung a few early on and ended up allowing four of his five hits on the pitch. The Pirates seemed to be sitting soft at the beginning of the game, as Nick Gonzales quickly drilled one of Whisenhunt’s misplaced changeups out to left field for a two-out solo shot in the top of the first.

Still, Whisenhunt fittingly recorded his first Major League strikeout with his signature offering, getting Oneil Cruz to swing through an 82.9 mph changeup to end the inning.

Whisenhunt briefly lost the strike zone in his second, as he issued back-to-back walks to set up Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s two-out, two-run double to left-center field. Tommy Pham followed with an RBI single to extend the Pirates’ lead to 4-1, but Whisenhunt didn’t allow any more damage the rest of the way, as he decided to start throwing more fastballs to keep the Pirates off his changeup.

"It kind of seemed like they were sitting changeup early on, and we kind of wanted to flip the script a little bit,” Whisenhunt said. “I talked with [catcher Patrick Bailey]. I was like, ‘Hey, let’s go curveball if we can figure out the release point, and then stick with the heater up and out, kind of get it moving a little bit.' But the changeup was used a little bit too much, in my opinion, early on. It was also a little too firm tonight compared to what it has been, but other than that, it was quite good.”