PHOENIX -- Even as they find themselves in the middle of a playoff race in mid-August, the Giants haven't been afraid to lean on young starters in their rotation. A pair of 24-year-olds, Shaun Anderson and
Webb said he left 30 tickets for his friends and family, many of whom drove more than 11 hours from his hometown of Rocklin, Calif., to be in the stands for his debut.\n\n“It was awesome,” Webb said. “It was just fun to be out there. I was just excited. Those first couple of pitches, I was a little nervous. Once I got that first strike, it was fun.”\n\n
Mired in a deep slump, Belt was dropped out of the leadoff spot Thursday, but he has begun to heat up since moving to the bottom of the order, going 5-for-14 with two home runs and eight RBIs over the first three games of this series. He finished with six RBIs Saturday, matching his career high.
A fourth-round Draft pick in 2014, Webb was added to the Giants’ 40-man roster over the offseason and impressed during his first big league camp this spring. He opened the season at Double-A Richmond, but he made only five starts before drawing an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.\n\nWebb released a statement denying that he knowingly took any PEDs, and he reiterated Friday that he still isn’t sure how the substance entered his body. After his suspension was announced, Webb headed to the Giants’ Minor League complex in Scottsdale to continue throwing. He faced hitters in simulated games to stay sharp during the long layoff.\n\nHe returned from the suspension in late July, making three starts for Richmond and one for Triple-A Sacramento. Overall, he logged a 1.85 ERA over 12 Minor League appearances before receiving his first big league callup Saturday.\n\nThe D-backs inflicted their only damage against Webb in the first inning. Jarrod Dyson led off the game with a single and scored on Wilmer Flores' RBI double to put Arizona on the board. Webb rebounded by inducing a groundout from Eduardo Escobar and striking out David Peralta on a changeup, but the D-backs added another run on a throwing error by third baseman Evan Longoria.
Webb didn’t allow a run after that, gradually settling into the game and departing with a 6-2 lead.\n\n“He stayed poised out there,” Bochy said. “He gave us five solid innings. He looked good, didn’t he? He had good stuff. Good command. A nice slider going, changeup. The kid did a nice job in this ballpark for his debut.”\n\nIt’s unclear how long Webb’s initial stint in the Majors will last, as the Giants are expecting to keep