Roupp makes case to stay in Giants' rotation with first MLB start

SAN FRANCISCO – After spending the majority of his rookie season in the Giants’ bullpen, Landen Roupp finally made his first career start in the majors on Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers.

All things considered, the young right-hander would prefer to stay in the rotation.

“It’s more of like a routine for me,” Roupp said after his outing in San Francisco’s 3-2 loss to Milwaukee at Oracle Park. “I actually get to warm up, stretch and stuff before the game. I just feel a lot more comfortable as a starter. Been a starter my whole life.”

Roupp was pressed into duty when the Giants opted to push Hayden Birdsong’s turn in the rotation back a few days.

Despite the late notice – Roupp was told on Monday that he would be starting – the 26-year-old got off to a bit of a shaky start in the first inning when he gave up hits to four of Milwaukee’s first five batters, leading to two runs.

Those were the only runs that the Brewers could get off Roupp, who calmly settled in and allowed only one runner to reach base over his final four innings on the mound.

Because the Giants once again failed to muster much offense, Roupp got tagged with the loss in spite of what was a fairly strong outing.

“I felt really good. I felt like I pounded the strike zone,” Roupp said. “The first inning I let a couple pitches leak over the zone and [Milwaukee] got some early hits. But after that, I felt like I locked in and settled in and got to it.”

That the start came on Roupp’s 26^th birthday made it even more special.

“It was a pretty good feeling,” Roupp said. “Couldn’t have a better birthday present.”

The Giants should be feeling good about Roupp, too.

During a season in which the starting rotation has been an ever-changing merry-go-round due to injuries and ineffectiveness, Roupp’s showing against the Brewers should make him a part of the conversations moving forward.

Roupp certainly is no stranger to starting. He did it in college and made 32 starts in the minors, including eight this season for Triple-A Sacramento and in the Arizona Complex League.

The control problems that plagued him as a reliever this season – at least one walk in 11 of the 19 games he pitched out of the Giants’ bullpen – were nowhere to be seen Tuesday. Roupp didn’t walk anyone and threw 47 of 68 pitches for strikes.

“Real aggressive off him in the first inning, then [he] recovered well," Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “Lot of life on his ball the entire time he was out there. Didn’t walk anybody. I thought he pitched really well.”

Roupp’s start came on the heels of what easily was his best performance to date when he pitched four scoreless innings and allowed one hit after reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell lasted only one inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 5.

As he has most of the 2024 season, Roupp relied primarily on his curve against the Brewers. He threw it 35 times, generating seven swing-and-misses.

Roupp also was effective with his sinker and changeup, the latter a pitch that he has been trying to improve.

“I think it’s just showing other pitches,” Roupp said. “My changeup’s come a long way, but really, if I have my two-seam going, the curveball plays really good off that. Just spotting both those pitches and adding the slider and four-seam next year, I think it’ll be a real good help.”

Melvin liked what he saw from Roupp against the Brewers and chalked it up to the overall evolution of Roupp as a pitcher.

“It was walks early on and getting behind in counts, and not really throwing his fastball for strikes,” Melvin explained. “Here recently he’s been doing that, which keeps everybody off his off-speed stuff. He has the repertoire, he’s been a starter before. We like him both ways, but good to see him stretched out some and give us five innings.”

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