After Stratton Leads Way in Giants' Shutout, What Does His Future Hold?

SAN FRANCISCO - After the final out Monday night, a round table was carried into the corner of the home clubhouse at AT&T Park and surrounded by chairs. Eleven players were sitting, eating, drinking and laughing as Chris Stratton prepared to address the media. 

It was a rare sight for the Giants these days, a very rare sight. But then, so was Monday's result. Stratton led the way in a 2-0 win over the Brewers that was the first home shutout of the season and motivated the joyous post-game scene. 

The shutout was just the second of the season for the staff. Ty Blach went the distance in the other one and Stratton, a fellow rookie, did the heavy lifting Monday, throwing six strong innings before giving way to the bullpen. Matt Cain pitched the seventh, Mark Melancon pitched the eighth while going back-to-back for the first time in three months, and Sam Dyson closed it out quickly. 

There's a chance that Stratton joins that group in a few days. Johnny Cueto is scheduled to make a rehab start on Tuesday night in Sacramento and that could put him on track to return to the rotation a turn later. That would line up with Stratton's next start, but Bruce Bochy wasn't ready to kick the young righty out of the rotation, not after back-to-back scoreless starts against two of the better lineups in the league. A few days after striking out 10 Washington Nationals, Stratton cut through the Brewers. He has 12 2/3 scoreless innings over his past two appearances. 

"For how we're using him, he's really handled it well," Bochy said. "We skipped him, moved him back three or four days, but he doesn't let it faze him. This is an important time for these young players coming up, whether it's (Ryder) Jones or (Jarrett) Parker or Stratton. They're trying to show they belong in the Major Leagues.

"You're hoping these guys show they're ready to play here and we don't have to do something else because we can do it internally."

Bochy said he could use a six-man rotation when Cueto returns, or a starter could be skipped. That will all sort itself, but the manager made one thing clear. 

"We'd like to pitch him as much as we can," Bochy said of Stratton.

That's the same thing Bochy used to say of another right-hander, one he compared Stratton to before Monday's game. Bochy was asked about Yusmeiro Petit, and he smiled and fondly stated, "He was so good. So good." The Giants see some Petit in Stratton. He is unaffected by long layoffs and he's capable of starting, relieving, or even pumping his fastball up a couple ticks for short outings. 

Petit was a mainstay in San Francisco for years, a key cog in a championship team. Bochy has been looking for that piece since Petit departed in free agency, and Stratton seems like he might be suited for the role. He will want more, of course, because all pitchers do. The Giants will give him five more weeks here to try and earn that. 

For the moment, Stratton's focus is elsewhere. He turns 27 on Monday and the celebration started early. As Stratton answered questions, veterans at the table heckled him about striking out just one Brewer. 

"I left all the strikeouts in Washington, I guess," Stratton said. 

Nick Hundley walked up with a TV remote and held it up between the cameras. 

"What was your thought on the punchout?" he asked. 

"I'm glad he swung," Stratton said, smiling. "It was a ball."

"Did you think about getting any more?" Hundley asked. 

With that, he smiled and ducked back behind the cameras to return to the celebration in the corner. A few minutes later, Stratton joined him.

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