SAN FRANCISCO -- Logan Webb's head was spinning when he arrived in Phoenix on August 17 for his MLB debut, but when he had a moment to collect his thoughts, he wondered if he would soon be on a flight back to Sacramento.
Webb had made just one Triple-A start, but he had paid enough attention to roster moves to know that the Giants were bouncing their young starters back and forth, particularly the ones with options. The front office and coaching staff had other plans.
Webb, just 22 years old, arrived and never left. He finished the year with eight straight starts in the rotation, and as the Giants look toward their future, they believe the hard-throwing right-hander with a bulldog approach on the mound can be a big part of the solution.
"He's got the equipment to be a starter in the Major Leagues and I think he's shown that," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's had some ups and downs, but he's a guy who's going to be competing for the rotation next year. It's good to give him this look."
Webb had a 5.22 ERA in seven starts as a rookie, but he finished on a high. Six days after he held the Braves to one run on two hits and struck out seven, he allowed two runs to the Dodgers, giving up six hits and striking out five. That's solid work against the two best teams in the National League.
"I definitely think you look up and down both those lineups and you get a little starstruck at times," Webb said. "These (Dodgers), one through eight in the lineup they can all be one-to-four hitters on any team. You do some good stuff out there and you definitely feel a little more confident."
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That confidence has grown by the start, with a little help from some former Giants standouts. Webb said he has talked quite often this season with Ryan Vogelsong and Matt Cain. Jeff Samardzija has been helpful, too.
The main message has been to slow things down, and Webb thought he did a good job of that against the NL's best team on an emotional weekend for the Giants. There are some things that still make his eyes pop, though.
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"I look up and there are 30,000 more people than I've ever seen before," he said, smiling.
With the way Webb has pitched the last couple times out, he should probably get used to it.
