SAN FRANCISCO -- The spotlight that was shined on the club's shaky bullpen in the season-ending loss to the Chicago Cubs blinded Giants fans to a greater truth.A team that finished the second half of the season with the fourth-worst record in baseball (30-42) had many more issues than only the guys who saw 32 late-inning leads slip away in 2016.A tale of two seasons, Giants manager Bruce Bochy labeled it.Bochy might as well have called it: The end of an era.Oh, the Giants, who appeared to be the best team in baseball at the All-Star break, proudly showing off their best-in-baseball 57-33 record, have every reason to believe they will be a serious contender for a fourth title in eight seasons in 2017.They will probably just have to make that trek without several guys who earned one, two or even all three of those previous championship rings."Great season," Bochy noted after the crushing defeat in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, which ended his team's year. "I'm very proud... [More]

RHP Santiago Casilla was great in the first half of the season and awful in the second half. And as Casilla went, so went the Giants. The closer had 21 saves and a 2.86 ERA before the All-Star break, leading the Giants to the best record in baseball (57-33). But he had lost his job by the time he completed a 10-save second half with a 4.63 ERA, a slump that paralleled the Giants' 30-42 finish (fourth worst in baseball). Casilla's season-ending 3.57 ERA was his worst since 2009 and came just as his contract was expiring. Talk about poor timing.

The significance of closers in baseball is too often minimized. They are longshots to win a the Cy Young award because they throw maybe 70 innings as compared to starters, who throw more than 200. They are rarely serious candidates for an MVP award because they play in less than half a team's games. And when it comes to the Hall of Fame, few have been deemed worthy.But if any season has shown us just how important closers are -- how critical getting those last three-to-five outs are to protect a lead -- surely it is this one.Closers seem to be shaping the 2016 playoff picture more than any other factor. Take the San Francisco Giants, for example. They dipped a toe into the closer market before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. The asking prices were steep. They decided against it. Their major acquisitions were starter Matt Moore from Tampa Bay and All-Star infielder Eduardo Nunez from Minnesota.They might have done something differently if they saw what was coming.The Giants decided... [More]

RHP Santiago Casilla, who blew his ninth save of the season in Saturday's 3-2 loss, will get a "break" from his closer role. Manager Bruce Bochy mentioned RHP Derek Law and RHP Hunter Strickland as ninth-inning possibilities going forward.

RHP Santiago Casilla gave up a hit and a walk to the only two batters he faced in the ninth inning Saturday night, blowing his ninth save of the season in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The blown save was his third in two weeks, and was the Giants' 28th of the season. Casilla's nine blown saves are the most for a Giant since RHP Robb Nen had nine in 1999.

RHP Santiago Casilla failed to hold a 6-5 lead in the last of the 10th inning when he gave up a one-out, bases-empty homer to Arizona 3B Jake Lamb. Camilla has eight blown saves, the most in the NL this season. Lamb has four homers off Casilla, three this year, in eight career at-bats. "I don't know if we'll see it again," manager Bruce Bochy said when asked about the matchup. "Touch that hot stove enough. Obviously he's got his number. Hoping he makes good pitches to him and executes them." Before the game, Bochy hinted that Casilla could be taken out of the closer's role. "We're going to put who we think is the right guy from that inning who is coming up," he said.

RHP Santiago Casilla will still be used in high-leverage situations, manager Bruce Bochy said, but those could come in the eighth inning. Casilla has converted 31-of-38 save chances, the most blown saves in the National League, and has given up seven earned runs in his in last eight innings, with two blown saves in nine games. Bochy said he could use bullpen matchups when appropriate to close out games. "We're going to use everybody and put out the guy that we think is the right guy that can get us through that inning," he said.

RHP Santiago Casilla earned his 30th save Saturday against the Cubs. He has converted 18 of his past 20 save opportunities. Casilla's six blown saves are tied for third most in the majors and tied for the National League lead.

RHP Santiago Casilla pitched a 1-2-3 10th inning to preserve a 3-2 win for the Giants in Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon. Casilla needed just seven pitches to retire the Phillies. He struck out slugger Maikel Franco on three pitches for the second out.

RHP Santiago Casilla was placed on the paternity list for the weekend series as his wife is preparing to give birth to a baby girl.Casilla, as the Giants closer, has been effective with a 2.67 ERA and 14 saves in 29 appearances.

RHP Santiago Casilla, who had made three consecutive appearances in relief, was given the night off Monday. Rookie Derek Law allowed one hit in 1 1/3 innings to get the save as the Giants beat the Brewers 11-5.

RHP Santiago Casilla allowed the Braves to tie the game in the ninth. It was his fourth blown save of the year. He had converted his five previous save opportunities.

RHP Santiago Casilla registered his ninth save of the season Sunday against Arizona. But he had to pitch out of trouble, allowing a one-out walk to Yasmany Tomas and a single to Brandon Drury before getting Rickie Weeks Jr. to hit into a game-ending, and long-reviewed, double play. "He pitched himself into trouble, but he kept his poise and made a great pitch," Bochy said.

RHP Santiago Casilla apologized to manager Bruce Bochy on Friday afternoon, a day after criticizing Bochy for removing him with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth inning of 4-2 game Thursday. "He came in" to the manager's office, Bochy said. "I'm going to leave it at that. What we said is between us. It's over." Casilla was removed after a four-pitch walk to Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt loaded the bases. Casilla left the mound as Bochy walked out to remove him before Bochy told Casilla to get back on the mound before bringing in LHP Javier Lopez to face left-handed hitting Jake Lamb. Lopez got a groundout to end the game. "I understand we have an excellent option in Lopez," Casilla told reporters through an interpreter Thursday night. "But if you're going to take the ball, at least talk to me. Tell me the reason, 'You've been pitching too much.' Don't just take the ball and say nothing. It is not a kid. It is a man on the mound." Casilla shed little light on his conversation with Bochy on Friday. "Just personal," a contrite Casilla said before the game. "I'd rather not discuss it." Casilla got the final two outs for his eighth save Friday, his third game in as many days.

RHP Santiago Casilla apologized to manager Bruce Bochy on Friday afternoon after criticizing Bochy for removing him with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a 4-2 victory over Arizona on Thursday. LHP Javier Lopez preserved the win with his first save of the year. "He came in" to the manager's office, Bochy said. "I'm going to leave it at that. What we said is between us. It's over."

RHP Santiago Casilla recorded his 100th career save Monday in the Giants' 5-4 win over the Padres. Casilla had to get four outs to earn reach the milestone, just the sixth time in his career he got a save in a game he entered in the eighth inning. Casilla faced four right-handed batters and struck out two of them, running his season total to seven strikeouts in 20 at-bats against righties.

RHP Santiago Casilla worked a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his first save of the season. Casilla had 38 saves for San Francisco in 2015.

Casilla struck out two batters on his way to earning his 37th save of the year Sunday.

Casilla lowered his ERA under 3.00 with this performance and he has now recorded three saves in his past five games. He is finishing the season on a strong note and has a legitimate shot at reaching the 40-save milestone.

Casilla pitched 0.2 innings Saturday, striking out one, to record his 36th save of the season.

He continues to put up solid numbers in September, and Casilla now has a 1.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB ratio in 8.1 innings on the month while converting all five of his save opportunities.

Casilla notched his 35th save of the season in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Padres.

Casilla has converted all four of his September save opportunities, posting a 1.17 ERA over that span. It has been a rocky ride for him this season, as he saw his ERA (3.02) and WHIP (1.30) inflate to the highest levels they have been since joining the Giants in 2010. On the flip side, he also posted his highest strikeout rate (9.56 K/9) since joining the club. Despite the ups-and-downs, Casilla has been a respectable closer, converting 35-of-40 attempts while holding his job for the entire year.