It’s always a great day when the #1 pitching prospect for the San Francisco Giants makes his debut. Carson Whisenhunt might not be in the same tier as Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, or Madison Bumgarner, but since those guys have come through Oracle Park, they’re now the standard to be held to, and that’s a very good thing. Before, it was Kurt Ainsworth or Jesse Foppert pitching to a nebulous Great.
Whisenhunt will be facing a Pittsburgh Pirates squad that’s worse against left-handed pitching than even the Giants. Their 68 wRC+ on the season is 29th in MLB, behind only the Rockies (67 wRC+).