The Giants want 20-year-old left-hander Madison Bumgarner to be their No. 5 starter, but 31-year-old right-hander Todd Wellemeyer was pushing hard for the job.
One day after Bumgarner walked four batters and yielded three hits in two innings against the Mariners, Wellemeyer tossed four innings of two-hit ball against the Rockies.
"I'll say this: We'll stay open-minded," manager Bruce Bochy said.
The Giants might not need a fifth starter in early April because of off days, so Bumgarner could open the season with Class AAA Fresno. The Giants see Wellemeyer as the long reliever.
Wellemeyer had a good season in 2008 with St. Louis (13-9, 3.71 ERA) but struggled last year (7-10, 5.89 ERA).
"I'm trying to focus on getting better at pitching and not worrying...
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