This game felt more like meaningless end-of-season than playoff atmosphere. The stands at Petco Park were way more than half-empty. The rookie SP for the Giants lasted all of 3 innings and was followed by a seemingly endless parade of relievers. The lineup had a makeshift feel to it even though I am sure Bruce Bochy would tell you he was putting the best matchups out there. Oh, and the Padres won. Key Lines:
Eduardo Nunez- 2 for 4, SB(40). BA= .288. Nunez is the one guy in the lineup who seems to be playing with some fire in his belly. Just when you thought the team might rally around him, he pulls up lame with a hammy after the SB. Yeah, that's pretty much a microcosm of the season, right there.
Buster Posey- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .288. Buster still has the ability to get a big hit as he plated 2 runs with a solid single to R-CF.
Ty Blach- 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 2.00. Believe me, this could have been a whole lot worse. The kid was obviously amped up for his first MLB start and was sailing his FB, walking batters and running up astronomical pitch counts. I liked the way he fought his way out of the jams. I was pleasantly surprised by the velocity on the FB, 90-92 MPH, the break on the slider and curve and the sink on the changeup. He didn't throw too many of those, but the few he did throw had a Noah Lowryesque quality to them. His most impressive moment came when he blew a high heater past the RH hitting Wil Myers after a 13 pitch battle. Not a great first start, but he showed enough to make me want to see more when he is less amped.
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The Mets crushed the Phillies 17-0 and now lead the Giants for the first Wild Card playoff spot by 1 game. The Giants are currently tied with the Cardinals for the second spot pending the outcome of the Cards-Cubs game tonight.
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The Giants get tomorrow off before starting the final 6 game homestand agains the Rockies first then the Dodgers for the final weekend. Matt Moore gets the start Tuesday night against rookie German Marquez.
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Bats have been packed for next year -- see you in Phoenix!
ReplyDeleteOne last thought: with the Mets and the Cards both losing Monday, the Giants remain "firmly" in the hunt although they are but 5-5 in their last ten games. In fact, the best L10 record of the 5 NL teams who haven't been eliminated from the WC is 5-5 -- NOBODY wants it!
ReplyDeleteBut ONE of the five is the only NL team that is guaranteed to go into the NLDS with "momentum" with a win in the WC!