Sunday, August 6, 2017

Game Wrap 8/5/2017: Giants 5 D'Backs 4

The Giants showed some fight on 1997 team reunion night overcoming a 4-0 D'Backs lead in regulation play and pushing across the winning run in the bottom of the 10'th inning.  Key Lines:

Kelby Tomlinson PH/3B- 1 for 1, BB,  BA= .268.  Kelby started the game-tying rally in the 8'th inning with yet another PH single.  He took 3'rd on Crawford's single and scored on a Buster Posey GIDP.  He also drew an intentional walk in the 10'th and was erased on Brandon Crawford's GIDP, but that play sent Denard Span to 3B to set up Jarrett Parker's game-winning hit.

Pablo Sandoval 3B- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .216.  Pablo's return was a mixed bag.  His throwing error allowed the D'Backs 3'rd run to score in the 5'th, but his double into the left-center gap started the 3-run rally in the 7'th that got the Giants back into this game.  Bruce Bochy sent Buster Posey to PH rather than let Pabs hit from the right side in the 8'th inning.  Hey!  Pabs may be hitting .216, but he's hitting .333 with a .667 SLG% as a Giant, and the BoSox are paying 97.5% of his salary!

Jarrett Parker LF- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .267.  Parker followed Sandoval's double in the 7'th inning with one of his own which he drilled off the RF wall.  His 2-out groundball in the 10'th found a seam.  It was fielded in shallow R-CF by the 2B too deep to have a chance as Span scored on the IF single.  Parker added a diving, sliding catch down the LF line that had a lot of people remembering his encounter with the LF wall that broke his clavicle back in April.  Parker showed no fear and made the highlight reel catch.

Nick Hundley C- 3 for 4.  BA= .272.  Hundley had 3 hits but did not figure into the scoring.

Chris Stratton RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 6.63.  Things did not look good when Stratton started the game by allowing a leadoff double followed by a walk, HBP, double.  He was saved by a relay throw from Parker to Crawford to the plate to nab the trailing runner on JD Martinez' double.  He then struck out Descalso to limit the damage.  After that, Stratton settled down to pitch 3 shutout innings.   He also did a nice job of limiting the damage from Pablo's throwing error by striking out Paul Goldschmidt and getting Descalso on a harmless flyball to strand 3 runners in the 5'th.

Kyle Crick RHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.60.  Crick pitched his way out of 2 jams.  After 2 singles, a Crawford throwing error and a Passed Ball put runners at 2'nd and 3'rd with 1 out and a run in, He struck out AJ Pollack and got Jake Lamb to pop out to end the D'Backs 6'th inning.  Lamb in particular has absolutely killed Giants RHP's over the years.  Then in the 7'th after both Denard Span and Hunter Pence lost JD Martinez' high fly for triple, Cricky got Descalso to pop out and Ketel Marte to fly out.  Oh, and he struck out Paul Goldschmidt to start the inning.

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Jeff Samardzija tries for a series win in the finale facing LHP Patrick Corbin.

9 comments:

  1. Crick's performance was probably the most important part of this game. The reason being that one of the things I've read over the years is when things would start to go bad with him, he'd let it get into his head. Which made his mechanics fall apart. Which made things worse. Which became a vicious cycle of losing confidence, losing his mechanics as he started rushing and, basically, ending up with him getting his *** beat...

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    1. I agree. Saw it happen in person in San Bernardino a few years ago.

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  2. With Hunter Pence's key 2-run HR, ALL the much maligned Giants' OF contributed essentials to the win.
    Stratton looked lost but fooled 'Snakes as well as fans.
    AZ stole a page from SF: RISP 2-16, 13 LOB

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    1. Our current starters -- Pence, Span & Hernandez -- have a combined fWAR of 0.5 (over 991 PAs) with Hernandez & Pence being negative fWAR and Span putting up a fairly mediocre 0.9. They deserve some 'much maligning.'

      Meanwhile Slater, Parker and Moncrief have a combined fWAR of 0.6 with a combined 140 PAs...

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    2. LOL, sometimes "feeling" are as good as statistics

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  3. So is Crick a candidate for the starting rotation next year? Gaining confidence, going multiple innings, etc.I wouldn't be surprised if they stretch him out some in spring training next year, especially in Stratton proves not to be the answer.

    Billy Baseball

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    1. I was thinking about that this morning. Do you know who Crick's recent performances remind me of, if not the personality? Brian Wilson before Bochy picked him out to be his closer, that's who!

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  4. I hope Stratton makes me eat crow.. I am absolutely happy for Crick, he might make a closer for years to come. Doc, is it my imagination, but does it seem like Pence is pulling out on some pitches when he his hitting..?

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  5. Pence is literally steppins in the bucket!

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