Bay Bridge Series Game Wrap 3/27/2018: Giants 3 A's 0

Chris Stratton and several Giants relievers shut down the A's but the Giants got bad news about 2 more pitchers, Julian Fernandez and Mark Melancon.  Key Lines:

Joe Panik 2B- 1 for 3, 3B.  BA= .288.  Panik seems ready for a big season.

Brandon Belt 1B- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .356.  Belt seems ready for an even bigger season.

Andrew McCutchen RF- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .341.  I expect Cutch's power numbers to sag just a big, but his all-around play will still be a big upgrade.

Hunter Pence LF- 2 for 3.  BA= .314.  Pence got off to a painfully slow start to spring training, but finished strong and ended with a BA over .300.  He seems healthier than he's been for at least 3 years now.

Austin Jackson CF- 1 for 2.  BA= .310.  Jackson had a fine spring and won the starting CF job.  Duggar will start the season in Sacramento.

Chris Stratton RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 3.29.  Stratton may be the ace of the staff right now!

Josh Osich LHP- 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Osich ran the table, allowing no ER for the entire spring. We're talking 10 appearances with 10.1 IP and 15 K's.  Bochy used him in 1-out situations the last 2 appearances and he responded by getting K's both times.

Sam Dyson RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 11.25.  Not a totally convincing performance but an improvement.  He was not scored on in his last 2 appearances of the spring.

Pierce Johnson RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  With pitchers dropping like flies, Johnson just might have pitched his way onto the team.

Derek Law RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.50.  Maybe Law has a shot at a roster spot now?

Mark Melancon RHP- Now the bad news, although I must say not unexpected.  Bochy said that Melancon's arm is still sore after his last B2B appearances and my well start the season on the DL.  He will try to play catch tomorrow before a decision is finalized, but it really doesn't sound good.

Julian Fernandez RHP- He apparently felt something during his last appearance and has been diagnosed with a UCL sprain.  He will get a second opinion.  I must say, since one way for the Giants to keep him in the organization is to put him on the DL all season, the timing of this is a bit suspicious.  If he ends up getting TJ surgery, we'll know it's legit.  If not, it sure is convenient timing.

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This is just too good to pass up.  The Dodgers-Angels game was called after 5 innings due to "wet grounds".  The "wet grounds" was a flooding of the 3B dugout and some of the field due to a water main break.  Sideline reporters said it smelled like sewage.  How fitting!!!  The Latrine was flooded with sewage!  LOL!

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Fantasy Focus:  Around the League

Luke Weaver SP, Cardinals- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.55.  Breakout Candidate!

Miles Mikolas SP, Cardinals- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.76.  Returnees from Japan are always a bit of an unknown, but Mikolas has gotten stronger as spring training has progressed.

Jose Berrios SP, Twins- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.42.  Breakout Candidate!

Dan Vogelbach 1B, Mariners- 2 for 4, HR(7).  BA= .407.  It's a bit hard to take Vogelbach's spring stats seriously after last year's faceplant, but the kid has hit at every other level.

Charlie Morton SP, Astros- 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 4.91.  Last start was a stink bomb.  This one makes him look like a Cy Young candidate.

Aaron Altherr OF, Phillies- 1 for 2, HR(4).  BA= .296.  I've been beating the drum for Altherr all spring.  He played DH in this game while Nick Williams manned RF.

Josh Bell 1B, Pirates-1 for 3, HR(4).  BA= .294.  Bell had a very good season last year.  I look for incremental improvement this year.

Jake Faria SP, Rays- 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.12.  Faria has been knocked around this spring, but looked very sharp in this game.  He was not facing the Tigers best hitters, though.