Saturday, March 31, 2018

Game Wrap 3/31/2018: Dodgers 5 Giants 0

Reality came crashing down on the Giants as Derek Holland pitched like....Derek Holland while the lineup did not hit but the fielders did poor work.  Key Lines:

Joe Panik 2B- 2 for 5.  BA= .417.  No dingers tonight, but Panik continued his hot hitting with a pair of singles.

Buster Posey C- 2 for 3.  BA= .222.  Buster had the only XBH of the night for the Giants with a double.

Gregor Blanco CF- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .667.  Blanco had a nice night at the plate, but dropped a can of corn flyball in right CF to let in 2 unearned runs.  In Blanco's defense, McCutchen thought he was still playing CF and apparently missed Blanco's frantic calls and signals that he had it.  Cutch went behind Blanco at the last second, but the distraction probably caused Blanco's miscue.  Cutch also missed a diving catch on a flyball to RF by Chris Taylor that got by him for a triple and came home on a SF.  McCutchen was not charge with an error.  So Blanco got charged with an error while McCutchen did not, but Cutch probably cost the Giants 3 runs in this game, not that it mattered in the end.

Derek Holland LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.40.  Holland actually pitched better than this line looks.   The first inning was rough, but he only allowed 1 hit over the next 4 innings and that was Taylor's triple, which maybe should not have been a triple.  It definitely was not hit hard.

Sam Dyson RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  At this point any scoreless inning by Dyson is a good sign.  I would not trust him in a high leverage situation just yet, but progress is progress.  Hopefully this inning was something to build on.

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The Rockies topped the D'Backs 2-1 so the Giants and D'Backs remained tied for first place in the NL West, 1 game ahead of the Dodgers and Rockies.  The Padres lost again to the Brewers and on in the cellar at 0-3.

Chris Stratton tries for a series in a twilight game tomorrow with Rich Hill taking the mound for the Dodgers.  Those twilight games in Dodger Stadium are very tough for hitters.

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Rule 5 draft pick, Julian Fernandez, reportedly will indeed undergo "Tommy John" surgery for a torn UCL.  While it means the Giants will have to pay him the league minimum of $545 K, they can also keep him on the DL all season without offering him back to the Rockies.  He can then stay in the Giants organization with 3 Options as long as he remains on the 40 man roster.  If he fully recovers, the Giants will have a premium relief pitching prospect and have 3 more years to develop him.  That is well worth the investment, unless it puts them over the CBT threshold this season.

8 comments:

  1. Blanco "Error:" McCutchen was a complete **** up. It wasn't just that play. He over-ran a catchable ball (Hernandez) that lead to a run and kept an out off the scoreboard that, ultimately, lead to another run instead of stranded runner.

    Then, later, he tried to be the hero on another play and tried to make a diving catch and that lead to yet another run instead of an outfield bloop single. There was a reason he was the worst DRS CFer over the 2016 & 2017 seasons and the Pirates tried to make him a LFer.

    Worse, people give him credit for that 'almost' on the over-run. He blew it. He had the depth but blew the line. And while it was true the whole game seemed kind of sloppy (walks, three fielding errors) it doesn't excuse McCutchen who was a fielding disaster last night.

    And, no, I haven't forgotten about his good plays. But when 60% of your non-routine plays are bad ones... And you've been a bad fielder for years... And you have yet to contribute at the plate... And you did it against the Dodgers, the Sacred Enemy of all that his Holy and Right... I ain't gonna be happy or have much in the way of forgiveness.

    Holland: I agree he was better than his line. His defense kept the Dodgers in the various innings instead of getting them out of the innings.

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  2. Lets look for a strong start from Stratton and take the series.
    Gotta admit going in; I was hopeful for at least a split.

    Richard in Winnipeg

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  3. Eager to see Duggar in CF. I live in Port Townsend, WASH .... have no TV ,,, have not been to a live game in years ,,, I have to rely on reports from observers to this site as well as journalists ,,, to hear about misplays in the outfield, esp CF, I cringe ,,, I thought that was the chief reason Giants shipped Span out ...

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    1. I did too. Until I learned how to find quality streams. https://www.reddit.com/r/MLBStreams/

      I've had good luck with SportsHD and 720pstream. Just make sure you run a pop-up blocker and at least one virus checker because streamers will take advertising from anyone. And some of their advertisers are definitely sleazy. I run two of each (AdBlock Pro and UBlock).

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  4. I know the official box s ore says Blanco made an “E,” but that was on Cutch. Blanco called him off loud and clear, and in plenty of time. (Not sure Dugger makes that catch either. No one can say one way or the other.)

    Our inability to hit with RISP killed us. We’re only three games in. Hopefully we’ll get that turned around.

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    1. I don't know that Blanco is completely blameless in the drop. Based on my years of watching baseball games, I think at least 90% of the time that catch gets made in spite of the distraction. My theory is it was more the unfamiliarity of the two players with each other. If Pence had taken exactly the same path as Cutch, I'm guessing Blanco makes the catch.

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  5. I am making a comment midway thru Sun night game. Giants down 1 - 0 and the new hitters are all putting up Zeroes/

    Jackson, McCutcheoin, Longorria have not a hit between them, like 0 - 10.

    What a quandry! Would love to see Slater, Mac, and Pablo S. get their licks in at the plate.

    Some of these new guys will need to ride the pine.

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