FYI: I will be offline until at least next Thursday, June 2. Wife and I off to celebrate our 40'th Anniversary.
Friday, May 27, 2022
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Down on the Farm: 5/26/2022
AAA: Salt Lake City Bees stung the Sacramento River Cats 7-3.
Kevin Padlo 3B- 2 for 4. BA= .243.
Bryce Johnson LF- 3 for 4, HR(1), 2 SB(11). BA= .327.
Wasn't Padlo in the Giants lineup, like, yesterday, or was that the day before?
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AA: Hartford Yard Goats defeated the Richmond Flying Squirrels 7-4.
Sean Roby 3B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(10). BA= .234.
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A+: Eugene Emeralds beat the Tri-City Dust Devils 4-1.
Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 4. BA= .309.
Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 4, HR(4). BA= .216.
Ryan Murphy RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 3.27.
Mat Olsen RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K's. ERA= 3.86.
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A: Modesto Nuts crushed the San Jose Giants 9-3.
Grant McCray CF- 2 for 5. BA= .287.
Vaun Brown RF- 3 for 5, 2 2B. BA= .351.
Dilan Rosario 2B- 3 for 4. BA= .205.
Will Bednar RHP- 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 7 K's. ERA= 4.50.
Seth Lonsway LHP- 3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K's. ERA= 4.20.
Gotta hope the reason for Bednar's struggles is a serious overall of his mechanics and/or repertoire and he's just working out the kinks. If not, his struggles in a very conservative placement are concerning.
Down on the Farm: 5/25/2022
Nothing of significance to report from AAA or AA levels tonight.
A+: Spokane Indians crushed the Eugene Emeralds 10-1.
Marco Luciano SS- 1 for 2, HR(8), 2 BB. BA= .303.
Randy Rodriguez RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K's. ERA= 3.65.
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A: San Jose Giants topped the Modesto Nuts 7-6.
Vaun Brown LF- 3 for 4, 2B, 3B, BB, SB(14). BA- .342.
Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 5, 3B. BA= .273.
Adrian Sugastey C- 2 for 5, HR(3). BA- .242.
Riley Mahan 2B- 2 for 5, SB(1). BA= .400.
Victor Bericoto RF/1B- 2 for 3, 2 2B, 2 BB. BA= .252.
Grant McCray PH/CF- 1 for 1, 3B. BA= .282.
Adrian Sugastey has a 9-game hit streak going. Riley Mahan is a 26 yo, large(6'3", 220 lb) 2B former third round draft pick by the Marlins in 2017 out of Univ. of Kentucky. He bats LH. Giants just signed him out of indy ball. Welcome to Down On The Farm, Riley!
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Game Wrap 5/25/2022: Giants 9 Mets 3
The Mets Opening Day Payroll was $264 M with a CB Tax Payroll of $287 M, approximately $50 M over the threshold. Guess which team came up short on depth today? That's right, the Mets had to start a minor league pitcher named Thomas Szapucki LHP who was overmatched and gave up all 9 of the Giants runs including 4 HR's in just 1.1 IP.
Evan Longoria 3B led the Giants attack with a pair of HR's, a 3-run blast in the first inning and a solo shot in the second. Mike Yastrzemski RF and Joc Pederson LF added 2-run HR's.
Jakob Junis RHP had another solid start: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 9/4. ERA= 2.76. Although his last start against the Padres failed to meet criteria for a Quality Start, Junis has not had a bad start since replacing Anthony DeSclafani RHP in the rotation.
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The Giants take a travel day tomorrow before strarting a weekend series against the Reds in Cincinnati with Carlos Rodon LHP getting the start against TBD.
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Down on the Farm: 5/24/2022
AAA: Sacramento River Cats edged out the Salt Lake City Bees 3-2.
Isan Diaz DH- 1 for 3, HR(5). BA= .234.
Emmanuel De Jesus LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K's. ERA= 4.41.
Jake McGee LHP- 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 3.38.
Yunior Marte RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(2). ERA= 2.70.
Diaz' 3-run HR accounted for all of the Cats runs.
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AA: Hartford Yard Goats outlasted the Richmond Flying Squirrels 4-3(10 innings).
Michael Gigliotti CF- 1 for 5, HR(2). BA= .225.
Matt Frisbee RHP- 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 4.71.
Kyle Harrison LHP gets the promotion to AA. Not sure when he gets his first start at the new level.
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A+: Eugene Emeralds defeated the Tri-City Dust Devils 4-2.
Carter Aldrete 1B- 2 for 3, 2 HR(5). BA= .238.
Wil Jensen RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 2.96.
Clay Helvey RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 3.00.
Nick Avila RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 2.08.
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A: Modesto Nuts topped the San Jose Giants 3-1.
Vaun Brown LF- 1 for 3, HR(11), BB. BA= .331.
Eric Silva RHP- 4.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 4.50.
Game Wrap 5/24/2022: Giants 13 Mets 12
A huge night for Joc Pederson helped the Giants overcome another disatstrous BABIPing to put out a much-needed walk-off win.
Tommy La Stella DH- 2 for 6, HR(2). BA= .304. With all due respect to Joc Pederson, let's not forget La Stella's 3-run bomb in the 4'th inning which gave the Giants a 6-1 lead at the time. The Giants lineup against RHP's is better with La Stella in it.
Mike Yastrzemski CF- 2 for 3, 2B, 3 BB. BA= .308. 7 members of the Giants lineup had multiple hits. YtY reached base 5 times out of the 2-hole and he scored 3 times.
Joc Pederson LF- 4 for 6, 3 HR(10). BA= .255. What an explosion for Joc! He drove in 8 of the Giants 13 runs and they needed every single one of them!
Luis Gonzalez RF- 3 for 5, 2B. BA= .338. Looks like we have our FZ find of the season. LuGone looks like a keeper from here.
Logan Webb RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 6/2. ERA= 3.54. Webb left the game with what appeared to be a safe 8-2 lead. Imagine the emotional roller-coaster he was on!
Tyler Rogers RHP- 0.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 0 K. ERA= 7.41. 5 of the 7 hits were on groundballs. That is some kind of bad BABIP luck which has always been Rogers kryptonite. He depends on putting the ball on the ground and letting his fielders make the outs. That does not always happen for several reasons. The only part I don't understand is why Kap waited to lose the lead before bringing in Camilo Doval RHP, a guy who at least has a chance of getting a K or two to get out of it.
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Jake Junis RHP tries for a series win tomorrow afternoon against TBD.
Game Wrap 5/23/2022: Mets 13 Giants 3
Another day, another beatdown. This one went south in the 3'rd inning in a microcosm of how the Giants season has gone so far. Alex Cobb RHP looked great for two innings. He was getting the calls a the edge of the strike zone that Alex Wood LHP did not get on Sunday. The Giants had an early 2-run lead on Brandon Crawford's HR to CF. Then this happened: K, LD single, pop out, IF single to SS(a dribbler), IF single to P(another dribbler), ground rule double to left(Darin Ruf overran a catchable ball), HR(Pete Alonso). It didn't get ugly until the 8'th inning, but the game was essentially over.
Cobb's line for the game was 6 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 7 K, GO/AO= 5/2. Now THAT is some seriously bad BABIP luck! Don't believe it? His cumulative stat line shows an ERA of 6.25 but an FIP of 2.73 and xFIP of 2.33. BABIP= .411. Again, that is seriously bad pitching luck for a crazy long period of time: 7 starts, 31.2 IP.
The Giants issues go deeper than bad BABIP luck, though. Not saying they caused the Giants to lose the game and not saying Joey Bart C should be sent down, but a lineup with Kevin Padlo 1B batting 5'th plus Bart and Stu Fairchild CF just doesn't match up talentwise with a team like the Met, let alone the Dodger or Padres. And with Brandon Belt 1B, Curt Casali C, Lamonte Wade Jr OF and Austin Slater OF all on the IL, it's not going to get better anytime soon.
One more complaint while we're at it: With all due respect to L-R matchups, why on Earth would you PH Kevin Papierski C for Joey Bart C with 1 runner on base and a 5-2 deficit? If you think you have a chance to take the lead with one swing, which they did not, OK, send Luis Gonzalez up there and then sub in Paps to catch the rest of the game, but bringing in a guy with 3 AB's and 3 K's for his career MLB stat line just because a RHP reliever is out there at the moment? Nope, not buying it.
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Logan Webb RHP tries to turn the ship around tonight facing Chris Bassitt RHP.
Sunday, May 22, 2022
Down on the Farm: 5/22/2022
AAA: Sacramento River Cats defeated the Tacoma Rainiers 6-1.
Austin Dean RF- 2 for 3, HR(9), BA= .243.
Sean Hjelle RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K's, GO/AO= 7/1. ERA= 6.00.
Strong start for Sean Hjelle after two weaker ones. Jason Vosler 1B and Stu Fairchild LF added 3-run and solo HR's respectively.
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AA: Altoona Curve crushed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 19-8.
Shane Matheny 3B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(6), BB. BA= .297.
Brett Auerbach CF/2B- 1 for 5, HR(5). BA= .216.
Frankie Tostado 1B- 2 for 5, 2B. BA= .326.
Brandon Martorano C- 1 for 4, HR(6), BB. BA= .228.
Is Shane Matheny suddenly a prospect? His career BA is .229 but his slash line this season in the toughest hitting environment in the Giants system is .297/.408/.545. Needless to say, there were not outstanding pitching lines to report.
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A+: Spokane Indians outscored the Eugene Emeralds 9-7.
Ghordy Santos CF- 2 for 5, 2B. BA= .287.
Hunter Bishop DH- 3 for 3, HR(4), 2 BB. BA= .200.
Jairo Pomares LF- 3 for 4, 2 HR(5), BB. BA= .228.
Jimmy Glowenke 2B- 2 for 4, 2B(5). BA= .195.
Nice game for two prospects who have struggled. Bishop has a 5-game hit streak going with 3 of those being multi-hit games. He is 9 for 20 in that run with 4 XBH's.
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A: Inland Empire 66'er's came from behind to top the San Jose Giants 7-5.
Matt Mikulski LHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 5.16.
Mikulski was a bit more effective this game than in game 1 of the series but 3 BB's in 4 IP is still a lot.
Game Wrap 5/22/2022: Padres 10 Giants 1
The Padres dominated the Giants in all phases of the game whose outcome was never really in doubt.
Alex Wood LHP had a couple of pitches on the edge of the strike zone called balls early in the first inning. He didn't show much emotion over it but it got Kruk and Kuip's attention and it seemed to affect Wood's confidence and command of his pitches. That is no good when you are facing Manny Machado 3B who seems to have found another gear and is the current frontrunner for NL MVP.
Machado savaged Wood and the Giants relievers for 3 doubles and a triple plus an IBB in 5 PA's.
A few years ago, Mackenzie Gore was widely considered the top pitching prospect in baseball. He struggled at higher levels though still young and his stock fell off a cliff. Now all of a sudden he's in the big leagues and looking like an emerging ace. After shutting down the Giants today his line stands at 3-1, 2.06, 35 IP, 11 BB, 38 K's. He backed up a 96 MPH FB with effective secondary pitches and a deceptive arm angle.
The Padres are showing how much difference a seasoned, knowledgeable Manager can make to a team. This is essentially the same Padres team that everybody thought would be the one to challenge the Dodgers last season. Except last season they had an untested manager who seemed to lose the confidence and control of the team and the negatives snowballed. With Bob Melvin standing on the dugout steps, they are doing when they were expected to do last year. I would say the biggest factor in their collapse last year and their success this year is management of the pitching staff which is like night and day.
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It doesn't get any easier with the Padres leaving town as the Mets move in with Alex Cobb RHP trying to stop the bleeding facing David Peterson LHP.
Down on the Farm: 5/21/2022
AAA: Tacoma Rainiers held off the Sacramento River Cats 10-6.
Donovan Walton LF/SS- 2 for 5, HR(2). BA= .279.
David Villar 3B- 1 for 3, HR(14), 2 BB. BA= .307.
Kevin Padlo DH- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .234.
Ricardo Genoves C- 2 for 4. BA= .258.
The Rainiers raced out to a 5-0 lead through 5 innings and 9-1 through 8. Daniel Ponce De Leon RHP, the third Rainiers SP in a row with significant MLB experience, struck out the first 9 batters he faced. His no-hit bid was broken up by a Kevin Padlo single in the 5'th inning. Nick Margevicius LHP, another Rainiers pitcher with significant MLB experience, gave up 5 runs in the 8'th inning to make the final score closer the game. Let's check in on David Villar's secondary stats try to read the tea leaves:
Slash Line: .306/.419/.677. Excellent, of course.
BB%: 13.5. Also excellent and why he has a OBP of .419.
K%: 27.0%. Not so good but at least it's under 30%. Giants current organizational philosophy is they are willing to give up K's for HR's, so batters aren't protecting the plate with 2 strikes.
BABIP: .352. That's high and one we would generally expect to regress with time, but Villar's lowest BABIP as a pro is .338 in 2018 short season ball the year he was drafted.
GB/FB: .83. Villar has a strong flyball tendency which gives him more HR opportunities. Add in a LD% of 22.9.
Verdict: It all looks sustainable at this level and probably projectable to higher levels after the requisite adjustment period.
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AA: Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Altoona Curve 5-3.
Bryan Brickhouse RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 5.70.
R. J. Dabovich RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K. ERA= 3.77.
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A+: Spokane Indians pounded the Eugene Emeralds 9-4.
Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 5, 2 2B. BA= .312.
Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 5, 2B. BA= .340.
Jairo Pomares LF- 1 for 2, 2B, 2 BB. BA= .205.
Jimmy Glowenke 2B- 1 for 4, HR(4). BA= .181.
Glowenke's HR was a grand slam to give the Ems all 4 of their runs.
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A: Inland Empire 66'ers shut out the San Jose Giants 3-0.
Victor Bericoto RF- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .242.
Garrett Frechette 1B- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .222.
Mason Black RHP- 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's, GO/AO= 5/0. ERA= 1.57.
Giants third round draft pick from last year, Mason Black, seems to be the most consistent SP for the SJ Giants and the most ready for an early promotion.
Saturday, May 21, 2022
Game Wrap 5/21/2022: Padres 2 Giants 1
The Giants lineup once again failed to get the big hits they needed to support a Quality Start by Carlos Rodon LHP.
Carlos Rodon LHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 6 K. ERA= 3.43. Can't really say this had anything to with the runs Rodon gave up later but he should have been out of the first inning on 10 pitches when Darin Ruf 1B muffed an easy groundball out when he appeared to take his eye off the ball to see where first base was. Rodon walked the next two batters before getting the final out on a flyball to RF turning a breezy first inning into a high stress inning. It just seemed like he was pitching uphill the rest of the game.
The Giants had 9 runners reach base with Wilmer Flores DH HR their only run of the game. They were 0 for 5 with RISP and left a total of 15 runners on base.
Brandon Belt 1B was a late scratch due to knee soreness and the Giants offense always seems to struggle more then The Belter is out.
Curt Casali C went on the concussion IL so the Giants called up Mike Papierski C to take his place on the roster. Luke Williams UT got washed down The Churn to make room for Papierski on the 40-man roster. Papierski started the game, his first MLB appearance. How many of those have we seen this season already? Last 3 seasons?
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Alex Wood LHP tries to salvage the final game of the series and stop a losing streak tomorrow afternoon facing Mackenzie Gore LHP.
Down on the Farm: 5/20/2022
AAA: Tacoma Rainiers blanked the Sacramento River Cats 2-0.
Tristan Beck RHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 7/2. ERA= 9.68.
Jake McGee LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00.
McGee looks great against AAA batters. Hopefully he found something to bring back against MLB hitters.
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AA: Altoona Curve blasted the Richmond Flying Squirrels 12-4.
Armani Smith LF- 2 for 4. BA= .400.
Smith's transition to AA seems to be going smoothly in a small sample. Not much else going on to speak of in this one.
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A+: Spokane Indians topped the Eugene Emeralds 4-3.
Ghordy Santos RF- 2 for 5, 2B. BA= .286.
Hunter Bishop CF- 1 for 5, 3B. BA= .176.
Marco Luciano DH- 2 for 4, HR(7). BA= .308.
Patrick Bailey C- 3 for 4. BA= .221.
Kyle Harrison LHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K's. ERA= 1.55.
Juan Sanchez LHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 5.65.
Patrick Bailey his hitting .313 in May so far.
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A: San Jose Giants held off the Inland Empire 66'ers 7-6.
Grant McCray CF- 0 for 3, 2 BB. BA= .305.
Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(3). BA= .278.
Adrian Sugastey C- 1 for 3, 2 BB. BA= .235.
Yorlis Rodriguez 3B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB. BA= .307.
Victor Bericoto RF- 2 for 5, 2B. BA= .233.
Will Bednar RHP- 3.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 3.58.
Esmerlin Vinicio LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 4.50.
I attended this game, at least through 5 innings. There were a total of 19 BB's issued in the game which was too much for the pitch clock to overcome. Add in a total of 5 errors and it just wasn't a clean game to watch. Will Bednar seemed to have better command of his pitches than prior lines would tend to indicate. He likes to throw his FB up in the zone and tends to miss high. FB velocity readings on the stadium gun ranged from 91-94 mph after the first inning when the fastest pitch I saw was 91 MPH. Bednar looked surprised when he was lifted in the middle of the fourth inning but it seemed like it was a pitch count thing. He clearly asked why he was coming out but nodded and smiled at the answer.
Game Wrap 5/20/2022: Padres 8 Giants 7
The Giants fought back from two deficits to tie the game but the third time was not a charm as they fell short in the 10'th inning.
Darin Ruf LF/1B- 2 for 3, 2 HR(3), 2 BB. BA= .250. What a difference a month makes! Ruf's BA hit bottom at .149 on April 29. He went 3 for 5 the next day and his slash line for May is .378/.508/.644.
Thairo Estrada 2B- 2 for 5, 2B. This as Estrada's fourth multi-hit game in a row. He must not be hitting in a prime spot in the lineup as he did not figure in the scoring of this game and has only scored two and driven in 2 despite 9 hits including 3 doubles in the multi-hit streak.
Jakob Junis RHP- 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, GO/AO= 7/3. ERA= 2.70. Padres did all their damage to Junis in the 3'rd inning. The Padres stole two bases off Junis and Curt Casali C and later stole a base off Tyler Rogers RHP and Casali. It appears from the Plays list that none of the SB's figured in the scoring, but it's something to watch going forward. I was a the SJ Giants game in San Bernardino so didn't see them but a friend texted me. It seemed like he thought the SB's were more on the pitchers. Casali later came out of the game with vision issues after being struck on the face mask by a foul tip.
There was a bit of ugliness involving Padres LF Jurickson Profar. It seemed to start when he tossed a ball into the stands trying to get it to a Padres fan. A Giants fan got it instead and threw it back onto the field, kind of like throwing HR balls by opposing team back. But later, another ball was thrown onto the field behind Profar and a beer bottle was also thrown during a play, though reportedly not close to Profar. Just a reminder that while throwing solid objects onto the field or in the stands may be a time-honored fan activity, it is dangerous and ruins the experience for fans who just want to enjoy watching the game.
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Carlos Rodon LHP tries to be the stopper for the Giants this afternoon facing Joe Musgrove RHP.
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Lamonte Wade Jr OF went back on the IL prior to the game with recurrent knee inflammation which is reportedly stemming from a bone bruise. Luis Gonzalez OF/LHP was recalled from AAA Sacramento and went 1 for 5, 2B in the game. It's a frustrating situation for Wade Jr, but FZ's obsession with depth pays off again.
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Down on the Farm: 5/19/2022
AAA: Tacoma Rainiers buried the Sacramento River Cats 11-0.
Emmanuel DeJesus LHP- 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K's. ERA= 4.85.
The Cats managed just 3 hits. Remember Tommy Milone LHP? He's 35 yo and started the game for the Rainiers allowing just 1 hit in 5 innings of work.
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AA: Richmond Flying Squirrels edged out the Altoona Curve 5-4.
Shane Matheny CF- 1 for 3, 2 BB. BA= .289.
Brett Auerbach C- 1 for 3, 2 BB. BA= .218.
Simon Whiteman 2B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB, SB(4). BA= .172.
Jake Dahlberg LHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 9 K's. ERA= 3.98.
Taylor Rashi RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K. ERA= 1.17.
R. J. Dabovich RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 4.05.
Is Shane Matheny a utility prospect? He's played 2B, 3B, SS and CF approximately the same number of innings this season. Brett Auerbach has struggled at the plate after a hot start.
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A+: Eugene Emeralds topped the Spokane Indians 6-5.
Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 5, HR(6). BA= .300.
Hunter Bishop CF- 2 for 4, 2 2B, SB(7). BA= .175.
Carter Aldrete 1B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(3). BA= .239.
Randy Rodriguez RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 7 K's. ERA= 4.35.
Nick Avila RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, Save(6). ERA= 2.25.
Luciano homered in consecutive games. Hunter Bishop has consecutive multi-hit games and his batting .313 over his last 8 games.
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A: San Jose Giants pounded the Inland Empire 66'ers 9-3.
Grant McCray CF- 1 for 5, 2B. BA= .313.
Vaun Brown LF- 4 for 5. BA= .336.
Victor Bericoto 1B- 2 for 5. BA= .226.
Yorlis Rodriguez 2B/3B- 2 for 5. BA= .300.
Najee Gaskins RF- 3 for 4, SB(3). BA= .308.
Keaton Winn RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K's. ERA= 5.23.
McCray's double to lead off the game was the Giants only XBH. The Giants were helped by 6 IE errors in the game.
Down on the Farm: 5/18/2022
AAA: Sacramento River Cats shut out the Tacoma Rainiers 5-0.
Luis Gonzalez RF- 1 for 3, HR(4), BB. BA= .286.
David Villar 3B- 2 for 4, HR(13). BA= .308.
Raynel Espinal RHP- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 2.70.
Jake McGee LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 0.00.
Sam Long LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 7.20.
I guess Jake McGee's back is better. But seriously, getting McGee back to form would be a big boost to the Giants postseason hopes. I hope Raynel Espinal gets a shot in The Show before the season is over. Love what I've seen from him so far. And I think we are all rooting for Luis Gonzalez to make it back to SF and soon.
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AA: Altoona Curve outscored the Richmond Flying Squirrels 7-5:
Frankie Tostado 1B- 2 for 5, HR(5). BA= .336.
Brandon Martorano C- 3 for 5, 2B, 3B. BA= .225.
Shane Matheny 3B- 3 for 4. BA= .287.
Chris Wright LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. ERA= 1.72.
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A+: Spokane Indians came from behind in the 9'th inning to top the Eugene Emeralds 9-8:
Marco Luciano SS- 1 for 5, HR(5). BA= .295.
Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 4, HR(7). BA= .329.
Hunter Bishop CF- 2 for 3, BB, SB(6). BA= .161.
Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 3, HR(3), SF. BA= .203.
Patrick Bailey is slashing .292/.357/.542 in the month of May so far.
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A: San Jose Giants crushed the Inland Empire 66'ers 15-4:
Grant McCray CF- 2 for 6, 2B, 3B, SB(8). BA= .318.
Aeverson Arteaga SS- 4 for 5, BB. BA= .276.
Garrett Frechette 1B- 1 for 5, HR(2), BB. BA= .220.
Yorlis Rodriguez 3B- 3 for 5, HR(4). BA= .295.
Rayner Santana DH- 3 for 4, BB. BA= .213.
Eric Silva RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 4.63.
Manuel Mercedes RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, Save(1). ERA= 5.89.
McCray continues to show off multiple tools and skills. He is hitting .418 in May with 9 multi-hit games. Arteaga is 8 for 15 over his last 3 games. I kind of forgot about Yorlis Rodriguez but once upon a time he looked like a good prospect in the DSL.
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Game Wrap 5/18/2022: Rockies 5 Giants 3
I don't think I would make a good starting pitcher. No, I don't mean because I have a wet noodle for a right arm, which I do. I mean in temperment. I don't think I could handle pitching my butt off for 7 innings just to see it all go for naught in the end, doesn't matter how. There are many ways it can happen. That pretty much sums up Logan Webb RHP's day as he kept the Rockies at bay in Coors Field for 7 full innings before allowing a leadoff baserunner in the 8'th who eventually scored the tying run with the bullpen allowing two more runs in a frustrating late-inning loss.
Thairo Estrada 2B- 3 for 3, 2 2B, BB, SB(6). BA= .271. Estrada is 7 for 11 over his last 3 games and is slashing .321/.344/.411 as he makes his case to keep his full time starting job at 2B.
Mike Yastrzemski RF- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .290. YtY remains red hot. He and Estrada combined to reach base 6 times in 8 PA's out of the 7 and 9 holes. Unfortunately Joey Bart C went 0 for 4 out of the 8 hole with 3 K's and 7 LOB. Ouch!
Logan Webb RHP- 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 11/2. ERA= 3.54. Just thought I'd post his line. If he keeps pitching like this, the Giants should win a lot of games behind him.
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The Giants return home to a day off tomorrow before starting a weekend series against the Padres with Jakob Junis RHP facing Sean Manaea LHP in game 1 Friday.
Down on the Farm: 5/17/2022
AAA: Tacoma Rainiers defeated the Sacramento River Cats 8-3.
Heliot Ramos RF- 1 for 4, SB(2). BA= .195.
Kevin Padlo 1B- 1 for 4, HR(8). BA= .240.
Sean Hjelle RHP- 5.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 7/2. ERA= 6.97.
Funny how often minor league results mirror majors. Hjelle was great for 4 innings then gave up 3 runs in the 5'th and another 2 in the 6'th before being lifted.
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AA: Altoona Curve crushed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 12-2.
Michael Gigliotti CF- 2 for 4, SB(9), BB. BA= .236.
Brandon Martorano C- 2 for 3, 2B, BB. BA= .202.
Armani Smith LF- 1 for 4. BA= .143.
Armani Smith started the season red hot in A+ Eugene, but his BA dropped to .233 there before his promotion to Richmond. Not sure a .233 BA in Eugene is indicative of being ready for Richmond and the AA EL.
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A+: Spokane Indians edged out the Eugene Emeralds 1-0(10 innings).
Nick Swiney LHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 3.80.
Ty Weber RHP- 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, GO/AO= 8/3. ERA= 3.33.
Maybe it's the rainy weather and lots of postponed and cancelled games but hitting has been a increasing struggle for the Ems.
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A: Inland Empire 66'ers outscored the San Jose Giants 11-8:
Grant McCray CF- 2 for 5, 3B. BA= .317.
Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 5, HR(5). BA= .254.
Vaun Brown DH- 2 for 4, 2 SB(12). BA= .328.
Andre Sugastey C- 2 for 3, HR(2). BA= .231.
Yorlis Rodriguez 3B- 2 for 4, 2 HR(3). BA= .280.
Matt Mikulski LHP- 3 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 5.96.
Jose Cruz RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.48.
Trevor McDonald RHP- 4 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 9 K's. ERA= 2.70.
I attended this game. Here are some of my impressions:
Grant McCray looked very fast running out the triple. He made a terrible throw from CF which left the impression he may not have the strongest arm in the OF.
Aeverson Arteaga is on the small side but packs a punch at the plate. Didn't get to see him make many plays at SS.
Vaun Brown has great size for a guy who can move that fast. The top 3 hitters in the Giants lineup, McCray, Arteaga and Brown had 2 hits each with a cumulative 3B, HR and 2 SB.
Mikulski had a disappointing start. FB topped out at 90 MPH. Seemed to throw a lot of breaking pitches, curves, sliders, cutters. Struggled with command.
Jose Cruz was painting the corners with 98 MPH heat and inducing swings and misses on sliders out of the zone.
Trevor McDonald looked like his pitching line. Great stuff with a FB that sat 93-95 MPH and a sharp breaking ball but got knocked around for reasons that were not entirely clear. Maybe the FB is a bit on the straight side?
I absolutely LOVE the new strict pace-of-play rules in the minor leagues. They cannot get to MLB fast enough! Even though there were a total of 19 runs scored in this game, it was played in 2 hours and 30 min. Started at 7 and I got to see the whole game without worrying about how tired I'd be at work tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Game Wrap 5/17/2022: Giants 10 Rockies 7
The Giants built a 10-2 lead then hung on to win a Coors Field Special.
Tommy La Stella DH- 3 for 5, 2 2B, HR(1), BB. BA= .500. Can't ask for much more out of the leadoff spot. Giants lineup is undeniably better against RHP's with La Stella in it. sfgiants.com says the HR travelled 464 feet. That's like Barry Bonds distance even in Coors Field!
Mike Yastrzemski CF/RF- 3 for 4, 2 2B, BB. BA= .281. YtY is 4 for 8 with 2 doubles and a HR in his last two games. He's slashing .261/.400/.565 over his last 7 games but .320/.410/.520 over his last 15.
Darin Ruf LF- 2 for 3, 2B, 2 BB. BA= .246. Ruf stays hot, hitting .533 over his last 7 games and .409 over his last 15.
Brandon Crawford SS- 3 for 5, 3B. BA= .220. Maybe this is the game Crawford gets his bat going?
Thairo Estrada 2B- 2 for 5. BA= .254. Estrada keeps making the case to stay in the lineup every day. He's hitting .321 over his last 7 games.
Alex Cobb RHP- 5.1 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 10/0. ERA= 5.61. Cobb was terrific for 5 innings then the roof collapsed in the 6'th. We'll chalk it up to Coors Field.
Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, Save(7). ERA= 2.30. Doval seems to be settling into the Closer role which is a very good thing for the Giants.. and us!
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Logan Webb RHP goes for the sweeeep tomorrow afternoon facing Kyle Freeland LHP.
Monday, May 16, 2022
Game Wrap 5/16/2022: Giants 7 Rockies 6
Mike Yastrzemski CF/RF hit a game winning solo HR in the top of the ninth inning and Camilo Doval RHP held shut the door on the Rockies for his 6'th Save.
Curt Casali C- 3 for 4, 2 HR. BA= .298. Casali and YtY were the hitting heroes of the game combining for 6 RBI's. Casali got his on a pair of HR's, a solo shot off Ty Blach LHP in the third inning and a 3-run blast in the 5'th. He added a single and came around to score on a SF. Casali hit just .167 in April but is 9 for 17 in May with 3 HR, 5 BB and just 2 K's.
Thairo Estrada 2B/LF- 2 for 3, BB. BA= .248. Tommy La Stella started the game as the DH which allowed Estrada to be the starting 2B. He reached base 3 times and scored a run.
Darin Ruf PH/DH- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .235. Ruf replaced La Stella as DH after Antonio Senzatela RHP left the game after straining his lower back warming up for the 3'rd inning which brought in former Giant Ty Blach LHP. BTW, not sure Casali hits those two HR's had Senzatela not gotten hurt. Anyway, Ruf is another Giant whose numbers are rebounding in May, .361/.477/.500. Ruf seems to be hitting to the oppo field a lot and it's paying off.
Alex Wood LHP- 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K's, GO/AO= 7/0. ERA= 3.93. That's a Coors Field line there. Wood actually pitched pretty well.
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Alex Cobb RHP tries to clinch a series win tomorrow evening facing Chad Kuhl RHP.
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The Giants felt they needed a full complement of 13 pitchers for the Coors Field series so optioned Luis Gonzalez OF to make room on the active roster for Tommy La Stella. That's understandable but also understandably not a popular move with the fanbase as Gonzalez hit well and played with enthusiasm. Gotta think he'll be back. The Giants also needed space on the 40-man roster for La Stella to come off the 60-day IL. Rather than DFA'ing anyone, the Giants placed Anthony DeSclafani RHP on the 60-day IL. Word is this is not a setback for DeSclafani but rather the Giants want him to take his time ramping up. The way Jakob Junis RHP has been pitching, that's understandable too. But in fairness, it's always been FZ's and Kap's philosophy to not rush players back from injuries. That's why they obsess over depth.
Down on the Farm: 5/15/2022
AAA: Sacramento River Cats outscored the El Paso Chihuahuas 11-8.
Tommy La Stella DH- 2 for 2, 2B. BA= .310.
Heliot Ramos CF- 1 for 5, HR(3). BA= .193.
Isan Diaz 2B- 2 for 5, 2 HR(4). BA= .281.
Austin Dean RF- 3 for 5, 3 HR(8). BA= .240.
Michael Plassmeyer LHP- 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 7 K, GO/AO= 4/0. ERA= 5.80.
That's not a bad pitching line for Plassmeyer considering the environment. The River Cats split the 6 game series in El Paso in which the two teams scored a combined total of 114 runs. The Cats play their next 12 games in Sacramento. Oh, gotta think Tommy La Stella gets activated for tonight's game against the Rockies.
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AA: Harrisburg Senators crushed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 12-1.
Nothing significant to report here.
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A+: Eugene Emeralds blanked the Vancouver Canadians 10-0.
Ghordy Santos SS- 3 for 5, 2 SB(5). BA= .295.
Patrick Bailey C- 3 for 4, 2B. BA= .210.
Carter Williams RF- 1 for 4, HR(1). BA= .286.
Jimmy Glowenke 2B- 1 for 4, HR(3). BA= .191.
Ryan Murphy RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K's. ERA= 0.00.
Jake Wong RHP- 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 3.72.
Ryan Murphy comes off the IL and picks up where he left off last year. Hopefully A+ Eugene is a rehab assignment and we'll soon get to see how he does in AA.
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A: San Jose Giants quiet the Lake Elsinore Storm 10-0.
Grant McCray CF- 0 for 5, BB, SB(7). BA= .313.
Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 5. BA= .248.
Vaun Brown LF- 1 for 3, 3B, BB, HBP. BA= .322.
Andre Sugastey C- 2 for 3, 2 BB. BA= .219.
Victor Bericoto 1B- 3 for 4, BB. BA= .228.
Abdiel Layer 3B- 2 for 4, HR(5). BA= .238.
Najee Gaskins RF- 2 for 4. BA= .300.
Mason Black RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 1.88.
Mat Olsen RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 0.53.
Landon Roupp RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 2.14.
Little Giants won the last 5 games of this 6-game series. They now head south to San Bernardino for a 6-gamer against the Inland Empire 66'ers. I am planning to attend the first game Tuesday night and possible another one or two over next weekend.
Game Wrap 5/15/2022: Cardinals 15 Giants 6
It looked like a classic battle of aces, a grizzled veteran and a up-and-comer, but the Giants suffered an embarrassing defeat on national TV as the Cardinals savaged Carlos Rodon LHP for 8 runs in 3.2 IP. The game ended with Albert Pujols DH/RHP lobbing batting practice pitches which is as close to running out the clock as baseball is going to get.
Even though only two of the 8 runs scored off Rodon came on a HR, this was not a case of bad BABIP luck. Most of those 10 hits were scalded. It's probably not a coincidence that several of the hardest hits came on first pitches. This reminds me of the game fairly early in his career when the Minnesota Twins were crushing Bum's first pitches and he couldn't get out of the first inning. Turns out the Twins spent a lot of time scouting video and picked up a pattern. You also have to wonder if the Cardinals picked up something on video that tipped Rodon's pitches. If that's the case here, this makes two games in a row where the Cardinals used old fashioned veteran savvy and scouting to outsmart the data driven guys. We might want to hope these two teams don't meet in the postseason because I'm pretty sure Yadier Molina C is living rent-free in Gabe Kapler's head right now.
Joc Pederson DH hit a two run HR in the 6'th inning to drive in the Giants first two runs. It was a legit HR off Adam Wainwright RHP and broke a 12-game homerless streak in which Pederson went 2 for 28 and just 1 for 24 since straining a muscle in 4/27.
Joey Bart C drew a walk early in the game that drew praise from the CNN broadcast team. He later hit a HR but it was off Albert Pujols so it's almost like it didn't count, but it will count in the record books.
Luis Gonzalez LF/P pitched the final 1.1 innings for the Giants and also hit a HR off Pujols to become the first NL pitcher to hit a HR in the DH era, FWIW. BTW, Gonzalez was the Giants most effective pitcher of the night.
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The Giants will try to get this game and Yadier Molina out of their heads but they move on to another place that tends to get into their heads, Coors Field. Alex Wood LHP faces Antonio Senzatela RHP in an evening game.
Sunday, May 15, 2022
Down on the Farm: 5/14/2022
AAA: El Paso Chihuahuas outscored the Sacramento River Cats 9-6.
Tommy La Stella 2B/3B- 1 for 4, BB. BA= .259.
Kevin Padlo 3B/2B- 2 for 3, 2 BB, SB(6). BA= .239.
Isan Diaz SS- 2 for 4, 3B, BB. BA= .259.
Bryce Johnson RF/CF- 2 for 4, SB(9). BA= .330.
I am sure the River Cats pitchers will be thrilled to get out of that West Texas Town of El Paso after tomorrow's game. The Chihuahuas have some good hitters on that team but the environment is ridiculously hitter-friendly.
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AA: Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Harrisburg Senators 7-4.
Brett Auerbach 2B- 1 for 4, HR(4), BB. BA= .219.
Brandon Martorano C- 2 for 3, 2 HR(5), BB, HBP. BA= .192.
Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 4.54.
Solomon Bates RHP- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.92.
Haven't posted Auerbach's name for awhile and the BA tells the story. Ditto Brandon Martorano.
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A+: Eugene Emeralds edged out the Vancouver Canadians 1-0(First game of doubleheader, 8 innings, scheduled for 7).
Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 3, BB. BA= .313.
Kyle Harrison LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K's. ERA= 1.88.
Luciano drove in the winning run. Harrison continues his almost ridiculous domination of the A+ NWL with 51 K's in 24 IP.
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A+: Vancouver Canadians crushed the Eugene Emeralds 12-4(Game 2 of doubleheader, 7 innings).
Hunter Bishop CF- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .163.
Jairo Pomares LF- 2 for 3, 2B, BB. BA= .239.
Carter Aldrete 3B- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .231.
Randy Rodriguez RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 4.02.
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A: San Jose Giants topped the Lake Elsinore Storm 8-7.
Grant McCray DH- 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB. BA= .330.
Vaun Brown CF- 2 for 4, 2 HR(10), BB. BA= .322.
Andre Sugastey C- 2 for 4, 2 2B. BA= .206.
Victor Bericoto RF- 2 for 4, HR(4). BA= .206.
Will Bednar RHP- 0.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 1 K. ERA= 4.07.
Esmerlin Vinicio LHP- 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 5.25.
Seth Lonsway LHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 3.96.
Evan Gates RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 1.64.
Another alarmingly poor start by Bednar. Clearly something is seriously not right with him as a college draftee of his pedigree should not even be assigned to a level this low let alone struggling like this. McCray and Brown remain on fire.
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Game Wrap 5/14/2022: Cardinals 4 Giants 0
The Giants failed to get the big hit and squandered several scoring opportunities in a lifeless loss.
The Giants had 8 hits including 2 doubles. They added 4 walks. They were 1 for 6 with RISP and 0 for 3 with RISP and 2 outs.
Jake Junis RHP came close to a QS allowing 2 runs in 5.2 IP. His ERA is 1.74 after 4 appearances that lasted at least 5 IP each.
Donovan Walton IF made his first Giants start. He poked a double down the 3B line and recorded something like the 7'th fastest time in MLB 2022 from home to 2B. Unlike Mauricio Dubon, he has an option so will likely go back to Sacramento when Tommy La Stella is activated.
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Carlos Rodon LHP tries for a series win tomorrow evening facing veteran Adam Wainwright RHP.
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As we alluded in the Donovan Walton note, the day started with the Giants trading Mauricio Dubon UT to the Astros for Michael Papierski C/1B. Dubon was out of options and fills a similar role as Thairo Estrada 2B/UT so was ticketed to be the odd man out when Tommy La Stella 2B/UT is activated. Papierski was Rule 5 eligible this season but not on the Astros 40-man roster so roster rules and options are not a factor, at least until this coming offseason.
The Dubon/Papierski transaction left an opening on the Giants 40-man roster which FZ immediately filled by trading Alex Blandino 3B('memba him?) to the Mariners(who else?) for Stuart Fairchild OF. Fairchild was a 2'nd round draft pick by the Reds(also who else?) in 2017 out of Wake Forest. I remember reviewing him in the run up to that draft and liked his college numbers. He has 2 options so has a chance to stick around awhile.
Down on the Farm: 5/13/2022
AAA: Sacramento River Cats outscored the El Paso Chihuahuas 16-12:
Tommy La Stella 2B- 2 for 5, HR(2), BB. BA= .261.
David Villar DH- 2 for 4, HR(12), 2 BB. BA= .318.
Austin Dean RF- 1 for 1, HR(5). BA= .226.
Ka'ai Tom RF/LF- 1 for 2, 4 BB. BA= .299.
Arquimedes Gamboa SS- 3 for 4, 2B, HR1), BB. BA= .272.
Isan Diaz 3B- 1 for 4, HR(2), 2 BB. BA= .217.
Joey Marciano LHP- 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 1.20.
Obviously a game to pad the ol' stat line. Not sure how you evaluate anything in that environment, but the Giants would appear to be nearing a decision point with Tommy La Stella.
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AA: Richmond Flying Squirrels topped the Harrisburg Senators 6-5:
Sean Roby 3B- 3 for 6, 2B, HR(9). BA= .268.
Frankie Tostado 1B- 2 for 4, HR(4). BA= .336.
Taylor Rashi RHP- 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00.
RJ Dabovich RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 4.76.
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A+: Eugene Emeralds vs Vancouver Canadians cancelled due to weather.
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A: San Jose Giants pounded the Lake Elsinore Storm 10-5:
Grant McCray CF- 3 for 5, 2B, HR(6), SB(6). BA= .330.
Vaun Brown LF- 2 for 4, HR(8), BB, SB(10). BA= .316.
Yorlis Rodriguez- 3 for 4, 2B, BB. BA= .272.
Abdiel Layer 3B- 2 for 5, HR(4). BA= .252.
Nick Sinacola RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 1.59.
Mat Olsen RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.60.
What do you do when your hit streak comes to an end? You start another one and with multiple hits for good measure. Grant McCray is on fire!
Friday, May 13, 2022
Game Wrap 5/13/2022: Giants 8 Cardinals 2
Logan Webb RHP kept the Cardinals lineup in check long enough for the lineup to build a lead, then the Giants broke it open in the 8'th inning for a win that was tougher than the final score might lead you to believe.
Lamonte Wade Jr RF- 0 for 0, 2BB, HBP. BA= .333. Lamonte just says no to bad pitches. Austin Slater PH for Lamonte against a LHP and drew a walk so the leadoff spot reached base 4 times without a hit.
Mike Yastrzemski CF/RF- 1 for 2, 2B, 2 BB, HBP. BA= .273. YtY drove in the go-ahead runs in the third inning with a 2-out double that Harrison Bader came this close to catching in the L-CF alley.
Luis Gonzalez LF- 2 for 3. BA= .328. So far, LuGone looks like a significantly better hitter than Steven Duggar, although it's a SSS and Duggar had his hot streaks. The glove, though, has been rough and nowhere near what Duggar gives you on D.
Evan Longoria PH/3B- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .167. Longo gets his first hit of the season in PH role and drove in 2 runs in the Giants add-on 8'th inning.
Curt Casali C- 1 for 3, HR(1), BB. BA= .256. If the Giants lineup was not giving them the luxury of developing Joey Bart at the MLB level, we might say the Giants should make Casali the official starting catcher and bring in a veteran backup, but they do have that luxury.
Logan Webb RHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 7/3. ERA= 3.48. We lost power at our house after the second inning and it didn't come back on until the 7'th so I missed most of Webb's high wire act. It's a rough line from an advanced stats perspective but two GIDP's helped. Webb seemed to have a particular challenge commanding his changeup which kept Casali busy blocking scuds.
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Jake Junis RHP tries to extend the Giants 6-game win streak tomorrow facing Dakota Hudson RHP.
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Gotta confess I am not clear on how the DFA/Waiver system works but Tyler Beede RHP was claimed by the Pirates and the Giants were not able to swing a trade, so Beede is now a Pirate. I am disappointed his Giants career ended like this and wish him the best...except when he faces the Giants! As someone said on Twitter, who knows? Maybe someday Beede will be pitching somewhere in winter ball and the Dodgers will offer him......you know the rest of the story.
Down on the Farm: 5/12/2022
AAA: El Paso Chihuahuas mauled the Sacramento River Cats 11-4:
David Villar 3B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(11). BA= .311.
Kevin Padlo 1B- 2 for 4, HR(7). BA= .225.
Jhonny Pereda C- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .314.
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AA: Harrisburg Senators trounced the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-2:
Shane Matheny CF- 2 for 4, 2 HR(5). BA= .275.
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A+: Eugene Emeralds defeated the Vancouver Canadians 9-2(Completion of Suspended Game from 5/9/2022):
Ghordy Santos 2B- 2 for 5, SB(3). BA= .293.
Hunter Bishop CF- 3 for 5, 2 2B, 2 SB(5). BA= .151.
Casey Schmitt SS- 4 for 4, HR(6). BA= .333.
Wil Jensen RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K's. ERA= 2.93.
Ty Weber RHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 4.19.
Clay Helvey RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 4.15.
The regularly scheduled game was postponed. Hunter Bishop's bat shows signs of life. Casey Schmitt continues to make a case for playing at a higher level.
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A: San Jose Giants outscored the Lake Elsinore Storm 6-5:
Grant McCray CF- 0 for 2, 2 BB. BA= .314.
Yorlis Rodriguez 3B- 1 for 3, 3B, BB. BA= .250.
Dilan Rosario SS/2B- 2 for 3, BB, SF. BA= .221.
Najee Gaskins RF- 2 for 3, HR(1), SB(2). BA= .302.
Eric Silva RHP- 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 4.42.
Jose Cruz RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 3.86.
McCray's hit streak ends at 9 games but he reaches base twice from the leadoff spot. Is Najee Gaskins a prospect? 20'th round draft pick out of small college in 2019, now 24 yo. Seems like the missed season of 2020 hurt players like him a lot.
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Down on the Farm: 5/11/2022
AAA: Sacramento River Cats outlasted the El Paso Chihuahuas 10-9(10 innings):
Tommy La Stella 2B- 1 for 4, BB. BA= .222.
David Villar 1B- 3 for 5, 2B, 2 HR(10). BA= .304.
Luke Williams 3B/SS- 2 for 4, 2B, BB, SB(4). BA= .483.
Bryce Johnson CF- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .317.
Patrick Ruotolo RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. ERA= 0.79.
Mauricio Llovera RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00.
Sean Hjelle RHP- 3 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. ERA= 6.31.
Again it's odd the Giants spent a pitching prospect for a LH hitting MI utility guy when Tommy La Stella seems to be progressing with his rehab stint. Huge day for David Villar. Reminder Villar was left unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft. Bryce Johnson says "Hey! Don't forget about me!".
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AA: Richmond Flying Squirrels outscored the Harrisburg Senators 10-5:
Frankie Tostado LF- 4 for 5. BA= .333.
Tyler Fitzgerald 3B- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(4). BA= .156.
Brandon Martorano C- 1 for 4, HR(3), SB(3). BA= .183.
Gray Fenter RHP- 4.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 2.61.
Solomon Bates RHP- 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA=. 0.98.
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A+: Eugene Emeralds were idle. Strange quirk in their schedule with 2 consecutive off days in the middle of a series.
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A: San Jose Giants pounded the Lake Elsinore Storm 11-1:
Grant McCray CF- 4 for 5, 3B. BA= .321.
Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 5. BA= .248.
Vaun Brown LF- 2 for 5, 3B, HR(7). BA= .321.
Victor Bericoto RF- 3 for 5. BA= .202.
Abdiel Layer 3B- 2 for 5, 2B. BA= .233.
Rayner Santana 1B- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(3), BB. BA= .179.
Matt Mikulski LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K. ERA= 4.37.
Trevor McDonald RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 1.40.
Too much good stuff! McCray extends his May hit streak to 9 games and is 20 for 41 in that span. McDonald has 29 K's against just 4 BB's in 19.1 IP over 9 appearances.
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Game Wrap 5/11/2022: Giants 7 Rockies 1
The Giants completed a sweeeeep of the Rockies and made it look easy.
Lamonte Wade Jr RF/LF- 3 for 4, BB. BA= .333. Wade Jr reaches base 4 times from the leadoff position. That got him an RBI but he did not score.
Brandon Belt 1B- 2 for 3, BB, SF, SB(1). BA= .253. The Giants top two hitters in the lineup combined to reach base 7 times with no runs scored to show for it.
Brandon Crawford SS- 1 for 4, HR(3). BA= .223. Crawford's 2-run blast went to the deepest part of the park with the highest part of the wall. It extended the Giants lead to 5-0 in the 5'th inning.
Joey Bart C- 1 for 3, HBP. BA= .167. We haven't called Bart's name in awhile, at least in a positive way. He ripped an RBI single up the middle in the fourth inning. Like most of Bart's hits so far, it was scalded. Hopefully this is the start of better times for the former #2 overall draft pick.
Alex Cobb RHP- 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 3.98. It's becoming a familiar Giants winning formula. SP goes 5-6 IP, Giants hitters give him a lead and the bullpen cruises to the Win.
Jarlin Garcia LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. Garcia pitched the 9'th inning in mop-up time but this was his 12'th appearance with 12.1 IP. He ERA is still 0.00.
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The Giants activated Evan Longoria 3B before the game. Jake McGee LHP went to the IL "lower back tightness". Uh huh. And if you believe that, I have some land.......
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The Giants get a travel day off tomorrow before starting a weekend series in St Louis. The SP is listed as TBD but it should be Logan Webb RHP's turn in the rotation.
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The Giants made a curious trade today sending Prelander Berroa RHP to the Mariners for Donovan Walton IF. Walton is a LH hitter who can play both MI positions. It's especially curious they would sacrifice a fairly high ceiling pitcher for what appears to be a depth piece. Are there more moves to come? Is Tommy La Stella's heel still bothering him? The Giants sent Mike Ford IF on down FZ's sluice box aka The Churn to make room for Walton.
Down on the Farm: 5/10/2022
AAA: El Paso Chihuahuas outscored the Sacramento River Cats 11-7:
Tommy La Stella 2B- 1 for 4, 2B. BA= .214.
Isan Diaz 2B- 1 for 1, HR(1). BA= .250.
Heliot Ramos CF- 0 for 5, 3 K. BA= .200.
Kevin Padlo 1B/LF- 2 for 4, 2 2B. BA= .225.
Ricardo Genoves C- 2 for 3. BA= .284.
Gotta remember Heliot Ramos is still quite young for the level. Definitely needs a bit more salt.
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AA Richmond Flying Squirrels quieted the Harrisburg Senators 2-0:
Bryan Brickhouse RHP- 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K's. ERA= 5.04.
Chris Wright LHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, Save(4). ERA= 1.42.
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A+: Eugene Emeralds were idle.
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A: Lake Elsinore Storm edged out the San Jose Giants 3-2(10 innings):
Grant McCray CF- 1 for 3, HR(5), 2 BB, SB(5). BA= .291.
Abdiel Layer SS- 3 for 3, SB(2). BA= .222.
Mason Black RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 6/2. ERA= 2.28.
Landon Roupp RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 4/0. ERA= 2.37.
McCray extends his hit streak to 8 games. He has a hit in every game in May so far.
Game Wrap 5/10/2022: Giants 9 Rockies 2
The Giants lineup kept the line moving to back solid pitching by Alex Wood LHP and the bullpen in an easy win.
Every position player/DH except Lamonte Wade Jr RF/LF(.125) who appeared in the game for the Giants reached base at least once and he drove in 2 runs with a SF and FC. The lineup totaled 12 hits and 5 BB's
Thairo Estrada 2B(.245), Luis Gonzalez LF(.327) and Curt Casali C(.250) had multi-hit games.
Estrada, Darin Ruf(.222), Brandon Belt(.236) and Mike Yastrzemski CF/RF(.282) hit doubles.
There were no HR's in the game.
Alex Wood LHP- 5.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 8/1. ERA= 3.50. Wood took the opposite approach from Carlos Rodon LHP and let BABIP be his friend. The K's were not dominant but the GO/AO was. Wood left the game in the 6'th inning after throwing 100 pitches with 1 out and 2 runners on base. Zack Littell RHP gave up a hit to load the bases but then got out of the jam with 2 K's.
Jake McGee LHP came into another mop up role in the 9'th and promptly gave up a leadoff triple to Yonathan Daza CF who scored on a SF. McGee gave up another single in the inning but looked a little better than his previous appearance. Still a long way to go before he is ready for high-leverage situations.
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Alex Cobb RHP tries for the sweeeeep today in an afternoon game facing Chad Kuhl RHP.
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Game Wrap 5/9/2022: Giants 8 Rockies 5
Austin Slater LF and Mauricio Dubon CF batted 1-2 at the top of the Giants lineup and accounted for 6 of the Giants 8 runs to back the dominant pitching of Carlos Rodon LHP.
Austin Slater LF- 2 for 4, 3B, BB. BA= .275. Slater led off the Giants half of the first inning with a triple off the CF wall that bounced away from the Garrett Hampson CF. Thanks for the heads up to MCC for the factoid that Slater leads the Giants in fWAR at 0.8, 0.1 over Brandon Crawford SS. He's done that in just 61 PA, a little over half of Crawford's. That's a pace for almost 8 fWAR over 600 PA, not that he'd likely get to that if he did play that much. Still, Slater has been really really good in a semi-platoon role so far with positive contributions at the plate, on the basepaths and in the field.
Mauricio Dubon CF- 3 for 4, HR(2), SF. BA= .244. Dubi has gone 6 for 12 with 2 HR's in his last 3 games to raise his BA from .138. Man! Does he ever look like a ballplayer when he's going good!
Darin Ruf 1B- 2 for 3, BB. BA= .217. Brandon Belt 1B was scratched late again with the stiff neck. Ruf is hitting .358 over his last 7 games.
Carlos Rodon LHP- 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 12 K. ERA= 1.80. Another dominant start for Rodon who leads MLB in K's with 53 in 35 IP. He had to overcome an extremely tight strike zone with multiple Statcast strikes called balls by the home plate ump. And yes, the opposing SP seemed to be getting strikes called in the same locations.
Tyler Rogers RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 3/0. ERA= 2.13. The GO ratio does not tell the whole story with Rogers. I don't recall any pitcher who consistently gets as many extremely weak groundballs. The last out of his 8'th inning went about 6 inches in front of home plate.
Jake McGee LHP- 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 9.64. Kap brought McGee into the 9'th inning with a 6 run lead. I was throwing things at the TV before it was over. Yes, he threw some good pitches and there was an error behind him but there were some line drives that were smoked too. McGee seems to have lost a tick off his FB and just does not have enough secondary stuff to make up for it. Strictly mop up pitcher for now.
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Alex Wood LHP tries to exend the Giants winning ways tonight against Antonio Senzatela RHP.
Sunday, May 8, 2022
Down on the Farm: 5/8/2022
AAA: Las Vegas Aviators downed the Sacramento River Cats 3-1:
Tommy La Stella 2B- 0 for 2. BA= .200.
Evan Longoria DH- 2 for 5. BA= .278.
Joey Marciano LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K. ERA= 1.46.
This was Longo's 5'th rehab game. Will we seem him at 3B tomorrow against the Rockies? They are starting a LHP.
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AA: Akron Rubber Ducks swamped the Richmond Flying Squirrels 9-1:
Blake Rivera RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 4/0. ERA= 4.60.
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A+: Eugene Emeralds outscored the Hillsboro Hops 10-5(8 innings, presumably due to rain):
Marco Luciano DH- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP. BA= .300.
Carter Aldrete 1B- 2 for 4, HR(2). BA= .186.
Jimmy Glowenke 2B- 3 for 4, 2B. BA= .196.
Jake Wong RHP- 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K. ERA= 4.70.
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A: San Jose Giants defeated the Stockton Ports 7-3:
Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 5, HR(4). BA= .253.
Vaun Brown LF- 4 for 5, HR(6), 2 SB(9). BA= .317.
Victor Bericoto 1B- 2 for 5, 2 2B. BA= .190.
Alexander Suarez RF- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(1). BA= .200.
Will Bednar RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K. ERA= 2.28.
Mat Olsen RHP- 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's, Save(2). ERA= 0.64.
Grant McCray CF kept his May hitting streak going but with just one hit in 5 AB's. This was the third 2-hit game in a row for Arteaga. It was also the third 2-hit game in a row for Suarez.
Game Wrap 5/8/2022: Giants 4 Cardinals 3
Mike Yastrzemski CF/RF hit the go-ahead HR in the 6'th inning and the bullpen shut it down the rest of the way to give the Giants a split of their 4-game series with the Cardinals.
YtY- 1 for 2. HR(2), 2 BB, SF. BA= .295. YtY reached base 3 times plus had the productive out with the SF. His overall OBP is .371. I'd say that's pretty much exactly what you want from your leadoff hitter. He is 6 for 16 since coming off COVID IL. The HR today was off a very tough LHP. All very good signs going forward.
Darin Ruf 1B- 2 for 3, BB. BA= .204. Brandon Belt 1B was a late scratch due to lingering soreness in his neck. Ruf has hit in 6 of 7 games for a .292 BA and a .393 OBP in May. Also a good sign going forward.
Lamonte Wade Jr RF- 1 for 2, HR(1). BA= .250. Wade Jr's blast cleared the bullpen area to the right of straightaway CF and landed in the stands. Per Twitter it would have been out of all 30 ballparks. A healthy Wade Jr will do a lot to revive the Giants struggling offense.
Jakob Junis RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K's, GO/AO= 5/2. ERA= 1.20. Looks like the Giants have a full complement of 5 SP's with Alex Cobb RHP back and Jakob Junis sustaining his success for a third game, this time as a SP rather than a "bulk innings" guy. They'll have to sort it out when Anthony DeSclafani RHP comes back but that's a good problem to have.
Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, Save(5). ERA= 2.84. Doval looked confident today and struck out no less than Nolan Arenado to end the game. Seems like he is settling into the Closer role, also a good sign for the future.
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Ordinarily we would be disappointed in a split at home but considering where the team was at after Friday's game, a split looks terrific. The Giants record improved to 16-12 which is still only good for 4'th place in the NL West, a crazy good division.
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Carlos Rodon LHP tries to keep the Giants winning ways going tomorrow evening against Austin Gomber LHP and the Colorado Rockies.
Down on the Farm: 5/7/2022
AAA: Las Vegas Aviators carpet bombed the Sacramento River Cats 13-0:
Nothing to see here. Cats had only 2 hits.
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AA: Akron Rubber Ducks sank the Richmond Flying Squirrels 10-3:
Robert Emery C- 1 for 4, HR(1). BA= .229.
Jake Dahlberg LHP- 4 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. ERA= 2.97.
Stumble by Dahlberg after two scoreless 6-inning starts. Looks like there may have been some bad BABIP luck and poor defense behind this outcome.
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A+: Hillsboro Hops edged out the Eugene Emeralds 3-2(7 innings, game 1 of doubleheader):
Ghordy Santos 2B- 1 for 4, HR(3). BA= .286.
Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 3. BA= .311.
Jairo Pomares LF- 1 for 4, HR(3). BA= .214.
Prelander Berroa RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 0.68.
Luciano and Santos continue to impress in what is proving to be challenging hitting environment for Giants prospects.
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A+: Hillsboro Hops topped the Eugene Emeralds 4-3(7 innings, game 2 of doubleheader):
Ghordy Santos CF- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .299.
Jairo Pomares LF- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .220.
Randy Rodriguez RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 4.26.
Juan Sanchez LHP- 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 2.38.
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A: San Jose Giants crushed the Stockton Ports 9-0:
Grant McCray RF- 3 for 6, 2 2B, SB(4). BA= .296.
Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 6, 2 2B. BA= .244.
Vaun Brown DH- 2 for 4, HR(5), BB. BA= .292.
Alexander Suarez CF- 2 for 5, HR(3). BA.179.
Keaton Winn RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 5.54.
Nick Sinacola RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K's. ERA= 1.08.
McCray extends his May hit streak to 6 games. He's 14 for 28 with 3 2B, 3 HR and 3 SB in that span with multiple hits in all but one game.
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