Logan Webb RHP gutted out 6 innings to stay even with Cy.....er.....Tyler Anderson LHP only to see the Giants lose when Sam Long LHP gave up a grand slam HR to Cody Bellinger CF in the 8'th inning for another bitter loss to the Dodgers.
Webb walked 3 consecutive batters in the first inning for a run. He threw something like 51 pitches in the first two innings. He settled down after that but still ended up throwing 103 pitches with just 2 K's in 6 IP. Not the kind of start we've gotten used to from Webb.
Meanwhile, when did Tyler Anderson turn into Cy Young? Why didn't he do that when he was a Giant? He shut down the Giants for just 1 unearned run over 6 innings but even before tonight he was sporting a 10-1 W-L record and finished the evening with a 2.79 ERA in 103 IP which leads the Dodgers.
A misplayed ball by Lamonte Wade Jr 1B contributed to loading the bases ahead of Bellinger's slam. In fact, all 4 of those runs were counted as unearned, although Long has his share of the blame. How can you hang a curveball on the inner half of the plate on an 0 and 2 count? Similar scenarios seem to play out on almost a daily basis this season. At some point it's not bad luck anymore.
Not much else to say about this one.
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Alex Wood LHP tries to be the stopper again tomorrow afternoon at 4:15 PM facing Giants nemesis Julio Urias LHP. Word is if you want to beat Urias, you better get to him early.
Belt didn't sound very happy about being PH for again - nothing really going right this year. I don't think this team contends as currently constructed. Go all out for Soto (like everyone else)
ReplyDeleteBelt always seems to be in a slump until — finally — he breaks out in a hot streak that carries the team for a week or two until … he gets injured. He has no grounds to complain. I like him but the call seemed right.
ReplyDeleteIDK. Not saying Belt would have done any better or that Kap had any better options but I thought Villar had an overwhelmed look on his face like WTF am I doing here and why am I PH for Belt? I understand the reasoning, but I think I would have gone with the veteran who has won big games with one swing of the bat in the past.
DeleteI suspect Bochy would have agreed with you and it would be hard to argue with Bochy (greatest SF manager of all time?) Still, Belt's reputation has been riding on that 18th inning HR back in the 2012 playoffs against the Nat'ls. For the life of me, I can't remember a walkoff hit (recognizing that HR wasn't a walkoff) or much like that from Belt in the interim. Let alone against a good LHP. Most of his production seems to come earlier, or when games are out of reach. Good guy, probably earned most of the money he made, but game-on-the-line time is not his forte. I don't often agree with Kapler but did in this instance, and wanted to see what Villar could do, and don't think a check-swing grounder told us much.
Delete.....and the Belt Wars have flared up again!
DeleteBaseball Reference, linked to the left, has "clutch" splits as well as early, middle and late innings. Belt's stats are remarkably similar in all situations, which you would expect given a large enough sample size, but he is slightly better in high and medium leverage situations than in low leverage situations. He is best in middle innings and a bit less effective in late innings. FWIW.
DeleteThat sounds accurate to me. Belt is a consistent, stick-to-the plan guy.
DeleteMy law partner is a rabid Giants fan and loves Belt and constantly cites me stats. Texts me when Belt does something good. I often respond : did it matter?
My wife on the other hand often walks in when Belt is at the plate with RISP. Usually comments-is he looking to walk again? Our joke us that his dream at-bat is a bases loaded BB.
I actually do like the guy and have rooted for him for years. It just always seemed like he should be more than he is. But maybe he has actually maxed out what he has.
It’s hard not to look at these last 4 years as a lost opportunity. Rumors of an improved farm system under FZ don’t seem to be translating into difference making pieces on the MLB roster. The churn is exhausting and its hard to root for guys you don’t know or think will be on the team in 2 weeks. This is a top 5 revenue team and the fans have been patient. Soto is going to cost a lot but gives fans someone to cheer for. Could also save the prospects and just sign Judge and Trea Turner this off-season. All it would take is $$$ which they have plenty.
ReplyDeleteThe Churn has been surprisingly successful at finding some interesting players so I am not going to criticize it, but I see it as more of way to find supporting players for a core of stars. What I don't get is how I still see comments that FZ is rebuilding the farm system when his first 3 first round draft picks, which should be the strength of a farm system rebuild, have all crashed and burned and spectacularly so. So far, FZ's drafts have produced exactly one potential future core player: Kyle Harrison LHP. Granted it's probably still too early to call any of the first rounders busts but we are already getting perilously close to that.
DeleteDon't understand comments that the FZ is rebuilding the farm system either, too early to judge since they just got thru only their 4th draft, and hasn't produced any players for their MLB roster yet. There was also the lost minor league season due to covid which set player development back. If the farm doesn't produce any players from FZ's drafts after 5 years, then questions need to be asked. As for previous #1 picks, I'd like to know what injury Bedner has that put him on the injury list. Was it part of the reason he wasn't pitching well? I remember you calling it Doc. Its also on FZ's development coaches to develop Joey Bart and Helliot Ramos into MLB players. That's of immediate importance. If that happens then I'll give FZ credit.
DeleteLast year Kapler was a genius playing the matchups and no one seemed to object because, well, it was working. 107 wins. 1st in the West.
ReplyDeleteUntil game 167..
Even in his prime, Belt was not as good against LHP but he walked a lot, played great D, and you never knew: he was the man.
This year it's not so great, and his most recent ABs were not so good, but he is still the "Captain" and he's proud, the Giants aren't going anywhere, it was 2 on, 2 out in the 8th inning of a tie game, and Villar's a rook. (Note, Villar does hit lefties well.)
So, last year's manager-of-the-year pulls the 12-year Giant vet and SF's last chance fails because the next time they bat they are 4 runs behind.
Baker was thought to be a "hunch" manager and won pennants in both leagues, had 1st place finishes with 5 different teams, multiple firsts with 4 of them, 9 firsts in all, but no WS in his 25 years of managing. He was a player's manager. He'll get another 1st this year - will the ultimate hardware elude him again?
This is only Kapler's 5th year but has never been called a player's manager.
LOL the Belt Wars!
DeleteEven last year when we won all those games the offense was carried by a bunch of older players (Posey, Belt, Crawford, Longo, Ruff..). FZ has done great at adding role players but needs some actual star power to replace the production he was getting from these guys, you can't count on Crawford to have another MVP season again (we did)
DeleteHi Doc! Quoting you here!!
ReplyDeleteIDK. Not saying Belt would have done any better or that Kap had any better options but I thought Villar had an overwhelmed look on his face like WTF am I doing here and why am I PH for Belt? I understand the reasoning, but I think I would have gone with the veteran who has won big games with one swing of the bat in the past.
I can not believe Villar was feeling WTF am I doing here?
If he was thinking that > He has never played in an important situation in his life from Little league to now.
I'm thinking > he is thinking throw me the Effing ball and I will do it!!!
Doc, I love you to pieces >maybe now you are over thinking likes maybe Kap is
over managing.
Where is Brett Butler when you need him?
Richard in Winnipeg
I watched the game and saw the close up TV shots of Villar at the plate. I saw what I saw. Other people may have seen something different.
Delete