Game Wrap 9/29/2022: Giants 6 Rockies 4

 Ford Proctor joined a fairly impressive list of Forever Giants whose first MLB HR was a grand slam while wearing a Giants uniform and Carlos Rodon extended his lead among Giants pitchers with the most double digit strikeouts in one season while pitching 6 shutout innings.  Giants win their 9'th game out their last 10 and stave off mathematical elimination from the postseason for at least one more day.

Ford Proctor 2B- 1 for 2, HR(1).  BA= .200.  Proctor's slam came in the second inning after the Giants had already scored one run on Austin Wynns C's bloop single.  Proctor was first pitch swinging and launched it to the oppo field.  He could not contain his excitement as he fairly danced around the bases.  He became the 16'th Giants player to hit a grand slam HR for their first MLB HR.  I don't have the complete list but I know it includes Bobby Bonds, Brandon Crawford and the unforgettable Brian Dallimore and Kelby Tomlinson.  I heard Bonds grand slam against the Dodgers on the radio broadcast and caught the other three live on TV so this makes 5 times it's happened in a game I was either listening to on radio or watching on TV.

So, who is Ford Proctor, you ask?  Well, just the latest guy to wash up on shore in The Churn.  Here's Gabe Kapler's quote, "It's sometimes worth it to churn through some players to find those diamonds."  Proctor was acquired from the Rays earlier this season for Jeremy Walker RHP.  I am sure you remember Jeremy Walker.

Carlos Rodon LHP- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K's.  Rodon was once again dominant.  He now has 11 games with double digit K's this season giving him a 2-game lead on Tim Lincecum RHP and Jason Schmidt RHP.  He also is now the NL leader in K's for the season with 5 more than Corbin Burnes RHP.  He will need 14 K's in his final start to tie Madison Bumgarner LHP for the franchise record for K's in a season by a LHP.   FZ, can we please keep him?

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The Giants start their penultimate series and final home series tonight against the D'Backs with Alex Cobb RHP facing Merrill Kelly RHP.  Kelly has absolutely crushed the Giants this season in 5 prior starts, so it's time to break out agains him.  It is also Willie Mac Award night which is always a special moment.

Game Wrap 9/28/2022: Giants 6 Rockies 3

Joc Pederson keyed the offense as the Giants won a bullpen game. 

Joc Pederson RF- 2 for 3, 3B, BB.  BA= .272.  Joc is thriving in the leadoff spot.  He is batting .385 over his last 7 games and .345 over his last 30.  I know what Joc is playing for:  The value of his next contract goes up a little bit with every game lately.  He says he wants to play in the postseason again.  We can hope he thinks that could be with the Giants because he sure seems to have found a home with the Giants.

John Brebbia RHP- 1 IP, 0 H,  0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.77.  9'th "Opening" for Brebbia and 9'th scoreless first inning.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's, GO/AO= 9/0.  ERA= 7.20.  Here's why this was a great appearance by Hjelle:  The wheels could have easily come off in a bizarre first inning of work which involved a walk, WP and 2 consecutive errors on comebackers.  Instead he maintained his composure, got a GIDP to end the inning and went on pitch a solid 4 innings.  Hjelle is an extreme groundball pitcher and sometimes that approach is going to go sideways but in the long run it should enable him to be a solid #3 SP for a long time.

Shelby Miller RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Miller is also pitching for a contract next season and his signing price just took a quantum leap due to his two appearances so far:  12 K's, 0 BB in 4.2 IP.  This might be working out great for Miller but it might be working against the Giants chances of re-signing him.

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Churn Watch:

Jarlin Garcia LHP went on paternity leave and Sean Hjelle RHP was recalled from AAA Sacramento.

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Carlos Rodon LHP goes for the sweep tomorrow evening against Ryan Feltner RHP.

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Down on the Farm:  9/28/2022

AAA Sacramento River Cats shut down the Las Vegas Aviators 5-0.

Bryce Johnson CF- 2 for 4, 2B, 3B.  BA= .290.

Wei-Chieh Huang RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 4.40.  

Final game of the season for the River Cats as well as for the minor league division of the Giants organization.  Bryce Johnson and Wei-Chieh Huang both had solid seasons for the River Cats.  Will they get another shot at MLB?

Game Wrap 9/27/2022: Giants 5 Rockies 2

Logan Webb and the bullpen kept the Rockies lineup quiet while Joc Pederson, Thairo Estrada and J.D. Davis were the offensive heroes.  Oh!  And Brandon Crawford, as always, made an impossible play look routine. 

Joc Pederson LF- 2 for 4, 3B, HR(23).  BA= .269.  Joc led off the Giants half of the first inning with a HR to get back the run the Rockies scored in the first.  It seems like Joc and the Giants have a mutual interest in him re-upping.  I wonder how much it will take to keep him in the organization?

Thairo Estrada 2B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .267.  Nice finish to the season for Thairo slashing .299/.386/.468 in September.

J.D. Davis DH- 3 for 4, HR(11).  BA= .257.  Davis is on a tear 7 for 9 with 2 HR's in his last two games.   Raised his BA by .017 in just 2 games.

Hot Tip: Look up the video of Brandon Crawford throwing out Elias Diaz who is admittedly a catcher but still......

Logan Webb RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K's, GO/AO= 5/1.  ERA= 2.90.  Webb settled down after giving up a run in the first inning.  Only threw 78 pitches but Giants are not going to extend his arm for meaningless games at the end of the season.

Tyler Rogers RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.73.  Rogers seems to have found a comfort zone in a multi-inning middle relief role which is still a really valuable contribution.  His ERA is 0.00 over his last 7 appearances(11 innings), 0.89 over his last 15(20.1 innings) and 2.89 over his last 30(37.1 innings).  He'll be back next year.

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The Giants try to secure another series win tomorrow evening with another likely bullpen game against Jose Urena RHP.

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Down on the Farm:  9/27/2022

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats defeated the Las Vegas Aviators 6-3.

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .227.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .417.

Is it too much to think Casey Schmitt could be the Giants starting 3B out of spring training next season?

Down on the Farm: 9/26/2022

 AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators beat the Sacramento River Cats 8-3.

Heliot Ramos RF- 2 for 4, HR(11).  BA= .224.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 3 for 4, 2B.  BA= .500.

Cole Waites RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Heliot Ramos has had some good games in September but some 0'fers sprinkled in that hold back his overall numbers.  His September slash line of .246/.269/431 is marginally better than his season averages.  Look at Casey Schmitt powering his way through the minor league levels!  

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Thoughts on The Churn:

The Churn has come under fire as the season winds down with several players appearing to take veiled shots at it and even Buster Posey in his inauguration speech as a new investor/owner in the team brought it up.  So what do we make of The Churn?  FZ clearly believes in it as a continuous way to find marginal improvements in the roster out of other teams castoffs.  It undoubtedly turned up some undervalued players who just deserved their shot.  YtY is probably the best example but Lamonte Wade Jr and Thairo Estrada add to the narrative. 

There is a cost to all this.  On a "chemistry" level it produces a dizzying lack of continuity with the potential to build depression and even resentment as players start to look like chess pieces and proverbial "gun fodder" more than human beings.  And if you don't care about chemistry and want to only look at the numbers, it ends up giving a whole lot of cumulative playing time to players who probably have no business getting it at the MLB level.

What's less clear to me is if all that churning has actually improved the overall strength of the roster.  The question I have is not whether The Churn by itself is enough.  It's whether The Churn works at all for it's intended purpose.  Are the last 5 guys on the roster really better because of it?  Is the AAA squad better because of it?  I am not sure sure.  The River Cats roster still looks like mostly a collection of AAAA players to me, Ramos, Schmitt and possibly Will Wilson, Cole Waites and Sean Hjelle being the exceptions and they are all "home grown".  

Yesterday I once again pondered the fact that Brian Sabean was pretty darn good at finding role player to fill out a roster.  He did it the old fashioned way which was scouting and signing them in the offseason then giving them a legitimate shot to make the team out of spring training.  Just a quick reminder of some of those players:

Andres Torres

Juan Uribe

Eli Whiteside

Ryan Vogelsong

George Kontos

Gregor Blanco

Joaquin Arias

Michael Morse

Yusmeiro Petit

You could add in Cody Ross who was a late-season add off the waiver wire which was more of a Churn move as well as lower cost free agents like Edgar Renteria, Aubrey Huff and Tim Hudson.

Conclusion:  While a low level of roster churning is probably necessary and even healthy, it's time to scale it back and be more selective in the players you bring and do more of it in the offseason which gives spring training to evaluate and settle into the organization.

Game Wrap 9/25/2022: Giants 3 D'Backs 2

The Opener gambit played out as drawn up and the lineup sputtered to life in the 8'th inning.  

J.D. Davis 1B- 4 for 5, 2 2B, HR(10).  BA= .250.  Davis had a great day at the plate. Ironically his only Run/RBI came on a solo HR in the 9th inning which was the game winner.  His slash line since coming to the Giants:  .271/.371/.514 with 6 HR in 124 PA.  He made some nice plays at 1B too.

Evan Longoria PH/3B- 1 for 1.  BA= .243.  Longo's bases-loaded single in the 8'th inning gave the Giants their first runs of the game and a 2-1 lead.

Ford Proctor 2B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .200.  Proctor gets his first big league knock in front of his family.  That's always a nice moment but if it happens too often, it's not generally a good sign for the team.

Scott Alexander LHP and Jarlin Garcia LHP pitched the first 2.2 innings to set the table for bulk-innings pitcher Jakob Junis RHP- 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  Doval got the Save despite giving up a run.  Exactly how the Opener is envisioned.

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The Giants get a day off before starting their final homestand.  Logan Webb RHP opens the homestand on Tuesday facing the Rockies and German Marquez RHP They have 9 games left with the final 3 in San Diego against the Padres.  They need to go 6-3 to finish at .500. What would you like to see them accomplish in the final 9 games?

Game Wrap 9/24/2022: D'Backs 5 Giants 2

See if this all sounds familiar.  Alex Cobb was BABIP'd for 5 runs in the 4'th inning and Merrill Kelly shut down the Giants lineup.

Alex Cobb RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 10/1.  ERA= 3.67.  Generally speaking groundballs are a good thing for pitchers mainly because groundballs have zero probability of leaving the playing field.  The downside is a certain percentage will get through the infield or become infield hits.  If those groundball hits are bunched together, it can result in a very bad inning.  All that occurs mostly at random.  That's exactly what has happened to Alex Cobb too frequently this season and it happened again last night.  Here is the sequence that produced the 5-run inning for the D'Backs:  GB single, GB single, GB single, line out, walk, reached on fielders's choice, SF, LD single, GO.  

Merrill Kelly RHP(D'Backs)- 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 10/3.  ERA= 3.13.  The Giants have faced Merrill Kelly 5 times this season.  Here is his composite line for those games:  3-0, 1.53, 35.3 IP, 8 BB's, 30 K's, GO/AO= 31/23, 1 HR.  As you can see, there is nothing special about the secondary stats.  What stands out is the the extreme suppression of HR's on flyballs.  xFIP would say that is not sustainable but he's done it for 5 games and 35 IP. Some of that is almost certainly a lack of power by the Giants lineup.  

In fact, per Fangraphs, Kelly's HR/FB is 9.0% this season a full 3.6% lower than any previous season. His xFIP is 3.83 which is very close to his career ERA of 3.89.  BTW, I don't have the time or inclination to do the math but his drop in HR/FB may be entirely due to the Giants lack of power in those 5 games against him.

Mike Yastrzemski RF- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(15).  BA= .213.  YtY is 8 for 21 with 3 HR's over his last 5 games in a late push to be in the mix for next season.

Brandon Crawford SS- 1 for 4.  BA= .228.  Crawford did Crawford things on the field including a barehand grab and laser beam throw on a ball that ricocheted high in the air off Jason Vosler 3B's glove.

Thomas Szapucki LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 9.00.  The Giants have rebuilt the lefhanded side of their bullpen on the fly.  Szapucki has the stuff and has had strong appearances but has struggled with inconsistency.  At this point, Scott Alexander LHP, Alex Young LHP and Jarlin Garcia LHP would seem to be ahead of him on the depth chart.

Jharel Cotton RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.56.  Jharel Cotton would seem to have an inside track to next year's roster. He is arbitration eligible.  Look for the Giants to resign him before he gets to arbitration.  BTW, Shelby Miller RHP is a free agent, unless the Giants signed him to one of those late season deals that extend to the following season as they have done with several other players in the FZ era.

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Churn Watch:  

The Giants placed Luis Gonzalez OF on the IL with a bad back which effectively ends his season.  They recalled Ford Proctor C/IF from AAA Sacramento(he was on the 40-man roster).  The thing Proctor has going for him is the ability to play multiple positions including C.  Oh, and he bats LH.  He made his MLB debut playing 2B and went 0 for 3 with his family watching from the stands.

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Scott Alexander is listed as the Opener for a bullpen game as the Giants try for a series win this afternoon against Drey Jameson RHP who has been sensational in 2 MLB starts.

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Down on the Farm:

Salt Lake City Bees stung the Sacramento River Cats 3-1.  Really nothing of interest to report from this game.

Down on the Farm: 9/23/2022

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats pounded the Salt Lake City Bees 12-7. 

Taylor Jones 1B- 3 for 5, 2 2B, BB.  BA= .271.  

Heliot Ramos CF- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(10).  BA= .223.

Yermin Mercedes DH- 1 for 5, HR(7).  BA= .261.

Steele Walker LF- 3 for 5, 2B, 3B.  BA= .271.

Dixon Machado SS- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .234.

Andrew Vasquez LHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.35.

R.J. Dabovich RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.56.

Will we see some PA's by Taylor Jones next week?  Heliot finishing season on stronger note.

Game Wrap 9/23/2022: Giants 6 D'Backs 5

 Carlos Rodon didn't make it out of the 5'th inning but the lineup picked him up and the bullpen, led by newcomer Shelby Miller, slammed the door over the final 4 innings. 

The Giants first 4 runs came on solo HR's by Brandon Crawford SS(9), Austin Wynns C(2) and David Villar DH(7).  

6 of Villar's 7 HR's have come since he was recalled on Sept 2.  He's slashing .254/.306/.582 over that span.

If it seems like Austin Wynns has been hot lately, he's hitting .444 over his last 7 games, 8 for 18.  

J.D. Davis 1B drove in the winning run with a hard double to LF.  He's hitting just .222 in Sept but .300 over his last 7 games.  His OPS with the Giants is .811 vs .683 with the Mets.  His OPS was .820 in 2021, .760 in 2020 and .896 in 2019.

Evan Longoria 3B went 3 for 4, drove in a run but was thrown out at home trying to score from first on Davis' double.  Despite the 3 hits, Longo is hitting just .167 over his last 7 games and .176 over his last 15.

Carlos Rodon LHP- 4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 2.98.  Rodon was frequently visibly frustrated with the ump who seemed to have an elastic strike zone.  Rodon was throwing a lot of pitches right on the edge of the zone.  He got a few calls but lost quite a few more by my unofficial count.  He was up to 93 pitches by the time Kapler took him out with 1 out in the 5'th inning.  Yunior Marte RHP came in and put gasoline on the fire allowing 2 inherited runners to score as well as one of his own.  Love the name and the raw talent(100 MPH with all kinds of movement) but Marte just has not been able to get traction at the MLB level due to command issues.

Shelby Miller RHP- 2.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Wow!  He gave up some hits but just blew away hitter after hitter with a high fastball and sharp slider.  He looked like a former first round draft pick.  A reminder that Miller was drafted #19 overall by the Cardinals in 2009.  The Giants took Zack Wheeler at #6 overall and infamously traded him to the Mets for Carlos Beltran.  Miller got off to a stronger career start but Wheels has been much better over the last 6 years and has had a better overall career.  Injuries have played a prominent role in both careers.

Let's see how next year's bullpen is shaping up:  Camilo Doval RHP is a lock as is John Brebbia RHP. Scott Alexander LHP has been a reliable lefty arm with the ability to be a back up Closer.  The Giants reportedly love Tyler Rogers RHP and he's been better in the second half.  Jarlin Garcia LHP has had some frustrating games but has mostly been good.  Ditto Alex Young LHP.  That's 6 bullpen arms right there.  If Miller keeps throwing like that over the last 9 games, you'd think he would be back and could even compete for a SP role.  We may need a few more looks at Jharel Cotton RHP.  Cole Waites RHP has the stuff but looks like he needs more salt and has options.  Marte also has options and will likely ride the Sacramento Shuttle again.  Is all that enough or do the Giants need to go out and sign an established reliever or two?

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Alex Cobb RHP tries to clinch a series win this evening facing Merrill Kelly RHP who has shut down the Giants all year.

Down on the Farm: 9/22/2022

AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees topped the Sacramento River Cats 6-5.

Taylor Jones DH- 2 for 3, 2 2B, BB. BA= .265.

Steele Walker LF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .265.

Hey!  Look what else The Churn turned up.  Taylor Jones has Judgian size(6'7", 230 lbs) and has put up solid numbers in the Astros system, but has not been able to find traction and the MLB level.  The Giants claimed him off waivers last week and optioned him to AAA Sacramento.  He may be out of options after this season.

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AA:  Erie Seawolves ended the Richmond Flying Squirrels season 6-2.

Ricardo Genoves C- 1 for 4, HR.

Carter Aldrete 1B- 1 for 3, HR

Nick Avila RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.

Avila would seem to be a prime Rule 5 Draft prospect if the Giants don't add him to the 40 man roster this winter.  

Game Wrap 9/22/2022: Giants 3 Rockies 0

YtY was the hitting hero and the bullpen pitched a shutout to complete a 4-game series sweep in Coors Field.

Mike Yastrzemski CF/RF- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(14).  BA= .210.  YtY loves to hit in Coors Field and went 5 for 14 there.  Still, he's hitting just .192 over his last 7 games and needs to show he can hit in other places too.  Oh!  And he also made a nice catch in CF and doubled up Charlie Blackmon who was running off 2B and there's no better Rockies player to double up than Charlie Blackmon.

Joc Pederson DH- 3 for 4.  BA= .268.  Joc went 6 for 14 in the series.  In addition to his 22 HR's he has a .343 BA.  He's a FA and will likely cost more than $6 M to keep around but I'm guessing he'll be back next year.

Jason Vosler 3B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .297.  OPS= .908.  I know I'm not the only one saying this but what a weird season for Vosler.  He's done nothing but hit in a very SSS with the Giants despite mediocre hitting in the hitter-friendly AAA PCL. He's not arbitration eligible and has options.  Guessing he'll stay on the 40 man roster.

Luis Gonzalez RF/LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .252.  Also not arbitration eligible and also has options.  Has cooled off considerably in the 2'nd half and has shown little power.

Jharel Cotton RHP- 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.63.  Another very interesting late season story.  He was DFA's by the Twins on Sept 16 despite a 2.63 ERA in 25 appearances/35 IP.  He also had a 3.52 ERA in 30.2 IP with the Rangers last year.  Now, his xFIP's were not nearly as good as his ERA mainly due to too many walks, but he came up through the Dodgers organization when FZ was the GM. If he pitches well the rest of the way, look for him to be back next season.

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Churn Watch:

The Giants selected the contract of Shelby Miller RHP from AAA Sacramento.  They optioned Cole Waites RHP to the River Cats.

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The Giants move on to Phoenix for a weekend series against the D'Backs with Carlos Rodon LHP starting game 1 tomorrow against TBD.

Down on the Farm: 9/21/2022

AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees swarmed the Sacramento River Cats 12-6.

Bryce Johnson RF- 1 for 3, BB, SF.  BA= .292.

Yermin Mercedes 1B- 3 for 5, 2B, HR(6).  BA= .263.

Andrew Knapp C- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .263.

Patrick Mazeika DH- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .234.

Ford Proctor 3B- 1 for 3, HR(6), BB.  BA= .257.

Steele Walker LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .262.

Cats had 3 players, Knapp, Mazeika and Proctor in the lineup whose primary position is C and that does not count Mercedes who has played some C in his day.

Game Wrap 9/21/2022: Giants 6 Rockies 1

 Logan Webb did not allow a hit until one out into the 5'th inning(his last batter of the game) and the Giants cruised to their third win in a row in Coors Field guaranteeing a winning 4-game series.  

Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .201.  Wade Jr reached base 6 times out of 11 PA's over his last 3 games.  He is arbitation eligible this offseason.  Does FZ tender him a contract?

Wilmer Flores 2B/1B- 3 for 4, BB.  BA= .237.  Wilmer was probably the hitting hero of the game reaching base 4 times.  He's locked in for 2 more seasons plus an option year.

Brandon Crawford SS 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .228.  Controlling owner Greg Johnson said the Giants are well aware of the shortstops on the free agent market as well as a certain power hitting outfielder.  Hmmm......

Logan Webb RHP- 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's, GO/AO= 7/2.  ERA= 2.93.  The only other baserunner Webb allowed was a HBP to C.J. Cron.  Giants are not wanting to stress Webb's arm as the season winds down.  Gabe Kapler nearly sprinted out to the mound after he gave up the hit to take him out of the game.  Good move! The Giants need Webb fully healthy next season.

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Churn Watch:

Jharel Cotton RHP was activated and Jason Vosler IF was recalled from AAA Sacramento.  Sean Hjelle RHP was optioned back to AAA Sacramento while Lewis Brinson OF was DFA.  Nice knowing you, Lew.  Those 3 HR's in your first two games had us excited there.

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The Giants announced that Buster Posey is now a member of the ownership group and will sit on the board.  If you think this is a token gesture to a former star player, you might want to contemplate that between Buster's salary over the last 10 years and his investment in Under Armour, he is probably close to billionaire status, if he isn't already.

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The Giants try for a 4-game swweeeep tomorrow afternoon with TBD facing Jose Urena RHP.

Down on the Farm: 9/20/2022

AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees stung the Sacramento River Cats 7-2.

Bryce Johnson CF- 3 for 5, 2B, SB(30).  BA= .292.

Austin Dean LF- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .265.

Dean and Johnson are both on the 40-man roster.  Do you keep either of them or use their slots to protect other Rule 5 eligibles?

 

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AA:  Erie Seawolves mauled the Richmond Flying Squirrels 9-3.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 4, 2B.

Marco Luciano DH- 1 for 4.  

Brandon Martorano C- 1 for 2, HR, 2 BB. 

Carter Aldrete 1B- 2 for 4.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K's.

Luciano moves up to AA to get in more PA's in the EL playoffs.  His hit was an RBI single.  Kyle Harrison gave up hits and runs but records all 9 outs by K with only 1 BB.  I am sure FIP likes this line.  One reason the Giants should not exercise their option on Longo nor acquire another 3B is if Villar flops Casey Schmitt should be ready in 2023.

Game Wrap 9/20/2022: Giants 6 Rockies 3

Austin Slater, Thairo Estrada and David Villar were the hitting heroes and the bullpen held the Rockies lineup in check as the Giants guaranteed at least a split of the 4 game series in Coors Field.  

Austin Slater LF- 2 for 4, 2 2B, HBP.  BA= .270.  Slater is arbitration eligible.  I think one way or another he is back next season.

Thairo Estrada SS- 2 for 4, 2B, HBP.  BA= .268.  Estrada is finishing strong.  Slash line for September:  .317/.411/.508.  Leads Giants position players in fWAR by almost a full Win.  In one sense this season was his breakout, but it could be just a prelude to an even bigger breakout next season.

David Villar DH- 1 for 4, HR(6).  BA= .222.  The HR was a monster estimated at 424 ft.  Villar's overall BA isn't impressive but he's a different player since being recalled on Sept 2.  Sept slash line:  .278/.339/.630.  His fWAR of 0.8 in 135 PA projects to 3.6 over 600 PA's.  Needs a chance to prove he can sustain it over a season.  His minor league track record suggests he can.

Joey Bart C- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .222.  If you look at Joey Bart's body language on the field, he owns this team!  On the other hand, the bat is still a concern as he is hitting just .105 over his last 7 games and .184 over his last 15.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 6/1.  ERA= 8.44.  Nice bounceback from his disaster appearances against the Dodgers.  Resilience is a necessary trait for a MLB pitcher.

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Logan Webb RHP tries for a series win tomorrow against German Marquez RHP.

Down on the Farm: 9/19/2022

AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees swarmed the Sacramento River Cats 16-0.

Ford Proctor 3B- 2 for 3.  BA= .252.

Emmanuel De Jesus LHP- 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.50.

Michael Stryfeller RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 9.24.

Ben Bowden LHP- 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's'.   ERA= 7.59.

Cats had just 3 total hits.  Bees scored 11 runs in the 8'th inning with Jason Krizan giving up the final 4.

No other Giants affiliated milb games.

Game Wrap 9/19/2022: Giants 10 Rockies 7(10 innings)

Jakob Junis had a rough start but for a change was picked up by the offense and the bullpen in a Coor's Field Special.   

Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 1 for 3, 2 BB, HBP.   BA= .194.  Wade Jr reached base 4 times and scored 3 runs out of the leadoff position.

Thairo Estrada 2B- 3 for 6, 2B, HR(14).  BA= .266.  Estrada was the hitting hero of the night.  His double led off a 2-run rally to tie in the 9'th inning.  His 3-run blast in the 10'th  produced the final margin.  The future is bright for Young Thairo.

Wilmer Flores DH- 3 for 5.  BA= .235.  We know Wilmer is coming back.

David Villar 3B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .221.  Villar drove in the tying run in with his double in the 9'th inning.  He also made 2 errors in the game.

Mike Yastrzemski CF/RF- 2 for 5, HR(13).  BA= .207.  Tough decision for FZ whether to tender a contract to YtY this offseason.  I would be inclined to say no, his roster spot should be upgraded.

Bullpen:  5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 10/1.  Cole Waites RHP pitched a scoreless inning.  Camillo Doval RHP pitched a scoreless bottom of the 9'th with the score tied to send it to extra innings.  Scott Alexander LHP got his second Save and it looks like Gabe Kapler may have found his back up Closer.

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Churn Watch:

Austin Slater OF was reinstated from the IL.  Heliot Ramos OF was optioned to AAA Sacramento.  Jharel Cotton RHP was claimed off waivers from the Twins.  The corresponding 40-man roster move was to DFA Willie Calhoun OF.  Jose Rojas IF cleared waivers and elected free agency.  Nice knowing you, Jose Rojas!

Speaking of churns......Giants GM Scott Harris was named President of Baseball Operations for the Detroit Tigers.  Add that to FZ's already long to-do list for the offseason.

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The Giants try to go two games up in the 4-game series tomorrow evening with the SP TBD.  It is Carlos Rodon's slot but he is being pushed back to give his fingernail and blister more time to heal.  

Blogger's Note

 Hey team! I'm going away for a long weekend road trip.  Back on Monday night or Tuesday.  I'll leave with this thought:

So far FZ has already brought back Wilmer.  Crawford and La Stella are under contract.  It seems he wants to bring back Longo, Joc and YtY and presumably Davis and Estrada.  Belt wants to come back and the consensus of The Beats is FZ wants him back too....at least at the right price.  I get that each of these players may be a "bargain" in a vacuum but doesn't that also mean we pretty much have the same team next year?

Down on the Farm: 9/15/2022

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats edged out the Reno Aces 2-1(10 innings).

Heliot Ramos CF- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(6).  BA= .223.

Jonathan Bermudez LHP- 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 9.36.

Andrew Vasquez LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.64.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(1).  ERA= 4.15. 

Who's been wearing the name Ramos on the back of their Jersey all year?  Definitely not this guy!  

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AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels outlasted the Erie Seawolves 8-7(12 innings).

Diego Rincones DH- 2 for 5, BB.  BA= .261.

Will Wilson SS- 1 for 6, HR(11).  BA= .228.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 6.  BA= .357.

Brett Auerbach RF- 2 for 5.  BA= .219.

Landon Roupp RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.76.

Diego Rincones has hit .309 since the first of June.  He is only 23 yo but has been playing since 2016 so is not only Rule 5 Draft eligible, he's eligible for minor league free agency.

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A:  Fresno Grizzlies beat the San Jose Giants 7-3.

Not much to see here.  SJ Giants are eliminated from the Cal League playoffs.

Game Wrap 9/14/2022: Giants 4 Braves 1

Carlos Rodon left the game after just 5 IP and 71 pitches due to a finger blister, but the Giants offense scratched out 4 runs off Charlie Morton RHP and the bullpen shut it down. 

J.D. Davis 1B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .242.  Davis was one of the hitting stars in the game as he scored the Giants first run and drove in the second inning and drove in the second with a double in the 4'th.

Austin Wynns C- 2 for 3.  BA= .232.  Ownage is ownage as Kruk and Kuip like to say.  Wynns is 6 for 15 on the season against the Braves.  Maybe that's why he started 2 of the 3 games in the series?

Carlos Rodon LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K's.  Rodon continues to press his case for Cy Young Award consideration and his price tag in likely free agency keeps climbing.  The 8 K's gave him 220 on the season, 1 more than last year's Cy Young winner, Corbin Burnes.

Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, Save(23).  ERA= 2.54.  Strikes out the side for the Save! Looks like the Giants don't need to go out and pay top dollar for a name Closer this offseason.  They still do need to upgrade bullpen depth.

John Brebbia RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.83.  Speaking of bullpen depth, one guy they won't be looking to replace.  He is arbitration eligible, not a free agent until 2024.

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Giants get a day off at home tomorrow before starting a weekend series against The Hated Ones.  Logan Webb RHP is slated to pitch the opener Friday night.

Down on the Farm: 9/13/2022

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats at Reno Aces Postponed due to air quality(wildfire smoke).

They will play a doubleheader today.

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AA:  Erie Seawolves beat the Richmond Flying Squirrels 7-2.

Shane Matheny CF- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .254.

Diego Rincones DH- 1 for 4, HR(9).  BA= .256.

Will Wilson 2B- 1 for 4, HR(10).  BA= .237.

Wil Jensen RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.08.

Melvin Adon RHP- 2 IP, 1 H,  0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.91.

Will Wilson is slashing .297/.422/.405 in September.  He is Rule 5 eligible and might make an intriguing target in the Rule 5 Draft if not added to the 40-man roster. 

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A+:  Eugene Emeralds came from behind to top the Vancouver Canadians 6-5.

Grant McCray CF- 1 for 4, BB, SB.

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 5.

Marco Luciano SS- 1 for 4, HR, BB.

Hunter Bishop DH- 2 for 3, 2B, 2 BB, SB. 

Luis Toribio 1B- 2 for 4, 2B.

Luciano's 3-run HR was the key to this win.  The Ems are now 1 win away from the NWL championship(best of 5 games).  

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A:  Fresno Grizzlies pummeled the San Jose Giants 12-3.

Adrian Sugastey C- 2 for 4.

Yorlis Rodriguez 3B- 1 for 4, HR.

Game 1 of Cal League North Division series(best of 3).

Game Wrap 9/13/2022: Braves 5 Giants 1

The Giants had Braves SP Kyle Wright on the ropes in the second inning.  They had the bases loaded with 2 outs but Wright was already up to 48 pitches and was struggling with extreme wildness.  Sadly, the rally died with Mike Yastrzemski CF's flyball on the LF warning track. The Giants would not get another hit until Thairo Estrada 2B singled with 2 outs in the 9'th inning.   

Jakob Junis RHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.15.  Dansby Swanson SS's 2-run HR was the big blow for the Braves as they built a 4-1 lead over the first 3 innings.  What can I say?  Junis is a pretty solid #5 SP but #5 SP's are going to have games like this.

Cole Waites RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Cole Waites made his MLB debut with his family looking on from the stands.  It was quite an emotional roller coaster of an inning.  Former Giant Ehire Adrianza 2B led off with a walk but held at 3B on Ronald Acuna Jr DH's double.  The runners held again on Dansby Swanson's groundout.  David Villar 1B made a throw to Joey Bart C on a Fielder's Choice at home plate for out #2.  Matt Olson 1B then flied out to LF and Waites was out of the inning unscathed.

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Churn Watch: 

To nobody's surprise, Zack Littell RHP was optioned to AAA Sacramento after his beef with Manager Gabe Kapler last night.  Kapler insisted the demotion was based solely on performance but then added that makeup and teammate behavior are part of performance.  OK then!   My take is Littell was skating on very thin ice before his emotional meltdown.  An added wrinkle:  I read someplace that if a player with an option spends less than a something like 14 days on the minor leagues in the season, the option carries over to the next season which means Littell will almost certainly be out of options next spring.  Really?  Whatever the case, I think it's unlikely we'll see Zack Littell wearing a Giants uniform next season anyway.  Oh!  Thomas Szupacki LHP was called up to replace Littell on the active roster.

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Carlos Rodon LHP tries for a series win tomorrow afternoon facing veteran Charlie Morton RHP.

Down on the Farm: 9/12/2022

 A+:  Eugene Emeralds pounded the Vancouver Canadians 10-3(Game of of playoffs).

Grant McCray CF- 2 for 5.

Luis Matos RF- 3 for 5, 2 2B, SB. 

Marco Luciano SS- 1 for 4, 2B, BB. 

Hunter Bishop DH- 2 for 5, SB. 

Andy Thomas C- 1 for 4, HR, BB. 

Damon Dues LF- 2 for 4, HR, BB. 

Carson Seymour RHP- 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K's.

Nick Morreale RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.

Jesus Sanchez LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.    

Great to see the lads all playing so well.  Thomas' HR was a grand slam.

Game Wrap 9/12/2022: Giants 3 Braves 2

 Alex Cobb had a dominant start and the Giants lineup wore down Braves SP Spencer Strider for just enough to survive another bullpen failure with a Save by Scott Alexander LHP.  All this happened after the Giants arrived in San Francisco from their road trip at 4:30 AM.  

The Giants got 4 consecutive hits off the hard throwing Strider in the second inning to generate 2 runs: Brandon Crawford SS, Thairo Estrada 2B (2B), Willie Calhoun DH and Luis Gonzalez RF.  

Mike Yastrzemski CF/RF, Crawford and Estrada all singled to produce another run the 5'th inning with the help of a throwing error.

Even though Strider, who was throwing 99 MPH cheese only issued 1 walk, the Giants wore him down with excellent plate discipline laying off a poorly commanded slider and hunting fastballs that caught too much of the zone. They forced him to throw 50 pitches in the first two innings and 102 through 5.

Alex Cobb RHP- 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's, GO/AO= 8/2.  ERA= 3.48.  Cobb made made 106 pitches last 7 innings to spare a tired bullpen.  Cobb has a 2.20 ERA over his last 7 starts and 2.46 over his last 15.  Cobb is under contract for next season for a very team-friendly $9 M and a $10 M team option for 2024($2 M buyout) so that's a very savvy deal for FZ and his team.  Takes a bit of the sting out of Rodon's opt out.

Zack Littell RHP entered the game in the 8'th inning with a 3-0 lead.  He promptly gave up a leadoff double followed by 2 more hits and a walk to cut the lead to 3-2.  That's when an interesting dust-up happened.  Kap came out to make a completely rational pitching change to bring in the left Alexander to face lefty hitting Matt Olson.  Littell bizarrely stared daggers while shaking his head no as Kapler walked to the mound, slammed the ball into his hand and said something as he walked off the mound.  When Kap got back to the dugout he motioned Littell into the clubhouse where they apparently talked it out.  Littell came back to bench and sat by himself staring for the rest of the game.

A lot of fans, including me, thought maybe Littell was upset about having to pitch in this game after going 1.2 IP in the bullpen game Sunday night, but apparently he just thought he should finish the inning.  If that is true......well.....that is just bizarre.  Maybe he didn't get much sleep on the flight home?  Maybe he senses he is on thin ice and desperately wants to prove his worth?  Littell did say he apologized after the game.

Scott Alexander LHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 3/1, Save(1).  ERA= 2.08.  Alexander gets the 4-out Save and maybe he is a replacement for Jake McGee's late inning lefty role?

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Churn Watch:  Willie Calhoun OF and Cole Waites RHP were added to the active roster with Tommy La Stella IF going on the IL with neck spasms.  Austin Dean OF was optioned to AAA Sacramento and Patrick Mazeika was DFA'd.  Calhoun started the game at DH and hit a laser beam single off the RF wall to drive in a run.  Waites warmed up in the 9'th but was not needed as Alexander completed the Save.

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Jake Junis RHP tries to clinch a series win tonight against Kyle Wright RHP.

Down on the Farm: 9/11/2022

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats outscored the Las Vegas Aviators 7-6.

Willie Calhoun DH- 2 for 4, HR(10).  BA= .269.

Jason Vosler LF- 1 for 4, HR(18).  BA= .247.

Jose Rojas 3B- 1 for 3, HR(20), BB.  BA= .278.

Thomas Szupacki LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 1.08.

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AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Bowie Baysox 9-6.

Will Wilson 2B- 2 for 5, HR(9).  BA= .236.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 3 for 5.  BA= .351.

Keaton Winn RHP- 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.91.

Nick Avila RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(3).  ERA= 1.50.

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A+:  Eugene Emeralds pounded the Vancouver Canadians 9-3.

Grant McCray CF- 1 for 4, 2 BB, SB(8).  BA= .269.

Hayden Cantrelle SS- 1 for 4, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .214.

Ems drew 14 walks in this game with Jared Dupere RF and Damon Dues 3B getting 3 each.

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A:  Fresno Grizzlies beat the San Jose Giants 12-10.

Wade Meckler LF/CF- 3 for 4, BB.  BA= .439.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 1 for 5, HR(14).  BA= .270.

Zach Morgan C- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .250.

Jose Cruz RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.06.

Game Wrap 9/11/2022: Giants 4 Cubs 2

 Wilmer Flores 2B and Thairo Estrada SS provided the offense with home runs and 6 bullpen pitchers held the Cubs lineup in check for a series win and a happy flight home.

Estrada(.259) had an RBI single in the 4'th inning and a solo HR(13) in the 7'th.  He added his 18'th SB.

Flores(.235) hit his 18'th HR to drive in two insurance runs in the 8'th inning After the game, it was reported Flores and the Giants reached an agreement on a contract extension for 2 years plus in option for 2025 which will make him a Forever Giant.

Camilo Doval RHP had some trouble controlling his FB but got the 4-out Save(22).

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The Giants don't get a breather after the road trip and start a series against the defending World Series Champion Braves tonight with Alex Cobb RHP facing breakout RHP Scott Strider.

Down on the Farm: 9/10/2022

 AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators blanked the Sacramento River Cats 4-0.

R. J. Dabovich RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.72.

Dabovich was the Opener and was dominant over 2 innings.

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AA:  Bowie Baysox edged out the Richmond Flying Squirrels 2-1.

Shane Matheny CF- 3 for 4.  BA= .257.

Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 6 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 5.36.

Tanner Andrews RHP- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Evan Gates RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Melvin Adon RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 6.00.

Gates is a 2021 draftee who appears to be a fast riser on the reliever track.

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A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Vancouver Canadians 4-2.

Grant McCray CF- 2 for 4, HR(2), BB.  BA= .271.

Mason Black RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 3.94.

Hunter Dula RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.15.

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A:  Fresno Grizzlies edged out the San Jose Giants 4-3.

Wade Meckler LF- 2 for 5.  BA= .405.

Logan Wyatt 1B- 3 for 4, 2B.  BA= .200.

Patrick Hilson RF- 2 for 3, HBP.  BA= .378.

Joe Kemlage RHP- 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K.  ERA= 4.56.

Ben Madison RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.33.

Is there hope for Logan Wyatt?

Game Wrap 9/10/2022: Giants 5 Cubs 2

 You didn't really have to squint all that hard to see a vision of a Giants future come into focus as home run by Joey Bart and David Villar backed the determined pitching of Logan Webb in front of a large contingent of Giants fans, many of whom are probably here for the 49'er game tomorrow.

Joey Bart C- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(11).  BA= .233.  The double was a catchable flyball that got lost in the sun but there was nothing flukey about the HR.  Wow!  A belt high fastball on the inner half and Bart destroyed it.  It landed about 2/3 of the way up the LF bleachers which is quite a blast at Wrigley field.  The single was a nifty oppo field poke that was a nice piece of hitting too.  

David Villar 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(5).  BA= .228.  David Villar smoked two balls.  The double went up the L-CF alley and evaded a diving CF.  The HR was a no-doubter over the elevated wall in LF.  Villar has been of fire since being recalled on 9/2 with a slash of .345/.387/.828.  He's done nothing but hit at every level and seems to have overcome the rookie jitters from his first MLB stint earlier in the season.

Logan Webb RHP- 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 9/3.  ERA= 2.88.  This may come as a surprise to some but by some measures, Webb is better this season than last(Last year's ERA was 3.03, this year's FIP and xFIP slightly higher.  fWAR was 3.4 going into this game compared to 4.1 in 2021.  That gap undoubtedly closed today and he has several starts left in the season.

Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(21).  ERA= 2.64.  

There you have it.  4 potential members of the next Giants core.  If this season accomplished nothing else, getting those guys feet on the ground in the the major leagues is a huge success(Webb actually established himself last year but he's a big part of the next core).  I would add Sean Hjelle RHP's performance on Friday agains the Brewers as big positive for the future.  Hopefully we'll get to see more of him before the season is over and he'll back up that performance with more goodness.

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Churn Watch:  

In a somewhat surprising move, the Giants released Dominic Leone RHP, a move that allows him to hook on with another team, possibly a contender, before the end of the season.

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John Brebbia RHP is apparently the Opener for a bullpen game tomorrow evening facing Wade Miley LHP.

Down on the Farm: 9/9/2022

 AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators bombed the Sacramento River Cats 9-3.

Jose Rojas 1B- 3 for 4.  BA= .247.

Ford Proctor 3B- 3 for 4,.  BA= .247.

Jason Vosler LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .250.

Dixon Machado SS- 1 for 3, SF.  BA= .257.

Thomas Szupacki LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.23.

Andrew Vasquez LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.23.

Michael Stryffeler RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 11.32.

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AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Bowie Baysox 5-2.

Tristan Peters CF- 2 for 4, 3B, BB, SB(5).  BA= .228.

Carter Aldrete 3B- 1 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .217.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.19.

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A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Vancouver Canadians 6-4.

Luis Toribio 1B- 1 for 3, HR(21), BB.  BA= .211.

Jimmy Glowenke 3B- 2 for 4.  BA= .217.

Robert Emery DH- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .243.

Nick Zwack LHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.99.

Jesus Sanchez LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, Save(7).  ERA= 3.76.

Unfortunately Marco Luciano SS went 0 for 4 and was charged with 4 errors, 3 fielding, 1 throwing.  He has 11 Errors in 64 games which also means he had just 7 coming into the game.  Of course there is more to fielding than errors/fld% but Luciano's error rate is average to low for a shorstop at this level.  4 errors in one game, though......!

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A:  San Jose Giants pounded the Fresno Grizzlies 12-4.

Wade Meckler LF- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .406.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 4, HR(13).  BA= .271

Anyesber Sivira 3B- 1 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .295.

Andrew Kachel DH- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .333.

Garrett Frechette 1B- 2 for 4.  BA= .258.

Alexander Suarez CF- 2 for 4, 3B, HR(12).  BA= .234.

Manuel Mercedes RHP- 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 9/1.  ERA= 5.13.

For comparison sake, Arteaga has 25 errors in 121 games this season.

Game Wrap 9/9/2022: Cubs 4 Giants 2

 Carlos Rodon set a couple of team pitching records but a bullpen failure and lack of offensive support doomed the Giants to another loss.  

Carlos Rodon LHP- 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 11 K's.  ERA= 2.93.  The 11 K's set a team record for games with double digit strikeouts in one season.  The K's also gave him 212 on the season which set a new record for pitchers in their first season with the Giants.  Rodon also leads the NL in FIP at 2.34 and is second in K's behind Corbin Burnes RHP.  But he also threw 96 pitches in 5.1 IP and had to turn it over to the bullpen.  Yunior Marte RHP gave up 2 runs in 0.2 IP and that was the difference in the ballgame.

Evan Longoria 3B drove in the Giants only two runs with a bases-loaded 2-out double in the 8'th inning.  The Giants managed just 3 hits in the game and now have scored a total of 5 runs on 10 hits over the last 3 games.

David Villar 1B hit a double.  His slash line since being recalled from AAA Sacramento on 9/2 is .320/.370/.720.  

Newcomer Austin Dean LF/RF singled and scored one of the Giants runs after being called safe on an error.

Austin Wynns C got HBP on the helmet and came out of the game as a precaution.  He reportedly was not showing signs of a concussion after the game.

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Churn Watch:

As expected Sean Hjelle RHP returned to the AAA Sacramento roster after yesterday's doubleheader.  Since he was the 29'th player for a DH, this does not count as a option so he can return at any time.

Domininc Leone RHP was placed on the 15-day IL with elbow soreness.  Austin Dean OF was selected from the AAA Sacramento roster.  No word on corresponding 40-man roster moves.  Cole Waites RHP and Shelby Miller RHP are reportedly with the Giants in Chicago on the "taxi-squad".

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Logan Webb RHP tries to even the series tomorrow facing Marcus Stroman RHP.

Down on the Farm: 9/8/2022

AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators bombed the Sacramento River Cats 11-5.

Jason Vosler LF- 1 for 1, HR(17).  BA= .247.

Jose Rojas 3B- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .273.

Heliot Ramos LF/CF- 1 for 5, HR(9).  BA= .221.

Ford Proctor 2B- 2 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .221.

Dixon Machado SS- 1 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .254.

My man, Dixon Machado, muscling up!

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AA:  Bowie Baysox topped the Richmond Flying Squirrels 6-5.

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .236.

Landon Roupp RHP- 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 6 K, GO/AO= 8/2.  ERA= 3.80.

John Gavin LHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.76.

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A+:  Eugene Emeralds pounded the Vancouver Canadians 10-3.

Grant McCray CF- 2 for 5, 2B, BB, 2 SB(7).  BA= .250.

Hayden Cantrelle 2B- 1 for 2, 4 BB, SB(2).  BA= .235.

Jimmy Glowenke SS- 3 for 4, 2 HR(12), BB.  BA= .213.

Damon Dues LF- 2 for 3, 2 BB, 2 SB(2).  BA= .500.

Brett Standlee RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.85.

Abel Adames RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.63.

Mat Olsen RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.73.

Standlee is 17'th round draft pick from 2021 who has been flying under the radar.  He has 60 K's in 59 IP in 39 appearances for the Ems.  

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A:  Fresno Grizzlies edged out the San Jose Giants 4-3.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 5.  BA= .270.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Mikell Manzano RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 4/0.  ERA= 0.00.

Two pitches to be excited about here:  Whisenhunt is second round draft pick, a polished college lefty, with both physical tools and advanced skills who should move fast in the system next season.  Manzano is 19 yo and recently promoted from the Arizona Complex.  He has 84 K's in 57 IP.

Game Wrap 9/8/2022: Brewers 2 Giants 1; Brewers 4 Giants 2

No point in writing two separate posts about this disaster.  This is one MLB/MLBPA might want to have back as scheduling a 3-game series over two separate one day trips to Milwaukee with the 2-game half coming the day after finishing a 3-game series against the Dodgers in LA is bound to produce a couple of forgettable games like these.

We'll get this out of the way upfront:  The Giants offense did not show up.  They managed 7 hits over 18 innings.

 There were some notable performances on the pitching side.  Neither game was really a bullpen game as Jakob Junis and Sean Hjelle pitched bulk innings after following Openers.  Speaking of which, maybe it's just me, but I have never seen results from the use of Openers that makes me think it's anything more than a gimmick.

Jakob Junis RHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 8/1.  ERA= 3.98.  This was notable because Junis had a terrible month of August and the Giants have to decide whether to tender him a contract in his final year of arbitration eligibility.  This line is a lot closer to what the Giants would be looking for by retaining him for next season.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 6/0.  ERA= 5.73.  Hjelle is a unique pitcher due to his tremendous height(6' 11") with intriguing potential.  He's had an up and down season mostly at AAA PCL which is a notoriously tough league for pitchers.  His results in a couple of previous cups of coffee were also mixed.  He showed up today with fastball that was a full tick faster and threw about 10 at 96 MPH.  He also broke out a new slider/cutter that seemed especially effective against LH batters.  This is all critically important for next season because the Giants desperately need bulk-inning pitching depth and ideally you want to get it from 1.  an in-house prospect and 2.  a pitcher with options.  Hjelle fits that description.  

Luis Ortiz RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  A quick reminder that Ortiz has not allowed an earned run at any level since June 23.  I loved him as a HS pitching prospect out of Sanger, CA. Turns out he grew up a Giants fan.  Maybe the Giants are the team he finally sticks with and makes his mark in MLB with?

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Churn Watch:

Sean Hjelle as added as the 29'th player on the doubleheader roster.  He'll presumably go back to Sacramento since he pitched bulk innings and won't be available for for the next 4 days anyway.  I would think the Giants want to see more of him before the end of the season, though, and he's a logical choice to take Alex Wood LHP's slot in the rotation.

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The Giants move on to Chicago for a weekend series against the Cubs with Carlos Rodon LHP facing former Giant Drew Smyly LHP in a Friday afternoon game......after the doubleheader in another city yesterday.

Down on the Farm: 9/7/2022

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats downed the Las Vegas Aviators 7-6.

Yermin Mercedes 1B- 2 for 4, HR(5).  BA= .287.

Jason Vosler 3B- 2 for 4, SB(4).  BA= .245.

Heliot Ramos CF- 2 for 4.  BA= .221.

Willie Calhoun DH- 3 for 4, HR(13).  BA= .270.

R.J. Dabovich RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  BA= .415.

Cole Waites RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Can someone remind me why Zack Littell pitched for the Giants yesterday while Cole Waites pitched for the River Cats?

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AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels outscored the Bowie Baysox 8-6.

Will Wilson 2B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .245.

Tristan Peters LF- 3 for 4, HR(1), BB.  BA= .218.

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A+:  Vancouver Canadians crushed the Eugene Emeralds 9-1.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K's, GO/AO= 6/1.  ERA= 1.64.

IDK if anyone made more progress as a prospect this season than Trevor McDonald.  I saw him pitch in person on May against Inland Empire when he gave up 9 ER in 6.2 IP but looked like he had good stuff.  He's been dominant ever since and has successfully taken it to the next level.  Moves way up the Giants prospect rankings.  Has another year before he is Rule 5 eligible.

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A:  San Jose Giants pounded the Fresno Grizzlies 9-3.

Victor Bericoto RF- 3 for 5, HR(12).  BA= .268.

Wade Meckler LF- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .458.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 1 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .268.

Logan Wyatt DH- 2 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .167.

Garrett Frechette 1B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .255.

Jose Cruz RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.12.

Is there any hope for Logan Wyatt as a prospect?

Game Wrap 9/7/2022: Dodgers 7 Giants 3

 Linda Ronstadt was a country-pop-rock start in the 1970's who sang a memorable rendition of the National Anthem in Dodger Stadium for the All Star Game.  One of her biggest hit songs was a remake of Heatwave.  We are in the middle of a heatwave in Southern California this week and baseballs were jumping out of Dodger Stadium like popcorn on asphalt....oh!  Hi there!  A little free association there.  David Villar hit two HR's today to give him 3 and the Giants 9 in three games.  The Dodgers hit 7 but had more runners on base for theirs so completed a 2-1 series win despite Villar's heroics.  

David Villar 1B- 2 for 3, 2 HR(4), BB.  BA= .218.  Villar went 6 for 8 with 3 HR's and a BB.  He appears to have taken the lessons of his first MLB stint to heart and come back ready to rake.  Completely different guy, different attitude.  This is the guy we've seen tear through AA and AAA over the past two seasons.  That this came against the Dodgers does nothing to hurt his cause.  If this series accomplished nothing but announcing Villar's arrival as an offensive force it will be memorable.

This game was lost in yet another bullpen failure. This time Zack Littell RHP gave up 4 runs in the 8'th inning.  I am honestly not sure what more we need to see of Littell when we have Luis Ortiz RHP on the active roster, Cole Waites RHP throwing triple digits in AAA and Shelby Miller RHP looking for a shot at redemption.

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Churn Watch:  

Luis Ortiz RHP contract selected from AAA Sacramento.  Bryce Johnson OF optioned back to AAA Sacramento.  Ortiz must be taking Andrew Knapp's spot on the 40 man roster after Knapp was DFA'd yesterday to make room on the active roster for Joey Bart coming off the concussion IL. 

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The Giants fly to Milwaukee where they have to play a doubleheader tomorrow.  Scott Alexander LHP is listed as the SP for game 1 with TBD listed for game 2.  That should be fun!

Down on the Farm: 9/6/2022

AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators strafed the Sacramento River Cats 8-1.

Wei-Hsieh Huang RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 4.24.

It only seems like the River Cats are on a 3-man SP rotation.  I looked it up and Huang last pitched on 9/1.  He has allowed just 2 ER in 28.2 IP since coming off the IL and a rehab assignment in the ACL on 8/3.  He has  31 K's and just 2 BB's in that span.  I might prefer seeing him get a shot to start an MLB game over another bullpen game for the Giants.

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AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Bowie Baysox 7-3.

Shane Matheny CF- 2 for 4, HR(12), BB.  BA= .254.

Tyler Fitzgerald SS- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .234.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .369.

Keaton Winn RHP- 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.71.

Evan Gates RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

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A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Vancouver Canadians 8-5.

Grant McCray CF- 2 for 4, BB, SB(4).  BA= .229.

Hunter Bishop DH- 4 for 5, 3 SB(20).  BA= .238.

Jared Dupere LF- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .219.

Carson Seymour RHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.99.

Juan Sanchez LHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(6).  ERA= 3.83.

A Hunter Bishop sighting!  Juan Sanchez is another in a long list of Giants minor leaguers who are Rule 5 eligible this offseason

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A:  Fresno Grizzlies mauled the San Jose Giants 12-6.

Wade Meckler LF- 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .421.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 1 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .268.

Patrick Hilson CF- 2 for 5.  BA= .409.

Yorlis Rodriguez 3B- 1 for 5, HR(16).  BA= .260.

Game Wrap 9/6/2022: Dodgers 6 Giants 3

 Sorry, I somehow lost my post and am not going to retype it.  Dang!  I thought it was a really good post too!

Game Wrap 9/5/2022: Giants 7 Dodgers 4

 On a sweltering night in Los Angeles, home runs were jumping out of Dodger Stadium.  The Giants hit 5 of the 7 total with newcomer Lewis Brinson CF leading the way with two.

Lewis Brinson CF- 2 for 5, 2 HR(2).  BA= .364.  From Kap's comments after the game, it seems the Giants see Brinson as a RH platoon bat and think he can harness his prodigious physical talent against LHP's.  So far that seems to be the case.  There may not be room on the roster for both him and Austin Slater?

David Villar 1B- 2 for 2, HR(2).  BA= .181.  Villar left the game for a better defensive alignment after his HR.  Hopefully he will get more opportunities to showcase his RH power as the season winds down.

J.D. Davis DH(9, .243) and Thairo Estrada SS(12, .264) added solo HR's to the Giants barrage.  All of the Giants HR's were by RH batters against LHP's.  

Logan Webb RHP- 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 6/2.  ERA= 2.89.  Solid QS by Webb.  After Freddie Freeman's 2-run blast in the first inning after a throwing error by Evan Longoria 1B put a runner on, Webb settled down and kept the ball on the ground and in the ballpark which on this night was essential.

Scott Alexander LHP- 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.69.  Alexander and Alex Young LHP have stabilized the left side of the Giants bullpen.

Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(20).  ERA= 2.68.  Despite the heat, Doval didn't break a sweat with a 3-run lead.  BTW, when did he cut his hair? The blonde dreadlocks are gone.  

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Churn Watch:

Before the game, Austin Slater OF finally hit the 10-day IL with the pinkie finger dislocation.  Yunior Marte RHP was called up to replace him on the 28-man roster.

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The Giants face another LHP in Tyler Anderson tonight in what promises to be another very warm night in LA.  The Giants are planning on a bullpen game.  Will they bring up any other pitchers to help out?

Down on the Farm: 9/3/2022

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats edged out the Tacoma Rainiers 2-1.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.92.

Shelby Miller RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(8).  ERA= 3.26.

I'll guess the Giants dialed back Hjelle's pitch count in anticipation of a callup to fill out some of the innings they lose with Alex Wood LHP on the IL

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AA:  Harrisburg Senators defeated the Richmond Flying Squirrels 7-3.

Nick Avila RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.45.

Avila is one of several Giants minor leaguers in danger of being lost to the Rule 5 Draft this offseason.

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A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Everett Aquasox 3-2.

Max Wright C- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(4).  BA= .211.

Jake Wong RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.53.

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A:  San Jose Giants outscored the Stockton Ports 7-5.

Damon Dues 2B/LF- 1 for 3, 3B, 2 BB.  BA= .368.

Patrick Hilson RF- 3 for 5, HR(2).  BA= .412.

Ronoldo Flores C- 1 for 3, HR(5), BB.  BA= .275.

Nick Sinacola RHP- 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K.  ERA= 3.86.

Willian Suarez RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's, Save(1).  ERA= 4.85.

Suarez has 87 K's in 43 IP over two levels. He's 24 yo and has been in the system seemingly forever. Another guy at risk of being taken in the Rule 5 Draft.  I could even see a tooled up kid like Hilson who seems to have finally added skills to the tools being taken by some team that has room on their roster to stash him for a season.

Game Wrap 9/3/2022: Giants 5 Phillies 3

Wilmer Flores hit a walkoff 2-run HR to give the Giants a sweep of the weekend series agains the Philllies.

Wilmer Flores 2B/3B- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(17).  BA= .246.  Per Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area Wilmer has 11 walkoff RBI's since 2014 which ties him with Josh Donaldson for most in MLB over that span.  It was also his 5'th career walk-off HR.  He doesn't look like much of a threat up there but he gets a lot torque in his body which gives him a unique ability to rotate on pitches on the inner half and drive them down the LF line.  I will go to my grave believing that is exactly what he would have done against the Dodgers in the final game last season were it not for the bad call on his check swing.  He's probably had to play more than ideal against RHP's this season due to all the injuries but he's still been one of the steadiest players and seems like a leading candidate to win the Willie Mac Award.  He's a free agent after the season but at age 31 is probably worth bringing back on another 2 or 3 year deal.  What a good Giant he's been!

Carlos Rodon LHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K's.  ERA= 2.92.  That might be the fiercest 6 innings of pitching you'll ever see.  High heat and a deadly slider.  When he loaded the bases with 1 out and the Phillies stopped swinging at the slider, he just rared back and struck out Jean Segura and Bryson Stott with 98-99 MPH heat at the top of the zone.  In the process he passed the 200 K mark and joined Tim Lincecum RHP and Jason Schmidt RHP for the most double digit K games in one season in Giants history at 9.  BTW, do you know who has 8?  Ray Sadecki LHP in 1968!  Rodon will almost certainly opt out of his contract which would pay him $22.5 M next season.  He's going to get paid this offseason.  He may be too expensive for FZ's and the Giants tastes, but there will be some rather loud murmurings coming from the fanbase if it's not the Giants who make him a very rich young man.

Bryce Johnson RF/CF- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .125.  It took awhile but Johnson finally got his first MLB hit and RBI.  He also drew a walk in the 9'th and scored ahead of Flores walk-off HR.

Alex Young LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.51.  Young has stabilized a decimated left side of the bullpen since being called up August 2.  I've liked Young as a pitcher since he played college ball for TCU and I scouted him for the draft.

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Churn Watch:

The Giants claimed Jose Rojas UT of waivers from the Angels and placed Brandon Belt 1B on the 60-day IL to make room on the 40-man roster.  Rojas is a LH hitter who batted just .188 in 83 games for the Angels over the past two seasons but hit .275 with 18 HR's for AAA Salt Lake City this season.

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The Giants will try to avenge the double 4-game sweeps to the Dodgers this week as they head south to take on the Bad Guys again.  Logan Webb RHP gets the call tomorrow evening facing Andrew Heaney LHP.

Down on the Farm: 9/3/2022

AAA:  Tacoma Rainiers buried the Sacramento River Cats 10-5.

Jason Krizan 2B- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(12), BB.  BA= .284.

Dixon Machado SS-  1 for 2, BB, HBP.  BA= .267.

Thomas Szupacki LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.42.

Luis Ortiz RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.66.

Szupacki is on the 40-man roster.  The Giants need to find out if he can cut it at the MLB level.  Bring him up to replace Alex Wood and find out what he's made of.  Luis Ortiz has pitched 23 scoreless innings since June 23 and routinely goes 2 innings per appearance.  Just sayin too. 

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AA:  Harrisburg Senators defeated the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-5.

Shane Matheny CF- 2 for 5, HR(11).  BA= .256.

Tyler Fitzgerald SS- 3 for 4, 2B, SB(18).  BA= .231.

Will Wilson SS- 3 for 5.  BA= .245.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 3.36.

Harrison struck out the side twice in 2 IP but also gave up 2 HR's.  Not sure there is a need to squeeze every last inning out of Harrison this season.  He's long since accomplished what he needed to and way more.  There is a lot riding on his arm.  I'd be extremely cautious with it. 

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A+:  Eugene Emeralds blanked the Everett Aquasox 4-0.

Mason Black RHP- 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K's.  ERA= 3.96.  

Out of the 2019 draftees, Landon Roupp is ahead of Black at this point but not by a lot.  Takes a bit of the sting out of Bednar and Mikulski struggles.

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A:  San Jose Giants topped the Stockton Ports 4-2.

Damon Dues 2B- 1 for 3, 2 BB, SB(8).  BA= .371.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 4, BB, SB(11).  BA= .268.

Victor Bericoto RF- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .263.

Adrian Sugastey C- 2 for 4.  BA= .242.

Liam Simon RHP- 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Manuel Mercedes RHP- 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's, GO/AO= 9/2.  ERA= 5.50.

Simon, Giants 5'th round draft pick, makes his full season league debut.  

Game Wrap 9/3/2022: Giants 5 Phillies 4

 The Giants won a seesaw contest with Camilo Doval RHP shutting it down for the 4-out Save.

The top of the lineup was clicking for the second game in a row.  The top 4 batters in the starting lineup, Lamonte Wade Jr 1B(.192), Mike Yastrzemski CF(.208), Thairo Estrada 2B(.263) and Joc Pederson LF(.271) went a combined 7 for 13 and reached base 10 times in 16 PA's.  

Jakob Junis RHP was a gamer but didn't make it through 5 innings.  Kap used 6 relievers over the next 4.2 innings.  Doval recorded his 19'th Save of the season and it was truly a save as he protected a one run lead for 1.1 IP.

Thor was not very Thor-like has he didn't last any longer than Junis and gave up one more run.  The scouting report on Noah Syndergaard RHP, who is a free agent after the season and a potential replacement for Carlos Rodon LHP, was not optimistic.  As Kruk and Kuip commented, the 98 MPH heater was nowhere in sight and he was throwing "the kitchen sink" up there and giving up hits.  It's not like the Giants have a murderer's row lineup either.

Bryson Stott SS(Phillies)- 3 for 4, HR(9).  BA= .231.  I have to confess I had Hunter Bishop above Stott on my draft board in 2019 but I didn't think Bishop would still be on the board at #10 so I was targeting Stott for the Giants at 10.  I thought Stott had the better hit tool and he played the premium position but it wasn't clear that Stott would stay at SS and Bishop had more power.  The Phillies ended up drafting Stott #15 overall.  It looks like they got the better player.  Stott hasn't set the world on fire in his rookie season but also hasn't embarrassed himself and looks poised for a nice career.  The HR was a beauty he pulled down the line and rocketed into the cove.  Got out of there fast!

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Well, now we know why Alex Wood LHP has struggled for 3 starts.  He went on the IL with a shoulder impingement.  Gotta think that's it for him this season.  Giants plan to fill his rotation slot with a bullpen game and IDK about that.  There's gotta be someone they can call up to at least try to eat the first 4-5 innings.

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Carlos Rodon LHP tries for the sweep this afternoon against Ranger Suarez LHP.  Lewis Brinson OF, who is 2 for 4 since the Giants acquired him should get the start against the LHP.