Game Wrap 6/13/2023: Giants 11 Cardinals 3

Michael Conforto led an overpowering Giants offense to a runaway win tempered by the loss of Mitch Haniger with a fractured forearm and possibly J. D. Davis with an ankle injury.  Key Lines:

Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 2 for 5, 2 2B, BB.  BA= .276.  LMWJ just doing his thing.  He was on 2B in the 4'th inning.  After Joc ended the inning with a groundout to 1B, Jack Flaherty RHP for the Cardinals started pointing and barking and the usually sunny dispositioned Lamonte got hot.  John Brebbia RHP made a grade 70 spring in from the dugout to join a fray that ended up not amounting to much.

Thairo Estrada 2B- 2 for 5, BB.  BA= .294.  Thairo drives in a run and scores one from the 2-hole.  

 

J. D. Davis 3B- 1 for 2.  BA= .286.  Davis injured his ankle sliding into 3B.  He got up and walked off the field.  Kap said after the game too soon to tell if IL is in order.  David Villar flying in just in case.  I prolonged IL stint for Davis would be most unfortunate as he has been one of the Giants more valuable players, coming close to carrying the team at times.

Blake Sabol LF- 1 for 2, BB, SF.  BA= .252.  Davis and Haniger were injured in the same inning.  Since Davis was out at 3B he did not need a PR so Sabol replaced him in the bottom of the inning while playing LF.  

Michael Conforto RF- 4 for 2B.  BA= .250.  Big night for Conforto with 3 RBI's and a Run.  He was in a mini-slump so is only batting .250 over his last 7 games but is hitting .333 over his last 15.

Mitch Haniger LF- 0 for 1, HBP.  BA= .230.  As mentioned in the lead-in, Haniger was HBP on the R forearm and found to have a fracture.  This will almost certainly result in a 2-month or more IL stint.  I expect him to go on the 60-day IL at some point.  I am sure there are readers and commenters here who are dancing in the streets now because this clears the way for Luis Matos OF to make his much-anticipated MLB debut.  Just to be clear, I love Matos and am as eager to see how he does in the majors as anyone, but Haniger's injury is not good news for the Giants or their fans.  This is the latest in a long line of freak injuries to result in the loss of large chunks of playing time for Haniger and at some point you have to wonder if the baseball gods just hate him for some reason and also when/if the accumulated injuries take their toll on his ability to perform.  Didn't a forearm fracture all but end Hunter Pence's career?

Mike Yastrzemski CF- 1 for 4, HR(7), BB.  BA= .249.  YtY hit the first of B2B HR's with Patrick Bailey in the 6'th inning. With Luis Matos anticipated arrival, gotta think YtY will be moving off CF to make room for the phenom with Matos taking over as everyday CF with YtY and Austin Slater sharing LF.

Patrick Bailey C- 2 for 5, HR(3).  BA= .323.  Forgot to mention that Joey Bart C was activated of the IL and optioned to AAA Sacramento.  Catcher is Bailey's job to lose now which may not happen for...oh, about 10 years.

Alex Cobb RHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.09.  Not Cobb's best start but also not his worst.  He left the game with a 3-2 lead.  He threw 70 pitches in 4 IP.

Keaton Winn RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K, GO/AO= 6/2.  ERA= 2.25.  Amidst the hulabaloo over the injuries and Matos' call up, let's not forget Keaton Winn's first MLB appearance with family and friends in attendance.  Not a spectacular line but he kept the ball on the ground and limited the Cards to 1 run in 4 innings.  Yes, we will take that!  I imagine Winn and Tristan Beck RHP will form a shuttle tandem between Sacramento and SF.

The Win improves the Giants record to 35-32.  I believe this is the second time the Giants have been 3 games above .500.  They will likely finish the night 6 games behind the D'Backs who are losing big to the Phillies and 3 games behind the Dodgers who are leading the White Sox.  The Giants are a game ahead of the Brewers in the race for the last Wild Card spot.

Anthony DeSclafani RHP tries for a swwweeeepppp tomorrow at 10:15 AM PT facing Jordan Montgomery LHP.  And this may be the dawning of the Luis Matos era!