Thursday, March 28, 2024

Opening Day Game Wrap 3/28/2024: Padres 6 Giants 4

An all-familiar story unfolded in Petco Park as a bullpen meltdown blew a late lead and spoiled a Quality Start from Logan Webb.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 3, SF, PO, CS.  BA= .333.  A bit of a mixed bag for Lee who had two productive PA's but maybe tried to do too much on the basepaths.

Michael Conforto LF- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .750.  Someone predicted Conforto will lead the team in OPS.   He's definitely leading it after one game!

Patrick Bailey C- 0 for 3, Sac, E(1).  BA= .000.  Does this sound familiar?  During the Padres 7'th inning rally with runners on first and third and no outs,  the runner on first stole 2B.  Bailey skipped the throw into CF and the runner on third scored.  It ended up counting as an earned run because of subsequent Padres hits in the inning.  BTW, the Giants are carrying 3 catchers on the roster, at least for now:  Bailey, Murphy and Bart.

Nick Ahmed SS- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA- .667.  Ahmed made the Opening Day roster over Marco Luciano which is understandable.  So far his spring hitting carries over into the season, driving in 2 of the Giants 4 runs out of the 9-hole.

Logan Webb RHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K, GO/AO= 8/1.  ERA= 3.00.  Typical Webb performance.  Extremely groundball heavy which will lead to some bad BABIP luck but in the long run will suppress runs.

Luke Jackson RHP- 0.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= Infinity.  This guy had a sub-3.00 ERA last season but I have never felt he could be trusted in a high leverage situation.  Apparently his back was bothering him and why didn't he mention that before he had two runners on and a run in with no outs?  Grr!!!

Ryan Walker RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 2/0.  ERA= 9.00.  Walker brought his gas can out with him and allowed 2 inherited runners to score as well as one of his own before settling down.  Maybe Opening Day jitters?

Erik Miller LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Successful MLB debut for Miller.

Kyle Harrison LHP tries to square the Giants season tomorrow evening facing Joe Musgrove RHP.

18 comments:

  1. I think Comforto might have a good season, 2 years since shoulder surgery. Carrying 3 catchers and 12 pitchers not sustainable. I like Joey Bart but his situation is starting not to make sense to me. The beats like Pavs are reporting the Giants are clearly trying to sneak Bart through waivers, but it probably won't happen since scouts were impressed with him during the Spring. One said he might be an even better option then Tom Murphy. Is Bart that good? Seems like a lot of trouble to go through for Bart who's had numerous chances in the big leagues and hasn't produced.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's sthe conundrum with Bart: He MIGHT be that good, but has yet to come close to showing it in a regular MLB season. The part I don't get is how far Bailey has ridden a hot start. Yes, I get that he's good a framing pitches but is that a durable skill and does it save so many runs it trumps all of his rather alarming shortcomings. Since throwing out a flurry of baserunners early last year he has become a throwing error machine and yesterday was far from the first time he has made a key throwing error allowing runners to advance. And the bat has gone ice cold after a hot start. Bailey has an option. Why not use it to get him some more reps and give Bart one more chance to prove he can't get it done in the regular season? They don't even have to make Bart the starting C. They can have him back up Murph.....at least until Murph gets injured.

      Delete
    2. It would have been nice to see them give Bart a shot after a hot spring with high confidence going in. If he face plants easier to get through waivers. If he has a good start good problem to have and or might have some trade value.

      Delete
    3. It seems the easiest option on paper is to keep Bart and send Bailey down. I'm also wondering why the FO hasn't come to this conclusion. Maybe part of it is Bob Melvin hasn't seen enough of Bart or Bailey to evaluate them. Melvin is a former MLB catcher. Saw something interesting that Matt Olsen told Melvin that Bart is really determined to show something this season. Olsen played under Melvin with the A's and worked out with Bart during the off season.

      Delete
  2. In defense of Luke Jackson, I didn't see the game. The two hits he gave up to lead off the Padres 7'th are listed as line drives in the game ticker but I am reading they were both actually bloops so maybe he was just a victim of the BABIP gods?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Luke Jackson was wild and would have walked both batters if they hadn’t gotten hits. Patrick Bailey looks awful at the plate and defensively he isn’t much better. Bart may not be the answer but have to give him one more shot. Offense may take a month or two to gel lots of new pieces and still some moving parts. One game isn’t gonna change the fact that this team has a chance to be good just need to tighten things up a little in the pen and gel offensively and should be fine

      Delete
  3. Agree with Doc and LG that the best option at C is to give BART one more chances as a C or Co-C (and not just a PH bat) with BAILEY given a chance to working on some needed adjustments in SAC...Only thing that makes sense NOW..

    Mentioned yesterday that the Bullpen could torpedo the season, and it's not just having only two (maybe) options from the left side (but great 1st outing from MILLER!!!!!)...The right side could have some issues also with the vagaries of relief pitching and a guy like WALKER possibly regressing, No BREBBIA and the uncertainity of JACKSON as well as counting on a rookie SP as a relief P (Winn or Roup)..I would love to see both ROUP/WINN succeed and hope ONE can make the transition to RP

    SteveVA

    ReplyDelete
  4. Conundrum with Bart ? I don't see it that way. Bailey better talker, and framer than Bart. Bart looks good with the bat this spring. Bailey looks bad with the bat and his throws to second base needs work. Bailey to AAA for tune up and if Murph or Bart get's hurt then bring Bailey up from AAA. This way you keep all three longer to see if the real Bart is legit with the bat. Bart does have a strong arm.


    ReplyDelete
  5. Not a coach or technician here, just a long time SFG fan; but I don't understand why one of the baseball programs along the way never ever tried Bart at 3B or 1st.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He was the best C in the Country at Georgia Tech..and then in SF..there was Posey..and BART the heir apparent and nobody else..no reason to try him anywhere else....and then they draft BAILEY and Bart shows some cracks (or maybe that's why they drafted Bailey??)..maybe that's when Giant coaches could have looked into it? I don't know...I think he can still succeed as an MLB catcher, confidence is huge for him...I just hope it's not a change of scenery that is needed for it all to come true

      SteveVA

      Delete
    2. It appears that the Giants think Bailey is better than Bart, but statistics don't indicate a lot of difference, and Bart had the better Spring, which means nothing. Usually.
      Rather than unload the least of their catchers, perhaps they should see which one brings the best return, and if it's good enough, that may help SF more than who backs up Murphy.
      Unless Murphy returns the most...

      Delete
    3. "...I don't understand why one of the baseball programs along the way never ever tried Bart at 3B or 1st...
      C can be very a quick route to the majors for a guy who doesn't hit as well as a 1B or 3B should

      Delete
  6. The Giants believe it will be easier to pass someone through waivers now that rosters are set around the leagues. If he is taken, his new team has to have a spot for him, meaning an early season change to get a guy who may or may not fill a slot that has already been filled.
    For Davis watchers, J.D. was 1-3 as the A's were shut out on 3 hits.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This may be heresy, but, does Bailey have trade value?
    Significant? Worth a GOOD prospect or a useful RP?
    Of the 3 C's, who has the most trade value?

    FWIW, Webb was great but if it were not for the much maligned Conforto and the mostly disrespected Ahmet, the Giants would have been shut down and shutout yesterday...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mitch Haniger 2 for 3, 1 HR

    ReplyDelete
  9. So..Yaz out for baby duty and MATOS recalled...expected...but TENG recalled as JACKSON put on IR.....Didn't see tht coming so early...TENG varies between brilliant and wild...Not sure how the Giants are gonna use the 3 Minor League starters in ROUP, WINN nd TENG..will be interesting

    SteveVA

    ReplyDelete
  10. J. D. Davis hits a solo HR to close the gap for the A's with Cleveland.
    Chapman gets a 2-run homer to open the scoring for SF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But wait! There's more! That 2nd one was a thing of beauty!!!

      Delete