Robbie Ray gave up back-to-back HR's in the fourth inning but was otherwise electric in his final preseason start while Heliot Ramos led the lineup from the top of the order. Key Lines:
Heliot Ramos LF- 3 for 4, 2B, HR. BA= .308. Ramos got a late and slow start to spring training but came on strong at the end. He led off what appears to be a potential Opening Day lineup, homered in his first PA and had two more hits with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI's. Yeah, we'll take that! Fingers crossed that Ramos stays healthy and continues his development because the talent is there to be a cornerstone player.
Patrick Bailey C- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(4). BA= .316. Preseason discussion focused on who the back up C would be but Bailey quietly had a strong spring. Can he avoid another second half slump?
Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 1 for 3, 3B, 2 K's. BA= .273. Fitz did an on-camera interview after coming out of the game which I found uncomfortable to listen to. He was beating himself up over the K's and wasn't having Kruk and Kuip give him any praise for the triple. It's great to work on reducing the K's, but if he plays good D at 2B and hits .273 on the season I'm sure the Giants will be happy.
Brett Wisely 2B- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .295. Competition for the utility IF spot was fierce between Wisely, Schmitt and Christian Koss. Koss might be a slightly better defensive SS but Wisely is already on thre 40-man roster, bats LH and had a strong spring so he probably has the edge.
Robbie Ray LHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 1.86. Ray caps off a strong spring. He gave up B2B HR's to Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson both pretty serious hitters. Otherwise another strong start. Didn't see that much of the new changeup he learned from Tarik Skubal but it was effective when he used it. I am not sure what type of pitch Greene took deep but Ray tried to sneak a fastball in above Tork's hands and got too much of the plate. It went out in a hurry. A healthy Ray for a full season would be a huge boost for the Giants postseason chances.
Lou Trivino RHP, Spencer Bivens RHP and Tyler Rogers RHP recorded a scoreless frame each. Erik Miller LHP got roughed up for two runs in the 9'th but finished the game.
As we know, Landen Roupp RHP was named the 5'th SP with Hayden Birdsong RHP making the team out of the bullpen. Maria Guardado of sfgiants.com reports Birdsong had a split fingernail that may have contributed to his poor performance yesterday. Birdsong making the roster probably aces out Joel Peguero RHP and man, I want to see how that 102 MPH FB plays in a regular season MLB game!
Jordan Hicks RHP makes his final preseason start in a 5:05 PM start facing highly rated Tigers prospect Jackson Jobe RHP.
I had the same thought on the Fritz interview. It was a master class in listening to Kruk and Kuip trying to make it more palatable for the listeners. Someone might want to pull Fitz aside and enlighten him to keep it up-beat for the listeners. Great that he is taking responsibility, but to remember, he is “in the memory making business.” Touch on it and move on. Keep the smile.
ReplyDeleteContrast that with the in-game interview with Adames and getting a glimpse of the dynamic between him and Chappy and “the Boys.” Adames was indeed a huge get for GBP and the team. And it was great to hear the Boys back on the call for the first time.
Did anyone else worry about Jung HooLee when he did his face plant in the first inning? That would be just the kind of silly thing to put someone it for the season. Glad to see him come up laughing and apparently unharmed.
If the Giants get the really good Robbie Ray, he and Webb will provide a really good 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation..And the rest could be a pretty darn good 3-5.
DeleteSo glad for ROUPP, been through a lot and has worked his butt of and at 26 his time is NOW. Birdsong was just as good and will get his chance within a month or two,
Better than pulling Fitz aside would be not to interview him in such setting. Some competitors are like that all the time and need time to cool off, even if a ST game. Huge difference between a star like Adames with little care in the world and a guy like Fitz striving to win a starting spot. Agree about the "memory making business" but some players will just limit that to what they do on the field and not what they say into the Mic! Be good for them if they can do both, but not always the case..
SteveVA
SteveVA, I totally agree re. Fitz. I love Kruk and Kuip but I can't believe they didn't know or at least suspect the K's were a sensitive issue for him. Should not have gone there with the questioning.
DeleteNot as confident that Fitz is going to hold up as a consistent bat, but his interview shows he's feeling the heat ... that's the value of competition! Wisely, Schmitt and Koss ... quality depth. (Hope they find a way to keep all three in the system.) One thing about Ray was although I also thought he looked really sharp overall, on the pre-game there was a lot of talk about how he's picked up a change-up to go with his fastball and slider. The back-to-back homers he gave up were all sliders, if I remember correctly. When he did throw his other off-speed pitch early in the game, it looked great. I'd guess in a regular season game, he'd mix things up more.
ReplyDeleteI only remember seeing one changeup and it was really good. Disappointed he didn't throw it more.
DeleteAt this instant, Sacramento's roster has 32 pitchers, 12 of them LH, 2 RH on 60-day injured list, 8 on the Giants' MLB 40-man, and at least that number with major league experience.
ReplyDeleteIs this an embarrassment of riches or a bloat of wannabees?
There are 6 starters on the major league roster, 5 of whom have major league success, plus Roupp who will be the #5 starter, and including Harrison.
More riches?
Don't you have to feel good about this depth?
Or is it just wishful thinking?
Probably a mixture of all of the above. I expect Harrison to be back up to strength by the first of May and be ready for the inevitable need at the MLB level. I guess part of the process at AAA will be to separate the quality depth from the AAAA guys.
DeleteApparently the axe has fallen for David Villar who was DFAd.
ReplyDeleteOh so close. Good luck, David. A good guy.
Lou Trivino takes Villar's place on the 40-man.
I hope Villar finds a home with a team that can give him an extended look and he turns it into an Adam Duvall-esque career.
DeleteIn last summer's draft the Giants selected OF James Tibbs III from FSU with the 13th pick in the draft. The very next pick was by the Astros, who selected a prospect from the same school, FSU, a 3B/OF named Cam Smith.
ReplyDeleteTibbs had a worrisome beginning to his professional career and seemed overmatched when sent to high-A Eugene.
Smith, meanwhile, rocketed his way through the Astros' system and then spring training and has been named the 'Stros' starting RF to begin the season.
Sounds like the the Giants' scouting dept. picked the wrong Seminole and has a bit of 'splainin' to do.
Way too early to stress over Tibbs or say the Giants should have drafted Smith. Tibbs hit .415 in 9 games with San Jose then got off to a rough start in A+ after a promotion going 1 for his first 41 but then went 8 for 26(.308) with 2 HR's over his last 6 games. Buster has said he wants to take a more deliberate approach to developing prospects. I think Tibbs will do well this season at whatever level he starts at. A+ would be appropriate for a college draftee in his first full season.
DeleteFinal year @ FSU, 21 yo (Tibbs is a few months older)
DeleteTibbs: 320 PA 28 HR .363/.488/.777/1.264 BB/K: 58/37
Smith: 322 PA 16 HR .387/.488/.654/1.142 BB/K: 44/48
Would be a very amusing question to pose to the Giants most famous FSU alum - It was also running the team.
ReplyDelete