The Giants built a 3-0 lead and Landen Roupp baffled the Tigers hitters with a dazzling 3-pitch mix before everything fell apart in a disaster bottom of the 5'th inning. Key Lines:
Heliot Ramos LF- 3 for 5, HR(10), R, 2 RBI. BA= .288. Heliot's 2-run home run in the top of the 5'th inning looked like it gave Roupp some breathing room. It wasn't enough.
Matt Chapman 3B- 3 for 4, 2 2B. BA= .224. Like most of the Giants lineup, Chapman has been struggling at the plate. He looked much better today. Unfortunately his error in the 5'th inning started the slide toward disaster.
Lamonte Wade Jr. 1B- 2 for 3, 2B, Sac. BA= .171. LMWJ smoked a hard double past the right fielder to drive in the Giants first run in the second inning. Later, Melvin had him sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second and no outs. Lamonte got the bunt down perfectly but then Sam Huff C and Christian Koss 2B struck out looking and swinging respectively to nullify the sacrifice. I like the idea behind getting runners to second and third with one out, especially with how the Giants have been scuffling but I'm not sure it works with the 8 and 9 hitters coming up.
Landen Roupp RHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K's. ERA= 3.54. Roupp was magical for 4 innings mixing up his FB, curveball and changeup all of which he was throwing with ease and confidence. The bottom of the 5'th inning started with an error by Chapman, then a groundball single and a walk. Hunter Pence noted that Roupp's command seemed to be slipping and Colt Keith hit a groundball double to drive in 2 runs. That brought Melvin out to bring in Randy Rodriguez who came this close to pitching out of the jam. He struck out the first two batters he faced then went 1-2 on Justyn-Henry Malloy who then spit on a slider in the dirt, got a fastball down the middle and lined it into LF to drive in 2 more runs. That was the ballgame right there as neither team subsequently scored.
The Giants get swept out of Detroit. This loss was easily the most heartbreaking and frustrating of the three. They now get a travel day to Miami to face the Marlins who are in tank mode but have a long history of rising up to smite the Giants.
Kyle Harrison LHP starts Friday evening against TBD.
This was a tough loss to stomach. I think we need to go out and trade anyone except Kyle Harrison or Hayden Birdsong for Jackson Holliday. If the O's aren't interested, then OK let's sign Brandon Belt.
ReplyDelete....and maybe Jackson's bro Ethan falls to #13 in the draft!
Delete...and I seriously wonder if Brandon Belt still has any interest in playing or if he's decided to live life. I still think FZ should have signed him to be the DH last year instead of Soler.
DeleteEveryone that’s over dramatic about the Giants this season and there poor hitting need to lower their expectations. This season they are doing way better than expected but World Series title is t realistic and isn’t happening. This season is a stepping stone season to better success. It’s about establishing the core of young players, specifically the pitchers (all of whom would be cheap and affordable for a long time while providing the giants with money wiggle room) and also establishing Ramos as more than a one year wonder and hopefully establishing Fitz as a duel power/speed threat. That’s what’s important this season. It’s about establishing the young guys and being able to build the team around that for future success. Even though Chapman and Adames aren’t hitting that great, for them as long as they can be healthy and provide value then it’ll work out. Chapman absolutely is providing value with his gold glove caliber defense and near league leading walks with solid power. Adames is at least walking a decent amount but obviously we need either the power or batting average to significantly increase. Those guys aren’t getting superstar money, but they are getting enough money where they are expected to produce. Farhan is was prone to signing all these discount guys to cheap contracts thinking they will have bounce back seasons but they basically end up providing zero value and production. Chapman is at least providing value and the hope is that Adames can snap out of the funk to provide some production as well. $22 or $23 mill a year isn’t as much as it use to be with all the superstars making way more than that. But once again the important thing is about establishing the young guys into a core and building from there. Just like how they win 3 World Series a decade ago. Even Barry Zito became an important producer for us in the end who helped us win even though he was overpaid.
DeleteI don't disagree with any of that but while I am not expecting it, I'm not ready to write them off for a Championship any more than I did in 2010. It's not a totally dissimilar situation.
DeleteOK, I'm just going to say it about Adames. I am no batting coach but it looks like Adames' front shoulder is flying open too soon on almost every swing. I remember a long time ago a Giants batting coach named Bobby Bonds had a young hitter named Matt Williams tuck his front shoulder against his chin to help him keep it closed longer. Williams went from batting near the Mendoza Line to hitting .290 with 40 home runs.
DeleteO's aren't trading Holliday. (Not even for Birdsong, Harrison & Eldridge) Let's focus on realistic possibilities. Nobody is trading anyone of value until the All-Star break.
DeletePeople act like Buster (or Farhan) had offensive options on the FA market. Overpay is the option SF option for a bat. (and not a certain one) To the tune of Adames' contract. There is not an easy solution. Certainly not one that can be easily bought. Definitely not one that other teams will fleece themselves to help us solve.
You know we do have just a wee bit of a sense of humor here, right?
DeleteMiami is a must win series, the schedule is about to get much tougher in June.
ReplyDeleteVery simple difference in the game: Tigers scored their runners, the Giants didn't.
ReplyDeleteChapman's error didn't help.
We can’t have another .500 season. All their efforts in the offseason aren’t looking like they made a difference. Now we have more highly paid mid players blocking our mid prospects who probably will never see the field enough to know if they were any good. We saw when Ramos finally broke out and it took a ton of luck and injuries for him to even get that chance. I think Schmidt and Matos and a few others have that potential too but get no love. Yes they will struggle and yes we will lose a few more games but we will also figure out if they are the next Ramos. Fitzgerald isnt. It doesn’t take a full rebuild just one smart year to develop, get a decent pick, and trade for more prospects. So far they haven’t developed anyone this year, aren’t going to get a decent pick, and there are no signs they will be able to pull off any significant trades for prospects.
ReplyDeleteWait, the Giants aren't developing anyone? For one thing, you forget the entire pitching side which includes Birdsong, Harrison, Roupp and Rodriguez at the MLB level and Whisenhunt at the AAA level. Ramos is building on last season's success and it's way too early to write off Fitzgerald. Eldridge is doing well at AA where he belongs right now. McCray and Luciano are playing every day in AAA. They may or not develop into MLB'ers but at least they are getting PA's at their appropriate level. Yes, Matos is stuck in no-man's land but It's hardly accurate to say the Giants are not developing anyone.
DeleteThanks for that injection of reality Doc.
DeleteYeah, it's hard to watch right now, but NO ONE is being blocked.
The G's young starters are the envy of baseball, and their pen is the best in the game. I am fine with 86 wins this year, build to 90 in '26, and then seriously contend.
With pitching, there's always the puncher's chance.....
Correction, they aren’t developing any of their offensive prospects. I have no complaints about the pitching prospects!
DeleteMeckler?
DeleteA lot of these players who they are developing unfortunately had their development hurt a bit by Farhan's frequent roster churning. I'm glad Buster opting for stability and patience to a fault.
DeleteYes, the Giants are developing positional prospects too. What about Meckler? He's back in the AAA Sacramento lineup after a rehab assignment in Arizona.
DeleteMeckler? (above) was in response to your post at 9:46 PM when you wrote "McCray and Luciano are playing every day in AAA."
DeleteYes, Meckler too!
DeleteWould the Giants make a play to sign Kyle Tucker this off season, would he sign with SF, and should they even try?
ReplyDeleteTucker would be a perfect fit as a lefty power bat who plays RF with YtY entering free agency. I could see the Giants making a run at him but we all know the track record of elite bats not signing with the Giants.
DeleteI think there is a zero chance they sign Tucker and that’s ok. He is going to sign for north of $600 million probably and I think we have too many OF prospects to invest that much in an outside option no matter how good. Ramos and Lee arent going anywhere anytime soon so there is one spot to see if Matos, Luciano, Tibbs, Davidson, Arias, McCray, Jordan, and even Meckler can fill. Some of those guys are a few years away but seems like we have depth in the OF and if they are going to invest in any bats in the offseason they will likely be at 1B/DH, 2B, or C. Best case scenario would be Alonso or Schwarber, second tier think Naylor, Goldy, Bichette, and third tier and most likely is Hoskins, Santana, Realmuto, Suarez to DH and play a little 1B? There are a few combinations of upgrades there that you could realistically see the Giants signing if you squint just a little bit…
DeleteI would be happy with one of either Naylor or Schwarber and then Realmuto to pair with Bailey. Keep looking for an internal option at 2B and let our prospects battle it out for RF. Say goodbye to Flores, Lamonte, and Yaz
Lineup
CF - Lee
LF - Ramos
1B - Naylor
3B - Chapman
DH - Realmuto
SS - Adames
2B - Fitzgerald/Koss/Wisely
RF - Matos/Meckler/Luciano
C - Bailey
Rotation
Webb
Ray
Birdsong
Harrison
Roupp
Rotation would be one year improved and that lineup has much more depth and potential with room for Eldridge at some point as well. Trades would change things but all it would take to have this team next season would be $$$ for Naylor and Realmuto.
Worth an "over" offer?
DeleteGiants have 7 FAs and only one would they migh really want (Rogers) clearing $20-$30M, with ~$122M guaranteed and a bunch for arbitration.
The first luxury tax threshold in 2026 will be $244 million.
They'll have a lot of money to see if Buster can sign another Top FA.