It sure seemed like the Giants showed up today more with revenge for a recent string of HBP's than, you know, winning the game. Young Hayden Birdsong got two quick outs on pop ups to open the game. Then, as was apparently planned, he hit Otto Lopez with a pitch. The next two batters crushed the ball for a double and home run and the route was on before the Giants even came to bat. Key Lines:
Rafael Devers DH- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(17), BB, R, 2 RBI. BA= .270. Maybe this is the game that gets the new team/new city jitters out and Devers gets going. The Giants desperately need him to be the center of their lineup.
Willy Adames SS- 3 for 4, R, RBI. BA= .215. The Giants also desperately need Adames to get going. Perhaps eschewing home run swings on every pitch and just getting base hits is the way to start?
Christian Koss 3B- 2 for 4, R. BA= .229. Koss moves over to 3B with Casey Schmitt hurting. He has done everything the team asked him to do all season.
Brett Wisely 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI. BA= .143. Wisely gets the call at 2B with Schmitt out and responds with a couple of hits and 2 RBI's.
Joey Lucchesi LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 5.40. The Giants need a second LHP in the bullpen, preferably one who can go multiple innings. Is Joey Lucchesi the answer?
The loss completes a humiliating sweep of a home series against one of the doormat teams, albeit one with some hungry young players and may be up and coming. Sometimes teams going through a bad stretch need to hit rock bottom to start climbing back. Maybe this is that game? It sure felt like it.
The Giants go on the road to start a weekend series against the White Sox with Landen Roupp RHP facing Aaron Civale RHP.
Fought back once, but wasn't going to happen twice. If nothing else, Marlins are a better 2-out team than the Giants.
ReplyDeleteWithout Chapman and with 10 games against D'backs, Dodgers, and Phillies, SF could be a .500 team at the break, which is better than last year.
FWIW, this was the Giants 81st game, and they are 7 over half way through. Although we all know the SF started hot, and we think that they will get better with Chapman, Devers, and Ramos, a duplication of the 1st half — 44 wins — will get 88 wins and that's usually enough to get in the playoffs (although it wasn't last year).
Lets hope we can look back at this humiliating series and say it woke us up.
DeleteThere are five teams bunched together for the wild card spots and it might take at least 88 wins to get in. It actually may come down to tiebreakers so the head to heads will be important. Remember, no more game 163s.
DeleteAfter the game, Melvin said Birdsong’s velocity was all over the place and he showed the same control problems as his last start. When interviewed afterwards, Birdsong said he couldn’t explain it … he had no idea why he couldn’t locate his fastball. I realize a player isn’t going to provide a detailed critique in public, but he really sounded lost. As a fan, though, it’s going to be interesting to watch a young homegrown talent with lots of potential fight to improve. I’m rooting for this kid.
ReplyDeleteI understand the perceived need to hit somebody. But it was just dumb to hit Lopez of all people with power coming up behind him.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there was pressure on the staff to retaliate, but picking a kid with control problems to do it?
DeleteThe timing of it was poor. It needed to be done by a bullpen guy and not Birdsong. I would have had Walker do the deed.
DeleteAgree Birdsong will be interesting young pitcher to follow the next couple of years. He has potential to be really good.. He can't do what he did in the 1st inning after getting 1st 2 outs and HBP, double to Rameriz, 3 run homer Stowers. Marlins must have thought they got last laugh after HBP. Maybe Adames needs to adjust to hitting at Oracle Park. Heard on a podcast that Adames hit 13 3 run homers last year playing for the Brewers. He usually hits better in the 2nd half which is encouraging. We'll see. Its safe to say the Giants need to improve their hitting with RISP, that might be the key for the rest of the season.
ReplyDeleteSome roster moves are likely to come. I would DFA Hjelle with the intent of release after yesterday, bring up both Beck and Seymour. Maybe get Birdsong some R&R until after the all-star break and I'd also bring up Luis Matos to rotate in to give both Yaz and Lee some days off, especially to get Lee back on track while giving Matos an extended look. Posey may need to embrace bullpen games every fifth day until the break with Bivens opening for Seymour and ease in Seymour in the bulk role to start.
ReplyDeleteI did not know of this until today but Hjelle's wife made some serious allegations against him. MLB is investigating.
DeleteI am not going to comment on Hjelle's domestic issues except to say I am confident MLB and the court system in Virginia will due their due diligence and justice will be served. It sounds like a very unfortunate situation no matter what the truth turns out to be and certainly a reason why he might find it challenging to concentrate on baseball.
DeleteHjelle's issues are sad and probably caused a distraction for the team.
DeleteSeymour has more than 70 innings pitched so far this season, and Whisenhunt has more than 80 already ... Beck already has 30 (counting MLB and Sacramento) ... Giants are going to need more arms to make it through the second half!
ReplyDeleteWe like to think the Giants have depth in their pitching, but with so much youth, will the trade of veteran Hicks and young Harrison come back to bite the Giants in the second half which begins today? 42 away, 39 home.
ReplyDeleteGiants call up No. 20 prospect Seymour for debut, option Hjelle
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ReplyDeleteHenry Schulman says the Giants are confident offense is picking up!
https://www.mlb.com/news/giants-take-stock-at-halfway-point-of-2025-season
Giants have played .500 ball since April 6 when they were 8-1, 7 over.
ReplyDeleteNow they are 44-37, 7 over.