Just when you thought the Giants lineup couldn't get any worse, it hit rock bottom for the how manyeth time as they squandered the few scoring opportunities they they got and wasted an amazing start by Logan Webb. Key Lines:
Instead of Key Lines for the lineup, let's look at the lost opportunities(few as they were):
First Inning: Mike Yastrzemski strikes out with 2 outs and runners at first and second.
Second Inning: Two walks and an HBP load the bases with no outs. Tyler Fitzgerald grounds into a force-out at home. Heliot Ramos grounds into a double play.
Sixth Inning: Leadoff single by Jung Hoo Lee. Wilmer flies out. Lee steals 2B(initially called out but overturned on replay). Matt Chapman strikes out, Jerar Encarnacion pinch-hitting for YtY grounds out.
Seventh Inning: Giants load the bases with 2 outs on 3 walks. Jung Hoo Lee strikes out.
Eighth Inning: Leadoff single by Wilmer. Christian Koss pinch runs and steals 2B. Chapman and Encarnacion strike out. Intentional walk to Willy Adames. Koss and Adames advance to 3B and 2B respectively on a wild pitch. Casey Schmitt strikes out.
Ninth Inning: Leadoff single by Patrick Bailey. Long fly out to Triples Alley by Fitz. Line out to deep CF by Heliot. Jung Hoo Lee Strikes out.
Tenth Inning: Jung Hoo Lee is the designated runner at 2B. Koss lays down a perfect sac bunt and almost beats it out. Chapman grounds out, Koss unable to advance with infield playing in. Jerar lines out sharply to first base.
In all, the Giants had 13 baserunners but just 5 hits, no XBH's. They struck out 10 times with 7 of those contributing to blown scoring opportunities. I mean, you can't start talking about situational hitting if the hitters aren't even making contact!
Logan Webb RHP- 8 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's, 10/3 GO/AO. ERA= 2.55. Cy Young worthy pitching by Webb goes to waste.
This prolonged hitting slump is gonna cause two things if it goes on two much longer. First, It is now putting Buster Posey in a position where he may be forced to overpay for a bat and trade sooner than he wants to and second and I'm starting to do this one, it is time to question Pat Burrell and look for a change at hitting coach.
ReplyDeleteThe Cardinals made a hitting coach change over the winter and it had a very positive result. Pretty much the same players. I agree, it may be time for the Giants to do the same.
DeleteDenver in Fresno
The CBS Sports gametracker provides an unconventional way of showing runners LOB: if a batter did not advance a runner they get an LOB (or 2 or 3).
ReplyDeleteGiants somehow had 27 LOB with 32 ABs.
Leading the way was Lee with 5, then Ramos, Chapman, and Fitzgerald with 4 each, and Encarnación in his first appearance this year left 3.
X-rays on LMWJ were negative. Reportedly the Giants are going day-to-day when maybe they would like to put him on the 60-day IL to postpone any adverse roster decision.
I've probably been LMWJ's biggest defender but he's never been an ideal type of hitter for first base. I have no idea what happened to make his BA crater but there are no signs of it bouncing back and and even if it does you still have a less than ideal hitter for the position. Now, the potential in-house replacements are also far from ideal and might not be even as good so that leaves the trade market. But if Buster is going to make a run for it this season I don't think he can afford to wait until the deadline to make a deal. It's close to crisis mode.
DeleteWhoa, not you, doc!
DeleteIt's waaay too early to panic, G's are a half game out of the WC.
It was surprising and bad optics that Matos got sent down the day after he hits a 3 run homer. It made me lookup that Matos has to stay in the minors for 20 days to use up the option. Sounds like he's going down to get more abs. Did they even try hard enough to get him more abs before sending him down. Yaz is struggling.. Will they call him up before the 20 days are up. I thought Wade would get DFA for sure.
ReplyDeleteAt this point I think the Giants should make YtY the 4'th OF, put Jerar out on RF every day against both RHP's and LHP's. If after 20 days he's hitting .100 then bring Matos back...or maybe McCray. Giants have to find out if any of those 3 are future building blocks. If they have already decided they are not, then make a trade for a legit RF bat.
DeleteHitting coaches can be a big help, but it's the players. Yaz and Wilmer had hot starts, but I just think they made a mistake sending down Matos. Now, Wade is hurt. Bring Matos back? They need to find something more than Yaz in right field.
ReplyDeleteI read that the Giants had an ERA of 2.64 as a team for the month of May and went 13-14.
ReplyDeleteThis hitting futility is getting absurd..Being shutout by some schmoe from SD making it 3 times in the last 9/10 games and, what, like 15 runs combined?..but it's not just a slump...it is who the Giants are this year....and when your big internal hope is some AAA-MLB tweener who has never done anything..and zero else in the minors, you are in bad shape....
ReplyDeleteThe problem is, other than Adames falling flat on his face so far (and that is big), everything is pretty much as expected...which mean Buster and GMZM did not really provide anything else to help this TEAM and just counted on hold overs.....The other problem is you don't want to make a PANIC kids for vet bat trade..it's gotta be a well thought out trade if you are giving up assets from their VERY GOOD pitching staff..But how long can they keep this up with zero help from an anemic offense? But a question is, is it even worth worrying about fixing such a black hole of an offense that really can't be fixed this year?...Is the best thing to try and get any and every vet going and deal them and just play with threadbare roster?
And I agree with rob eyman and was thinking the same earlier this morning about the Hitting coach (didn't know it was still Burrel!!)..Maybe it is just the talent but also could be approach (mechanical and psychological) that could be fixed by a new voice/communication/perspective?? I don't know..
Oh and, it's probably just me. but I think sending MATOS down for this Encarnacion character yesterday was foolish...You do this Saturday or SUnday, no problem, MATOS has really been struggling....But baseball is a funny game and sometimes all it takes is one game to get a guy going and turn a season aronund..After his great game on SUnday, I don't think the Giants were risking anything and, in fact, would have been taking a smart chance, by putting MATOS right back in the line up instead of rushing in a retread.
Oh, BTW, WEBB and almost the entire pitching staff is amazing..I hope they can keep their chins and morale up....but a stinker is coming soon.aas often happens with kids....and the bullpen is highly stressed and over-worked
SteveVA
I feel Buster is being handcuffed a bit with the roster by Greg Johnson. Should the season fall off the rails, I would be open to dealing both Ray and Webb and start Whisenhunt's clock and really try to load up on top hitting prospects. I would purge Yaz and trade Rodgers and admit that it may need to be time to go back to square one.
Deletewhen is a slump not a slump but bad at hitting a baseball. i guess that's what Mr. Posey must decide and go from there. great point about the need for K's during ghost runner innings. i admit to having no hard evidence but I just don't feel Melvin pushes the right buttons when it comes to the pitching staff - lacks a certain feel, that certain something that makes a good manager great. and yeah, my comments are all vague and without hard evidence. last point: at least i was making similar comments when the Giants were winning. -es
ReplyDeleteWe went to a game in Petco Park in 2023 with some friends who are Padres fans. They were totally frothing at the mouth over Melvin's management of extra-inning games. Their big beef was he never bunted the ghost runner over which he seems to have now started doing but you have to wonder if he's just too old school to figure out all the nuances of extra-innings and ghost runners. I do think you can make a case that extra-innings are a complete crapshoot so you put everything you have into trying to win before you get there.
DeleteAs you said earlier, home team in extra innings must try to keep the visitor runner on 2nd from getting to 3rd, or scoring if he gets there: strike outs!
DeleteNo fly balls, not even can-of-corn.
I've heard similar complaints about Melvin going back to his days with the Oakland A's. The Giants currently employ a strategy coach to help Melvin with the strategy and interpreting the data so nowadays, Melvin is not making up the strategy in a vacuum. If they bunt or not, there may well be a good reason and may depend a lot on who the pitcher on the mound is or which ghost runner is in base.
DeleteI disagree with a few of the posts up above about blaming Burrell. Blaming the hitting coach when a team is in a slump is way too simplistic of an answer. Keep in mind three factors: 1) The Giants are 16th out of 30 teams in mlb in runs scored, essentially in the middle of the pack. 2) With video and other technology, all MLB teams have data of what guys were doing and how when they were in a groove. I would be very surprised if Pat Burrell and his team have not coached the hitters properly. 3) It is the players that need to execute. Last night's gamne ended with Chapman hitting a shot right at the 3rd baseman and Jerar the same right at the 1st baseman. Game would have extended if either of those hard hit balls found a gap.
ReplyDeleteLast thing I'll say is you rarely if ever hear of a batting coach getting praised when a team is hitting well. Easy to target a coach when a team is in a slump, how about giving credit when things are going well.
There seems to be plenty of blame to go around: Roster construction? Adames and others pressing and trying to do too much? Coaching approach? Bad BABIP luck?
DeleteSome good points but..and .I do believe it is mostly the talent that FZ and then Posey/GMZM have put in place....but....when you can't do anything else other then bring up an ENCARNACION, it might be a move to shock a system to try and keep the team from falling into the abyss!..And it's not like Burrel has been instrumental in anything regarding the Giants offense......Still, all that said, the only way I think Burrel goes is if Posey is aware that there are problems between him and his approach and the players, especially the younger ones.
DeleteWhich leaves trades or just patience!
SteveVA
Per Burrell, does anybody recall a few years ago, when Carney Lansford was the hitting coach? They weren't hitting. He was fired in the offseason. They brought on Muelens and ended up winning three world series.
ReplyDeletePerhaps they need to find this year's Marco Scutaro/Freddy Sanchez. A spark plug that could ignite the lineup.