Luis Matos hit a game-tying, 2-run home run in the 9'th inning but there was no happy ending as the Dodgers went on to win a game of pitcher-attrition in extra innings. Key Lines:
Luis Matos PH/RF- 1 for 2, HR(5). BA= .172. The Giants managed just 3 hits before Chapman singled with one out in the 9'th and Matos PH for YtY against a LHP and homered. Matos may be hitting just .172 but his 5 HR in 98 PA projects to 30 in 600 PA's. Kid has some serious pop in that bat. Can we please see more of him after the break? For one thing Heliot Ramos seems to be pressing and could used a day off here and there to regroup. To my eye, Jung Hoo Lee benefits from day off here and there too.
Robbie Ray LHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 2.65. The walks came back-to-back in the 4'th inning and led to the first Dodgers run. The other run came on solo HR by Miguel Rojas, one of the Dodgers weaker hitters. Matos got him off the hook for the Loss but he pitched well enough to win with even decent support from his lineup.
Ryan Walker RHP, Randy Rodriguez RHP, Camilo Doval RHP and Joey Lucchesi LHP kept the Dodgers at bay for 4 innings but Spencer Bivens RHP couldn't hold them back, giving up a 3-spot in the top of the 11'th.
The Giants get a 4-day break for the All-Star Game. Logan Webb RHP and Randy Rodriguez are participants. Robbie Ray was named to the All-Star team but can't play in the game due to his start today. They start the second half on Friday, July 18 with a road trip to Toronto and ATL.
I was first wondering why in the heck Bailey wasn't bunting in the 10th. Then, I saw that he bunt two foul before he swung away. Made it a little more acceptable. They were trying to do the right thing, strategically speaking.
ReplyDeleteListening to Jon Miller's call on the radio while watching the game, Jon was fairly critical of those bunt attempts. And he wasn't wrong. Seeing the way Bailey was squared, it's hard to imagine how he'd ever have gotten either of them down on the 3rd base side.
DeleteI noticed Bailey is using a torpedo bat. I wonder if that tapered end might have anything to do with anything.
Grok thinks, at least in Bailey’s case, the torpedo bat may have affected his inability to lay a bunt down in the direction he had planned. Both his bunted balls appeared fouled very high to me. Luckily they were not caught!
DeleteHere is what Grok 4 repeated:
Me: Could the Torpedo Bat Have Affected Bailey’s Bunt Attempts?
“Yes, it’s plausible that Bailey’s use of a torpedo bat contributed to his failed bunt attempts, though other factors like technique, fatigue, or the Dodgers’ pitching (e.g., facing a tough reliever in extra innings) could also play a role. The bat’s design optimizes for full swings by shifting mass to the mid-barrel for better power on common contact points, but this altered balance—thinner at the end and heavier near the hands—can feel unfamiliar for precision plays like bunting.
In bunting, players typically hold the bat horizontally with one hand slid up the barrel for control, deadening the ball rather than swinging. The torpedo shape reduces mass at the tip (where bunts often occur), potentially leading to less forgiveness on mishits, higher pop-ups, or directional errors, as seen in Bailey’s fouls toward first base.
Players and coaches have noted that while torpedo bats may boost exit velocity by 2–7% on squared-up balls, they require adjustment for non-power situations, and not all hitters adapt seamlessly—especially those like Bailey, whose .188 average suggests ongoing struggles. Fan and analyst speculation directly linked the bat to his bunt failures, with some calling for a return to traditional models. Ultimately, while the torpedo bat has helped some players, its impact on bunting appears neutral to negative for Bailey based on this performance, underscoring that it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
I don’t personally see why it may have made his fouled bunt attempts fly so high. They looked 15 feet high to me or more on TV.
Both pitches were breaking down...almost 12-6 movement. Curves or sliders, I dunno. 2nd pitch was lower than the first. Bailey seemed to square well for both sacrifice attempts. But it looked like his form went out the window as he lowered the bat for the downward break. Looks like he got the bat too low, causing a pop up. That's somewhat understandable. (Now, I haven't bunted a baseball in 30 years, so take my opinion here FWIW) I think the horizontal angle was bad, causing the attempts to go to the 1B side. I can't imagine, in that scenario, that he would ever try to bunt to the right side.
DeleteIs Grok, like, An AI?
it was frustrating to me that Bailey couldn't get the bunt down. Devers line drive out to CF would have been the game winning sacrifice fly if Bailey got the bunt down. No excuse. The Giants need to execute the little things like that to win games. They pitched well enough to win that game! Frustrating loss going into the break.
ReplyDeleteBefore Bailey came up, Jon Miller noted that he believed Bailey to be a good bunter, but thought that he'd mostly seen him bunt from the left side. Maybe switch hitters have preferred sides for bunting as well?
DeleteI was a natural left handed hitter but change to right handed due to being HBP as a lefty. I later switch hit. I would only feel comfortable bunting as a right handed batter. I believe due to better feel of bat control for me.
DeleteIt is time for Yaz and Matos to platoon at right after the break and I also agree on getting Lee and Ramos some days off and maybe even Devers could benefit from some rest days.
ReplyDeleteWould like to see more of Matos spelling all 3 regular OFs, but not in a platoon; he's soemthing like 7-49 vs LHPs
DeleteIf you can't get it down, try doing a swinging bunt. Just a thought.
ReplyDelete