Sunday, August 3, 2025
Down on the Farm: 8/3/2025
Game Wrap 8/3/2025: Giants 12 Mets 4
A cathartic run explosion by the lineup and an encouraging pitching performance by Carson Whisenhunt carried the Giants to a runaway win in Citi Field. Key Lines:
Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 4, BB, 2 R, RBI. BA= .268. Ramos is steady-as-she-goes...at least at the plate. He's been the Giants most consistent hitter this season which is not nothing.
Rafael Devers DH- 3 for 4, HR(20), BB, 2 R, 4 RBI. BA= .258. Devers busted out of his slump and how! The home run drove in 3 runs and was crushed well into the upper deck in RF. The singles were also hit hard with one smacking off the RF wall to the RF who caught Devers trying for a double.
Dominic Smith 1B- 1 for 5, R, 2 RBI. BA= .269. A single in 5 AB's doesn't look like much but it was at a the end of a great AB in a 2-out, bases-loaded situation. to drive in 2 insurance runs. Casey Schmitt followed with a 3-run blast to put the game on ice.
Casey Schmitt 2B- 2 for 5, HR(6), 2 R, 3 RBI. BA= .253. We mentioned that Casey was putting together better quality AB's and he delivered the coup-de-grace with the 3-run jack in the 9'th. He went 5 for 13 on the series. He has an opportunity over the last 2 months here to make himself the presumptive starting 2B going into next season.
Jung Hoo Lee CF- 4 for 4, 2B, BB, 2 R. BA= .258. Lee made an adjustment over the All-Star Break and started using the whole field instead of pulling everything. He's batting .315 since. This was his first 4-hit game and he reached base 5 times.
Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's, 6/3 GO/AO. ERA= 4.35. Much, much better than his first MLB start. Excellent command of a mid-90's fastball with a sharp downward plane that was shaving the corners of the zone. Still some inconsistency in the changeup but the first inning solo HR by Lindor was the only major damage. So far I would say the fastball is better than advertised and the changeup a little less. Hopefully the changeup will come as he gets settled in and gains confidence. Good looking young pitcher!
Jose Butto' RHP- 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.47. It took just one pitch for Butto' to get Whiz off the hook in in the 6'th with a GIDP. He then struck out the side in the 7'th. Dave Fleming and Hunter Pence commented on the TV broadcast that the Giants scouted Butto' for a long time and really wanted him in the Rogers trade.
Giants win the series and move on to Pittsburgh to try to pay back the series sweep in Oracle Park. It's just their second series win since July 9. Now they just need to avoid the faceplant that happened after winning the Braves series on July 23. Justin Verlander RHP tries to keep his string of good starts going against TBD.
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Down on the Farm: 8/2/2025
AAA: Albuquerque Isotopes burned the Sacramento River Cats 9-4.
Game Wrap 8/2/2025: Mets 12 Giants 6
A massive pitching failure overshadowed some encouraging signs from the lineup in a blow out loss to the Mets. Key Lines:
Willy Adames SS- 1 for 5, HR(17), R, 2 RBI. BA= .235. At this point, Adames is having an approximately average year for him. 2.5 fWAR at 2/3 point in the season projects to 3.7 fWAR.
Dominic Smith 1B- 1 for 4, HR(3), R, 2 RBI. BA= .272. Smith has played well in limited action. 0.4 fWAR in 114 PA which projects to 2.1 over 600 PA's. I feel like he could have the equivalent of a YtY career but is that good enough? Probably not for the positions he plays.
Casey Schmitt 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, R. BA= .248. Casey showed excellent pitch selection and bat control on the oppo-field double.
Jung Hoo Lee CF- 2 for 3, 2B, HBP, R. BA= .251. .280/.400/.400 over his last 7 games.
Grant McCray RF- 2 for 4, 3B, R, RBI. BA= .333. The single was a laser beam off the RF wall that came straight back to Juan Soto who held McCray to a single but Jung Hoo Lee scored all the way from 1B. The triple was a liner into the RF corner and McCray used his blazing speed to leg out a triple. What a difference a day makes! McCray has a sweet looking stroke.
Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 3.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 BB 4 K's. ERA= 13.50. Not a great line by any stretch but Teng appeared a bit overamped at the start as he went HBP, Walk to the first two batters. He struck out Juan Soto on a beautiful split change but then gave up the bomb to Pete Alonso. No shame in that. Alonso hits HR's off good and great pitchers too. The problem was the baserunners. Maybe they aren't there if it wasn't for the butterflies. Teng looked good in innings 2 and 3, but allowed 2 of the first 3 batters in the 4'th inning to reach base. He was at 67 pitches and Melvin brought in Matt Gage LHP who gave up consecutive singles to score both of the inherited runs. Teng showed a live mid-90's tailing FB, a sharp down-breaking curve and a fading split change which were effective when he commanded them. He's worth at least another look or two.
Spencer Bivens RHP- 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K. ERA= 4.80. Poor Spencer Bivens looks like he's out of gas to me. He needs an IL stint for R&R or something but he's getting pummeled almost every time out.
Tristan Beck RHP took more pummeling over the final two innings and had to wear it to preserve the rest of the pitching staff.
Carson Whisenhunt LHP tries to get the rookie jitters out in game that starts at 10:40 AM PDT tomorrow against Frankie Montas RHP who comes in with a 5.46 ERA.
Friday, August 1, 2025
Down on the Farm: 8/1/2025
AAA: Albuquerque Isotopes blew up the Sacramento River Cats 15-6.
Game Wrap 8/1/2025: Giants 4 Mets 3(10 innings)
The Giants got a 7-inning Quality Start from Robbie Ray and an extra-inning Save from newly named Closer Randy Rodriguez for a win PS(post-selloff). Key Lines:
Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .267. Ramos reached base twice out of the leadoff position but did not factor into the scoring.
Wilmer Flores DH- 2 for 3, BB. BA= .249. Wilmer reached base 3 times and scored a run. He came out of the game early with a tight hammy. Initial word is he will likely only miss a game or two.
Dominic Smith PH/DH- 1 for 1, BB. BA= .273. Smith replaced Wilmer and drove in the "ghost runner", Willy Adames, with the winning run in the top of the 10'th inning.
Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 5, 2B. BA= .247. Lee drove in a run in the second inning with a ground out. He then led off the 7'th inning with a double and scored the run that ultimately enabled the Giants to survive into extra-innings. Despite going 0 for 7 in the final two games against the Pirates, Jung Hoo Lee batted .278/.341/.392 for the month of June.
Patrick Bailey C- 2 for 4, 2B, RBI. BA= .209. Bailey followed up Lee's double in the 7'th with a RBI double. After a couple of pretty good weeks at the plate, Bailey was back into a slump before tonight's game.
Robbie Ray LHP- 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 2.85. While Ray probably could have brought back an impressive haul of prospects in a deadline trade, he is a key piece for next season and one less rotation spot to fill, and a top position at that.
Joey Lucchesi LHP- 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, BB. BA= .255. Lucchesi appearance was a microcosm of the Giants season. Leading 3-1, Lucchesi gave up a 1-out single and a walk to put runners at first and second. Juan Soto then hit what looked like a GIDP except it deflected off Lucchesi's toe and caromed past Adames into LF to drive in a run and put runners at the corners with one out. A sac fly off newcomer Jose Butto RHP drove in the tying run. At that point you had to be thinking the Giants just lost another game in incredibly unlucky fashion.
Ryan Walker RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. ERA= 4.03. Walker appears to be the new setup man. He got through the 9'th inning to send it into extras.
Randy Rodriguez RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, Save(2). ERA= 1.17. Randy converts his first Save Op as the official Closer and in extra-innings with a "ghost runner" to boot.
Kai-Wei Teng RHP makes his first MLB start of the season tomorrow afternoon facing Kodai Senga RHP.
There were several transactions to report:
Brett Wisely 2B optioned to AAA Sacramento.
Christian Koss 2B activated off the 10-day IL.
Jose Butto RHP activated.
Grant McCray OF recalled from AAA Sacramento.
Kai-Wei Teng RHP selected from AAA Sacramento.