Giants Fire Bob Melvin

Buster Posey did not wait around for a season postmortem to make his decision, which he obviously made several days or weeks ago.  He's making a change in the manager's office.  I gave my thoughts on Bob Melvin's tenure as Giants Manager last week so you know this comes as no surprise.  The tea leaves became more ominous yesterday as Melvin stated that he had no assurances he would be back next season and expected to speak with upper management today.  His tone and body language telegraphed that he did not expect today's conversation to go well and it didn't.  

Having already written my thoughts on why I thought Melvin's time as Manager was up, let's turn our attention to who will replace him.  As I have said before, I have little insight into who would make a good MLB field manager.  I wasn't happy when Bruce Bochy replaced Felipe Alou which shows you how much I know.  Speaking of Bruce Bochy, his contract with the Rangers is up, but he is coming off two consecutive disappointing seasons himself.  To me, bringing him back is trying to bring back a time and place that will never happen again and it diminishes the youthful energy and optimism Buster Posey brings to the organization.  Time to bring in a new perspective. 

It's my understanding a MLB field manager has 3 major responsiblities:  1.  Maintain a positive, united attitude in the clubhouse.  2.  Manage the the pitching.  3.  Hold players accountable and provide effective feedback.  By all accounts Melvin was very good at #1.  He didn't make anyone forget Bruce Bochy in his pitching management.  If he provided effective feedback to the players, it was not evident to us fans.

I hope Buster will carefully consider the qualities he needs in the next manager and make sure he does his due diligence in finding that person.  Ideally it should be someone who understands advanced baseball metrics and how to apply them to in-game management while at the same time being more aware of how to effectively communicate and get buy-in from the players so they know they are not being managed by a computer.  

Some names I have seen proposed:  Bochy, of course.  Former Giants back up catcher, Nick Hundley.  Guardians coach Craig Albernaz.  Mark DeRosa.  Former Marlins Manager Skip Schumacher.  Giants coach Mark Hallberg.  Again, I don't have an opinion which of these names or any others might be the best for the job. That's why Buster is getting paid the big bucks.

Game Wrap 9/28/2025: Giants 4 Rockies 0

The Giants closed out the 2025 season with a crisp win behind home runs by Willy Adames and Rafael Devers and inspired pitching by Logan Webb and the bullpen.  Key Lines:

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 3, HR(30), R, RBI.  BA= .225.   Adames was moved into the leadoff position just before game time to guarantee him the most PA's in the lineup in his quest for 30 HR's.  He only needed one as he led off the Giants first inning with a shot to straightaway CF.  He becomes the first Giants player since Barry Bonds to hit 30 in a season while wearing a Giants uniform.  Adames also ends up with 94 Runs and 87 RBI's.  

Rafael Devers DH- 1 for 4, HR(35), 2 R, RBI.  BA= .252.  Devers also hit 30+ HR's on the season but 15 of those were with the Red Sox before the trade.  The good news is he was not slowed by Oracle Park effects as he hit HR's at a slightly faster clip after the trade.  I do so look forward to seeing a full season of Devers in the Giants uniform, hopefully with the turmoil of his issues with the Red Sox and the trade behind him.  Oh, and the Red Sox were a game ahead of the Giants in games played at the time of the trade so he played in 163 games this season.  As Vin Scully would say, "how about that?!"

Wilmer Flores 1B- 0 for 2, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  BA= .241.  Wilmer came out of the game after taking the field after his AB so he could get an ovation.  This really felt like a goodbye to Wilmer who was an exceedingly good Giant.

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 3 for 4, 2 RBI.  BA= .266.  Lee's final second half line was .293/.345/.414 after he reworked his approach during the All-Star Break.  Hopefully this is the Jung Hoo Lee we'll see for a full season next year?

Logan Webb RHP- 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K's, 6/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.22.  Webb needed just one K to be the NL season leader.  He got that an more in the first inning by striking out the side.  He also passed Garret Crochet LHP to lead MLB in Innings Pitched.  Encouraging that after all that work he looked so strong, like he could start the 2026 season in 5 days.  What a horse!

Spencer Bivens RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's, Save(3).  ERA= 4.00.  Bivens recorded his second impressive Save in two days, this one over two innings.  He lowered his ERA to an even 4.00.  Kruk and Kuip commented on how versatile he's been all season.

That's a wrap on the Game Wraps on the 2025 season.  Despite the overall disappointment at missing the postseason, I enjoyed watching the vast majority of games on TV and writing them up after.  I hope you all enjoyed reading the wraps as much as I enjoyed writing them.  

As always we will keep the blog going in the offseason.  I don't hold myself to a rigid offseason schedule.  I will write when I have something to write which may be tomorrow or in 3 or 7 days.  We will start out by doing some season reviews and then move into our Hot Stove League coverage after the postseason and finally our annual Giants Top 50 Prospects leading up to spring training 2026.  

Thanks to everybody for reading and commenting....well, almost everybody!

Game Wrap 9/27/2025: Giants 4 Rockies 3

Casey Schmitt's 3-run home run and Justin Verlander's Quality Start keyed the Giants win with some help from Spencer Bivens who rescued the 9'th inning from Ryan Walker.  Key Lines:

Casey Schmitt 2B- 1 for 3, HR(12), R, 3 RBI.  BA= .238.  While he will probably never be a walk machine, Schmitt has improved his plate discipline significantly since he broke in and the power is real.  If you project his stat line to 600 PA's he hits about 22 HR's which is pretty good for a second baseman. Do Buster and Zach trust that enough to make him the presumptive starting 2B next season?

Justin Verlander RHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.85.  Verlander recorded a Quality Start and a Win after giving up a pair of solo HR's in the first two innings.  Would he resign for another 1 yr/$15 M?  

Spencer Bivens RHP- 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(2).  ERA= 4.10.  Bivens was summoned in the 9'th after Ryan Walker went HR, double, GO(runner advanced to 3B), Walk.  Whoa!  Bivens came in throwing 97-98 MPH electric gas and looked like an actual Closer.  He struck out the first batter he faced them Matt Chapman made a nice catch of a pop-up against the netting for the final out.  Obviously not ready to hand him the role just yet but if Bivens can throw that kind of heat with a little rest and a short inning assignment, is he worth a try at Closer? 

Logan Webb RHP makes starts the final game of the season with a chance for the Giants to finish with a .500 record.  He faces McCade Brown RHP (who?) comes in with a 7.54 ERA.

Game Wrap 9/26/2025: Giants 6 Rockies 3

Willy Adames was honored with the Willie Mac Award just before the game started.  He hit a 2-run home run in the first inning and the Giants never looked back in a wire-to-wire win.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 5, HR(21), R, 3 RBI.  BA= .258.  Ramos added to the Giants lead with a 3-run blast in the third inning to give Trevor McDonald a 5-run cushion to work with.

Rafael Devers DH- 1 for 2, 3B, 3 BB, R.  BA= .252.   Devers drew a walk ahead of Adames HR in the first inning.  He later doubled off the RF wall following Ramos' HR but was left stranded.  

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 3, HR(29), BB, 2 R, 2 RBI.  BA= .226.  If Adames plays the last two games, he'll end up in 160 out of 162.  Durablility is one of the things Buster signed him for.  Adames put up 3.7 fWAR so far this season.  Last year, Giants shortstops put up a combined 3.6 so Adames was not an upgrade from last season's shortstop production.  The problem is 3.0 of last year's fWAR was from Tyler Fitzgerald.  Would he have repeated that if he was the starting shortstop on Opening Day?  Highly unlikely!  So, I think we have to say Adames gave what Buster signed him to do.  In his postgame interview, Adames was asked by Laura Britt what he was most optimistic about for next season.  His response was The Core will have a full season together after taking this season to gel(or something to that effect).  Hope he is right.

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 3 for 4, 3B, R.  BA= .264.  Speaking of The Core, Lee's second half split is .288/.342/.413.  Historically Korean players take a year to adjust to the league.  It looks like Jung Hoo figured something out at the All-Star Break.  If he puts that line for a full season next year, he'll be part of and improved Core.  Oh, and the triple was Lee's 12'th of the season which puts him 3'rd in MLB on the season behind Corbin Carroll(17) and Jarren Duran(13).  

Grant McCray RF/LF- 0 for 2, 2 BB, R.  BA= .091.  Why is Luis Matos off the active roster?  Why did the Giants call up Drew Gilbert?  Why was Grant McCray starting in RF tonight?  What happened to Jerar Encarnacion?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 10 K's, 5/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.60.  Last start McDonald relied heavily on ground ball outs.  Tonight he had the strikeout pitch going.  He did not have command of his sinker tonight.  It was sailing and tailing wildly, so he went after the Rockies with a tight, hard breaking ball. Statcast called a curveball but Kruk and Kuip thought looked more like a slider.  I got a good look at the grip and delivery of one of those bad boys.  It looked like he snapped his wrist down in a curveball motion but that thing was tight!  If he wants to sustain success at the MLB level he's going to have to add a changeup or split.  For now better command of the sinker and that breaking ball is an impressive combination.

Ryan Walker RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(17).  ERA= 3.98.  7 Blown Saves is way too many but I looked up the Save/SvO for MLB and the Giants have far from the worst ratio(the Dodgers are one of the worst).  The Giants rank #19 in Saves and #22 in Save Opportunities so you can make the case the bigger problem was the lack of Save Opportunities.

Justin Verlander RHP possibly makes his final start as a Giant tomorrow afternoon against Kyle Freeland LHP.    Last time Freeland faced the Giants he started a bench clearing episode when he took exception to how long it took Devers to get to first base after a home run.

Thoughts on the Willie Mac Award and Bob Melvin

Tonight is Willie Mac Award night.  While there are several candidates we can make a case for, I think one stands out as the obvious choice:  Logan Webb RHP.   Webb is not only the ace of the pitching staff, tireless workhorse and leader in WAR value, he is an obvious team leader in the clubhouse for several years now.  Of course, a naysayer could make the case that a team leader on an under-achieving team is a negative, but I don't think anyone is blaming Webb for the Giants underachieving.  

Other players who could be in the conversation include Heliot Ramos LF who despite his defensive struggles, kept his head up with a positive attitude and was the team's most consistent hitter on multiple lineup roles.  Robbie Ray LHP came back from several years of injuries and arm surgeries to grunt his way through 180 innings and was a solid #2 SP.  Willy Adames SS overcame early mega-contract jitters and solidified a problematic position while looking like he had fun out there all season.  Matt Chapman 3B remains the best defensive third baseman I have seen in a long time while maintaining a team leadership role.  If you are looking for unsung heroes and overachievers among non-stars, Dominic Smith 1B/DH brought a feel for situational hitting to a lineup that sorely needed some.  Christian Koss UT took a utility infield role, worked his butt off to continuously improve his game and did whatever was asked of him including closing out mop-up games on the mound.  

But to me, the obvious choice is Logan Webb.

A couple of comments this week seem to point to an change in the manager's office for next season.  First, Logan Webb expressed his frustrations after an unusually ugly loss on Tuesday coming right out and saying this team had the most talent of any he's been on and clearly should have performed better.  The other comments came from Zach Minasian GM who went on KNBR and talked about the postseason evaluation process while pointedly failing to say Melvin is under contract for next season and will be the Manager.  

Disappointing seasons are not always the manager's fault and this season is likely not all on Melvin.  For all the talent on the team, there were obvious holes and vulnerabilities and just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong.  That's on Buster Posey and Zach Minasian.  On the positive side, the primary task of a team manager is to keep 26 big, strong, talented guys from literally killing each other in the clubhouse and maintain a positive team spirit and attitude.  He's done that. The players seem to genuinely like him and have spoken up to defend him many times.  On the other hand, the second most important job of a MLB manager is managing the pitching and Melvin regularly makes head scratching decisions, most commonly leaving pitchers who are obviously out of gas or don't have their stuff in too long.  On top of that, this is not the first Bob Melvin managed team to underachieve.  Last year's Giants were disappointing and ended up costing Farhan Zaidi his job as POBO.  Before that, Melvin managed the Padres to an extremely disappointing finish in 2023.  I know our friends who are Padres fans were particularly incensed over his management of extra-inning games and not at all sorry to see him go.  

Putting all that together I think it's time to get a different voice in the Manager's office and I won't be surprised at all if it turns out Buster Posey feels the same way.

Game Wrap 9/24/2025: Giants 4 Cardinals 3

The Giants washed off the stench from last night's game with a much crisper game behind some unlikely pitchers.  Key Lines:

Rafael Devers DH- 1 for 4, HR(34), BB, R, RBI.  BA= .251.  Devers is batting just .188 for the month of September but he got his first splash hit in the 3'rd inning off Sonny Gray to tie the score at 2 after the Cardinals took the lead in the top of the inning.

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .125.  Eldridge has had good AB's so it seemed like a matter of time before some hits started falling.  He hit a rocket for a double in the third inning and added an oppo-field groundball single in the 7'th.  Neither hit factored in the run scoring.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 3 for 4, 2B, R.  BA= .240.  Schmitt and Lee hit B2B doubles in the second inning to get the Giants on the scoreboard first.

Christian Koss 2B- 1 for 3, BB, 2 R.  BA= .269.  Does Buster need to go out and get a second baseman this offseason or can he go with Schmitt and Koss and count on upward career trajectories?  Ideally I think you upgrade 2B but there are other, bigger priorities, mainly pitching.

Andrew Knizner C- 1 for 2, 3B, SF, BB.  BA= .227.  I was a little surprised Melvin let Knizner bat with one out and a runner on 2B and the game tied in the bottom of the 8'th inning, but he did and Knizner hit what probably should have been a single that bounced past the CF for a triple.  He was then lifted for a pinch runner, Grant McCray who was left stranded.

J. T. Brubaker RHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, 5/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.77.  IMO, among other needs, Buster must sign a solid #3 or better SP this offseason and then at least 2 inexpensive veterans like Brubaker who can compete for a #5 SP role and/or a Jake Junis type swingman role.  Brubaker is putting himself in a position to be one of those guys.

Carson Seymour RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, 4/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.75.  The sinker was sinking tonight.  Nice 3 innings of work from Seymour.

Tristan Beck RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2/0 GO/AO, Save(2).  ERA= 4.77.  Interesting choice to close out tonight's game.  Beck looked comfortable out there getting 3 groundballs.  One for a leadoff hit but then a GIDP and GO to end the game.

The Giants get the day off tomorrow before starting their final series of the season against the Rockies on Friday evening.  Trevor McDonald RHP gets another chance to impress the brass.  He'll be facing TBD.

Game Wrap 9/23/2025: Cardinals 9 Giants 8

What was true in spirit for over a week became official as the Giants were mathematically eliminated from postseason competition while losing in embarrassing fashion to a Cardinals team that underperformed this season itself.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 5, HR(20).  BA= .259.  Ramos is putting on a little surge here at the end of the season and became the fourth Giants batter with at least 20 HR's on the season(third if you only count Rafael Devers 18 HR's as a Giant).  Is Ramos a candidate for the Willie Mac Award?

Willy Adames SS- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(12).  BA= .226.  Good things happen when Willy Adames uses the whole field.  Of his 4 batted balls, 2 went to RF, 1 to CF and 1 to LF.

Patrick Bailey C- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= ..224.  Bailey is batting .308/343/.538 for the month of September.  

Christian Koss 2B- 1 for 3, BB, SB(4).  BA= .268.  Koss finished the game with the highest BA in the lineup ahead of Jung Hoo Lee by .007 and Heliot Ramos by .0009.  Is Christian Koss a candidate for the Willie Mac Award?

Logan Webb RHP- 6 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.30.  In his final start of the season, Webb fought back from a 3-spot in the first inning to finish with a Quality Start and 201.2 IP on the season, his third in a row with at least 200 IP.  

The bullpen got lit up for 6 runs over the final 3 innings with Joel Peguero RHP recording the only scoreless frame.  Ryan Walker recorded his 7'th Blown Save of the season.  The Giants cannot go into spring training 2026 with Walker as the presumptive Closer.  Peguero should be tried in the role over the final four games if a Save Op arises.

Robbie Ray LHP won't make his last start of the season as J. T. Brubaker RHP tries to stave off a sweep against Sonny Gray RHP in the series finale.

MLB announced that the Automated Ball-Strike(ABS) Challenge System challenge system will be implemented next season.  It's about time! 

Game Wrap 9/22/2025: Cardinals 6 Giants 5

The Giants had some pop in their bats and built two leads in the early innings they weren't able to hold as Justin Verlander didn't have his best stuff and was not helped by a pair of errors.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 5, HR(19), R, 3 RBI.  BA= .258.  Ramos' HR to lead off the Giants first inning gave them an early lead, but his 2-run single in the fourth inning was a more impressive piece of hitting.  With the bases loaded and two outs he went the other way with a single through the right-side hole to drive in 2 runs and give the Giants a 4-2 lead.  The other side of the situational hitting debate is if he swung for the fences and hit a grand slam the lead would have been 6-2 and the Giants probably would have won the game.  IMO, we've seen too many times swinging for the fences leaves the bases loaded with nothing to show for it in the way of runs.

Rafael Devers 1B- 1 for 3, HR(13), BB, R, RBI.  BA= .252.  Devers was in a HR drought, but hit a line drive just over the wall in L-CF and just missed one in the first inning right after Ramos' leadoff HR.

Bryce Eldridge DH- 0 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .059.  Eldridge makes good swing decisions.  It appears when he makes contact he is just missing the barrel.  Gotta think the process will eventually lead to good things.

Casey Schmitt 2B- 1 for 4, R.  BA= .233.  Schmitt bobbled a grounder with the infield in and with a chance to get an out at home which led to 2 unearned runs and was the difference in the game.

Jerar Encarnacion RF- 0 for 4, 2 K.  BA= .208.  I get Encarnacion's potential and he's out of options, but he's spent so much time in the IL this year and looks completely lost at the plate.  I'm not sure there is any value in putting him out there at this stage of the season just to see if they can get him going.  If Buster and Melvin believe in him, keep him on the 40-man roster through the offseason, bring him to spring training and see if he hits and stays healthy.  If it's a choice between Jerar and Luis Matos, I would go with Matos.

Justin Verlander RHP- 4.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.88.  Verlander reverted back to he early season struggles.  He was not helped by the home plate ump who squeezed the top of the strike zone where Verlander likes to live.  

Joel Peguero RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.79.  What electric stuff!  Probably too early to anoint him next season's Closer but he should be in the mix.

Logan Webb RHP needs 4.1 IP to reach 200 on the season. He'll try for that and more tonight facing Andre Pallante RHP who comes in with an ERA of 5.29.

Game Wrap 9/21/2025: Giants 3 Dodgers 1

 Hey team! I'm back.  Just got back from a cross-country trip which included the wife's 50-year high school reunion in Iowa then a road trip to visit friends and relatives in Alabama and Georgia.  Sorry for not posting. I thought I could access the blog from my phone, and actually did prior to leaving, but when I got to the first stop it wouldn't let me post for some reason.  Since I last posted, the Giants reached another high-water mark with a win in the first game of a series against the Dodgers then went into a tailspin which all but dropped them out of the postseason race.  Oh, and Bryce Eldridge was called up and got his first MLB hit, a bases-loaded, 3-RBI, opposite-field double against the Dodgers.  

Trevor McDonald made his first major league start a resounding success, limiting the Dodgers to a run over 6 innings while Christian Koss led the lineup in producing just enough run support to salvage the final game of a 4-game series.  Key Lines:

Christian Koss 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, RBI.  BA= .267.  So, we've asked this before.  Barring an offseason acquistion, who is your starting 2B next season, Koss or Casey Schmitt?

Trevor McDonald RHP- 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 9/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.38.  McDonald put up dominant groundball ratios in AAA where he pitched in a lot of ballparks where sinkers don't sink.  Can he be even more effective in a league where most games are played at near sea level?

The Giants return home to Oracle Park tonight starting a series agains the Cardinals with Justin Verlander RHP facing Michael McGreevy RHP who comes in with an ERA of 4.08.

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The 2025 minor league season came to an end for Giants affiliates with the Round Rock Express defeating the Sacramento River Cats 4-2: 

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .293.  

Dayson Croes 2B- 2 for 4.  BA= .349.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K's, 3/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.43. 

Is Dayson Croes in the mix for a 2B job with the Giants next season?  I think Matos is out of options so he must either make the MLB active roster out of spring training 2026 or be exposed to waivers.  Whisenhunt has some good looking stuff but needs to hone his command.

Down on the Farm: 9/10/2025

AAA:  Oklahoma City Comets defeated the Sacramento River Cats 5-1.

Wade Meckler CF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .277.

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .241.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.31.

Braxton Roxby RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.60.

Technically a Quality Start for McDonald but no nearly as dominant as his last.  The first 4.2 innings for the Comets were pitched by rehabbing MLB pitchers, Andrew Heaney LHP and Ben Casparius RHP.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels edged out the Hartford Yard Goats 2-1.

Bo Davidson CF- 1 for 4, HR(8).  BA= .236.

Nate Furman DH- 2 for 4.  BA= .375.

Victor Bericoto 1B- 1 for 4, 3B.  BA= .269.

Trystan Vrieling RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 4.74.

R. J. Dabovich RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Evan Gates RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.34.

Tyler Vogel RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, Save(6).  ERA= 1.26.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Everett Aquasox 4-2(Game 2 of NWL Championship Series).

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 3, BB.

Parks Harber 3B- 2 for 3, HBP. 

Luke Shliger C- 2 for 4, HR.

Zane Zielinski SS- 1 for 4, 3B.  

Josh Bostick RHP- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K's.  

Dominant start by Bostick, his second in a row.

A:  Cal League playoffs had an off day.

Game Wrap 9/10/2025: D'Backs 5 Giants 3

A disaster start by Carson Seymour put the Giants in a hole they weren't able to climb out of.   Key Lines:

Rafael Devers DH- 1 for 3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI.  BA= .260.   A 2-run double in the 8'th produced the first runs for the Giants on the day but along with the additional run in the 9'th proved to be too little, too late.

 

Carson Seymour RHP- 1.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.23.   The HR leading off the game was the 9'th Seymour allowed in 31 IP.  Interestingly he gave up 7 in 77 IP in the homer-happy PCL before his call up.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 3.2 IP, 1 H 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.91.  Bivens answers the call again.  I've seen online speculation that Dom Smith might be the frontrunner for the Wille Mac Award.   He's a worthy candidate and I would also nominate Bivens who pitched with heart all season and in mostly difficult and thankless situations.

J. T. Brubaker RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, 4/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.98.  Switch roles with Seymour in 5 games?  He's a free agent after the end of the season.  I'm guessing it wouldn't take much for the Giant to re-sign him.   They need 2-3 vets with SP experience for depth coming into 2026 spring training.

Despite the Loss, the Giants remain 2 games behind the Mets in the Wild Card race.

The Giants have tomorrow off at home before starting a weekend series against the Hated Ones with near-perfect Yoshinobu Yamamoto RHP facing Justin Verlander RHP Friday evening.

*Note:  I will not have access to my desktop computer for an extended period.  I think I figured out how to log in and post from my phone so will try to continue making (almost) daily posts.  Posts may be shorter with fewer stat lines.  Feel free to add your key lines or highlights in the comments sections.

Down on the Farm: 9/9/2025

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats defeated the Oklahoma City Comets 6-4.

Wade Meckler CF- 0 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .277.

Jesus Rodriguez C- 1 for 3, BB, SF.  BA= .353.

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .236.

Hunter Bishop RF- 2 for 4.  BA= .255.

Osleivis Basabe 3B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .247.

Trent Harris RHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.02.

Ryan Watson RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.34.

Fun Fact:  Trent Harris is the son of Greg A. Harris who was a successful MLB reliever and the first switch-pitcher in modern MLB history.

AA: Hartford Yard Goats downed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-2.

Bo Davidson DH- 0 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .236.

Victor Bericoto 1B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .269.

Justin Wishkoski 3B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .232.

Ryan Murphy RHP- 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.82.

Cole Hillier RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

A+:  Everett Aquasox outlasted the Eugene Emeralds 9-6(11 innings; Game 1 of NWL Championship Series)

Jonah Cox CF- 1 for 4, BB, 3 SB.  

Parks Harber 3B- 2 for 5, HR(1).  

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 1 for 4, 2B, BB, SB. 

Zane Zielinski SS- 2 for 4, BB.  

Darien Smith RHP- 5 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K's, 6/2 GO/AO.

A:  San Jose Giants shut out the Fresno Grizzlies 2-0(Game 2 of California League Division Series).

Lisbel Diaz LF- 2 for 4.

Walker Martin 3B- 1 for 4, 2B. 

Cam Maldonado RF- 1 for 3, 3B.

Luis De La Torre LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's, 6/2 GO/AO.

Hunter Dryden RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K's.  

Great pitching from two promising young hurlers.  Several of the SJ better pitchers moved up to A+.

Game Wrap 9/9/2025: Giants 5 D'Backs 3

Willy Adames 3-run bomb in the first inning was the difference in this game as the Giants held off a D'Backs comeback in the middle innings for a wire-to-wire win.  Key Lines:

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 4, HR(28), R, 3 RBI.  BA= .230.  Adames made Zac Gallen RHP pay for walking the first two Giants batters by punishing a hanging curveball deeeeep into the L-CF seats.  3-run HR's win ballgames.

Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 2, HR(5), BB, R, RBI.  BA= .218.  Bailey hits his second HR in as many games.  He admired this one a little almost like he expected it.  It gave the Giants a valuable insurance run in the 5'th.

Robbie Ray LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.32.  Ray fell short of a Quality Start but got credit for the W(11-6).  

Matt Gage LHP- 0.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 2.08.  I wasn't sure why Melvin let Gabe face Ildemaro Vargas after giving up line drive singles to two of the first 3 batters he faced, but Vargas is a switch-hitter who bats much better from the left side, so it made sense.  Unfortunately he singled in a run and advanced to 2B on a bad throw to the plate.  

Joel Peguero RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Peguero came in with runners at 2'nd and 3'rd and 1 out.  He struck out the next two batters to get out of the jam and then pitched to contact for 3 more outs in the 7'th inning.  All the while he was throwing easy triple digits and looking quite calm in the process.  His stuff and demeanor reminded me of Camilo Doval RHP, memba him?  I wonder if the Yankees would be willing to trade Doval back for one, just one, prospect?

Ryan Walker RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, Save(15).  ERA= 3.86.  If you were thinking "here we go again" after Walker gave up a hit and walk to the first two batters he faced, you weren't alone.  He setttled down and got the Save but you have to wonder about a Closer who doesn't get a lot of K's.  

The Win cuts the Giants deficit in the Wild Card race to just 2 games as the Mets lost to the Phillies again, 9-3.

Carson Seymour RHP tries for the sweep tomorrow afternoon against Eduardo Rodriguez LHP who comes in with an ERA of 5.22.

Yesterday's Closer discussion got me to meditating on my man, Frank Linzy from way back in the day.  Linzy had a helluva rookie season for the Giants in 1965.  He appeared in 57 games, all in relief.

9-3, 1.43, 81.2 IP, 21 Saves.  He finished 13'th in the National League MVP voting(Willie Mays won) and 3'rd in ROY voting.  

Not so fun fact:  The Giants won 14 games in a row in early September 1965 to take a 4.5 game lead in the National League Pennant race.  The Dodgers answered back with a 13 win streak of their own and won 15 of 16 games down the stretch to win the NL Pennant by 2 games over the Giants.  The Dodgers went on to win the World Series 4 games to 3 over the Minnesota Twins.

Game Wrap 9/8/2025: Giants 11 D'Backs 5

The Giants brought their hitting shoes and picked up Logan Webb and the defense in what turned out to be a runaway Giants win with some help from Secret Agent Disco.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 5, HR(17), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .266.   The Giants hit 5 home runs on the night.  Ramos shot capped a 5-spot in the 6'th inning that put the game away.  It was just his 3'rd HR of the second half.

Dominic Smith 1B- 1 for 4, HR(5), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .291.  Smith's 2-run bomb tied the score in the third inning.  Reminder Smith was signed after he was released by his minor league club.  He is a free agent at the end of the season.  It will be interesting to see where he signs and for how much.  Quite a turnaround of fortunes.

Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 4, HR(21), 2 R, RBI.  BA= .241.  Chapman's solo HR came in the 7'th off Secret Agent Disco, one of 3 Anthony DeSclafani RHP gave up in the game.

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 3 for 4, HR(8), 2 R, 2 RBI.  BA= .271.  Lee made up for his terrible AB in yesterday's game by driving in the Giants first two runs in the second inning to answer the 3 run, error-aided rally by the D'Backs in the top of the inning.  Lee had an interesting AB which contributed to the 5-run rally in the 6'th inning.  With runners on first and second with no outs, Lee bunted for a base-hit.  I missed seeing it on TV but I guess the primary goal was to advance the runners and if he reached base it was a bonus?  That's one way to make sure you don't strike out looking(sorry I couldn't help it).  Christian Koss made it pay off with a double followed by Ramos' HR.

Christian Koss 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, R, 2 RBI.  BA= .258.  Koss made an error in the second inning which led to 3 unearned runs on Jake McCarthy's bases loaded triple but Koss' double in the 6'th drove in the go-ahead runs.  He then scored on Ramos' HR.

Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 3, HR(4), SF, R, 2 RBI.  BA= .217.  Bailey is batting .333 over his last 7 games, .250 over his last 15 and .237 over his last 30.  

Logan Webb RHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K's, 7/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.12.  Webb threw 110 pitches through 6 innings but came away with a Quality Start and the W(14-9).  

The Mets lost to the Phillies 1-0( ouch!) and the Reds lost so the Giants are the first runner-up in the Wild-Card standings trailing the Mets by 3 games.

Robbie Ray LHP tries to keep the winning going tomorrow evening facing Zac Gallen RHP who comes in with a 4.77 ERA.

My friend, I think prompted by our discussion about who the Giants Closer of the Future might be, texted a question asking who I think is the Giants best Closer of all time.  Off the top of my head I replied for one season, Brian Wilson, in 2010 because not only did he have a great regular season he carried it through the postseason in the Giants first WS championship year in the SF era.  I also mentioned Robb Nen and Rod Beck.  Greg Minton saves a lot of games in the 1980's and Gary Lavelle and Randy Moffitt were co-closers in the 1970's.  The first Giants Closer I remember was Frank Linzy, the bespectacled one, in the 1960's.  That was before Closer's were a thing.  There were a lot more complete games then so fewer Save Opportunities and Closers were expected to go more than 1 inning to close out games.

So, how did I do off the top of my head?  Here is the list of Top 10 Giants Saves of all time:

1. Robb Nen 206.

2. Rod Beck 199

3. Brian Wilson 171

4. Gary Lavelle 127

5. Greg Minton 125

6. Santiago Casilla 123

7. Camilo Doval 105

8. Sergio Romo 84

9. Randy Moffitt 83

10. Frank Linzy 77.

I was surprised Casilla was so high and kind of surprised Wilson accumulated that many.  Turns out Brian Wilson does hold the record for Saves in one season with 48 in 2010.

Down on the Farm: 9/7/2025

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats defeated the Las Vegas Aviators 3-1.

Wade Meckler CF- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .279.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K's, 8/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.55.

AA:  Altoona Curve downed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 4-2.

Bo Davidson CF- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .241.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 0 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .255.

Victor Bericoto 1B- 2 for 4.  BA= .266.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds buried the Spokane Indians 9-1.

Jean Carlos Sio 2B- 1 for 1, 3 BB, HBP, SB(3).  BA= .279.

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(58).  BA= .257.

Jakob Christian RF- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(4).  BA= .304.

Charlie McDaniel LHP- 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 5.77.

A:  Modesto Nuts outlasted the San Jose Giants 9-6(10 innings).

Jhonny Level SS- 2 for 5, HR(3).  BA= .236.

Lisbel Diaz CF- 1 for 4, HR(10), BB.  BA= .269.

Walker Martin DH- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .234.

Robert Hipwell 3B- 2 for 5.  BA= .241.

Cam Maldonado RF- 2 for 5.  BA= .237.

Jose Astudillo LF- 2 for 5, SB(5).  BA= .314.

Game Wrap 9/7/2025: Cardinals 4 Giants 3

Kai-Wei Teng pitched 4 innings of shutout ball then faltered and gave up a 4-spot in the 5'th inning.  Sonny Gray RHP has a no-hitter and faced just one batter over the minimum for 5 innings then gave up 3 runs in the 6'th inning.  That was the ballgame.  Key Lines:  

Not a key line but a key situation:  After the Cardinals scored 4 in the bottom of the 5'th inning, Sonny Gray walked the first two batters he face in the 6'th inning.  After Ramos struck out swinging the Giants got a base-hit from Devers, a walk to Adames and base hits from Dom Smith 1B and Matt Chapman 3B.  But each of the hits only advanced the runners by one base which brought Jung Hoo Lee CF to the plate with the bases-loaded and one out.  He was called out on strikes on a 1-2 count and never swung the bat.  That!  Can't! Happen!  Casey Schmitt lined out to CF.  Inning over.  The Giants never came close to scoring again.

Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 7.54.  Teng had it going for 4 innings matching goose eggs with the veteran Sonny Gray.  It all came apart in the 5'th inning after he walked the bases loaded to start the inning.  After a singled drove in one run, Teng was replaced by Jose Butto' RHP who is credited with a shut out inning but allowed 3 inherited runners to score on a single, walk and GIDP.

Joel Peguero RHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Peguero continues to dazzle with triple-digit heat.

The Giants end the road trip on a down note. They start a homestand tomorrow evening against the D'Backs with Logan Webb RHP facing Nabil Crismatt RHP.  What, he's an SP now?  He comes in with a 2.14 ERA in 21 IP over 4 appearances and 3 starts.

Down on the Farm: 9/6/2025

AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators strafed the Sacramento River Cats 12-0.

Marco Luciano LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .233.

Hayden Birdsong RHP- 2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.64.

Helcris Olivarez LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.13. 

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels outlasted the Altoona Curve 7-6(10 innings).

Diego Velasquez 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .257.

Victor Bericoto 1B- 2 for 4, HR(12), BB.  BA= .263.

Turner Hill RF- 2 for 3, SF.  BA= .259.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 1 for 5, HR(6).  BA= .183.

John Bertrand LHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.87.

Marques Johnson RHP- 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.14.

A+:  I am not seeing a game listed for the Eugene Emeralds.

A:  San Jose Giants outscored the Modesto Nuts 10-9.

Jhonny Level SS- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .230.

Trevor Cohen CF- 2 for 4, HR(1), HBP.  BA= .327.

Diego Cartaya C- 2 for 5, 2B, BA= .236.

Walker Martin 3B- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .231.

Game Wrap 9/6/2025: Cardinals 3 Giants 2

The Giants showed why they might be more pretenders than contenders as Ryan Walker blew a 2-run save without recording an out.  Brutal!  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 2 for 4.  BA= .269.  Lee batted leadoff and continued his hot hitting but did not figure into the scoring.

Dominic Smith DH- 2 for 4, R.  BA= .292.  Smith started the 2-run rally in the 4'th inning with a single.

Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 4, 2B, R.  BA= .238.  Chapman's double in the 4'th put runners at 2'nd and 3'rd with no outs.

Drew Gilbert RF- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .263.  After Casey Schmitt's sac fly, Gilbert got the second run home with a 1-out double but was left stranded at 2B.

Justin Verlander RHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's, 6/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.09.  One of Verlander's sharper starts and he only needed 88 pitches to get through 6 innings.  In the process he passed Forever Giant Gaylord Perry for 8'th on the all time MLB strikeout list.

Ryan Walker RHP- 0.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 3.93.  Not sure what was going on with Walker.  It looked like he was throwing sliders early in the count and missing the strike zone by several inches producing easy takes for the hitters and putting him behind in the counts.  And you just knew what was coming after the leadoff single.  Brutal appearance and a brutal way to lose the game.

So, how far behind are the Giants in the Wild Card race?  In the immortal words of Jim Mora, "Playoffs?  Playoffs?  You want to talk about playoffs?  We're just trying to wind a game here!"  

The Giants try to regroup tomorrow behind Kai-Wei Teng RHP who is facing.....Sonny Gray RHP who comes in with a 4.43 ERA.

Down on the Farm: 9/5/2025

 AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators outlasted the Sacramento River Cats 2-1(10 innings).

Jesus Rodriguez C- 2 for 5.  BA= .355.

Brett Wisely SS- 2 for 4.  BA= .259.

Marco Luciano LF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .230.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 11 K, 7/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 5.35. 

Braxton Roxby RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 4/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.94.

Dominant start by McDonald.  He's had several of these.  Can he find consistency?

AA:  Altoona Curve downed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 6-4.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, HBP.  BA= .255.

Victor Bericoto LF- 2 for 5.  BA= .260.

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 2 for 5.  BA= .233.

Adrian Sugastey C- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .224.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 3 for 4.  BA= .183.

R J Dabovich RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Cole Hillier RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

I saw Cole Hillier pitch when he was with San Jose earlier this season. He is on the shorter side for a pitcher but has a live fastball and a sharp slider.  He could be a bullpen arm at the MLB level.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds defeated the Spokane Indians 5-1.

Jean Carlos Sio 2B- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP.  BA= .272.

Zane Zielinski SS- 1 for 3, 2B, SF.  BA= .241.

Parks Harber DH- 3 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .329.

Jack Payton RF= 1 for 4, HR(9).  BA= .252.

Cesar Perdomo LHP- 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K's, 7/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.96.

Ryan Vanderhei RHP- 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.33.

Ben Peterson RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, Save(3).  ERA= 4.50.

Perdomo is another SP who has had some good games but has been inconsistent.

A:  San Jose Giants crushed the Modesto Nuts 7-1.

Jhonny Level SS- 2 for 4, SB(4).  BA= .220.

Lorenzo Meola 2B- 3 for 4, 2B, SB(3).  BA= .274.

Lisbel Diaz 2 for 4, SB(26).  BA= .270.

Robert Hipwell 1B- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .238.

Jacob Bresnahan LHP- 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 2.61.

Ryan Slater RHP- 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.54.

Game Wrap 9/5/2025: Giants 8 Cardinals 2

Rafael Devers and Willy Adames hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning and the Giants never looked back in an easy win against a Cardinals team which either by choice or circumstance appears to be rebuilding.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 6, R.  BA= .269.  Ramos batted .313 with an OBP of .371 over his last 7 games.  All 10 of his hits were singles.  8 runs is a lot, and the game was never close, but maybe closer than it should have been after the Giants peppered the field with 18 hits and drew 3 walks?

Rafael Devers DH- 2 for 4, HR(31), BB, R, 2 RBI.  BA= .264.  When Devers hit his bomb in the first inning, I mused that it sure seems like a lot of his home runs come in the first inning.  Turns out Devers homered in 4 of his last 5 games and all 4 of those home runs came in first innings.  Looking up his overall splits, he has 7 in first innings, 6 in third innings, 5 in fifth innings and 8 in 6'th innings which is fairly evenly distributed per PA given his place in the lineup(seldom bats in the 2'nd or 4'th innings).

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 5, HR(27), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .230.  Adames is on a tear of his own with 3 HR in his last 7 games and 8 in his last 15.  Before that, he was mired in a brutal slump.

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 4 for 5, 3B, 2 R, RBI.  BA= .267.  Lee's second half split is .307/.361/.438. He is 7 for 11 over his last 3 games.

Casey Schmitt 2B- 2 for 5, 2B, R, RBI.  BA= .241.  It's great to see Casey Schmitt come to bat in a key situation and not feel like he's an automatic out.

Dominic Smith 1B- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .287.  He did not figure into the scoring despite the two doubles as the Giants left a lot of runners on base.  He's a free agent at the end of this season.  I would think his projected payday is significantly more than it was when he signed with the Giants after finding himself released from his AAA team.

Drew Gilbert RF- 1 for 3, SF, R, RBI.  BA= .264.  Another nice boxscore for Gilbert marred by a CS.

Patrick Bailey C- 3 for 5, R, RBI.  BA= .219.  Bailey is 7 for 13 over his last 3 games.

Carson Seymour RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, 6/5 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.25.  A solid 5 innings from Seymour who maybe benefitted from some BABIP luck.  As Javy Lopez noted on the TV broadcast, his command was inconsistent and Cardinals hitters were getting some good swings but hitting the ball at fielders.  One AB that stood out to me was Masyn Winn appearing to get all of one and it ended up a can of corn in front of the warning track in LF.  That has to be concerning for the Cardinals.

Justin Verlander tries to clinch a series win in a Fox game of the week facing Andre Pallante RHP who comes in with an ERA of 5.38.

Down on the Farm: 9/4/2025

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats defeated the Las Vegas Aviators 8-4.

Jesus Rodriguez C- 1 for 3, 2 BB, 2 SB(4).  BA= .352.

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 1 for 2, HR(17), BB, SF.  BA= .244.

Brett Wisely 2B- 1 for 2, 2 BB, 2 SB(12).  BA= .255.

Tyler Fitzgerald RF- 1 for 3, HR(5).  BA= .256.

Thomas Gavello 3B- 1 for 4, HR(9).  BA= .294.

Mason Black RHP- 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, 9/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 5.84.

So, let me get this straight....Jesus Rodriguez steals bases too?  This was Mason Black's 6'th Quality Start of the season out of 24.

AA:  Altoona Curve wiped out the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-2.

Nate Furman 2B- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .600.

Victor Bericoto 1B- 3 for 4.  BA= .258.

Carter Howell RF- 1 for 3, 3B, BB.  BA= .222.

Manuel Mercedes RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 7.48.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds shut out the Spokane Indians 3-0.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 4 for 4, 2B.  BA= .277.

Luke Shliger C- 1 for 3, BB, SB(11).  BA= .263.

Parks Harber 3B- 2 for 4.  BA= .309.

Josh Bostick RHP- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.71.

Brayan Palencia RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.34.

When Josh Bostick is dealing he sure looks like a potential MLB SP.  He needs to find more consistency in command, both within game and from game-to-game.  Charlie Szykowny continues to rake after a slow start to the season.

A:  Modesto Nuts topped the San Jose Giants 8-6.

Trevor Cohen CF- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .323.

Lisbel Diaz LF- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .268.

Cam Maldonado DH- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .234.

Ricardo Estrada LHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.63.

The double was #32 on the season for Lisbel Diaz.

Down on the Farm: 9/3/2025

 A flurry of late-season promotions so you may see some names at new levels.  I don't have time here to review all of them.

AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators edged out the Sacramento River Cats 3-2.

Jesus Rodriguez DH- 3 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .353

Nick Zwack LHP- 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.40.

Trent Harris RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.25.

Ryan Watson RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.63.

Is Jesus Rodriguez in the mix to be back up catcher/DH next season? Can he play the position defensively?

AA:  Altoona Curve outscored the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-7.

Bo Davidson CF- 0 for 4, 2 BB.  BA= .238.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 3 for 5, 2B, BB.  BA= .252.

Nate Furman DH- 2 for 5, BB.  BA= .667.

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .231.

Marques Johnson RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.33.

One of our commenters gets their wish and Nate Furman gets a promotion.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds defeated the Spokane Indians 4-1(Game 1 of doubleheader, 7 innings).

Jean Carlos Sio 2B- 3 for 4, 2B.  BA= .281.

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 4.  BA= .255.

Jakob Christian RF- 2 for 3, SB(3).  BA= .300.

Zane Zielinski SS- 1 for 1, Sac, SF, SB(32).  BA= .239.

Tyler Switalski LHP- 6.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 1.17.

Jean Carlos Sio's excellent season continues.  He is just 21 yo and has another year of development before Rule 5 Draft becomes a factor.  Tyler Switalski has had an excellent season across 2 levels.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds shut out the Spokane Indians 4-0(Game 2 of doubleheader, 7 innings).

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .257.

Charlie Szykowny DH- 2 for 3.  BA= .271.

Zane Zielinski SS- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .242.

Darien Smith RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 2.59.

Darien Smith has had an excellent season across 2 levels.  He was signed as an undrafted free agent late last summer.  

A:  Modesto Nuts crushed the San Jose Giants 12-4.

Lorenzo Meola SS- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .264.

Cam Maldonado RF- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(5).  BA= .205.

Trevor Cohen CF- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .319.

Luis De La Torre LHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's.   ERA= 1.77.

Game Wrap 9/3/2025: Giants 10 Rockies 8

The Giants brought their hitting shoes and it was a good thing as the game degenerated into a Coors Field special with the Giants hanging on for the win.   Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 5, 2 R, RBI.  BA= .268.  Ramos is batting .333 over his last 7 games.  He's been the Giants most consistent hitter this season although his power numbers tailed off in the second half.  As long has he's leading off and getting on base, that's probably OK.

Matt Chapman 3B- 3 for 4, 2B, 2 HR(20), BB, 2 R, 4 RBI.  BA= .234.  If getting kicked out of a game concentrates Chapman's mind and leads to games like this, might not be a bad thing every now and then.  He crushed the ball 3 times.

Drew Gilbert CF- 1 for 4, HR(3), BB, R, RBI.  BA= .260.  I'm still trying to figure out of Gilbert is for real.  He is a former first round draft pick.  His numbers were decent, not great, before the trade.  Maybe the Giants noticed something?  Maybe he finally figured something out?  Maybe his just in a rookie sweet spot and it will fall apart once pitchers have a book on him?

Patrick Bailey C- 2 for 4, 2 R, RBI.  BA= .213.  Bailey is 4 for 8 over his last two games.  Dave Fleming and Javy Lopez commented that he refused to come out of the lineup for tonight's game because he feels like he found a groove.

Robbie Ray LHP- 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 3.31.  Ray has pitched a lot of innings this season and appeared to run out of gas in the 5'th inning when his pitch count ballooned to 99.  Up to that point he looked good with an unhittable 4-seam fastball up in the zone.

Joel Peguero RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Peguero gets credited with his first MLB Win.  

J. T. Brubaker RHP- 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.42.  Brubaker looked good through 2 innings throwing mostly sliders.  It looked like he started hanging the sliders in the 9'th and probably got left in longer than he would have with a smaller lead.  Ryan Walker RHP allowed 2 inherited runners to score before closing it out for his 14'th Save.

The Win completes a sweep of the series and is the Giants 10'th in 11 games.  It also cuts their deficit in the Wild Card race to 4 games.

The Giants have a travel day to St Louis for a weekend series against their old postseason rivals.  Carson Seymour RHP gets the start Friday evening against Mike McGreevy RHP who has a W-L record of 6-2 but and ERA of 4.12.

Down on the Farm: 9/2/2025

 AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators edged out the Sacramento River Cats 3-2.

Jesus Rodriguez C- 3 for 5.  BA= .333.

Marco Luciano LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .232.

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 1 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .250.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.00.

Ethan Small LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Braxton Roxby RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.33.

Miguel Diaz RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.73.

Jesus Rodriguez does seem to know how to keep the line moving.  He's been catching regularly for several days.  He had 2 PB in this game.  I completely forgot about Ethan Small.  

AA:  Altoona Curve wiped out the Richmond Flying Squirrels 9-3.

Adrian Sugastey C- 2 for 3.  BA= .219.

Will Bednar RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.66.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds defeated the Spokane Indians 10-4.

Jean Carlos Sio 3B- 2 for 5, HR(3).  BA= .261.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP.  BA= .268.

Zane Zielinski SS- 2 for 3, HR(4), BB.  BA= .237.

Quinn McDaniel 2B- 2 for 4.  BA= .230.

Jonah Cox CF- 1 for 5, 3B.  BA= .253.

Greg Farone LHP- 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.25.

A:  San Jose Giants were idle after playing a Monday game on Labor Day.

Game Wrap 9/2/2025: Giants 7 Rockies 4

Rafael Devers 2-run home run in the first inning triggered a benches-clearing incident which got Willy Adames and Matt Chapman ejected forcing Devers to play third base for the first time this season and the Giants to play the rest of the game shorthanded.  All's well that ends well and the Giants ended up with a nice win.  Key Lines:

Rafael Devers 1B/3B- 1 for 5, HR(30), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .263.  OK, Devers' HR and the ensuing scuffle were the highlight of the game so in case you didn't see it on TV or find a video replay, here's my version of what I saw.  Devers hit it pretty good and it carried into the walkway behind the lower deck of the RF bleachers, a pretty good poke but probably not one justifying his theatrics which consisted of him watching it go out from his follow-through position, then stumbling backwards out of the box, walking about 30 feet down the line carrying his bat which he then flipped away.  At this point, Kyle Freeland LHP went all MadBum on Devers, walking toward him while yelling and waving his arms while lecturing him to "get off my.....er.....about home run etiquette, respecting the game and playing it the right way.  The umps did a good job of getting between Devers and Freeland and pushing them away from each other but then the benches arrived on the scene.  Matt Chapman ran up and gave Freeland a shove that was not needed then Adames arrived and started a ridiculous looking girlie slap fight(sorry if that offends someone but it's the only way I can think of to describe it).  After everybody got separated and back to the dugouts, the umps huddled for almost 10 minutes and finally decided to eject Freeland, Chapman and Adames with Devers finally rounding the bases.  As for Freeland, with the way his season has gone I suspect he was just as happy to be outa there.  If all that sounds ridiculous and totally unnecessary from beginning to end, it definitely was, but it was kind of fun to watch....and describe.

Devers did reach 30 home runs but 15 of those were with the Red Sox.  Nothing against Devers but I'm not counting that as breaking the Giants 30 HR drought.  

Casey Schmitt PH/2B- 2 for 5, HR(10), R, RBI.  BA= .241.  Schmitt was not in the starting lineup due to a sore elbow from the HBP yesterday and it wasn't clear that he was even available to play but he was pressed into service after the ejections and hit 4 balls hard with one carrying out of the park for a homer.  

Wilmer Flores DH- 1 for 5, HR(15), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .242.  Wilmer's HR came after Schmitt's in the 5'th inning and after Dom Smith reached base on a single.  Wilmer got in some pretty good shoves during the baseball version of a kabuki dance in the first inning.  The Giants would have been in a world of hurt if he got ejected too.

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 2 for 3, BB, R.  BA= .262.  Lee reached base 3 times and scored ahead of Patrick Bailey's home run in the 8'th inning.  Lee is batting .308 over his last 7 games, .293 over his last 15 and .292 over his last 30.  He has been quite consistent since adjusting his approach over the All-Star Break.

Patrick Bailey C- 2 for 4, HR(3), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .210.  All 7 of the Giants runs scored on home runs with Bailey's blow adding a couple of insurance runs in the 8'th inning.  Pretty rare 2-hit game and home run for Bailey who has only hit marginally better in the second half.

Logan Webb RHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K's, 5/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.17.  Not Webb at his best but good enough with more than his usual run support.

Jose Butto' allowed a 2-run home run in 2 innings of work to bring some anxiety to watching Giants fans.  No worries as between Bailey's HR and scoreless innings by Joey Lucchesi LHP and Ryan Walker RHP it was an easy win.  Walker recorded his 13'th Save.

Robbie Ray LHP tries for the sweep tomorrow evening against German Marquez RHP who, like other Rockies pitchers, has had a rough season with an ERA of 6.14.

Down on the Farm: 9/1/2025

 A:  San Jose Giants shut out the Modesto Nuts 5-0.  

Lorenzo Meola 2B- 1 for 3, HR(3), BB.  BA= .229.

Trevor Cohen CF- 1 for 3, BB, 2 SB(7).  BA= .322.

Diego Cartaya C- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .250.

Hunter Dryden RHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.90.

Ryan Slater RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.63.

Cade Vernon RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.48.

Hey, look at that!  Diego Cartaya!  I forgot the Giants signed him.  Were the Giants working with him in Arizona?  Did they fix him?  Stay tuned!  The SJ Giants were the only Giants affiliate in action today.

Game Wrap 9/1/2025: Giants 8 Rockies 2

The Giants jumped out to an early lead and Kai-Wei Teng had his best start of his short MLB career in what proved to be an easy win for the surging Giants.  Key Lines:

Rafael Devers DH- 2 for 4, HR(29), BB.  BA= .264.  Devers is batting .481 with 4 HR over his last 7 games. His first inning home run got the Giants the early lead in this one.

Willy Adames SS- 2 for 4, HR(26), BB.  BA= .230.  Adames is batting .321 with 4 HR's in his last 7 games.  He has 7 HR in his last 15 games.  Closing in on 30 HR's.  Devers will almost certainly get 30 but 15 of those came with the Red Sox.

Drew Gilbert RF- 4 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .261.   After going 3 for 31 in his first 14 games, Gilbert is 9 for 15 with 3 doubles, a triple and HR over his last 4 games(one of which he had just one AB).  Stay hot, kid!

Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 5.1 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 7.23.  As you can see, Teng pitched with some traffic on the bases but he didn't hurt himself with walks and had the strikeout pitch going to get him out of trouble.  

Joel Peguero RHP pitched 1.2 scoreless innings and Keaton Winn RHP finished up with 2 scoreless frames.  

The Win gives the Giants 8 out of their last 10 games.  

Logan Webb RHP tries to keep the winning ways going tomorrow evening facing Kyle Freeland LHP who comes in with an ERA of 5.28.

Today was roster expansion day. The Giants selected T. J. Brubaker RHP and recalled Grant McCray OF.  They moved Randy Rodriguez to the 60-day IL to make room on the 40-man roster for Brubaker.  

Down on the Farm: 8/31/2025

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats outscored the Reno Aces 9-7.

Jesus Rodriguez C- 3 for 5, HR(2).  BA= .319.

Brett Wisely 2B- 4 for 5, 2B.  BA= .258.

Marco Luciano LF- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(23), BB.  BA= .229.

Osleivis Basabe SS- 1 for 5, HR(11).  BA= .249.

Hayden Birdsong RHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.76.

Marco Luciano's full line is .229/.355/.455.  Looking through Moneyball glasses, that's a good line.  Are they rose-colored?  More of the same from Birdsong.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels matched the Giants score over the Akron Rubber Ducks 13-2.

Dayson Croes 2B- 2 for 5.  BA= .307.

Sabin Ceballos 1B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .229.

Victor Bericoto RF- 3 for 4, BB.  BA= .253.

Scott Bandura DH-  1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB, SB(8).  BA= .219.

Carter Howell LF- 3 for 4, BB, SB(8).  BA= .223.

Justin Wishkoski 3B- 1 for 3, HR(5), BB.  BA= .234.

John Bertrand LHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 2.94.

Dylan Hecht RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.40.

Ceballos final line for August is .329/.390/.543.  He finishes the season with two strong months after struggling for the first three.  His July line was .286/.382/.444.  

A+:  Everett Aquasox outscored the Eugene Emeralds 7-5.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 5, HR(21).  BA= .268.

Parks Harber LF- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(7), 2 BB.  BA= .304. 

Jakob Christian RF- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .286.

Zane Zielinski 3B- 2 for 5, SB(31).  BA= .234.

Cesar Perdomo LHP- 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.13.

Charlie Szykowny finishes August with a line of .321/.359/.587, 8 HR.  His second half line is .290/.327/.548, 15 HR, 248 PA.

A:  Visalia Rawhide edged out the San Jose Giants 4-3.

Lorenzo Meola 2B- 3 for 5.  BA= .222.

Jeremiah Jenkins 1B- 2 for 5, HR(4).  BA= .236.

Jose Astudillo LF- 2 for 6.  BA= .353.

Cam Maldonado RF- 0 for 2, 3 BB, 2 SB(4).  BA= .194.

Argenis Cayama RHP- 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 9.00.

Keyner Martinez RHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 1.93.

Game Wrap 8/31/2025: Giants 13 Orioles 2

The Giants jumped out to an early lead on the Orioles and never looked back.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 3f or 5, BB, 2 R, RBI.  BA= .268.  Ramos only hit 2 HR in the month of August but batted .271/.339/.355 mostly out of the leadoff spot.  He's 10 for 24(.417) over his last 6 games.

Rafael Devers DH- 3 for 5, 2B, HR(28), 2 R, 2 RBI.  BA= .262.  Devers solo HR in the first inning got the Giants off on the right foot.  He was 3 for 3 with 3/4 of a cycle by the end of the 4'th inning.  I don't think I would want to see him try to leg out a triple even on a ball to the apex of Triples Alley.  Devers finishes August with a line of .291/.397/.592 with 9 HR's.  13 of his 28 HR's have come since the trade.  17 of his HR's have come in home games with 8 coming in 155 PA's at Oracle Park and 9 in 176 PA's at Fenway.  

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 4, SF, R, RBI.  BA= .232.  Matos stays hot batting .385 over his last 7 games and .362 over his last 15.

Christian Koss 2B- 2 for 5, R.  BA= .255.  Koss continues to be a valuable utility IF and mop-up relief pitcher.  

Drew Gilbert CF- 3 for 5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI.  BA= .190.  Gilbert is 5 for 11 with 4 XBH's over his last 3 games(2 starts).  The Giants current OF rotation mixing in Gilbert and Matos while giving Ramos and Lee more days off seems to be making everybody in the mix better.  Is that a foundation for next season?

Justin Verlander RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 10 K's.  ERA= 4.29.  Verlander allowed 7 baserunners and threw 121 pitches in his 5 innings of work but did not allow a run and got his third W of the season.  The 10 K's were a rare feat with Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemons and Gaylord Perry being the only pitchers to do it at Verlander's age or older in the last 125 years(that fun fact courtesy of Andres Soto of sfgiants.com.  He needs just 5 more K's to pass Gaylord Perry for 8'th on the all-time strikeout list.

The Win was the Giants 7'th in 9 games.  They gained a full game on the final Wild Card playoff spot and are now 5 games off the pace.  

Kai-Wei Teng RHP gets another start today in Coors Field facing Chase Dollander RHP who comes in with an ERA of 6.55.  That should be a fun game!