Giants 2026 Season Review: By the Numbers(Part I)

Despite hiring a college field manager with no professional experience on any level and a curious lack of upgrades to the bullpen, the Giants came into the 2026 season with an expectation of being no worse than the 2025 team and possibly enough wins more to sneak into a postseason berth.  POBO Buster Posey's stated goal for the offseason was improving team defense and he went after that by hiring defensive coaching wizard, Ron Washington and by signing CF Harrison Bader.  Those moves combined with a full season of Rafael Devers and the expected graduation of Bryce Eldridge plus the contact hitting of Luis Arraez gave hope of both run scoring and run prevention upgrades to the roster.  

Then came Opening Day and the opening series against the Yankees and a near total obliteration in every phase of the game.  The Giants scored just 1 run in 27 innings on 13 hits only 4 of which came in the first two games which were shutouts.  It was the Yankees but the shock and awe of it all left a lot of people, including me, with a deep sense of foreboding about the rest of the season.  The Giants traveled south and took 2 of 3 from the Padres then win the first game of a4-game weekend series agains the Mets and we all breathed a sigh of relief.  Maybe the faceplant in the Yankee series was just a small sample fluke against a tough opponent.  Then they lost the next 3 to the Mets and the first game of the next series against the Phillies. They were now 3-8 and the season went downhill from there.  

The 2026 Giants never won more than 3 games in a row.  There was a sweep in Philadelphia at the end of April including double walk-off losses in a doubleheader followed by a sweep to the Rays in Tampa Bay a dropped series to the Padres at home.  That was a 1-8 stretch and the season was all but over.  Another low point in May came after a double sweep to the D'Backs in successive weeks.  I could go on.....and on and on.  

By the end of the season, the Giants had tied a record for most players used in a season at 71, more than in any of the FZ years and The Churn.  If I am not mistaken, Christian Koss was the only player from the Opening Day active roster who was also on the season finale active roster and even he missed some time with an injury.  At least Buster Posey got a nice prospect haul from a full on sell at the trade deadline.  

Let's break it down and look at some numbers starting with some Team Stats then individual team leaders(League Rankings in parentheses):

Batting:

BA:  .245(15)

OBP:  .306(29)

SLG%:  .400(13)

OPS:  .706(23)

Runs:  669(26)

Hits:  1341(13)

Doubles:  262(9)

Triples:  26(6)

Home Runs:  178(20)

Walks:  449(30)

Strikeouts:  1342(14)

SB:  88(22)

My Take:  Giants batters tested Buster Posey's theory about swinging for contact but paid a brutal price with a cratered walk rate which proved to be the run production killer analytic models say it is.

Pitching:  

ERA:  4.33(23)

HR:  160(4)

Walks:  596(25)

Strikeouts:  1204(27)

WHIP:  1.36(24)

BA:  .248(13)

Saves:  30(29)

Save Ops:  57(27T)

Blown Saves:  27(10)- ranked most to least

My Take:  We see a mirror image of the batting stats with the pitchers doing a decent job limiting hits and home runs but getting killed by too many walks.  And I have mentioned this several times and nobody seems to pay any attention:  Yes, the bullpen was #29 in Saves but they were also tied for #27 in Save Ops so while the bullpen was indeed terrible at saving games, the Giants were also terrible at giving them Save opportunities which I think tells us that the Giants won't be fixed by simply adding a reliable Closer.  The problem is much bigger than that.

Game Wrap 9/27/2026: Dodgers 5 Giants 1(10 innings)

Christian Koss hit an apparent game-winning home run leading off the bottom of the 8'th inning only to have it ruled a foul ball on instant replay.  That allowed the Dodgers to break through for 4 runs in the top of the 10'th inning to complete a sweep of the final series of the season.  Key Lines:

Maybe it's fitting to say Nothing To See Here.  The Giants lineup managed just 5 singles and a walk while the pitching side was a bullpen game with Braxton Roxby's 1.2 innings the longest stint.  

So the Giants awful, very bad, no good 2026 season comes to an end.  This is an organization in need of a lot of soul searching.  It should be an interesting offseason, likely complicated by a lockout starting in December.  

As I have shared, the past year was extremely difficult for me on a personal level.  Despite the Giants discouraging performance this season, the almost daily games and subsequent blog posts and banter in the comments gave me something to look forward to each day and provided structure to my life.  Days with no game could get long and quiet.  I will continue to find things to write about through the offseason and fill the gap with other interests and hobbies and a great circle of supportive friends and family but the end of the season brings another void to fill until it all starts again in the spring.  I love everybody who reads and comments.....well, ALMOST everybody!  You all help me keep going.  

Game Wrap 9/26/2026: Dodgers 4 Giants 3

A home run by long time Giants nemesis Kike Hernandez in the top of the 9'th inning crushed Giants comeback hopes.  Key Lines:

Jonah Cox 2B- 1 for 4, 2B, SB(16), R.  BA= .258.  Cox has a OBP of just .308 and a 38% K rate but he also has 16 SB's and has scored 26 runs in 165 PA's.  That projects to 94 runs in 600 PA's.  That would be tied for 20'th in MLB.  The speed does change the game.  

Turner Hill CF/LF- 1 for 3, 2B, SF, R, RBI.  BA= .223.  Hill should be in the mix for a roster spot next season.

Bo Davidson RF- 2 for 3, SF, RBI.  BA= .375.  So far, so good in the Bo Davidson Era.  

Shay Whitcomb 3B- 2 for 2, SB.  BA= .202.  Whitcomb is 4 for 8 over his last 3 games.

Drew Cavanaugh PH/C- 2 for 2, 2B, 3B, RBI.  BA= .236.  Cavanaugh should be the strong side of a catcher platoon next season.  Daniel Susac would seem to be the front runner for the other RH hitting side.

Matt Wilkinson LHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.58.  Not sure why Wilkinson came out after 3 innings.  I guess the Giants can't afford to have any more young pitchers go down with arm injuries this season.  He has earned a chance to compete for a role next season.  

Tristan Beck RHP- 1.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.21.  Beck allowed an inherited runner to score and allowed 2 baserunners in his full inning of work.  His velocity is up to 97 MPH in the two games since his most recent call up.  Is that enough to survive the coming roster purge?

Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.22.  The Pirates made some adjustments in Doval's pitch mix with much heavier use of the slider.  He brought that with him to his Giants homecoming and struck out the side and against the Dodgers.  The Giants probably don't want to got to arbitration with him but he seems very happy to be back and they can likely resign him to a lower contract outside the arbitration process.  

Carson Seymour RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.70.  Seymour starts today's season finale in what is probably a planned bullpen game.

Game Wrap 9/25/2026: Dodgers 2 Giants 0

The Giants got a well-pitched game from Yunior Marte and a 4 relievers but the lineup was overmatched by Dodger's SP Tarik Skubal and the outcome was never really in doubt.  Key Lines:

Yunior Marte RHP- 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, 6/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.44.  Marte was again a gamer who fared better than his previous game against the same team.  Per Gameday, FB had variable velocity 90-95 MPH.  Is that by design or unwanted variability in mechanics?  He threw more sliders and splitters than FB's and used those pitches to get groundball outs.  He looks like he can compete for a long relief/spot start role next season.  

Tarik Skubal LHP(Dodgers)- 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K's.  ERA= 2.72.  The Giants roughed him up a bit in Dodger Stadium but you knew that wasn't going to happen 2 games in a row, not with this lineup.  And yes, the Giants are not currently competitive with the Dodgers with or without Tarik Skubal.  They would not be competitive with the Dodgers even if Skubal transferred off the Dodgers and to the Giants.  That's how wide the talent gap is.  It's a little better with Devers and Eldridge in the lineup but I don't think they are competitive even with them plus a Skubal and that's with the Dodgers suffering their own rash of injuries.  

Just the fact that Skubal is currently a Dodger and the odds favor him remaining a Dodger for 10 more seasons is a testament to how broken MLB is right now.  I have never been a supporter of a hard salary cap but when one team is playing by one set of rules and the rest of the league is playing by another, fans of the rest of the league are going to eventually lose interest.  And it isn't just payroll and it's not just the Dodgers.  When ever year 20% of teams empty out their roster and stop competing at the trade deadline while another 20% load up on top players with one team getting THE best player year in and year out, that gets old after awhile too.  

I don't have much faith it will happen and it doesn't necessarily have to be a hard cap, but I would like to see something done to curb what the Dodgers are doing and I would like to see the trade deadline much earlier in the season.  I think the payroll structure is more likely to change than the trade deadline.  

Matt Wilkinson LHP gets a big test today after a terrific start against the Dodgers last weekend.  He faces exhibit 2,  Blake Snell LHP, who comes in with an ERA of 1.86.  I was musing to my friend who is a Dodgers fan that us Giants fans have a saying that goes, "he was a good Giant".  Blake Snell was not a good Giant!

Game Wrap 9/23/2026: Twins 4 Giants 2

A 2-run single by Shay Whitcomb was not enough to support pretty good start by Cesar Perdomo and a beleaguered bullpen.  Key Lines:

Shay Whitcomb 3B- 2 for 4, 2 RBI.  BA= .191.  Whitcomb came through with a 2-out, bases-loaded single in the 4'th to drive in the Giants only two runs of the game.  The inning ended when Christian Koss tried to bunt his way on base with runners at the corners and 2 outs which tells you everything you need to know about the current mindset of the team.  As for Whitcomb, he's had a few nice moments but overall has not done enough to warrant a roster spot through the winter.

The top three batters in the lineup, Jonah Cox 2B(.266), Turner Hill CF(.220) and Victor Bericoto LF(.233) went a combined 0 for 11 with a walk.  

Cesar Perdomo LHP- 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, 7/4 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.65.  Perdomo has had 4 good appearances out of 5.  Note again the command of a 3-pitch arsenal.  He can be a decent #4,5 SP on next year's team.  

As happy as us prospect hounds and die-hard fans are to watch "the kids" play hard even in defeat, this is not a lineup or team that's going to win many games.  Admittedly it would look a lot better with Devers and Eldridge but there are still holes in the lineup and the pitching is a mess.  While I hope the Giants have the patience to continue rebuilding from within, I don't see any way they compete for a playoff spot next season without a major investment in a lot more than just a Closer.  More on this after the season ends.  

Bob Costas was in the broadcast booth campaigning for Kruk and Kuip to be voted into the Hall of Fame as a team, something that requires a rule change.  I like the idea but felt a bit uneasy at the implication that neither one is good enough to make it on their own.  I do agree they should be in and should be in while they are both still alive to see it.  

The Giants get a day off before starting the final series of the season against the Dodgers.  Yunior Marte RHP gets the start on Willie Mac Award Night facing TBD.

Game Wrap 9/22/2026: Twins 3 Giants 2

 As we have seen many times this season, individual Giants players did some good things on the field, just not enough players did enough good things.  They had 6 hits and drew 6 walks.  They stole 2 bases.  They executed several bunts well.  Anthony Molina had a Quality Start. They also had no XBH's and left 10 runners on base.  In the end they came up short.  Key Lines:

Anthony Molina RHP- 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 3.97.  In his last start Molina came out after 5.2 IP.  This time he got one more out and gets credit for a Quality Start.  He's pitched at least 5 innings and given up 2 runs or less in 3 of his last 4 starts.  

It's up to Cesar Perdomo LHP to get the series win today facing Connor Prielipp LHP who comes in with a 4.94 ERA.

Game Wrap 9/21/2026: Giants 5 Twins 2

Drew Gilbert had a big game at the Dawn of the Bo Davidson Era while Tristan Beck picked up Blade Tidwell who exited with what appears to be another elbow injury for a Giants pitcher.  Key Lines:

Drew Gilbert CF- 3 for 4, HR(11), 2 R, 3 RBI.  BA= .237.  Gilbert led off the Giants half of the first inning with a single, advanced to 3B on Bo Davidson's first MLB hit and scored on a single by Brett Harris.  Gilbert later drove in 2 runs with a single and drove in the Giants 5'th run of the game with a HR in the 5'th.  The 3 hits gave Gilbert a .333 BA over his last 7 games.  It looks like he'll compete for a platoon role as as OF next season.

Jonah Cox 2B- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .280.  I think I hit a wrong button on a commenter yesterday which I wanted to respond to.  The comment was that while FZ aquired Jonah Cox, Buster's development emphasis on more of a contact/line drive approach unlocked his potential including swinging earlier in counts to avoid strikeouts.  My response is that may be true but the jury is still out on whether Buster's favored approach results in more runs.  Although the Giants rank #11 in team BA and surprisingly #9 in SLG%(a lot of that is due to Rafael Devers and Bryce Eldridge coming on strong in the second half), they rank #30 in BB%, #28 in OBP and #24 in Runs.  

Bo Davidson RF- 1 for 4, SB(1), R.  BA= .250.  Bo singled in his first MLB AB, stole 2B and came home on Harris's single in the first inning.  

Bret Harris 1B- 2 for 4, 2 RBI.  BA= .194.  Harris drove in the first two runs with the first inning single with runners at 2'nd and 3'rd.  

Blade Tidwell RHP- 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.45.  Tidwell looked sharp until he spiked a curveball in the 4'th inning, made a funny motion with his right arm and signaled the bench to come out.  As Kruk noted in his commentary, they way he held his arm as he walked off the mound looked like another elbow injury which was confirmed by Tony Vitello in the postgame presser.  Tidwell will undergo more testing today.  After many years of historically low rates of elbow injuries, Giants pitchers now seem to be in the midst of a cluster, including Hayden Birdsong RHP, Trevor McDonald RHP and Carson Whisenhunt LHP.  In addition, Adrian Houser RHP is out with a forearm strain which seems to sometimes be a precursor to elbow injuries.  

Tristan Beck RHP- 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 5/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 5.94.  What got into Tristan Beck?  He rolled out of bed firing 97 MPH darts at the edges of the strike zone.  The Giants may want to run him out there at least one more time before the end of the season.  If that's the real Tristan Beck they might want to keep him around over the winter.  Beck's big problem has been consistency though and one game does not prove he's suddenly found that.

Trent Harris RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(2).  ERA= 2.14.  A clean Save!  It was with a 3-run lead but as Kruk pointed out the Giants have not had many of those this season.  Giants will probably try to acquire a proven Closer over the winter but until then, it looks like Harris is the guy for the 9'th inning.  

Anthony Molina RHP tries to secure a series win this evening facing Taj Bradley RHP who comes in with an ERA of 3.81.

Down on the Farm: 9/20/2026

 AAA:  Reno Aces beat the Sacramento River Cats 4-1.

Bo Davidson RF- 1 for 2, BB, HBP, SB(6).  BA= .309.

Fernando Gonzalez C- 1 for 2, HBP.  BA= .280.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.11.

Nick Zwack LHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.77.

River Cats had just two hits in the game.  They used 7 pitchers in bullpen game.  This ends the 2026 minor league season and Down on the Farm series of posts.  This was one of the most exciting and successful Giants minor league seasons to report on in my memory.  We'll take a bit of a break and scale back to just Game Wraps until the MLB season ends then do some season reviews and of course DrB's 2027 Giants Top 50 Prospects later in the winter.

Game Wrap 9/20/2026: Dodgers 3 Giants 1

The Giants lineup was not able to support a 5-inning, scoreless start by Matt Wilkinson and once again the Dodgers broke through against the bullpen to complete a series sweep.  Key Lines:

Jonah Cox 2B- 0 for 3, BB, SB(14), R.  BA= .281.  Cox continues to create runs at the top of the order with his speed.  He walked to lead off the game, stole 2B and scored on Victor Bericoto's(DH) single. Cox has to play every day and bat leadoff next year, has to!  Jung Hoo Lee RF had the only other hit in the game for the Giants and exited the game after fouling a pitch off into his groin area.  Ouch!

Matt Wilkinson LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 3.65.  This was Wilkinson's best start  and it comes after a pair of scoreless relief appearances.  He should be in the mix either a rotation or long relief role next season.

More sad news for Giants fans as Duane Kuiper announced he has throat cancer and has started treatment.  He plans to be in the booth with Mike Krukow for Kruk's last game as a commentator.  Kuip hopes to be back next season.  Wish both of them the best but it seems pretty clear that a whole era of Giants broadcasting is coming to a close.

The Giants return home for their final homestand with Blade Tidwell RHP taking the mound tomorrow evening Zebby Matthews RHP who comes in with a 4.74 ERA.  Hmm....I wish the Giants had a player named Zebby.

Down on the Farm: 9/19/2026

 AAA:  Reno Aces defeated the Sacramento River Cats 7-4.

Bo Davidson LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .307.

Will Brennan CF- 2 for 3, 2B, SF.  BA= .302.

Eddys Leonard DH- 1 for 4, HR(6).  BA= .210.

Joe Whitman LHP- 5.1 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.74.

Braxton Roxby RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.78.

Not much to say here.  Final game of the season today.  River Cats are not in the Championship series.  

Game Wrap 9/19/2026: Dodgers 10 Giants 4

A big game by Victor Bericoto was not enough to overcome a relentless Dodger attack on the Giants beleaguered young pitching staff.  

Victor Bericoto DH- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(5), BB 2 R, 2 RBI.  BA= .253.  Bericoto has less than 100 PA's on the season due to prolonged absence on the IL.  That's to bad because this season turned into the perfect opportunity to impress management for a bigger role next season.  He does have one thing going for him which is the Giants need to balance out their suddenly lefty-heavy lineup.  Impressive peformance against Tarik Skubal LHP even if Skubal is a lefty.

Jung Hoo Lee RF- 2 for 4, 2B, RBI.  BA= .276.  Lee's numbers collapsed in September.  Is he starting to break out of it?

Yunior Marte RHP- 4.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 2 K's, 7/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.66.  Marte held the Dodgers to 1 run in each of the first 4 innings.  OK, that's not great pitching but the score was still tied going to the bottom of the 5'th.  Marte got two quick outs on a GIDP by Max Muncy but then went single, walk to the next two batters and Tony Vitello brought in Philip Abner to face left-batting Josue DePaula.  Yes, THAT Philip Abner!  DePaula walked.  Tommy Edman singled to drive in 2 and Miguel Rojas singled to drive in another with Turner Hill getting the third out on a throw to the plate to nail the trailing runner.  

Duncan Davitt RHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 4/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.08.  Davitt may be a savvy waiver wire claim.  He has a few more games to prove he should stay on the 40-man roster through the winter with a chance to win a bullpen spot in the spring.

Matt Wilkinson LHP gets another chance to start today against TBD.  

Down on the Farm: 9/18/2026

AAA:  Reno Aces defeated the Sacramento River Cats 6-4.

Darren Baker LF- 1 for 4, SB(5).  BA= .261.

Bo Davidson RF- 3 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .303.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 1 for 3, 3B, Sac.  BA= .249.

Sam Hentges LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.93.

 

Bo Davidson is THE guy at this level right now.  He'll be added to the 40-man roster, before rosters are set this fall.  The only question is whether he will be added before the season ends to get into a few MLB games.

AAA is the only minor league level still playing.

Game Wrap 9/18/2026: Dodgers 8 Giants 2

Another late-inning disaster turned a close game into a route.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee RF- 1 for 4, HR(10).  BA= .274.  Lee was so good in the middle of the season. Unfortunately despite this HR, he is batting .143 over his last 7 games, .155 over his last 15 and .200 over his last 30.

Scott Bandura DH- 1 for 2, SB(1), R.  BA= .250.  Bandura scored the Giants second run after a single, SB and a 2-out single by Jonah Cox 2B/CF  The SB as a weapon?  What a concept!

Cesar Perdomo LHP- 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.72.  Considering he was facing the Dodgers in Dodger Stadium, this is a pretty good line.  Perdomo allowed 3 singles in the 5'th inning but had 2 outs with runners at first and second when Tony Vitello replaced him with Jason Foley RHP.  Dave Roberts countered with.....Max Muncy!  Not sure I like that matchup but I aws following on Gameday and it looked like Perdomo's velocity was down a couple of ticks so maybe that's what Vitello and the coaches were looking at?

Philip Abner LHP- 1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, 4 HR.  ERA= 7.23.  Tasked with keeping it close in the bottom of the 8'th inning, Abner gave up 4 home runs, 4!  I thought that might be some kind of record but I looked it up and apparently not.  5 HR's in one inning is the record and it's been done many times.  My friend texted me and asked who Abner is.  I said some random waiver claim.  Next!  

It doesn't get any easier tomorrow evening as TBD faces Tarik Skubal LHP who may be the best pitcher in MLB and comes in with a 2.70 ERA.

Down on the Farm: 9/17/2026

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats shut out the Reno Aces 3-0.

Bo Davidson RF- 1 for 4, HR(10), 3 RBI.  BA= .294.

Victor Bericoto DH- 3 for 4. BA= .288.

Will Bednar RHP- 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 6.33.

Wilkin Ramos RHP- 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.07.

Cristian Alvarado RHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 6.35.

R. J. Dabovich RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 2.45.

Eric Cerantola RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's, Save(6).  ERA= 4.12.

Bo Davidson's second game back from foot injury from foul ball.  He's 1 for 8 over the two games but drove in all 3 of the 'Cats runs with a homer in this one.  Bullpen with a combined shut out.

AA:  Erie Seawolves defeated the Richmond Flying Squirrels 5-3.

Kaeden Kent DH- 1 for 3, HR, BB, 3 RBI.  

Jackson Flora RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  

Jacob Bresnahan LHP- 3.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K's. 

Tyler Vogel RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Kaeden Kent drove in all 3 Squirrels runs with a homer.  Jackson Flora with two dominant innings.  Jacob Bresnahan feel apart in his 4'th inning of work.  Squirrels lose the best of 3 Division Series 2 games to 0.  Very nice season for the much maligned Giants AA squad despite a lot of roster movement over the season.

Down on the Farm: 9/16/2026

 AAA:  Reno Aces edged out the Sacramento River Cats 3-2.

Parks Harber 3B- 2 for 4, 3B.  BA= .271.

Trystan Vrieling RHP- 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 6 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 9.68.

Braxton Roxby RHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.88.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels had an off day in their best of 3 EL division series. They trail the Erie Seawolves 1 game to 0.

A:  Lake Elsinore Storm overwhelmed the San Jose Giants 13-2.

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 1 for 4, 2B, BB, 2 SB, 2 E.  

Lorenzo Meola 2B- 2 for 4.

Jeremiah Jenkins 1B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 3 for 4, SB.

SJ Giants fall short in the Cal League Championship Series losing 2 game to 1.  All 3 games had lopsided scores.  So what went wrong?  1.  Anything can happen in a short series.  2.  The Giants were primarily a hitting team all season with probably the weakest pitching I remember them having and I've followed them for 20 years.  Pitching tends to dominate in postseason play.  3.  Many of the top players for the regular season moved up to A+ before the postseason.  Overall it was a great season for SJ Giants hitters and a disappointing one for the pitchers.  

Game Wrap 9/16/2026: Giants 6 Cardinals 5(10 Innings)

The Giants almost managed to ruin a sparkling start by Anthony Molina but hung tough and Drew Gilbert's 2-run homer in the 10'th inning was just enough to hold on for the game win and series win.  Key Lines:

Jonah Cox CF/2B- 3 for 4, BB, 2 SB(13), R, RBI.  BA= .294.  Jonah Cox is showing what a classic leadoff hitter can do for a lineup.  When was the last time the Giants had one?

Drew Gilbert PH/CF- 1 for 1, HR(10), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .233.  Bryce Eldridge was the designated runner to start the 10'th inning.  Tony Vitello made a double move puting Grant McCray in to pinch-run for Eldridge and Drew Gilbert to pinch-hit for Brett Harris 3B against a RHP.  Both moves were the right call but Eldridge could have walked home ahead of Gilbert's bomb to CF.  Gilbert gets to double-digit HR's and seems to be fearless in clutch situations.  

Andrew Knizner C- 3 for 4, R, RBI.  BA= .212.  Knizner is batting .238/.333/.429 over his last 7 games.  

Anthony Molina RHP- 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.18.  Nice bounceback from a disaster start.  Tony Vitello made an aggressive move to bring in Philip Abner LHP to fact Alec Burleson with 2 outs in the 6'th and no runners on base.  Molina was at 82 pitches.  Maybe Vitello figured this was Molina's last inning anyway and why risk losing the 1-0 lead on one swing when you can bring in the lefty for a more favorable matchup.  It ended up working out.

Carson Seymour RHP- 0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 5.06.  Walking two batters was far from ideal but Seymour was victimized by horrible defense including his own muff of a short toss covering first base.  Then Christian Koss yanked a throw that looked like Bryce Eldridge whiffed on the standard TV angle but from a LF camera you could see the throw was at least 3 feet beyond Eldridge's stretch.  Trent Harris RHP came on to get the final out of the inning and then pitched a scoreless 8'th.  

Dylan Smith RHP- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.50.  This was Smith's 5'th blown save and he looks gassed.  

Joel Kuhnel RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K's, Save(8).  ERA= 4.54.  Torture!  Kuhnel had to protect a 2-run lead so could concentrate on getting the batters out rather than worrying about the designated runners.  He walked two batters to add to the drama but got out of it on 3 fly ball outs.  Not ideal but the plane flight to LA will be happy. 

The Giants get a travel day tomorrow then face the Dodgers for a weekend series with Cesar Perdomo LHP pitching Friday evening against TBD.  Maybe with the off day the Giants flew home and will then fly to LA tomorrow evening or Friday AM?

Down on the Farm: 9/15/2026

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats blasted the Reno Aces 9-2.

Victor Bericoto LF- 3 for 5.  BA= .280.

Parks Harber 3B- 3 for 5.  BA= .267.

Eddys Leonard DH- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(5).  BA= .211.

Zach Morgan C- 2 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .241.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 3 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .250.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 5.22.

AA:  Erie Seawolves devoured the Richmond Flying Squirrels 18-6(Game 1 of EL Division Series).

Trevor Cohen CF- 3 for 5, 2B, HR.  

Dayson Croes DH- 2 for 5.

Gavin Kilen SS- 4 for 5, 3B. 

Sabin Ceballos 1B- 2 for 5.

We'll just say it was a rough night for the pitchers.

A:  San Jose Giants quieted the Lake Elsinore Storm 9-1(Game 2 of Cal League Championship Series).

Lorenzo Meola 2B- 1 for 3, 2B, BB, HBP.

Drew Smith DH- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.

Junior Barajas C- 2 for 5, 2B.

Andy Polanco CF- 3 for 5, 2 SB.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 1 for 4, BB, SB.

Broedy Poppell RF- 1 for 2, 2 BB. 

Argenis Cayama RHP- 5 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K's. 

Ian Korn RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  

Eric Nachtsheim RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.

The SJ Giants turn the tables on the Storm after the blowout loss in LE on Sunday.  3 pitchers combine for a no-hitter led by Argenis Cayama who finishes the season strong on his 20'th birthday.  Overall, the SJ Giants pitching was disappointing this season but we're seeing encouraging signs from this year's draft class. Ian Korn was the 10'th round pick(why do I get a mental picture of heavy metal rock group when I see his name?).  Eric Nachtsheim was the Giants 6'th round pick.  Scouting report on him is a big fastball.

Game Wrap 9/15/2026: Giants 10 Cardinals 3

 A Quality Start for Blade Tidwell and a huge game at the plate for Bryce Eldridge led the Giants to an easy win in St. Louis.  Key Lines:

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(17), BB, 2 R, 3 RBI.  Bryce Eldridge is having a monster finish to his season.  Slash line .327/.422/.558 in September so far, .327/.414/.558 over his last 30 games.  Sal Stewart, who has 200 more AB's, probably still has a solid lead for ROY but Eldridge should be in the conversation.  

Turner Hill LF- 2 for 4, HR(1), BB, R, 3 RBI.  BA= .250.  Nice game for Hill who had been slumping. 

Christian Koss SS- 3 for 5, 2 RBI.  BA= .240.  Koss is hot.  .435/.480/.565 over his last 7 game, .333/.382/.510 over his last 15 and .276/.330/.418 over his last 30.

Blade Tidwell RHP- 6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.56.  This was Tidwell's longest start of the season and first Quality Start.  He has shown some resilience when coming off poor starts.  

Anthony Molina RHP tries to bounce back from a disaster start and get the Giants a series win against Matthew Liberatore LHP who comes in with an ERA of 5.53.  The series finale starts at 10:15 AM PDT.

Game Wrap 9/14/2026: Cardinals 2 Giants 1

 Another fumbled starter to reliever handoff in the 5'th inning was too much for a Deversless lineup to overcome in a close loss.  Key Lines:

Grant McCray LF- 1 for 4, 2B, R.  BA= .147.  The McCray's double led off the 6'th inning and was the Giants first hit of the game and it was smoked.  111.6 MPH.  After a groundout by Christian Koss SS, Jonah Cox CF/2B singled McCray in.  A major turning point in the game came when Cox was thrown out stealing 2B after a strikeout by Bryce Eldridge 1B to end the inning.  

The Giants had another big opportunity in the 7'th when Shay Whitcomb 2B and Turner Hill DH left off the inning with consecutive singles.  Tony Vitello tried to play small-ball and had Brett Harris 3B sacrifice the runners over, but Jung Hoo Lee's flyball to RF was not deep enough to test Jordan Walker's arm.  Andrew Knizner C drew a 2-out walk to load the bases but Grant McCray grounded out to end the threat.  I've liked the small ball move of bunting over two runners with no outs ever since I saw the Koreans use it to win a WBC, especially in a close game, although classic Moneyball analysis says don't do it.  The key, though, is it puts tremendous pressure on the next batter to at least get that lead runner home. Lee made contact which is the first requirement but didn't get it quite deep enough for a sac fly.

The Giants got 2 runners on base in each of the 8'th and 9'th innings but failed to score.

Landen Roupp RHP- 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.01.  Roupp was not as sharp as Cardinals SP Quinn Matthews LHP but matched goose eggs for 4 innings.  He then allowed two batters to reach base with one out in the 5'th.  Tony Vitello went to Reiver Sanmartin LHP to face the lefty batting Alec Burleson who singled in a run.  Sanmartin followed with a wild pitch, walk and single for the second run.  That brought in Joel Kuhnel RHP to get out of the inning but that was the ballgame.  

Landen Roupp appeared to be upset at being taken out and he would have had a point but apparently his issue was with the ump who he thought called a strike on the first pitch to Ivan Herrera(it actually was a strike on statcast). There was more discussion between Roupp and the coaches in the dugout.  It appears Roupp was the one who got wrong hand for balls and strikes and the ump held up the correct finger.  Perhaps his thinking was he could have challenged the call if he knew it was called a ball?  If so, it was his missed opportunity on him. 

Blade Tidwell RHP tries to get his game back on track this evening after a subpar start facing Andrew Pallante RHP who comes in with a 3.45 ERA.

Unlike the end of the last 3 seasons, I like the fight I am seeing from the young players.  Whether that is Tony Vitello or Rafael Devers leadership or the young players trying to grab an opportunity by the throat, I am not seeing them quit on the manager or the season in the way that got both Gabe Kapler and Bob Melvin fired.  And if you fire the manager when the team quits on them, then Tony Vitello gets the credit and gets to stay when they don't.

Down on the Farm: 9/13/2026

 AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators edged out the Sacramento River Cats 4-3.

Parks Harber 3B- 2 for 4, HR(6).  BA= .258.

Victor Bericoto LF/RF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .272.

Charlie Szykowny 1B/RF- 1 for 3, 3B, HBP.  BA= .327.

Joe Whitman LHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.65.

This was Joe Whitman's 5'th consecutive Quality Start after an odd bullpen demotion.  Maybe that was an opportunity to work on something?  

AA: Chesapeake Baysox defeated the Richmond Flying Squirrels 3-1.

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .227.

Lisbel Diaz LF- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(8).  BA= .193.

Greg Farone LHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.48.

Shane Rademacher RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.69.

Esmerlin Vinicio LHP- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.15.

Marty Gair RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 13.50.

A:  Lake Elsinore Storm crushed the San Jose Giants 12-1.

Leandro Rodriguez LHP- 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's, 4/1 GO/AO.

Fortunately it was a very pleasant evening weatherwise in Lake Elsinore as the Giants were dominated in every phase of the game.  Keyner Martinez RHP consistently hit 96 MPH with his fastball on the radar gun but wasn't fooling anyone, especially the lefty batters who just teed off on him over the first two inning.  Leandro Rodriguez is a big lefty with a funky slinging sidearm delivery.  Max velocity I saw was 92 MPH.  He looks like a future lefty reliever.  The Giants had 8 hits and 7 walks but only on XBH, a double by Andy Polanco CF.  The game was a full 3 hours long and seemed a lot longer, but I didn't have anything better to do so stayed until the end.  

The SJ Giants are now down 1-0 in the best of 3 Cal League Championship series.  Hopefully they will play better in two games at home and come out with another championship.

Game Wrap 9/13/2026: Padres 6 Giants 4

A Deversless lineup couldn't overcome Logan Webb's third disaster start in 5 games as the Padres completed a sweep in Oracle Park.  Key Lines:

Bryce Eldridge 2 for 5, RBI.  BA= .269.  Eldridge comes back from an 0 for 4 to log 2 hits.  He's batting .311 in September after a .297 in August.

Shay Whitcomb 2B/3B- 2 for 4, R.  BA= .179.  Whitcomb is batting .294 in September after going 2 for 17 in August.

Andrew Knizner C- 1 for 2, HR(2), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .174.  Knizner is 2 for 5 with a double and HR in his last 2 games.  He was 0 for 14 in September before that.

Christian Koss SS- 2 for 4, 2 SB(5), R, RBI.  BA= .235.  Koss is batting .281 over his last 30 games.  He has earned a 1.0 fWAR in 177 PA's, 59 games.  Right now, he's a better shortstop and player than Willy Adames was at any point in the season.

Logan Webb RHP- 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 7 K's, 5/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.31.  The peripherals look good but Webb got knocked around for the third time in 5 starts.  With Devers shut down for the rest of the season, is there a reason to keep running Webb out there?  I tend to believe there are a finite number of innings in a pitcher's arm and if the season is practically over, better to save them for future seasons.  

Matt Wilkinson LHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.58.  Wilkinson has pitched 5 shutout innings in 2 appearances since being sent to the bullpen.  

Trent Harris RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.65.  I think it's safe to say Harris will be part of the Giants bullpen next season. 

The Giants start a road trip tonight against the Cardinals with Landen Roupp RHP facing Quinn Mathews LHP who comes in with an ERA of 4.11.

As we mentioned, Rafael Devers quest for 40 HR's came to an abrupt end as he is shut down for the season and likely to undergo core muscle surgery for an issue he has apparently battled all season.  Scott Bandura OF was called up to replace him and went 1 for 3 with a BB in his MLB debut.  You may ask why Bandura and not Bo Davidson.  Davidson is on the IL after fouling a ball off his foot.  No fracture and he is expected back soon.

Down on the Farm: 9/12/2026

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

Darren Baker CF- 2 for 4, 2 2 SB(4).  BA= .333.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .292.

Duncan Davitt RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, 4/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 0.00.

Davitt was claimed off waivers from the Braves on Sept 9 so he is on the 40-man roster.  He has 80 K's in 76 IP across 4 minor league stops this season but also 31 walks.  He was only in the Braves organization for a short time.  Prior to that he was in the Rays organization.  Wouldn't be shocked to see him up for an audition with the Giants before the end of the season.

AA:  Chesapeake vs Richmond Cancelled. 

A+:  Eugene Emeralds season is over.  They came up short in the NWL Championship Series.

A:  San Jose Giants were idle. They start the California League Championship Series this evening in Lake Elsinore. I plan to attend.  This is a best of 3 series with just the one game in SoCal.

Game Wrap 9/12/2026: Padres 7 Giants 6

 A late Giants rally withered in the face of hundo-throwing Padres relievers and came up short.  Key Lines:

Drew Gilbert CF- 2 for 4, HR(9), 2 R, 2 RBI.  BA= .235.  Gilbert singled to lead of the Giants half of the first inning and scored ahead of Devers HR.  He then hit a 2-run HR of his own in that bounced on the sidewalk outside the stadium and bounced into McCovey Cove in the 8'th inning.  That was when Padres Manager Craig Stammen summoned Adrian Morejon LHP and the hundos started humming past Giants hitters.  

Rafael Devers DH- 1 for 4, HR(37), R, 2 RBI.  Devers is rapidly closing in on 40 HR.  

Shay Whitcomb 3B- 1 for 3, HR(4), R, RBI, E(3).  BA= .163.  Whitcomb has some size and has a nice looking swing.  He is plagued by inconsistency.  Hard to get a read on how much growth potential he has.  

Drew Cavanaugh C- 1 for 3, HR(1), R, RBI.  BA= .244.  Cavanaugh had some power in the minors but this was his first MLB HR out of 31 hits.  He also has 3 doubles, 2 of which came in one game, but he's mostly been a singles hitter.  Maybe we'll start seeing him drive the ball more as he gets more comfortable at this level.  

Cesar Perdomo LHP- 4.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.68.  Perdomo was a gamer, kept battling and limiting the damage inning-by-inning but he also could not get a shut down inning and the runs added up.  A case of a pitcher who relies on command not quite having it.  

Logan Webb RHP tries to stave off a sweep today facing Nick Pivetta RHP who comes in with a 3.43 ERA.  The game is at 4:20 PM PDT and is on Peacock TV.  Ugh!

Down on the Farm: 9/11/2026

 AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators outscored the Sacramento River Cats 9-6.

Will Brennan DH- 1 for 4, HR(11).  BA= .307.

Parks Harber 3B- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .255.

Zach Morgan C- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .231.

Alex Carrillo RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 6.39.

Brennan has 4 HR's in 4 games(3 on Sept 8) and 5 for the month of September.  

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels shut out the Chesapeake Baysox 1-0.

Trevor Cohen CF- 2 for 4.  BA= .306.

Gavin Kilen SS- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .306.

Jacob Bresnahan LHP- 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 5.06.

Tyler Vogel RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, Save(16).  ERA= 3.25.

Nice bounceback for Bresnahan after a disaster start on Sept 5.  Kilen homers in his first game off the IL.

A+:  Vancouver Canadians outlasted the Eugene Emeralds 9-8(12 innings).

Isaiah Barkett 3B- 3 for 5, 2B, BB.

Jhonny Level SS- 2 for 6, 2B.  

Nate Nabholz RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's. 

Ems put up a fight but ended up losing the 5-game championship series 3 games to 0.  They had a tremendous regular season, though, winning both halves by wide margins.  

A:  San Jose Giants were idle. They start the California League Championship Series in Lake Elsinore on Sunday Sept. 13.  It's a 3-game series with just one game in LE so I will try to attend it. 

Game Wrap 9/11/2026: Padres 7 Giants 5

A grand slam home run by Rafael Devers was not enough to overcome a rough start by Anthony Molina.  Key Lines:

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 4, BB, SB(10), 2 R.  BA= .286.  Cox played the role of the classic leadoff hitter creating a run in the first inning.  He singled to RF, stole 2B.  After Devers popped out, Bryce Eldridge singled with Cox scoring from 2B.  As the rest of the inning unfolded, Cox would not have scored without the SB.

Rafael Devers DH- 1 for 4, HR(36), BB, R, 4 RBI.  BA= .258.  Devers keeps his drive for 40 HR's alive.  This one got the Giants back into the game and came off a LHP.  

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 2 for 5, 2B, RBI.  BA= .270.  7 game hit streak, 19 game on-base streak.  

Anthony Molina RHP- 3 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.24.  First inning looked good, at least on Gameday(I don't get Apple TV).  Molina had a 97 MPH FB mixing in a slider, curve and changeup.  He gave up a couple of runs in the second inning then the roof caved in in the 3'rd.  Tipping pitches?  

Yunior Marte RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's, 7/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.45.  Marte and Molina are the type of pitchers the Giants need to rebuild their pitching staff around whether in starting or relieving roles.  This is the second 5-inning relief appearance in a row for Marte.  

Cesar Perdomo LHP will try to build on his early MLB success today facing Michael King RHP who comes in with an ERA of 3.00.

Down on the Farm: 9/10/2026

AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators defeated the Sacramento River Cats 6-2.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 3 for 4, 2B.  BA= .342.

Wilkin Ramos RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.24.

Bo Davidson did not play.

AA:   Chesapeake Baysox beat the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-2.

Trevor Cohen CF- 2 for 5.  BA= .302.

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(18), BB.  BA= .225.

Jack Choate LHP- 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.38.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds idle.  Game 3 of best of 5 NWL championship series tonight.

A:  San Jose Giants eliminated the Stockton Ports 3-1(2-0 in best of 3 California League Divisional Series).

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 1 for 4, 2B, R. 

Junior Barajas C- 2 for 4, 2B. 

Drew Smith DH- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(2), R, 3 RBI.

Jackson Flora RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  

Ricardo Estrada LHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.

Samir Chires RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, Save(1).

I forgot to tune into the free game of the day on Bally Sports but my friend who did said the Ports hitters looked overmatched against Jackson Flora.

Down on the Farm: 9/9/2026

 AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators blanked the Sacramento River Cats 1-0.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K's, 8/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 5.49.

Braxton Roxby RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.97.

AA:  Chesapeake Baysox outscored the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-7.

Trevor Cohen CF- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .300.

Dayson Croes DH- 4 for 5, 3 2B.  BA= .277.

Dakota Jordan RF- 2 for 5.  BA= .268.

Shane Rademacher RHP- 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.84.

Dale Stanovich LHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.45.

Mitch White RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.85.

A+:  Vancouver Canadians outlasted the Eugene Emeralds 5-4(10 innings).

Cam Maldonado RF- 1 for 5, HR. 

Jordan Gottesman LHP- 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 2 K's.

Alix Hernandez RHP- 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

Ryan Slater RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.  

The Ems are now down 0-2 in the best of 5 NWL Championship Series. The series now moves to Eugene where they will have to win 3 in a row to win the championship.

A: The San Jose Giants were idle as the best of 3 California League Northern Division Series moves to San Jose with the Giants leading 1-0.

Game Wrap 9/9/2026: Giants 7 Cardinals 6

This was a typical snoozer of a day game 3 of a series until the Giants erupted for a 2-out, 6-run rally in the 8'th inning to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.  Key Lines:

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 2 for 4, R, 3 RBI.  BA= .268.  Eldridge drove in the Giants first run of the game in the first inning with an oppo-field single.  He then drove in 2 big runs in 8'th inning rally.  Jeff Kent must have pulled Bryce aside and told him about how the money lies in the RBI's because he is on an RBI tear:  7 in his lat 7 games, 18 in his last 15 and 24 in his last 30.  Many of those came on non-HR hits.  Maybe it's sequencing luck and will eventually normalize but he seems to have a knack for hitting with RISP and he doesn't try to do too much.  

Jung Hoo Lee RF- 2 for 4, 2B, R, 2 RBI.  BA= .281.  Jung Hoo has been in a prolonged slump but his clutch double in the 8'th drove in the runs that tied the game.  He came around to score the winning run on Shay Whitcomb's double off the CF wall.  

Christian Koss SS- 2 for 3, SB(3).  BA= .227.  Koss did not figure into the scoring but continued to impress in his new starting SS role, as temporary as it may be.

Blade Tidwell RHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.82.  It was a struggle as Tidwell continued a pattern of alternating bad with good starts.  Early on he looked great blowing 98 MPH gas past hitters but it went south with a 3-run HR by Leo Bernal C in the 3'rd inning.

Shawn Abner LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.51.  This was Abner's first appearance as a Giant after being picked off the waiver wire from the D'Backs.  His ERA over his last 7 appearances is 2.53.

Matt Wilkinson LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.40.  After Wilkinson's last disaster start it was mentioned that he struggles against RH batters and his arm angle and stuff may be better utilized as a situational lefty reliever.  He came up big in this relief appearance and only faced 3 LH batters out of 7.  He may need to prove he can consistently get RH batters out before he gets another chance to start.

Trent Harris RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, Save(1).  ERA= 2.81.  This may prove to not be Harris' last Save.

If both these teams were in postseason contention as they were often in the past, this would be considered a classic barnburner of a series.  As it is, you can feel a sense of excitement building over the way the kids are responding to opportunities to play.

The Giants get a day off at home before starting a weekend series against the Padres with Anthony Molina RHP facing old friend Robbie Ray LHP who comes in with an ERA of 3.39.  Checking in on his record after the trade, Ray is 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA in a Padres uniform.

Down on the Farm: 9/8/2026

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats destroyed the Las Vegas Aviators 11-1.

Scott Bandura CF- 3 for 5, 2B, HR(10), SF, SB(24).  BA= .322.

Bo Davidson LF- 4 for 5, 2B, 3B.  BA= .303.

Will Brennan RF- 3 for 5, 3 HR(10).  BA= .309.

Eddys Leonard DH- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .194.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 3 for 5.  BA= .249.

Fernando Gonzalez C- 1 for 3, 3B, 2 BB.  BA= .214.

Joe Whitman LHP- 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's, 7/4 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.82.

Ryan Walker RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.82.

Look at Scott Bandura filling up the ol' stat line!  Can't wait to see Bo Davidson step up to the plate in Oracle Park.  Joe Whitman has 4 Quality starts in a row with a 1.67 ERA in 27 IP in that span.

AA:  Chesapeake Baysox downed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 11-3.

Tyler Vogel RHP- 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.31.

A+:  Vancouver Canadians edged out the Eugene Emeralds 8-7(Game 1 of NWL Championship Series).

Cam Maldonado RF- 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB. 

Kaeden Kent 2B- 4 for 5.

Isaiah Barkett 3B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB, SB.

Charlie Muniz C- 2 for 4, 2B. 

Henry Lalane LHP- 4.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 6 BB, 2 K's. 

Lalane allowed just 1 run over his first 4 innings of work then lost control of the strike zone walking the bases loaded while recording 2 outs.  Nate Nabholz RHP then gave up a grand slam to the first batter he faced.  

A:  San Jose Giants doubled up the Stockton Ports 10-5(Game 1 of Divisional Playoff).

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 2 for 4, BB, SB.  

Lorenzo Meola 2B- 2 for 4, HR, BB. 

Drew Smith DH- 2 for 5, HR

Jeremiah Jenkins 1B- 2 for 4.

Andy Polanco CF- 3 for 4, 2 HR, SB.

Argenis Cayama RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  

Eric Nachtsheim RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  

Huge game for Andy Polanco!  A season of mixed results for Argenis Cayama.  Hopefully a growing experience for the 19 yo.  Nice second pro appearance by Eric Nachtsheim who was the Giants 6'th round draft pick this year.

Game Wrap 9/8/2026: Giants 2 Cardinals 1

Solo home runs by Bryce Eldridge and Christian Koss backed 6 innings of shutout work by Landen Roupp and the bullpen held on for the win.  Key Lines:   

Bryce Eldridge DH- 1 for 3, HR(16), BB, R, RBI.  BA= .265.  Facing a LHP, Eldridge flicked his bat at a high-outside fastball, barreled it up and sent it several rows up in the LF stands.  Instead of highlighting his 15-game split which is goosed by the 4-hit game on 8/29, here are two other splits showing his consistency since the first of August:

August:  .297/.366/.462.  

September(8 games):  .296/.432/.556.  

He also went .300/.394/.489 in June but slumped to .207 in July.

Christian Koss SS- 2 for 3, HR(4), R, RBI.  BA= .219.  Koss hits his third HR in 4 games.  He is batting .321/.367/.643 in September.  Although he is causing some anxiety with a tendency to skip throws to 1B, he is making the plays.  Rich Aurilia commented on the postgame show that much like last season, Christian is settling in and playing better as he gets consistent playing time.

Landen Roupp RHP- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K's, 11/4 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.00.  It wasn't too long ago some of us said Roupp looked done for the season.  He has allowed just 2 runs in 16 IP over his last 3 starts.  

Joel Kuhnel RHP- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K, Save(7).  ERA= 4.74.  Kuhnel got out of an 8'th inning jam created by Carson Seymour's 2 walks and got the first two outs of the 9'th, but then gave up two singles, a run and a SB causing some torture before retiring Ivan Herrera on a ground out to Christian Koss.  I will say, Kuhnel did show something other Giants Closers have not this season:  The ability to reach back and blow a 98 MPH fastball in the middle of the strike zone past a hitter who is expecting it.

Blade Tidwell RHP goes for a series sweep today facing Andre Pallante RHP who comes in with an ERA of 3.51.

Game Wrap 9/7/2026: Giants 5 Cardinals 4(11 innings)

Logan Webb had a bounceback start, almost got Webbed but the Giants persevered to win in extra-innings.  Key Lines:

Turner Hill LF- 0 for 4, BB, 2 R.  BA= .286.  What's going on in the instant replay booth?  Hill was call out and the call was confirmed on instant replay after the Cardinals first baseman's foot clearly came off the bag before the ball hit his glove.  This the game after he was clearly hit on the hand by a pitch that was called a foul ball.  Is an anti-rookie bias alive and well in the replay booth?  

Rafael Devers DH- 2 for 3, 2 2B, 2 BB, R, RBI.  BA= .260.  Devers double in the first inning would have been a home run in all 29 other ballparks.  

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 2 for 4, 2B, SF, 3 RBI.  BA= .265.  Eldridge drove in the tying run in the 10'th inning to keep the Giants alive to fight another inning.  Fun fact:  He has two separate 15-game on-base streaks, the first Giants rookie to do that since Orlando Cepeda.  

Shay Whitcomb 3B- 2 for 5, RBI.  BA= .152.  Whitcomb's high chopper infield hit drove in the game-winning, walk-off run in the 11'th inning.  

Logan Webb RHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K's, 7/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.10.  Webb looked like his normal self in his first start after the worst of his career.  Sigh of relief!

Landen Roupp RHP tries for a series win tonight facing Quinn Mathews LHP who comes in with a ERA of 4.38.

Down on the Farm: 9/6/2026

 AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees defeated the Sacramento River Cats 6-3.

Scott Bandura CF- 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .318.

Parks Harber 3B- 2 for 5.  BA= .260.

Darren Baker 2B- 2 for 4, SB(2).  BA= .400.

Nick Zwack LHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 6.35.

AA:  Akron Rubber Ducks outscored the Richmond Flying Squirrels 14-6.

Trevor Cohen CF- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .302.

Dakota Jordan RF- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .270.

Jancel Villaroel C- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .208.

Marty Gair RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 18.00.

A+:  Hillsboro Hops topped the Eugene Emeralds 7-6.

Jhonny Level SS- 2 for 5, BB, SB(15).  BA= .302.

Cam Maldonado RF/CF- 0 for 4, 2 BB, SB(5).  BA= .284.

Charlie Muniz C- 1 for 4, HR(1), BB.  BA= .067.

Daniel Rogers DH- 2 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .233.

Luis De La Torre LHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.81.

Cole Hillier RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.98.

Gerelmi Maldonado RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.90.

Charlie Muniz was signed as a UDFA out of the Pioneer League on September 1.  This game marks the end of the NWL regular season.  The Emeralds take on the Vancouver Canadians in a 5-game championship series starting Tuesday Sept 8.

A: San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies 5-3.

Lorenzo Meola SS- 2 for 4, HR(15), HBP, SB(17).  BA= .269.

Luke Nixon 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .213.

Dario Reynoso DH- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .274.

Drew Smith 3B- 2 for 4.  BA= .333.

Leandro Rodriguez LHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.34.

Evan Gray RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.36.

Fernando Vasquez RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.95.

Samir Chires RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(3).  ERA= 1.82.

This game marks the end of the California League Regular Season.  The SJ Giants start the 3-game Northern Division Series against the Stockton Ports on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Game Wrap 9/6/2026: Mets 4 Giants 2

The Giants played a pretty good game for 7.5 innings when another bullpen failure ruined an excellent start by Cesar Perdomo.  Key Lines:

The Giants lineup managed just 5 hits, all singles.  They bunched 3 together with 2 outs in the 4'th inning for their 2 runs.  Bryce Eldridge started it with a line drive single to RF.  Jonah Cox poked one past the first baseman into a "no-man's land" behind first base and alertly took 2B when the throw went to 3B trying to get Eldridge.  Jung Hoo Lee followed with a bloop single to drive in the Eldridge and Cox.  

Cesar Perdomo LHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, 7/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 0.90.  Perdomo's command was a little shaky in the first 2 innings but got better as the game went on.  Javier Lopez pointed out that his slider was staying up in the zone but he pivoted to his changeup as his main secondary pitch and it was effective in keeping the Mets batters off balance.  

Carson Seymour RHP- 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 2 HR.  ERA= 5.79.  I've been a big in advocate for Seymour as anyone.  He's big, tall, throws hard and gets elite ground ball rates.  He also gives up a lot of home runs.  Is he running out of time to find traction on his MLB career? someone on Bluesky posted that this was the 8'th time this season the Giants have lost after leading in the 8'th inning.  

The Giants start a homestand tomorrow evening against the Cardinals with Logan Webb RHP facing Michael McGreevy RHP who comes in with a ERA of 3.97.

Down on the Farm: 9/5/2026

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats tamed the Salt Lake City Bees 6-3.

Scott Bandura CF- 1 for 5, HR(9).  BA= .318.  

Brett Harris 3B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .336.

Bo Davidson LF- 2 for 4, HR(9).  BA= .290.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .300.

Thomas Gavello C- 1 for 3, HR(8).  BA= .185.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.92.

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

Philip Abner LHP- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.54.

Eric Cerantola RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(5).  ERA= 4.15.

AA: Akron Rubber Ducks shut down the Richmond Flying Squirrels 9-0.

Lisbel Diaz RF- 2 for 4, SB(7).  BA= .203.

Jancel Villaroel C- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .206.

Jean Carlos Sio LF- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .229.

Shane Rademacher RHP- 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.15.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Hillsboro Hops 5-4.

Hayden Jatczak 1B- 2 for 4.  BA= .258.

Dalton Wentz 3B- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .265.

Mauricio Estrella RHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.76.

Ryan Slater RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 3.66.

Nate Nabholz RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(1).  ERA= 2.41.

A:  San Jose Giants edged out the Fresno Grizzlies 4-3.

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 1 for 3, HR(3), BB.  BA= .357.

Luke Nixon 2B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .186.

Keyner Martinez RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.61.

Ian Korn RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 6.75.

Sorry for the paucity of comments here.  We're getting down to the end of a long season for the prospects.  Not much left to say that hasn't been said.  The Giants have set themselves up for a huge problem with the 40-man roster and Rule 5 Draft this offseason.  Counting players on the 60-day IL, they have 54 players on the 40-man roster.  The 15 players on the 60-day IL will have to be activated and the total has to come down to 40 which means 14 player currently on the 40-man roster must be DFA'd when the 40-man roster is set in November.  This all doesn't count players like Bo Davidson and Scott Bandura who must be added to avoid losing them in the I will write a separate post soon after the season is over detailing which players are at risk for DFA.  Just eyeballing it now, there will be some painful decisions.

Game Wrap 9/5/2026: Giants 9 Mets 5

The Giants looked at the 5 home runs the Mets hit last night and said, "Oh!  That's how you win games!", and went out and hit 6 home runs today.  And just like that, they won the game!  Key Lines:

Rafael Devers 1B- 2 for 4, 2 HR(35), 2 R, 3 RBI.  BA= .258.  Devers continues on his insane heater that's seen him hit 6 HR's in his last 6 games.  He could go cold at any time but right now, 40 HR on the season is looking very doable.

Bryce Eldridge DH- 1 for 3, 2B, BB, R.  BA= .262.  Eldridge is still getting mileage out of his 4-hit game but he's batting .385 over his last 7 games.  The 4-hit game will drop off his 7-day split after tomorrow's game.

Osleivis Basabe 2B- 1 for 4, HR(5), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .216.  Basabe's 5 HR's are in 111 PA's which projects to 27 in 600 PA's.  

Grant McCray RF- 2 for 4, HR(2), 2 R, RBI.  BA= .143.  McCray got in on the HR action with an add-on blast in the 9'th inning.  Good thing because this game would have gotten too close for comfort without it.

Christian Koss SS- 2 for 4, 2 HR(3), 2 R, 3 RBI.  BA= .211.  Koss showed off his power in this one.  He is batting .316 in 5 games in September.  His 3 HR's have come in his last 15 games.  

Anthony Molina RHP- 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K's, 7/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.79.  Molina is stating his case to be part of next year's rotation.  His 4-pitch mix was anchored by a 97 MPH fastball with effective curve, slider and changeup.  Right now he's looking like a talented kid who had the misfortune of pitching in the Rockies organization.  

Trent Harris RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.21.  Harris is stating his case to be part of next year's bullpen.  Dave Flemming keeps making the point that his release point is the most over-the-top in the major leagues.  

The umpires War on Tony Vitello continued as he was ejected for the 3'rd time in 10 games.  This one came after Turner Hill appeared to be hit on the hand by a pitch.  The call at the plate was it hit his bat.  The call stood on replay.  I think Vitello was right about the pitch hitting Hill's hand, but you can't argue a replay call, so.......

Luis Perdomo LHP tries for a series win tomorrow in a 10:40 AM PDT game facing Christian Scott RHP who comes in with a ERA of 3.80.

Down on the Farm: 9/4/2026

 AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees outlasted the Sacramento River Cats 8-7.

Scott Bandura CF- 2 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .320.

Parks Harber DH- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .256.

Bo Davidson RF- 2 for 4, HR(8), BB.  BA= .285.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 5.  BA= .240.

Darren Baker LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .429.

Will Bednar RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 7.64.

Alex Carrillo RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 7.15.

Parks Harber breaks a 0 for 20 slump over his previous 5 games and a 1 for 32 over his last 8.  Will Bednar has a game like this every once in awhile that makes you think there is still a prospect in there somewhere.

AA:  Akron Rubber Ducks downed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 3-1(Game 1 of doubleheader, 7 innings).

Jack Payton 1B- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .279.

Niko Mazza RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.40.

Wilkin Ramos RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

AA:  Akron Rubber Ducks topped the Richmond Flying Squirrels 4-3(Game 2 of doubleheader, 8 innings).

Trevor Cohen CF- 2 for 3, BB, 3 SB(20).  BA= .298.

Charlie McDaniel LHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.40.

Tyler Vogel RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.42.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds edged out the Hillsboro Hops 3-2.

Jose Ramos LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .293.

Matt Dunaway RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.73.

Liam Simon RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.51.

A:  San Jose Giants tamed the Fresno Grizzlies 8-5.

Junior Barajas C- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .265.

Drew Smith 3B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .500.

Oliver Tejada LF- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP.  BA= .220.

Jackson Flora RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Drew Smith was the Giants 15'th round draft pick this year.  Remember when Tim Lincecum's nickname was The Franchise?  No pressure on the kid but the Giants have as much or more riding on Jackson Flora's success.  

Game Wrap 9/4/2026: Mets 10 Giants 6

 It was a rough night for Matt Wilkinson as Rafael Devers and the Punch and Judy Show could not overcome an early 7-0 deficit.  Key Lines:

Rafael Devers 1B- 3 for 4, 2 2B, HR(33), BB, R, 5 RBI.  BA= .256.  Wow! Devers is in another zone right now.  The problem was that 9 other hits and 5 other walks produced just one additional run.  Bryce Eldridge DH was the only other hitter with an XBH and he did not figure into the scoring.  The Giants were 4 for 14 with RISP but still had 11 LOB.  Jonah Cox PH/CF and Turner Hill LF had 2 hits each.  

Matt Wilkinson LHP- 3 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's, 3 HR.  ERA= 6.14.  The fastball was not invisible.  An error by Christian Koss didn't help but Wilkinson also did not pitch well and was torched for 3 home runs, all by RH hitters, Mark Vientos, Francisco Alvarez and Bo Bichette.  

Yunior Marte RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.72.  Marte's fastball didn't quite have the zip that it did in his previous appearance, ranging from 90 to 94 MPH.  His best pitch was what PitchFx called a slider but looked more like a splitter with a late break down and he was able to mostly keep batters off balance but mixing his pitches and locations.  He did eat 5 innings to spare a very overused bullpen though he appeared to be running on fumes by his 5'th inning of work.

Since we are looking for positives here, those would be 1.  Another huge game for Devers.  2.  The continued ability of The Kids to make contact and get on base and 3.  A gutsy performance by Yunior Marte although his loss of velocity must be a concern.

Giants fans get another look at Anthony Molina RHP today facing Zac Thornton LHP who comes in with an ERA of 3.77.  

Down on the Farm: 9/3/2026

 AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees outlasted the Sacramento River Cats 4-3(10 Innings).

Scott Bandura CF- 2 for 5, 2 2B, BB.  BA= .317.

Bo Davidson RF- 1 for 5, 2B, BB.  BA= .280.

Diego Velasquez 1B- 3 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .309.

Darren Baker 2B- 1 for 3, SB(1).  BA= .333.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.91.

R. J. Dabovich RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Philip Abner LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.62.

Eric Cerantola RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.41.

Yes, THAT Darren Baker!  R. J. Dabovich has been hurt way more than he's been healthy since the Giants drafted him but if he still throws hundos, he could be in the majors for a 2027 audition before the end of this season.  Since a disaster attempt as a SP/Opener on July 12, Eric Cerantola had a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 IP over 10 appearances in August. This was his first appearance in September.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels at Akron Rubber Ducks Postponed to Sept 4.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Hillsboro Hops 7-6.

Damian Bravo CF- 0 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .281.

Cam Maldonado RF- 2 for 5, HR(8).  BA= .319.

Kaeden Kent SS- 2 for 4, 2 SB(4).  BA= .303.

Dalton Wentz 2B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB, 2 SB(3). BA= .262.

Robert Hipwell DH- 2 for 4.  BA= .206.

Jordan Gottesman LHP- 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, 9/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 1.93.

Cam Maldonado has had a terrific season across two levels and might not crack my next Giants Top 50 Prospects list, which is more about the strength of the Giants system than about Maldonado not being a top prospect.  

A:  San Jose Giants defeated the Fresno Grizzlies 8-5.

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .364.

Luke Nixon 2B- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .154.

Angel Guzman DH- 4 for 5, 2B.  BA= .286.

Oliver Tejada LF- 1 for 4, HR(7), BB.  BA= .218.

Angel Guzman has come on late in the season with a .310/.467/.500 line in August and is 6 for 11 in three games in September.  And no disclaimers about Josuar Gonzalez' prospect status.  He's the Giants #1 and it's not a close call.  

Game Wrap 9/3/2026: Pirates 5 Giants 2

This was a classic Getaway Day snoozefest as the Giants managed just two hits against a Pirates' bullpen game.  But we are looking for positive takeaways for next season.  Blade Tidwell's resilience a rough first inning and another scoreless frame by Trent Harris provided that.  Key Lines:

Blade Tidwell RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.43.  After a leadoff single and a flyout, Tidwell lost control of the strike zone in the first inning allowing 3 consective walks and a HBP leading to 2 runs for the Pirates.  He somehow got his feet back on the ground and struck out two batters to get out of the inning without further damage and proceeded to pitch 4 more scoreless frames.  

Trent Harris RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.46.  Harris has a 1.08 ERA in his last 7 games covering 8.1 IP.

The Giants road trip moves on to New York for a weekend series against the Mets with Matt Wilkinson LHP facing Nolan McLean RHP who comes in with a 3.06 ERA tomorrow evening.

Down on the Farm: 9/2/2026

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats tamed the Salt Lake City Bees 3-1.

Will Brennan LF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .313.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .313.

Joe Whitman LHP- 8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.23.

The Cats trailed 1-0 until Charlie Szykowny's walk-off 3-run HR in the 9'th inning.  Since moving back into the rotation after a very odd 6-week bullpen stint, Joe Whitman's line is 0-1, 2.25, 24 IP, 3 BB, 21 K's.  He is Rule 5 eligible this fall.  

AA:  Akron Rubber Ducks sank the Richmond Flying Squirrels 13-4.

Sabin Ceballos DH- 2 for 4, HR(17).  BA= .227.

Miguel Mendez RHP- 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.00.  

Ceballos is 10 for 28(.357) with 3 HR's over his last 8 games.

A+:  Hillsoboro Hops topped the Eugene Emeralds 5-2.

Jhonny Level SS- 1 for 4, BB, SB(14).  BA= .304.

Jose Ortiz CF- 2 for 4.  BA= .146.

Jose Ramos LF- 1 for 2, HR(2), 2 BB, SB(13).  BA= .293.

A:  Fresno Grizzlies defeated the San Jose Giants 6-2.

Andy Polanco CF- 4 for 4, SB(37).  BA= .289.

Ricardo Estrada LHP- 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.12.

Game Wrap 9/2/2026: Giants 5 Pirates 4(10 Innings)

A home run by Rafael Devers and clutch hitting from Bryce Eldridge and Turner Hill gave the Giants enough runs to squeak out an extra-innings win over the Buccos.  Key Lines:

Rafael Devers 1B- 2 for 3, HR(32), 2 BB, 2 R, RBI.  BA= .254.  Devers is on one of his hot streaks and he is certainly carrying the team right now.  Here's what he's doing:  His production is taking pressure off the kids so they don't feel like they have to do too much.  There are many situations where a single or double or sac fly or a walk gets the job done, especially if they can do it with some consistency.  

Bryce Eldridge DH- 1 for 3, 2B, BB, SF, 2 RBI.  BA= .263.  Case in point, Eldridge drove in one run with a Sac Fly, then with runners at first and second with one out in the 10'th he just poked one down the LF line driving in the lead run and putting runners at 2'nd and 3'rd setting up Turner Hill for another sac fly for the insurance run they needed.

Turner Hill LF- 1 for 4, SF, 2 RBI.  BA= .333.  In addition to his game-winning RBI on the sac fly, Hill followed up Eldrige's sac fly with a 2-out RBI single in the 5'th inning.

Landen Roupp RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.17.  Roupp has allowed just 2 runs in 10 IP over his last two starts.

Dylan Smith RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(4).  ERA= 3.13.  Smith got the first batter in the 10'th, Nick Gonzalez to reach for one but Gonzalez was able to poke it through a hole up the middle to drive in the designated runner.  From there, Smith looked like a real Closer blowing 97 MPH gas at the top of the zone and busting it in on the hands backed by an off-the-table splitter which you could see clearly on TV slo-mo had almost no rotation and tumbled straight down just as it approached home plate.  

Blade Tidwell RHP goes for a series win in a game that starts at 9:35 AM PDT facing swingman Lake Bachar RHP who comes in with an ERA of 3.70.  

Down on the Farm: 9/1/2026

 AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees stung the Sacramento River Cats 4-1.

Will Brennan RF- 1 for 4, HR(7).  BA= .311.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .333.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.07.

Philip Abner LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.75.

Cristian Alvarado RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.84.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels topped the Akron Rubber Ducks 13-12.

Dayson Croes 2B- 4 for 6.  BA= .280.

Dakota Jordan RF- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(6).  BA= .298.

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 3 for 4, BB, SF.   BA= .224.

Maui Ahuna SS- 2 for 5, BB, SB(30).   BA= .227.

Lisbel Diaz LF- 3 for 5, SF.  BA= .224.

Jancel Villaroel C- 2 for 4, 2 BB.  BA= .200.

Mitch White RHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.73.

Ryan Vanderhei RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.61.

Mirror image of the Giants game.  Second year in a row Ceballos' bat finally comes alive in the last few weeks/days of the season.  Giants fans learned the hard way this season that it sometimes doesn't matter what you do late in the season if you faceplanted early.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds outscored the Hillsboro Hops 7-5.

Jhonny Level SS- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(8).  BA= .305.

Walker Martin DH- 2 for 4, SB(20).  BA= .238.

Henry Lalane LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.57.

Jhonny Level just keeps going.  A sigh of relief for Henry Lalane who was coming off a rough start.

A:  San Jose Giants defeated the Fresno Grizzlies 8-6.

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 4 for 4, SF, SB(13).  BA= .375.

Lorenzo Meola 3B- 1 for 4, HR(14), BB.  BA= .274.

Tanner Mally RF- 1 for 1, 3 BB.  BA= .400.

Angel Guzman DH- 1 for 3, HR(4), HBP.  BA= .260.

Dylan Carter RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(7).  ERA- 4.91.

It's good to be able to shake off a loss by dreaming on our future superstar.  How great is it to follow Young Josuar Gonzalez?  Wow!