Game Wrap 9/3/2017: Cardinals 7 Giants 3

The Cardinals lineup pounded away at Madison Bumgarner and the Giants and finally wore them down.  Had it not been for 2 spectacular catches by Gorkys Hernandez, it would have been a lot worse.  Key Lines;

Gorkys Hernandez CF- 0 for 3, BB.  BA= .260.  By defensive metrics, Gorkys is not a great defensive OF and maybe he's not.  I'll just say I don't think Denard Span would have made either of those 2 catches today.

Mac Williamson LF- 2 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .194.  Neither of Mac's doubles led to runs, but hopefully they buy him some more AB's and eventually a higher spot in the lineup.

Madison Bumgarner LHP- 1 for 2, HR(3).  BA= .241.  Pretty sad when the best power hitter on the team is a pitcher.

Tim Fedorowicz C- 1 for 2, HR(1).  BA= .250.  Still wish the Giants could collect a chit or two for a couple of savvy offseason signings, Hundley and Fedex.  Unfortunately, I think they are both FA's at the end of he season so they start from scratch.

Madison Bumgarner LHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K's, 3 HR's.  ERA= 3.15.  The ball was jumping out of a very warm AT&T Park and Bum left too many pitches in the fat part of the strike zone.

Matt Moore LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.42.  Bochy and the Giants may be in the process of reinventing the term "swingman."  A couple of nice innings for Moore out of the pen in garbage time.

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The Giants travel to Colorado where Chris Stratton will swing back to the rotation to face Chad Bettis who is back from cancer treatment.

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I think it is worth noting the Cardinals lineup had major contributions from 3 rookies, Harrison Bader, Paul DeJong and Jose Martinez, who were nowhere near anyone's Top 100 prospect lists before the season.  In fact, the Cardinals have almost completely turned over their entire starting 8 since 2014, again, without any Top 100 type prospects.  My point?  You don't need a farm system full of Top 100 prospects to build a competitive homegrown team.  With some patience, good decisions and a bit of improved injury luck, I could see the Giants getting at least 2 or 3 players similar to what the Cardinals roll with out of Parker, Williamson, Slater, Duggar, Shaw, Arroyo and Ryder Jones.

Down on the Farm: 9/2/2017

AAA  El Paso Chihuahuas chewed up the Sacramento River Cats 8-1:

Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 5.  BA= .250.
Slade Heathcott RF- 1 for 2, 2B.  BA= .274.

-Heathcott replaced Mac halfway through the game.

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AA  Bowie Baysox pounded the Richmond Flying Squirrels 11-2:

NTSH.

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High A  San Jose Giants overpowered the Stockton Ports 11-3:

Cristian Paulino 3B- 2 for 5, SB(4).  BA= .395.
Ryan Howard SS- 2 for 5.  BA= .304.
Bryan Reynolds RF- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .308.
Gio Brusa DH- 2 for 4, 2 HR(16), BB.  BA= .239.
Ronnie Jebavy CF- 2 for 4, HR(4), BB, SB(14).  BA= .253.
Matt Winn C- 2 for 5, HR(6).  BA= .215.
Conner Menez LHP- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.41.

-With just 2 games left, Ryan Howard's .300 BA looks safe.
-This was Gio Brusa's second 2-homer game in a week as he hit 2 against Stockton on Sunday 8/27.
-Strong finish for Menez who struggled the second half.

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Low A  Augusta Greenjackets defeated the Charleston River Dogs 5-1:

Shawon Dunston Jr DH- 2 for 5, HR(2), SB(13).  BA= .246.
Jean Angomas RF- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .289.
Jose Vizcaino Jr. 1B- 3 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .257.
Michael Bernal 3B- 2 for 4.  BA= .263.
Ashford Fulmer CF- 2 for 4, SB(13).  BA= .240.
Yordy Cabrera RHP- 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.44.
Patrick Ruotolo RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.71.

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Short Season  Eugene Emeralds topped the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 8-3:

Orlando Garcia 2B- 1 for 4, HR(6).  BA= .269.

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Per Kevin Cunningham at MCC, the AZL Giants are in the postseason which starts today, but they have a first round bye.  First 2 rounds are win 1 or done.  Final round is best of 3.

Game Wrap 9/2/2017: Giants 2 Cardinals 1

It looked like Jeff Samardzija would once again but a hard luck loser, but his effort did not go for naught as the Giants pushed across a tying run in the 9'th inning and won it on Nick Hundley's walk-off dinger in the 10'th.  Key Lines:

Hunter Pence PH/RF- 1 for 1.  BA= .258.  Pence did not start so was available to PH when Mike Matheny brought in a lefty to face Denard Span and Joe Panik to start the 9'th inning.  Pence singled up the middle and Panik sacrificed him to 2B to set up the tying run.

Buster Posey 1B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .317.  Don't tell me there is no such thing as lineup protection!  Matheny could have had his lefty reliever walk Buster Posey and get the L-L matchup against Brandon Crawford, except Crawford is red hot and Matheny decided to take his chances with Seung Hwan Oh pitching to Buster.  Think that would have happened if Crawford hadn't been so dang hot lately?  Nope!  Oh completely did his job but Buster is such a great hitter he just reached out flat footed and poked the ball over the 2B head for a Texas League single that drove in Pence from 2B.

Nick Hundley C- 1 for 4, HR(6).  BA= .260.  A lot of things have gone south for the Giants this year but backup catcher is not one of them.  Hope they can find a way to keep Nick for next year, but he'll likely get a starting gig somewhere this winter.

Jeff Samardzija RHP- 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 4.31.  Welp, that 6-man rotation thing did not last long as Chris Stratton was a late scratch, not because of injury but because he was needed in the bullpen.  Samardzija's start was moved up and he delivered another dominant start, but left the game trailing 1-0.  He didn't get the W, but at least he gave his team a chance to win and they did.

Steven Okert LHP- 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 6.55.  Wonder of wonders, Bochy brought in a lefty reliever to face a lefty and get one out..... and he did!

Sam Dyson RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 6.22.  Dyson needed to get back on his horse after getting thrown off in the previous game.  He stayed on this time to earn the W.

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Madison Bumgarner is apparently recovered from the flu and will start Sunday's game facing a red hot Luke Weaver.

Down on the Farm: 9/1/2017

AAA  Sacramento River Cats outlasted the Las Vegas 51's 3-2(10 innings):

Roberto Gomez RHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 4.07.
Reyes Maronta RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.25.

-September is looking like a great time to assess whether Maronta is ready to pitch in the biglies.

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AA  Richmond Flying Squirrels vs Bowie Baysox postponed.

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High A  Stockton Ports smashed the San Jose Giants 12-1:

Cristian Paulino LF- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .406.
Jalen Miller 2B- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .226.

-Miller's mini-surge at the end of the season continues.

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Low A  Augusta Greenjackets blanked the Charleston River Dogs 1-0:

Jean Angomas LF- 4 for 4, 2B.  BA= .283.
Raffi Vizcaino RHP- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.98.
Melvin Adon RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.42.

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Short Season  Eugene Emeralds pounded the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 12-4:

Bryce Johnson CF- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .327.
Logan Baldwin RF- 2 for 5.  BA= .341.
Ryan Kirby 1B- 3 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .285.
Jason Bahr RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.55.
Aaron Phillips RHP- 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.45.

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AZL  Giants defeated the D'Backs 7-4(10 innings):

Ismael Munguia CF- 3 for 4, 3B, BB.  BA= .331.
Mikey Edie DH- 2 for 5.  BA= .394.
Jacob Gonzalez 3B- 2 for 4.  BA= .339.
Nathanael Javier 1B- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .290.
Nico Giarratano 2B/SS- 0 for 2, BB, Sac, SB(8).  BA= .253.
Seth Corry LHP- 0.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 5.55.
Camilo Doval RHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.90.
Jose Marte RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.
John Gavin LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

-Not sure why Marte suddenly showed up in a rookie league boxscore.  He was not pitching badly for S-K as recently as 8/28.
-Seth Corry's struggles continue.
-Munguia is another teenager who continues to impress.
Doval continues to put up promising numbers.
Expect to see Gavin starting in SJ next season.

Game Wrap 9/1/2017: Cardinals 11 Giants 6

The Giants took a 5-2 lead into the 7'th inning only to suffer another in a long string of bullpen meltdowns with the Cardinals winning in a route.  Key Lines:

Buster Posey C- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .317.  Buster's excellent season continues.

Brandon Crawford SS- 3 for 5, 2 2B, HR(12).  BA= .248.  Did you know that Brandon Crawford has more doubles(30-27) and HR's(13-12) than Buster Posey in just 7 fewer PA's?

Hunter Pence RF- 2 for 4, 3B.  BA= .257.  Pence is making his case to be part of a winning Giants team next year.  He hit .290 in August and is staring September with a multi-hit game.

Jarrett Parker LF- 0 for 1, BB.  BA= .244.  Parker was taken out of the game with soreness in his side.  Bochy said he's not ready to call it an oblique yet, but Parker is scheduled for an MRI.  That would be a tough break for a guy who is so close to claiming a longer term role, but needs a strong September to nail it down.

Johnny Cueto RHP- 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.54.  Decent comeback start for Cueto who seems destined to play out the last 4 years of his contract in SF.

Kyle Crick RHP- 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.92.  Crick came in with runners at first and second with 1 out.  Pop up.  K.  Inning over!

Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 4.13.  Melancon admitted he is still feeling pain in his forearm and has every day of the season.  Not sure how they decided he was ready to return from the DL if he was still having the same pain that put him there, but OK.  Talk of possible surgery.  If he needs it, the sooner it gets done the better.  Goal is to be healthy next season.

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Chris Stratton tries to keep his hot run going facing Lance Lynn in game 3 of the series.

Down on the Farm: 8/31/2017

AAA  Sacramento River Cats outscored the Las Vegas 51's 8-7:

Slade Heathcott CF- 2 for 4, BB, SB(7).  BA= .267.
Jae-Gyun Hwang 3B- 1 for 5, HR(11).  BA= .287.
Chris Shaw LF- 2 for 5.  BA= .291.
Casey Kelley RHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.46.

-Who would you rather have on the 40 man roster, Slade Heathcott or Orlando Calixte?  Trevor Brown?
-Hwang is off the 40 man and therefore won't be a September callup.

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AA  Richmond Flying Squirrels edged out the Altoona Curve 4-3 in 11 innings:

Aramis Garcia C- 2 for 5.  BA= .280.
Hunter Cole RF- 1 for 3, 3B, BB.  BA= .239.
Dan Slania RHP- 5.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.59.
Cody Hall RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.28.

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Inland Empire 66'ers downed the San Jose Giants 5-3:

Jalen Miller 2B- 2 for 4.  BA= .226.
Dominic Mazza LHP- 6.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 7.71.
Will LaMarche RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.40.

-I am sure most prospect analysts will say Miller was overmatched in the Cal League.  My take:  He is very young for the league and kept his head above water.  Don't give up on him.

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Low A  Augusta Greenjackets were idle.

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Short Season  Salem-Keizer Volcanoes were idle.

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AZL  D'Backs topped the Giants 7-5.

NTSH.

Game Wrap 8/31/2017: Cardinals 5 Giants 2

Madison Bumgarner was a late scratch, so Matt Cain got the start.  It probably did not matter as the Giants offensive futility showed no signs of abating.  Key Lines:

Pablo Sandoval 3B- 0 for 4.  BA= .215.  For about a 2 week stretch, Pablo was at least hitting for average albeit with no power or additional on-base skill.  After this game, he is 0 for his last 21 and his BA for August plummeted to .218 which is pretty much what he was doing in Boston which prompted Boston to release him.  On top of that, it appears to me that Pabs has regained a lot of weight over the month.  Oh, and the first 3 batters in the Giants lineup went a combined 0 for 11 with 1 BB.

Buster Posey C- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .314.  Buster showed no signs of his thumb injury with another fine night at the plate.

Brandon Crawford SS- 2 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .244.  Crawford turned in a .298 BA for August raising hopes that next year may go better for him.  The second double of the night, in the 9'th inning, was ruled a double due to fan interference by the replay officials.  It looked to most observers that it should have been allowed to stand as a HR.  Upon further review, it's not just most observers.  It was clearly a HR per AT&T Park ground rules which state that a ball that land of the green facing of the RF wall is a HR.

Jarrett Parker LF- 1 for 4.  BA= .246.  Parker finishes August with a .268 BA and I'm willing to keep putting him out there for another month to see if he can sustain that.

Ryder Jones 1B- 1 for 3, 3B.  BA= .198.  Jones shows flashes but overall does not appear to be ready to be a starting corner IF for the Giants next season.

Matt Cain RHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.66.  Bumgarner might have gone deeper into the game, but there is no major probability that he would have held the Cardinals below 2 runs.  Cainer pitched well enough for a W.

Mark Melancon RHP- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 3.95.  Time to reassess whether Melancon has anything more to contribute this season.  Focus needs to be in getting him fully healthy for next season whether that be more rehab or surgery.

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Johnny Cueto makes his return to the mound facing rookie Jack Flaherty in game 2 of the 4-gamer.

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Giants made 4 callups for expanded rosters day:  RHP Derek Law, LHP Steven Okert, UT Orlando Calixte, C Tim Fedorowicz.

Jae-Gyun Hwang was dropped from the 40 man roster.  I'm guessing he won't be back next season.

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Giants were rumored to be interested in trading for Justin Upton.  He ended up going to the Angels.  Astros traded for Justin Verlander.