Game Wrap 7/23/2022: Dodgers 4 Giants 2

 Two runs in the 9'th inning made the final score closer than the game actually was.  Austin Slater CF reached base 3 times but aside from that, the Giants offense laid down and died in front of Julio Urias LHP.  

The game was basically over then Alex Wood LHP allowed B2B HR's to Mookie Betts RF and Trea Turner SS in the third inning.  Wood faced one batter in the 5'th inning and threw 97 pitches in 4 official IP.

The Dodgers got solo HR's from Betts, Turner and Freddie Freeman 1B, three of the best players in all of MLB and who were aggressively acquired through trades and signings at considerable cost.  Are you reading this FZ?

Evan Longoria 3B left the game in the 4'th inning clutching his hammy after running to 1B on a GIDP.  Longoria has appeared in just 49 out of 94 games this season.  It looks like it will be awhile until he appears in #50.

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Alex Cobb RHP tries to stave off the embarrassment of a 4-game sweep tomorrow afternoon facing Clayton Kershaw LHP in a game I plan to attend with some friends who are Dodger fans.  That should be fun!

Down on the Farm: 7/22/2022

AAA:  Oklahoma City Dodger pounded the Sacramento River Cats 10-4.

Jason Vosler 1B/3B- 2 for 5, HR(12).  BA= .230.

Isan Diaz 3B/2B- 3 for 5, HR(17).  BA= .269.

Bullpen game for the Cats which.....well.....lets just say bullpen help for the Giants was nowhere to be seen.

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AA:  Bowie Baysox defeated the Richmond Flying Squirrels 4-2.

Armani Smith LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .245.

Ricardo Genoves C- 2 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .260.

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A+: Eugene Emeralds buried the Everett Aquasox 16-9.

Casey Schmitt SS- 1 for 3, HR(16), 3 BB.  BA= .269.

Jairo Pomares LF- 2 for 5, BB.  BA= .219.

Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 6, HR(8).  BA= .193.

Carter Aldrete 3B- 2 for 3, 2B, 3 BB.  BA= .289.

Riley Mahan DH- 1 for 4, 3B, 2 BB, BA= .200.

Vaun Brown RF- 0 for 3, BB, HBP, SF, SB(10), Assist(2B).  BA= .338.

Bailey's HR was a grand slam.

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A:  San Jose Giants outscored the Modesto Nuts 6-5.

Grant McCray CF- 0 for 3, 2 BB, SB(23).  BA= .274.

Hayden Cantrelle 2B- 3 for 5.  BA= .267.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 3 for 5.  BA= .277.

Adrian Sugastey C- 2 for 5, HR(4).  BA= .238.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K's, GO/AO= 7/1.  ERA= 2.83.

Melvin Adon RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Hunter Dula RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.48.

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Complex Watch:

Mauricio Pierre LF(ACL, 18 yo)- 2 for 3, BB, SB(4).  BA= .279. Pierre might be my favorite complex prospect.

Nomar Medina RHP(ACL, 19 yo)- 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.31. 45 K in 39 IP.

Ramon Peralta SS(DSL, 18 yo)- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(1), BB.  BA= .277.

Saul Bautista RF(DSL, 18 yo)- 1 for 3, 2 BB, SB(13).  BA= .263.

Guillermo Williamson 1B(DSL,18 yo)- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .275.

Fabio Villadiego CF(DSL, 18 yo)- 2 for 5, HR(1), SB(3).  BA= .244.

Estanlin Cassiani RF(DSL, 19 yo)- 3 for 5, BB.  BA= .410.

Jhosward Camacho 3B(DSL, 18 yo)- 2 for 4, 2 2B, BB.  BA= .280.

Jorge Martinez RHP(DSL, 20 yo)- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 3.58.

Game Wrap 7/22/2022: Dodgers 5 Giants 1

 Logan Webb RHP gutted out 6 innings to stay even with Cy.....er.....Tyler Anderson LHP only to see the Giants lose when Sam Long LHP gave up a grand slam HR to Cody Bellinger CF in the 8'th inning for another bitter loss to the Dodgers.  

Webb walked 3 consecutive batters in the first inning for a run.  He threw something like 51 pitches in the first two innings.  He settled down after that but still ended up throwing 103 pitches with just 2 K's in 6 IP.  Not the kind of start we've gotten used to from Webb.

Meanwhile, when did Tyler Anderson turn into Cy Young?  Why didn't he do that when he was a Giant?  He shut down the Giants for just 1 unearned run over 6 innings but even before tonight he was sporting a 10-1 W-L record and finished the evening with a 2.79 ERA in 103 IP which leads the Dodgers.

A misplayed ball by Lamonte Wade Jr 1B contributed to loading the bases ahead of Bellinger's slam.   In fact, all 4 of those runs were counted as unearned, although Long has his share of the blame.  How can you hang a curveball on the inner half of the plate on an 0 and 2 count?  Similar scenarios seem to play out on almost a daily basis this season.  At some point it's not bad luck anymore.

Not much else to say about this one.

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Alex Wood LHP tries to be the stopper again tomorrow afternoon at 4:15 PM facing Giants nemesis Julio Urias LHP.  Word is if you want to beat Urias, you better get to him early.

Game Wrap 7/21/2022: Dodgers 9 Giants 6

A dramatic grand slam HR by Darin Ruf PH/DH in the 7'th inning fueled a late Giants comeback from a 5-0 deficit to take a 6-5 lead in the 8'th only to see it all go to naught in another bullpen failure.  

Poor OF play contributed to Carlos Rodon LHP giving up 5 runs in the first three innings but his pitching was also not his best work as an 0/7 GO/AO shows.

Even though he PH the previous AB, Ruf's HR brought back memories of Mike Ivie C/1B/3B, who were he playing today, I have no doubt would be a FZ/Kapler type player.  BTW, here's a hot tip if you are Giants fan looking for cheap thrills:  Google Mike Ivie Grand slam and watch the video and/or read the Chronicle game story.

You could see Ruf's slam coming from a mile away in a situation tailor made for him.  Bases loaded with a LHP with deer-in-headlights look and nowhere to put him.  So great!  

You could also see the bullpen meltdown looming from a long way off.  John Brebbia RHP faced 4 batters in the 7'th inning, gave up 4 hard hits and got 3 outs.  Dominic Leone RHP and Jarlin Garcia LHP were not so lucky and the hard-won 6-5 lead evaporated quickly.  It's got to be telling that Tyler Rogers RHP and Camilo Doval RHP were nowhere to be seen in the late innings.

With all of the talk about Juan Soto OF, he's not going to do the Giants much good if they don't also get at least 2 seasoned reliable veteran late-inning relievers.

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This game reminded me of the one and only game I attended in Candlestick Park May 16, 1971.  The Giants lost to the Dodger by the same score.  The Giants would go on to win the NL West by 1 game over the Dodgers only to have an aging and exhausted core of Willie Mays CF, Willie McCovey 1B, Juan Marichal RHP and Gaylord Perry RHP lose the championship series to the Pirates who would go on to beat the Orioles in the WS.  You can look up the boxscore in Baseball Reference linked to the left.  A young Bobby Bonds RF gave the Giants a lead in the 6'th inning on a dramatic 3-run HR but the Dodgers scored 9 runs due to sloppy fielding and a bullpen failure.

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Logan Webb RHP tries to tie the series tonight facing former Giant Tyler Anderson LHP.

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Churn Watch:  

The Giants traded with the Guardians on 7/18/2022 to acquire Alex Young LHP.  Young was once a highly regarded draft prospect out of TCU and then a pitching prospect for the D'Backs.  He moved fast through their system and  had some success as a rookie but has struggled since.

Yesterday, the Giants signed Trevor Rosenthal RHP to a guaranteed, prorated $4.5 M contract and immediately placed him on the 15-day IL.  To make room on the 40-man roster, they moved Mauricio Llovera RHP to the 60-day IL.  As I am sure you all remember, Rosenthal has been an elite Closer at times but has struggled with injuries and inconsistency throughout his career.

The Giants currently have a total of 6 players on the 60-day IL.  Isn't there a limit to how many players you can have on the 60-day IL at one time?

Churn on!

Scouting the 2022 Draft: Rounds 11-20

 Round 11, #346.  Sam Bower RHP, St Marys(college).  DOB:  5/2/2001.  6'3", 220 lbs.  0-0, 3.48, 10.1 IP, 3 BB, 11 K.  Solid sophomore numbers at St Marys.  2022 season ended prematurely with a shoulder injury.  I was not able to find more details on nature of injury.  As we have noted numerous times, FZ is not afraid of pitcher injuries.

Round 12, #376.  Tyler Vogel RHP, Jacksonville(college).  DOB:  11/16/2000.  6'0", 175 lbs.  4-0, 1.78, 35.1 IP, 24 BB, 39 K, 10 Saves.  College Closer who went 3+ innings on multiple occasions.  That's all I have.

Round 13, #406.  Thomas Gavello C, Pacific(college).  DOB:  6/6/2001.  B-L, T-R.  5'10", 180 lbs.  .247/..393/.495, 11 HR, 4 SB, 33 BB, 58 K, 186 AB.  Listed as a C on MLB Draft Tracker so that must be what the Giants stated the pick as.  From UOP bio and fielding stats he is listed as an IF and it appears he mostly played 3B.  Kind of a true outcomes guy with double digit HR's to go with lots of walks and lots of K's.  

Round 14, #436.  Nomar Diaz C, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy(HS, Puerto Rico).  DOB:  4/15/2004.  B-R, T-R.  6'1", 180 lbs.  Per PG:  Defensive Catcher, athletic enough to play any position.  Simple swing with some pop in his bat with room for more power.  Developmental prospect.  Only HS player Giants take except for a couple of late flyers who probably won't sign.

Round 15, #466.  Tanner O'Tremba OF, Arizona(college).  DOB:  12/6/1999.  B-R, T-R.  6' 0", 212 lbs.  .351/.446/.591, 11 HR, 9 SB, 31 BB, 67 K, 259 AB.  Another guy who I'm trying desperately to figure out why he lasted this long.  PG's top prep prospect from Colorado in 2018.  Maintained performance in NCAA postseason.  Academic All-American.  No projection in body which is probably why he went this low.  80 grade baseball name.

Round 16, #496.  Andrew Kachel 2B, Fresno St(college).  DOB:  12/24/2000.  B-L, T-R.  6'0", 170 lbs.  .302/..395/.559, 11 HR, 6 SB, 29 BB, 45 K, 202 AB.  Second Bulldog drafted by the Giants.  Grew up rooting for the Giants so that's cool.  Smallish IF/overachiever type.  Decent college stats.  College Senior so likely way underslot bonus.  

Round 17, #526.  Justin Bench SS, Mississippi(college).  DOB:  8/28/1999.  B-R, T-R.  6'0", 185 lbs.  .316/.409/.438, 4 HR, 4 SB, 25 BB, 43 K, 256 AB.  Justin Bench is the son of John Bench and Johnny Bench bas a son named Justin but this Justin Bench is not related to the HOF catcher.  He is a pretty good baseball player who put up solid numbers for major college program in the toughest college conference. Another senior underslot guy.

Round 18, #556.  Tanner Thach 1B, HS.  DOB:  3/11/2004.  B- L, T-L.  6'3", 215 lbs.  Not much info.  PG lists him as a two-way player with an 88 MPH FB and ranks him #500 in country.  Committed to UNC Wilmington.  HS players drafted this late rarely sign but I'm thinking he just might be signable.

Round 19, #586.  Cade Perkins LHP, HS.  DOB:  4/15/2004.  6'2", 195 lbs.  From Manhattan......Kansas!  PG lists him as a two-way with 1B being his non-pitching position. #435 national ranking.  Committment is to JC ball so he may be signable too.  PG lists FB  velocity as 84 MPH.

Round 20, #616.  Ethan Long 1B, Arizona St(college).  DOB:  5/10/2001.  B-R, T-R.  6'2", 215 lbs.  .294/.377/.524, 7 HR, 5 SB, 18 BB, 38 K, 143 AB.  Ethan Long his his name and power is his game.  Draft eligible soph.  Long hit 16 HR's his freshman year which is more than Barry Bonds hit as a freshman at ASU and ranks second to Spencer Torkelson.  Stats regressed as a sophomore.  I am skeptical that he's signable. Seems like going back and trying to light it up as a junior and move way up draft boards is the smart move for him.

So, there you have it.  Tanner O'Tremba is my guy from Day 3 of the draft.

Scouting the 2022 Draft: Rounds 3-10

 The Giants continued their 2-year run on pitchers on Day 2 of the 2022 draft.  

First, some additional thoughts on Day 1:  

I know ceiling and upside are the buzzwords of the Giants Day 1 efforts but let's curb that enthusiasm just a bit by considering that between college and summer leagues, Reggie Crawford LHP/1B has a grand total of 418 PA's and 16.1 IP since HS.  Scouting reports say on the offensive side, he hits FB's well but struggles against breaking stuff and a lot of swing and miss in his game.  On the pitching side, he has elite velocity but his only secondary pitch is a slider which he struggles to command.  The Giants baseball educators have their work cut out for them and it's not likely to be a quick study.  The 2-way thing won't speed that up.  I am as excited by the ceiling as anyone but we should think about Crawford's timeline as more like a HS draftee's and a long term project at that.

On the other hand, Carson Whisenhunt LHP seems to be a much more polished product despite missing his junior season of college due to a PED suspension.  His ceiling is clearly not in the same class as Crawford's but he's much more likely to be a fast mover and a guy who can become a long term mid-rotation SP.  I am particularly encourage by the rave reviews of his changeup I've seen.  IMO you can be a MLB SP without a breaking ball(If you don't count a cut fastball as a breaking ball), but you can't without a changeup.  It's like Kruk says, "major league hitters aren't impressed if you throw 100 MPH.  They want to know if you have a changeup."  It sounds like Young Carson already has a good one.

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OK, let's get to the Day 2 draft profiles and some snap judgments.

Round 3, #106.  William Kempner RHP, Gonzaga(college).  DOB:  6/18/2001.  6'0", 222 lbs.  2-1, 3.00, 36 IP, 21 BB, 48 K.  Gonzaga must have had a heckuva pitching staff this season as Kempner kind of got lost behind Gabriel Hughes RHP and Trystan Vrieling RHP who got a lot more pre-draft ink.  Per MLB scouting report Kempner started the season as the Zags Saturday SP but missed time with a finger injury and came back as the Sunday SP where he performed well.  A bit on the short side for a SP, Kempner has high 90's velocity and a couple of secondary pitches.  MLB mentioned he may have suffered the finger injury from throwing his change up.  A preseason scouting video from Giants Prospective showed a nice fading changeup at 89 MPH off a 94 MPH FB.  On the surface, Kempner has the feel of a bullpen arm but he may have the stuff to be a SP and could even be a fast mover.  Nice pick in third round!  BTW, he's from San Jose so good chance he is a Giants fan.

Round 4, #136.  Spencer Miles RHP, Missouri(college).  DOB:  7/26/2000.  6'3", 180 lbs.  5-5, 6.20, 69.2 IP, 23 BB, 67 K.  College numbers are not impressive but remember the SEC is the toughest college conference.  Much better results in the 2021 Cape Cod League.  Prospects Live has an optimistic scouting report from the Cape reporting a low-mid-90's FB, a "bendy" curveball and changeup with "late drop".  That all sounds like something the Giants pitching wizards can work with and a potential SP arsenal.

Round 5, #166.  Liam Simon RHP, Notre Dame(college).  DOB:  7/26/2000.  6'4", 220 lbs.  2-1, 4.99, 30.2 IP, 28 BB, 56 K.  Obvious control/command issues but a big kid who throws hard.  MLB scouting report has him hitting triple digits although he seems to sit more in the upper-mid 90's.  Another Prospects Live scouting report from the Cape notes both a slider and changeup as secondary pitches with a plea to give him a chance to develop as a SP.  

Round 6, #196.  Hayden Birdsong RHP, Eastern Illinois(college).  DOB:  8/30/2001.  6'4", 215 lbs.  5-4, 3.35, 45.2 IP, 21 BB, 66 K's, 1 Save.  Can't find a scouting report.  Found a local news article where Birdsong was quoted as crediting his improved 2022 season on mixing in secondary pitches with his fastball.  Although used mostly as a reliever, he seems to be a bulk innings guy whether he starts or relieves.  There was an account of one game where he entered in the second inning with his team trailing 5-0 and held the opponent scoreless on two hits over the next 5 innings to enable a come-from-behind win.

Round 7, #226.  Zach Morgan C, Fresno St(college).  DOB:  3/30/2000.  B-R, T-R.   6'0", 180 lbs.  .381/.454/.592, 8 HR, 2 SB, 25 BB, 17 K, 218 AB.  The Giants made their first position player drafted a catcher because..... well, of course they did!  OK, what I want to know is why on Earth was this guy still around in Round 7?  Maybe a bit shy on power but my goodness!  Everything else checks out. Just check out those K/BB ratios!  Scouting reports have him better D than as a hitter to boot!  Grew up watching the Giants and a finalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award.  I can envision him moving to the top of the Giants catching depth charts in a hurry.

Round 8, #256.  Wade Meckler OF, Oregon St(College).  DOB:  4/21/2000.  B-S, T-R.  5' 10", 178 lbs.  .347/.456/.478, 23 2B, 2 HR, 12 SB,  53 BB, 49 K, 268 AB.  Another guy who probably falls this low because he's shy on power but love the rest of the profile.  I found a newspaper article about him overcoming a lot of adversity but it was behind a paywall.  Prospects Live calls him an "energetic sparkplug."  Excellent bat-to-ball skills with some speed and defensive flexibility.  

Round 9, #286.  Jack Choate LHP, Assumption College(college).  DOB:  4/8/2001.  6'6", 249 lbs.  6-2, 2.43, 70.1 IP, 35 BB, 127 K's.  Big lefty with big strikeout numbers from a college I've never heard of.  That's all I have. 

Round 10, #316.  John Bertrand LHP, Notre Dame(college).  DOB:  2/8/1998.  6'3", 205 lbs.  10-3, 2.81, 109 IP, 21 BB, 111 K.  Pitched 3 seasons for Furman U.  Got to Notre Dame as a graduate student and was their Friday SP leading them into the college postseason.  Prospects Live calls him a "pitchability" lefty whose FB ranges from high 80's to low 90's, peak at 94 MPH.  Has the ability to change up and pitch backwards if the standard sequences aren't working.

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So, the Giants go pitching-heavy for the second straight year.  Interesting they take no HS players.  We'll see if they nab one for an overslot bonus at #11 tomorrow.  To sum up, they grabbed a lottery ticket with a huge payoff but long odds in Round 1.  Round 2 pick, Carson Whisenhunt would have been a first rounder were it not for the PED suspension and he probably has the best chance of being an impact MLB'er with a mid-rotation SP ceiling.  Besides a  couple of undervalued hitters, they loaded up on arms that have potential for development.

Down on the Farm: 7/17/2022

 AAA:  Albuquerque Isotopes outscored the Sacramento River Cats 7-5.

Isan Diaz 2B- 4 for 5, 2B, SB(5).  BA= .260.

Tristan Beck RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 6.85.

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AA:  Altoona Curve beat the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-3.

Tyler Fitzgerald SS- 1 for 4, HR(15).  BA= .204.

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A+:  Spokane Indians topped the Eugene Emeralds 5-4.

Vaun Brown LF- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(6).  BA= .351.

Remarkable season for Vaun Brown.  Might be getting close to needing to see what he can do in AA, if nothing else to give him a head-start on next season.

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A:  San Jose Giants pounded the Visalia Rawhide 14-4.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 4, SB(7).  BA= .272.

Victor Bericoto RF- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .259.

Yorlis Rodriguez 3B- 2 for 5, HR(8).  BA= .264.

Ronaldo Flores C- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .260.

Jared Dupere LF- 3 for 4, HR(2), SB(1).  BA= .533.

Matt Mikulski LHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.12.