Down on the Farm: 5/19/2026

Sacramento River Cats outscored the Sugarland Space Cowboys 11-6.

Nate Furman 2B- 2 for 4, HR(3), Sac.  BA= .264.

Buddy Kennedy 3B- 1 for 3, HR(5), BB, HBP.  BA= .317.

Victor Bericoto RF- 2 for 5, 2 HR(6).  BA= .302.

Jake Holton 1B- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(4).  BA= .230.

Reiver Sanmartin LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Tristan Beck RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.82.

Wilkin Ramos RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.25.

Free Victor Bericoto!  Sanmartin is on a rehab assignment.  Tristan Beck made two solid appearances in a brief MLB call up, admittedly in lower leverage situations.  He has 5 consecutive scoreless appearances totaling 9 innings between AAA and MLB.  Wilkin Ramos having a strong AAA season.

AA:  Binghampton Rumble Ponies out hit the Richmond Flying Squirrels 10-7.

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 5, HR(6), SB(21).  BA= .419.

Parks Harber LF- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .326.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 3 for 4, 3B, HR(4).  BA= .297.

How long does Jonah Cox need to keep this up before we decide he is too good for AA?  Note Parks Harber playing LF.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds edged out the Hillsboro Hops 2-1.

Zander Darby 2B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .355.

Jean Carlos Sio SS- 1 for 3.  BA= .417.

Tyler Switalski LHP- 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K's, 6/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.25.

Niko Mazza RHP- 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.08.

A:  San Jose Giants destroyed the Stockton Ports 17-4.

Jhonny Level SS- 3 for 6, 2 HR(7).  BA= .327.

Hayden Jatczak 1B- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .283.

Junior Barajas C- 3 for 5.  BA= .298.

Cam Maldonado RF- 0 for 2, 2 BB, SB(13).  BA= .292.

Lorenzo Meola 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(4), BB.  BA= .232.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA- .297.

Andy Polanco CF- 3 for 5, SB(14).  BA= .277.

Jose Astudillo LF- 1 for 5.  BA= .362.

Keyner Martinez RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K's, 6/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 5.34.

Mauricio Estrella RHP- 2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.52.

Jhonny Level's bat had cooled off a bit but he came roaring back with 2 HR's in this game.

ACL:  Giants were idle.  

Game Wrap 5/19/2026: D'Backs 5 Giants 3

The Giants were one out away from winning a very well-played game when another old nemesis, Ketel Marte, hit a walk-off, 3-run home run in another bullpen failure.  Key Lines:

Rafael Devers 1B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(6), R, RBI.  BA= .246.  Devers bat is officially alive.  He hit the first of back-to-back HR's in the Giants 3-run 2'nd inning.  He also made several outstanding defensive plays at 1B and looked like he was having fun out there.

Willy Adames 1 for 3, HR(5), BB, R, RBI.  BA= .240.  Adames shook off the hand injury from Monday's game to hit the back side of B2B home runs.  He also made some sparkling defensive plays.  I did see him shaking his right hand during an AB though.  

Daniel Susac C- 2 for 3, 2B, BB, RBI.  BA= .412.  Susac continues to hit while using all fields.  His catcher's interference call put the go-ahead run on base ahead of Marte's walk-off HR, but he also threw out a base-stealer on a strike out/throw out double play in the 2'nd inning.    

Landen Roupp RHP- 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, 9/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.27.  Nice bounce back start for Roupp after a couple of subpar outings.  He was helped by strong defense and 3 double plays, one on the aforementioned strikeout/throw out and another with Keaton Winn, who inherited two runners from Roupp in the 7'th.  

Keaton Winn RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.21.  Winn did a great job of getting over to cover 1B on an outstanding GIDP including a classic first baseman's stretch.  The play started with the bases loaded and it looked like Arraez was going to be lucky to get a force out, but Adames unloaded a strong throw and Winn's stretch completed the inning ending out on the back end.

Caleb Killian RHP- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.53.  Not sure where to start on this one.  After getting the last out of the 8'th inning, Kilian came back out for the 9'th to try for a 4-out Save.  Ildemaro Vargas dug out a knuckle curve at the shoe tops for a lead off single.  On the broadcast, Krukow said Kilian should have bounced the pitch.  Kilian got two outs but Vargas advanced to 2B on catcher indifference, a play I hate in that situation.  Ryan Waldeschmidt then reached on a catcher's interference on what should have been strike two.  

Tony Vitello then decided to bring in Matt Gage LHP to face the switch-hitting Marte, except that Marte is historically a better hitter from the right side.  Marte also dug out a low pitch that maybe was intended to be a back-foot slider that caught too much air?  It also seems curious to me that Gage's first two pitches were changeup-slider.  

So many questions here:  Was it bad luck, poor execution or poor decision making?  Were the pitches called by Susac or from the dugout?  What was the thought process in bringing in a lefty to face an extremely dangerous hitter who is historically better from the right side?  

The Giants season from hell marches on.  It's now up to Tyler Mahle RHP to salvage one win out of the series and a split of the 10-game road trip facing another long time Giants nemesis, Merrill Kelly RHP in an afternoon game.

Down on the Farm: 5/18/2026

Full season leagues were all idle.

ACL:  Giants defeated the Cubs 5-3(8 innings).

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .414.

Luis Hernandez 3B- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .347.

Dayson Croes 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(1).  BA= .333.

Rayner Arias RF- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP, SB(1).  BA= .071.

Alexander Fuentes RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.91.

Marlon Franco RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.45. 

Gotta confess Dayson Croes disappeared from the boxscores and I completely forgot about him until he shows up for a rehab assignment.

Game Wrap 5/18/2026: D'Backs 12 Giants 2

Terrible pitching, sloppy fielding and not much hitting is a losing formula we've seen too often this season.  Tonight it all came together in a harmonic convergence which ended in a blowout loss to the D'Backs.  Key Lines:

Robbie Ray LHP- 4.1 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.28.  Ray gave up line-drive singles to the first two batters in the first inning then Matt Chapman's error loaded them up for long time Giants nemesis, Nolan Arenado.  Arenado hit a grand slam home run and for all practical purposes the game was over before an out was recorded.  In Tony Vitello's world, if you are a starting pitcher and get blasted early, you are going to wear it, and wear it Ray did, for 4.1 awful innings that were not fun for anyone to watch and I sure not fun to play.  In the TV close ups I saw, Ray did not look happy and I got the feeling he was not just angry at himself.  The thought occurred to me that approach is going to either toughen up the starting pitchers or it's going to spark an open rebellion in the clubhouse.  

Maaaybe two bright spots were Bryce Eldridge getting two hits and Harrison Bader getting two doubles.  Beyond that it was a thoroughly demoralizing game to watch or write about.

So once again we see the familiar pattern of faceplants after an encouraging stretch.  

Landen Roupp RHP, whose longest start out of his last 3 is 5.1 innings, goes tomorrow facing Ryne Nelson RHP who comes in with a 5.40 ERA.

Down on the Farm: 5/17/2026

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats scored 6 runs in the 9'th inning to top the Round Rock Express 7-5.

Nate Furman 2B- 2 for 5.  BA= .257.

Osleivis Basabe 3B- 3 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .270.

Braxton Roxby RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 6.60.

AA:  Erie Seawolves outscored the Richmond Flying Squirrels 6-5(7 innings, Game 1 of doubleheader).

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 4, HR(5), SB(20).  BA= .422.

Parks Harber 3B- 2 for 4, 2 HR(5).  BA= .333.

Charlie Szykowny DH- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(3).  BA= .290.

Maui Ahuna SS- 1 for 3, 3B, BB.  BA= .235.

Logan Martin RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.33.

A+:  Richmond Flying Squirrels blanked the Erie Seawolves 2-0(7 innings, Game 2 of doubleheader).

Scott Bandura RF- 2 for 3.  BA= .324.

Joe Whitman LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.52.

Mitch White RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(4).  ERA= 2.30.

Joe Whitman now has 3 consecutive scoreless starts.  His composite pitching line for those 3 starts:  16 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 20 K's.  

A+:  Eugene Emeralds defeated the Tri-Cities Dust Devils 8-3.

Trevor Cohen DH- 1 for 3, 3 BB.  BA= .257.

Jean Carlos Sio SS- 2 ofr 5, 2B, SB(1).  Ba= .428.

Zander Darby 2B- 2 for 2, 2 2B, 2 BB, HBP.  BA= .355.

Juan Perez C- 2 for 5.  BA= .174.

Charlie McDaniel LHP- 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.01.

Gerelmi Maldonado RHP- 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.72.

A:  Ontario Tower Buzzers whipped the San Jose Giants 11-5.

Isaiah Barkett 2B- 3 for 4, BB.  BA= .340.

Jose Astudillo DH- 2 for 5.  BA= .357.

Cody Delvecchio RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.00.

ACL:  Giants were idle.

Game Wrap 5/17/2026: Giants 10 A's 1

 It was like Candlestick Park East today in Sacramento as the Giants and A's played in gale force winds blowing from left to right.  Adrian Houser pitched a Quality Start and the lineup broke open a 2-1 game with an 8-run 8'th inning to win a game that was a lot closer than the final score looked.  Key Lines:

Harrison Bader CF- 1 for 4, HR(4), BB, 2 R, 4 RBI.  BA= .153.  Bader bounced back from a tough last night and capped off the scoring with a wind-aided grand slam home run to RF.  Bader is batting .250 since coming off the IL but has hit 3 HR's in his last 4 games and just missed one last night.

Luis Arraez 2B- 3 for 4, HR(2), BB.  BA= .328.  Arraez started the Giants scoring with a wind-aided fly down the RF line that cleared the fence in the third inning.

Casey Schmitt DH- 2 for 5, R.  BA= .297.  Schmitt continues to show consistency in his hitting with two singles after a huge night at the plate.

Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 4, 2 2B, BB, R, RBI.  BA= .223.  Two hard-hit doubles for Chapman so maybe he is finally breaking out of his slump?

Adrian Houser RHP- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 3 K's, 8/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 5.25.  The walks are ugly but Houser made up for it by keeping the ball on the ground and getting a couple of GIDP's.  Houser now has 2 QS out of his last 3 starts with the other falling 1 out short of a third QS in a row.  That's the pitcher the Giants hoped they were signing this offseason. Can he keep it going?

Sam Hentges LHP, Keaton Winn RHP and Joel Peguero RHP pitched a scoreless inning each.

The Giants finish this odd road trip with a 3-game series against the D'Backs in Arizona.  Robbie Ray LHP starts Game 1 tomorrow evening facing Zac Gallen RHP who comes in with a 5.02 ERA.

Down on the Farm: 5/16/2026

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats edged out the Round Rock Express 3-2.

Grant McCray CF- 2 for 4, HR(4), SB(7).  BA= .218.

Drew Cavanaugh C- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .308.

Carson Seymour RHP- 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K's, 8/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.62.

Jason Foley RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

That's the kind of line we like to see from Seymour who has a similar pitching profile as Trevor McDonald.  Grant McCray is 6 for 12 over his last 3 games.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels vs Erie Seawolves postponed.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds destroyed the Tri-Cities Dust Devils 15-8.

Trevor Cohen CF- 2 for 5, SF.  BA= .255.

Gavin Kilen SS- 2 for 3.  BA= .309.

Zander Darby 2B- 4 for 5, 2B, BB.  BA= .345.

Jancel Villaroel C- 3 for 6.  BA= .282.

Carlos Gutierrez LF- 3 for 5.  BA= .248.

Jean Carlos Sio DH- 2 for 4, 2 HR(2), BB.  BA= .438.

Walker Martin 3B/SS- 1 for 5, HR(5).  BA= .241.

Gavin Kilen came out of the game early.  Significance unknown at this time.

A:  Ontario Tower Buzzers defeated the San Jose Giants 9-5.

Cam Maldonado CF- 3 for 4.  BA= .309.

Hayden Jatczak 1B- 1 for 3, HR(4), SF.  BA= .280.

Lorenzo Meola 2B- 2 for 4, 2 HR(3).  BA= .220.

Jose Astudillo LF- 2 for 4, 3B.  BA= .351.

Ricardo Estrada LHP- 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K's, 4/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 6.65.

ACL:  Giants beat the Rockies 5-1.

Santiago Camacho C- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .375.

Evan Estevez 1B- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .263.

Luis Frias DH- 1 for 3, 2 SB(6).  BA= .345.

Luke Mensik RHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's, 7/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 5.40.

Reiver Sanmartin LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Carlos De La Rosa LHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.22.

Camacho is 19 yo switch-hitting catching prospect to keep an eye on.  Mensik was drafted last year out of high school and got an above-slot bonus of $482.5 K in round 17.  Carlos De La Rosa as acquired in the Camilo Doval trade.