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.