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.

Game Wrap 5/16/2026: Giants 6 A's 4

Casey Schmitt homered twice  and Trevor McDonald turned in a Quality Start and the bullpen survived a 3-run home run to hold on for a much-needed win.  Key lines:

Luis Arraez 2B- 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 R.  BA= .318.  Arraez keeps purring along.  .345 over his last 7 games, .323 over his last 15.  Don't forget he is on a 1-year contract.  Do the Giants have a sell-high opportunity here?

Casey Schmitt DH- 4 for 5, 2 HR(8), 2 R, 3 RBI.  BA= .293.  Schmitt had been in a bit of a slump but broke out bigly tonight.  Maybe having a day off here and there is good for him?  He has been the Giants best all-around hitter up to almost the 1/3 mark of the season.  

Rafael Devers 1B- 2 for 5, 2B, R.  BA= .247.  Devers is batting .370 over his last 7 games, .340 over his last 15.

Willy Adames SS- 3 for 5, 2B, 2 RBI.  BA= .235.  Adames is batting .419 over his last 7 games, .311 over his last 15.

Matt Chapman 3B- 1 for 5, 2B, RBI.  BA= .216.  2 of the "big three" of Devers, Adames and Chapman have come around and are finally hitting.  Chapman had one solid hit today.  Can he break out of his very deep slump?

Drew Gilbert LF- 2 for 5, 2B, 3B.  BA= .234.  With Heliot Ramos looking at an extended IL stay, Gilbert gets a chance to find some serious traction on his career.  He looked good tonight with 2 XBH.  Not his fault they did not figure into the scoring.  Hate to say it, but to my eye Gilbert has a Lenny Dykstra vibe to him.  That's a good thing from a pure baseball perspective.  Not so much on a personal level.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K's, 9/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.37.  McDonald has a swagger about him on the mound. He is looking confident.  The extreme groundball tendency stood him in good stead on a night when there was a lot of wind-carry to RF.  

Matt Gage LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2/1 GO/AO, Save(1).  ERA= 1.40.  Gage for Closer?

Adrian Houser RHP tries for a series win tomorrow afternoon facing Jeffrey Springs LHP who comes in with a 4.22 ERA.  Houser has allowed 3 R in 11.2 IP over his last two starts.

Just throwing an idea out there:  Casey Schmitt needs a regular position.  The Giants have an opportunity to sell high on Luis Arraez who is on a one year contract.  This year's draft is shaping up to be very deep in the 20-40 range.  Could the Giants get another prospect and a pick if they move before the draft?  Can they get a better prospect or two closer to the deadline?

Down on the Farm: 5/15/2026

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats defeated the Round Rock Express 8-4.

Osleivis Basabe 2B- 2 for 3, 2 2B, 2 BB, SB(4).  BA= .262.

Grant McCray RF- 3 for 5, SB(6).  BA= .209.

Logan Porter C- 2 for 4, SF.  BA= .209.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 5.  BA= .500.

John Bertrand LHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.25.

Michael Fulmer RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.38.

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

AA:  Erie Seawolves outscored the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-6.

Scott Bandura LF- 2 for 5.  BA= .324.

Maui Ahuna DH- 2 for 4, 3B.  BA= .232.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .256.

Ty Hanchey RF- 3 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .571.

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

Tyler Vogel RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.40.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Tri-Cities Dust Devils 5-4.

Trevor Cohen RF- 2 for 4, BB, SB(14).  BA= .250.

Gavin Kilen SS- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .301.

Jean Carlos Sio 2B- 2 for 4.  BA= .417.

Yunior Marte RHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 2.73.

Hunter Dryden RHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.73.

A:  San Jose Giants defeated the Ontario Tower Buzzers 12-7.

Jhonny Level DH- 1 for 3, 2 HBP, SF.  BA= .324.

Cam Maldonado CF- 3 for 5, SB(12).  BA= .294.

Hayden Jatczak 1B- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .279.

Jose Astudillo PR/LF- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .333.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 2 for 5, SB(4).  BA= .301.

Broedy Poppell RF- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .247.

Braydon Risley LHP- 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K.  ERA= 2.60.

ACL:  Giants beat the Reds 9-4.

Josuar Gonzalez 2B- 1 for 4, BB, Sac, SB(2).  BA= .440.

Jose Ramos LF- 1 for 3, 2 BB, SB(1).  BA= 429.

Yulian Barreto DH- 1 for 2, 2 SB(4).  BA= .355.

Yohendry Sanchez 2 for 3, 2 BB, SB(1).  BA= .529.

Luis Frias CF- 1 for 3, 2 BB, SB(4).  BA= .346.

Melvin Pineda RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= .415.

Marlon Franco RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's, Save(1).  ERA= 3.38.

Another reminder that with all the excitement around Jhonny Level, Josuar Gonzalez and Luis Hernandez, don't sleep on Yohendry Sanchez who got the Giants highest bonus from the 2024 international signing cycle.

Game Wrap: A's 5 Giants 2

The Giants did some good things in this game:  Luis Arraez 2B went 4 for 5, they hit two home runs, Tyler Mahle RHP took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 5'th inning.  Unfortunately, they did not do enough good things:  They went 0 for 7 with RISP and left 10 runners on base, Mahle fell apart in the 5'th inning including allowing a 3-run HR to Nick Kurtz, Matt Chapman went 0 for 5 with 2 K's batting third in the order.  The end result was another loss, their 3'rd in a row after a 3-win run to begin the week.  On top of that, one of their steadier hitters, Heliot Ramos LF came out of the game what was described as quad tightness.  

What do you do with a team that repeatedly completely spins out as soon as it looks like they might be finding traction?  We are nearing the end of the 7'th week of the season.  in one more week we will be almost 1/3 of the way through the season.  And what do you do when the core of the team that is locked into expensive contracts for many years is not just not playing up to their expectations, they are not producing ANYTHING!?

It's time for Greg Johnson, Buster Posey, Zach Minasian and Tony Vitello to sit down and ask themselves some very hard questions about how they got here and how they might dig themselves out of this....ahem....giant hole they find themselves in.  And please do not say ownership needs to spend more.  Spending more on this team is throwing good money after bad, simple as that.

Down on the Farm: 5/14/2026

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats stopped the Round Rock Express 12-1.

Buddy Kennedy DH- 2 for 4, 2B, BB, SB(3).  BA= .328.

Victor Bericoto RF- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .303.

Grant McCray CF- 1 for 3, BB, SF, SB(5).  BA= .194.

Drew Cavanaugh C- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(1).  BA= .375.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 3 for 5, HR(1).  BA= .600.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.83.

Cavanaugh and Arteaga making an immediate impact after promotion to AAA.

AA:  Erie Seawolves beat the Richmond Flying Squirrels 14-7.

Jonah Cox CF- 3 for 5, 3B.  BA= .426.

Parks Harber 3B- 1 for 5, HR(3).  BA= .333.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 3 for 5.  BA= .285.

Zane Zielinski SS- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .250.

Is Jonah Cox the Giants CF of the future?

A+:  Tri-Cities Dust Devils edged out the Eugene Emeralds 2-1.

Dakota Jordan CF- 2 for 4, SB(7).  BA= .291.

Jancel Villaroel DH- 2 for 4.  BA= .241.

Jean Carlos Sio 2B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .375.

Luis De La Torre LHP- 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 4.94.

Is Dakota Jordan the Giants CF of the future?

A: Ontario Tower Buzzers defeated the San Jose Giants 8-4.

Isaiah Barkett 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB, SB(4).  BA= .333.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .295.

Fernando Gonzalez C- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .323.

Argenis Cayama RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 3 R, BB, 10 K's.  ERA= 5.79.

Ubert Mejias RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.36.

I attended this game specifically to see Cayama pitch.  He was perfect through the first 11 batters he faced and with 9 K's,  then went HBP, BB, HR before striking out the final batter he faced.  His fastball topped out at 94 MPH but he mixed it well with secondary stuff with excellent command and a good feel for pitching.  Not sure if he was upset at hitting the batter and losing his perfect game or if he is just inexperienced pitching out of the stretch but he did seem to temporarily lose command after the HBP.  He looks noticeably bigger on the mound than Keyner Martinez and is 2 years younger, although Martinez throws up to 5 MPH harder now.

ACL:  Angels outscored the Giants 9-7.

Josuar Gonzalez 2B- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(1). BA= .476.

Luis Hernandez SS- 3 for 4, 2B.  BA= .444.

Yulian Barreto 3B- 2 for 4, SB(2).  BA= .345.

Luis Frias CF- 2 for 3, BB, SB(3).  BA= .348.

Wow! Gonzalez and Hernandez were already doing well then kicked it into orbit the last two games.   Gonzalez:  6 for 7, 2 2B, HR, 3 BB, SB.  Hernandez:  8 for 9, 4 2B, HR.  

Game Wrap 5/14/2026: Dodgers 5 Giants 2

If you are a struggling MLB pitcher, facing the Giants is like finding Salvation.  No matter how bad you've been...... Emmett Sheehan RHP came into this one with a 4.79 ERA and shut down the Giants on 2 hits giving up runs only because of a fluke inside-the-park home run by Jung-Hoo Lee.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee RF- 1 for 3, HR(3), HBP, R, 2 RBI.  BA= .267.  This went down in the 5'th inning:  Drew Gilbert challenged a strike call which was overturned giving him a walk, Eric Haase C popped into a force out, then Lee hit a spinner down the LF line that caromed away from Teoscar Hernandez LF long enough to allow him to circle the bases.  The Giants managed just one other hit in the game.  

Landen Roupp RHP- 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 7 K's, 7/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.49.  You don't have to look any further than this line to see the yawning talent gap between the Giants and Dodgers.  Roupp has been the Giants best pitcher, he pitched well, at least by advanced metrics, and still gave up too many runs to win against an opposing pitcher who came in with a more than 1 run higher.  

So the Giants end up with a split of the 4-game series in LA which is a positive but the way the lineup laid down and died over the last two games is disappointing.  

The Giants come north to Sacramento to play the A's over the weekend with Tyler Mahle RHP getting the start tonight facing Aaron Civale RHP who comes in with a 2.59 ERA.