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.

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.