Blogger's Note

I am taking a few days off to catch up with a college roommate and some other friends in the Denver area.  I'll be attending my first Coor's Field game on Sunday wearing my trusty Matt Cain 43 shirt.  I'll be back posting Tuesday evening June 2.  Go Giants! 

Down on the Farm: 5/27/2026

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats downed Reno Aces 12-5.

Scott Bandura LF- 0 for 5, 5 K's.  BA= .200.

Drew Cavanaugh C- 4 for 4, 2 HR(4), BB.  BA= .429.

Grant McCray CF- 2 for 4, 3B, BB.  BA= .244.

Turner Hill RF- 3 for 5, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .337.

Blade Tidwell RHP- 4 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 6.75.

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

Dylan Smith RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.93.

Trent Harris RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.02.

Marques Johnson RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.05

Scott Bandura, Yikes!  Cavanaugh continues his tear.  Lefty batting catchers can really help the matchup game...if they can actually hit.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels blanked the Akron Rubber Ducks 3-0.

Maui Ahuna SS- 2 for 2, 2B, BB.  BA= .241.

Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson LHP- 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.87.

Will Bednar RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.63.

Is "Tugboat" the steal of the Patrick Bailey trade?  Don't forget the Giants also got a first round draft pick.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds outscored the Vancouver Canadians 10-7.

Zander Darby 1B- 1 for 3, HR(6), 2 BB.  BA= .324.

Jancel Villaroel C- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .265.

Carlos Gutierrez LF- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(4), SB(12).  BA= .259.

Jean Carlos Sio 2B- 2 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .378.

Ryan Vanderhei RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.80.

Big game for Carlos Gutierrez who I thought looked really tooled up playing for San Jose last season.  He got off to a slow start this year. Maybe this game will be the start of a break out?

A:  Fresno Grizzlies edged out the San Jose Giants 3-2.

Broedy Poppell RF- 1 for 3, HR(3).  BA= .232.

Jordan Gottesman LHP- 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K's, 5/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.77.

Nice bounceback after a subpar start for Gottesman who was the first pitcher the Giants drafted in 2025.

ACL:  Giants were idle.

Game Wrap 5/27/2026: D'Backs 3 Giants 2

Trevor McDonald recorded the Giants first Quality Start since May 19 but it wasn't enough a the Giants were edged out for a sweep of the series.  Key Lines:

Willy Adames SS- 2 for 4, 2 2B, R.  BA= .243.  Adames doubled twice from the lead off position.  He scored once in the Giants 2-run rally in the 3'rd inning but got thrown out at home on another ill-advised send by 3B coach Hector Borg in the 8'th.  Not Adames fault.

Luis Arraez 2B- 3 for 4, SB(5), 2 RBI.  BA= .325.  Luis Two Hits was at it again. He singled up the middle with runners at 2'nd and 3'rd in the third inning for 2 RBI.  I love that!  Unfortunately the entire rest of the Giants lineup went a combined 1 for 23 with a walk.  In particular, Rafael Devers 1B and Matt Chapman 3B went 0 for 8.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's, 7/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.34.  McDonald stated his case to stay in the rotation with a QS.  The unearned run scored when his replacement, Matt Gage LHP misplayed a ball on the infield that led to an inherited run scored.  

Caleb Kilian RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.22.  More creative bullpen management from Tony Vitello.  Novel use of the guy who is your current apparent Closer.  Understandable since it was a 1-run game at that point and Vitello was likely desperate to avoid a sweep.

Giants get a travel day before starting a weekend series against the Rockies in Coors Field.  Logan Webb RHP comes off the IL to start Friday evening facing Michael Lorenzen RHP who comes in with a ERA of 7.21.

Down on the Farm: 5/26/2026

 AAA:  Sacrament River Cats outscored the Reno Aces 10-6.

Nate Furman 2B- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .268.

Buddy Kennedy 1B- 1 for 5, HR(8).  BA= .327.

Scott Bandura CF- 2 for 5, HR(1), SB(1).  BA= .240.

Drew Cavanaugh C- 2 for 4, 2B, HBP, SB(2).  BA= .368.

Grant McCray RF- 1 for 3, BB, SF.  BA= .238.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.21.

This was Whiz's 6'th start in a row going at least 5 innings while allowing 2 runs or less.  

AA:  Akron Rubber Ducks defeated the Richmond Flying Squirrels 5-2.

Adrian Sugastey C- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .283.

Ben Peterson RHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.57.

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

Adrian Sugastey is 7 for 16 over his last 5 games.  Who is Cristian Alvarado?  Looks like he was signed out of the Mexican League.  Last pitched in affiliated ball in 2019.  He's a 31 yo, 6' 3" RHP.

A+:  Vancouver Canadians blanked the Eugene Emeralds 3-0.

Trevor Cohen RF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .268.

Cole Hillier RHP- 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.49.

 

A:  Fresno Grizzlies beat the San Jose Giants 8-5.

Jhonny Level SS- 3 for 5, HR(10).  BA= .331.

Damian Bravo LF- 1 for 4, 2B, HBP.  BA= .276.  

Dario Reynoso 3B- 2 for 4, 2B, 3B.  BA= .306.

Andy Polanco CF- 2 for 4.  BA= .278.

The SJ Giants continue to rake the Cal League but the Cal League continues to rake them.

ACL:  Giants edged out the Rockies 1-0.  

Luis Hernandez SS- 1 for 3, BB.  BA- .329.

Yulian Barreto 2B- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP.  BA= .342.

Yohendry Sanchez C- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .433.

Oliver Tejada LF- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .256.

Nien-Hsi Yang- 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.38.

Melvin Pineda RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.05.

Samir Chires RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's, Save(2).  ERA= 3.60.

Game Wrap 5/26/2026: D'Backs 7 Giants 5

The Giants lineup showed signs of life but another failure to produce a Quality Start and subsequent bullpen failure doomed this one.  Key Lines:

Willy Adames SS- 2 for 5, 3B, HR(7), 2 R, RBI.  E(10).  BA= .239.  Great game at the plate but the E-6 set up the go-ahead unearned run and the HR in the 9'th was too little, too late and no cause for celebration.  

Casey Schmitt 2B- 2 for 5, HR(12), R, 2 RBI.  BA= Schmitt continues to rake.  He started at 2B in this one facing the tough lefty.

Matt Chapman 3B- 0 for 1, 3 BB, R.  BA= .234.  First three batters in the lineup reached base 7 times in 14 PA's.  

Rafael Devers 1B- 1 for 4, 2B, RBI.  BA= .246.  Devers laser beam split the gap in R-CF to drive in Chapman from 1B.  He also struck out with the bases loaded and two outs in the 5'th inning.

Bryce Eldridge DH- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .178.  Eldridge started the game against a tough lefty and doubled in his first AB.  He also hit the ball hard in his second AB.  

Eric Haase C- 2 for 3, HR(3), R, RBI.  BA= .286.  Giants first two runs scored on solo HR's.  

Tyler Mahle RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 6.04.  Mahle was a gamer but this was the 5'th game in a row in which the Giants SP failed to record a Quality Start.  That starts to tax the bullpen.  

Trevor McDonald RHP tries to be the stopper and stave off a sweep in the afternoon series finale facing Mike Soroka RHP who comes in 6-2 with a 3.27 ERA.

Down on the Farm: 5/25/2026

 Giants full season affiliates were all idle.

ACL:  Giants edged out the D'Backs 3-2.

Anthony Marquez 3B- 1 for 3, BB, SB(4).  BA= .268.

Luis Hernandez SS- 3 for 4.  BA= .328.

Santiago Camacho C- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .346.

Leandro Rodriguez LHP- 3.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 5.54.

Chen-Hsun Lee RHP- 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.70.

Brayan Narvaez RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.59.

Game Wrap 5/25/2026: D'Backs 6 Giants 2

While several good things happened in this game for the Giants, they ultimately came up short in all phases of the game for another loss.  Key Lines:

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 3, BB, R.  BA= .235.  We need to talk about Willy Adames' defense.  He made his 9'th error of the season which led to 2 unearned runs for the D'Backs and probably more runs overall through a cascade effect.  We are at approximately the 1/3 mark of the season.  9 X 3 = 27.  Shortstops generally make more errors than other positions but last season Elly De La Cruz had the most errors of any SS in MLB with 26.  CJ Abrams was second with 22.  Willy Adames had 16.  Before today, Adames was #21 among MLB shortstops for fielding percentage.  That number is probably lower after today.  Advanced metrics are even less kind.  He ranks #24 with a Fangraphs Def of -3.1.  Per the eye test, he makes a lot of excellent plays and looks like he is willing to sacrifice his body to make them.  So what's going on?  Has he lost a step?  Is he having concentration lapses?  Per statcast it looks like a loss of range is at least part of the problem which is not good because honestly, he just doesn't hit well enough to contribute at another position.

Rafael Devers 1B- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP.  BA= .246.  Devers is rightfully batting in the cleanup spot. He drove in both runs with a loud double.  His defense at 1B appears to have improved a lot over the last few weeks.  Today he ran down a foul fly all the into the old bullpen area.  

Casey Schmitt LF- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .295.  Schmitt smoked a double off the LF wall but also misplayed a flyball to LF.  He was not charged with an error but had he made the play, Adames error not have resulted in unearned runs and Roupp might have stayed in the game longer or at least left with a 2-1 lead.  The combined error and misplay to start the D'Back's 5'th inning was the turning point in the game.

Landen Roupp RHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.30.  Roupp did not have his best command but he was hanging in there until the unfortunate 5'th inning.  The Giants have now had just one Quality Start out of the last 6.  

J T Brubaker RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.96.  Brubaker pitches mostly in mop-up situations, but has done a good job eating innings.

Tyler Mahle RHP tries to get the Giants their first win against the D'Backs on the season facing Eduardo Rodriguez LHP who comes in with a 2.24 ERA.