Game Wrap 5/6/2026: Padres 5 Giants 1

Adrian Houser turned in a Quality Start but the Giants managed just one run in 5 innings against a pitcher who came into the game with 9.88 ERA.  Key Lines:

Rafael Devers 1B- 1 for 3, HR(3), R, RBI.  BA= .221.  Devers has exactly one hit in each of his last 7 games including 2 doubles and a HR, which he hit today for the Giants lone run.

Jesus Rodriguez RF- 2 for 3.  BA= .444.  JRod can hit and he's done OK both behind the plate in in RF today.  The Giants managed just 3 hits and 3 baserunners in the game.

Adrian Houser RHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K's, 9/4 GO/AO.  ERA= 6.19.  Solid line for Houser but lack of run support doomed his chances for a W.

Ryan Walker RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 5.52.  So it's not just the 9'th inning and not just high-leverage situations.  What role does Walker have on the team right now and how long do the Giants wait for him to fix whatever is wrong?

Joel Peguero RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  The Giants need more hundos in their bullpen.

Matt Waldron RHP(Padres)- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 7.71.  Waldron is the guy who came in with the 9.88 ERA.  The Giants lineup has a way of making guys like that look like Cy Young.

The Giants get a day off at home tomorrow before starting a weekend set against the Pirates.  SP's for Game 1 Friday are TBD.

Down on the Farm: 5/5/2026

 AAA:  Reno Aces shut out the Sacramento River Cats 4-0.

Harrison Bader CF- 1 for 3.  BA= .333.

Nate Furman DH- 2 for 5.  BA= .287.

Victor Bericoto RF- 2 for 4.  BA= .313.

Sam Hentges LHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.25.  

Bader starts his rehab.  I don't think Gilbert has shown enough to steal his job so expect him to get a restart in CF when he's ready to come off the IL.  Isn't it about time for Hentges to be activated?

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels blanked the Akron Rubber Ducks 5-0.

Scott Bandura LF- 1 for 2, 2B, 2 BB, SB(7).  BA= .330.

Sabin Ceballos 1B- 1 for 4, HR(6).  BA= .278.

Maui Ahuna SS- 2 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .256.

Zach Morgan DH- 1 for 3, HR(1), Sac.  BA= .360.

Joe Whitman LHP- 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 4.76.

Tyler Vogel RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.50.

Shane Rademacher RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.68.

Joe Whitman needs to find some consistency.  Hopefully this is the start of a good run for him.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds were idle.

A:  Fresno Grizzlies scored 6 runs in the 9'th inning and 3 more in the 10'th to catch and pass the San Jose Giants 13-11(10 innings).

Jhonny Level SS- 3 for 6, 2B, SB(8).  BA= .343.

Cam Maldonado RF- 3 for 6, 2B, 3B, SB(10).  BA= .333.

Damian Bravo LF- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(3).  BA= .278.

Hayden Jatczak 1B- 2 for 5.  BA= .305.

Lorenzo Meola 2B- 2 for 4, SB(4), BB.  BA= .196.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 1 for 4, HR(2), BB, SB(1).  BA= .262.

Keyner Martinez RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 10 K's.  ERA= 4.35.

Lots to get excited about on the hitting side for San Jose this season.  Dominant start by Keyner Martinez.  

ACL:  D'Backs outscored the Giants 8-6.

Luis Hernandez SS- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .182.

Yulian Barreto 3B- 2 for 2, HBP, SB(1).  BA= .500.

Alexander Fuentes RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.00.

Samir Chires RHP- 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Luis Hernandez has 2 hits in 11 AB's on the season, both HR's.  Keep an eye on Barreto who batted .322 last season in the DSL.

Game Wrap 5/5/2026: Padres 10 Giants 5

The Giants lineup showed up for this game and built an early lead but a disaster inning for Logan Webb was too much to overcome and the Padres ended up running away with it.  Key Lines:

Casey Schmitt 2B- 1 for 4, HR(6), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .306.  Schmitt is red hot with a 7 game hit streak in which he is 10 for 27(.370) with 3 HR's.  

Jesus Rodriguez C 2 for 3, HR(1), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .333.  Rodriguez started at catcher for the second game in a row, both against RHP's.  His performance suggests he will hang onto that job at least for the near future.  In the history of Pac Bell/AT&T/Oracle Park there have been very few oppo-field HR's by RH batters.  Rodriguez' first MLB HR was down the RF and into the arcade.  He has an odd-looking batting stance but the timing mechanism is quick and his swing is incredibly short to the ball.  I think we may have found ourselves a hitter.

Logan Webb RHP- 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 4 K's, 6/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 5.06.  Webb was coming off a gem so I thought he might have turned a corner on the season but alas, the 5'th inning was a disaster.  Postgame analysis by Rich Aurilia showed he was throwing some very hittable elevated pitches.  The thought crossed my mind that he might be hiding an injury.  There is a lot of mileage on the arm and he's getting to about the age we saw Cainer, Timmy and Bummy all start to lose it.

Adrian Houser RHP will try to turn his season around and salvage a series win tomorrow afternoon vs Matt Waldron RHP who comes in with an ERA of 9.88.  

Down on the Farm: 5/4/2026

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats were idle.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels were idle

A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Vancouver Canadians 4-3.

Zander Darby 2B- 2 for 3, 2 2B, BB.  BA= .307.

Charlie McDaniel LHP- 4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K's, 4/0 GO/AO.  ERA= 0.87.

Liam Simon RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, Save(2).  ERA= 7.88.

A:  San Jose Giants were idle.

ACL:  Rockies beat the Giants 5-3.

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 1 for 2.  BA= .333.

Anthony Marquez PH/3B- 1 for 2.  BA= .429.

Yulian Barreto 2B- 2 for 4.  BA= .333.

Carlos Concepcion RF- 1 for 1, 2B.  BA= .200.

Nick Margevicius LHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Josuar Gonzalez started after leaving yesterday's game early.  He was lifted for a PH in the 5'th inning.  Curious what's going on there.  Once again, Luis Hernandez started the game at 3B then moved over to SS after Gonzalez left.

Game Wrap 5/4/2026: Giants 3 Padres 2

Newcomers Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez had quiet games but Casey Schmitt continued his hot hitting and Rafael Devers had 2 RBI's to back an electric start from Trevor McDonald.  Key Lines:

Casey Schmitt 3B- 1 for 3, HR(5), BB R, RBI.  BA= .308.  Schmitt got the Giants even from a first-inning Jackson Merrill home run with a blast of his own in the bottom of the first.  He also made several nifty looking plays from 3B.

Luis Arraez 2B- 2 for 3, 2 2B, Sac, 2 R.  BA= .316.  Arraez continues to pepper the field with base hits while playing unexpectedly great defense at 2B.  One play in particular in this game was quite spectacular.  I know Casey Schmitt must move around to find playing time but I hope he doesn't take too much PT away from Arraez who is a breath of fresh air and one of the few bright spots from the first month+ of the season.

Rafael Devers 1B- 1 for 2, BB, SF, 2 RBI.  BA= .218.  Still no power but Devers at least has a 5-game hit streak going and appears to be hustling with better body language the last 2-3 games.  Maybe having Eldridge on the team will light a fire under him.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K's, 10/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 1.29.  I have always said McDonald's stuff will play better in MLB ballparks than the PCL.  He features a groundball-inducing hard sinker with a tight, tight slider.  He only threw 81 pitches in his 7 innings of work and probably could have finished the game himself but I agree with not pushing the kid too hard too soon. BTW, the TV feed showed Ryan Walker warming up in the bullpen in the 7'th inning.  I just went "oh no!"  

Keaton Winn RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.45.  You don't generally like your late-inning guys getting flyball outs but Winn got through the inning unscathed.

Caleb Kilian RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.13.  If this was a 1-run ballgame in the 9'th we'd be singing a different tune but Kilian calmly came back from a leadoff HR to retire the next 3 batters, Tatis Jr, Merrill and Machado with two K's and a GO.  

Logan Webb RHP tries to keep the good vibes going tomorrow evening facing Walker Buehler RHP.

Down on the Farm: 5/3/2026

AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees outscored the Sacramento River Cats 8-7.

Jake Holton 1B- 1 for 2, HR(2), 2 BB.  BA= .231.

Turner Hill CF- 2 for 3, BB, 2 SB(3).  BA= .326.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.65.

Blade Tidwell RHP- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 11.25.

Big things brewing here.  Jesus Rodriguez and Bryce Eldridge were not in the lineup and are reportedly headed to San Francisco to join the Giants tomorrow evening against the Padres, a game in which Trevor McDonald is listed as the starting pitcher.  This could be very interesting or very disappointing.  If they are bringing Eldridge and Rodriguez up, it has to be for them to play and play every day.  Eldridge, in particular, can only play 1B or DH which is where Rafael Devers and Casey Schmitt play.  Devers is on a $200+ M contract and Schmitt has been the best hitter on the team.  Something has to give.  It also makes no sense to bring up Rodriguez for his bat then not play him so is he going to be the starting catcher?  Anything less and it will be disappointing to say the least.  Stay tuned for corresponding moves tomorrow.  

AA:  Altoona Curve beat the Richmond Flying Squirrels 7-2.

Jonah Cox RF- 2 for 4, SB(16).  BA= .423.

Greg Farone LHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 6.75.

Jack Choate LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.88.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds smacked the Spokane Indians 8-1.

Trevor Cohen RF- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(12).  BA= .219.

Gavin Kilen SS- 3 for 5.  BA= .271.

Dakota Jordan CF- 2 for 5, HR(6).  BA= .303.

Carlos Gutierrez DH- 1 for 3, SF, SB(6).  BA= .231.

Zander Darby 2B- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .294.

Jacob Bresnahan LHP- 4.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.25.

Ryan Vanderhei RHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.51.

Perhaps the biggest story in Eugene is Dakota Jordan sustaining a performance level commensurate with his tools.  

A:  San Jose Giants topped the Visalia Rawhide 7-6.

Jhonny Level SS- 0 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .333.

Cam Maldonado CF- 0 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .321.

Damian Bravo LF- 2 for 5, 2 HR(5).  BA= .272.

Fernando Gonzalez C- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP.  BA= .296.

Daniel Rogers DH- 1 for 3, HR(2), BB.  BA= .250.

Dylan Carter RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.50.  

ACL:  The ACL was idle today.

Game Wrap 5/3/2026: Rays 2 Giants 1(10 innings)

You've heard the one about how Einstein said the def......? Oh, nevermind!  For some reason Tony Vitello thought it was a good idea to bring Ryan Walker into a 1-0 game in the 8'th inning rather than the 9'th.  Yes, it still counts as a Blown Save.  The Giants predictably went on to lose in extra-innings for both a series and road trip sweep.  It doesn't get more rock bottom than this.  Key Lines:

Rafael Devers 1B- 1 for 3, 2B, BB, R.  BA= .214.  I give Devers credit for hustling out a double on a squibber down the 3B line.  Beyond that, he's not showing much sign of breaking out of it.  I thought Hunter Pence made a good point yesterday about Devers exaggerate open stand which he squares up as the pitch is delivered.  It's a timing mechanism and he has to get it down in time.  He probably isn't and that's why he's late on fastballs down the middle.  Not sure those longer timing mechanisms work in an era when soft-tossers are throwing 92-93 MPH.  

Casey Schmitt DH- 2 for 4, RBI.  BA= .308.  Schmitt continues to be the Giants most consistent hitter on the season.  His single drove in Devers to give Tyler Mahle a 1-0 lead in the first inning.  They never added to that be Mahle and the bullpen almost made it stand up.

Tyler Mahle RHP- 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.00.  As one of our commenters pointed out, Mahle is in a pattern of alternating good starts.  This was a good turn.  

Ryan Walker RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 4.61.  I looked up in the 8'th inning and was shocked and dismayed to find Walker in the game.  I texted my friend and asked why he was out there in the 8'th inning of a 1-0 game.  Answer:  "He's got a growth mindset and is better then Borucki."  LOL!

The Giants missed out on an opportunity for a happy flight home.  They start a series at home against the Padres tomorrow evening with Trevor McDonald RHP facing Randy Vasquez RHP who comes in with a 2.94 ERA.