If you are going to try to win with pitching and defense, you can't make 3 errors in and expect to win. Key Lines:
Pablo Sandoval 3B- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .333. This game revolved around Pablo as he gave the Giants a brief lead in the 5'th inning with an RBI double, but then committed 2 errors that allowed the Padres to score 2 unearned runs which were the difference in the game.
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. Shark was in the stretch for most of his 5 innings of work, but held the Padres at bay until Pabs' throwing error led to an unearned run in the bottom of the 5'th inning. Shark had a good fastball that reached 95 MPH on the TV gun at times, but he was not able to command the curveball or changeup. To his and Erik Kratz' credit, they did not give up on the curveball and got just enough strikes with is to enhance the FB. Overall an encouraging start by Shark.
Chris Paddack RHP(Padres)- Paddack has excellent command of a mid-90's FB and a really good changeup. He is also one odd dude with a swagger. Kruk and Kuip showed some video of him arriving at the clubhouse on gameday wearing a black western suit with a white shirt and pink tie and a very large black cowboy hat. He apparently wears this outfit before every game he is scheduled to pitch dating back to the minors. The stride is reminiscent of John Travolta in Stayin' Alive and Urban Cowboy. Anyway, if he can back it up with performances like today, more power to him.
NBC Sports Bay Area My Teams- All the announcers had to wear jackets with the My Teams streaming service logo today. Man! Please don't do that again, NBC Sports Bay Area! That is hard on the eyes!
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The Giants proceed from Petco Park to the Temple of Doom to face the Hated Ones who are coming off a 3-1 series win over the D'Backs in the opening series. Drew Pomeranz opens the 3-gamer tomorrow evening facing Lefty Julio Urias who seems to have electric stuff coming off shoulder surgery. BTW, the Dodgers hit 14 dingers and scored 42 runs in the 4 games against the D'Backs.
Speaking of the Temple of Doom, there was another beating incident in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium with another husband and father of 2 on life support with intracranial bleeding and brain swelling. As of this AM, the suspect was still at large.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Down on the Farm: AAA Sacramento River Cats Preview
Rosters are out for the minor league teams with the qualifier that these tend to remain fluid until minor league Opening Day. The Giants have always tended to use their AAA affiliate as an extended bench for the MLB club, but Farhan Zaidi kicked it up a notch with a flurry of minor league free agent signings. Don't sleep on these guys just because they didn't make the Giants roster out of spring training. Fun Fact: The Dodgers acquired Max Muncy before the 2017 season, but he did not make his debut with the Dodgers until 2018 after spending all of 2017 on their AAA roster. Now, let's meet our 2019 Sacramento River Cats:
Pitchers: Shaun Anderson RHP, Tyler Beede RHP, Ty Blach LHP, Ray Black RHP, Sam Coonrod RHP, Williams Jerez LHP, Chase Johnson RHP, Derek Law RHP, Steven Okert LHP, Tyler Rogers RHP, Keyvius Sampson RHP, Andrew Suarez LHP, Pat Venditte LHP/RHP.
Anderson, Beede and Suarez are obvious SP's. I'm going to guess Blach and Johnson will fill out the rotation, possibly Sampson. Huge season for Tyler Beede who pared back his repertoire and gained velocity this offseason in a bid to turn around the disaster of 2018. Shaun Anderson's Bay Bridge Series performance would seem to place him next in line for a callup should the need arise. Williams Jerez is a hard throwing lefty reliever acquired for Chris Stratton who averages 95+ on the FB. Wouldn't be shocked to see him get the first reliever callup. Personal fave is Tyler Rogers and his knuckle-scraping delivery. I want to see him pitch for the Giants!
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Catchers: Ronnie Freeman B-R, T-R, Aramis Garcia B-R, T-R, Stephen Vogt B-L, T-R.
Aramis Garcia needs PA's while Vogt is basically rehabbing from shoulder surgery. The Giants could use both of their bats. Between catching, 1B and DH, they should both see plenty of action. I wonder if Garcia's positional versatility could be extended to LF?
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Infielders: Abiatal Avelino SS B-R, T-R, Zach Green 1B B-R, T-R, Ryder Jones 3B B-L, T-R, Levi Michael SS B-R, T-R, Donovan Solano 2B B-R, T-R, Breyvic Valera 2B B-R, T-R.
A fairly uninspiring group. Ryder Jones needs a breakout season to remain a viable prospect. The rest of these guys are long time 4-A players.
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Outfielders: Anthony Garcia B-R, T-R, Mike Gerber B-L, T-R, Henry Ramos B-S, T-R, Austin Slater B-R, T-R, Mike Yastrzemski B-L, T- L.
Seems like a lot of commenters here are really pulling for Austin Slater. An extreme groundball tendency is what's holding him back. He needs to rework his swing. Garcia, Gerber and Ramos are the Max Muncy wannabes here. Not sure what Farhan sees in Yaz the Younger other than the name. Waiting to see if Mac Williamson gets added to this list. Personally I think Mac is done as a Giant, but we'll see.
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Notable omissions include Ryan Howard who impressed at the plate in spring training and Chris Shaw. Both of them are on the AA Richmond roster.
Pitchers: Shaun Anderson RHP, Tyler Beede RHP, Ty Blach LHP, Ray Black RHP, Sam Coonrod RHP, Williams Jerez LHP, Chase Johnson RHP, Derek Law RHP, Steven Okert LHP, Tyler Rogers RHP, Keyvius Sampson RHP, Andrew Suarez LHP, Pat Venditte LHP/RHP.
Anderson, Beede and Suarez are obvious SP's. I'm going to guess Blach and Johnson will fill out the rotation, possibly Sampson. Huge season for Tyler Beede who pared back his repertoire and gained velocity this offseason in a bid to turn around the disaster of 2018. Shaun Anderson's Bay Bridge Series performance would seem to place him next in line for a callup should the need arise. Williams Jerez is a hard throwing lefty reliever acquired for Chris Stratton who averages 95+ on the FB. Wouldn't be shocked to see him get the first reliever callup. Personal fave is Tyler Rogers and his knuckle-scraping delivery. I want to see him pitch for the Giants!
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Catchers: Ronnie Freeman B-R, T-R, Aramis Garcia B-R, T-R, Stephen Vogt B-L, T-R.
Aramis Garcia needs PA's while Vogt is basically rehabbing from shoulder surgery. The Giants could use both of their bats. Between catching, 1B and DH, they should both see plenty of action. I wonder if Garcia's positional versatility could be extended to LF?
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Infielders: Abiatal Avelino SS B-R, T-R, Zach Green 1B B-R, T-R, Ryder Jones 3B B-L, T-R, Levi Michael SS B-R, T-R, Donovan Solano 2B B-R, T-R, Breyvic Valera 2B B-R, T-R.
A fairly uninspiring group. Ryder Jones needs a breakout season to remain a viable prospect. The rest of these guys are long time 4-A players.
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Outfielders: Anthony Garcia B-R, T-R, Mike Gerber B-L, T-R, Henry Ramos B-S, T-R, Austin Slater B-R, T-R, Mike Yastrzemski B-L, T- L.
Seems like a lot of commenters here are really pulling for Austin Slater. An extreme groundball tendency is what's holding him back. He needs to rework his swing. Garcia, Gerber and Ramos are the Max Muncy wannabes here. Not sure what Farhan sees in Yaz the Younger other than the name. Waiting to see if Mac Williamson gets added to this list. Personally I think Mac is done as a Giant, but we'll see.
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Notable omissions include Ryan Howard who impressed at the plate in spring training and Chris Shaw. Both of them are on the AA Richmond roster.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Game Wrap 3/30/2019: Giants 3 Padres 2
The Giants lineup broke through with a 3-spot in the 6'th inning to support a strong effort by the pitching staff led by Dereck Rodriguez and Reyes Moronta. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 4, HBP, SB(1). BA= .273. Duggar was the perfect leadoff hitter reaching base 3 times and stealing a bag. His leadoff single started the 6'th inning rally. BTW, the HBP grazed his nose. Yikes!
Yangervis Solarte SS/3B- 2 for 5, 2 2B. BA= .300. Solarte had a rough day in the field but did his part at the plate with 2 doubles including one that drove in the first Giants run. Gotta say, it does not look like Solarte has the arm to play on the left side on the IF as he just couldn't seem to get the ball all the way to Brandon Belt on throws to first.
Evan Longoria 3B- 1 for 3. BA= .400. Longo was in the middle of the Giants 3-run rally, but came out afterward as he was not running well. On Postgame Live, Shawn Estes said he saw Longo rub his hammy after a stint in the batting cage while watching the Padres batting practice feed, so the original injury may have happened in a previous game or practice situation. We might be seeing a lot more of Pablo Sandoval in the near future.
Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 3.60. DRod pitched a lot better than this line looks. He allowed just 2 hits and 3 baserunners through 5 innings but gave up a double and single to start the 6'th. He was replaced by Travis Bergen who came in to face Eric Hosmer and Hos ripped a 2-run double down the 1B line allowing the 2 inherited runners to score. The long layoff in the top of the 6'th may have taken a bit of his edge off.
Reyes Moronta RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 0.00. OK, per Kruk, Moronta has a no-dot slider which may not have quite the break of Sergio Romo's but then Romo did not have 98 MPH cheese to back it up. Padres hitters weren't seeing the slider and couldn't catch up with the heat even when they knew it was coming. Moronta was also throwing a changeup in spring training which I did not see tonight, but wow! I think this guy is going to be the Closer before the year is out, although he may be more valuable in higher leverage situations earlier in the game.
Will Smith LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. Smith earns his first Save of the season and did not have any trouble against 3 RH batters.
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Jeff Samardzija tries to extend the momentum and gain a split in the 4-game series tomorrow. The good news is the Giants are facing a RHP. The bad news is he is Chris Paddack, who some analysts think is the top rookie pitcher in baseball and he is coming off a great spring training.
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Michael Reed came in to play LF as a defensive replacement for Conner Joe. He promptly crashed into Brandon Crawford's back on a tweener pop-fly and appeared to injure a tooth on the back of Crawford's head. Let's just say, Crawford's body language was not at all friendly after the collision. BTW, Crawford came in to play SS when Longoria left the game and Solarte slid over to 3B.
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Late update on Evan Longoria: The injury was a foul ball off his calf. It was a bit sore but coming out of the game was more of a precaution than a necessity. Probably doesn't feel good but is probably better news than a hammy strain.
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 4, HBP, SB(1). BA= .273. Duggar was the perfect leadoff hitter reaching base 3 times and stealing a bag. His leadoff single started the 6'th inning rally. BTW, the HBP grazed his nose. Yikes!
Yangervis Solarte SS/3B- 2 for 5, 2 2B. BA= .300. Solarte had a rough day in the field but did his part at the plate with 2 doubles including one that drove in the first Giants run. Gotta say, it does not look like Solarte has the arm to play on the left side on the IF as he just couldn't seem to get the ball all the way to Brandon Belt on throws to first.
Evan Longoria 3B- 1 for 3. BA= .400. Longo was in the middle of the Giants 3-run rally, but came out afterward as he was not running well. On Postgame Live, Shawn Estes said he saw Longo rub his hammy after a stint in the batting cage while watching the Padres batting practice feed, so the original injury may have happened in a previous game or practice situation. We might be seeing a lot more of Pablo Sandoval in the near future.
Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 3.60. DRod pitched a lot better than this line looks. He allowed just 2 hits and 3 baserunners through 5 innings but gave up a double and single to start the 6'th. He was replaced by Travis Bergen who came in to face Eric Hosmer and Hos ripped a 2-run double down the 1B line allowing the 2 inherited runners to score. The long layoff in the top of the 6'th may have taken a bit of his edge off.
Reyes Moronta RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 0.00. OK, per Kruk, Moronta has a no-dot slider which may not have quite the break of Sergio Romo's but then Romo did not have 98 MPH cheese to back it up. Padres hitters weren't seeing the slider and couldn't catch up with the heat even when they knew it was coming. Moronta was also throwing a changeup in spring training which I did not see tonight, but wow! I think this guy is going to be the Closer before the year is out, although he may be more valuable in higher leverage situations earlier in the game.
Will Smith LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. Smith earns his first Save of the season and did not have any trouble against 3 RH batters.
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Jeff Samardzija tries to extend the momentum and gain a split in the 4-game series tomorrow. The good news is the Giants are facing a RHP. The bad news is he is Chris Paddack, who some analysts think is the top rookie pitcher in baseball and he is coming off a great spring training.
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Michael Reed came in to play LF as a defensive replacement for Conner Joe. He promptly crashed into Brandon Crawford's back on a tweener pop-fly and appeared to injure a tooth on the back of Crawford's head. Let's just say, Crawford's body language was not at all friendly after the collision. BTW, Crawford came in to play SS when Longoria left the game and Solarte slid over to 3B.
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Late update on Evan Longoria: The injury was a foul ball off his calf. It was a bit sore but coming out of the game was more of a precaution than a necessity. Probably doesn't feel good but is probably better news than a hammy strain.
Game Wrap 3/29/2019: Padres 4 Giants 1
The Giants somehow managed to have the winning run a the plate with 1 out in the 9'th inning before a series of terrible called strikes by home plate umpire Lance Barksdale snuffed out the rally. Key Lines:
Michael Reed RF- 0 for 3, 3 K's. BA= .000. The Giants starting corner OF's, Reed and Conner Joe combined for 5 K's in 6 PA's and are hitting a combined .000 on the season. Reed did have an Assist at home plate and Joe had one at 2B.
Evan Longoria 3B- 1 for 3, HR(1), BB. BA= .429. Longo's long dinger to lead off the 9'th inning brought in Padres Closer Kirby Yates who then loaded the bases before getting bailed out by Lance Barksdale.
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB. BA= .143. Duggar's double came of lefty SP but was then nullified by a baserunning mistake when he tried to take 3B on a groundball hit in front of him.
Derek Holland LHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 6.75. Holland didn't seem to have great command and location mistakes hurt him, particularly on a double off the CF wall by Fernando Tatis Jr and a dinger by Ian Kinsler.
Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. Melancon's pitches seemed to have more life than at any time in spring training and he struck out the first batter rather smartly, but he gave up ropes to the next 2 batters but got out of it when the last line drive round Brandon Crawford's glove and he doubled up the runner at first.
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Dereck Rodriguez tries for the Giants first win of the season today, but the Giants lineup faces another lefty, 6'5" rookie Nick Margevicius. I can only imagine how that is going to go.
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If the Umpires Union wants to see part of their jobs taken over by cameras and computers, they should fully support the way Lance Barksdale called balls and strikes in this game because he ended up dictating the outcome of the game which is the very reason why the game would be better off with electronic "assistance" for the home plate umps.
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AJ Pollock, a right-handed hitting OF with power and speed who signed with the Dodgers for 1/5 of what the Giants offered Bryce Harper went 4 for 6 with a walk and fell a triple shy of the cycle in the Dodgers extra-inning loss to the D'Backs. Oh, and Domingo Santana another RH hitting OF who did not cost the Mariners any top prospects to acquire from the Brewers hit his 3'rd HR of the season and reached base 4 times in 5 PA's. Just sayin'
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Be sure and check out Dr Lefty's post about Opening Day and Farhan Zaidi's rough start as GM on Together We're Giants linked to the left. Her thoughts are exactly mine, except she states them much better than I ever could.
Michael Reed RF- 0 for 3, 3 K's. BA= .000. The Giants starting corner OF's, Reed and Conner Joe combined for 5 K's in 6 PA's and are hitting a combined .000 on the season. Reed did have an Assist at home plate and Joe had one at 2B.
Evan Longoria 3B- 1 for 3, HR(1), BB. BA= .429. Longo's long dinger to lead off the 9'th inning brought in Padres Closer Kirby Yates who then loaded the bases before getting bailed out by Lance Barksdale.
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB. BA= .143. Duggar's double came of lefty SP but was then nullified by a baserunning mistake when he tried to take 3B on a groundball hit in front of him.
Derek Holland LHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 6.75. Holland didn't seem to have great command and location mistakes hurt him, particularly on a double off the CF wall by Fernando Tatis Jr and a dinger by Ian Kinsler.
Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. Melancon's pitches seemed to have more life than at any time in spring training and he struck out the first batter rather smartly, but he gave up ropes to the next 2 batters but got out of it when the last line drive round Brandon Crawford's glove and he doubled up the runner at first.
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Dereck Rodriguez tries for the Giants first win of the season today, but the Giants lineup faces another lefty, 6'5" rookie Nick Margevicius. I can only imagine how that is going to go.
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If the Umpires Union wants to see part of their jobs taken over by cameras and computers, they should fully support the way Lance Barksdale called balls and strikes in this game because he ended up dictating the outcome of the game which is the very reason why the game would be better off with electronic "assistance" for the home plate umps.
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AJ Pollock, a right-handed hitting OF with power and speed who signed with the Dodgers for 1/5 of what the Giants offered Bryce Harper went 4 for 6 with a walk and fell a triple shy of the cycle in the Dodgers extra-inning loss to the D'Backs. Oh, and Domingo Santana another RH hitting OF who did not cost the Mariners any top prospects to acquire from the Brewers hit his 3'rd HR of the season and reached base 4 times in 5 PA's. Just sayin'
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Be sure and check out Dr Lefty's post about Opening Day and Farhan Zaidi's rough start as GM on Together We're Giants linked to the left. Her thoughts are exactly mine, except she states them much better than I ever could.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Game Wrap 3/28/2019: Padres 2 Giants 0
The Giants offense laid down and died in front of Eric Lauer and the Padres which wasted a vintage ace level performance by Madison Bumgarner. The bad news here is if the Giants keep playing like this, which seems likely, Bumgarner will be traded by August 1. I guess the good news is if Bum keeps pitching like this, the Giants should get one heckuva haul for him! Key Lines:
Evan Longoria 3B- 2 for 4. BA= .500. Not a bad line from Longoria except he got thrown out at 2B on a ball he hit to the wall in LF.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K's. ERA= 2.57. Bum was on fire until he gave up a 3'rd inning dinger to Wil Myers. Myers later drove in the Padres other run with a single to drive in Ian Kinsler who had doubled. Anyway, Bum is back. It's just a shame the Giants can't put a better lineup behind him.
Steven Dugger and Brandon Belt went 0 for 8 at the top of the Giants lineup. Conner Joe and Micheal Reed started in LF and RF respectively. They went a combined 0 for 3, BB before being relieved by Gerardo Parra and Yangervis Solarte after LHP Lauer left the game.
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The Giants will try to do better tomorrow against another lefty, Joey Lucchesi, with Derek Holland taking the hill for the Giants.
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Early this offseason, the Mariners acquired OF Domingo Santana from the Brewers for OF Ben Gamel and a pitching prospect nobody had heard of. As far as anybody can tell, Farhan Zaidi did not bother to even kick the tires on Domingo Santana. Today, while someone named Conner Joe played LF for the Giants, Domingo Santana, who already hit a grand slam HR against the A's in Japan, played LF for the Mariners and fell a triple shy of a cycle while driving in 4 more runs. Just sayin'.
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In happier news, remember Tom Murphy? He was the catcher who the Giants picked up from the Rockies in the last few days of spring training then DFA'd. Well, Farhan worked out a trade with the Mariners for a 20 yo pitching prospect, RHP Jesus Osoria who hasn't pitched above the DSL. He did strike out 59 batters in 49.1 IP with just 7 walks while posting a 2.19 ERA last season. The Giants dropped RHP Merandy Gonzalez when they signed Murph, so they essentially replaced Gonzalez with Osoria. I think I'd rather have the young lottery ticket, so this series of moves was at least a small net positive.
Evan Longoria 3B- 2 for 4. BA= .500. Not a bad line from Longoria except he got thrown out at 2B on a ball he hit to the wall in LF.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K's. ERA= 2.57. Bum was on fire until he gave up a 3'rd inning dinger to Wil Myers. Myers later drove in the Padres other run with a single to drive in Ian Kinsler who had doubled. Anyway, Bum is back. It's just a shame the Giants can't put a better lineup behind him.
Steven Dugger and Brandon Belt went 0 for 8 at the top of the Giants lineup. Conner Joe and Micheal Reed started in LF and RF respectively. They went a combined 0 for 3, BB before being relieved by Gerardo Parra and Yangervis Solarte after LHP Lauer left the game.
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The Giants will try to do better tomorrow against another lefty, Joey Lucchesi, with Derek Holland taking the hill for the Giants.
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Early this offseason, the Mariners acquired OF Domingo Santana from the Brewers for OF Ben Gamel and a pitching prospect nobody had heard of. As far as anybody can tell, Farhan Zaidi did not bother to even kick the tires on Domingo Santana. Today, while someone named Conner Joe played LF for the Giants, Domingo Santana, who already hit a grand slam HR against the A's in Japan, played LF for the Mariners and fell a triple shy of a cycle while driving in 4 more runs. Just sayin'.
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In happier news, remember Tom Murphy? He was the catcher who the Giants picked up from the Rockies in the last few days of spring training then DFA'd. Well, Farhan worked out a trade with the Mariners for a 20 yo pitching prospect, RHP Jesus Osoria who hasn't pitched above the DSL. He did strike out 59 batters in 49.1 IP with just 7 walks while posting a 2.19 ERA last season. The Giants dropped RHP Merandy Gonzalez when they signed Murph, so they essentially replaced Gonzalez with Osoria. I think I'd rather have the young lottery ticket, so this series of moves was at least a small net positive.
2019 Giants Season Preview: Burning Questions
Opening Day! Every team is undefeated when Opening Day dawns. Every hitter looks like a Triple Crown winner and every pitcher Cy Young to their fans. Rather than grind through a set of silly predictions that are likely either boring or wrong or both, I will pose a few Burning Questions for the Giants to answer this year:
1. Will Madison Bumgarner be a Giant on August 1?
2. Will Buster Posey be the Giants primary catcher on Fan Appreciation Day?
3. Will Giants Left Fielders produce a combined WAR greater than Hunter Pence in 2019?
4. Is Steven Duggar the Giants starting CF on Fan Appreciation Day?
5. Will Johnny Cueto be pitching in the Giants rotation in September?
6. Will Drew Pomeranz' season be more like 2017 or 2018?
7. Will Derek Holland's season be more like 2017 or 2018?
8. Will Mark Melancon be a Giant on August 1?
9. Will any Giants player hit 20 or more HR's?
10. Will DrB think Farhan Zaidi is a good GM on Fan Appreciation Day?
There, that should do it. What are your answers to DrB's Burning Questions for 2019? Do you have any Burning Questions?
1. Will Madison Bumgarner be a Giant on August 1?
2. Will Buster Posey be the Giants primary catcher on Fan Appreciation Day?
3. Will Giants Left Fielders produce a combined WAR greater than Hunter Pence in 2019?
4. Is Steven Duggar the Giants starting CF on Fan Appreciation Day?
5. Will Johnny Cueto be pitching in the Giants rotation in September?
6. Will Drew Pomeranz' season be more like 2017 or 2018?
7. Will Derek Holland's season be more like 2017 or 2018?
8. Will Mark Melancon be a Giant on August 1?
9. Will any Giants player hit 20 or more HR's?
10. Will DrB think Farhan Zaidi is a good GM on Fan Appreciation Day?
There, that should do it. What are your answers to DrB's Burning Questions for 2019? Do you have any Burning Questions?
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Bay Bridge Series Game Wrap 3/26/2019: A's 4 Giants 2
The A's completed a sweep of the Giants in the Bay Bridge Series in a rain-shortened game in Oracle Park. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 2, BB. BA= .333. Duggar was one of the true bright spots in a mostly dismal spring for the Giants. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that his spring success carries over in to the regular season.
Gerardo Parra RF- 2 for 5. BA= .341. Another spring bright spot. He made a couple of nice catches in RF. If he's able to cover Oracle Park's unique RF and gives career average offense, he should contribute at least 2 fWAR. Not necessarily ideal but way more than they have gotten out of RF since Hunter Pence was last good.
Mac Williamson LF- 0 for 0, HBP. BA= .237. Mac entered the game late and was HBP on the R hand. From the way he was holding it, I though for sure it was broken, but X-rays reportedly were negative for fracture. This could open the way for him to start the season on the DL which is one way of solving a roster problem(more on that later).
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.97. Not an ideal tune-up start, but it was a tune up start, the weather was bad and the first concern was to avoid injury and it was the Bay Bridge series against the A's. Overall, Shark had a strong spring. Also, Yangervis Solarte started in LF. I think Mac possibly could have caught Canha's double in the 2'nd inning.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 2.81. Pomeranz capped a strong spring with a dominant 2 innings and looks poised to to have a big bounceback season.
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That closes out spring training 2019 for the Giants. They start the season on Thursday 3/28 in San Diego with Madison Bumgarner facing fellow left Eric Lauer in an afternoon game.
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As the Roster Churns: Future Hall of Fame Manager Bruce Bochy tentatively set the 25 man roster with some very tough decisions. Many analysts are counseling to not write this roster into stone just yet as there may be more trades and acquisitions before Opening Day. The Giants will keep a starting 7 of C Buster Posey, 1B Brandon Belt, 2B Joe Panik, 3B Evan Longoria, SS Brandon Crawford, CF Steven Duggar and RF Gerardo Parra.
Mac Williamson did not make the cut and will either be traded, released, DFA and pass through waivers. Most likely he will start the season on the DL after the hand injury in the game. Michael Reed, Conner Joe and even Yangervis Solarte will vie for playing time in LF, unless the Giants acquire a starting LF before Opening Day. Interestingly, for a team starved for HR power, Farhan Zaidi opts for positional flexibility over power potential in his final roster selections.
Pablo Sandoval makes the team, but Alen Hanson does not, and a big Thank You, Next! to C Tom Murphy who the Giants will apparently either try to sneak through waivers or use as trade bait.
The Giants will carry 13 pitchers including 5 SP's: Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, Derek Holland, Drew Pomeranz and Dereck Rodriguez(apparently DRod is not getting sent down to Sacramento for the first few days of the season as rumored). The 8 RP's will be lefties Travis Bergen, Tony Watson and Will Smith. Reyes Moronta, Mark Melancon, Sam Dyson, Nick Vincent and Trevor Gott will hold down the right side. Ty Blach apparently has an option and will start the season in Sacramento.
This is a roster that has a chance to contend, but realistically needs at least 20 dingers out of LF, which they are not going to get from the current group. Hopefully Farhan acquires an upgrade for LF by Opening Day or soon thereafter.
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 2, BB. BA= .333. Duggar was one of the true bright spots in a mostly dismal spring for the Giants. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that his spring success carries over in to the regular season.
Gerardo Parra RF- 2 for 5. BA= .341. Another spring bright spot. He made a couple of nice catches in RF. If he's able to cover Oracle Park's unique RF and gives career average offense, he should contribute at least 2 fWAR. Not necessarily ideal but way more than they have gotten out of RF since Hunter Pence was last good.
Mac Williamson LF- 0 for 0, HBP. BA= .237. Mac entered the game late and was HBP on the R hand. From the way he was holding it, I though for sure it was broken, but X-rays reportedly were negative for fracture. This could open the way for him to start the season on the DL which is one way of solving a roster problem(more on that later).
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.97. Not an ideal tune-up start, but it was a tune up start, the weather was bad and the first concern was to avoid injury and it was the Bay Bridge series against the A's. Overall, Shark had a strong spring. Also, Yangervis Solarte started in LF. I think Mac possibly could have caught Canha's double in the 2'nd inning.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 2.81. Pomeranz capped a strong spring with a dominant 2 innings and looks poised to to have a big bounceback season.
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That closes out spring training 2019 for the Giants. They start the season on Thursday 3/28 in San Diego with Madison Bumgarner facing fellow left Eric Lauer in an afternoon game.
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As the Roster Churns: Future Hall of Fame Manager Bruce Bochy tentatively set the 25 man roster with some very tough decisions. Many analysts are counseling to not write this roster into stone just yet as there may be more trades and acquisitions before Opening Day. The Giants will keep a starting 7 of C Buster Posey, 1B Brandon Belt, 2B Joe Panik, 3B Evan Longoria, SS Brandon Crawford, CF Steven Duggar and RF Gerardo Parra.
Mac Williamson did not make the cut and will either be traded, released, DFA and pass through waivers. Most likely he will start the season on the DL after the hand injury in the game. Michael Reed, Conner Joe and even Yangervis Solarte will vie for playing time in LF, unless the Giants acquire a starting LF before Opening Day. Interestingly, for a team starved for HR power, Farhan Zaidi opts for positional flexibility over power potential in his final roster selections.
Pablo Sandoval makes the team, but Alen Hanson does not, and a big Thank You, Next! to C Tom Murphy who the Giants will apparently either try to sneak through waivers or use as trade bait.
The Giants will carry 13 pitchers including 5 SP's: Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, Derek Holland, Drew Pomeranz and Dereck Rodriguez(apparently DRod is not getting sent down to Sacramento for the first few days of the season as rumored). The 8 RP's will be lefties Travis Bergen, Tony Watson and Will Smith. Reyes Moronta, Mark Melancon, Sam Dyson, Nick Vincent and Trevor Gott will hold down the right side. Ty Blach apparently has an option and will start the season in Sacramento.
This is a roster that has a chance to contend, but realistically needs at least 20 dingers out of LF, which they are not going to get from the current group. Hopefully Farhan acquires an upgrade for LF by Opening Day or soon thereafter.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Bay Bridge Series Game Wrap 3/25/2019: A's 5 Giants 4
For some reason the Giants and A's decided to play a game that didn't count in a driving Northern California rainstorm. Thankfully, I have not seen any reports of injuries coming out of it from either team. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .326. Duggar should have the starting CF job locked up.
Erik Kratz C- 1 for 2. BA= .258. Kratz was acquired yesterday and appears to have the inside track for the backup catcher role. His single in the 7'th inning drove in 2 runs.
Michael Reed RF/CF- 0 for 3, BB, Assist(3B). BA= .227. Late acquisition fighting for a reserve OF role. Showed off his arm from RF with an assist at 3B.
Tom Murphy PH/DH- 1 for 2. BA= .267. Murph was acquired from the Rockies earlier in the day throwing some uncertainty into the Roster Churn. He's out of options, so do the Giants keep 3 catchers on the roster? Will Farhan figure out how to get Murphy to AAA and still keep him? Word is the Dereck Rodriguez will start the season in Sacramento. Will Farhan figure out how to essentially stream a SP or two all season effectively lengthening his roster to 26 or 27 players? That's essentially what the Dodgers did for the past 2 seasons.
Connor Joe- LF/1B- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .245. Will Joe's added versatility be enough to beat out Pablo Sandoval's experience?
Shaun Anderson RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 4/1. ERA= 1.69. Anderson showed some big league moxie pitching his way out of a first inning jam with just 1 run allowed then retiring his final 7 batters. Kruk and Kuip were raving about his stuff as he walked off the field. Looks like the Giants have a legit SP prospect here.
Ty Blach LHP- 0.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 0 K. ERA= 6.08. Blach's last 2 appearances have not gone well. I read that he has an option, so it looks like Sacramento is in his future.
Tyler Rogers RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. 3 K's and 3 GB outs in his last 2 appearances. I want more of Tyler Rogers.
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Up Next: Drew Pomeranz was a late scratch, presumably due to the weather, and will team up with Jeff Samardzija to work the Bay Bridge finale today.
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As the Roster Churns: As mentioned above, the Giants claimed C Tom Murphy off waivers from the Rockies. I really like Murph's power. I even wrote him up as a Breakout Candidate for my Fantasy Focus a couple of years ago. Ironically, it's his defense that has held him back. He's out of options and it is really unclear what the Giants think they are going to do with him. Try to sneak him through waivers at the last minute? Carry 3 catchers on the 25 man roster? Lengthen the roster by streaming SP's between Sacramento and SF? Stay tuned. I will say, if Farhan figures out how to keep Murph and tap into his power, I will be impressed!
The Giants solved one roster crunch by trading Chris Stratton to the Angels for a big, hard throwing LHP Williams Jerez. I saw Jerez pitch on TV over the weekend and he can bring it. Per Fangraphs, he averaged 95+ MPH on the FB last year. Jerez has options, which Stratton did not, so he can be stashed in Sacramento and gives the Giants additional LHP depth. This is a decent return for Stratton who could still blossom with the Angels.
And finally, Aramis Garcia was optioned to Sacramento, an expected move.
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .326. Duggar should have the starting CF job locked up.
Erik Kratz C- 1 for 2. BA= .258. Kratz was acquired yesterday and appears to have the inside track for the backup catcher role. His single in the 7'th inning drove in 2 runs.
Michael Reed RF/CF- 0 for 3, BB, Assist(3B). BA= .227. Late acquisition fighting for a reserve OF role. Showed off his arm from RF with an assist at 3B.
Tom Murphy PH/DH- 1 for 2. BA= .267. Murph was acquired from the Rockies earlier in the day throwing some uncertainty into the Roster Churn. He's out of options, so do the Giants keep 3 catchers on the roster? Will Farhan figure out how to get Murphy to AAA and still keep him? Word is the Dereck Rodriguez will start the season in Sacramento. Will Farhan figure out how to essentially stream a SP or two all season effectively lengthening his roster to 26 or 27 players? That's essentially what the Dodgers did for the past 2 seasons.
Connor Joe- LF/1B- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .245. Will Joe's added versatility be enough to beat out Pablo Sandoval's experience?
Shaun Anderson RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 4/1. ERA= 1.69. Anderson showed some big league moxie pitching his way out of a first inning jam with just 1 run allowed then retiring his final 7 batters. Kruk and Kuip were raving about his stuff as he walked off the field. Looks like the Giants have a legit SP prospect here.
Ty Blach LHP- 0.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 0 K. ERA= 6.08. Blach's last 2 appearances have not gone well. I read that he has an option, so it looks like Sacramento is in his future.
Tyler Rogers RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. 3 K's and 3 GB outs in his last 2 appearances. I want more of Tyler Rogers.
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Up Next: Drew Pomeranz was a late scratch, presumably due to the weather, and will team up with Jeff Samardzija to work the Bay Bridge finale today.
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As the Roster Churns: As mentioned above, the Giants claimed C Tom Murphy off waivers from the Rockies. I really like Murph's power. I even wrote him up as a Breakout Candidate for my Fantasy Focus a couple of years ago. Ironically, it's his defense that has held him back. He's out of options and it is really unclear what the Giants think they are going to do with him. Try to sneak him through waivers at the last minute? Carry 3 catchers on the 25 man roster? Lengthen the roster by streaming SP's between Sacramento and SF? Stay tuned. I will say, if Farhan figures out how to keep Murph and tap into his power, I will be impressed!
The Giants solved one roster crunch by trading Chris Stratton to the Angels for a big, hard throwing LHP Williams Jerez. I saw Jerez pitch on TV over the weekend and he can bring it. Per Fangraphs, he averaged 95+ MPH on the FB last year. Jerez has options, which Stratton did not, so he can be stashed in Sacramento and gives the Giants additional LHP depth. This is a decent return for Stratton who could still blossom with the Angels.
And finally, Aramis Garcia was optioned to Sacramento, an expected move.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Bay Bridge Series Game Wrap 3/24/2019: A's 5 Giants 0
A nearly pulseless Giants offense mustered just 3 hits in a game that was not as close as the final score would have you believe. Key Lines:
Mac Williamson RF- 1 for 3. BA= .237. Maybe Mac hangs onto a starting OF job by default because 1 hit is better than 0. On the other hand, everybody seems to be expected more trades before Thursday.
Conner Joe LF- 0 for 3. BA= .240. Joe hasn't exactly been on fire since coming to the Giants.
Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 4.76. Velocity was 89-91 on the FB and command was shaky.
Trevor Gott RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, GO/AO= 3/0. ERA= 0.00. There has to be a roster spot for Gott, right?
Travis Bergen LHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 1.69. Bergen gives up his first runs of the spring.
Tyler Rogers RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 2/0. ERA= 0.00. 4 pitches, 2 worms killed. Then a K. I want more of Tyler Rogers!
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The Bay Bridge Series moves to Oracle Park where Drew Pomeranz will face Liam Hendriks tomorrow evening at 6:45 PM.
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As the Roster Churns: Giants fans woke up to a new trade as Farhan Zaidi dealt minor league IF CJ Hinojosa to the Brewers for C Erik Kratz. Kratz seems like a decent enough backup C. It's a bit curious that the Giants just parted ways with Rene Rivera who seems be be just as good or better for the role. Ironically, given that Farhan Zaidi was brought in to bring the Giants up to speed on analytics, Kratz' main claim to fame seems to be a very old school Giants thing for Clubhouse Chemistry. Oh, and RHP Jose Lopez was DFA'd to make room for Kratz on the 40 man roster.
Mac Williamson RF- 1 for 3. BA= .237. Maybe Mac hangs onto a starting OF job by default because 1 hit is better than 0. On the other hand, everybody seems to be expected more trades before Thursday.
Conner Joe LF- 0 for 3. BA= .240. Joe hasn't exactly been on fire since coming to the Giants.
Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 4.76. Velocity was 89-91 on the FB and command was shaky.
Trevor Gott RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, GO/AO= 3/0. ERA= 0.00. There has to be a roster spot for Gott, right?
Travis Bergen LHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 1.69. Bergen gives up his first runs of the spring.
Tyler Rogers RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 2/0. ERA= 0.00. 4 pitches, 2 worms killed. Then a K. I want more of Tyler Rogers!
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The Bay Bridge Series moves to Oracle Park where Drew Pomeranz will face Liam Hendriks tomorrow evening at 6:45 PM.
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As the Roster Churns: Giants fans woke up to a new trade as Farhan Zaidi dealt minor league IF CJ Hinojosa to the Brewers for C Erik Kratz. Kratz seems like a decent enough backup C. It's a bit curious that the Giants just parted ways with Rene Rivera who seems be be just as good or better for the role. Ironically, given that Farhan Zaidi was brought in to bring the Giants up to speed on analytics, Kratz' main claim to fame seems to be a very old school Giants thing for Clubhouse Chemistry. Oh, and RHP Jose Lopez was DFA'd to make room for Kratz on the 40 man roster.
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/23/2019: Giants 3 D'Backs 2
The Giants closed out their 2019 Cactus League campaign with a win despite the roster churning around them. Key Lines:
Conner Joe LF/1B- 1 for 4. BA= .255. So Joe is what, 1 for 7 since the Giants acquired him? Another friendly reminder that an entire spring training performance is a terrible way to make these decisions much less 2 days worth.
Mac Williamson RF- 1 for 4, 3 K's. BA= .232. I wonder if Mac is feeling the pressure of all the roster churning? Things were not looking good after 3 K's in 3 AB's until he lined a single to CF in the 8'th. Did that single save his job?
Aramis Garcia 1B/C- 1 for 4. BA= .235. Aramis has to be a happy guy right now with a roster spot all but assured, at least until Stephen Vogt is ready to go.
Pablo Sandoval 3B- 2 for 2, 2B. BA= .262. Pabs says "I'm not going anywhere!"
Henry Ramos CF- 0 for 2, 2 BB. BA= .200. Ramos is the only players officially still on the spring roster besides Steven Duggar who has actually played CF.
Joe Panik 2B- 1 for 2. BA= .463. California Dreaming! Panik is primed for a breakout season!
Alen Hanson SS/2B/LF- 1 for 3, HR(2). BA= .180. Hanson has had a couple of big hits of late, but overall has not done much this spring. He demonstrates his versatility here.
Derek Holland LHP- 4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K, GO/AO= 6/0. ERA= 5.06. Tune-up start for Holland. Next start should be in San Diego.
Nick Vincent RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 4-1. ERA= 2.25. Vincent celebrates apparently winning a roster spot by pitching 2 scoreless frames.
Melvin Adon RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, Save(1). ERA= 4.15. Adon is on the Closer Track now.
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Up Next: The Giants break camp in Scottsdale and head home to begin the Bay Bridge Series against the A's with Dereck Rodriguez taking the mound tomorrow afternoon in Oakland.
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Roster Rumblings: The Giants moves continued at an almost frantic pace. First, OF Matt Joyce, who was only in camp for 3 days, was dealt to the Braves for cash considerations. Then, C Rene Rivera was surprisingly given his release which virtually guaranteed C Aramis Garcia would make the Opening Day roster as the backup catcher. Then the trades started. Farhan sent RHP Tyler Herb to the Orioles for OF Mike Yastrzemski. Both players are likely have AAA as their ceiling. Farhan wasn't done. Next, he acquired OF Michael Reed from the Twins for OF John Andreoli. Again, these are similar players but maybe Reed hits for a bit more power? Reed is apparently a 40 man roster player so LHP Steven Okert was DFA'd to make room. It looks like Reed has bounced up and down long enough that he is likely out of options. Seems like a good bet another team will claim Okert who has some upside as a lefty reliever.
What this all means for the final roster, I give up! We'll just sit back and marvel at how it unfolds!
Spring Training Update: Roster Rumblings
There is some churning going in in the Giants spring roster. Now, Farhan Zaidi came in with a reputation for roster churning in Oakland and LA, so maybe this is just the next iteration of that quirk. On the other hand, maybe there is some method behind the madness here too? The answer may lie in matchup analysis with the rest of the NL West.
There are a lot of left-handed pitchers in the NL West. League wide, about 25% of all pitchers throw from the south side of the mound. Looking over NL West Depth Charts, 4 of 5 projected SP's for the Padres are Lefties, 3 for the Dodgers, 2 for the Rockies and 1 for the D'Backs. 4 teams, 10 of 20 SP's are left-handed. Here's the matchup issue. Across most of MLB, it's an advantage to be a lefthanded batter because at least 3/4 of the pitchers you will face will be RH. That's not true in the NL West where it's 50/50.
That brings us to what's going on with the Giants roster. The Giants came into the offseason and spring training pretty much set at 5 positions, all 4 IF and C. 3 of those 5 players bat left-handed. Add in Steven Duggar, who has clearly won the starting CF job, and it makes 4 of 6. Now, Gerardo Parra has emerged as the apparent winner of the starting RF job and it's 5 of 7. This leaves Mac Williamson as the only player standing between the Giants and a lineup consisting of 6 of 8 LH batters and Mac's spring can be described as mediocre at best.
OK, you say, no worries. We'll just stack the bench with RH hitters and do a little platooning, you know, kind of like the Dodgers the last 2 years, Dodgers lite, if you will. So let's check in on how the bench is coming along. Hmm....Rene Rivera is the backup catcher and bats RH. First of all, Rivera is not known for his bat. Secondly, as a back up C, he's not always available as a PH. To top if off, the starter at C, Buster Posey, hits RH. The 2 leading reserve IF candidates are Pablo Sandoval and Yangervis Solarte. Both are switch-hitters, which is better than being strictly LH, but most switch-hitters hit better from the left side because that's where most of their reps come from. That leaves 1 or 2 reserve OF positions. Problem is all the RH batting candidates from early spring are gone. Drew Ferguson was sent back to the Astros, Cameron Maybin was released and Anthony Garcia was reassigned to minor league camp apparently due to issues with his defense. Which leaves....well, it leaves nobody who bats RH.
The best spring performance of the Motley Crew was from Mike Gerber. He bats LH. Henry Ramos is still in camp. He's a switch-hitter. Farhan brought in his old friend, Matt Joyce, who can hit, but he only plays corner OF and he hits LH. Which now leaves Connor Joe between the Giants and matchup hell. Joe can play 5 positions, but has no MLB experience and an up-and-down minor league track record. One big problem with Joe is he doesn't play CF, so the Giants would have to carry 5 bats off the bench if they keep both Sandoval and Mac which means they could only carry 12 pitchers when they have said they prefer to carry 13. Do the Giants really want to jump off a cliff and dump Sandoval or Mac for Connor Joe?
This may all work itself out in the end, or Farhan may still have an unlikely big trade up his sleeve, but right now it looks like he may have outsmarted himself and this roster is headed for an end-of-spring train wreck.
There are a lot of left-handed pitchers in the NL West. League wide, about 25% of all pitchers throw from the south side of the mound. Looking over NL West Depth Charts, 4 of 5 projected SP's for the Padres are Lefties, 3 for the Dodgers, 2 for the Rockies and 1 for the D'Backs. 4 teams, 10 of 20 SP's are left-handed. Here's the matchup issue. Across most of MLB, it's an advantage to be a lefthanded batter because at least 3/4 of the pitchers you will face will be RH. That's not true in the NL West where it's 50/50.
That brings us to what's going on with the Giants roster. The Giants came into the offseason and spring training pretty much set at 5 positions, all 4 IF and C. 3 of those 5 players bat left-handed. Add in Steven Duggar, who has clearly won the starting CF job, and it makes 4 of 6. Now, Gerardo Parra has emerged as the apparent winner of the starting RF job and it's 5 of 7. This leaves Mac Williamson as the only player standing between the Giants and a lineup consisting of 6 of 8 LH batters and Mac's spring can be described as mediocre at best.
OK, you say, no worries. We'll just stack the bench with RH hitters and do a little platooning, you know, kind of like the Dodgers the last 2 years, Dodgers lite, if you will. So let's check in on how the bench is coming along. Hmm....Rene Rivera is the backup catcher and bats RH. First of all, Rivera is not known for his bat. Secondly, as a back up C, he's not always available as a PH. To top if off, the starter at C, Buster Posey, hits RH. The 2 leading reserve IF candidates are Pablo Sandoval and Yangervis Solarte. Both are switch-hitters, which is better than being strictly LH, but most switch-hitters hit better from the left side because that's where most of their reps come from. That leaves 1 or 2 reserve OF positions. Problem is all the RH batting candidates from early spring are gone. Drew Ferguson was sent back to the Astros, Cameron Maybin was released and Anthony Garcia was reassigned to minor league camp apparently due to issues with his defense. Which leaves....well, it leaves nobody who bats RH.
The best spring performance of the Motley Crew was from Mike Gerber. He bats LH. Henry Ramos is still in camp. He's a switch-hitter. Farhan brought in his old friend, Matt Joyce, who can hit, but he only plays corner OF and he hits LH. Which now leaves Connor Joe between the Giants and matchup hell. Joe can play 5 positions, but has no MLB experience and an up-and-down minor league track record. One big problem with Joe is he doesn't play CF, so the Giants would have to carry 5 bats off the bench if they keep both Sandoval and Mac which means they could only carry 12 pitchers when they have said they prefer to carry 13. Do the Giants really want to jump off a cliff and dump Sandoval or Mac for Connor Joe?
This may all work itself out in the end, or Farhan may still have an unlikely big trade up his sleeve, but right now it looks like he may have outsmarted himself and this roster is headed for an end-of-spring train wreck.
Spring Training Game Wrap: Royals 15 Giants 3; Giants 6 Rockies 4
Game 1: Maybe it was the loooong bus ride to Surprise or maybe it was just a throwaway, get-your-work in start, but Madison Bumgarner was raked for 7 runs in 2 IP and the Royal overwhelmed the traveling half of the Giants split squad. Key Lines:
Henry Ramos CF- 1 for 1. BA= .250. Ramos hasn't had a great spring, but right now he's the only guy left in the major league camp behind Steven Duggar with any recent experience playing CF.
Alen Hanson SS- 0 for 4, 2 K's. BA= .170. Hanson has some speed and versatility, but since the All-Star Break last season, Hanson has pretty much not hit.
Pablo Sandoval 3B- 0 for 4. BA= .225. To many observers, Sandoval is the guy who went on the bubble with the Conner Joe trade. If so, he did not help his cause in this game. Quick reminder that spring training performance is a terrible way to make these decisions.
Mac Williamson LF- 0 for 3, 2 K's. BA= .231. Mac is the other guy who might have reason to worry about the Conner Joe trade. If so, he also didn't help himself here.
Mike Gerber RF- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .435. Gerber has played some CF, but like Steven Duggar, he bats lefthanded(more on that later). Was this a one-off gig because of the split squads or is he back in the picture?
Donovan Solano 2B- 1 for 3, HR(1), BB. BA= .250. Nobody is talking about Donovan Solano, but he's still in camp and has had come big hits this spring.
Aramis Garcia C- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .233. Aramis Garcia keeps getting hits when he has opportunities. Gotta be starting the season in AAA, though.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 8.27. Bummy has looked sharp up to now and he has these games once in awhile, so not worry. Besides, it was a loooonnnngggg bus ride to Surprise and a get-your-work in day to keep his arm loose for Opening Day.
Andrew Suarez LHP- 4 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 6/1. ERA= 6.06. Suarez continues to have really good secondary stats and a really bad ERA.
Trevor Gott RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. ERA= 0.00. Gott has certainly done everything you could ask to win a roster spot. This may come down to the Giants willingness or not to eat Mark Melancon's contract.
Steven Okert LHP- 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. ERA= 6.23. Barring a couple of late injuries, the odds were already long on Okert making the roster. He's out of options. This appearance did not enhance his trade value.
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Game 2: The two Venezuelans Pablo Sandoval recruited for the Giants, Gerardo Parra and Yangervis Solarte, tightened their grip on roster spots even as Pablo's appeared to be slipping away. Key Lines:
Gerardo Parra CF- 3 for 3, 3B. BA= .325. Parra has played sensational RF this spring while hitting well. He hasn't played CF for over 2 years and it showed tonight as he allowed a triple to get down that some observers felt Steven Duggar would have easily gotten too(I didn't see it).
Matt Joyce RF- 1 for 3. BA= .200. It's really tough to see how Matt Joyce fits on this roster as a LH batter who exclusively plays corner OF. On the other hand, the man can hit.
Yangervis Solarte DH- 1 for 3, HR(2). BA= .314. Solarte would seem to be a lock for 1 reserve IF slot. He's played a little OF too.
Conner Joe LF- 0 for 3. BA= .256. Everyone assumes Pablo's roster spot is on the bubble after the Conner Joe trade, but I think it might be Mac who has the most to worry about. The fact that Joe started in LF might tell us something here. Joe was hot early in the spring for the Reds, but has cooled off a lot, which may explain whey they were willing to trade him. He did not appear to be an upgrade on either Pablo or Mac in this game. Another quick reminder that spring training performance is a terrible way to make these decisions.
Chris Stratton RHP- 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 4.60. Stratton is definitely on the bubble. This performance may not have helped his cause.
Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 9.45. If the Giants are looking for reasons to keep Melancon, he gave them one here.
Pat Venditte LHP/RHP- 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 12.15. Nope, again.
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Derek Holland makes the Giants final Cactus League start for 2019 this afternoon against the D'Backs in Scottsdale facing LHP Robbie Ray.
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Earlier in the day, the Giants released OF Cameron Maybin who was brought in on a minor league deal to try to win a reserve OF role. He didn't hit and a DUI early in the spring probably did not help his cause. The Giants also reassigned C Joey Bart to minor league camp after a terrific spring for the 2018 first round draft pick. Don't worry. Bart will be back, if not in 2019 shortly thereafter.
Henry Ramos CF- 1 for 1. BA= .250. Ramos hasn't had a great spring, but right now he's the only guy left in the major league camp behind Steven Duggar with any recent experience playing CF.
Alen Hanson SS- 0 for 4, 2 K's. BA= .170. Hanson has some speed and versatility, but since the All-Star Break last season, Hanson has pretty much not hit.
Pablo Sandoval 3B- 0 for 4. BA= .225. To many observers, Sandoval is the guy who went on the bubble with the Conner Joe trade. If so, he did not help his cause in this game. Quick reminder that spring training performance is a terrible way to make these decisions.
Mac Williamson LF- 0 for 3, 2 K's. BA= .231. Mac is the other guy who might have reason to worry about the Conner Joe trade. If so, he also didn't help himself here.
Mike Gerber RF- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .435. Gerber has played some CF, but like Steven Duggar, he bats lefthanded(more on that later). Was this a one-off gig because of the split squads or is he back in the picture?
Donovan Solano 2B- 1 for 3, HR(1), BB. BA= .250. Nobody is talking about Donovan Solano, but he's still in camp and has had come big hits this spring.
Aramis Garcia C- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .233. Aramis Garcia keeps getting hits when he has opportunities. Gotta be starting the season in AAA, though.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 8.27. Bummy has looked sharp up to now and he has these games once in awhile, so not worry. Besides, it was a loooonnnngggg bus ride to Surprise and a get-your-work in day to keep his arm loose for Opening Day.
Andrew Suarez LHP- 4 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 6/1. ERA= 6.06. Suarez continues to have really good secondary stats and a really bad ERA.
Trevor Gott RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. ERA= 0.00. Gott has certainly done everything you could ask to win a roster spot. This may come down to the Giants willingness or not to eat Mark Melancon's contract.
Steven Okert LHP- 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. ERA= 6.23. Barring a couple of late injuries, the odds were already long on Okert making the roster. He's out of options. This appearance did not enhance his trade value.
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Game 2: The two Venezuelans Pablo Sandoval recruited for the Giants, Gerardo Parra and Yangervis Solarte, tightened their grip on roster spots even as Pablo's appeared to be slipping away. Key Lines:
Gerardo Parra CF- 3 for 3, 3B. BA= .325. Parra has played sensational RF this spring while hitting well. He hasn't played CF for over 2 years and it showed tonight as he allowed a triple to get down that some observers felt Steven Duggar would have easily gotten too(I didn't see it).
Matt Joyce RF- 1 for 3. BA= .200. It's really tough to see how Matt Joyce fits on this roster as a LH batter who exclusively plays corner OF. On the other hand, the man can hit.
Yangervis Solarte DH- 1 for 3, HR(2). BA= .314. Solarte would seem to be a lock for 1 reserve IF slot. He's played a little OF too.
Conner Joe LF- 0 for 3. BA= .256. Everyone assumes Pablo's roster spot is on the bubble after the Conner Joe trade, but I think it might be Mac who has the most to worry about. The fact that Joe started in LF might tell us something here. Joe was hot early in the spring for the Reds, but has cooled off a lot, which may explain whey they were willing to trade him. He did not appear to be an upgrade on either Pablo or Mac in this game. Another quick reminder that spring training performance is a terrible way to make these decisions.
Chris Stratton RHP- 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 4.60. Stratton is definitely on the bubble. This performance may not have helped his cause.
Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 9.45. If the Giants are looking for reasons to keep Melancon, he gave them one here.
Pat Venditte LHP/RHP- 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 12.15. Nope, again.
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Derek Holland makes the Giants final Cactus League start for 2019 this afternoon against the D'Backs in Scottsdale facing LHP Robbie Ray.
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Earlier in the day, the Giants released OF Cameron Maybin who was brought in on a minor league deal to try to win a reserve OF role. He didn't hit and a DUI early in the spring probably did not help his cause. The Giants also reassigned C Joey Bart to minor league camp after a terrific spring for the 2018 first round draft pick. Don't worry. Bart will be back, if not in 2019 shortly thereafter.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/21/2019: Giants 5 Cubs 5
Jeff Samardzija had another strong start supported by more hot hitting from Steven Duggar and Brandon Belt. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .368. Duggar just keeps raking and against MLB quality pitching. Today both hits came of Cubs SP Kyle Hendricks. sfgiants.com also reports he made a catch against the wall off Kris Bryant.
Brandon Belt 1B- 1 for 3, HR(4). BA= .472. Please stay healthy!
Evan Longoria 3B- 2 for 3. BA= .351. Longoria has quietly had a strong spring.
Mac Williamson LF- 1 for 4. BA= .245. The long knives seem to out for Mac but is Conner Joe really more likely to break out?
Aramis Garcia C- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .222. Despite the low BA, I think Aramis is leaving a positive impression from his spring.
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 6/2. ERA= 2.84. Shark looks ready to attack. What a difference from last spring. Now, stay healthy!
Travis Bergen LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. Seems like Bergen has to have made the roster, no?
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Giants split the squad tomorrow with Madison Bumgarner making the trek to Surprise to face the Royals and Chris Stratton staying in Scottsdale to face the Rockies, both evening games.
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Some roster movement today. OF Anthony Garcia was reassigned to minor league camp. Rule 5 Draft pick, Drew Ferguson, was Designated for Assignment. The Giants can either trade him to another team, work out a trade for him with the Astros which would allow the Giants to send him to the minors, or they can offer him back to the Astros for $50 K. I had high hopes for Ferguson, so this is a disappointment for me. Can't honestly say the Giants should keep him on the MLB roster though.
In a related move, the Giants traded RHP Jordan Johnson to the Reds for another Rule 5 draftee, Utility Man, Connor Joe. Joe is 26 years old and was drafted out of Univ. of San Diego in 2014 by the Pirates. He has played 1B, 2B, 3B, and both corner OF positions in the minors. He hitting lost traction in the mid-minors and he was traded to the Braves for Sean Rodriguez. The Braves flipped him a year later to the Dodgers for international bonus pool money. He kind of broke out last year for the Dodgers hitting .304 for AA Tulsa and .294 for Oklahoma City Dodgers with 17 dingers between the two levels. He was left unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft and was selected by the Reds. Joe has had a strong spring for the Reds hitting .275/.356/.450. It seems unlikely the Giants would make this trade just to turn around and offer him back to the Dodgers, but who is bumped off the roster bubble with this move, and is he really an upgrade over whoever gets bumped?
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .368. Duggar just keeps raking and against MLB quality pitching. Today both hits came of Cubs SP Kyle Hendricks. sfgiants.com also reports he made a catch against the wall off Kris Bryant.
Brandon Belt 1B- 1 for 3, HR(4). BA= .472. Please stay healthy!
Evan Longoria 3B- 2 for 3. BA= .351. Longoria has quietly had a strong spring.
Mac Williamson LF- 1 for 4. BA= .245. The long knives seem to out for Mac but is Conner Joe really more likely to break out?
Aramis Garcia C- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .222. Despite the low BA, I think Aramis is leaving a positive impression from his spring.
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 6/2. ERA= 2.84. Shark looks ready to attack. What a difference from last spring. Now, stay healthy!
Travis Bergen LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. Seems like Bergen has to have made the roster, no?
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Giants split the squad tomorrow with Madison Bumgarner making the trek to Surprise to face the Royals and Chris Stratton staying in Scottsdale to face the Rockies, both evening games.
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Some roster movement today. OF Anthony Garcia was reassigned to minor league camp. Rule 5 Draft pick, Drew Ferguson, was Designated for Assignment. The Giants can either trade him to another team, work out a trade for him with the Astros which would allow the Giants to send him to the minors, or they can offer him back to the Astros for $50 K. I had high hopes for Ferguson, so this is a disappointment for me. Can't honestly say the Giants should keep him on the MLB roster though.
In a related move, the Giants traded RHP Jordan Johnson to the Reds for another Rule 5 draftee, Utility Man, Connor Joe. Joe is 26 years old and was drafted out of Univ. of San Diego in 2014 by the Pirates. He has played 1B, 2B, 3B, and both corner OF positions in the minors. He hitting lost traction in the mid-minors and he was traded to the Braves for Sean Rodriguez. The Braves flipped him a year later to the Dodgers for international bonus pool money. He kind of broke out last year for the Dodgers hitting .304 for AA Tulsa and .294 for Oklahoma City Dodgers with 17 dingers between the two levels. He was left unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft and was selected by the Reds. Joe has had a strong spring for the Reds hitting .275/.356/.450. It seems unlikely the Giants would make this trade just to turn around and offer him back to the Dodgers, but who is bumped off the roster bubble with this move, and is he really an upgrade over whoever gets bumped?
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/20/2019: Giants 13 Indians 0
The Giants abused a traveling half of a split squad Indians team with a steady stream of hits to back the no-hit pitching of Drew Pomeranz. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .343. Barring injury, Duggar has his starting CF gig wrapped up. Here he doubled in the middle of the Giants 5-run 4'th inning.
Joe Panik 2B- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .472. Joe Panik's hot spring continues.
Buster Posey C- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .259. Buster's bat is coming alive with steadier playing time late in the spring. He stayed behind the plate late into this one.
Brandon Belt 3 for 3, 2B, HR(3), HBP. BA= .485. Belt is en fuego and feeling good. He also had a disastrous attempt at standup comedy in a dugout interview with Amy G. Don't quit your day job, Belt!
Pablo Sandoval 3B- 1 for 1, 2B, HBP. BA= .265. Pablo hit a loud double into he LF corner batting RH. That may have taken him a long way toward nailing down a roster spot.
Gerardo Parra RF- 1 for 2, 3B, Assist(home). BA= .270. Not sure why Parra's arm has been such a well kept secret, but he's creating a buzz with a series of amazing throws this spring. He made a believer out of me when he came up throwing here on a SF attempt and had Tyler Naquin out by about 20 feet. Naquin is not a slow runner either.
Yangervis Solarte LF- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .311. Solarte played LF in this one. Are the Giants just creating versatility or are they thinking of starting him out there? He's had a strong spring at the plate.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 1 for 1, BB. BA= 1.000. Pomeranz looked like he wants to challenge Bummy for best hitting pitcher on the team with a drive off the wall in RF. He runs about as fast as Bum too as he was held to a single.
Mac Williamson PH/LF- 0 for 2. BA= .244. Mac was a bit snakebit as he scorched a drive down the line that was snagged by the 3B. It feels like his hold on the starting LF job is starting to slip away even thought he's been hitting better lately.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 1 K. ERA= 3.21. The K's and BB's were ugly but he made up for that by not allowing a hit. Gotta remember this was a traveling split-squad team he was facing. On the other hand, the FB looked sharp at 92 MPH, although the curverball was hanging up.
Steven Okert LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 5.63. Tough to see the Giants finding a roster spot for Okert but he looked really impressive albeit against 3 scrubs in a blowout game. Also tough to see him clearing waivers if it comes to that.
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Jeff Samardzija makes his 5'th spring start on the road against the Cubs in an afternoon game.
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The Giants optioned RHP Tyler Beede and RHP Ray Black to minor league camp. Good chance we'll see both again before the season is done.
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Farhan Zaidi made good on his promise of bringing in a RH hitting OF with some pop when he signed Adam Jo.....wait! What? Oh sorry. Jones went to the D'Backs on a minor league, yes minor league deal. Hey, his fielding isn't what it was and there's not a great track record on free agents who sign late. What Farhan actually did was dip into his impressive surplus of pitching to trade for......oh, sorry again. He brought in Matt Joyce on a minor league deal. Matt Joyce! Joyce is coming off an injury plagued season and was released by the Indians after a cold spring. He did hit 25 dingers for the A's in 2017, so maybe there is something in the tank.
Look, I'm not saying this is a bad deal but I'm still waiting for Farhan to make a move that impresses me. I'm still waiting for something besides rifling through his rolodex for old contacts from the A's and Dodgers.
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .343. Barring injury, Duggar has his starting CF gig wrapped up. Here he doubled in the middle of the Giants 5-run 4'th inning.
Joe Panik 2B- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .472. Joe Panik's hot spring continues.
Buster Posey C- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .259. Buster's bat is coming alive with steadier playing time late in the spring. He stayed behind the plate late into this one.
Brandon Belt 3 for 3, 2B, HR(3), HBP. BA= .485. Belt is en fuego and feeling good. He also had a disastrous attempt at standup comedy in a dugout interview with Amy G. Don't quit your day job, Belt!
Pablo Sandoval 3B- 1 for 1, 2B, HBP. BA= .265. Pablo hit a loud double into he LF corner batting RH. That may have taken him a long way toward nailing down a roster spot.
Gerardo Parra RF- 1 for 2, 3B, Assist(home). BA= .270. Not sure why Parra's arm has been such a well kept secret, but he's creating a buzz with a series of amazing throws this spring. He made a believer out of me when he came up throwing here on a SF attempt and had Tyler Naquin out by about 20 feet. Naquin is not a slow runner either.
Yangervis Solarte LF- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .311. Solarte played LF in this one. Are the Giants just creating versatility or are they thinking of starting him out there? He's had a strong spring at the plate.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 1 for 1, BB. BA= 1.000. Pomeranz looked like he wants to challenge Bummy for best hitting pitcher on the team with a drive off the wall in RF. He runs about as fast as Bum too as he was held to a single.
Mac Williamson PH/LF- 0 for 2. BA= .244. Mac was a bit snakebit as he scorched a drive down the line that was snagged by the 3B. It feels like his hold on the starting LF job is starting to slip away even thought he's been hitting better lately.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 1 K. ERA= 3.21. The K's and BB's were ugly but he made up for that by not allowing a hit. Gotta remember this was a traveling split-squad team he was facing. On the other hand, the FB looked sharp at 92 MPH, although the curverball was hanging up.
Steven Okert LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 5.63. Tough to see the Giants finding a roster spot for Okert but he looked really impressive albeit against 3 scrubs in a blowout game. Also tough to see him clearing waivers if it comes to that.
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Jeff Samardzija makes his 5'th spring start on the road against the Cubs in an afternoon game.
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The Giants optioned RHP Tyler Beede and RHP Ray Black to minor league camp. Good chance we'll see both again before the season is done.
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Farhan Zaidi made good on his promise of bringing in a RH hitting OF with some pop when he signed Adam Jo.....wait! What? Oh sorry. Jones went to the D'Backs on a minor league, yes minor league deal. Hey, his fielding isn't what it was and there's not a great track record on free agents who sign late. What Farhan actually did was dip into his impressive surplus of pitching to trade for......oh, sorry again. He brought in Matt Joyce on a minor league deal. Matt Joyce! Joyce is coming off an injury plagued season and was released by the Indians after a cold spring. He did hit 25 dingers for the A's in 2017, so maybe there is something in the tank.
Look, I'm not saying this is a bad deal but I'm still waiting for Farhan to make a move that impresses me. I'm still waiting for something besides rifling through his rolodex for old contacts from the A's and Dodgers.
Monday, March 18, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/18/2019: Giants 5 White Sox 2
A 2-run dinger in the first inning by Yonder Alonso accounted for the only runs allowed by Giants pitching. Their spotty hitting was enough to give them the win against the ChiSox at Camelback Ranch. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 3. BA= .344. Dugger's bat has really caught fire. Today it paid off with an announcement that he will be the CF on Opening Day. Woo Hoo! Congrats to Steven Duggar with hopes and wishes for a terrific season.
Mac Williamson LF- 1 for 4. BA= .256. Mac seems to be hitting just enough to give him the inside track for the starting LF gig, but there's still noise about acquiring another OF before the season starts. Watch those waiver wires!
Gerardo Parra RF- 0 for 2, Assist(3B). BA= .257. Parra seems to be the favorite to win the starting RF job. If he does, it might be on the strength of his left arm which apparently is reminiscent of Melky Cabrera's except Parra is a bit faster and can cover RF in AT&T. Hey, if he can flag down drive in Triples Alley and gun down runners trying to take 3B, I'll take whatever he can hit.
Tyler Beede RHP- 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 6.10. The ERA is not really indicative of how Beede has pitched this spring. He reportedly looked strong again today in spite of Alonso taking him deep to the opposite field.
Travis Bergen LHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 0.00. This outing has to all but sew up a roster spot for Bergen who would have to be offered back to the BJ's if it doesn't. No way is Farhan letting this find go!
Ty Blach LHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 3.09. I'm hoping Blach makes the roster too. Can't have too many lefties on the staff in a division with the Dodgers and Rockies leaning so far left.
Reyes Moronta RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 1.80. There has been talk of Moronta being optioned to make room for a pitcher who doesn't. Reyes ain't havin' it!
Trevor Gott RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(2). ERA= 0.00. Bochy is sure acting like he's auditioning Gott to be the Closer, 2 Saves and another game finished that ended in a tie, all with a zero ERA. I don't see how Mark Melancon starts the season on the active roster even if the Giants carry 8 relievers.
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The Giants get tomorrow off, then play split squad games on Wednesday with Drew Pomeranz scheduled to pitch.
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The Giants reassigned IF Levi Michael and OF Mike Gerber to minor league camp. Gotta say, it seems like Gerber is getting the bad end of a raw deal here as he has clearly outplayed Maybin and Ferguson the other contenders for reserve OF who can play CF. Maybe the Giants are diggin' his D in CF?
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Anyone have the word on why Derek Holland didn't make his scheduled start today?
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 3. BA= .344. Dugger's bat has really caught fire. Today it paid off with an announcement that he will be the CF on Opening Day. Woo Hoo! Congrats to Steven Duggar with hopes and wishes for a terrific season.
Mac Williamson LF- 1 for 4. BA= .256. Mac seems to be hitting just enough to give him the inside track for the starting LF gig, but there's still noise about acquiring another OF before the season starts. Watch those waiver wires!
Gerardo Parra RF- 0 for 2, Assist(3B). BA= .257. Parra seems to be the favorite to win the starting RF job. If he does, it might be on the strength of his left arm which apparently is reminiscent of Melky Cabrera's except Parra is a bit faster and can cover RF in AT&T. Hey, if he can flag down drive in Triples Alley and gun down runners trying to take 3B, I'll take whatever he can hit.
Tyler Beede RHP- 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 6.10. The ERA is not really indicative of how Beede has pitched this spring. He reportedly looked strong again today in spite of Alonso taking him deep to the opposite field.
Travis Bergen LHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 0.00. This outing has to all but sew up a roster spot for Bergen who would have to be offered back to the BJ's if it doesn't. No way is Farhan letting this find go!
Ty Blach LHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 3.09. I'm hoping Blach makes the roster too. Can't have too many lefties on the staff in a division with the Dodgers and Rockies leaning so far left.
Reyes Moronta RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 1.80. There has been talk of Moronta being optioned to make room for a pitcher who doesn't. Reyes ain't havin' it!
Trevor Gott RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(2). ERA= 0.00. Bochy is sure acting like he's auditioning Gott to be the Closer, 2 Saves and another game finished that ended in a tie, all with a zero ERA. I don't see how Mark Melancon starts the season on the active roster even if the Giants carry 8 relievers.
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The Giants get tomorrow off, then play split squad games on Wednesday with Drew Pomeranz scheduled to pitch.
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The Giants reassigned IF Levi Michael and OF Mike Gerber to minor league camp. Gotta say, it seems like Gerber is getting the bad end of a raw deal here as he has clearly outplayed Maybin and Ferguson the other contenders for reserve OF who can play CF. Maybe the Giants are diggin' his D in CF?
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Anyone have the word on why Derek Holland didn't make his scheduled start today?
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/17/2019: Giants 7 Royals 2
Madison Bumgarner was in vintage midseason form and the Giants took advantage of some sloppy fielding by the Royals to break a 1-1 tie in the 8'th inning. Key Lines:
Buster Posey C- 1 for 3. BA= .217. The most important stat here is 6 innings behind the plate for the second game in a row. Buster will get a couple of days to recuperate then ramp up again for Opening Day.
Brandon Belt 1B- 3 for 3, 2B. BA= .433. Belt has been hot all spring and has stayed hot. Does he still have a breakout season in him?
Evan Longoria 3B- 2 for 3. BA= .323. Longoria understandably seems a lot more comfortable this spring. I think there is some bounceback potential here.
Cameron Maybin CF- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .167. Maybin, Ferguson, Gerber and Henry Ramos are in the running for 4'th OF. Who is your pick? Who is Farhan and Bochy's pick? Are Farhan and Bochy's picks the same guy?
Mike Gerber RF- 1 for 1. BA= .421. Gerber has swung the best bat out of the Motley Crew this spring and he can play CF, at least as a backup. But....he bats left-handed. Should that matter?
Steven Vogt PH- 1 for 1. BA= .538. Vogt started the 8'th inning rally with a single to CF. He'll start the season in extended ST and the minors to get fully physically prepared. Good bet we'll see him in SF before the season is over.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 6/3. ERA= 5.79. Bummy looks like he's ready to start the season. He'll get one more tuneup next Saturday which he said will likely be about 4 IP.
Sam Dyson RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 1.80. Dyson has looked strong this spring.
Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K. ERA= 11.12. Mark Melancon, on the other hand, has looked terrible this spring. This game does not help. Wish I could say he's a veteran pitcher rounding into form, but there is no sign of that at all. Given his recent history, you have to be very concerned this is the new normal for him.
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Derek Holland will make his 5th spring start tomorrow afternoon against the ChiSox at Camelback Ranch.
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As expected, Joey Bart won the Barney Nugent Award for most impressive player in their first camp.
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Willie Mays and Gaylord Perry stopped by the clubhouse to talk to the players. Look up the photo on sfgiants.com. and look at how big Willie's hands are.
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Unlike recent years, the Giants had a winning Investor's Weekend and made it through without any serious injuries. No major injury setbacks so far this spring. That is the best news of all!
Buster Posey C- 1 for 3. BA= .217. The most important stat here is 6 innings behind the plate for the second game in a row. Buster will get a couple of days to recuperate then ramp up again for Opening Day.
Brandon Belt 1B- 3 for 3, 2B. BA= .433. Belt has been hot all spring and has stayed hot. Does he still have a breakout season in him?
Evan Longoria 3B- 2 for 3. BA= .323. Longoria understandably seems a lot more comfortable this spring. I think there is some bounceback potential here.
Cameron Maybin CF- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .167. Maybin, Ferguson, Gerber and Henry Ramos are in the running for 4'th OF. Who is your pick? Who is Farhan and Bochy's pick? Are Farhan and Bochy's picks the same guy?
Mike Gerber RF- 1 for 1. BA= .421. Gerber has swung the best bat out of the Motley Crew this spring and he can play CF, at least as a backup. But....he bats left-handed. Should that matter?
Steven Vogt PH- 1 for 1. BA= .538. Vogt started the 8'th inning rally with a single to CF. He'll start the season in extended ST and the minors to get fully physically prepared. Good bet we'll see him in SF before the season is over.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 6/3. ERA= 5.79. Bummy looks like he's ready to start the season. He'll get one more tuneup next Saturday which he said will likely be about 4 IP.
Sam Dyson RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 1.80. Dyson has looked strong this spring.
Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K. ERA= 11.12. Mark Melancon, on the other hand, has looked terrible this spring. This game does not help. Wish I could say he's a veteran pitcher rounding into form, but there is no sign of that at all. Given his recent history, you have to be very concerned this is the new normal for him.
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Derek Holland will make his 5th spring start tomorrow afternoon against the ChiSox at Camelback Ranch.
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As expected, Joey Bart won the Barney Nugent Award for most impressive player in their first camp.
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Willie Mays and Gaylord Perry stopped by the clubhouse to talk to the players. Look up the photo on sfgiants.com. and look at how big Willie's hands are.
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Unlike recent years, the Giants had a winning Investor's Weekend and made it through without any serious injuries. No major injury setbacks so far this spring. That is the best news of all!
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/16/2019: Giants 10 Padres 3
6 of the Giants 8 position starters today will probably be out there on Opening Day and they.....well, they performed they way it's drawn up jumping out to a 9-1 lead by the 6'th inning and cruising the rest of the way to a Win. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 4. BA= .310. Duggar is swinging a hot bat and quickly erasing doubts about being the starting CF on Opening Day.
Joe Panik 2B- 3 for 3, BB. BA= .517. Panik started the spring hot and has never cooled off. Is this the year he wins a batting title? California Dreaming!
Buster Posey C- 2 for 4, 3B. BA= .200. Yeah you read the 3B right. Buster hit a soft liner into the L-CF gap that Josh Naylor whiffed. Buster chugged around the bases while the CF chased it down. On top of that, Buster caught 6 innings and the plan is for him to catch again tomorrow.
Brandon Crawford SS- 3 for 4, 2B. BA= .200. Crawford is another regular who's scuffled. Hey! I've always said its way better to get hot at the end of spring training than the beginning!
Pablo Sandoval 1B- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .241. Pabs is going to be the reserve CI.
Yangervis Solarte 3B- 2 for 4. BA= .308. Solarte is going to be the reserve MI.
Gerardo Parra RF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB. BA= .273. Parra will likely be the starting RF but played LF today while Mac DH'd and Maybin played RF.
Mac Williamson DH- 2 for 4. BA= .256. Mac has raised his BA over the past several games. Maybe he's heating up just in time?
Cameron Maybin RF- 0 for 4. BA= .154. Hmm.... maybe Maybin isn't the 4'th OF? Giants are sure acting like they want him to be.
Andrew Suarez LHP- 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 5.11. Pretty good outing for Suarez who will start the season in Sacramento.
Chris Stratton RHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 4.50. Stratton can be maddeningly inconsistent, but there's enough upside I don't want to see him go to another organization. Ty Blach doesn't have the eye-popping stuff or stats but he's a lefty who can go multiple innings and he owns the Dodgers. I say keep 'em both!
Tony Watson/Will Smith LHP's- 1 scoreless IP each. The lefty pair are scheduled to work B2B games for the first time this spring with round 2 tomorrow.
Steven Okert LHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 6.43. I am not sure if Okert has an option or not, but he doesn't have a ghost of a chance of making the team what with Smith, Watson, Bergen and Blach all ahead off him on the lefty reliever depth chart. I have to say, Okert's ups and downs have not come at the right time for him.
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Madison Bumgarner makes his 5'th Start of the spring tomorrow against the Royals and Brad Keller in Scottsdale. Expect a significant cutdown after tomorrow's game. It's getting serious now.
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 4. BA= .310. Duggar is swinging a hot bat and quickly erasing doubts about being the starting CF on Opening Day.
Joe Panik 2B- 3 for 3, BB. BA= .517. Panik started the spring hot and has never cooled off. Is this the year he wins a batting title? California Dreaming!
Buster Posey C- 2 for 4, 3B. BA= .200. Yeah you read the 3B right. Buster hit a soft liner into the L-CF gap that Josh Naylor whiffed. Buster chugged around the bases while the CF chased it down. On top of that, Buster caught 6 innings and the plan is for him to catch again tomorrow.
Brandon Crawford SS- 3 for 4, 2B. BA= .200. Crawford is another regular who's scuffled. Hey! I've always said its way better to get hot at the end of spring training than the beginning!
Pablo Sandoval 1B- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .241. Pabs is going to be the reserve CI.
Yangervis Solarte 3B- 2 for 4. BA= .308. Solarte is going to be the reserve MI.
Gerardo Parra RF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB. BA= .273. Parra will likely be the starting RF but played LF today while Mac DH'd and Maybin played RF.
Mac Williamson DH- 2 for 4. BA= .256. Mac has raised his BA over the past several games. Maybe he's heating up just in time?
Cameron Maybin RF- 0 for 4. BA= .154. Hmm.... maybe Maybin isn't the 4'th OF? Giants are sure acting like they want him to be.
Andrew Suarez LHP- 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 5.11. Pretty good outing for Suarez who will start the season in Sacramento.
Chris Stratton RHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 4.50. Stratton can be maddeningly inconsistent, but there's enough upside I don't want to see him go to another organization. Ty Blach doesn't have the eye-popping stuff or stats but he's a lefty who can go multiple innings and he owns the Dodgers. I say keep 'em both!
Tony Watson/Will Smith LHP's- 1 scoreless IP each. The lefty pair are scheduled to work B2B games for the first time this spring with round 2 tomorrow.
Steven Okert LHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 6.43. I am not sure if Okert has an option or not, but he doesn't have a ghost of a chance of making the team what with Smith, Watson, Bergen and Blach all ahead off him on the lefty reliever depth chart. I have to say, Okert's ups and downs have not come at the right time for him.
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Madison Bumgarner makes his 5'th Start of the spring tomorrow against the Royals and Brad Keller in Scottsdale. Expect a significant cutdown after tomorrow's game. It's getting serious now.
Friday, March 15, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/15/2019: Giants 5 Angels 5
Giants and Angels battled to a tie in Scottsdale as Jeff Samardzija continued to ramp up for a bounceback season. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 4. BA= .280. Duggar's bat has been showing signs of life and he had a multi-hit game today. He appears to be closing in on a starting CF gig.
Brandon Belt 1B- 2 for 2. BA= .370. If Belt can just stay healthy all season, I really think the rest will take care of itself. It may be too late to realistically think about a breakout season for him, but I think his peak season might still be in front of him.
Anthony Garcia LF- 1 for 2, HR(2), BB, SF. BA= .226. Gotta wonder if Garcia could snatch a starting LF job away from Mac. His minor league numbers are impressive. Boch seems impressed with the bat, but sounded unconvinced about the D.
Henry Ramos DH- 2 for 4. BA= .267. Heliot's big bro has been quietly have better games at the plate. If there is a 5'th OF job to be had, Henry might be pulling ahead of Drew Ferguson.
Drew Ferguson RF/CF- 0 for 4. BA= .115. Ouch! Gotta say, I was impressed by Ferguson's minor league stats, but he has not found traction at the plate this spring. Maybe if Farhan likes him, he can work out a trade or cash deal with the Astros to keep him and send him to Sacramento to get the bat going?
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 Ks, GO/AO= 8/3. Shark actually allowed 2 runs in 5 IP, but was pulled when he gave up a leadoff single to start the 6'th inning. That runner came around to score when Ty Blach brought his gas can with him in relief.
Ty Blach LHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 3.48. There was some BABIP luck going here and a fielding error by Anthony Garcia in LF didn't help matters. Blach settled down and went 2 innings. For some reason, I like Blach better in the swingman role than Chris Stratton, but like Stratton better as 5'th SP.
Trevor Gott RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. Gott has been finishing a lot of games. This one was impressive because he started the top of the 9'th in a tie game with a runner on 2B and he left that runner stranded with 2 K's and a flyout.
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Andrew Suarez will start tomorrow's game against the Padres in Scottsdale opposing RHP Cal Quantrill.
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The Giants dropped their spring roster by 4 players by exercising options LHP/RHP Pat Venditte, OF Austin Slater and RHP Derek Law. They also reassigned IF Zach Green who has some impressive moments at the plate this spring.
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 4. BA= .280. Duggar's bat has been showing signs of life and he had a multi-hit game today. He appears to be closing in on a starting CF gig.
Brandon Belt 1B- 2 for 2. BA= .370. If Belt can just stay healthy all season, I really think the rest will take care of itself. It may be too late to realistically think about a breakout season for him, but I think his peak season might still be in front of him.
Anthony Garcia LF- 1 for 2, HR(2), BB, SF. BA= .226. Gotta wonder if Garcia could snatch a starting LF job away from Mac. His minor league numbers are impressive. Boch seems impressed with the bat, but sounded unconvinced about the D.
Henry Ramos DH- 2 for 4. BA= .267. Heliot's big bro has been quietly have better games at the plate. If there is a 5'th OF job to be had, Henry might be pulling ahead of Drew Ferguson.
Drew Ferguson RF/CF- 0 for 4. BA= .115. Ouch! Gotta say, I was impressed by Ferguson's minor league stats, but he has not found traction at the plate this spring. Maybe if Farhan likes him, he can work out a trade or cash deal with the Astros to keep him and send him to Sacramento to get the bat going?
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 Ks, GO/AO= 8/3. Shark actually allowed 2 runs in 5 IP, but was pulled when he gave up a leadoff single to start the 6'th inning. That runner came around to score when Ty Blach brought his gas can with him in relief.
Ty Blach LHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 3.48. There was some BABIP luck going here and a fielding error by Anthony Garcia in LF didn't help matters. Blach settled down and went 2 innings. For some reason, I like Blach better in the swingman role than Chris Stratton, but like Stratton better as 5'th SP.
Trevor Gott RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. Gott has been finishing a lot of games. This one was impressive because he started the top of the 9'th in a tie game with a runner on 2B and he left that runner stranded with 2 K's and a flyout.
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Andrew Suarez will start tomorrow's game against the Padres in Scottsdale opposing RHP Cal Quantrill.
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The Giants dropped their spring roster by 4 players by exercising options LHP/RHP Pat Venditte, OF Austin Slater and RHP Derek Law. They also reassigned IF Zach Green who has some impressive moments at the plate this spring.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/14/2019: D'Backs 3 Giants 0
The Giants continued a disheartening trend which is rapidly turning ominous as they mustered just 3 hits and 4 baserunners against the D'Back at Salt River Fields. Key Lines:
Joe Panik, Evan Longoria, Mac Williamson- 1 hit each with a 2B for Longoria.
Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 4.15. DRod looks like he's right no schedule. Tough to win when your team backs you with 0 runs, though.
Travis Bergen LHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 3/1. ERA= 0.00. If Bergen doesn't make the roster, you have to wonder why Farhan bothered to participate in the Rule 5 Draft. He's had a tremendous spring.
Mark Melancon RHP-1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K. ERA= 11.57. Last appearance was somewhat encouraging with 3 GB outs. This one, not so much. Ugh! At this point, Melancon is really starting to look like a sunk cost.
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The Giants play the Angels in Scottsdale tomorrow afternoon with Jeff Samardzija facing lefty Dillon Peters.
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Clarification on the 3-batter rule to take effect in 2020. A pitcher must face at least 3 batters except for injury or finishing a inning.
Joe Panik, Evan Longoria, Mac Williamson- 1 hit each with a 2B for Longoria.
Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 4.15. DRod looks like he's right no schedule. Tough to win when your team backs you with 0 runs, though.
Travis Bergen LHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 3/1. ERA= 0.00. If Bergen doesn't make the roster, you have to wonder why Farhan bothered to participate in the Rule 5 Draft. He's had a tremendous spring.
Mark Melancon RHP-1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K. ERA= 11.57. Last appearance was somewhat encouraging with 3 GB outs. This one, not so much. Ugh! At this point, Melancon is really starting to look like a sunk cost.
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The Giants play the Angels in Scottsdale tomorrow afternoon with Jeff Samardzija facing lefty Dillon Peters.
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Clarification on the 3-batter rule to take effect in 2020. A pitcher must face at least 3 batters except for injury or finishing a inning.
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/13/2019: Mariners 8 Giants 4
A 20 MPH wind was blowing out to RF at game time so the only surprise here is the score wasn't a lot higher. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 4. BA= .238. I don't have a game log for spring training but this is at least a 2 game hit streak for Duggar.
Mac Williamson LF- 1 for 4. BA= .212. Mac drove in 2 runs with a single in the 3-run 3'rd inning.
Aramis Garcia 1B- 0 for 2, 2 BB. BA= .190. Aramis is hitting just .190 but his OBP is a more respectable .320.
Rene Rivera C- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .364. Rivera as reserve C with Aramis Garcia starting the season in Sacramento is probably what makes the most sense. Of note though is Buster Posey was scratched from a DH role in this game due to "general soreness" in the hip area after catching 5 innings the night before.
Austin Slater DH- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .192. There is an opportunity for Slater to grab at least a platoon role in RF if he can hit a lick over the next week.
Derek Holland LHP- 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 5.25. The secondary stats look good and the wind was howling.
Tyler Beede RHP 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, 2 WP. ERA= 5.40. Rough outing for Beede. We'll chalk this one up to the wind, but can he bounce back?
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It's D'Rod's turn to start today against the D'Backs at Salt River Fields.
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MLB and the MLBPA agreed to a couple of immediate rule changes affecting rosters. For 2019, the waiver trade deadline of August 31 will be eliminated so all trading will cease after July 31. Then, in 2020, rosters will expand to 26 with a maximum of 13 pitchers. September rosters will shrink from 40 to 28 with a maximum of 14 pitchers. I am in favor of both of these rules changes.
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 4. BA= .238. I don't have a game log for spring training but this is at least a 2 game hit streak for Duggar.
Mac Williamson LF- 1 for 4. BA= .212. Mac drove in 2 runs with a single in the 3-run 3'rd inning.
Aramis Garcia 1B- 0 for 2, 2 BB. BA= .190. Aramis is hitting just .190 but his OBP is a more respectable .320.
Rene Rivera C- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .364. Rivera as reserve C with Aramis Garcia starting the season in Sacramento is probably what makes the most sense. Of note though is Buster Posey was scratched from a DH role in this game due to "general soreness" in the hip area after catching 5 innings the night before.
Austin Slater DH- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .192. There is an opportunity for Slater to grab at least a platoon role in RF if he can hit a lick over the next week.
Derek Holland LHP- 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 5.25. The secondary stats look good and the wind was howling.
Tyler Beede RHP 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, 2 WP. ERA= 5.40. Rough outing for Beede. We'll chalk this one up to the wind, but can he bounce back?
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It's D'Rod's turn to start today against the D'Backs at Salt River Fields.
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MLB and the MLBPA agreed to a couple of immediate rule changes affecting rosters. For 2019, the waiver trade deadline of August 31 will be eliminated so all trading will cease after July 31. Then, in 2020, rosters will expand to 26 with a maximum of 13 pitchers. September rosters will shrink from 40 to 28 with a maximum of 14 pitchers. I am in favor of both of these rules changes.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/12/2019: Giants 4 Brewers 2
Madison Bumgarner pitched all 5 innings of a rain shortened game and drove in a run for good measure. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 3, 3B. BA= .235. Duggar shows off his extra base skill. He also reached base on a error and drove in a run on a fielder's choice. He's had a slow start to the spring. Hopefully he heats is up as the weather warms up.
Gerardo Parra RF- 2 for 3. BA= .296. Parra is looking like the starting RF which is probably an upgrade on last year, but a bit disappointing.
Brandon Belt 1B- 1 for 2, HR(2). BA= .364. Belt just needs to stay healthy for once.
Alen Hanson 2B- 1 for 2. BA= .179. Hanson is the forgotten man. It's pretty hard to see how he makes the team at this point.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 1 for 2. BA= .500. Bummy was swinging a hot bat in the first AB's for a Giants pitcher this spring. He lined out on a 3-1 pitch and then singled up the middle in the Giants 4-run rally in the 4'th inning.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 5/3. ERA= 8.25. Fairly strong start for Bummy. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the 4'th but gave up a 2-run dinger in the 5'th. The game was called as soon as he finished the 5'th inning.
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Derek Holland makes his 4'th start of the spring agains the Mariners in Peoria. Drew Pomeranz will pitch in a minor league game.
Steven Duggar CF- 1 for 3, 3B. BA= .235. Duggar shows off his extra base skill. He also reached base on a error and drove in a run on a fielder's choice. He's had a slow start to the spring. Hopefully he heats is up as the weather warms up.
Gerardo Parra RF- 2 for 3. BA= .296. Parra is looking like the starting RF which is probably an upgrade on last year, but a bit disappointing.
Brandon Belt 1B- 1 for 2, HR(2). BA= .364. Belt just needs to stay healthy for once.
Alen Hanson 2B- 1 for 2. BA= .179. Hanson is the forgotten man. It's pretty hard to see how he makes the team at this point.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 1 for 2. BA= .500. Bummy was swinging a hot bat in the first AB's for a Giants pitcher this spring. He lined out on a 3-1 pitch and then singled up the middle in the Giants 4-run rally in the 4'th inning.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 5/3. ERA= 8.25. Fairly strong start for Bummy. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the 4'th but gave up a 2-run dinger in the 5'th. The game was called as soon as he finished the 5'th inning.
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Derek Holland makes his 4'th start of the spring agains the Mariners in Peoria. Drew Pomeranz will pitch in a minor league game.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/11/2019: Giants 4 Dodgers 1
Joey Bart broke a 1-1 tie in the 9'th inning with a resounding 3-run double to back another strong performance by Giants pitchers. Key Lines:
Joey Bart- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .500. OK, can we find a leftfielder's glove and just let the Joey Bart Era start on Opening Day? I mean, how good is this kid, anyway? And how great is it to hit a 3-run double in the 9'th to beat the Dodgers?
Chris Stratton RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 5.40. Strong start for Stratton who is out of options so there is a looming big decision for the Giants.
Nick Vincent RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 2/0. ERA= 4.91. Interesting veteran reliever but where are the Giants going to put him?
Ty Blach LHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.24. Giants play the Dodgers 7 games by May 1. Can we please keep Ty Blach around at least until then? He is kryptonite for the Bums.
Trevor Gott RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. Is Trevor Gott a dark horse to not just make the team but be the closer? He has finished both of his last 2 appearances.
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Madison Bumgarner makes his 4'th start of the spring tonight against the Brewers in Scottsdale.
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The Giants optioned RHP Shaun Anderson, OF Chris Shaw, IF Abiatal Avelino, IF Ryder Jones, IF Breyvic Valera and RHP Sam Coonrod to minor league camp. They also reassigned RHP Enderson Franco and RHP Keyvius Sampson to minor league camp. They still have 20 cuts to go to get to an Opening Day roster of 25.
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C Steven Vogt took a big step caching 5 innings in a minor league game. He has been one of the Giants best hitters this spring out of the DH slot.
Joey Bart- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .500. OK, can we find a leftfielder's glove and just let the Joey Bart Era start on Opening Day? I mean, how good is this kid, anyway? And how great is it to hit a 3-run double in the 9'th to beat the Dodgers?
Chris Stratton RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 5.40. Strong start for Stratton who is out of options so there is a looming big decision for the Giants.
Nick Vincent RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 2/0. ERA= 4.91. Interesting veteran reliever but where are the Giants going to put him?
Ty Blach LHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.24. Giants play the Dodgers 7 games by May 1. Can we please keep Ty Blach around at least until then? He is kryptonite for the Bums.
Trevor Gott RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. Is Trevor Gott a dark horse to not just make the team but be the closer? He has finished both of his last 2 appearances.
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Madison Bumgarner makes his 4'th start of the spring tonight against the Brewers in Scottsdale.
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The Giants optioned RHP Shaun Anderson, OF Chris Shaw, IF Abiatal Avelino, IF Ryder Jones, IF Breyvic Valera and RHP Sam Coonrod to minor league camp. They also reassigned RHP Enderson Franco and RHP Keyvius Sampson to minor league camp. They still have 20 cuts to go to get to an Opening Day roster of 25.
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C Steven Vogt took a big step caching 5 innings in a minor league game. He has been one of the Giants best hitters this spring out of the DH slot.
Monday, March 11, 2019
Scouting the 2019 Draft: Quin Cotton
Quin Cotton, OF, College(Grand Canyon). B-R, T-R. 5'11", 175 lbs.
2018(College): .390/.462/.573, 19 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 13 SB, 8.03 BB%, 10.95 K%, 274 PA.
2019(College): .300/.391/.476, 5 2B, 3B, HR, 2 SB, 8.70 BB%, 11.59 K%, 69 PA.
2016(PG League): .314/.387/.446, 8 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 8 SB, 11.19 BB%, 12.59 K%, 143 PA.
2017(Alaska League): .331/.356/.474, 12 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 11 SB, 2.45 BB%, 2.45 K%, 163 PA.
20018(Cape Cod League): .286/.344/.367, 8 2B, 3 3B, 3 SB, 6.10 BB%, 17.07 K%, 164 PA.
Quin Cotton is a name to remember for a potential Giants 2'nd round pick. He's a compact, athletic OF who is a high contact hitter at the plate with gap power and some speed. He comes from the same school as Giants 2018 3'rd round pick, Jake Wong. Of particular note are his excellent performances with wood bats although some scouts may be turned off by his low walk rates. He seems like a player the old scouting regime would like better than the new one. He is ranked outside the top 50 draft prospects by both MLB Pipeline and Fangraphs. I have seen at least one mock draft in which he goes to the Giants in Round 2.
2018(College): .390/.462/.573, 19 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 13 SB, 8.03 BB%, 10.95 K%, 274 PA.
2019(College): .300/.391/.476, 5 2B, 3B, HR, 2 SB, 8.70 BB%, 11.59 K%, 69 PA.
2016(PG League): .314/.387/.446, 8 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 8 SB, 11.19 BB%, 12.59 K%, 143 PA.
2017(Alaska League): .331/.356/.474, 12 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 11 SB, 2.45 BB%, 2.45 K%, 163 PA.
20018(Cape Cod League): .286/.344/.367, 8 2B, 3 3B, 3 SB, 6.10 BB%, 17.07 K%, 164 PA.
Quin Cotton is a name to remember for a potential Giants 2'nd round pick. He's a compact, athletic OF who is a high contact hitter at the plate with gap power and some speed. He comes from the same school as Giants 2018 3'rd round pick, Jake Wong. Of particular note are his excellent performances with wood bats although some scouts may be turned off by his low walk rates. He seems like a player the old scouting regime would like better than the new one. He is ranked outside the top 50 draft prospects by both MLB Pipeline and Fangraphs. I have seen at least one mock draft in which he goes to the Giants in Round 2.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/10/2019: Rangers 7 Giants 6; A's 5 Giants 4
The Giants dropped a pair on a split-squad day, but at least there were some encouraging performances in the process. Key Lines:
Scottsdale Game: Rangers 7 Giants 6
Rene Rivera C- 2 for 2, 2 2B. BA= .400. Backup catcher job is Rivera's to lose. So far, he's not losing it.
Joey Bart C- 2 for 3. BA= .462. I can't get enough of Joey Bart! He is making a convincing case for being the Giants Catcher of the Future. Hope he's not so good the Giants assign him to AA instead of SJ. I want to see him play in the minors.
Joe Panik 2B- 2 for 3. BA= .500. Panik continues to swing a hot bat in his bid for a bounceback season.
Jalen Miller PR/2B- 1 for 2. BA= .750. Jalen Miller continues to impress when he gets the chance.
Mike Gerber PR/DH- 1 for 2, 3B. BA= .429. Remember when everybody was so excited when Gerber was one of Farhan's first acquisitions? He's kind of the forgotten guy now, but has hit well in a SSS.
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 1.04. 2 of the 3 hits Shark allowed were off the bat of Hunter Pence including a dinger in his second AB. Pence got a standing O from the Scottsdale crowd and Shark was all over it. You don't suppose......
Pat Venditte RHP/LHP- 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 0 K. ERA= 12.60. The switch-pitcher stranded a runner he inherited from Shark, but got shelled in the 5'th inning.
Sam Coonrod RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. I guess I should have ranked him somewhere in my Top 50 Prospects.
Ramos Bros OF's- This was the first game in which Henry and Heliot Ramos played together in the same OF as pros. That's pretty great!
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Away Game: A's 5 Giants 4
Cameron Maybin CF- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .222. After a slow start, Maybin has been making a case to stick on the roster since his DUI arrest.
Aramis Garcia C- 2 for 4, HR(2). BA= .222. It was a pretty good day for Giants catchers. Aramis Garcia showed the toonder in his bat with a loud dinger off the scoreboard up on the berm behind LF. His other hit was a vicious line drive to LF.
Anthony Garcia DH- 2 for 4, 3B. BA= .200. The other A Garcia in camp had a nice day at the plate too.
Dylan Davis RF- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .500. Is this the season Dylan Davis finally finds some traction?
Travis Bergen LHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. If Bergen doesn't make the team, you have to wonder why they bothered participating in the Rule 5 draft at all.
Steven Okert LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 5.40. Steven Okert says, "hey, don't forget about me!"
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Chris Stratton gets a chance to turn his spring around tomorrow afternoon against the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch.
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The Giants optioned RHP's Melvin Adon and Jose Lopez trimming the spring training roster to 53.
Scottsdale Game: Rangers 7 Giants 6
Rene Rivera C- 2 for 2, 2 2B. BA= .400. Backup catcher job is Rivera's to lose. So far, he's not losing it.
Joey Bart C- 2 for 3. BA= .462. I can't get enough of Joey Bart! He is making a convincing case for being the Giants Catcher of the Future. Hope he's not so good the Giants assign him to AA instead of SJ. I want to see him play in the minors.
Joe Panik 2B- 2 for 3. BA= .500. Panik continues to swing a hot bat in his bid for a bounceback season.
Jalen Miller PR/2B- 1 for 2. BA= .750. Jalen Miller continues to impress when he gets the chance.
Mike Gerber PR/DH- 1 for 2, 3B. BA= .429. Remember when everybody was so excited when Gerber was one of Farhan's first acquisitions? He's kind of the forgotten guy now, but has hit well in a SSS.
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 1.04. 2 of the 3 hits Shark allowed were off the bat of Hunter Pence including a dinger in his second AB. Pence got a standing O from the Scottsdale crowd and Shark was all over it. You don't suppose......
Pat Venditte RHP/LHP- 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 0 K. ERA= 12.60. The switch-pitcher stranded a runner he inherited from Shark, but got shelled in the 5'th inning.
Sam Coonrod RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. I guess I should have ranked him somewhere in my Top 50 Prospects.
Ramos Bros OF's- This was the first game in which Henry and Heliot Ramos played together in the same OF as pros. That's pretty great!
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Away Game: A's 5 Giants 4
Cameron Maybin CF- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .222. After a slow start, Maybin has been making a case to stick on the roster since his DUI arrest.
Aramis Garcia C- 2 for 4, HR(2). BA= .222. It was a pretty good day for Giants catchers. Aramis Garcia showed the toonder in his bat with a loud dinger off the scoreboard up on the berm behind LF. His other hit was a vicious line drive to LF.
Anthony Garcia DH- 2 for 4, 3B. BA= .200. The other A Garcia in camp had a nice day at the plate too.
Dylan Davis RF- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .500. Is this the season Dylan Davis finally finds some traction?
Travis Bergen LHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. If Bergen doesn't make the team, you have to wonder why they bothered participating in the Rule 5 draft at all.
Steven Okert LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 5.40. Steven Okert says, "hey, don't forget about me!"
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Chris Stratton gets a chance to turn his spring around tomorrow afternoon against the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch.
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The Giants optioned RHP's Melvin Adon and Jose Lopez trimming the spring training roster to 53.
Thoughts on Openers: Situations
It's be awhile since I posted my first Thoughts on Openers. Just to recap, I related a game from the 1960's where Giants Manager, Herman Franks, used is LOOGY, Bill Henry, to open the second game of a doubleheader against the Reds. He faced 2 batters before the "real" starter, Bobby Bolin, came in and promptly gave up a double and 2 WP's probably because he wasn't used to the routine. Trying to deke your opposing manager into altering his lineup by starting your LOOGY is bush league and basically isn't going to work. Are there some situations where a well planned "opener" strategy might produce better results than the traditional starting rotation plan?
First of all, there are not enough roster spots to use an Opener every game. That would tie up at least 2 and probably 3 of your relievers as Openers and leave just 4 or 5 for all the rest of the back-end innings. Yes, your "starters" might be more likely to get into the 7'th or 8'th innings but there are no guarantees and they would still have to get through the lineup the same number of times.
One obvious situation where you might want to go with an "opener" strategy is if you are facing a platoon heavy team. Let's say your scheduled SP is, say, Chris Stratton and the opposing manager has a lefty-heavy platoon he can put out there. He's not going to change that for LOOGY he knows is only going to face 1-3 batters, but what if you ran Ty Blach out there to open the game? Blach is a guy who can go at least once through a lineup and face both lefty and righty batters. This creates a dilemma for the opposing manager. If he keeps his lefty-heavy lineup, Blach has a matchup advantage for 3 or 4 innings. If he puts his RH lineup in to counter Blach, Stratton enters the game earlier. If he replaces his RH hitters with a lefty platoon, then he's used his entire bench by the 2'nd inning.
Here's another one. Let's say your SP is Stratton or DRod and the opposing team has 3 LH hitters in the top 4 lineup spots and 1 LH hitter in the last 5 spots. Why not bring in, say, Tony Watson as an "opener" to fact the first 4 batters? From that point, 9 of the next 14 batters are RH. You then bring in your RHP "starter" to face those 14 batters then make your next decision after that?
That's about it. I don't think you want to be fooling around with "openers" when your ace is the scheduled SP. You obviously can't do it every game or you burn out your bullpen. I do think there are selected situations where it can give you an advantage. Can you think of other situations where it might work?
First of all, there are not enough roster spots to use an Opener every game. That would tie up at least 2 and probably 3 of your relievers as Openers and leave just 4 or 5 for all the rest of the back-end innings. Yes, your "starters" might be more likely to get into the 7'th or 8'th innings but there are no guarantees and they would still have to get through the lineup the same number of times.
One obvious situation where you might want to go with an "opener" strategy is if you are facing a platoon heavy team. Let's say your scheduled SP is, say, Chris Stratton and the opposing manager has a lefty-heavy platoon he can put out there. He's not going to change that for LOOGY he knows is only going to face 1-3 batters, but what if you ran Ty Blach out there to open the game? Blach is a guy who can go at least once through a lineup and face both lefty and righty batters. This creates a dilemma for the opposing manager. If he keeps his lefty-heavy lineup, Blach has a matchup advantage for 3 or 4 innings. If he puts his RH lineup in to counter Blach, Stratton enters the game earlier. If he replaces his RH hitters with a lefty platoon, then he's used his entire bench by the 2'nd inning.
Here's another one. Let's say your SP is Stratton or DRod and the opposing team has 3 LH hitters in the top 4 lineup spots and 1 LH hitter in the last 5 spots. Why not bring in, say, Tony Watson as an "opener" to fact the first 4 batters? From that point, 9 of the next 14 batters are RH. You then bring in your RHP "starter" to face those 14 batters then make your next decision after that?
That's about it. I don't think you want to be fooling around with "openers" when your ace is the scheduled SP. You obviously can't do it every game or you burn out your bullpen. I do think there are selected situations where it can give you an advantage. Can you think of other situations where it might work?
Saturday, March 9, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/9/2019: Cubs 8 Giants 0
Ugh. The hardest part of blogging is writing up a game wrap on a stinker like this. What can I say? The Giants were dominated in every phase of the game, and it was in Scottsdale. Key Lines:
Drew Ferguson CF- 1 for 3, BB, SB(3). BA= .167. Still rooting for Fergie to make this team, one way or the other. Not the greatest of lines but the best on the day for Giants hitters.
Brandon Belt 1B- 1 for 2, BB. BA= .389. Belt was the only other Giants batter to reach base twice.
Henry Ramos PH/DH- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .176. Only XBH of the game for the Giants.
Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 5.40. This is a better line than the R and ER allowed would make you think. DRod was actually dominant, as you can see from the K's and BB's, except for a run of bad BABIP luck in the 2'nd inning in which he allowed all 4 hits. 3 of them were groundballs through the IF with one ticking off the glove of Brandon Crawford. After the game, Bruce Bochy announced that DRod would be part of the rotation. Barring injury, of course, the other 4 would seem to be locked in including Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, Derek Holland and Drew Pomeranz. That leaves Chris Stratton fighting for his place on the roster as a long reliever as he is out of options.
Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 3/0. ERA= 9.82. Maybe their is hope for Melancon? The GB's are encouraging.
*********************************************************************************
The Giants split the squad tomorrow with Jeff Samardzija staying in Scottsdale to face the Rangers and Drew Smyly. Andrew Suarez makes the trek to Mesa for face Jesus Luzardo and the A's.
*********************************************************************************
The Giants did more trimming of the squad as they sent RHP Carlos Navas and RHP Kieren Lovegrove to minor league camp. The Giants need to trim 30 more by Opening Day to get down to a 25 man active roster.
Drew Ferguson CF- 1 for 3, BB, SB(3). BA= .167. Still rooting for Fergie to make this team, one way or the other. Not the greatest of lines but the best on the day for Giants hitters.
Brandon Belt 1B- 1 for 2, BB. BA= .389. Belt was the only other Giants batter to reach base twice.
Henry Ramos PH/DH- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .176. Only XBH of the game for the Giants.
Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 5.40. This is a better line than the R and ER allowed would make you think. DRod was actually dominant, as you can see from the K's and BB's, except for a run of bad BABIP luck in the 2'nd inning in which he allowed all 4 hits. 3 of them were groundballs through the IF with one ticking off the glove of Brandon Crawford. After the game, Bruce Bochy announced that DRod would be part of the rotation. Barring injury, of course, the other 4 would seem to be locked in including Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, Derek Holland and Drew Pomeranz. That leaves Chris Stratton fighting for his place on the roster as a long reliever as he is out of options.
Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 3/0. ERA= 9.82. Maybe their is hope for Melancon? The GB's are encouraging.
*********************************************************************************
The Giants split the squad tomorrow with Jeff Samardzija staying in Scottsdale to face the Rangers and Drew Smyly. Andrew Suarez makes the trek to Mesa for face Jesus Luzardo and the A's.
*********************************************************************************
The Giants did more trimming of the squad as they sent RHP Carlos Navas and RHP Kieren Lovegrove to minor league camp. The Giants need to trim 30 more by Opening Day to get down to a 25 man active roster.
Scouting the 2019 Draft: Matthew Lugo
Matthew Lugo, SS, HS(Puerto Rico). DOB: 5/9/2001. B-R, T-R. 6'1", 185 lbs.
Wiry strong Puerto Rico HS SS. Lugo has drawn comparisons to Carlos Correa, though he is not as big. Scouts are particularly impressed with his bat as he makes contact and hits for power from the right side. Scouts are more divided about whether he can stay at SS, but he seems to have the athleticism required for the position. Runs 6.46 60 yd dash. 90 MPH on IF throws and 95 MPH Exit velocity. MLB Pipeline has him ranked #32. Fangraphs # 48.
Wiry strong Puerto Rico HS SS. Lugo has drawn comparisons to Carlos Correa, though he is not as big. Scouts are particularly impressed with his bat as he makes contact and hits for power from the right side. Scouts are more divided about whether he can stay at SS, but he seems to have the athleticism required for the position. Runs 6.46 60 yd dash. 90 MPH on IF throws and 95 MPH Exit velocity. MLB Pipeline has him ranked #32. Fangraphs # 48.
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/8/2019: Giants 2 Indians 0
The Giants got terrific pitching from Drew Pomeranz, Derek Holland and Trevor Gott to overcome more weak hitting and shutout the Indians in Goodyear. Key Lines:
Steven Vogt DH- 2 for 2, BB. BA= .500. Has Vogt done any catching this spring? If he can play C defensively, he would seem to be winning the backup catcher job. If not, look for him to start the season on the DL.
Cameron Maybin RF- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .208. Bochy keeps writing Maybin's name into the starting lineup, which would seem to point to him having some sort of a leg up on a roster spot which would seem to be bad news for Drew Ferguson fans.
Joey Bart C- 0 for 1, BB. BA= .400. Bart drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the Giants second run.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 5.00. Pomeranz pitched 4 dominant innings which would seem to put him in the driver's seat for a rotation spot.
Derek Holland LHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.38. Holland came in and pitched another 4 dominant innings. The NL West is a very left-leaning division. Great to see the lefty pitchers doing well.
Trevor Gott RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. Probably still too early to read anything into this, but look who got to pitch in the Save situation. He closed it out too!
*********************************************************************************
The Giants host the Cubs in Scottsdale today with Dereck Rodriguez facing Cole Hamels.
*********************************************************************************
The Giants continued to whittle down the spring roster exercising options on RHP Logan Webb and RHP Merandy Gonzalez. They also reassigned OF John Andreoli, RHP Jandal Gustave(who?), SS Ryan Howard and C Hamlet Marte to minor league camp. Farhan traded C Cameron Rupp to the Tigers for cash. BTW, trades for cash are probably sometimes smart, but they sure are boring!
*********************************************************************************
The Independent Atlantic League and MLB announced a collaboration to pilot some rule changes in 2019:
1. Electronic assistance for the umpires on balls and strikes(yes please!).
2. No mound visits by players or coaches except to change pitchers and evaluate medical issues.(Possible safety issue if pitcher and catchers aren't on same signals?).
3. Pitchers must face a minimum of 3 batters or reach the end of the inning except for injury(I guess if you are so bad you can't face another batter, a trip to the DL to regroup might be in order anyway?).
4. Increase size of bases from 15 square inches to 18(safety issue but may possible increase SB's?).
5. Require 2 infielders and each side of 2B when a pitch is released. Penalty is ump calls a ball.(I'm OK with this. Extreme shifts have made the game more boring).
6. Time between innings and pitching changes reduced from 2.05 to 1.45.(I'm OK with this. Should speed up game and pitchers should already be warmed up).
7. Distance from pitching rubber to home plate extended to 62.5 ft and increase of 2 feet(I am in favor but maybe in increments of 6 inches over a 10 year period?). This one is by far the most controversial rule change. It could have profound unintended consequences ranging from pitcher injuries to changes in pitching repertoires. It will give hitters more time to read and react to a pitch but will also tend to increase late movement on pitches which could actually negatively impact contact. Yeah, 2 feet is a lot here!
Steven Vogt DH- 2 for 2, BB. BA= .500. Has Vogt done any catching this spring? If he can play C defensively, he would seem to be winning the backup catcher job. If not, look for him to start the season on the DL.
Cameron Maybin RF- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .208. Bochy keeps writing Maybin's name into the starting lineup, which would seem to point to him having some sort of a leg up on a roster spot which would seem to be bad news for Drew Ferguson fans.
Joey Bart C- 0 for 1, BB. BA= .400. Bart drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the Giants second run.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 5.00. Pomeranz pitched 4 dominant innings which would seem to put him in the driver's seat for a rotation spot.
Derek Holland LHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.38. Holland came in and pitched another 4 dominant innings. The NL West is a very left-leaning division. Great to see the lefty pitchers doing well.
Trevor Gott RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. Probably still too early to read anything into this, but look who got to pitch in the Save situation. He closed it out too!
*********************************************************************************
The Giants host the Cubs in Scottsdale today with Dereck Rodriguez facing Cole Hamels.
*********************************************************************************
The Giants continued to whittle down the spring roster exercising options on RHP Logan Webb and RHP Merandy Gonzalez. They also reassigned OF John Andreoli, RHP Jandal Gustave(who?), SS Ryan Howard and C Hamlet Marte to minor league camp. Farhan traded C Cameron Rupp to the Tigers for cash. BTW, trades for cash are probably sometimes smart, but they sure are boring!
*********************************************************************************
The Independent Atlantic League and MLB announced a collaboration to pilot some rule changes in 2019:
1. Electronic assistance for the umpires on balls and strikes(yes please!).
2. No mound visits by players or coaches except to change pitchers and evaluate medical issues.(Possible safety issue if pitcher and catchers aren't on same signals?).
3. Pitchers must face a minimum of 3 batters or reach the end of the inning except for injury(I guess if you are so bad you can't face another batter, a trip to the DL to regroup might be in order anyway?).
4. Increase size of bases from 15 square inches to 18(safety issue but may possible increase SB's?).
5. Require 2 infielders and each side of 2B when a pitch is released. Penalty is ump calls a ball.(I'm OK with this. Extreme shifts have made the game more boring).
6. Time between innings and pitching changes reduced from 2.05 to 1.45.(I'm OK with this. Should speed up game and pitchers should already be warmed up).
7. Distance from pitching rubber to home plate extended to 62.5 ft and increase of 2 feet(I am in favor but maybe in increments of 6 inches over a 10 year period?). This one is by far the most controversial rule change. It could have profound unintended consequences ranging from pitcher injuries to changes in pitching repertoires. It will give hitters more time to read and react to a pitch but will also tend to increase late movement on pitches which could actually negatively impact contact. Yeah, 2 feet is a lot here!
Friday, March 8, 2019
Blogger's Note: RIP Minor League Ball
I finally threw in the towel on John Sickels and Minor League Ball. Vox, who apparently owns SBNation, suddenly cancelled his contract to publish on their platform a few months ago. Not sure why, but even though the site was still worth checking on, the quality of the content deteriorated for a long time before that, IMO. John kept promising to post info on a new platform as a comment on his last post, but that kept being pushed back and at this point seems unlikely to happen so I am removing the link from the list of My Favorite Sites. I've checked in on his Twitter feed a few times. It seems to be writing a few posts for The Athletic, but it doesn't seem to be a full time gig. I hope he lands a good gig and wish him the best. My advice to him, for what it's worth, is to take a long look in the mirror and ask himself how badly he really wants to be blogging for a living. My best memories of John Sickels are from when he was posting profiles of underrated prospects for ESPN. I wish he would get back to that.
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/7/2019: A's 5 Giants 1
The A's had 7 XBH's to the Giants none, so the final score was probably closer than it should have been. Key Lines:
Joe Panik 2B- 3 for 3. BA= .571. Panik was leading off so 3 singles was doing his job.
Brandon Belt 1B- 2 for 3. BA= .375. If Belt is making contact, he should hit his share of dingers, so this is good too.
Cameron Maybin CF- 1 for 2, SB(1). BA= .143. DUI or no DUI, if Maybin makes this team and they send Drew Ferguson back to the Astros, I'll be disappointed.
Drew Ferguson CF- 1 for 1. BA= .133. Ferguson has been slow to get untracked at the plate, but has done other things well and really these things should not be decided by spring training performance.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 11.57. I didn't tune in until the 4'th inning but I am watching the 3'rd on video during Zaidi's interview. Bum seemed to be working more on offspeed stuff in this game. Kruk praised his use of the changeup during his quick game wrap on the MLB broadcast. I did see at least one pitch that registered 92 MPH.
Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. ERA= 13.50. Oh my! This was not good! Pitches with no life. Dingers flying out of the park. Farhan's brain has to be in overdrive thinking about how he can avoid just chalking Melancon's contract up to sunk cost. In today's game, you can't afford to carry a guy you can only use in garbage time on the roster. That's what Pablo Sandoval is for!
Sam Dyson RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 3.00. Dyson looked sharp in his inning of work.
Tyler Beede RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 1.29. Beede walked his first batter and it was "here we go" time, but he settled right down erasing that runner on a strike-out/throw-out and generally dominating for 2 more innings. He once again had the mid-high 90's FB that was sawing off bats and backed it up with a diving curveball and even broke out a few good change-ups. Where was this guy last year? What a transformation! The guy who had this name on the back of his uniform last year had 8 pitches none of which were "out" pitches. This year he has 3 pitches, but all 3 are "out" pitches! I still think he'll start the season in Sacramento, but if he keeps this up, he'll definitely be pitching in Oracle Park before the season is over.
*********************************************************************************
The Giants travel to Goodyear for a 5:00 PM game against the Indians with Drew Pomeranz getting his third spring start.
*********************************************************************************
Lots of chatter sprung up in response to some Farhan Zaidi comments about looking for an OF or two on the trade market. MCC did a nice breakdown of what might be available. For me, if he can figure out how to get Wil Myers, OK but otherwise, I'd be just as happy to roll with the Motley Crew and see what happens.
Joe Panik 2B- 3 for 3. BA= .571. Panik was leading off so 3 singles was doing his job.
Brandon Belt 1B- 2 for 3. BA= .375. If Belt is making contact, he should hit his share of dingers, so this is good too.
Cameron Maybin CF- 1 for 2, SB(1). BA= .143. DUI or no DUI, if Maybin makes this team and they send Drew Ferguson back to the Astros, I'll be disappointed.
Drew Ferguson CF- 1 for 1. BA= .133. Ferguson has been slow to get untracked at the plate, but has done other things well and really these things should not be decided by spring training performance.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 11.57. I didn't tune in until the 4'th inning but I am watching the 3'rd on video during Zaidi's interview. Bum seemed to be working more on offspeed stuff in this game. Kruk praised his use of the changeup during his quick game wrap on the MLB broadcast. I did see at least one pitch that registered 92 MPH.
Mark Melancon RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. ERA= 13.50. Oh my! This was not good! Pitches with no life. Dingers flying out of the park. Farhan's brain has to be in overdrive thinking about how he can avoid just chalking Melancon's contract up to sunk cost. In today's game, you can't afford to carry a guy you can only use in garbage time on the roster. That's what Pablo Sandoval is for!
Sam Dyson RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 3.00. Dyson looked sharp in his inning of work.
Tyler Beede RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 1.29. Beede walked his first batter and it was "here we go" time, but he settled right down erasing that runner on a strike-out/throw-out and generally dominating for 2 more innings. He once again had the mid-high 90's FB that was sawing off bats and backed it up with a diving curveball and even broke out a few good change-ups. Where was this guy last year? What a transformation! The guy who had this name on the back of his uniform last year had 8 pitches none of which were "out" pitches. This year he has 3 pitches, but all 3 are "out" pitches! I still think he'll start the season in Sacramento, but if he keeps this up, he'll definitely be pitching in Oracle Park before the season is over.
*********************************************************************************
The Giants travel to Goodyear for a 5:00 PM game against the Indians with Drew Pomeranz getting his third spring start.
*********************************************************************************
Lots of chatter sprung up in response to some Farhan Zaidi comments about looking for an OF or two on the trade market. MCC did a nice breakdown of what might be available. For me, if he can figure out how to get Wil Myers, OK but otherwise, I'd be just as happy to roll with the Motley Crew and see what happens.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Scouting the 2019 Draft: Logan Davidson
Logan Davidson, SS, College(Clemson). B-S, T-R. 6'3", 185 lbs.
2018 College: .292/.408/.544, 18 2B, 15 HR, 14.29 BB%, 22.59 K%, 301 PA.
2019 College: .270/.420/.676, 3 2B, 4 HR, 18.00 BB%, 28.00 K%, 50 PA.
Tall, thin athletic college SS with room to fill out his frame. Should be able to play the position in the pros despite is height. He's a 3-true-outcomes type with contact issues. Troubling to scouts is his .210 and .194 BA's in the Cape Cod League. MLB Pipeline has him ranked #29 while Fangraphs has him at #20 but with stock dropping.
2018 College: .292/.408/.544, 18 2B, 15 HR, 14.29 BB%, 22.59 K%, 301 PA.
2019 College: .270/.420/.676, 3 2B, 4 HR, 18.00 BB%, 28.00 K%, 50 PA.
Tall, thin athletic college SS with room to fill out his frame. Should be able to play the position in the pros despite is height. He's a 3-true-outcomes type with contact issues. Troubling to scouts is his .210 and .194 BA's in the Cape Cod League. MLB Pipeline has him ranked #29 while Fangraphs has him at #20 but with stock dropping.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/6/2019: Rangers 12 Giants 5
The Giants fell behind the Rangers early in Surprise......and kept falling farther behind. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 4, SB(2). BA= .286. Duggar is the odds on favorite to be the Giants starting CF on Opening Day. He strengthened those odds with this performance. Oh, and one of his outs was on a line drive to CF and one if his hits was a pop-up to SS that must have gotten lost in the sun.
Brandon Belt 1B- 2 for 3. BA= .308. Belt missed some time with an illness, but got back on track today.
Pablo Sandoval 3B- 1 for 2, BB, HR(1). BA= .167. Pabs hit his dinger from the right side.
Ryan Howard 2B- 2 for 2, 2B, E(3). BA= .400. Howard continues to swing a hot bat and struggle defensively.
Gerardo Parra RF- 2 for 3, HR(2). BA= .375. Parra may be winning the starting RF job because he is performing and nobody else is stepping up.
Chris Stratton RHP- 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 7.50. Stratton has a leg up on the 5'th SP job by virtue of being out of options, but he needs to find some consistency.
Ty Blach LHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 3/1. ERA= 4.50. Is Blach becoming a strikeout pitcher? He has 9 K's in 6 IP on the spring.
Travis Bergen LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. Rule 5 draftee, Bergen, is stating a strong case for the Giants to keep him on the 25 man roster for the season.
*********************************************************************************
Madison Bumgarner makes his 3'rd start of the spring against the A's in Scottsdale tomorrow evening.
*********************************************************************************
The Cuts are staring. RHP Sam Wolff, LHP Conner Menez and LHP Garrett Williams got the ax after the game today. 40 more to go to get to 25.
Steven Duggar CF- 2 for 4, SB(2). BA= .286. Duggar is the odds on favorite to be the Giants starting CF on Opening Day. He strengthened those odds with this performance. Oh, and one of his outs was on a line drive to CF and one if his hits was a pop-up to SS that must have gotten lost in the sun.
Brandon Belt 1B- 2 for 3. BA= .308. Belt missed some time with an illness, but got back on track today.
Pablo Sandoval 3B- 1 for 2, BB, HR(1). BA= .167. Pabs hit his dinger from the right side.
Ryan Howard 2B- 2 for 2, 2B, E(3). BA= .400. Howard continues to swing a hot bat and struggle defensively.
Gerardo Parra RF- 2 for 3, HR(2). BA= .375. Parra may be winning the starting RF job because he is performing and nobody else is stepping up.
Chris Stratton RHP- 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 7.50. Stratton has a leg up on the 5'th SP job by virtue of being out of options, but he needs to find some consistency.
Ty Blach LHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 3/1. ERA= 4.50. Is Blach becoming a strikeout pitcher? He has 9 K's in 6 IP on the spring.
Travis Bergen LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. Rule 5 draftee, Bergen, is stating a strong case for the Giants to keep him on the 25 man roster for the season.
*********************************************************************************
Madison Bumgarner makes his 3'rd start of the spring against the A's in Scottsdale tomorrow evening.
*********************************************************************************
The Cuts are staring. RHP Sam Wolff, LHP Conner Menez and LHP Garrett Williams got the ax after the game today. 40 more to go to get to 25.
Monday, March 4, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/4/2019: Dodgers 8 Giants 2
Jeff Samardzija pitched 3 innings of shutout ball but subsequent pitchers didn't fare so well and the Giants bats continued to struggle. Key Lines:
Cameron Maybin CF- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .105. Maybin got his first 2 hits of the spring after an 0 for 17 start.
Evan Longoria 3B- 1 for 2, HR(2). BA= .545. Longoria has been one of the few bright spots for Giants hitters this spring and continues his hot hitting.
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's. Shark looked sharp hitting 94 MPH on the radar gun. His comeback remains on track.
Mark Melancon RHP- 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K. ERA= 10.80. Not much to be encouraged about here for Melancon. If this continues, might Zaidi consider cutting his losses and releasing him?
Andrew Suarez LHP- 3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 7.20. Suarez continues a trend from last season in which his secondary numbers look better than his ERA. Will his luck eventually turn or is he a statistical outlier?
While it is true that spring training stats are meaningless, the sustained futility of the Giants offense has to be concerning.
*********************************************************************************
Giants have the day off tomorrow. Chris Stratton makes his 3'rd spring start on Wednesday facing the Rangers in a road game.
*********************************************************************************
The next shoe dropped in the Larry Baer fiasco. The Giants announced that Larry is taking a leave of absence from the Giants to deal with the situation. Meanwhile, day-to-day operations will be delegated to the Executive Team who will report directly to the Board of Directors. Since the prior structure had Farhan Zaidi reporting directly to Larry Baer, I presume this means Zaidi is in charge and reports to the Board? Wow! Unlike most of the Board members, Larry actually knew something about baseball and also had a team of advisors including Brian Sabean and Dusty Baker, so this is significant.
Cameron Maybin CF- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .105. Maybin got his first 2 hits of the spring after an 0 for 17 start.
Evan Longoria 3B- 1 for 2, HR(2). BA= .545. Longoria has been one of the few bright spots for Giants hitters this spring and continues his hot hitting.
Jeff Samardzija RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's. Shark looked sharp hitting 94 MPH on the radar gun. His comeback remains on track.
Mark Melancon RHP- 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K. ERA= 10.80. Not much to be encouraged about here for Melancon. If this continues, might Zaidi consider cutting his losses and releasing him?
Andrew Suarez LHP- 3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 7.20. Suarez continues a trend from last season in which his secondary numbers look better than his ERA. Will his luck eventually turn or is he a statistical outlier?
While it is true that spring training stats are meaningless, the sustained futility of the Giants offense has to be concerning.
*********************************************************************************
Giants have the day off tomorrow. Chris Stratton makes his 3'rd spring start on Wednesday facing the Rangers in a road game.
*********************************************************************************
The next shoe dropped in the Larry Baer fiasco. The Giants announced that Larry is taking a leave of absence from the Giants to deal with the situation. Meanwhile, day-to-day operations will be delegated to the Executive Team who will report directly to the Board of Directors. Since the prior structure had Farhan Zaidi reporting directly to Larry Baer, I presume this means Zaidi is in charge and reports to the Board? Wow! Unlike most of the Board members, Larry actually knew something about baseball and also had a team of advisors including Brian Sabean and Dusty Baker, so this is significant.
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/3/2019: Rockies 9 Giants 3
The Giants fell behind the Rockies early and got blown out in the 8'th inning just as it looked like they might make a game of it. Key Lines:
Mac Williamson LF- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .250. Giants accumulated 12 hits on the day, but Mac was the only one with more than one. One of them was a 2-bagger to boot.
Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 3.86. DRod threw well reportedly reaching 94 on the radar gun. He is coming along nicely in his quest to hang onto his rotation spot. That might still not be enough because options.
*********************************************************************************
Jeff Samardzija gets the start tomorrow afternoon agains the Dodgers in Scottsdale. Andrew Suarez, Mark Melancon, Sam Dyson, Carlos Navas and Garrett Williams are also slated to pitch.
Mac Williamson LF- 2 for 3, 2B. BA= .250. Giants accumulated 12 hits on the day, but Mac was the only one with more than one. One of them was a 2-bagger to boot.
Dereck Rodriguez RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 3.86. DRod threw well reportedly reaching 94 on the radar gun. He is coming along nicely in his quest to hang onto his rotation spot. That might still not be enough because options.
*********************************************************************************
Jeff Samardzija gets the start tomorrow afternoon agains the Dodgers in Scottsdale. Andrew Suarez, Mark Melancon, Sam Dyson, Carlos Navas and Garrett Williams are also slated to pitch.
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/2/2019: Giants 0 Ranger 0; Padres 7 Giants 6
It was a split squad doubleheader in Arizona with the Giants trading goose eggs the Rangers in Scottsdale and getting outscored by the Padres in Peoria. Key Lines:
Game 1:
Jalen Miller 2B- 2 for 2. BA= 1.000. I like split squad games because they bring over kids from the minor league complex so they have enough bodies to play 2 simultaneous games. Jalen Miller gets the cameo and was the only player on either team with 2 hits.
Derek Holland LHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R. 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 6.75. Much better second spring start for Holland against his old team.
Tony Watson/Will Smith/Reyes Moronta- 1 scoreless IP each. All 3 RP's make their spring debut. Watson and Moronta had 2 K's each, Smith 1. Moronta struck out Hunter Pence on 3 pitches. On last night's broadcast, Kruk was saying Moronta came to camp with a pretty good changeup which is a brand new 3'rd pitch for him. Can't wait to see that in action!
Travis Bergen LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. This was Bergen's 3'rd scoreless appearance of the spring. The 2 K's got him out of a 1-out, runners on 2'nd and 3'rd jam. He is making his case to stick on the 25 man roster as a Rule 5 draftee.
Logan Webb RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. This was Webb's second scoreless appearance of the spring.
*********************************************************************************
Game 2:
Drew Ferguson CF- 0 for 2, 2 BB, Assist(2B). Ferguson hasn't hit much but continues to display all-around skills. Will that be enough?
Aramis Garcia C- 1 for 2, HR(1), BB. BA= .200. Garcia smoked a double off the CF wall in last night's game and hits his first dinger of the spring today. Barring a setback for Buster Posey, Aramis will likely start the season in Sacramento, but there is toonder in the bat.
Zach Green 1B- 1 for 3, HR(2). BA= .308. Zach Green has been one of the better hitters out of the Motley Crew so far. Can he play 3B?
Jonah Arenado 1B- 1 for 1, HR(1). BA= 1.000. Arenado makes the most of his cameo. This is likely a make or break year for him.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 9.00. Still early, but Pomeranz needs to show he can bounce back from last season at some point in the spring.
Pat Venditte LHP/RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. 1 RH batter, 2 LH batters. 3'rd scoreless appearance of the spring for switch-pitcher Venditte.
Ray Black RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. Second scoreless appearance of the spring for Black. Heckuva fight brewing over the last RP slot or two.
*********************************************************************************
The Giants play just one game tomorrow, in Salt River Fields against the Rockies with Dereck Rodriguez making his second spring start.
Game 1:
Jalen Miller 2B- 2 for 2. BA= 1.000. I like split squad games because they bring over kids from the minor league complex so they have enough bodies to play 2 simultaneous games. Jalen Miller gets the cameo and was the only player on either team with 2 hits.
Derek Holland LHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R. 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 6.75. Much better second spring start for Holland against his old team.
Tony Watson/Will Smith/Reyes Moronta- 1 scoreless IP each. All 3 RP's make their spring debut. Watson and Moronta had 2 K's each, Smith 1. Moronta struck out Hunter Pence on 3 pitches. On last night's broadcast, Kruk was saying Moronta came to camp with a pretty good changeup which is a brand new 3'rd pitch for him. Can't wait to see that in action!
Travis Bergen LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. This was Bergen's 3'rd scoreless appearance of the spring. The 2 K's got him out of a 1-out, runners on 2'nd and 3'rd jam. He is making his case to stick on the 25 man roster as a Rule 5 draftee.
Logan Webb RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. This was Webb's second scoreless appearance of the spring.
*********************************************************************************
Game 2:
Drew Ferguson CF- 0 for 2, 2 BB, Assist(2B). Ferguson hasn't hit much but continues to display all-around skills. Will that be enough?
Aramis Garcia C- 1 for 2, HR(1), BB. BA= .200. Garcia smoked a double off the CF wall in last night's game and hits his first dinger of the spring today. Barring a setback for Buster Posey, Aramis will likely start the season in Sacramento, but there is toonder in the bat.
Zach Green 1B- 1 for 3, HR(2). BA= .308. Zach Green has been one of the better hitters out of the Motley Crew so far. Can he play 3B?
Jonah Arenado 1B- 1 for 1, HR(1). BA= 1.000. Arenado makes the most of his cameo. This is likely a make or break year for him.
Drew Pomeranz LHP- 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 9.00. Still early, but Pomeranz needs to show he can bounce back from last season at some point in the spring.
Pat Venditte LHP/RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00. 1 RH batter, 2 LH batters. 3'rd scoreless appearance of the spring for switch-pitcher Venditte.
Ray Black RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. Second scoreless appearance of the spring for Black. Heckuva fight brewing over the last RP slot or two.
*********************************************************************************
The Giants play just one game tomorrow, in Salt River Fields against the Rockies with Dereck Rodriguez making his second spring start.
Friday, March 1, 2019
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/1/2019: Giants 5 Reds 3
A mammoth home run by Chris Shaw in the 8'th inning broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Giants their 4'th spring training win in a row. Key Lines:
Steven Duggar CF- 0 for 1, BB, SB(1). BA= .000. Duggar made his spring debut and scored the Giants first run after drawing a walk with 1 out in the 3'rd inning. He stole 2B, took 3B on Joe Panik's bloop single and scored on a WP.
Joe Panik 2B- 1 for 2, BB. BA= .571. Panik seems to be in the Best Shape of His Life. He scored from first on a double to RF by Cameron Rupp.
Chris Shaw PH/DH- 1 for 2, HR(2). BA= .231. Shaw crushed a pitch from Odrisamer Despaigne down the RF line that went out into the Arizona night. As Kruk said, "he got both cheeks into that one!"
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 15.75. After giving up a leadoff HR to Jesse Winker, Bummy settled down and looked sharp. Take home message here is he consistently hit 92 MPH with the FB and his secondary stuff looked sharp.
Tyler Beede RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 2.25. Wow! Beede looked like a completely different pitcher from what we saw last year. He faltered a bit to begin his second inning of work but was otherwise outstanding. Key points: 1. His FB ranged from 95-98 MPH with command. 2. It looked like he might be throwing 2 versions of a curveball: a slow looper that he could drop into the strike zone and one with a harder downward break that he used as an out pitch. I didn't see a changeup that I could identify. 3. Last year he did not seem to have an "out" pitch. Tonight, he struck out Conner Joe with a nasty curveball in the dirt that Aramis Garcia couldn't handle and Joe reached base to lead off the 7'th and later score the run Beede allowed. Later, Beede spotted a 96 MPH bad boy above Nick Senzel's hands on the inside corner for his 4'th K of the night. Tyler Beede looked like a first round draft pick tonight!
Nick Vincent RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 0.00. Vincent allowed singles to the first two batters he faced then proceeded to strike out the side. He did it more with guile than stuff has the max velocity I saw was 89 but mostly 86-87 MPH.
*********************************************************************************
Giants split the squad tomorrow afternoon with Derek Holland getting the start in Scottsdale against the Rangers and Drew Pomeranz busing to Peoria to face the Padres.
*********************************************************************************
Ahem! Maybe Larry Baer was feeling frustrated and angry over losing out on the Bryce Harper bidding, but no, it's not OK to take it out on your wife! Apparently Larry and his wife, Pam, were out for a stroll or something and were sitting in some sort of plaza when they got into an argument over one her relatives. She grabbed his cellphone away from him. Maybe there is something on his cellphone he doesn't want her seeing, or maybe it was just the principle of the thing, but Larry aggressively went after the phone and tipped his wife's chair over in the process(apparently she is a bit unbalanced due to a recent foot injury). It was enough of an altercation that a couple of bystanders rushed over to intervene and someone else got it all on video which, of course, promptly found it's way to TMZ. Yikes!
OK, maybe this was just a one-off spat, and Pam is taking taking some of the responsibility for grabbing the phone away from him in the first place(although she low key mentioned that Larry can be a very intense guy). This is a huge problem for the Giants and MLB, though. For one, Larry is supposed to the the good owner after principle owner Charles Johnson was found to have contributed to a racist political organization. For another, MLB already has a well known domestic violence issue and has instituted a fairly strong system of accountability for perpetrators. I have to confess I am not sure what appropriate action is in this case, but I do know MLB will have to address it in some way. They cannot be seen as having a double standard for owners and players. This could have far-reaching consequences. For instance, what happens if a suspension is involved? Will this affect Larry's standing with the rest of the owners? Stay tuned!
Steven Duggar CF- 0 for 1, BB, SB(1). BA= .000. Duggar made his spring debut and scored the Giants first run after drawing a walk with 1 out in the 3'rd inning. He stole 2B, took 3B on Joe Panik's bloop single and scored on a WP.
Joe Panik 2B- 1 for 2, BB. BA= .571. Panik seems to be in the Best Shape of His Life. He scored from first on a double to RF by Cameron Rupp.
Chris Shaw PH/DH- 1 for 2, HR(2). BA= .231. Shaw crushed a pitch from Odrisamer Despaigne down the RF line that went out into the Arizona night. As Kruk said, "he got both cheeks into that one!"
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 15.75. After giving up a leadoff HR to Jesse Winker, Bummy settled down and looked sharp. Take home message here is he consistently hit 92 MPH with the FB and his secondary stuff looked sharp.
Tyler Beede RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 2.25. Wow! Beede looked like a completely different pitcher from what we saw last year. He faltered a bit to begin his second inning of work but was otherwise outstanding. Key points: 1. His FB ranged from 95-98 MPH with command. 2. It looked like he might be throwing 2 versions of a curveball: a slow looper that he could drop into the strike zone and one with a harder downward break that he used as an out pitch. I didn't see a changeup that I could identify. 3. Last year he did not seem to have an "out" pitch. Tonight, he struck out Conner Joe with a nasty curveball in the dirt that Aramis Garcia couldn't handle and Joe reached base to lead off the 7'th and later score the run Beede allowed. Later, Beede spotted a 96 MPH bad boy above Nick Senzel's hands on the inside corner for his 4'th K of the night. Tyler Beede looked like a first round draft pick tonight!
Nick Vincent RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 0.00. Vincent allowed singles to the first two batters he faced then proceeded to strike out the side. He did it more with guile than stuff has the max velocity I saw was 89 but mostly 86-87 MPH.
*********************************************************************************
Giants split the squad tomorrow afternoon with Derek Holland getting the start in Scottsdale against the Rangers and Drew Pomeranz busing to Peoria to face the Padres.
*********************************************************************************
Ahem! Maybe Larry Baer was feeling frustrated and angry over losing out on the Bryce Harper bidding, but no, it's not OK to take it out on your wife! Apparently Larry and his wife, Pam, were out for a stroll or something and were sitting in some sort of plaza when they got into an argument over one her relatives. She grabbed his cellphone away from him. Maybe there is something on his cellphone he doesn't want her seeing, or maybe it was just the principle of the thing, but Larry aggressively went after the phone and tipped his wife's chair over in the process(apparently she is a bit unbalanced due to a recent foot injury). It was enough of an altercation that a couple of bystanders rushed over to intervene and someone else got it all on video which, of course, promptly found it's way to TMZ. Yikes!
OK, maybe this was just a one-off spat, and Pam is taking taking some of the responsibility for grabbing the phone away from him in the first place(although she low key mentioned that Larry can be a very intense guy). This is a huge problem for the Giants and MLB, though. For one, Larry is supposed to the the good owner after principle owner Charles Johnson was found to have contributed to a racist political organization. For another, MLB already has a well known domestic violence issue and has instituted a fairly strong system of accountability for perpetrators. I have to confess I am not sure what appropriate action is in this case, but I do know MLB will have to address it in some way. They cannot be seen as having a double standard for owners and players. This could have far-reaching consequences. For instance, what happens if a suspension is involved? Will this affect Larry's standing with the rest of the owners? Stay tuned!
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