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!