Wow! I am starting to get a feeling about this Giants pitching staff and it's not a bad one! Johnny Cueto RHP rolled back the years and found a peak career performance to outlast an equally electrifying Austin Gomber LHP who cracked first in the 7'th inning with 2 walks that scored on Brandon Crawford SS's game-winning double to the CF wall. Game Notes:
Cueto had a strong FB that reached 94 MPH and he pinpointed it to all quadrants of the strike zone while mixing up his velocities and tempo as only he can. We even saw a triple-shimmy that ended in a swinging strike 3! Cueto finally faltered a bit in the 9'th inning but by then the Giants had built a fairly safe 3-run lead.
Jake McGee LHP got his 3'rd Save on 3 pitches, all upper-90's FB's to K Sam Hilliard RF to end the game with a runner on first base.
Crawford's bases-loaded double was the big blow of the game and all Cueto/McGee needed. It was a huge flyball to the gap just to the right of straightaway CF and one-hopped against the fence. Alex Dickerson PH/LF who was the trailing runner starting at 1B held up at 3B. He and Crawford were left stranded but the Giants added on an insurance run in the 8'th which is probably what enabled Cueto to get a shot at a CG.
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The Giants have the 8'th best Team ERA in the major leagues at 3.05. Take out those 5 ER's from the bullpen meltdown on Opening Day and that comes all the way down to 2.36 for all other innings. Gotta think the hitting will catch up sooner or later.
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Logan Webb RHP tries to find his spring training magic tomorrow afternoon facing Chi Chi Gonzalez RHP
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Maria Guardado of sfgiants.com reports Alex Wood LHP pitched 3 innings of a scrimmage against the A's at Alternate Camp. He is expected to make one more longer start in camp before the Giants have to make a decision on activating him from the IL. With the Giants current 5 SP's going so well, it makes for some interesting decisions.
Buster and the Brandons went 4-8 with 2 of the 3 RBIs. (Giants were 1-20 otherwise, albeit, Dick! was 1-1 with the 3rd RBI.)
ReplyDeleteJohnny "Shimmy" can within an out of a CG.
Not bad for guys playing out their contracts.