Game Wrap 5/31/2021: Giants 6 Angels 1

Johnny Cueto RHP pitched 7 innings of 1-run ball and the Giants offense continued to hit and hit for power in a dominant win over the LA team from Anaheim.  Game Notes:

The Angels were without their two top hitters as Mike Trout OF is on the IL and Shohei Ohtani DH is limited to PH duties in the NL crib.  Hey! The Giants have some pretty good players out with injuries too!

LOL Hunter Strickland RHP.  He enters the game for the Angels in the 7'th inning, gives up a walk and a ground-rule double before striking out Mike Tauchman PH/LF.  Genius Joe Madden brings in Jose Quijada LHP to face lefty hitting LaMonte Wade Jr 1B.  Kap brings in Wilmer Flores PH/1B to PH for Wade Jr.  Wild pitch/double and both of Strick's runners score.  Kap 1 Genius Joe 0!

Giants got HR's from Evan Longoria 3B(9), Wade Jr(1) and Mauricio Dubon 3B(4).  Unfortunately, Dubi replaced Longo because....wait for it....Longo felt tightness in his side!  Longo will get an MRI and likely sit out tomorrow plus the off-day Wednesday.  We'll see after that.  

Dubi had his second HR in as many games and is 4 for 9 over his last 3.  

Steven Duggar CF stayed hot with two hits and is hitting .400 over his last 7 games, .355 over his last 15.

Johnny Cueto gave up some hits here and there and had to pitch out of a major jam in the second, but was mostly sharp and got his FB above 94 MPH a couple of times.  If Cueto can stay healthy and on top of his game going forward, watch out for the Giants!  

Nick Tropeano RHP gave the rest of the bullpen a day off with 2 shutout innings to wrap it up.

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The Win vaulted the Giants back into first place in the NL West by 0.5 games over the Padres.  The Dodgers are in 3'rd place, 2.5 games behind pending the outcome of their evening game against the Cardinals.  Giants are 34-20.  That's 54 games played.  54X3=162. We're exactly 1/3 of the way through the season and the Giants have the best record in the NL and second best in MLB(Rays are 35-20).  

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Alex Wood LHP tries for a sweep of the two game series against the Angels tomorrow evening facing Andrew Heaney LHP.

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Churn Check:  The Giants acquired Sam Delaplane RHP from the Mariners for cash after he was DFA'd a few days ago.  Delaplane underwent TJ surgery in April so is out for the year.  Look for the Giants to try to sneak him through waivers and keep him in the organization like they did with Braden Bishop OF and Trevor Hildenberger RHP last week.  Churn on!

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:

Bryce Johnson CF- 2 for 5, BB.  BA= .341.

Thairo Estrada SS- 1 for 4, HR(6), BB.  BA= .360.

Jason Vosler 3B- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(3).  BA= .222.

Joey Bart C- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .378.

Joe McCarthy LF- 1 for 4, HR(5), BB.  BA= .271.

John Brebbia RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Brebbia was the Opener for this game.

Game Wrap 5/30/2021: Giants 5 Dodgers 4

 The Giants lineup anti-lefty lineup did it's job and roughed up Clayton Kershaw LHP for 5 runs in the first 4 innings which was just enough to survive another awful performance by the bullpen.  Game Notes:

Austin Slater RF singled to open the game and later scored the Giants first run.  He added a HR(7) to lead off the third inning.  Slater is hitting .313 over his last 7 games and has become something of a Kershaw Killer, 6 for 15 with 3 HR's in career so far.  As Kruk and Kuip say, "ownage is ownage!"

Mauricio Dubon SS/2B crushed a Kershaw pitch with a runner on in the first inning which was a no-doubter if is stayed fair.  It hit the foul pole!  3'rd HR of the season for Dubi.  He added a single and a walk with another run scored.  Dubon is 4 for 6 with a walk and 2 HR's against Kershaw.  Ownage is ownage!

Kevin Gausman RHP allowed just 3 baserunners in 6 IP, one of those was on an error by Dubon.  Orel Hershiser did a good job of explaining how and why Gausman's split-change is so devastating on the Dodgers feed which is all we can get in SoCal.  Gausman left the game after throwing just 72 pitches with "hip tightness".  He has had it before and does not expect to miss any starts but will have an MRI as a precaution(fingers crossed!).  

Bullpen:  3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's, 2 HR's.  OK, that's not good!  Gotta wonder how much longer the Giants can get away with their collection of gas cans in the bullpen.  You know darn well Sabes would be burning up the phone lines looking to trade a prospect or two for 2 or 3 bullpen arms, but does FZ feel that urgency?  Stay tuned!  

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The Win brings the Giants to 0.5 games behind the Padres in the NL West while the Dodgers remain 2.5 games back.

Oh!  And after getting destroyed in the the first series in Oracle Park, the Giants season record against the Dodger is now 3-4.  If someone told us at the beginning of the season the Giants would be 3-4 against the Dodgers after their first 7 games I think we'd all have said we'd take it.  

Oh!  And how much of a momentum changer was that catch by Tauchman Friday night?  

Oh!  And the Giants went 5-1 on the road trip and are 11-3 over their last 2 road trips.

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The Giants come back home to face the Angels in the first of a 2-game series tomorrow afternoon with Johnny Cueto RHP taking the start against Dylan Bundy RHP.

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Caleb Baragar LHP hit the IL with elbow discomfort.  Kap sez not to worry, they "don't expect this to be anything long term."  Nick Tropeano RHP was called back to replace Baragar.  BTW, does anyone remember how the Dodgers used the Churned the IL back when FZ was the GM there?  Just sayin'!

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:

Joe McCarthy 1B- 1 for 5, HR(4).  BA= .273.

Sam Wolff RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Tyler Beede RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.40.

Yikes, Tyler Beede!  Wouldn't be shocked to see Wolff in a Giants uni before too long.

AA:  

Heliot Ramos CF- 2 for 5.  BA= .314.

Matt Frisbee RHP- 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K's, GO/AO= 9/2.  ERA= 1.24.

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

Matt Frisbee is becoming a very interesting pitching prospect.

High A:

Simon Whiteman 3B/SS- 1 for 2, 2 BB, SB(10).  BA= .255, OBP= .417.

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 1 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .205.

Seth Corry LHP- 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 2.37.

Solomon Bates RHP- 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.38.

Taylor Rashi RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R,  0 BB, 2 K's, Save(2).  ERA= 6.23.

Seth Corry obviously has the stuff, but continues to struggle with control.

Low A:

Wil Jensen RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K's.  ERA= 3.38.  

Jensen was an undrafted FA signed last summer.

Game Wrap 5/29/2021: GIants 11 Dodgers 6

The Giants offense took it to Dodgers SP Julio Urias LHP and kept adding on agains their bullpen to pick up their own bullpen's less than stellar effort.  Game Notes:

Wilmer Flores 1B returned from the IL and went 3 for 3.  He should boost the offense considerably, especially against LHP's.  

YtY RF had 2 doubles and a walk.  He has an OPS of .800 despite a .224 BA.

Evan Longoria 3B seems be back in a groove with a .360 BA and 3 HR's over his last 7 games.  He had HR and a single today.

Donovan Solano 2B is also back to being "Donnie Barrels" with 2 hits including his second HR of the series. 

Steven Duggar PH/LF/CF entered the game as for Austin Slater LF when Urias departed.  He came up with 2 outs/bases loaded facing a lefty and doubled into the RF corner to drive in 2 insurance runs.

Logan Webb RHP was pulled after 5 innings but not because of poor pitching.  FZ and Kap continue to play the long game and Webb was coming off the IL.  Stupid Fox announcers were critical of Kap for pulling him after just 60 pitches and did not mention the IL part, that I can recall.  Webb was sensational for those 5 innings getting K's on a deadly tight hard-breaking slider and a diving, facing changeup.  Both pitches were tough to hitters to see and totally unhittable.  Let's just keep our fingers crossed that Webb's shoulder issue does not come back because we are seeing something special developing.

Matt Wisler RHP restored some order in the bullpen with  4 K's in 1.1 IP.  His slider looked tight and nasty today.

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The Win puts the Giants in sole possession of second place in the NL West 1.5 games behind the Powerful Padres and 1 games ahead of the Dodgers.

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The Giants send their ace, Kevin Gausman RHP to try for the series win against Clayton Kershaw LHP tomorrow afternoon.

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Jason Vosler IF and Nick Tropeano RHP get sent down to make way for Flores and Webb to return from the IL.

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:

Sam Long LHP- 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Wow!  I would say Sam Long had a successful AAA debut, to say the least!

AA:

Heliot Ramos CF- 3 for 7.  BA= .309.  

Caleb Kilian RHP- 4 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 7/1.  ERA= 2.25.

Ronnie Williams RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.61.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 13/0.  ERA= 4.03.

Doubleheader for Richmond Flying Squirrels.

High A:

Will Wilson SS- 1 for 4, HR(5).  BA= .278.

Javeyon Williams CF- 1 for 3, HR(1).  BA= .152.

Low A:

Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 4, HR(5).  BA= .284.

Four consecutive multi-hit games for Luciano with 2 HR's and 3 2B out of 9 hits in that span.

Game Wrap 5/28/2021: Giants 8 Dodgers 5

The Giants blew a 3-run lead in the 9'th inning but came back in the 10'th inning for the Win.  Games Notes:

This game had pretty much everything that is great about baseball in it:  Escapes from bases-loaded jams, go ahead 3-run HR's, game-tying 3-run HR's, game-saving catches, blown saves and an extra-inning win.

Everybody in the ballpark including the Dodgers TV announcers thought Albert Pujols PH/1B hit a walk-off HR B2B with Austin Barnes PH game-tying jack, but Mike Tauchman LF got up from lying on his back with the ball in his glove and replays showed him reaching above and beyond the wall to pull it back out of the air.  That turned out to be not just a great catch but a momentum shifter which had clearly been on the Dodger's side a few seconds earlier.

LaMonte Wade Jr got the start at 1B and batted leadoff.  He had himself an night reaching base 4 times with 2 walks, HBP and game-winning RBI single in the 10'th inning.  

Buster Posey's 3-run HR in the 8'th was his 150'th of his career and 10'th of the season.  Per sfgiants.com, 7 of his 10 HR's have come after a day off.  Kap is keeping him to a hard schedule of every third game off which seems to be working as intended.

Steven Duggar CF hit a game-tying solo HR of his own in the 5'th inning.  Duggar might be the hottest hitter on the team with a .471 BA over his last 7 games and .345 over his last 15.

SP Anthony DeSclafani RHP pitched out of the stretch and threw 90 pitches in 4.2 IP but mananged to keep the game close.  The Bullpen shut it down until Tyler Rogers RHP gave up the 3-run lead in the 9'th inning.

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The Win put the Giants in a second place tie with the Dodgers, 1.5 games behind the division leading Padres.  They are also tied with the Dodgers for the second best record in the NL.  The Giants and Dodgers lead the Wild Card race by 2.5 games over the Cubs.

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Logan Webb RHP comes off the IL to try for a series lead today facing Julio Urias LHP.  Wilmer Flores IF is also slated to come off the IL and will likely start at 1B.

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:

Bryce Johnson CF- 2 for 5, SB(8).  BA= .364.

Justin Bour DH- 2 for 4, 2 HR(4). BA= .237.

High A:

Franklin Labour RF- 2 for 3, HR(3).  BA= .220.

Chris Wright LHP- 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Low A:

Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .273.

Carson Ragsdale RHP- 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K's.

Juan Sanchez LHP- 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  

This was Marco Luciano's third multi-hit game in a row.

Game Wrap 5/27/2021: Dodgers 4 Giants 3

There was no comeback win here as the Dodgers hit 3 HR's to 2 for the Giants to extend the Giants losing streak against their archrivals to 4 games.  Game Notes:

Evan Longoria 3B(7) and Donovan Solano 2B(1) hit HR's with Solano's driving in 2.  Giants only had 3 hits in the game with 2 BB's and 13 K's.  

Everything about Alex Wood LHP's pitching line was dominant(6 H, 0 BB, 8 K's, 6 IP) except for the HR's(3).  

I'm still seeing a lot of swing-throughs on FB's in the middle third of the zone.  That is worrisome!

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The Padres lost so the Giants remain 1.5 games behind and in 3'rd place in the NL West.  They still have the 3'rd best record in the NL.  

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Anthony DeSclafani RHP tries to bounce back from his last disastrous start agains the Dodgers tonight facing Walker Buehler RHP

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Darin Ruf OF/1B hit the IL with a hammy.  LaMonte Wade Jr OF/1B got the call from AAA Sacramento.  Matt Wisler RHP was activated from the bereavement list with Sam Selman LHP moving out.

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:

Mitchell Tolman 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(5).  BA= .293.

Shun Yamaguchi RHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 5.89.

John Brebbia RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 6.75.

Note that John Brebbia starts his comeback from injury.  His target for returning was mid-season.

AA:  

Heliot Ramos CF- 3 for 4.  BA= .297.

Andy Sugilio CF- 1 for 3, BB, SB(3).  BA= .288.

Jose Marte RHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Marte has a successful AA debut.

High A:

Ismael Munguia CF- 2 for 3, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .299.

Simon Whiteman 2B- 1 for 1, 2B, 2 BB, SB(9).  BA= .289.

Conner Nurse RHP- 5 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 5.40.

Travis Perry RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 1.23.

Travis Perry has 20 K's in 14 IP with 5 BB's on the season.

Low A:

Brett Auerbach LF- 1 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .333.

Marco Luciano DH- 3 for 3, 2B, HR(4), BB.  BA= .260.

Harrison Freed RF- 1 for 3, HR(2), BB.  BA= .245.

Prelander Berroa RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.13.

Ivan Armstrong RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.08.

Austin Reich RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 2.08.

Marco Luciano is hitting .359 since his BA reached a nadir of .147 on May 13.

Game Wrap 5/26/2021: Giants 5 D'Backs 4

The D'Backs jumped out to a 4-0 lead after 2 innings off Johnny Cueto  RHP, but this time the Giants bullpen picked up the starter in a come-from-behind win.  Game Notes:

Cueto settled down and pitched scoreless ball for the next 3 innings after spotting the D'Backs a 4-run lead in the first two.

Caleb Baragar LHP, Nick Tropeano RHP, Jake McGee LHP and Tyler Rogers RHP held the D'Backs scoreless over the final 4 frames.  McGee pitched the 8'th and Rogers got the Save(6) further solidifying Rogers role as Closer.

Darin Ruf 1B who was starting against a RHP because Brandon Belt 1B went on the IL with a side strain left the game early with an apparent hammy strain.  He was replaced by Jason Vosler PR/1B who drove in the winning run with a solo HR in the 8'th, B2B with Austin Slater PH/CF who got the Giants even with a 2-run HR as a PH for Alex Dickerson.  I'd say those L-R/R-L matchups are the ticket, but Vosler hit is HR off a lefty.

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The Win gave the Giants a two game sweep against the D'Backs and put them in a tie with the Dodgers for second place in the NL West 1.5 games behind the Padres who just keep winning.

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The Giants now move on to El Lay to start a big 4-game series against the Dodgers with Alex Wood LHP getting the first start tomorrow night against TBD.  BTW, remember Trevor Bauer RHP throwing 126 pitches against the Giants last start?  He lost to the Astros tonight and won't be facing the Giants in the upcoming series.

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Down on the Farm:

High A:

Solomon Bates RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.38.

Low A:

Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .229.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.63.

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Braden Bishop OF and Trevor Hildenberger RHP both cleared waivers and were outrighted to Sacramento which means they stay in the Giants organization, for now.

First wave of minor league promotions, all pitchers:

Sam Long LHP moves up from AA Richmond to AAA Sacramento.  Caleb Kilian RHP and Jose Marte RHP move up from High A Eugene to AA Richmond.  

Game Wrap 5/25/2021: Giants 8 D'Backs 0

The Giants bounced back from their weekend shellacking from the Dodgers to a dominant win of their own against the division rival D'Backs.  Game Notes:

Brandon Crawford SS cleared the bases with a 3-run double in the first inning to get the Giants off to a great start in this one.  The 3 RBI's gave him 32 on the season which leads the team by 11 over Brandon Belt 1B and Evan Longoria  3B, and places him in a tie for #14 in MLB.

Remember how Manager Gabe Kapler played the long game and rested Evan Longoria on Sunday against the Dodgers?  The Giants weren't going to win that game anyway and Longo came out smoking after a two day rest:  3 for 4, 2B, HR(6), BB.  His 3-run jack in the 3'rd inning pretty much put this game in the fridge.  a

YtY RF,  Alex Dickerson LF and Steven Duggar CF added 2 hits each.

Kevin Gausman RHP threw 97 pitches in 5 IP but held the D'Backs scoreless to run his record to 5-0.

Jarlin Garcia LHP threw 2 scoreless frames with 4 K's and 0 BB's.  He has a 3.60 ERA over his last 7 appearances with 14 K's and 4 BB's in 10 IP.  

Jose Alvarez LHP and Sam Selman LHP added scoreless frames in mop-up time.

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The Win enabled the Giants to keep pace with the Padres and Dodgers and remain 2 games out of first place in the NL West.  BTW, the NL West 3'rd place Giants have the 3'rd best record in MLB.

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Johnny Cueto RHP tries for the 2-game sweep this evening against Merrill Kelly RHP.

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:

Tyler Beede RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 52 P.  ERA= 2.61.

AA:

Frankie Tostado 1B- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .270.

Matt Frisbee RHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 1.64.

Norwith Gudino RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 1.54.

Patrick Ruotolo RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.00.

High A:

Will Wilson SS- 1 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .297.

Jacob Gonzalez 3B, Tyler Fitzgerald 2B, Ismael Munguia LF- 2 hits each.  Munguia SB(4).

Seth Corry LHP- 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 2.93.

Low A:

Brett Auerbach 2B- 4 for 5, 2B.  BA= .333.

Ricardo Genoves C- 2 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .357.

Down on the Farm: 5/24/2021

Just one game to report on.

AAA:

Bryce Johnson CF- 2 for 5, BB, 2 SB(7).  BA= .358.

Thairo Estrada SS- 3 for 5, 2B, HR(5), SB(4).  BA= .373.

Jason Vosler 3B- 1 for 3, HR(2), BB, SF.  BA= .195.

Jason Krizan 2B- 3 for 3, 2B, 3B, BB.  BA= .283.

Drew Robinson LF- 2 for 4, HR(2), BB.  BA= .211.

Dominic Leone RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.13.

Drew Robinson is 4 for 11 over his last 4 games with a 2B, HR and 3 BB's.  His overall OBP is .348.  Thairo Estrada continues his sensational season, but it is the PCL.  He's on the 40 man roster so he's in The Churn.  Will he be a gold nugget or a grain of sand in the sluice box?  I expect to see Leone in the Giants bullpen before too long.

Game Wrap 5/23/2021: Dodgers 11 Giants 5

 Anthony DeSclafani RHP was clearly not at his best today and the Dodgers torched him for 10 runs in 2.2 IP.  Between that and another dominant start by Julio Urias LHP and the rest was just going through the motions.  Game Notes:

Not much more to say about this one.  You could sort of see this coming after the exhilaration of the 4-game sweep and offensive orgasm on Thursday in Cincy.  I mean, what team wouldn't be set up for a letdown after THAT?!  

Giants are going to have to regroup, go back to their data sheets and dig down for a gut check.  They have a 4-gamer coming up in El Lay in 3 days.  What disturbed me the most about this series?  Seeing batter after Giants batter swing through fastballs that appeared to be within the middle third of the strike zone.  If you can't hit those pitches, you are pretty much toast.  I'm not sure how data helps that.  That's just shear physical dominance.

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The sweep leaves the Giants in third place in the NL West, 2 games behind the Padres and 1 behind the Dodgers.

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The Giants get a much needed day off tomorrow before starting a 2-game series at home against the D'Backs.  Kevin Gausman RHP gets the start on Tuesday facing TBD.  

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Churn Update:  Matt Wisler RHP was placed on the bereavement list so he could attend a service for his grandmother.  That brought Sam Selman LHP back, I think just one day after being sent out.

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:  

Fabian Pena C- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .273.

Mitchell Tolman SS- 1 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .286.

Anthony Banda LHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 5.51. 

Pretty much every SP at the AAA level is a candidate for a callup before the season is out.  Banda puts himself on that list with this start.

AA:

Sean Hjelle RHP- 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 3.63.  

Joey Marciano LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Hjelle holding his own in AA.  Marciano is up to 9.1 IP with 12 K's.  

High A:

Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 11 K.  ERA= 4.58.

Low A:

Abdiel Layer 1B- 3 for 5.  BA= .389.

Ricardo Genoves C- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(2), BB.  BA= .346.

Ryan Murphy RHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 2.18.

Ivan Armstrong RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.80.

Game Wrap 5/22/2021: Dodgers 6 Giants 3

Once again the Giants lineup was not competitive against an elite SP and a late comeback attempt was too little, too late.  Game Notes:

Scott Kazmir LHP had a successful return to a major league mound after a nearly 5 year absence.   He allowed a splash hit HR to Max Muncy 1B (yeah him) but was otherwise solid through 4 innings.  His FB topped out at a bit over 93 MPH which I think is a tick faster than in spring training when he got knocked around a bit.  

The Dodgers kept chipping away at the bullpen and some bad OF defense.  By that time, I wasn't really watching closely.  Was it a sun issue?  I hate TV driven start times!

Dodgers SP Walker Buehler RHP shut down the Giants offense for 6 innings before giving up a run in the 7'th.  The Giants lineup has managed just 7 hits in 13.1 IP against Trevor Bauer RHP and Buehler.  That weak production has come with 16 K's and 5 BB's.  If you boil the first two games of the series down into one factor it's this:  The Giants lineup is not competitive against elite SP's.  That is true around the league and lots of teams have not been competitive against the Giants SP's either.  It's just that the Dodgers have more and better SP's than anyone else in MLB right now.

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The Loss dropped the Giants a game behind the Padres in the NL West and into a second place tie with the Dodgers.  

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Anthony DeSclafani RHP tries to stave off a sweep against Julio Urias LHP this afternoon.

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Churn Update:  The Giants DFA'd Braden Bishop OF, who they acquired just a few days ago, to make room for Kazmir on the 40-man roster.  They also optioned Sam Selman LHP to AAA Sacramento.  The Giants will now keep their fingers crossed and hope Bishop and Trevor Hildenberger RHP clear waivers.  If not, churn on!  

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:

Shun Yamaguchi RHP- 6.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 5.65.

Jimmie Sherfy RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, W(1-0).  ERA= 0.00.

Thairo Estrada SS- 1 for 3, 2 BB, SB(3).  BA= .362.

Joe McCarthy RF- 2 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .262.

Mitchell Tolman 2B(3) and Jason Krizan 1B(2) added solo HR's.  I have a feeling we'll see both Yamaguchi and Sherfy in Giants uniforms by the end of the season.

AA:

Sam Long LHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.00.

Ronnie Williams RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.77.

High A:

Caleb Kilian RHP- 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K's.  ERA= 1.25.

Kilian didn't give up his first baserunner until after 2 outs in the 7'th inning. He's allowed 32 K's and just 1 BB in 21.2 IP so far this season.

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Low A:

Abdiel Layer SS- 1 for 4, HR(5), BB.  BA= .355.

Garrett Frechette 1B- 2 for 4.  BA= .171.

Carson Ragsdale RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 4.50.

Abdiel Layer continues to show impressive power while playing all over the infield.  Ragsdale has 23 K's and just 4 BB's in 14 IP on the season.

Game Wrap 5/21/2021: Dodgers 2 Giants 1

 The Giants offense turned dormant again in the face of a dominating pitching performance by Trevor Bauer RHP.  Game Notes:

Giants SP Alex Wood LHP made one big mistake resulting in a 2-run HR to Chris Taylor LF.  Dodgers SP Trevor Bauer RHP made a mistake(throwing error) and it cost him one unearned run.  That's the ballgame right there.

Wood did not seem to have his best stuff as he seemed to be constantly in the stretch.  Bauer's command got away from him at times, but there's no questioning his stuff.  I lost track of how many fastballs the Giants swung through that appeared to be straight and in the middle third of the strike zone.  Enough so it wasn't likely random chance.

One possible silver lining is the Giants extended enough AB's and the Dodgers needed Bauer to go deep bad enough that he ended up throwing 126 pitches, the most by any pitcher in MLB so far this season.  Giants fans can attest that when a SP throws too many pitches in one game(Cain's perfect game, Timmy's no-no) it seems to have repercussions in subsequent starts and may never be completely the same again.  We'll see.  Bauer looked like a true badass, though.

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The Loss left the Giants tied with the Padres for first place in the NL West with the Dodgers trailing by 1 game.

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Nick Tropeano RHP will likely get the start this evening facing Walker Buehler RHP.  This looks like a tough matchup for the Giants, but there's a reason they play the games.

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Churn on!  Remember Trevor Hildenberger RHP who was picked up on waivers from Mets a few days ago?  Giants waived him to make room on the 40-man roster for Tropeano.  Camilo Doval RHP was optioned to AAA Sacramento to make room on the 26-man Active Roster.

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:

Thairo Estrada SS- 3 for 5, 2B, SB(2).  BA= .364.

LaMonte Wade Jr.- 2 for 5, HR(2).  BA= .273.

Dominic Leone RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 1.29.

Bullpen game after Scott Kazmir LHP was pulled as a contingency in case the Giants had to use Tropeano last night.  I'm thinking Kazmir could still get called up for a tandem start or something along those lines.

AA:

Heliot Ramos CF- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(3).  BA= .304.

David Villar 3B- 1 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .246.

Norwith Gudino RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, Save(3).  ERA= 1.86.

Ramos breaks out of his slump in a big way!

High A:

Brandon Martorano C- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .300.

Conner Nurse RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.40.

Jose Marte RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, Save(3).  ERA= 0.00.

Low A:

Abdiel Layer 1B- 3 for 4.  BA= .370.

Randy Rodriquez RHP- 3.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.86.

Game Wrap 5/20/2021: Giants 19 Reds 4

 Two days after the 41'st anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, the Giants offense erupted with a similar explosive force producing a mushroom cloud of runs over Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.  I think they are still clearing out the rubble!  Game Notes:

YtY RF went 0 for 2 at the top of the lineup but also drew 3 walks and scored 3 runs.  Not a bad day for a leadoff hitter!

Darin Ruf 1B fell 90 ft short of the cycle settling for 2 doubles to go with his HR and 1B.  Oh, and he added a BB to reach base 5 times in 6 PA's.  

Brandon Crawford SS went 3 for 6 with a 3-run HR to drive in 6 runs.

Evan Longoria 3B who had been slumping, had 3 hits including a HR and added a BB.

 

Steven "Grave" Duggar CF had 2 hits including a grand slam HR to cap the 9-run 3'rd inning.

Johhny Cueto RHP worked the requisite 5 IP to record the W(3-1).  He allowed 1 ER.

We won't talk about the bullpen as it was pure mop up time by the time Cueto left the game.

Unfortunately for me, Tyler Mahle RHP is on my fantasy baseball team and completely blew up my pitching categories allowing 7 ER in 2 IP.  

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The Win completed a sweeeeeep of the 4 game series and gave the Giants a 6-2 record for the 8-game road trip.  It also maintained the Giants lead in the NL West as well as the best record in MLB.

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After a very happy flight home, the Giants immediately start a 3-game weekend series at home agains the Dodgers.  For those of you who were complaining about them not playing the Dodgers earlier in the season, well, it's doesn't get much better than an early season showdown in the last half of May.  Game 1 tomorrow evening features a great matchup of Alex Wood LHP and former Dodger facing Trevor Bauer RHP.  Can't wait!

*************************************************************************************

Logan Webb RHP was placed on the 10 day IL with R shoulder tightness.  He was replaced on the roster by Jose Alvarez LHP.  Webb's turn to start is on Saturday.  It's not clear right now who will replace him in the rotation.

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:  

Jason Vosler 1B- 1 for 3, HR(1).  BA= .214.

Thairo Estrada SS- 1 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .340.

Tyler Beede RHP-  2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.16.

Conner Menez LHP, Jimmie Sherfy RHP, Sam Wolff RHP- 1 IP, 0 R Each.

It won't be Tyler Beede getting called up to start on Saturday. Scott Kazmir LHP is scheduled to pitch today.  We'll see if he gets scratched.  Nick Tropeano RHP and Daniel Alvarez RHP last pitched on 5/18 so they may be available.  Kazmir, Tropeano and Alvarez would all have to be added to the 40 man roster.  

AA:

Heliot Ramos CF- 0 for 2, 3 BB.  BA= .269.

Luis Amaya LHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 6.75.

High A:

Diego Rincones LF- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .375.

Jasier Herrera RHP- 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.23.

RJ Dabovich RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.60.

Low A:

Ricardo Genoves C- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .302.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 3.00.

Austin Reich RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.96.

Chris Wright LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K.  ERA= 1.13.

Game Wrap 5/19/2021: Giants 4 Reds 0

Buster Posey's 3-run double in the top of the 9'th inning turned a 1-0 nail biter into a non-save appearance for the Giants new apparent Closer, Tyler Rogers.  Game Notes:

Buster Posey C was the hitting star with 3 hits and his hitting .374 on the season.

The Giants first run was produced by Mauricio Dubon SS's double to lead off the 5'th inning followed by an RBI single for Mike Tauchman LF.  Brandon Crawford SS go the day off against Wade Miley LHP.  Dubon is surely making it easier for Kap to give Crawford days off.  Dubon added a single in 4 AB's and made a sparkling defensive play.

Kevin Gausman RHP reportedly did not have his best stuff(I was working so did not see the game), but you sure can't tell from his pitching line:  6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 1.66.

After Zach Littell RHP worked a scoreless 7'th inning, Kap tipped his hand regarding the Closer situation by bringing Jake McGee LHP in to work the 8'th inning which would have set up Tyler Rogers RHP for the Save except Buster put the Save out of reach with his hitting heroics in the top of the 9'th.  

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The Win guarantees several things for the Giants:

Continued Best Record in MLB!

Continued first place in the NL West.

Series Win.

Winning record on road trip.

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Johnny Cueto RHP tries for the 4-game sweeeeeeep tomorrow facing Tyler Mahle RHP.

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Down on the Farm:

AA:

Heliot Ramos CF- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .280.

Matt Frisbee RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 0.56.

Mac Marshall LHP- 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.50.

Patrick Ruotolo RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.35.

High A:

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .220.

Seth Corry LHP- 4.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 4.22.

Low A:

Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 4, 2 HR(3).  BA= .245.

Abdiel Layer 1B- 1 for 3, HR(4), BB.  BA= .304.

Luciano's bat is coming alive as he is 7 for 15, 3 2B, 2 HR over his last 4 games.  3 of his last 4 games have been multi-hit.

Game Wrap 5/18/2021: Giants 4 Reds 2

Alex Dickerson LF and Brandon Crawford SS supplied all the offense Anthony DeSclafani RHP and 2 relievers would need to keep the Giants winning ways going in game 2 of the 4 game series in Cincinnati.  Game Notes:

Alex Dickerson LF- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(4).  BA= .230.  Dickerson has been scuffling at the plate but looked like the hitter we all know he can be in this one.  The HR was a 3-run bomb in the 4'th inning to put the Giants on top 3-1.

Brandon Crawford SS- 2 for 4, HR(10).  BA= .248.  Crawford gave the bullpen an insurance run to work with in the 7'th inning with a solo blast down the RF line.  Crawford leads the team in HR's. Overall, the Giants are tied for #2 in MLB for team HR's.

Anthony DeSclafani RHP- 7 IP,  6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 2.03.  DeSclafani(I refuse to call him Disco) extended himself to 107 pitches in a dominant 7 IP to outduel former Giants farmhand, Luis Castillo RHP.  Barring injury, he should join a rapidly growing list of pitchers on 1 year contracts who have significantly increased their value with the Giants.

Jake McGee LHP notched his 11'th Save without benefit of a K.  Lineout, groundout, pop up.  

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The Win guarantees the Giants will wake up tomorrow still in first place in the NL West and since the White Sox lost today, the best record in MLB.  How do you like that?

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Kevin Gausman RHP goes for the series win tonight facing Wade Miley LHP who always seems to be at his best against the Giants.

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Giants moved Tommy La Stella IF to the 60-day IL to make room for The Churn.  Giants claimed Trevor Hildenberger RHP off waivers from the Mets and immediately optioned him to Sacramento.

If everything goes as planned, Donovan "Donnie Barrels" Solano IF will come off the IL tomorrow and rejoin the Giants.

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:

Justin Bour 1B- 1 for 3, HR(2), 2 BB.  BA= .225.

Drew Robinson RF- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .200.

Nick Tropeano RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.79.

Daniel Alvarez RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 1.04.

AA:

Andres Angulo C- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .333.

Sandro Fabian DH- 1 for 3, HR(2).  BA= .200.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.25.

Ronnie Williams RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.04.

High A:

Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 4, 2B, 2 BB, SB(2).  BA= .265.

Sean Roby 3B- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .262.

Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 4.97.

After a couple of rough starts, Teng pitches a dominant 5 innings.

Low A:

Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .222.

Luis Matos CF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .392.

Ryan Murphy RHP- 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 1.84.

Giants 5'th round draft pick in 2020, Murphy, has 21 K's in 14.2 IP over 3 appearances although it is low A.

Giants affiliates are performing quite well in terms of W-L records:  AAA Sacramento- 6-6, AA Richmond Flying Squirrels- 9-4, Eugene Emeralds- 9-4, Low A San Jose Giants- 8-5.

Game Wrap 5/17/2021: Giants 6 Reds 3

 The Giants offense produced 3 HR's and gave Logan Webb RHP enough run support to overcome another shaky bullpen performance.  Game Notes:

YtY hit his second HR in two games.  Not sure why I was under the impression he was in a slump but he's not.  Slash line for last 7 games:  .296/.367/.704, 2 HR's.  Last 15 games:  .278/.371/.630, 4 HR's.  

Wilmer Flores 3B has scuffled all season but may be coming out of it.  He went 3 for 4, HR(3) today and is 5 for 8 with a BB in his last 9 PA's over 3 games.  

What more can we say about Mauricio Dubon 2B?  He is red hot with a 7 game slash of .421/.450/.579 and .324/.375/.514 over 15.

Logan Webb was dominant again, more in terms of groundballs than K's. but still dominant.  Speaking of groundballs, Webb came into the game with the 6'th highest GB% of MLB pitchers with more than 30 IP(thanks to Rotoworld for the stat).  Of concern is Webb came out after 6 IP due to R shoulder soreness(also per Rotoworld) which he and Kap don't seem to think is serious and did not seem to warrant mention by any of the beat writers, but we'll see.  Barring ongoing injury, Webb seems to be in the process of breaking out into an ace pitcher.  

Just when you think Kap has found some answers in the bullpen Jarlin Garcia LHP and Matt Wisler RHP cough up 3 runs in a combined 1.2 IP.  Very disheartening.  It appears Tyler Rogers RHP is the Closer for now as he notched his 5'th Save and 2'nd in consecutive games/days.  Right now, Rogers is the only reliever Kap can count on in the entire pen, except maybe Zach Littell RHP.

************************************************************************************

The Win guarantees the Giants remain in first place.  Anthony DeSclafani RHP makes his return to Cincinnati tomorrow evening facing former Giants prospect Luis Castillo RHP.

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Down on the Farm:

Just one game for Giants affiliates in the minors:

AAA:

LaMonte Wade Jr RF- 1 for 3, HR(1), BB.  BA= .263.

Joey Bart C- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .382.

Jimmie Sherfy RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Dominic Leone RHP- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.80.  

Love what Joey Bart is doing so far.  Could he and Buster Posey coexist on a 2022 Giants team?  I've been advocating for bringing Dominic Leone up.  Hmm....maybe Jimmie Sherfy is the answer?  

Down on the Farm: 5/16/2021

 AAA:

Joey Bart C- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(3).  BA= .355.

Shun Yamaguchi RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 10.13.

Big day for Joey Bart who seems to be doing what he needs to take it to the next level.  Another disappointing appearance for Yamaguchi.

AA:

Vince Fernandez RF- 2 for 3, HR(3), BB.  BA= .321.

Sam Long LHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.27.

Heliot Ramos CF went 0 for 4 and his now 1 for his last 17.

High A:

Will Wilson 2B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .415.

Caleb Kilian RHP- 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 1.84.

Low A:

Luis Matos CF- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .383.

Casey Schmitt 3B- 1 for 4, HR(3), BB.  BA= .139.

Harrison Freed LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .296.

Luis Toribio 3B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .222.

Garrett Frechette 1B- 1 for 5, HR(1).  BA= .167.

Abdiel Layer 2B- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(3).  BA= .300.

Carson Ragsdale RHP- 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.00.

Juan Sanchez LHP- 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.38.

Game Wrap 5/16/2021: Giants 4 Pirates 1

Took yesterday off from blogging, so we'll pick it up with today's game which had a happier ending than yesterday's debacle.  Alex Wood LHP might have not had his best stuff but turned in another better-than-quality start and this time the bullpen was able to shut it down the rest of the way.  The Giants salvaged a split in the road series in which they should have gone at least 3-1.  Game Notes:

Mike Tauchman CF/LF drew 2 BB's at the top of the order, stole a base and scored 2 runs.   We'll take that from the leadoff spot.  

YtY has scuffled lately, but showed the pop in his bat with a a two-run HR to R-CF to give the Giants a couple of insurance runs in the 9'th inning.  

Buster Posey C reached base 4 times in 5 PA's with 3 singles and a BB.  He did not figure in the scoring. He's hitting .382.

Mauricio Dubon 2B also did not figure in the scoring but had two more hits and made a couple of brilliant defensive plays from 2B.  He's hitting .471 over his last 7 games.  His playing time could take a hit with the approaching return of Donovan Solano IF.

Alex Wood LHP's final line was 6 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 8/2.  He recorded his 5'th win of the season(5-0) something no other Giants pitcher has done recently.

Tyler Rogers RHP got the Save Opp and converted it for his 4'th of the season.  At this point, he should probably be considered at least the co-Closer.  

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The Win left the Giants in first place in the NL West by 0.5 games over the Padres and 2 games over the Dodgers.  The Giants have the best record in the NL and the second best record in MLB.  

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The Giants now move on the Cincinnati which is often a tough place for them to visit.  They start a 4-game series tomorrow evening with Logan Webb RHP facing Sonny Gray RHP.

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Down on the Farm:

Eugene is still playing in the minors so let's go back and look at yesterday's minor league highlights:

AAA:

Bryce Johnson CF- 3 for 5, BB.  BA= .486.

Donovan Solano 2B- 3 for 3, 2B.  BA= 1.000. 

Thairo Estrada SS- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(3), 2 BB.  BA= .395.

Chadwick Tromp C- 1 for 5, HR(2).  BA= .217.

Tyler Beede RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.18.

Scott Kazmir LHP- 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.84.

Donnie Barrels keeps doing his thing in his first rehab appearance.  Very encouraging progression by Tyler Beede coming back from TJ surgery.

AA:

Heliot Ramos CF- 0 for 5.  BA= .289.

David Villar 3B- 3 for 5.  BA= .300.

Vince Fernandez PH- 1 for 1, HR(2).  BA= .280.

After a hot start, Heliot Ramos has cooled off considerably and is now 1 for his last 13 as of this game.

High A:

Marco Luciano SS- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .184.

Luis Matos CF- 2 for 3, SF, SB(3).  BA= .381.

Prelander Berroa RHP- 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.00.

Luis Moreno RHP- 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.68.

Chris Wright LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 1.93.

Low A:

Patrick Bailey DH- 1 for 5, HR(2).  BA= .262.

Will Wilson SS- 1 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .405.

Down on the Farm: 5/14/2021

AAA:  

Joey Bart C- 1 for 4, BB.  BA= .296.  Bart is 6 for 18 over his last 4 games.

AA:

Heliot Ramos CF- 1 for 4.  BA= .333.  Ramos is just 1 for 8 over his last 2 games and 2 for 12 over his last 3, but overall he's had a hit in 8 of 9 games.

 High A:

Will Wilson SS- 3 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .424.

Sean Roby DH- 2 for 3, HR(3).  BA= .258.

Nick Morreale RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 3.24.

Of all the players in line for an early promotion, Wilson may be the one who will go the farthest by the end of the season.

Low A:  

Luis Matos CF- 3 for 5, HR(2), SB(2).  BA= .359.

Ricardo Genoves C- 4 for 6.  BA= .357.

Harrison Freed LF- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .316.

Abdiel Layer SS- 4 for 5, 2 HR(2).  BA= .364.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 1.69.

Randy Rodriquez RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.84.

Marco Luciano did not appear in the game.  Rest?  Hurt?  Luis Matos continues his hot start.  Is Abdiel Layer a sleeper in the Giants system?

Game Wrap 5/14/2021: Pirates 3 Giants 2(11 innings)

 Manager Gabe Kapler may have left Giants ace Kevin Gausman RHP in 1 batter too long and a sensational start went for naught as the Giants went on to lose the battle of new extra-inning rules.  Game Notes:

As mentioned, Gausman was sensational for 8 innings, striking out 12, walking none while featuring a well commanded fastball and a devastating split change pitch that faded down and away to LH batters.  Unfortunately the BABIP gods took over in the 9'th inning with couple of soft flyballs that fell in for hits to put runners at first and third.  Jake McGee LHP came in and gave up another BABIP special on grounder right that beat the shift.  Tie game.  McGee struck out the next 3 batters.  I guess it's tough to argue that Gausman was not the best pitcher available to face the second batter, Kevin Newman, but the orthodox call would be to bring in McGee after the first baserunner reached, no matter how BABIPy is was.

Brandon Crawford SS was almost the hero again as he brought back memories of another HR a few years ago with a blast to RF to take the lead in the 8'th inning.

The first three batters in the Giants lineup, Mike Tauchman LF, Mike Yastrzemski RF and Buster Posey C went a combined 0 for 14 with 5 K's and 0 BB's.  

*************************************************************************************

Johnny Cueto RHP tries to get back on track tomorrow evening after a rough return from the IL his last start. He'll face Ex-Giant Tyler Anderson LHP whose scheduled start was bumped back with Rookie Miguel Yajure RHP taking the start today.

Game Wrap 5/13/2021: Giants 3 Pirates 1

.....Train kept a'rollin'!  Steven "Grave" Duggar CF was the hitting star who started a 3-run rally in the 5'th inning and that was all the runs Giants pitchers needed as they shut down the Pirates offense like they have been doing most of the season.  Game Notes:

Duggar was not expected to start but Brandon Belt 1B was a late scratch with LaMonte Wade Jr 1B moving to 1B and opening a spot in CF.  Duggar opened the scoring with a big HR to right of straightaway CF (411 ft).  Duggar would add a single and a walk later.  He was 0 for his previous 7 prior to the HR but is slashing .278/.316/.556 over his last 7 games and may be earning more playing time in the Giants OF.  Credit to The San Francisco Giants Blog for starting the nickname.

Mauricio Dubon SS got the start at SS in place of Brandon Crawford SS who is experiencing a reaction to COVID vaccine.  Dubon did not figure in the scoring but got 2 hits and his batting .417 over his last 7 games and .324 over his last 15.

After Duggar's HR, Mike Tauchman LF and Buster Posey C added two out singles in the 5'th.  Tauchman scored on a throwing error and then YtY tripled in Buster with the insurance run.

Anthony DeSclafani RHP was dominant for 5 innings:  5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.14.  Kap lifted him for a PH in the 6'th even with a Giants lead because he "felt sluggish".  .....OK then!  

4 Giants relievers allowed just 1 run the rest of the say with Camilo Doval RHP giving up a HR to Will Craig 1B.  Tyler Rogers RHP got the Save Opp and converted, allowing Jake McGee LHP an extra day off.

*************************************************************************************

Giants ace Kevin Gausman RHP gets the start tomorrow facing former Giant Tyler Anderson LHP who has been very good for the Pirates so far.

*************************************************************************************

Down on the Farm:

AAA: 

Joe McCarthy RF- 1 for 3, HR(1).  BA= .222.

Mitchell Tolman 3B- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .375.

Nick Tropeano RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 3.52.

Dominic Leone RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, Save(2).  ERA= 0.00.

Jimmie Sherfy RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Solid start by Tropeano who may be moving down the Gaints SP depth chart with the emergence of Logan Webb RHP and the ongoing rehabilitation of Tyler Beede RHP.  I expect to see Dominic Leone pitching in the Giants bullpen sometime this season, possibly Sherfy too.

AA:

Vince Fernandez RF- 1 for 3, HR(1), BB.  BA= .250.

Matt Frisbee RHP- 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

6 perfect innings for Matt Frisbee who has now pitched 11 shutout innings with just 2 hits and 0 BB's.  The bullpen allowed a walk and a HBP to complete the 9-inning combined no-hitter.  Patrick Ruotolo RHP picked up his 3'rd Save.

High A:

Will Wilson SS- 1 for 3, HR(2), BB, HBP.  BA= .379.

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 2 for 3, 2B, HBP, SB(1).  BA= .233.

Franklin Labour DH- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .286.

Seth Corry LHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 4.26.

Travis Perry RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.16.

Solomon Bates RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 6.00.

Will Wilson was one of the players FZ named as being candidates for early promotion.  The HR was a grand slam as the Emeralds scored 6 times in the bottom of the 8'th inning to take an 8-2 lead which was also the final score.  Seth Corry's line was an improvement over his 2021 debut, but still needs to get that walk rate down.

Low A:

Alexander Canario RF- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .286.

Robert Emery C- 2 for 4, 2 HR(2).  BA= .267.

Emery was signed as a UDFA out of Univ. of San Francisco after the 2020 draft.

Down on the Farm: 5/12/2021

Only two games tonight with AAA Sacramento and High A Eugene idle.

AA:

Heliot Ramos CF- 1 for 4, 2B, BB, SB(3).  BA= .400.

Frankie Tostado 1B- 2 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .346.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 5.00.

Norwith Gudino RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(2).  ERA= 0.00.

Heliot Ramos has at least 1 hit in all 7 games he has appeared in with a walk in 5 of 7 games.  6 of his 10 hits went for extra bases with 4 doubles and 2 HR's.  Add in the 3 SB's and you have quite the  start to the season for the kid who I think should still be ranked as the top prospect in the system.  Flying Squirrels are off to a 7-1 start to the season which has to be their best since....well, forever!

Low A:

Luis Matos CF- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .300.  

Marco Luciano SS- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .167.

Carson Ragsdale RHP- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.76.

Ivan Armstrong RHP- 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 2.84.

Luis Matos has 4 doubles and a HR out of his 9 hits.  Marco Luciano hits his first HR of the season but his BA remains below the Mendoza Line.  Ivan Armstrong is a jumbo sized pitcher who is still only 20 yo.  He had a solid pro debut with the DSL Giants in 2018 but stumbled to a 6.43 ERA for the AZL Giants Black in 2019.  Of course last season was lost.

Game Wrap 5/11/2021: Giants 4 Rangers 2

The Giants Continued to win with dominant pitching and letting the other team make the mistakes.  Game Notes:

The undisputed star of this game was Logan Webb RHP who seems to be slowly but surely fine tuning his overwhelmingly nasty stuff.  He was a bit wild in the first inning giving up a couple of walks, a WP and passed ball while allowing an unearned run.  From that point on, he allowed just 3 more hits and no walks while striking out 10.  David Dahl opened the 7'th with a HR and that was it for Webb, but what a start!  He is definitely stated his case to not be the odd man out of the rotation when it is a full strength.

Mike Tauchman CF went 0 for 1 with 3 walks from the leadoff spot.  He started a 2-run rally in the bottom of the first inning with a walk.

Mike Yastrzemski RF doubled in Tauchman and later scored on Brandon Belt 1B's single all in the first inning.

Belt came out of the game later for tightness in his left side, something that has reportedly been bothering him for awhile.  Giants are optimistic he will make his next start on Thursday.

The Giants scored 2 unearned runs in the 6'th inning to give them the cushion to coast to a win. 

Jake McGee LHP notched his 10'th Save in 11 opportunities with a perfect 9'th inning and seems to have his game back on track. 

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The Win keeps the Giants 2 games ahead of the Padres in the NL West with the Dodgers still in progress against the Mariners.  Personally, I am in awe of what the Giants are doing right now.

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The Giants have a travel day tomorrow for an 8 game road trip starting in Pittsburgh Thursday, May 13 with Anthony DeSclafani RHP facing Wil Crowe RHP to start a 4 game series.  The second leg of the trip is a 4-gamer against the Reds in Cincy.

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A's are threatening to follow the Raiders to Las Vegas.  They can't go soon enough as far as I'm concerned.  I've always felt like the A's diluted the fanbase for the Giants when they moved from KC to Oakland in the late 60's.  While that is probably not true anymore, I still haven't gotten over it.  

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:  

Jason Krizan 1B- 1 for 4, HR(1), BB.  BA= .273.

Chadwick Tromp C- 2 for 3, HR(1), BB.  BA= .235.

Drew Robinson RF- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(1), BB.  BA= .188.

Mitchell Tolman 3B- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .333.

Krizan had a nice spring training and is now continuing those good vibes in AAA.  Positioned for a future callup if a need arises.  Robinson has a nice game after a rough start to the season.

AA:

Jacob Heyward LF- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .500.

David Villar 3B- 2 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .269.

Sam Long LHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.14.

Ronnie Williams RHP- 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.35.

Villar hits his 3'rd HR in game 7 of the season.  Ronnie Williams was another minor league waiver claim over the offseason from the Cardinals organization.

Low A:  

Luis Matos CF- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .280.

Armani Smith LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .429.

Alexander Canario RF- 1 for 4, HR(1), Assist.  BA= .300.

Casey Schmitt DH- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .143.

Ryan Murphy RHP- 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K's.  ERA= 3.12.

Murphy was the Giants 5'th round draft pick in 2020 out of LeMoyne.  Giants liked his pitch mix and saw upside in velocity.

High A Eugene Emeralds were idle.

Game Wrap 5/10/2021: Giants 3 Rangers 1

 Manager Gabe Kapler's platoon/matchup strategy worked to perfection as a string of RH PH put together a 2-out rally in the 7'th inning to break up a pitching duel.  Game Notes:

Alex Wood LHP gave another dominant start:  7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K's, GO/AO= 9/1.  The game-winning rally came in the bottom of his final inning to give him his 4'th W of the season agains 0 L's.  What a find he's been so far for FZ and his team.  

Brandon Belt 1B gave the Giants their lone run against Rangers SP, Kyle Gibson RHP with an oppo-field HR.  Belt may be hitting just .229 but that comes with an OBP of .359 and SLG% of .510.  

The Rangers brought in John King LHP to pitch the 7'th inning.  He came out throwing darts and got two quick outs.  Kap sent Austin Slater PH/LF up to PH for Steven Duggar CF.  Slater ground a walk out of a tough AB.  Darin Ruf PH hit for Alex Wood  and kept the line moving with a single to RF.  That brought up Mauricio Dubon PH/CF to hit for Mike Tauchman LF.  Dubon ended a fantastic AB with a single to LF.  Slater scored the winning run easily on a pathetically weak throw from Khris Davis LF.   Ruf added on an insurance run on a throwing error by Charlie Culberson 3B.

Tyler Rogers RHP worked a 1, 2, 3 8'th inning.  Rogers has allowed just 2 ER in 20 Appearances covering 20.2 IP.  The worms that live in the Oracle Park infield are none too happy with him as he sports a GO/AO= 2.19 which is this close to his career average of 2.20.  That is a dominant groundball tendency.  For those of you who have been reading Down On The Farm for years, none of this comes as a surprise.

Jake McGee LHP was once again a bit on the shaky side allowing 2 singles to RH batters while blowing away 2 LH batters.  He got the final out on a pop up agains a RH batter.  McGee has a 4.80 ERA but has converted 9 of 10 Save Opportunities and I probably dropped him too soon from my fantasy baseball team.

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The Padres were rained out in Colorado and the Dodgers were idle so the Gaints extend their lead in the NL West to 2 games over the Padres and 3 over the Dodgers.

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Logan Webb RHP tries for a sweep of the two game series this afternoon facing Jordan Lyles RHP.

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Charlie Culberson 3B for the Rangers is a former Giants first round draft pick from 2007.  He was traded in 2012 to the Rockies for Marco Scutaro, and we all know how that turned out.  He is now 32 years old and has played parts of 9 seasons with 5 different teams, has starred in postseason play and is earning $1.5 M this season.  He's another example of how a fringe player can carve out a nice long MLB career and earn a surprising amount of money in the process. 

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Kudos to the Giants for achieving 85% COVID vaccine threshold.  This includes not only players but staff and includes their AAA Sacramento club.  Not only are they rewarded with relaxed distancing and masking rules but they have set a great example to the community.  I just lost a medical school classmate to COVID this past weekend, so the virus is still out there.  If you have not been vaccinated yet, please do so ASAP for your own good and the good of the community.

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Down on the Farm:

AAA:  

Bryce Johnson CF- 5 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .684.

Joey Bart C- 2 for 5, HR(2).  BA= .333.

Tyler Beede RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  

Nothing of significance to report from High A Eugene.  AA Richmond and Low A San Jose were both idle.