Game Wrap 7/29/2022: Cubs 4 Giants 2

 Offensive futility and fielding and relief pitching failures came back with a vengeance to doom the Giants in their quest to find traction leading up to the trade deadline.  

The Giants had 14 baserunners in the first 8 innings, including 4 doubles, with 0 runs to show for it.  I mean I think that's almost mathematically impossible!  

Alex Cobb RHP continued to pitch in some of the worst luck I recall seeing.  This time it was lack of run support as he pitched 6 dominant innings:  6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 11 K, GO/AO= 7/0.  His only blemish was a HR ball to Patrick Wisdom 3B, the guy from St Mary's who has become quite the Giants killer.  

Wilmer Flores 2B- 3 for 5, 2B, HR(15).  BA= .248.  Flores had a big game including the 2-run HR in the bottom of the 9'th inning that was too little, too late.  Flores is still hitting just .222 over his last 7 games but has hit 2 HR in that span.

Jason Vosler 3B who replaced Joc Pederson OF due to to concussion IL had 2 doubles but did not figure in any scoring.  Brandon Belt 1B reached base 3 times and did not figure in any scoring.  Every member of the starting lineup except Luis Gonzalez RF/LF had a hit, 4 had multiple hits and 5 reached base more than once.  Yet they came to the 9'th inning trailing 1-0.

Perhaps the key play of the game was a ground rule double by the aforementioned Giants nemesis, Patrick Wisdom.  The Giants challenged the call but it was upheld despite a lack of chalk kicking up.  There is still a lot of sentiment on Twitter that it was foul.  I personally think it caught the outside edge of the line.  The reason for the lack of a chalk kick is it was a misty night, the chalk was wet and the ball landed square enought it didn't kick anything up, including dirt.   That put runners on 2'nd and 3'rd with 1 out and the floodgates opened.  The first run scored on a high chopper that Camilo Doval RHP had to wait to field and could not get to Austin Wynns C in time to catch Nico Hoerner SS at the plate.  The final run, fittingly scored when a routine shallow flyball clanked off Mike Yastrzemski RF's glove for an error.

As mentioned above, Joc Pederson was placed on the 7 day concussion IL after crashing into the wall on Thursday with Jason Vosler getting the replacement call.  That probably eliminates any possibility of trading Joc even in the unlikely event FZ decides to sell.

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Speaking of selling, the Loss left the Giants 4 games behind in the race for the final Wild Card playoff spot.  Jake Junis RHP gets the start tonight at 6:05 facing former Giant Drew Smyly LHP.

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I continue to believe FZ should sell at the trade deadline and there really isn't any scenario I can think of that would change my mind before August 2.  The problem is now with Joc Pederson all but off the table due to the concussion, Carlos Rodon LHP is the only trade piece with significant value.  This is where the calculation gets dicey.  What can FZ get in return for Rodon and is it more valuable than a compensation draft pick?  Don't forget compensation picks gave him enough extra bonus pool money to draft and sign Kyle Harrison LHP in 2020.  On the other hand, if Rodon brought back half of what the Reds got for Luis Castillo RHP, it's hard to see the draft pick as more valuable.

My take is the odds of FZ simply standing pat and not making any moves are going up, or he may end up just trading some lower level guys who would not bring back draft pick compensation like Wilmer Flores.