Game Wrap 9/12/2022: Giants 3 Braves 2

 Alex Cobb had a dominant start and the Giants lineup wore down Braves SP Spencer Strider for just enough to survive another bullpen failure with a Save by Scott Alexander LHP.  All this happened after the Giants arrived in San Francisco from their road trip at 4:30 AM.  

The Giants got 4 consecutive hits off the hard throwing Strider in the second inning to generate 2 runs: Brandon Crawford SS, Thairo Estrada 2B (2B), Willie Calhoun DH and Luis Gonzalez RF.  

Mike Yastrzemski CF/RF, Crawford and Estrada all singled to produce another run the 5'th inning with the help of a throwing error.

Even though Strider, who was throwing 99 MPH cheese only issued 1 walk, the Giants wore him down with excellent plate discipline laying off a poorly commanded slider and hunting fastballs that caught too much of the zone. They forced him to throw 50 pitches in the first two innings and 102 through 5.

Alex Cobb RHP- 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's, GO/AO= 8/2.  ERA= 3.48.  Cobb made made 106 pitches last 7 innings to spare a tired bullpen.  Cobb has a 2.20 ERA over his last 7 starts and 2.46 over his last 15.  Cobb is under contract for next season for a very team-friendly $9 M and a $10 M team option for 2024($2 M buyout) so that's a very savvy deal for FZ and his team.  Takes a bit of the sting out of Rodon's opt out.

Zack Littell RHP entered the game in the 8'th inning with a 3-0 lead.  He promptly gave up a leadoff double followed by 2 more hits and a walk to cut the lead to 3-2.  That's when an interesting dust-up happened.  Kap came out to make a completely rational pitching change to bring in the left Alexander to face lefty hitting Matt Olson.  Littell bizarrely stared daggers while shaking his head no as Kapler walked to the mound, slammed the ball into his hand and said something as he walked off the mound.  When Kap got back to the dugout he motioned Littell into the clubhouse where they apparently talked it out.  Littell came back to bench and sat by himself staring for the rest of the game.

A lot of fans, including me, thought maybe Littell was upset about having to pitch in this game after going 1.2 IP in the bullpen game Sunday night, but apparently he just thought he should finish the inning.  If that is true......well.....that is just bizarre.  Maybe he didn't get much sleep on the flight home?  Maybe he senses he is on thin ice and desperately wants to prove his worth?  Littell did say he apologized after the game.

Scott Alexander LHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 3/1, Save(1).  ERA= 2.08.  Alexander gets the 4-out Save and maybe he is a replacement for Jake McGee's late inning lefty role?

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Churn Watch:  Willie Calhoun OF and Cole Waites RHP were added to the active roster with Tommy La Stella IF going on the IL with neck spasms.  Austin Dean OF was optioned to AAA Sacramento and Patrick Mazeika was DFA'd.  Calhoun started the game at DH and hit a laser beam single off the RF wall to drive in a run.  Waites warmed up in the 9'th but was not needed as Alexander completed the Save.

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Jake Junis RHP tries to clinch a series win tonight against Kyle Wright RHP.