The Giants erupted for 5 runs in the top of the 10'th inning to secure a sweep of the 3-game series over the Pirates and their 5'th win in a row. Key Lines:
Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 2 for 2, BB. BA= .279. LMWJ continues to be an on-base machine reaching 6 times out of 11 PA's this series. His OBP on the season is .410.
Michael Conforto RF- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(4). BA= .244. Giants need a big second half from Conforto if they are going to contend. He's off to a great start with 5 hits in 12 AB's this series plus a walk.
Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 2, 2B. BA= .285. Bailey continues to get key hits. His 10'th inning double put a cap on the Giants 5-run outburst which pretty much sealed the win.
Alex Wood LHP- 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K. ERA= 4.53. Wood got the start he wanted but was lacking command and Kap rightfully had him on a short leash.
Tristan Beck RHP- 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.06. Beck continues in a bulk-innings role but in a higher leverage situation. He was able to get the game to the 8'th inning while allowing just 1 more run and with the lead intact. He's looking like a potential long term keeper at this point.
Ryan Walker RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 3.00. Walker came out of nowhere this season to become a terrific addition to the bullpen. He pitched a clutch 9'th inning to get the game to extras and was credited with the W.
With the Win, the Giants move into first place in the Wild Card race by percentage points over the Marlins and leading the D'Backs by 0.5 as both those teams lost today. They are 2.0 games behind the Dodgers pending the outcome of the Dodgers-Mets game in New York.
The Giants now move on to Cincinnati for a 4-game series against the Reds. Cincinnati has been a rough place for the Giants to play for awhile due in part to hot, humid weather and a bandbox ballpark. The series gives us a chance to see what all the fuss is about with Elly De La Cruz the tooled up rookie SS for the Reds. He has cooled off considerably going 0 for his last 12 and .214 over his last 7 games. The key is keeping him off base so he can't use his 80 grade speed.
IMO Wood deserved another batter: 2 outs in the 4th, one on, 3-1 lead.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't look happy walking off.
As a FA, bet that he won't be back in 2024 with Kapler unless he gets a sweetheart deal.
This is a terrible take. Wood is a vet and at this point in his career wants team wins more than any personal achievements. I mean It's not like he's going to win any Cy Young awards or is building a HOF career. I am sure when he looked back at how the game unfolded he felt like Kap made the right call. It's also not like the he would put FZ in some kind of a bind if he doesn't want to re-sign with the Giants. At the rate the Giants are developing young pitchers, it's not a lock they will even make him an offer to come back!
DeleteWith 5 hits and 3 walks allowed in 3.2 IP, Wood didn't "deserve" anything. Kap made the right call.
Deletewood is just not a starter anymore at this point. i hope we see beck get stretched to five innings at some point. i do think wood will be non-tendered this offseason with the youngsters knocking on the door.
DeleteOff topic post- I went to the A's game yesterday to see our hometown(San Anselmo) kid, Joe Ryan pitch. Ridiculous stadium and franchise. Attendance was reported as 9,335, but it seemed closer to 3,000 actually there. Lots of A's fans wearing their "SELL" T-shirts. Joe Ryan did not pitch his best 3ER in 5.1 IP, but the Twins were able to win. The stadium felt like a mausoleum, not a Coliseum. Blank concrete walls with, ushers standing around with nothing to do, food concessions sparse-spring training stadiums in Arizona offer more. If, when the A's move to Nevada, I guess some of the A's fans will come to Oracle to watch the Giants. Bring on Ohtani and with all the new players coming up through the system, the Giants have a compelling future.
ReplyDeleteI am not wringing my hands over the A's leaving Oakland. Good riddance as far as I am concerned. I was a Giants fan before the A's moved to Oakland and considered them intruders on the Giants territory. I still feel that way.
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