The Giants failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities and the top of the Dodgers lineup was too much for Giants pitchers. Key Lines:
Jung Hoo Lee CF- 2 fo 5. BA= .316. Lee continues to bet on base at the top of the lineup. He needs people to drive him in.
Michael Conforto LF- 1 for 4, HR(3). BA= .368. Conforto has been the Giants hottest hitter early in the season. Time to move him up the the lineup? Maybe at least ahead of Tom Murphy?
Keaton Winn RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 5.40. An inning short of a Quality Startw with strong secondary stats against what is probably the best top 4 of any lineup in MLB and possibly one of the best ever.
Giants Bullpen- 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 4 K. The bullpen continues to struggle. This is an area FZ might have been too confident in during the Hot Stove League season.
Dodgers Top 4: 8 for 13, 3 2B, 3B. 2 BB. As my buddy texted me last night: That's quite a stack of pancakes there! Giants don't have an answer right now.
James Paxton LHP(Dodgers): 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 5 K, ERA= 0.00. Paxton gave the Giants opportunities which they failed to capitalize on. The one that stands out in my mind is runners on first and secone with no outs in the 5'th. Austin Slater, who did not get many PA's this spring took two awful swings and cued one to 2B for a GIDP and essentially end the threat. At that point in the game, Slater was the tying run at the plate.
Logan Webb RHP tries to tame the top of the Dodgers lineup tonight facing TBD.
Churn Watch:
Mike Yastrzemski OF returned from Paternity Leave.
Luis Matos OF and Daulton Jeffries RHP were optioned to AAA Sacramento.
Nick Avila RHP was added to the 40-man Roster and called up.
Otto Lopez IF was DFA'd.
Giant hitter s had mixed results with Paxton throwing a good number of his fastballs high and out of the zone. At times they were able to lay off that pitch, other times they chased and gave him a swinging strike. As Krukow said, it is difficult to lay off that pitch, but I was looking for more of an adjustment the 2nd and 3rd time through the lineup. Ultimately, you are correct in that the Giants did not deliver when they had runners in scoring position. Tonight's LADodger SP TBD, hope the hitters produce.
ReplyDeleteDerald Cook
erik miller can't continue to get shelled out there, you don't want to rattle the confidence of the young arms. they need to go sign a free agent left handed bullpen arm, brad hand is maybe the best of what's left on the street for a lefty bullpen arm. maybe at some daulton jefferies will get a second chance as a reliever depending on how things go in sacramento.
ReplyDeleteKapler's lineups weren't this bad
ReplyDeleteHard to compare since a lot of player turnover but Soler should never bat second where he is a GIDP machine.
DeleteNot a great night even against a secondary Dodger pitcher...Lineup just never looked like much of threat....but....good things were LEE and CONFORTO...And good to have a healthy FLORES......My biggest good takeaway was that I was REALLY IMPRESSED with WINN as he battled that hellacious and scary Dodger lineup (Thank God we don't face them 18 times anymore)....KID looks like he has a great mix of stuff and knows how to pitch but that lineup is tuff for a kid if he isn't perfect....OTOH,,the bullpen,,schneikies!!! With 5-6 Innig Starting Pitchers for at least awhile, it could get real messy..we'll see...Probably need 2 arms, 1 from each side
ReplyDeleteToo many Giants were up there hacking at the plate, especially SOLER and AHMED ...I m not sure the Giants lineup will be able to carry Ahmed's bat over the season..
SteveVA
Nick Ahmed was not expected to carry the team offensively. There are BIG holes in SF's lineup that weren't supposed to be holes — Soler certainly but he's always been a streak hitter.
DeleteSlater was in there because he mashes LHP and didn't.
Flores alone left enough on base to win the game.
Estrada & Murphy have added little offensively.
Ahmed has exceeded expectations (offense and defense) — did anyone miss what his replacement did? 3 K's in 3 ABs and a very costly error?
There's enough blame to go around without singling out the shortstop.
this is where you want to luciano improve with the glove in sacramento, so he can be called upon if ahmed struggles
DeleteHow am I singling out Ahmed/the SS,...I was just commenting on his approach at the plate, which I thought was horrible, and that THE REST OFTHE LINEUP (who you criticize and who I opened up mentioning) may not be strong enough to carry a glove only SS (he is very good in the field) without a better bat at SS..where Ahmed is historically very weak..(last 3 years and ave of .220 and an OBP of .270)..........Maybe The Giaats can teach AHMED to be more selective at the Plate instead of just hacking and swinging to kill everything?.......And ROB EYMAN is right, LUCIANNO isn't/wasn't ready, especially in the field where he looked very stiff....Hopefully a good 20-40 games will bring his defensive game up...As for FITZ, he shouldn't be playing SS in MLB, that's not on me but FZ
DeleteSteveVA
It was a frustrating game to watch and tough when the matchup is against a lineup whose top 4 are as good as any I've ever seen and I go back away.
DeleteFor 2 years Flores has been the Rock for the Giants.
ReplyDeleteEarly and often last night he had opportunities, cashing in for 1 RBI when the game was out of reach while making the 3rd out 3 times with RISP.
Question: Every player has had a bad night, but was Flores hurting last night from the fall?
Three comments above, Anonymous wrote "Kapler's lineups weren't this bad". You got to be kidding me. In 2023, the Giants were 24th in the lowest runs scored out of 30 MLB teams. With the small sample size of 5 games, that comment is absurd. When I look at that lineup with the additions of Lee, Soler, Chapman, and a healthy Conforto, it looks like a lineup that will score more runs. Derald Cook
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what that comment meant either but I will say just from the type of hitter he is, Soler should never, ever bat second in a lineup.
DeleteIt was hyperbole...
DeleteBut, that said, Flores is obviously hurting, Slater has NO reason to bat 2, Conforto is raking and batting 7, Soler is killing not starting rallies
Sure, it's the players not the lineup, BUT this was frustrating
And tonight, @ 3 & 5, Soler and Flores are well positioned to kill rallies
DeleteAND, where the heck is LMWJr (.375/.412/.438/.849 SSS) against RHP Ryan Brasier? He should get up in the 1s inning!
DeleteOverall I like the Giants lineup, maybe they aren't quite as good as Dodgers but if they start hitting on all cylinders they should be alright, their bull pen seems to be letting them down.
ReplyDelete