Game Wrap 6/30/2024: GIants 10 Dodger 4

The Giants flipped the script in this game as it turned out to be the Dodgers who are apparently out of bullets in their bullpen.  Key Lines:

The Giants entire lineup participated in roasting Dodger pitching for 10 runs, 9 against SP and Giants nemesis James Paxton LHP.  The Giants had 16 hits including 10 doubles by 7 different hitters which sets a Giants San Francisco era record.  Jorge Soler, Heliot Ramos and Patrick Bailey had 2 each.  Matt Chapman hit his 11'th HR of the season.  Soler, Ramos, Bailey, David Villar, Nick Ahmed and Tyler Fitzgerald had multi-hit games.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 8/2.  ERA= 2.57.  With multiple relievers unavailable due to recent workload the Giants needed as many innings as they could get out of Spencer Bivens.  Did he ever deliver shutting down the Dodgers vaunted lineup including an emphatic strikeout of Shohei Ohtani for his final out of the game to end the top of the 5'th inning.  His only run allowed was a solo HR to Chris Taylor in the 5'th.  

Landon Roupp RHP- 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K.  ERA= 6.05.  Roupp was called up to eat innings even though he was not completely streteched out from his IL stint for a shoulder strain.  Fortunately the Giants lineup gave him a sizable lead to work with and he got within 1 out of finishing the game.  

The Giants remain 3 games behind in the Wild Card playoff race.

The Giant have a travel day tomorrow before starting a series in Atlanta with Hayden Birdsong RHP getting his second MLB start against Reynaldo Lopez RHP who has been lights out for the Braves.

Churn Watch:

The Giants were so desperate for arms to eat innings they DFA'd Spencer Howard RHP in order to call up Landon Roupp from AAA even though Roupp was not fully stretched out after missing a month with a right shoulder capsule strain.  The reason why Howard had to be DFA'd was because he is out of options.  The reason he was dropped is he threw 134 pitches in 7+ innings over his last 2 appearances and was emphatically not available to pitch.  The Giants now hope he clears waivers and stays in the organization for pitching depth.

Down on the Farm: 6/29/2024

AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators bombed the Sacramento River Cats 12-4:

Marco Luciano SS- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .239.

Hunter Bishop RF- 2 for 4, SB(6).  BA= .266.

Logan Porter 1B- 2 for 4.  BA= .324.

Blake Sabol C- 2 for 4.  BA= .222.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Somerset Patriots 11-3:

Carter Howell DH- 1 for 4, 2B, BB, SB(8).  BA= .283.

Christian Koss SS- 2 for 3, 2B, HR(2), 2 BB.  BA= .419.

Jairo Pomares LF- 2 for 5, HR(9).  BA= .250.

Jimmy Glowenke 2B- 3 for 5, 2 2B. BA= .201.

Luis Toribio 3B- 2 for 4.  BA= .167.

Nick Sinacola RHP- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.73.

Eric Silva RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.23.

Carter Howell is My Guy for this team.  Is Jairo Pomares putting himself into the mix for a 40- man roster spot this fall?

A+:  Tri-Cities Dust Devils dusted the Eugene Emeralds 5-3:

Jonah Cox CF- 0 for 3, 2 BB, 2 SB(5).  BA= .313.

Quinn McDaniel 2B- 0 for 2, 2 BB, 2 SB(20).  BA= .255.

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 1 for 3, 2B, SF. BA= .333.

Jack Choate LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 2.01.

A: San Jose Giants outlasted the Fresno Grizzlies 7-6(10 innings):

Cesar Quintas RF- 2 for 5.  BA= .220.

Jack Payton 1B- 0 for 1, 4 BB.  BA= .000.

Lisbel Diaz LF(18 yo)- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .316.

Elian Rayo 3B- 3 for 4, BB.  BA= .244.

ACL:  Giants pounded the Brewers 11-4(7 innings):

Wade Meckler CF- 2 for 1, 2 BB.  BA= .241.

Ryan McKenna LF- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .412.

Rayner Arias DH- 2 for 4.  BA= .182.

Ramon Peralta SS- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(2).  BA= .313.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 2 for 3, HR(2), BB.  BA= .239.

DSL:  Red Sox blasted Giants Black 12-3:

Angel Guzman RF- 3 for 5.  BA= .387.

Juan Colorado 3B- 1 for 4, 3B, BB.  BA= .323.

Anthony Marquez 2B- 2 for 4.  BA= .243.

DSL:  Giants Orange blanked the NYY Bombers 5-0(7 innings):

Franco Willias 2B/3B- 2 for 3, 2B, 2 SB(8).  BA= .347.

Argenis Cayama RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Game Wrap 6/29/2024: Dodgers 14 Giants 7(11 Innings)

After the Giants battled the Dodgers to a standstill through nine innings and after trading designated runners scoring in the 10'th inning, the wheels completely fell off for Sean Hjelle in the 11'th inning in one of the wildest scoring lines you'll ever see.  Is this maybe some sort of record for runs scored in an extra inning?  Key Lines:

Jorge Soler DH- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .226.  Good game for Soler but I'm pretty sure when FZ signed him to be the DH, the plan was not for him to bat leadoff.  This is not the first game Melvin has dabbled with this idea.

David Villar PH/DH- 1 for 1, 2B.  BA= .300.  Is David Villar finally going to force his way onto the long term active roster and Wally Pipp Wilmer Flores?

Heliot Ramos CF- 2 for 4, BB, SF.  BA= .286.  Ramos' BA was slipping but he had a productive evening at the plate and did decent impression of Willie Mays in CF.

Matt Chapman 3B- 3 for 5, 2B, BB.  BA= .241. Chapman has a 6-game hit streak in which he is 9 for 23(.391) with 2 2B and 2 HR.  On the other hand, he and Patrick Bailey failed to deliver in a 1-out, bases-loaded situation in the 10'th when they could have walked off the game.

Erik Miller LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.69. With LH batters in 2 of the top 3 spots in the batting order,  Miller opened and pitched a perfect first inning including a K of Ohtani to open the game.

Spencer Howard RHP- 2.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 5.63.  Howard was supposed to be the bulk inning guy.  I suppose you can look at his play-by-play and draw different conclusions.  On the one hand he got BABIP'd to death with with a series of bloops and IF singles.  On the other hand, if you are not striking anyone out, bad BABIP luck is going to happen.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 2 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.54.  There wasn't anything BABIPy about Hjelle's appearance as he was peppered with line drive hits.  Silver lining?  It probably does not matter if you give up 2 runs or 6 in the top of an extra inning, definitely no difference with 3 or 6.

Despite the Loss, the Giants remain 3 games out of the Wild Card playoff race.

The Giants try for a series win this afternoon with an obviously exhausted bullpen facing another bullpen game.  

Down on the Farm: 6/28/2024

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats outscored the Las Vegas Aviators 14-8:

Grant McCray CF- 3 for 5, 3B, BB, SB(4).  BA= .283.

Blake Sabol DH- 1 for 3, HR(3), 2 BB, SF.  BA= .215.

Donovan Walton 3B- 3 for 5, 2B, HR(5), BB.  BA= .282.

Blake Snell LHP- 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.66.

Nick Garcia RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.26.

At the very least, McCray should be earning a 40-man roster spot for the upcoming Hot Stove League season.  Does Donovan Walton have a second MLB chapter in him like Brett Wisely?  Better K and BB numbers for Blake Snell but it appears he still needs more rehab time.

AA:  Somerset Patriots downed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 7-5:

Ismael Munguia LF- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .353.

Carter Howell RF- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .284.

Jairo Pomares DH- 3 for 4, HR(8).  BA= .244.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Travis Kiest RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.31.

Jairo Pomares' slash line for June:  .301/.346/.603.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds pelted the Tri-City Dust Devils 14-8:

Jonah Cox CF- 1 for 4, 2 BB, SB(3).  BA= .385.

Quinn McDaniel 2B- 3 for 5, HR(8).  BA= .258.

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 1 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .333.

Diego Velasquez SS- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .272.

Onil Perez C- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .264.

Matt Higgins RF- 1 for 5, HR(4).  BA= .274.

Justin Wishkoski 3B- 1 for 2, HR(4), 2 BB, SF.  BA= .258.

Tanner O'Tremba LF- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(4).  BA= .219.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.86.

Wilkelma Castillo RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

A:  San Jose Giants edged out the Fresno Grizzlies 1-0:

Luke Shliger DH- 2 for 4.  BA= .206.

Charlie Szykowny 3B- 2 for 4.  BA= .298.

Guillermo Williamson 1B- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .229.

Robbie Ray LHP- 3.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Shane Rademacher RHP- 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA- 3.26.

It's not AAA but Robbie Ray looks like he's ahead of Blake Snell at this point.

ACL:  Brewers defeated the Giants 5-4(7 innings):

Ryan McKenna LF- 1 for 4, HR(1). BA= .357.

Juan Perez C- 2 for 3.  BA= .343.

Derwin Laya 1B- 2 for 3.  BA= .283.

Ryan Reckley 2B- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .279.

Mauricio Estrella RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 11.12.

Carlos Molina LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.69.

DSL:  Giants Orange fell short of Mets Blue 6-5(7 innings):

Santiago Castillo C- 1 for 2, HR(2), BB.  BA= .214.

Moises De La Rosa RF- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .267.

DSL:  Giants Black beat the Mariners 5-4(7 innings)

Oliver Tejada CF- 4 for 5, 2B, 3B, 3 SB(8). BA= .379.

Dennys Riera 3B- 2 for 4, SB(1).  BA= .375.

Vinicius Dos Santos LF- 3 for 3.  BA= .381.

Oliver Tejada is 17 yo. Numbers suggest he's a really dynamic young prospect.

Game Wrap 7/28/2024: Giants 5 Dodgers 3

Brett Wisely hit a walk-off, 2-run home run to take back a game that looked like it slipped away.  Key Lines:

 Michael Conforto LF- 1 for 4, 3B.  BA= .231.  Conforto looked like he might get the Giants on the scoreboard first and it probably would have been a HR in most ballparks but it was a one-hopper against the wall in Triples Alley and Conforto was stranded at 3B.

Luis Matos RF- 1 for 3, HR(4), BB.  BA= .257.  Since his return from a AAA reset, Matos is 8 for 20 just 1 BB but with just one K.  He has 2 HR's in his last 3 games.  Can he sustain it this time?  

Matt Chapman 3B- 1 for 4, HR(10), SB(7).  BA= .235.  Chapman gave Logan Webb a temporary lead with a 2-run shot in the inning.  He moves into a tie with Heliot Ramos for the team lead in HR's.  Is he on pace for 25?  Is he playing Gold Glove defense?  He's probably still within reach of both.

Brett Wisely 2B- 2 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .304.  Wow!  Where would this team be without Wisely?  Wisely is a Churn success story and if you look at his transaction list, it's been quite the journey to successful big leaguer.  The Giants chapter of his saga began when FZ traded Trevor Rosenthal RHP(memba him?) to the Brewers for Tristan Peters OF.  FZ then churned Peters to the Rays for Wisely.  Wisely then rode the Sacramento Shuttle for most of 2023.  FZ kept him on the 40-man roster until a recall on May 11.  He's still wearing a Giants uniform and really stabilized a desperate SS situation.  Can he sustain it?  He doesn't draw walks and strikes out about 20% of PA's.  Fangraphs projects his BA to stabilize at about .250. For now, he's the hot hand.

Logan Webb RHP- 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO- 12/1.  ERA= 3.12.  Another QS for Webb who lost his chance for a W when Doval gave up the lead in the 9'th inning.  Doval once again showed how stupid Wins are when he was credited with the W after Wisely picked him up with the walk-off HR.

Despite the Win, the Giants remain 3 games of the pace for the final Wild Card playoff spot.

The Giants and Dodgers play Game 2 of the series at 4:15 PM today with Tyler Glasnow RHP facing Erik Miller LHP who starts a bullpen game.

Churn Watch:

The Giants place Thairo Estrada IF and Wilmer Flores IF on the IL.  It sounds lke Estrada is just beat up all over and needs some R&R while Flores is battling a sore knee.  Lamonte Wade Jr was activated off the IL and Tyler Fitzgerald recalled from AAA Sacramento.  

Robbie Ray LHP pitched well in a rehab start for the San Jose Giants and should be able to join the rotation after the All-Star Break. Blake Snell LHP had a rough rehab start for AAA Sacramento and still seems to be a ways away.

Down on the Farm: 6/27/2024

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats outscored the Las Vegas Aviators 14-8:

Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 5, 2 HR(11), SF.  BA= .281.

Marco Luciano 2B- 1 for 4, HR(2), BB.  BA= .244.

Logan Porter 1B- 1 for 5, HR(2).  BA= .310.

Jerar Encarnacion DH- 2 for 4, HR(1), HBP, SB(1).  BA= .273.

Jakson Reetz C- 3 for 5, 2 2B, HR(4).  BA= .271.

Grant McCray CF- 4 for 5, 2 2B, 3B.  BA= .250.

Mason Black RHP- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.21.

Great game to pad the offensive stat line.  Great to see Mason Black with 6 dominant innings after a rough stretch.

AA:  Somerset Patriots downed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 6-2:

Carter Howell CF- 1 for 4, 3B. BA= .284.

Andy Thomas C- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .254.

Will Bednar RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds subdued the Tri-Cities Dust Devils 8-4:

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 4, SB(2).  BA= .444.

Thomas Gavello 3B- 1 for 3, HR(4), BB.  BA= .184.

Zach Morgan C- 1 for 2, HR(3), 2 BB.  BA= .224.

Garrett Frechette 1B- 3 for 4.  BA= .273.

Cesar Perdomo LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K. ERA= 0.00.

Perdomo showed an impressive mix of pitches when I saw him in Lake Elsinore a few weeks ago.  He gets off to a nice start for Eugene after a promotion.  Sleeper in the system.

A:  Fresno Grizzlies beat the San Jose Giants 6-1:

Charlie Szykowny DH- 2 for 4.  BA= .293.

Luke Shliger C- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .199.

DSL:  Giants Black defeated Padres Gold 10-7:

Jhonny Level SS- 2 for 5, 2 HR(4).  BA= .186.

Ricardo Crespo LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .263.

Bonus Baby Jhonny Level has a handful of spectacular games but obviously a lot of 0'fers too.  The ceiling is sky high.

DSL:  Rangers Blue topped Giants Orange 8-4:

Yosneiker Rivas SS- 1 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .321.

Jorge Ramirez PH/C- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(1).  BA= .273.

Jose Bello RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 1.29.

Game Wrap 6/27/2024: Cubs 5 Giants 3(10 innings)

 It came down to a battle of bullpen attrition and the Giants ran out bullets first.  Key Lines:

Jorge Soler DH- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .222.  The Giants managed to bunch 4 of their 6 hits in the 3-run 6'th inning.  3 of them came with 2 outs and Soler had the Giants only XBH in the middle of it.  

Jordan Hicks RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R R, 2 BB, 7 K.  ERA= 3.36.  Here's why Quality Start is a legit stat:  Cubs SP Shota Imanaga LHP and Hicks gave up the same number of runs but Imanaga worked that 6'th inning to earn a QS.  The Cubs used 4 relievers.  The Giants 5'th reliever gave up the winning and insurance runs.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.00.  Bivens threw just 7 pitches, all strikes.  Why coudn't he go another inning?

Luke Jackson RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 6.23.  I've defended Jackson but have never had much faith in him in high leverage situation.  Extra-innings are treacherous and downright unfair to pitchers but this is now Jackson's 3'rd game out of 4 in which he has given up multiple runs and the second in which he gave up a HR.

Despite the Loss, the Giants remain 3 games behind in the Wild Card race.

The Giants now start a 3-game home weekend series against the Hated Ones with Logan Webb RHP facing Landon Knack RHP in game 1.

Down on the Farm: 6/26/2024

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats defeated the Las Vegas Aviators 9-5:

Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .143. 

Tyler Fitzgerald SS- 1 for 5, HR(8).  BA= .323.

Blake Sabol LF/1B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .213.

Grant McCray RF- 1 for 5, HR(2).  BA= .186.

Carson Seymour RHP- 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 9/4.  ERA= 3.99.

AA:  Somerset Patriots edged out the Richmond Flying Squirrels 4-3:

Will Wilson 3B- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .249.

Victor Bericoto 1B- 3 for 4.  BA= .260.

Nick Swiney LHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.46.

Eric Silva RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.40.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds blew away the Tri-Cities Dust Devils 10-2:

Quinn McDaniel 2B- 2 for 4, 2 HR(7), BB.  BA= .249.

Matt Higgins 1B- 3 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .276.

Alexander Suarez LF- 1 for 4, HR(7).  BA= .250.

Manuel Mercedes RHP- 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.71.

A:  San Jose Giants subdued the Fresno Grizzlies 8-4:

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .263.

Cesar Quintas RF- 1 for 4, HR(6).  BA= .214.

Lisbel Diaz LF- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .375.

Nadir Lewis CF- 2 for 4. BA= .155.

Esmerlin Vinicio LHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.08.

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

18 yo Lisbel Diaz gets the promotion to full season ball and is off to a great start.  Has to be rocketing up prospect rankings.

ACL:  Giants pounded the D'Backs 15-4:

Ryan McKenna LF- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .400.

Walker Martin SS-  1 for 3, 2 BB. BA= .230.

Maui Ahuna DH- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .333.

Ramon Peralta 2B- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .303.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .234.

Juan Perez C- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .328.

Landon Roupp RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

A mix of rehabbers and promising young players here.

DSL:  Mariners topped Giants Orange 5-2(7 innings):

Franco Willias 3B- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= 359.

Yosneiker Rivas DH- 2 for 2, 2B, BB.  BA= .320.

Game Wrap 6/26/2024: Giants 4 Cubs 3

Hayden Birdsong came within an out of being eligible for a Win in his first MLB start a the Giants parlayed three home runs into 4 runs and their third consecutive win against the Cubs.  Key Lines:

Michael Conforto LF- 1 for 3, HR(9).  BA= .232.  Conforto's blast which cleared the high wall in the deepest part of the yard came in the second inning with  Patrick Bailey on first after drawing a leadoff walk followed by two K's giving Birdsong and early lead. 

David Villar 1B- 1 for 3, HR(1).  BA= .222.  Villar made it B2B as he followed up Conforto's bomb with one of his own to make it a 3-spot for the inning.

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 3, HR(3).  BA= .253.   Had Birdsong finished the 5'th inning, Matos would have made him the pitcher of record for win as it gave the Giants a one run lead they never relinquished.

Hayden Birdsong RHP- 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.79.  A bit of an uneven performance but the stuff is legit.  His FB hit 98 MPH and he backed that up with a slider, curve and a diving changeup.  Just a bit more consistent command that that's an ace level package.

Luke Jackson RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 6.12.  Reports of Jackson's demise as a Giant may be exaggerated.  The ERA is ugly but he recorded his 4'th W against 1 L as he recovered from 2 previous subpar appearances.  Prior to that he had 6 consecutive scoreless appearances.

Erik Miller LHP, Tyler Rogers RHP and Camilo Doval RHP finished up with a scoreless IP each with Doval recording his 14'th Save.

Despite 3 wins in a row, the Giants failed to gain ground in the standings and remain 3 games behind in the Wild Card race.

Jordan Hicks RHP tries for the 4-game sweep this afternoon facing Shota Imanaga LHP who many Giants fans wanted them to sign this last offseason.  Imanaga is coming off a disaster start but overall has a sparkling 7-2 record with a 2.96 ERA.

Churn Watch:

Mason Black was optioned back to AAA Sacramento and Raymond Burgos LHP was DFA'd, yes DFA'd, to make room for Birdsong on the active and 40-man rosters respectively.  Hopefully there were no scouts from potential waiver claiming teams in the stands when Burgos made his MLB debut because he was a lot better than his pitching line looks on paper.

Down on the Farm: 6/25/2024

AAA:  Las Vegas Aviators obliterated the Sacramento River Cats 11-0:

Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .278.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.29.

Nick Garcia RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.06.

There were rumors on the internets that Whisenhunt was getting called up to start.  Apparently not. 

AA:  Somerset Patriots smashed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 12-4:

Ismael Munguia CF- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(2).  BA= .381.

Victor Bericoto RF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .251.

Christian Koss SS- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .438.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds defeated the Tri-Cities Dust Devils 6-2:

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 4, SB(1).  BA= .500.

Rodolfo Nolasco LF- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(6).  BA= .235.

Thomas Gavello DH- 1 for 3, HR(3), BB, SB(6).  BA= .179.

Joe Whitman LHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.25

Cody Tucker RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.09.

Trent Harris RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.26.

Tommy Kane LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.84.

A:  San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies 7-2:

Cole Foster SS- 3 for 5, 2 2B.   BA= .252.

Luke Schliger C- 2 for 4.  BA= .190.

Estanlin Cassiani CF- 2 for 4.  BA= .248.

Dylan Carmouche LHP- 6 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.31.

Brayan Palencia RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 1.80.

Cole Foster slumped badly in June hitting just .191 on the month but is 8 for 19 over his last 4 games.  Brayan Palencia RHP has 17 K's against just 4 BB's in 15 IP since callup from ACL.

ACL:  White Sox topped the Giants 5-3:

Jose Rengel LHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 7.83.

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

DSL:  Marlins outscored Giants Orange 8-6(8 innings):

Luis Frias LF- 1 for 4, 3B, BB, 2 SB(7).  BA= .255.

Jesus Alexander 1B- 1 for 3, HR(4), SF.  BA= .425.

Jeyson Moya SS- 2 for 2, 2B, 3B, 2 BB.  BA= .120.

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

DSL:  Giants Black outscored the White Sox 10-9:

Jhonny Level SS- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(2).  BA= .167.

Carlos Concepcion RF- 2 for 5, SB(3).  BA= .255.

Juan Colorado 3B- 2 for 4, BB. BA= .340.

Evan Estevez LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .341.

Marlon Franco RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.57.

Jeison Jimenez RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.57.

Game Wrap 6/25/2024: Giants 5 Cubs 1

A 3-run rally in the 8'th inning broke open a tight game as the Giants bullpen shut down the Cubs.  Key Lines:

Brett Wisely SS- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .301.  Wisely followed Luis Matos' leadoff single with a ringing double off the Triples Alley wall to put runners at 2'nd and 3'rd which led to 3 insurance runs in the inning.  It was the Giants only XBH of the game.  Wisely continues to be a bright spot in the Giants season.

Matt Chapman 3B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .234.  Chapman scored in the second inning after drawing a walk and then drove in the Giants last two runs in the big 8'th inning rally.  He is 6 for 18 over his last 5 games.

Randy Rodriguez RHP- 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.70.  Rodriguez was the opener and was sharp going almost 3 innings.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.39.  Hjelle seems to have found his comfort zone in 2-inning stints.  At one point he was rumored to be the SP/Opener for this game but apparently Melvin opted to keep him in his groove.

The Rogers Bros, Ryan Walker and Camilo Doval shut it down from there.  The 8'th inning rally turned it into a non-Save situation for Doval.

With the Win, the Giants remain 3 games behind in the Wild Card playoff race.

The Giants try to clinch a win in the 4-game series tomorrow evening with Hayden Birdsong RHP called up for his MLB debut facing TBD.

Churn Watch:  

Raymond Burgos LHP who actually did not pitch badly last night was optioned back to AAA Sacramento and Mason Black RHP was recalled.  Really?  

If the Giants stick to the plan of bringing up Hayden Birdsong, not only will someone have to go down to the minors, someone will get DFA'd to make room on the 40-man roster.  

Down on the Farm 6/24/2024

 ACL:  Dodgers Defeated the Giants 8-4:

Ryan McKenna LF- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .667.

Walker Martin SS- 1 for 3, 2 BB, SB(1).  BA= .235.

Jack Payton 1B- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .375.

Juan Perez C- 2 for 5.  BA= .333.

Alix Hernandez 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.25.

Josh Wolf RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.63.

Since his BA hit a nadir of .162 on June 7, Martin is batting .283.  19 yo Alix Hernandez got off to a rough start in the Cal League before getting sent back to the ACL.  His ERA is 2.25 over his last 4 starts in June.  Reminder Juan Perez receive a 7 digit bonus in 2022 same year as Ryan Reckley.

DSL:  Giants Black beat Giants Orange 5-1(7 innings):

Oliver Tejada CF(17 yo)- 2 for 3, 2B, SB(5).  BA= .352.

Yohendry Sanchez C(17 yo)- 2 for 2, 2B, HR(1), SF.  BA= .250.

Evan Estevez LF(16 yo)- 1 for 3, SB(2).  BA= .325.

Ricardo Estrada LHP(22 yo)- 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 1.13.

Antonio Milian LHP(21yo)- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.25.

Reminder that Yohendry Sanchez received a 7 figure bonus in Jan 2024.

Game Wrap 6/24/2024: Giants 5 Cubs 4

Spencer Howard pitched 4.2 sensational innings to enable a 9'th inning comeback, walkoff win for the Giants.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos CF- 3 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .301.  Nice resiliency from Ramos who came in with a 1 for 22 slump.  Again, when your #2 hitter has 4 Total Bases and reaches base 4 times and does not figure in the scoring. something is wrong.

Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(9).  BA= .233.  Chapman is 4 for 10 with 2 walks over his last 3 games.  Hopefully the start of an extended hot streak.  

Nick Ahmed SS- 1 for 2, HR(1), 2 BB.  BA= .250.  Ahmed made a weird play that kind of ruined Raymond Burgos' debut but made up for his with a HR to narrow the gap to 4-2.  Ahmed has turned out to be a pretty solid addition.  I can think of worse scenarios than he and Wisely platooning SS the rest of the season.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.38.  Bivens looked great and probably bought himself another refill on his cup of coffee.

Raymond Burgos LHP- 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 9.00.  with his family in the stands cheering him on, Burgos immediately ran into bad BABIP luck when Bellinger squibbed one down the 3B line for a hit to lead off the inning.  Then there was the weird Ahmed play.  Burgos did a good job to pitch his way out of the inning with just 1 run damage.  He threw 25 pitches which is probably why he didn't come out for a second inning of work.  He's been working 3-inning stints in AAA so should be able to go multiple innings.  He showed a nice 3 pitch mix which could even work as a SP.

Spencer Howard RHP- 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 3.80.  Talk about buying yourself a refill on your cup of coffee!  Howard proved that 4.2 innings of shutout ball at the end of the game can be as valuable as at the begininng, maybe more?  Wow! What a clutch, determined performance.  Brings back memories of Ryan Vogelsong just a bit?

Despite the Win, the Giants remain 3 games behind in the Wild Card playoff race..

The Giants and Cubs go at it again tomorrow evening with TBD facing TBD again.

Down on the Farm: 6/23/2024

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats outscored the Round Rock Express 5-4:

Lamonte Wade Jr DH- 0 for 1, 3 BB.  BA= .000.

Tyler Fitzgerald SS- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .339.

Hunter Bishop LF- 2 for 5, SB(4).  BA= .276.

Jerar Encarnacion RF- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .240.

Blake Snell LHP- 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 2.70.

Robbie Ray LHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Multiple rehabbers.  Blake Snell appears to still have a ways to go and he said as much himself.  At this rate Robbie Ray may wear a Giants uniform sooner.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels edged out the Portland Sea Dogs 2-1:

Ismael Munguia DH- 2 for 4.  BA= .353.

Carter Howell CF- 1 for 4, 3B.  BA- .286.

Nick Sinacola RHP- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 3.10.

Jose Cruz RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 10.13.

Tyler Myrick RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(6).  ERA= 5.14.

A+:  Spokane Indians blanked the Eugene Emeralds 3-0:

Turner Hill CF- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(15).  BA= .270.

Jack Choate LHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.18.

A:  Modesto Nuts topped the San Jose Giants 2-1:

Cole Foster SS- 2 for 5.  BA= .244.

Charlie Szykowny 3B- 1 for 4, 2B, BB. BA= .290.

Nadir Lewis LF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .130.

Josh Bostick RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.16.

Ubert Mejias RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 9/2.  ERA= 3.55.

Game Wrap 6/23/2024: Cardinals 5 Giants 3

The Giants managed to thwart a perfect game by Sonny Gray RHP but a late rally once again fell short and they were swept out of a steamy St Louis.  Key Lines:

Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 4, HR(6).  BA= .292.  Bailey's no-doubt HR broke up Gray's perfecto in the 7'th inning.  Bailey had a rough game behind the plate as the Cardinals stole 4 bases but that seemed to be all on Logan Webb.  Dave Fleming and Hunter Pence seemed pretty convinced Webb was tipping his intent to come to the plate and the Cards were getting huge jumps.

Logan Webb RHP- 6 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 8 K's, GO/AO= 6/2.  Webb seemed all out of sorts in the first inning when he gave up a 3-spot but to his credit he hung in there and finished up with scoreless frames in innings 3-6 on another steamy afternoon in St Loo.  The holding runners things is a whole other story and something he will have to address.

Padres are trailing the Brewers 5-1 at this writing so the Giants may remain 3 games behind the Padres in the Wild Card playoff race.

The Giants travel home to face the Cubs to start a 4-game series with TBD facing TBD.

Down on the Farm: 6/22/2024

AAA:  Round Rock Express ran over the Sacramento River Cats 6-3:

Brett Auerbach RF- 2 for 4.  BA= .315.

Donovan Walton 2B- 2 for 4.  BA= .278.

AA:  Portland Sea Dogs outlasted the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-7:

Carter Howell RF- 3 for 4, BB, 2 SB(7).  BA= .286.

Brady Whalen 1B- 1 for 5, HR(1).  BA= .184.

Christian Koss SS- 3 for 3, 2B, HBP.  BA= .448.

Carson Ragsdale RHP- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 10 K's.  ERA= 3.49.

Eric Silva RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.58.

Maybe a bit light on power but I am impressed by Carter Howell's ability to sustain his contact skills at this level.

A+:  Spokane Indians blanked the Eugene Emeralds 7-0:

Matt Higgins 1B- 2 for 4.  BA= .272.

Andrew Kachel DH- 2 for 4.  BA= .283.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.97.

A:  San Jose Giants defeated the Modesto Nuts 4-2:

Scott Bandura LF- 2 for 5, 2B, 3B.  BA= .276.

Charile Szykowney 3B= 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .291.

Justin Bench SS- 2 for 4.  BA= .284.

Shane Rademacher RHP- 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.65.

Austin Strickland RHP- 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.55.

Ian Villers RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 7.71

ACL:  Giants shut out the D'Backs 3-0:

Derwin Laya 1B- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .270.

Juan Perez C- 2 for 2, BB. BA= .327.

Landon Roupp RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Timmy Manning RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Billy Sulllivan RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 21.60.

Mikell Manzano RHP- 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.03.

DSL:  Cardinals edged out Giants Black 2-1(7 innings):

Evan Estevez DH- 2 for 3. BA= .324.

Alexander Fuentes RHP- 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.16.

Jose Meza RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.69.

DSL:  NYY Bombers topped Giants Orange 5-4(7 innings):

Luis Frias LF- 1 for 2, 2 HBP, 2 SB(5).  BA= .275.

Yoxander Benitez 2B- 2 for 3, SB(2).  BA= .227.

Game Wrap 6/22/2024: Cardinals 9 Giants 4

Another day, another disheartening loss in which the Giants were outclassed by a team they are competing for a playoff spot with.  Key Lines:

Brett Wisely SS- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .302.  The Giants seem to have found at least a temporary solution to their SS problem in Wisely with Nick Ahmed filling in for LH SP's.  

Jorge Soler DH- 2 for 4.  BA= .230.  Soler's June resurgence continues.

Matt Chapman 2 for 3, BB, SB(6).  BA= .232.  Hopefully this marks the end of Chapman's slump.  He was charge with a throwing error but it was on a play most 3B would likely not have made.  Chapman's errors came up in another discussion.  I think some of them have been on plays like this where he was trying to make a heroic play, which he often successfuly makes.  When you look at Fangraphs defensive stats he grades out much better because Fangraphs factors in plays that are made and degree of difficulty.

Michael Conforto LF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .232.  Giants need some offensive consistency from Conforto.

Jordan Hicks RHP- 4 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.24.  Hicks said his legs gave out after the third inning but he wasn't great before that.  Same old story:  Suboptimal command, way too many pitches.  He passed his previous career high for IP and we're still not to the halfway point of the season.

The loss dropped the Giants 3 games behind the Cardinals and Padres for the final Wild Card spot.

Logan Webb RHP battles the heat and Sonny Gray RHP tomorrow while trying to prevent a sweep by the Cardinals

Churn Watch: 

Mike Yastrzemski OF and Keaton Winn RHP were placed on the IL.

Luis Matos OF and David Villar IF were recalled from AAA Sacramento.

Tyler Fitzgerald UT was optioned to AAA Sacramento(he was the 26'th man for the game at Rickwood Field).

Down on the Farm: 6/20/2024

AAA: Round Rock Express defeated the Sacramento River Cats 5-3:

David Villar 3B- 1 for 4, HR(11).  BA= .266.

Hunter Bishop LF/CF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .284.

Raymond Burgos LHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.64.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels vs Portland Sea Dogs postponed due to bad weather.

A+:  Spokane Indians buried the Eugene Emeralds 9-3:

Quinn McDaniel 2B- 1 for 4, HR(5).  BA= .249.

Zach Morgan C- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .235.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 6 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's, GO/AO= 9/2.  ERA= 3.86.

A:  San Jose Giants outscored the Modesto Nuts 11-8:

Jonah Cox CF- 1 for 3, 3B, 2 BB.  BA= .301.

Cole Foster SS- 3 for 5, 2 2B, HR(3), SF.  BA= .245.

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 1 for 5, 2B, SF.  BA= .270.

Justin Bench 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .270.

Nice game for Cole Foster, the Giants 3'rd round draft pick from last year.  Reminder that A ball is a conservative placement for a high draft pick from a major college program like Auburn.

ACL:  Rockies pounded the Giants 17-4:

Wade Meckler CF- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .250.

Walker Martin SS- 3 for 4, BB.  BA= .225.

Lisbel Diaz LF/RF- 2 for 5.  BA= .347.

DSL:  Angels edged out Giants Black 3-2:

Brayan Narvaez RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.09.

Jan Caraballo RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Game Wrap 6/20/2024: Cardinals 6 Giants 5

The Giants lineup could not overcome another rough start for Keaton Winn in a game played in Birmingham AL to honor Willie Mays.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos CF- 1 for 5, HR(10).  BA= .307.  3-run HR's often win games but not this time.  Must have been a thrill for Heliot to cover Willie Mays' old position for this game and to hit a 3-run HR to boot!

Patrick Bailey C- 4 for 5.  BA= .299.  Says something about the lineup when the #3 hitter gets 4 hits and not figure into any of the scoring.

Keaton Winn RHP- 2.2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 7.16.  Given the recent history, I have to wonder if Winn is either not fully healthy, tipping his pitches or both.  Not sure how long they can keep rolling him out there with these results.  What alternatives do they have?

With the Loss, the Giants fall double digits behind the Dodgers in the NL West and 1.5 games behind in the Wild Card playoff chase.

Giants and Cardinals have the day off to travel back to St Louis.  They pick up the series with an afternoon game on Saturday with Jordan Hicks RHP facing Miles Mikolas RHP.  Predicted high temp in St Louis for Saturday is 97 degrees F.  That should be fun(not)! 

Down on the Farm: 6/19/2024

AAA:  Round Rock Express outlasted the Sacramento River Cats 5-4(10 innings):

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 4.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 4.87.

Clay Helvey RHP- 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.84.

Cats had 6 hits including 4 doubles by Matos, Sabol, Reetz and Porter, plus a triple by Hunter Bishop.  No multi-hit games.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels crushed the Portland Sea Dogs 18-4:

Carter Howell CF- 1 for 4, 2B, BB, SF.  BA= .283.

Will Wilson 3B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .240.

Victor Bericoto LF- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .237.

Jairo Pomares DH- 1 for 5, HR(7).  BA= .254.

Adrian Sugastey C- 2 for 4, 2B, HBP.  BA= .217.

Christian Koss SS- 4 for 5, 3 2B.  BA= 415.

Wil Jensen RHP- 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.21.

Eric Silva RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.97.

Jose Cruz RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 10.62.

A+:  Spokane Indians edge out the Eugene Emeralds 3-2(Game 1 of doubleheader, 7 innings):

Quinn McDaniel 2B- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .252.

Turner Hill CF- 1 for 2, 2B, BB.  BA= .256.

Zach Morgan 1B- 1 for 2, 2B, BB.  BA= .226.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds smashed the Spokane Indians 9-1:

Turner Hill CF- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .263.

Matt Higgins 1B- 2 for 4.  BA= .267.

Tanner O'Tremba RF- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .233.

Thomas Gavello C- 3 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .182.

Alexander Suarez LF- 1 for 3, HR(6).  BA= .243.

Joe Whitman LHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Trent Harris RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB,  4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

A:  San Jose Giants defeated the Modesto Nuts 7-3:

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 2 for 4, HR(10).  BA= .272.

Luis Perdomo LHP- 5 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 1.26.

Brayan Palencia RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.25

Giants scored 7 runs on just 3 hits and 3 BB's but with the help of 4 HBP's.

DSL:  Giants outscored Colorado 6-2:

Luis Frias CF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .263.

Yosneiker Rivas SS- 3 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .316.

Jesus Alexander 1B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .475.

Franco Willias 3B- 2 for 3.  BA= .320.

Dilan Fernandez RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00.

Lender Bracho RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Game Wrap 6/19/2024: Cubs 6 Giants 5

A grand slam home run by Jorge Soler in the 8'th inning was not enough to overcome a deficit created by shaky pitching by a couple of recently called up pitchers who were not helped by defensive errors leading to 2 Unearned Runs.  Key Lines:

Brett Wisely SS- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .299.  Wisely continues to stand in the gap at SS and leadoff spot but did not figure into the scoring in this one due lack of support from subsequent lineup spots.

Jorge Soler DH- 1 for 4, HR(9).  BA= .224.  After a rough first two months in a Giants uniform, Soler's slash line for June is .298/.403/.526.  If he keeps doing that, the Giants will be OK.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA- 5.40.  Bivens navigated the 2'nd and 3'rd inning without any damage, but then gave up B2B homers to start the 4'th.  He walked the next batter and Melvin brought in Sean Hjelle.  That runner later scored on a double error by Matt Chapman adding a critical unearned run to Bivens' line.

Spencer Howard RHP- 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.86. This is a rough line but there seems to be some very shaky fielding and bad BABIP luck involved.  After Nico Hoerner's leadoff ground-rule double, Suzuki struck out.  Cody Bellinger singled on groundball deflected by Wilmer Flores to Thairo Estrada.  After a SB, walk and K, Swanson drove in 1 run with a line drive single to CF but then there is this entry in the play log:  "Dansby Swanson advances to 2'nd base on a caught stealing error by Wilmer Flores, assist to catcher Patrick Bailey to shortstop Brett Wisely."  Then the next entry is "Michael Busch singles on a line drive to shorstop Brett Wisely, deflected by left fielder Austin Slater.  Dansby Swanson to 3'rd".  I can't even visualize what all happened here but that has to be one of the wierdest play logs for an inning in my recent memory.  Interesting that Howard ended up striking out the side.  Guess he figured he had to!  

The Dodgers also lost so the Giants stay 9.5 games behind the NL West leaders but fall to 1 game off the Wild Card playoff chase.

The Giants play the Cardinals tomorrow evening at Rickwood Field in Birmingham AL where Willie Mays began his professional baseball career. Keaton Winn RHP faces Andre Pallante RHP.

Down on the Farm: 6/18/2024

 AAA:  Round Rock Express blanked the Sacramento River Cats 5-0:

Blake Sabol C- 2 for 4.  BA= .207.

Apparently the catching experiment is still operative for Blake Sabol.  If the Giants are convinced he can do it, he needs to be doing it almost every game with Sacramento along with intensive coaching.  Jack Leiter RHP was the SP for Round Rock.

AA:  Portland Sea Dogs outscored the Richmond Flying Squirrels 12-11:

Carter Howell CF- 3 for 5, BB, SB(4).  BA= .284.

Will Wilson 3B- 2 for 6.  BA= .236.

Victor Bericoto RF- 2 for 5, HR(7), SB(1).  BA= .232.

Jimmy Glowenke 2B- 1 for 2, HR(3), 2 BB.  BA= .197.

Jairo Pomares LF- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .255.

Adrian Sugastey C- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .211.

Christian Koss SS- 3 for 4, SF, SB(6).  BA= .375.

Nick Sinacola RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.77.

After two months of struggling, Victor Bericoto's slash line for June is .302/.351/.528.  I still believe in the bat.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Spokane Indians 7-2:

Diego Velasquez SS- 2 for 4, 2B, BB, SB(13).  BA= .287.

Onil Perez C- 1 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .278.

Andrew Kachel 1B- 2 for 4, SF.  BA= .283.

Tanner O'Tremba RF- 1 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .223.

Thomas Gavello 2B- 2 for 4, HR(2).  BA- .164.

Turner Hill CF- 1 for 4, BB, 2 SB(13).  BA= .253.

Jack Choate LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.21.

Cody Tucker RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.05.

A:  Modesto Nuts beat the San Jose Giants 5-1:

Scott Bandura LF- 3 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .270.

Justin Bench 2B- 0 for 0, 3 BB.  BA= .254.

Austin Strickland RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.40.

ACL:  White Sox outlasted the Giants 9-7(10 innings):

Dario Reynoso 3B- 2 for 3, HR(1), BB, SF.  BA= .250.

Robbie Ray LHP- 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.14.

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

Encouraging appearances for two rehabbing pitchers, Ray and Roupp.  After hitting just .193 in May, Dario Reynoso is batting .355 in June.

DSL:  Giants Orange defeated the Blue Jays 6-4:

Jesus Alexander 1B- 3 for 5, 2B, HR(3).  BA- .472.

Santiago Camacho C- 2 for 5, SB(2).  BA= .194.

Albert Jimenez 3B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .229.

Carlos Brito RF- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .286.

DSL: Giants Black edged out Pirates Gold 4-3:

Nothing of note to see here.  Giants Black scored 4 runs on just 2 hits and 4 BB's. 

Game Wrap 6/18/2024: Cubs 5 Giants 2

 Oh.....not that it really matters, but the Giants played a game today.  They managed just 6 baserunners and the bullpen suffered an 8'th inning failure to ruin a splendid Quality Start by Logan Webb.  Key Lines:

Curt Casali C- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .243.  Casali had 2 of the Giants 4 hits and drove in both runs with a 5'th inning double after walks by Soler and YtY.

Logan Webb RHP- 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K's, GO/AO= 11/2.  ERA= 2.99.  I wish we could sing along with Don Henley:  This is the last worthless evening that you'll have to spend..."  Alas it probably won't be for poor Logan Webb.

The Loss dropped the Giants to 9.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and 0.5 games behind in the Wild Card playoff race.

The Giants try for a series win in a day game at Wrigley Field with TBD facing Kyle Hendricks RHP.

RIP Willie Mays

Today is a day we all knew was coming though none of us wanted to see it.  Maybe the name Babe Ruth is the most iconic baseball name in history, but Willie Mays was the most magical baseball name of my lifetime.  Willie Mays played for the San Francisco Giants and San Francisco was the closest large city to where I grew up.  I started listening to games on the radio called by Russ Hodges, Lon Simmons and Bill Thompson in 1966 the summer I turned 10 years old.  The names were magical:  Jim Davenport, Jesus Alou, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry,  Jim Ray Hart, Willie McCovey.  But the most magical of all was Willie Mays.  It sounded like one word, WillieMays.  

I didn't realize it then but Willie was heading toward the end of his career and the milestone home run countdown was underway:  500, Passing Mell Ott at 511, Passing Ted Williams at 521, passing Jimmy Fox at 534.  At that point the only player with more in his career was the one and only Babe Ruth at a seemingly insurmountable 714.  There was another active player, someone named Hank Aaron, but he hadn't started the milestone march just yet.  It was Willie chasing The Babe.  Alas, he would end up falling short with an amazing 660.  Of course, Hank Aaron kept hitting 40 HR's per season later into his career and eventually passed The Babe with plenty of room to spare.  I didn't think it was fair that Willie Mays had to sit out almost 2 full seasons in which he would almost certainly have hit at least 70 more home runs to serve in the army which Hank Aaron did not have to for some reason.  I also didn't think it was fair that Aaron got to finish his career in one of the easiest ballparks to hit a home run in while Willie had to fight gale force winds blowing to his opposite field in Candlestick Park.  But as the movie said, "There's no crying in baseball."  Records are records regardless of what stadium or what era they were set in.

We lived up in the mountains on the east side of the Napa Valley and didn't get down to San Francisco often.  My parents had no interest in attending ballgames for entertainment so I had to content myself with listening to the games on radio.  It was not until 1971, the year Willie turned 40 years old, that I finally got to see him play in person. It was about 10 days after his birthday on a Sunday against the Dodgers. The Giants had good team that year and were leading the newly formed NL West and the game was a sellout.  My buddy had mail-ordered tickets for a group of us to go to the game.  We sat way up in the nosebleed seats down the right-field line.  It turned out to be a sloppily played game and the Giants lost 9-6, but Willie Mays hit a double and stole two bases.  I didn't realize how remarkable that was at the time but how many 40 year old players steal a base in a MLB game, let alone two?  

The Giants won the NL West that year, barely, over the Dodgers but lost to Roberto Clemente and the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL championship series.  It would be Willie's last productive season in his career.  He was obviously struggling at the beginning of the 1972 season and the Giants traded him to the Mets so he could finish his career in the city where it started, New York.  That explanation always seemed more than a little disingenuous to me.  I still look at that trade as one of the great injustices of my life.  Hearing, seeing and reading about Willie playing for another team never set well and I hated the idea. 

Willie and the Giants organization kept their distance from each other for many years after he retired until Peter Magowan and Larry Baer bought the team and reached out to bring Willie back into the Giants family.  From then on, Willie was a fixture at spring training and in the Giants clubhouse, an integral part of the organization and city of San Francisco where he lived until he died.  I always thought that put the lie to the idea that Willie preferred New York and was happy to leave San Francisco for the Mets.  

So, RIP Willie Mays.  I am not sure how you define the greatest player of all time, but Willie Mays was certainly one of the greatest.

Down on the Farm: 6/17/2024

 ACL:  Giants outscored the Guardians 9-8:

Ryan Reckley DH- 2 for 6, 3B, HR(2).  BA= .355.

Rayner Arias CF- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .500.

Lisbel Diaz RF- 2 for 4, SB(1).  BA- .355.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 3 for 4, 2B, BB, SB(7).  BA= .235.

Juan Perez C- 3 for 5.  BA= .306.

All kinds of good stuff here!  Remember Ryan Reckley got a 7 digit signing bonus in the 2022 signing period.  After a couple of tough seasons the project may be starting to find traction and he's still just 19 yo.  The long awaited appearance of Rayner Arias in Arizona!  Can't wait to see what he does the rest of the season.

DSL:  White Sox edged out Giants Orange 2-1:

Jesus Alexander 1B- 3 for 4, 2B.  BA= .452.

Brandon Vasquez DH(17 yo)- 2 for 3, SB(2).  BA= .300.

Randry De Leon(18 yo) RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 0.82.

Frainer Mejias RHP- 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.96.

DSL:  Giants Black defeated the Nationals 6-3:

Oliver Tejada CF- 2 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .375.

Evan Estevez LF(16 yo)- 2 for 4.  BA= .292.

Ricardo Estrada LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 1.50.

Kendry Castro RHP(17 yo)- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 1.69.

Jan Caraballo RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Game Wrap 6/17/2024: Giants 7 Cubs 6

The Giants overcame a bullpen meltdown with runs over the final three innings for a come-from-behind win to start an important road series.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos CF- 2 for 5, HR(9).  BA= .328.  Heliot shows no signs of cooling off.  His lead-off oppo-field HR in the 7'th inning came after the Cubs took 2-1 lead in the 6'th on a 2-run HR by Michael Busch off Randy Rodriguez RHP.

Patrick Bailey C- 2 for 4, HR(5), BB.  BA= .286.  On defense, Bailey battled the home plate ump who had a rough night.  At the plate he homered in the 8'th to cut the Cubs lead to 6-4 setting up the big 9'th inning comeback rally.

Jorge Soler DH- 1 for 2, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .227.  Soler is hitting .381 over his last 7 games and .308 over his last 15.

Mike Yastrzemski RF- 2 for 4, 3B, BB.  BA= .222.  Great game by YtY on both sides of the ball.  RBI triple for the Giants first run in the 4'th inning.  Perfect throw to the plate to nail a runner trying to score on a sac fly to end the Cubs 5'th inning threat.

Thairo Estrada 2B- 2 for 3, HR(9), BB.  BA= .243.  Thairo's 3-run shot in the 9'th was the game-winning hit.  He's hitting just .222 over his last 7 games but is 5 for 9 over his last 3.  He and Heliot Ramos are now tied for the team lead in HR's.

Trenton Brooks 1B- 0 for 4, 3 K, SB(1).  BA= .143.  Brooks had a very rough game including 2 pitch timer violations.  In one AB with the bases loaded he was late squaring up to the pitcher and gave up strike one on a delay of game call. He followed that with two check swing attempts he couldn't hold up on.  As Kruk would say, "that was a rough at bat!"  Then in the 7'th inning he appeared to call off Thairo Estrada on a pop up that was a can of corn for the second baseman, then at the last second Brooks pulled up and the ball dropped in front of Estrada. The next batter popped out for what should have been the third out, but instead Bellinger walked, Suzuki doubled and Ian Happ homered.  Bam!  6-3 Cubs.  Does anyone have Brandon Belt's number?  

Jordan Hicks RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.82.  Typical Hicks game, but hey!  Blake Snell has won a couple of Cy Youngs pitching like this.

Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.71.  Doval was a little more focused for this Save Opportunity and avoided the torture with a 1, 2, 3 9'th inning.  

With the Win, the Giants moved into a tie with the Nationals for the third Wild Card playoff spot.  They continue to trail the Dodgers by 8.5 games.

Logan Webb RHP tries to clinch a series win tomorrow evening against Justin Steele LHP who has an 0-3 W-L record but a good 3.22 ERA.

Down on the Farm: 6/16/2024

AAA:  Reno Aces defeated the Sacramento River Cats 10-6:

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(8).  BA= .256.

Jerar Encarnacion DH- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .500. 

Brett Auerbach LF- 1 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .325.

Grant McCray CF- 2 for 4, SB(3).  BA= .280.

Great series for Luis Matos. He probably needs to prove it wasn't just the extreme hitting environment of Reno.  I have no idea who Jerar Encarnacion is.  Somebody The Churn washed in?

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels blanked the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 5-0:

Carter Howell CF- 2 for 4, 2B, Sac.  BA= .276.

Will Wilson 3B- 3 for 5, SB(4).  BA= .233.

Jairo Pomares RF- 1 for 5, HR(6).  BA= .238.

Christian Koss SS- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .341.

Carson Ragsdale RHP- 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K's, GO/AO= 3.69.

A+:  Everett Aquasox outscored the Eugene Emeralds 8-5:

Quinn McDaniel 2B- 1 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .246.

Rodolfo Nolasco RF- 1 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .240.

Zach Morgan DH- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .229.

A:  Inland Empire 66'ers outlasted the San Jose Giants 12-10(10 innings):

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(2), 2 BB.  BA= .314.

Bryce Eldridge DH- 2 for 6, 2B.  BA= .271.

Guillermo Williamson 1B- 2 for 5, BB.  BA= .246.

Elian Rayo 3B- 1 for 3, HR(4), 2 BB.  BA= .234.

Esmerlin Vinicio LHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.85.

Game Wrap 6/15/2024: Giants 13 Angels 6

Faced with an unexpected bullpen game after the unexpected placement of Kyle Harrison LHP on the IL, the Giants lit up the Angels bullpen game pitchers with a 9-run 4'th inning to give Spencer Bivens an MLB Win to his lifelong credit.  Key Lines:

Brett Wisely SS- 2 for 6, 2 2B.  BA= .313.  I think it's pretty clear Wisely should. be the starting SS against all RHP's and maybe should be the fulltime starter.  If you go back through his minor league record there's a reason why FZ acquired him and we're seeing it now.

Heliot Ramos CF- 2 for 6.  BA= .326.  Ramos showed his versatility as a hitter by going the other way for two early hits even though neither hit figured into the scoring.

Jorge Soler DH- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(8), BB.  BA= .224.  Maybe Soler reads this blog?  He drove in 3 of the 4'th inning runs by going above the strike zone to take a Not-Forever Giant Hunter Strickland pitch well over the LF wall.  He definitely did not chop down on THAT pitch!  He doubled later in the game.  Hopefully this is the breakout game for him we've been waiting for.

Austin Slater PH/RF- 2 for 2, HR(1), BB, HBP.  BA= .230.  The Angels were in bullpen game mode too.  When Soler walked and Wilmer Flores doubled off a LHP to start the 4'th inning, Bob Melvin pullled a move out of Gabe Kapler's playbook and pinch-hit Slater for YtY.  Slater contributed to the rally by reaching base on a HBP which set up successive doubles by Thairo Estrada 2B and Brett Wisely to give the Giants the lead and they just kept adding on.  

Spencer Bivens RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.00.  What a great story here.  Bivens pitched for an unknown college program at age 24 then kicked around multiple indy ball teams before the Giants signed him as a free agent in 2022.  He's worked his way up the Giants system and finally got his call when Harrison got hurt in the weight room Saturday.  He not only threw his first MLB pitch but recorded a Win in the process and undoubtedly earned himself a refill on his cup of coffee.  Hey!  He probably would have gone a 4'th inning if he hadn't had to sit for so long during the Giants half of the 4'th inning!  Maybe he can be stretched out to be a bulk innings guy or even a starter?  Bivens has a long, lean, athletic body and a MLB repertoire anchored by a mid-90s FB.  Why not?

We won't talk about Camilo Doval's embarrassing performance in the 9'th inning.

The Win kept the Giants at 8.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and left them 0.5 games behind in the Wild Card playoff race.

The Giants hit the road to start a series against the Cubs with Jordan Hicks RHP facing Javier Assad RHP.  The Giants next 13 games include 7 against the Cubs, 3 against the Cardinals and 3 against the Dodgers.  With the starting rotation hanging by a thread, this will be a huge challenge will likely go a long way toward defining the season.

Breaking News: Kyle Harrison to IL

No!!!!!!  A bad situation just became dire.  Kyle Harrison LHP who was scheduled to start today's series finale against the Angels was placed on the 15 day IL with an ankle sprain(I don't want to know how THAT happened).  At least it's not he arm.  Ooof!!!!

Spencer Bivens RHP was called up to the Active Roster and Nick Avila RHP was DFA's to make room on the 40-man roster for Bivens.   

Down on the Farm: 6/15/2024

 AAA:  Reno Aces outscored the Sacramenton River Cats 7-6:

Tyler Fitzgerald 3B- 1 for 5, HR(7).  BA= .364.

Luis Matos RF- 3 for 5, 2B, 2 HR(7), SB(4).  BA= .252.

Donovan Walton 2B- 2 for 3, HR(4), BB.  BA= .282.

Ismael Munguia DH- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .250.

Hayden Birdsong RHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 6.75.

Raymond Burgos LHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.89.

Matos comes back from an 0 for 4 with another huge game.  In the series he is 12 for 23 with 5 double and 4 HR's.  Hayden Birdsong strikes out 7 in his first AAA game in a tough pitching environment.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels outlasted the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3-2(11 innings):

Victor Bericoto CF- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .228.

Brandon Martorano RF- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .333.

John Bertrand LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.91.

Seth Corry LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Tyler Myrick RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.54.

Victor Bericoto played CF?  

A+:  Everett Aquasox buried the Eugene Emeralds 7-3:

Diego Velasquez SS- 3 for 5.  BA= .289.

Matt Higgins LF- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(3).  BA= .265.

Onil Perez C- 3 for 5, SB(15).  BA= .277.

Rodolfo Nolasco DH-  1 for 2, 2 BB, SB(4).  BA= .239.

Andrew Blair RHP- 4 IP,  4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.80.

Julio Rodriguez RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.08.

A:  Inland Empire 66'ers ran over the San Jose Giants 7-2:

Nothing of note to see here.

ACL:  Angels defeated the Giants 5-2:

Spencer Miles RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.25.

Johan Rodriguez RHP- 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.09.

DSL:  Giants Black beat Giants Orange 7-3:

Jhonny Level SS- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .233.

Oliver Tejada CF- 2 for 4, 3B, SB(4).  BA= .361.

Dennys Riera 2B- 2 for 3, SF.  BA= .417.

Jose Meza RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.35.

Antonio Millan LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Game Wrap 6/15/2024: Angels 4 Giants 3

The Giants got a Quality Start from Keaton Winn and 3 XBH's from Heliot Ramos.....and lost in an embarrassing display of offensive and defensive futility....and a possible managing mistake.  Key Lines:

Austin Slater LF- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .203.  Slater led off against a LHP starter and got on base ahead of Ramos twice.  Slater is hitting .333 with an OBP of .391 over his last 7 games.

Heliot Ramos CF- 3 for 5, 2 2B, HR(8).  BA= .325.  Ramos continued to scald the ball and drove in both Giants runs.  His 2-run shot in the first inning got the Giants off to a promising start.

Jorge Soler DH- 1 for 4.  BA= .219.  #3-7 in the lineup went a combined 3 for 19 with 1 walk and 0 XBH's.  Maybe YtY can be forgiven because he was facing a tough LHP but Wilmer Flores batting cleanup also went 0 for 4.  I single out Soler because the man was once again flailing at breaking balls in the dirt.....or maybe I should say chopping?  I noticed that he has a pronounced chop in his swing like he is using his bat to chop wood, not like trying to fell a tree but trying to split firewood.  It looks like he's doing it to shorten his swing but it also shortens the time the bat is in the strike zone and possibly explains why, when he does make contact, he's just chopping the ball into the ground.  Where are the batting coaches?

Curt Casali C- 2 for 3, 2B, E(2, throw).  BA= .206.  OK, Casali had pretty good day at the plate, but he had a very rough on behind the plate as the Angels stole 3 bases and the throwing error on Schanuel's SB led to an unearned and winning run.  When Casali arrived he initially stabilized a chaotic catching situation when Patrick Bailey was on the IL.  Bailey is back but can't catch every game.  Apparently word is out around the league they can run on Casali?  There seems to be some hope that Tom Murphy will be back at some point but I seem to recall he as having issues before his injury.  The Giants acquired a veteran minor league catcher just yesterday which would seem to be a back up plan in case Casali's defensive woes continue and Murph's comeback is delayed.  Meanwhile(checks notes) Joey Bart has slightly better defensive numbers and a far better slash line while playing a backup/platoon role with the Pirates.  

Keaton Winn RHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 6.66.  A Quality Start that maybe shouldn't have been?  Winn looked sharp and healthy until he was wild on a leadoff walk.  Someone in the dugout must have seen something they didn't like and a whole entourage including Bob Melvin, the Pitching coach and trainer came out and appeared to be questioning Winn rather intently.  Winn appeared to insist he was OK and stayed in the game.  Kevin Pillar flied out to RF but then Logan O'Hoppe hit a mammoth HR to tie the the game.  Winn stayed in to finish the inning but you have to wonder about all that, especially with two trips to the IL already under his belt and a long string of ineffective starts up to today.

The Loss left the Giants 8.5 games behind the Dodgers who also lost and a full game behind in the Wild Card race.

Kyle Harrison LHP tries to salvage one win out of the 3-game weekend set facing fireballer Ben Joyce RHP opening a bullpen game for the Angels.

Down on the Farm: 6/14/2024

AAA:  Reno Aces outscored the Sacramento River Cats 10-7:

Grant McCray RF- 2 for 4, BB, SB(2).  BA= .294.

David Villar 3B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .269.

Hunter Bishop CF- 2 for 4, HR(4), BB.  BA= .310.

Donovan Walton 2B- 2 for 4.  BA= .275.

Ismael Munguia LF- 1 for 2, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .250.

Mason Black RHP- 1.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.26.

Of the non-40-man roster players, Hunter Bishop and Grant McCray would appear to be next in line of an MLB opportunity.  When a pitcher hits a wall like Mason Black, I alway suspect either an injury or he's tipping pitches. 

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels bombed the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 9-3:

Will Wilson SS- 1 for 4, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .233.

Brady Whalen 1B- 4 for 5, 2B, BB.  BA= .455.

Victor Bericoto CF- 1 for 5, HR(6), BB.  BA= .222.

Andy Thomas C- 2 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .271.

Jairo Pomares LF- 2 for 4, HR(5), BB.  BA= .242.

Luis Toribio 3B- 2 for 5, HR(4).  BA= .159.

Jairo Pomares, the third member of the "big 3" with Marco Luciano and Luis Matos from the 2018 international signing period, his hitting .351 in June after a .177 in May.  He was injures almost all of last season getting only 31 PA's in the ACL.

A+:  Everett Aquasox defeated the Eugene Emeralds 4-1:

Onil Perez C- 1 for 2, BB, HBP.  BA= .266.

Tanner O'Tremba RF- 2 for 3, BB, SB(9).  BA= .228.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K's, GO/AO= 10/1.  ERA= 3.95.

A:  San Jose Giants outlasted the Inland Empire 66'ers 7-6(10 innings):

Scott Bandura LF- 3 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .276.

Nadir Lewis RF- 1 for 3, HR(1), BB.  BA= .130.

Trent Harris RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 1.14.

ACL:  Royals topped the Giants 5-4:

Maui Ahuna DH- 2 for 4, HR(3).  BA= .345.

Walker Martin SS- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .222.

Jose Ramos LF- 2 for 3, SB(7)

DSL:  Giants Orange pounded the Mariners 10-2:

Yosneiker Rivas 2B- 1 for 2, 2B, 3 BB, Sac.  BA= .296.

Brandon Vasquez RF(17 yo)- 2 for 5, 2 2B, SB(1).  BA= .214.

Albert Jimenez 3B(17 yo)- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .192.

Jorge Ramirez C- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .400.

Jeyson Moya SS(17 yo)- 1 for 3, 2 BB, SB(2).  BA= .063.

Jose Bello RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 1.50.

Frainer Mejias RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

DSL:  Giants Black beat the White Sox 10-4:

Anthony Marquez SS(17 yo)- 3 for 4, 3B, BB, SB(2).  BA= .176.

Angel Guzman RF- 4 for 4, 2 3B, BB, SB(3).  BA= .529.

Oliver Tejada DH(17 yo)- 2 for 4, SF.  BA= .344.

Evan Estevez 1B(16 yo)- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .250.

Jose Gonzalez RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA- 0.00.

Although midseason promotions from the DSL to ACL are rare, I think there were a couple last season.  18 yo Angel Guzman appears to be a candidate as he appears to be too good for the DSL this season after putting up a slash line of .257/.392/.450 last season as a 17 yo.