It was a team effort as the Giants got contributions from several hitters in a bullpen game to complete the 4-game sweep of the Rockies. Key Lines:
Jorge Soler DH- 3 for 5, 2B. BA= .240. After a horrible first two months, Soler has had two solid ones:
June: .284/.361/.484
July: .275/.389/.488.
Seems to be thriving in the leadoff spot.
Casey Schmitt 2B- 1 for 3, HR(3), BB. BA= .244. Schmitt's HR in the first inning gave the Giants a quick lead. Can he find some consistency this time through The Churn?
Matt Chapman 3B- 3 for 4, BB, SB(12). BA= .242. Baserunning is an overlooked part of Chapmans WAR value.
Michael Conforto LF- 2 for 3, 2B, BB. BA= .225. Will this game mark the end of Conforto's terrible slump?
Derek Hill CF- 2 for 4, 3B, BB. BA= .264. Hill is an interesting player. Former first round draft pick who is fairly tooled up. He's been tearing it up in the minors and his MLB record is not terrible considering he's had limited opportunities: 7 HR and 12 SB's in 359 PA which projects to about 12/20 in 600 PA's.
Randy Rodriguez RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 4.11. Bulk inning guy for this game and earned the W(3-1).
The Win got the Giants to a 3.5 game deficit in the Wild Card Race a gain of 2 games over the weekend.
The Giants now get a day off at home before a 2 game series against the A's, the last time the A's will visit Oracle Park as cross-bay rivals. Robbie Ray LHP starts Tuesday night against J. P. Sears LHP.
Churn Watch:
Sean Hjelle RHP was placed on the bereavement list(sending up positive thoughts for Sean and his family). Randy Rodriguez is his replacement.
Alex Cobb's rehab suffered yet another setback with a finger blister. Barring a trade, the Giants have a 5-man rotation without Cobb or Hicks who is moving to the bullpen: Snell, Webb, Ray, Harrison, Birdsong.
Naturally, I just posted my trade thoughts on yesterday’s thread, just before you posted this!
ReplyDeleteOn Derek Hill, one might want to (optimistically)) bear in mind that A decade ago Jurickson Profar Was the top rated prospect in baseball, the next Willie Mays, Etc. he has been pretty lousy for the better part of a decade, but, bless him, is finally showing what he can do at age 31. I remember Derek Hill being on my (at least)) shortlist for the Giants first round draft choice, upwards of a decade ago. Perhaps he can finally bloom, and good luck to him!
With Hicks in the bullpen and Cobb still a question mark, how free is FZ to really consider trading Snell?
ReplyDeleteI think trading Snell would be a sign FZ has given up on the season and his rotation spot would be a mix of call ups and bullpen games. until/if Cobb gets healthy.
Deletei simply just can't picture ownership signing off on trading snell
DeleteI'm hoping that if a team offers the Giants a great deal of 3 good prospects for Snell that FZ and ownership have to consider it .to make them better in the future adding to what they have. Snell is in demand and could be a difference maker in the playoffs. Fitzgerald has been a revelation. Ron wotus has been saying to play Ftzgerald , he likes his tools. He got 500 abs at both AA and AAA like you've said Doc sometimes a player getting Minor league reps helps player development.
DeleteGiants did a nice job of getting ahead by scoring just enough to stay ahead.
ReplyDeleteNow they have a chance to make up some more ground.
Unfortunately, it really isn't what they do, it's what the teams ahead of them do: the Braves, Padres, Mets, D'backs, and even the Cardinals are all, arguably, better than the Giants. Three of them score more runs than the Giants, and Atlanta has allowed more than 100 fewer runs.
SF has to pass at least 1 team that is maybe slightly better (StL) and two of the 4 who are good teams.
Perhaps the Braves will continue to flounder from being 5 ahead of SF, and they do have a 4-game series coming up in mid August at Oracle.
If the pitching holds up, the good news is they play the teams ahead of them: AZ and SD 6 times each (split home and away), then ATL 4 and StL 3, all at Oracle.
Only NYM they don't play.
Since it is possible, and the pitching is solid, and some bats are coming alive, my bet is they do not sell off, and maybe find a bat they can add at not too great a cost, like Bryant in 2021.
Except there is no bat like Bryant, unless a major trade of good pitching prospects is made for someone who is not "on the trade market" with one of the few teams who isn't in the playoff race, like perhaps the injured Riley Greene.
DeleteI'm starting to think Cobb is done
ReplyDeleteSnell Webb Ray Birdsong Harrison is a pretty good rotation - and maybe Hill is the OF bat sparkplug? Could go 37-17 and finish with 90 wins
ReplyDeletewith hicks not doing so great out of the bullpen yesterday, i think the trainers are now going to be keeping close tabs on hicks
ReplyDeleteFormer Forever Giant pitcher Reyes Moronta died Sunday in a traffic crash in the Dominican Republic. He was 31 years old.
ReplyDeleteReported by the MLB Players’ Association Monday
This is very sad. Rest in peace, Reyes. A fine Giant with personality; I always looked forward to seeing pitch. And an inspiration to people of girth.
DeleteDoc,
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear your thoughts. Should the giants sell, hold pat, or kinda both 2018 (iirc melancon deal year?) deadline style.
- Fan
Well it looks like they are selling(actually more like salary dumping) so I guess it's a moot issue now. The tough part is they are running up the white flag without getting any significant prospects in return. It sure looks like a compete failure on FZ's part and should be the end of his Giants tenure.
DeleteI would try to trade Snell for a big bat, in a 3-team deal, the third team being a seller that gives the bat, in return of prospects from teh team who gets Snell. I have no idea if such a team exists, though.
ReplyDeleteIf not, I would still trade him for prospects. The ceiling this year is playoffs at best. Next year we will be much better with teh prospects flowing in. We already have Bailey, LMWJ, Fitzgerald, Ramos, Harrison, Birdsong and Webb, along with up and coming stars and position fillers such as Schmidt and Wisely.
Momentum is on our side, but I do not think this is our year, yet.
I think Hicks will start with an IL-stint.
ReplyDeleteIts ok if the Giants decide to buy or sell, just be aggressive. FZ should learn lessons from older GMs like Dave Dombroski and former GM Brian Sabean who make/made aggressive moves before the deadline to improve their teams. Standing pat should not be an option.
ReplyDelete