A meltdown? Implosion? Collapse? Call it by your favorite descriptive term, but the bullpen was torched for 4 runs in the top of the 9'th inning to spoil an 8-inning Quality Start by Logan Webb. Key Lines:
Mark Canha 1B- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .242. Canha is batting .325 since coming to the Giants. Reminder there was room on the roster for both him and Jorge Soler.
Heliot Ramos LF-2 for 4, 2 2B. BA= .283. Heliot seems to have recovered from a cold stretch. Every time I think he's hit a wall, he seems to find a way over it. Looking like a keeper for next season.
Logan Webb RHP- 8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO=10/2. ERA= 3.13. Webb only threw 93 pitches in 8 innings. Melvin said the reason he didn't come out for the 9'th is he was feeling ill.
Erik Miller LHP- 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K. ERA= 3.93. Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker were not available due to recent workload. Miller got the first out of the inning but then loaded the bases. He got a K for out #2. Melvin went to Spencer Bivens to try to get out #3 and he gave up 2 hits and 4 runs including the 3 runners he inherited from Miller. Granted that Webb, Rogers and Walker were all unavailable: Should Melvin have let Miller try to get the final out?
The Loss cost the Giants a chance to gain on the Braves in the Wild Card race so they remain 3.5 games behind.
The Giants have a travel day before starting a weekend series against the Mariners in Seattle with TBD facing former Giants prospect Luis Castillo RHP.
why not use jordan hicks? talk about a dumb decision by bomel. bomel won't be one and done but, his seat is gonna be rather warm going into his second year and poor bullpen moves don't help his cause.
ReplyDeleteIt's too late for 2024, but the Giants have a lot of youth on their roster which bodes well for the future:
ReplyDeleteLuciano and Matos are just 22 yo, McCray is 23: Ramos broke out at 24 – his 22 & 23 yo efforts were worse than the 3 of them. Is it wishful thinking they will "mature" similarly?
Might add that Fitzgerald "matured" at 26. Schmitt is 25 as are Lee, Bailey, and Wisely. Encarnación is 26.
Well over half the pitchers are 27 yo and younger.
Given that SF's schedule turns hard for the rest of the season – other than 3 games with Miami the other 30 are with contenders – it's time to look past this poorly performing group and look at the future.
Bivens was a poor choice in a high pressure situation: he's not young, but he has woefully little experience and had already looked bad on Monday against the same anemic White Sox, in fact his previous 2 games were poor performances.
DeleteWhere is Taylor Rogers? He hasn't pitched since August 13th! If he's hurt, why isn't he on the IL?
Hicks pitched 1 inning on Monday, they probably don't want to use him on one day rest yet (although they have twice).
Still mind boggling how FZ operated at the deadline putting the team in no mans land...The fans and players don't deserve it, But FZ deserves them to fall by the wayside by going with flotsum and jetsum (churn).....
ReplyDeleteI know BIVENS is a good story but there's a reason he hasn't been in the Majors long before....And Melvin puts him in in a season defining moment? Ditto with Erik Miller..was Taylor Rogers not available?...Another LHRP was always needed, but FZ never got one....Melvin does a lot of head scratching moves...OTOH, there is so much pressure on a pitching staff because of a lineup that can never generate runs, even with ample opportunities..The coaching/game managing leaves a lot to be desired...
Some goo emerging youngsters on the roster and in the minors..but that isn't FZ's issue...His issue is that he doesn't know how to put together a Major League WInning team..Make him Farm Director..and bring in a real head honcho
SteveVA
There's a good core and strength coming.
DeleteDigging out of the hole FZ inherited while trying to stay competitive is harder than we ordinary fans can work through in our action-only minds.
I would be surprised if we hear the words consulting role or kicked upstairs for Farhan after this season
DeleteNot sure if his critics are 'action-only minds.'
DeleteIn fact, they point out there has been too much (churn) action. They don't want to see too much action on the front...and they also have a hard time digesting too much platooning action. They prefer as little action as is needed when it comes to filling out lineup.
Ironically, too much inaction, they complain, at the same time. Inaction, for example, like not being able to sell or buy decisively...and dithering between rebuilding and/or trying to stay competitive. Not being able to decide 1 (one) course of action often leads to inaction. People who sign up for it usually or could up end up doing extra work unnecessary.
And that's what we have - a little bit of action and inaction, buying and selling, rebuilding and trying to be competitive (Last year, we did not make the playoffs. Could it still have been considered a competitive season? This year, we are told we will make it, 100% confident. I assume we can say that, when the season is over, we stayed competitive this year).
Don't get depressed though. The players and prospects that he inherited are doing well or showing promise - Rogers (the submariner), Hjelle, Keaton Winn, Ramos, Doval (hopefully), Webb among the former, and Luciano, Matos and Pomares among the latter. Not sure where to put Bart whom he also inherited.
Also, let's not be impatient. Bishop, Bednar and Wilson might still work out, under the current or the next front office team.
In addition, there are other good looking prospects who joined more recently. We know the names. The question is, collectively, are they better looking than, say, the Dodgers'. We have had better draft positions than them all along, and not to mention the fact that the Bums have outspent and are likely to outspend us in the future. That means our prospect collection must be 50% or 100% better looking than theirs, unless the goal is just 'trying to stay competitive,' whatever that means (presumably it's different from, or containing the subsets, 'beating the Bums,' or 'winning a championship.')
You proved the point.
DeleteAssuming Ownership did not want a tear down and start over (2020 was enough bad for $$), FZ used the churn to get players until the Farm could supply a core, including the promising 2018 and other pre-FZ signings especially international.
Many who came through the churn helped field a near-competitive team, and, more importantly to the Ownership, drew 30,000/game (+/-).
I made several different, complimentary points (including the point about good looking prospects), hopefully covering the whole (like Yin and Yang complement each other, and make up the round disk).
DeleteNot just one point, whether it is the one about the difference between trying to be competitive, being competitive, being near-competitive, or winning a championship, etc, or the point about people not just wanting lots of action, but also less action when appropriate, or the point about being patient, or some other points.
If you pull out Soler's 3 games in Colorado (7-13, 4 HRs), he is sub-Mendosa (5-33, .152) with none (0) HRs for Atlanta.
ReplyDeleteGood riddance to his $32,000,000 for 2025-2026.
There will be beaucoup 2025 $$ to spend if hitters can be coaxed to play the dreaded (for power) Oracle night games.
DeleteSoler for one reportedly did not like them in particular.
The ball indeed does not carry well at night in The Oracle but most of Soler's contact wouldn't go out in any ballpark because while he hits the ball very hard, way too many are on the ground or line drives that don't get enough loft. That and his plate discipline played at the top of the order but it didn't produce the HR's FZ wanted from a DH/Cleanup hitter.
DeleteA few interesting things about Soler:
Delete1. As would be expected his career slash line in Coors field is .320/.362/.650/1.011 (that's where he should play his home games!)
2. Perhaps not as expected his career slash line against SF is .340/.444/.546/.990, which probably appealed to FZ
3. He hit far better in Atlanta's old park than the new one, which the Braves might not have factored in
One of the opposing third basemen-i don't remember which one, said it best, "I'm really concerned about Soler!" I laughed when I heard that!
DeleteWe all wanted him to work out, but it didn't and it wasn't going to going forward either.
Rob in Vancouver
As mentioned earlier didn't like FZ taking a middling approach at the deadline. Be either a strong buyer or seller! He should have came out and said Solar trade was partially to do with a salary dump. A lot of $ for a full time DH, who repordily was uncomfortable hitting at Oracle Park during night games. Poor messaging by FZ at the deadline in my opinion.. If they were buying they should have got a bigger bat then Canha to go with soler which is not easy to get. Then again the mariners and pirates traded for offensive upgrades like Arozorena, Turner, Dela Cruz and it hasn't helped them win more games. Mariners just fired their Manager.. is it just me, or is offense being down in MLB? The Giants are 16th in the league with a 243 team batting average, which surprised me lol.
ReplyDeletePete Alonso anyboday?
ReplyDeleteEh, a platoon of LMWJ and Mark Canha gives you more WAR value than Alonso.
DeleteAlex Cobb went back on the IL yesterday.
ReplyDelete