Not a full wrap this morning:
Hey team! Just letting you know I will be away from the blog for several days starting Saturday, Sept 28 and returning Friday, Oct 4. That means I likely won't be able to post a comment on FZ's fate when it is announced which will likely be within 48 hours of end of the final game. As I have already said in another post, there are reasons for moving on from FZ. He's had 6 seasons to build a perennial postseason team which really was/is the minimal expectation for an organization with resources like the Giants. While he has had his share of bad luck in attempts to sign superstar level free agents, his results from second and third tier free agent signings is mixed at best and has been nearly disastrous the last two seasons. The Churn has produced a few unexpected every day players but has also resulted in a lot of wasted PA and IP from players who didn't pan out and churned on. While there have been conflicting reports, it seems a bit concerning that Baggs wrote that Buster Posey's involvement in the Chapman negotiations was at least partly due to frustration over how FZ was handling it. If that is true and if signing a superstar level free agent is part of their business plan, ownership may want someone else to be the lead negotiator.
On the other hand, despite several spectacular failures by first round draft picks, the farm system is finally producing MLB quality graduates and more appear to be on the way. The Giants international presence in particular seems to be in much better shape and producing promising players on a yearly basis. MLB Pipeline's #1 international prospect for the 2025 signing cycle, Josuar Gonzalez, is expected to sign with the Giants on Jan 1. In many ways the organization seems like it is in a similar position as in 2008 and 2009 when the vast majority of the fanbase was yelling "Fire Sabes" and I was saying, "wait a minute, this team is as well positioned for the future as any team in baseball." We know how that turned out.
The other part we don't know about is what is the state of FZ's health and how might that impact his ability to manage the Hot Stove League? His health was apparently an issue in the Chapman negotiations. Might he consider stepping down or moving into a less stressful role due to health concerns?
Given those conflicting assessments, if I was making the decision I would retain FZ. I have always believed the most important job a POBO has is to develop and maintain a productive farm system able to provide low-cost young star talent on at least a semi-regular basis. It appears FZ has finally achieved that and I would give him at least another year to build on it. But I will understand if ownership has seen enough and wants someone else building the rosters from year to year.
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As I said in a response yesterday, I retired from my real career two weeks ago. So far it's been a whirlwind but I hope to have more time to pursue things I want to do in life. At least for now that will include maintaining the blog, except when on out of town trips. I hope to have more time to give more thought and research to the posts to produce a better product.
Final games of road trips are tough and the Giants stayed true to form with a listless performance. Key Lines:
Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 3, 2B, BB. BA= .273. It looked like the Giants might have something going in the 8'th inning when Ramos double scored YtY with no outs, but his front foot came off the bag before his back foot hit it and he was ruled out on the replay. Plays like that are probably the single biggest unintended consequence of instant replay.
The Giants lineup managed just 6 other baserunners and struck out 17 times. More on that later.
Mason Black RHP- 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 6.44. Black did not have command of his pitches in his final start of the season.
Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 5.05. When you can throw a baseball over 100 MPH, you don't have to nibble at the strike zone. It sure looks like someone or something finally convinced Doval to just aim for the middle of the zone when he throws that heater early in the count and it happened during a game delay two games ago. You could almost see the lighbulb go on in his head!
Zach Gallen RHP- 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 11 K's, GO/AO= 6/0. ERA= 3.65. Gallen may not be quite an ace but he's a good tough veteran pitcher. Whether it was a splitter, changeup or curveball, whatever he was throwing for a secondary pitch was running up to the plate and dropping off a table and the home plate ump expanded the bottom of the zone for him. That stuff is almost impossible to hit for any lineup. So that's part of the explanation for 11 of the 17 K's.
The Giants go 7-2 on the road trip but are just 2-9 in final games of road trips on the season. The Giants get a day off at home before starting their final series of the season against the Cardinals Friday night with Landon Roupp RHP facing Miles Mikolas RHP.
The Giants offense erupted for 5 home runs in support of shutout pitching from Logan Webb and bullpen. Key Lines:
Big games from Matt Chapman and Michael Conforto supported another strong start by Hayden Birdsong as the Giants success on the road against playoff-bound teams continued. Key Lines:
Heliot Ramos RF/LF- 1 for 5. BA= .264. Sometimes it's not about how many hits you get but when you get your one hit. Ramos singled with one out in the 3'rd inning. Jerar Encarnacion DH then hit a booming double to RF. Ramos was on the move and cruised home with the score from 1B and Jerar took 3B on the throw. After Conforto lined out Matt Chapman hit one off the deepest part of the ballpark in L-CF, the ball caromed all the way to R-CF and Chapman rounded the bases for his 27'th HR of the season. Speaking of Jerar, Is he a viable option to be the primary DH next season?
Michael Conforto LF- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(19). BA= .234. Conforto is having a great road trip batting .246 with 3 HR's over his last 7 games. Overall though, it's still been a disappointing season for him. He is a pending free agent who the Giants are unlikely to resign.
Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 4, 3B, HR(27). BA= .249. As described above, the HR was a mad dash around the bases which was wildly entertaining, especially after watching Heliot motor around to score from 1B earlier in the inning. Chapman later tripled on a very similar drive that banged off the CF wall. He had 7 total bases but only half of a cycle. As Vin Scully would say, "go figure!".
Casey Schmitt 2B- 1 for 3, HR(6), BB. BA= .240. Schmitt looks like a completely different hitter this time up. He's not swinging at everything. He's working he count, drawing walks and looking for a pitch to hit. The HR came on a short, quick swing that pulled it down the LF line and it rocketed past the foul pole in what seemed line a split second. Wow! Schmitty is batting .375 over his last 7 games and .364 over his last 15.
Hayden Birdsong RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 4.66. Another strong start for Young Hayden. I saw 3 plus pitches: Mid-90's FB, curveball that drops out of the sky and a tailing, sinking changeup. He has a 3.77 ERA over his last 7 starts.
4 relievers allowed a run over the final 4 innings with Ryan Walker collecting his 10'th Save. And what happened to Camilo Doval in Sunday's game while the umps were trying to figure out what if a foul ball was reviewable and Bob Melvin yelled at them? Something metaphysical happened there and Doval was suddenly out of his funk.
Logan Webb RHP tries to keep the good mojo going tonight facing Brandon Pfaadt RHP.
Together We're Giants is an excellent blog linked to the left with skilled writers, thoughtful posts and strong opinions about Giants baseball. Yesterday one of their regular commenters copied and pasted my Sunday's Down on the Farm post in its entirety into his comment without acknowledging where it came from. We know it's someone who reads this blog so whoever you are, I am calling you out. I don't mind if you copy and paste my posts but please acknowledge your source.
AAA: Sugarland Space Cowboys defeated the Sacramento River Cats 8-3:
A triple by Grant McCray keyed a 2-run rally in the second inning which was all the runs Blake Snell and 3 Giant relievers needed to complete the shutout win and sweep the Royals. Key Lines:
Grant McCray CF- 1 for 3, 3B. BA= .212. McCray followed a 1-out single by Jerar Encarnacion DH with a triple up the R-CF alley to drive in the Giants first run. McCray then scored the second run on Brett Wisely's 2-out single. McCray's triple was notable for him fighting back from a 0-2 count to get a pitch he could hit on a 2-2 count.
AAA: Sacramento River Cats defeated the Sugarland Space Cowboys 3-1:
The Giants erupted for five home runs including two each by Lamonte Wade Jr and Matt Chapman to support another promising start by Landon Roupp. Key Lines:
Mike Yastrzemski RF- 1 for 4, HR(18). BA= .235. The BA doesn't look like much but YtY has hit 9 HR's, all off RHP's, in his last 30 games. That's tied with some guy named Shohei Ohtani for HR's off RHP's in that span(Ohtani has 13 HR total in his last 30 games).
Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 2 for 4, 2 HR(8). BA= .267. LMWJ will almost certainly be tendered a contract as a bridge to the Bryce Eldridge Era.
Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 4, 2 HR(26). BA= .249. My prognostications are wrong much more than right but it's fun to get 25 HR's for Matt Chapman right.
Curt Casali C- 2 for 4. BA= .194. Despite the anemic BA, Casali has been a solid backup for Patrick Bailey but do the Giants need an upgrade in the role to give Bailey more days off so the bat doesn't wear down?
Landon Roupp RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 7/1. ERA- 2.70. The groundouts made up for the subpar K/BB. In 11 appearances since his current recall from the minors starting on August 9, Roupp has been sensational with just 3 ER in 30.1 IP including starts in his last 3 games in which he allowed just 2 ER in 15 IP. He is part of an expanding list of SP options for next season.
Spencer Bivens RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 2.76. The Giants have a bunch of options for the Willie Mac Award but they could do a lot worse than give it to Bivens who has one of the more remarkable and heartwarming stories of the season. I mean, 3 years ago, this guy was pitching for the Gastonia Honey Hunters! After graduation from someplace called Rodgers State University he pitched in a local amateur league before playing 2019 in France then two seasons of indy ball before the Giants signed him in 2022.
Tristan Beck RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 1.64. After missing most of the season to repair and rehab an aneurysm in his arm, Beck is positioning himself to be a factor on the pitching side of next year's roster.
Blake Snell LHP tries to increase his already robust free agent market going for the sweep in the series finale facing Seth Lugo RHP.
Matt Chapman was activated from the paternity list and Marco Luciano IF was optioned to AAA Sacramento after stopping by the training room to have those splinters removed from his butt. It's hard to imaging a worse mishandling of a top prospect starting with last offseason when FZ created expectations that Luciano would be handed the starting SS position and given ample room to establish himself. Yes, he's had some opportunities and yes, he's had some very rough games on defense to the point of borderline yips but he was given zero time to work through them and zero rope when he made a flub after several pretty good games at 2B. And OK, maybe he's just not a MI. Scouting reports have been saying that for years. We're just now going to move him to the OF?
AAA: Sacramento River Cats 2 Sugarland Space Cowboys 1
A big game at the plate for Heliot Ramos produced enough runs to give Mason Black his first MLB Win. Key Lines:
Heliot Ramos LF- 3 for 4, 2B, 3B. BA= .270. Heliot drove in the Giants first run in the top of the first inning with a swinging squeeze bunt single to score Mike Yastremski RF who led off the game with a single, advanced to 2B on a LONG AB that turned into a walk for Mark Canha 1B. YtY took third on a flyout by Michael Conforto and score on Heliot's dribbler which he beat out.
Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 4. BA= .237. Casey is 5 for 11 since his recall on 9/18.
Mason Black RHP- 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K'S. ERA= 5.88. Black had his best MLB appearance so far. He had a live riding FB that he used effectively up in the zone and just enough secondary stuff to keep hitters off balance. Melvin took him out one out away from a QS for reasons that weren't completely clear with a runner on first and 2 outs. Maybe pitch count limit? He was at 84 pitches.
Erik Miller LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 3.44. Miller is someone who has quietly had a nice season and established himself as a lefty reliever the Giants can count on next season. 70 appearances, 65.1 IP, 84 K's. 35 walks is a bit high as it was in the minors.
Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K's, Save(23). Ryan Walker was apparently not available so Doval got the Save Op. He walked the first two batters he faced and obviously had no idea where his FB was going. On top of that, the home plate ump was squeezing him. He managed to strike out Adam Frazier with sliders and got Maikel Garcia to ground to SS for what should have been at least a fielder's choice out but Fitz couldn't get a grip on the ball, the runner from first beat the throw and the bases were loaded with just one out. Then a funny thing happened. After Garrett Hampson lined one foul down the 3B line the umps got together and looked like they were going to ask for a replay. Melvin came out and argued. After more consultation they didn't do the replay after all but by now Doval had been standing on the mound without throwing a pitch for at least 5 minutes. Wonder of wonders he suddenly had command of his fastball! He got a sac fly and then Struck out Tommy Pham on a FB followed by 2 sliders out of the zone that Pham swung and missed at.
Landon Roupp RHP tries to clinch the Giants second road series win in a row tomorrow afternoon facing Brady Singer RHP. Start time moved up 2 hours to 2:10 PM PDT due to a bad weather forecast for later in the evening.
Churn Watch:
AAA: Sugarland Space Cowboys topped the Sacramento River Cats 5-4:
The Giants came up empty on several scoring opportunities and Ryan Walker gave up a walk-off loss in a non-save opportunity. Key Lines:
Jerar Encarnacion DH- 2 for 4. BA= .261. Is Jerar a candidate to be next season's DH?
Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 4. BA= .226. Schmitt continues to have better looking PA's this time up.
Donovan Walton 2B- 0 for 4. BA= .118. Rough day for Walton as he tried two sac bunts and struck out and popped up.
Marco Luciano IF- DNP. Marco did not make a single appearance during the 3-game series. The fact that he is on the active roster and collecting pine splinters in his butt suggests to me that FZ and Bob Melvin are not reading off the same page.
Logan Webb RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 8 K's. ERA= 3.58. Webb looked better than his last start and got through the first 3 innings without giving up a run. That's usually a good omen for him but after the Giants took a 2-0 lead in the 4'th inning he gave it back with a 3-spot for the O's. 2 of the Orioles 3 hits in the inning were groundball singles.
Taylor Rogers LHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 2.53. Taylor Rogers seems to be in the doghouse but he's secretly had a pretty good season. A few too many walks and maybe a HR or two too many? Maybe a bit overpaid?
Spencer Bivens RHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 2.89. Bivens seems to have put himself in the mix for a middle/multi-inning relief role next season.
The Giants move open a weekend series against the Royals tomorrow evening with Mason Black RHP facing veteran Michael Wacha RHP.
AAA: Sugarland Space Cowboys topped the Sacramento River Cats 5-4:
Mike Yastrzemski led off the game with a home run and Hayden Birdsong showed some grit while pitching in bad weather. Key Lines:
Mike Yastrzemski RF- 1 for 5, HR(17). BA= .246. YtY is only the fourth Giants player to hit game leadoff HR's in consecutive games and the first since Dan Gladden in 1985. Whitey Lockman and Bobby Bonds did it previously. YtY seems to have found a home in the leadoff spot in the lineup. His leadoff split is .241/371/.586, 6 HR in 77 PA. He's .250/.379/.750, 3 HR in the first inning and .455/.600/1.364, 3 HR in 15 PA as the first batter of game. He's accumulated an fWAR of 1.9 and a bWAR of 2.4. The Giants should tender him a contract in his final year of arbitration. If there isn't room on the roster for him that contract is tradable for a decent prospect.
Michael Conforto DH- 3 for 4, HR(17). BA= .232. Despite this game Conforto is batting just .250 over his last 7 games and .206 over his last 30. He's a free agent after the season and it''s unlikely the Giants resign him.
Casey Schmitt 3B- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .213. Casey filled in for Matt Chapman who is on paternity leave and made a couple of Chapmanesque plays on defense. At the plate, he laid off several very tough sliders and worked the count better than I recall ever seeing him. Schmitt is another example of a player who was rushed once he got to the higher minors and we're seeing him learn the game at the MLB level.
Hayden Birdsong RHP- 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K's, GO/AO= 8/4. ERA= 4.74. Birdsong was on the ropes in the third inning. With a run in and runners at 2'nd and 3'rd with no outs, he struck out Gunnar Henderson on a high 97 MPH FB. A groundout scored a second run but another groundout to Anthony Santander got him out of the inning. He went on to fall just one out short of a Quality Start. Add in the steady drizzle that made the dirt on the IF and mound shiny on the TV and this was the kind of a gritty start you want to see from a young pitcher.
Logan Webb RHP goes for the sweep in an early game facing Zach Eflin RHP.
AAA: Sacramento River Cats defeated the Sugarland Space Cowboys 6-3:
The Giants cruised into the ninth ininng with a 4-0 lead before a 6-run eruption by the lineup blew the game open as 4 relievers backed Blake Snell to share a shutout of one of the better teams in MLB. Key Lines:
Heliot Ramos became the first right-handed batter to record a splash-hit home run in Oracle Park but it wasn't enough to keep the Giants from and extra-inning loss and the wrong end of a series sweep. Key Lines:
Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 4, HR(21). BA= .267. Ramos has mostly scuffled since the All-Star break but has occasionally shown off his tremendous talent. A splash hit is not small feat for any batter not named Barry Bonds. There have only been 105 in park history, 35 of those by Bonds, and none by a RH batter before Ramos long tater in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Donovan Walton 2B- 1 for 3, HR(1). BA= .143. It's great that Donovan Walton is getting another trip through The Churn. It's not great that it appears to be at the expense of Marco Luciano getting more MLB experience and a chance to play through his rookie mistakes. I wonder who has the bigger say in that? I'm guessing Melvin.
Landon Roupp RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 3.02. Second strong start in a row for Roupp with 2 ER in 10 IP. He ERA over his last 7 appearances is 0.92 in 19.2 IP.
Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 5.17. What on Earth happened to Camilo Doval? It isn't just wildness. Batters are squaring him up with regularity which has occasionally happened in the past but not like this.
AAA: Round Rock Express beat the Sacramento River Cats 7-2:
The Giants were shut out for the third consecutive game and in embarrassing fashion for the second game in row. The Padres scored an unearned run in the first inning and you pretty much knew the game was over then and there. Hard to say if the most embarrassing part was the apparent lack of effort and ineptudue on multiple plays or the glaringly obvious Grand Canyonesque talent gap. Key Lines:
Mason Black RHP- 4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 6.75. A reasonably solid start by Black might be the only encouraging line of the night. His ERA is 4.60 in 13.2 IP over 3 appearances since his call up 8/31. Black joins a stable of young pitchers who are in the mix for a role next season and could as least provide better depth next season or a platform for FZ to make a trade or two from a position of strength.
The Giants lineup managed just 5 scattered singles with 0 BB's. And why, pray tell, is Michael Conforto still getting PA's?
In fairness I should point out that both last night's Padres pitcher, Dylan Cease RHP and Joe Musgrove RHP are very good pitchers capable of shutting any team down and they were both coming off getting roughed up by the Giants in the last series so you had to suspect they would be extra focused for this series. Unfortunately even with Musgrove and Cease's talent accounted for, the overall talent gap in the rosters from top to bottom is obvious to even casual fans and it also does not excuse sloppy play or mental mistakes.
Brady Klopfer of McCovey Chronicles is generally quite restrained in his criticism of the organization but he saw the same game I saw last night and lashed out in a post late last night. If you have not read it yet, it's titled Giants Give You No Reason To Smile. I agree with 90% of what he's saying although I think the main reason for Bryce Eldridge's promotion is the AAA season lasts one week longer than AA and the Giants understandably want to maximize his PA's. .....and now I am seeing the title of tonight's game wrap by Sami Higgins and she is making Brady's rant look restrained by comparison.
Landon Roupp RHP tries to salvage a win in the series tomorrow and bolster his case for a roster spot next season facing Martin Perez LHP.
AAA: Sacramento River Cats edged out the Round Rock Express 3-2:
A couple of extra days rest seemed to be just what Hayden Birdsong needed as he rebounded with 5 shutout innings, but the lineup faceplanted after their 13-run effort last night. Key Lines:
Jerar Encarnacion DH- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .278. Jerar is stating his case to be on next season's roster.
LMWJ, Mark Canha and Curt Casali had one hit each with Casali hitting a double. The top 4 spots in the order went 0 for 15 with a walk
Hayden Birdsong RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 4.74. Well, that's what a couple extra days will do for a young pitcher past his previous high innings on a season. Makes you wonder if it's maybe time for a 6-man rotation.
Giants take on the Padres tomorrow night with TBD scheduled to face Dylan Cease RHP. I plan to attend this game with a childhood buddy. No post tomorrow. See you Sunday night or Monday AM.
AAA: Round Rock Express topped the Sacramento River Cats 6-5:
The Giants ran up an 8-0 lead after two innings and coasted to a lopsided win. Key Lines:
The Giants lineup didn't have enough punch to support a solid pitching performance. Key Lines:
Mike Yastrzemski RF- 1 for 3, HR(14), BB. BA= .237. YtY has 2 HR's in his last 7 games but is batting just .200 over that span.
AAA: Sacramento River Cats outscored the Salt Lake City Bees 7-5:
Fernando Tatis Jr broke up Joe Musgrove's perfect game in the 4'th inning when he lost Heliot Ramos' flyball in the sun. That opened the floodgates to 6 consecutive hard hits including 3 HR's in a 6-run inning. The Giants held on for the win. Key Lines:
AAA: Sacramento River Cats beat the Salt Lake City Bees 8-2:
Two very long home runs by Grant McCray carried the Giants to a win over the Padres. Key Lines:
AAA: Salt Lake City Bees stung the Sacramento River Cats 8-1:
Mason Black had a rough first inning exacerbated by a throwing error by Tyler Fitzgerald and the Giants never recovered in a game that illustrated the talent gap between the two teams. Key Lines:
Michael Conforto DH- 1for 4, HR(16). BA= .230. Conforto drove in the Giants only run with a HR in the 6'th inning. He had two hits in yesterday's game but is still hitting just .231 over his last 7 games and .192 over his last 15. Very disappointing season for Conforto who almost surely won't be back next season.
Grant McCray CF- 2 for 3. BA= .246. Some signs of life from a bat that's been struggling over his last 15 games.
AAA: Salt Lake City Bees swarmed over the Sacramento River Cats 11-5:
Tyler Fitzgerald SS- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(17). BA= .300. Fitz led off the 9'th inning with a single, Stole 2B and scored on Patrick Bailey's ground rule double for the walk-off win.
AAA: Salt Lake City Bees outlasted the Sacramento River Cats 7-6(10 innings):
Lamonte Wade Jr drove in all four of the Giants runs but it wasn't enough to overcome some subpar pitching. Key Lines:
Tyler Fitzgerald SS- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .297. Fitz hit cleanup, got two hits and scored two runs.
Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 2 for 4, HR(6). BA= .267. LMWJ seemed to have a sturdy base under him when he sent one into McCovey Cove with a Bondsian amount of room to spare. He and Fitz accounted for all of the Giants hits.
Hayden Birdsong RHP- 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 5.19. Birdsong is now 9 IP over his previous career season high. Serious Question: Is it better to build his innings this season or are FZ and BoMel risking his career by sending him out there after he has obviously hit a wall?
Spencer Bivens RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 2.86. Bivens ate some innings and kept his team in the game.
Camilo Doval RHP- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R 1 BB, 1 K. ERA= 4.78. Doval did not eat innings nor did he keep his team in the game.
Blake Snell LHP tries to salvage the final game of fhe series tomorrow afternoon against Merrill Kelly RHP.
(Non) Churn Watch:
Turns out the reason Matt Chapman was a late scratch for this game is he was either taking a physical or wrapping up negotiations on a 6 yr/$151 M contract extension. This is a good deal for both sides. Chapman is financially set for life and gets to play where his heart is. The Giants extend their season MVP at a reasonable price(by today's standards) and lock down a position for the next 6 seasons. The contract covers his age 32-37 seasons so it could cross over into negative value on the back end but it's not such a huge contract as to be crippling at that point. Having Chapman locked down to a long term contract should help the Giants attract other higher end free agents this coming offseason.
AAA: Sacramento River Cats smothered the Salt Lake City Bees 13-0:
Kyle Harrison got blown out early and a late Giants comeback once again fell short. Key Lines:
Just one game on tap for Labor Day.
A: Fresno Grizzlies defeated the San Jose Giants 5-1:
AAA: Sacramento River Cats outscored the Las Vegas Aviators 11-9:
Logan Webb was dealing with what looked like elite stuff and a 2-run lead then hit a wall in the 5'th inning after he misfired a potential GIDP ball and gave up 6 runs over the next two innings and went on to take the Loss. Key Lines:
AAA: Sacramento River Cats edged out the Las Vegas Aviators 4-3:
