It sure seemed like the Giants showed up today more with revenge for a recent string of HBP's than, you know, winning the game. Young Hayden Birdsong got two quick outs on pop ups to open the game. Then, as was apparently planned, he hit Otto Lopez with a pitch. The next two batters crushed the ball for a double and home run and the route was on before the Giants even came to bat. Key Lines:
Rafael Devers DH- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(17), BB, R, 2 RBI. BA= .270. Maybe this is the game that gets the new team/new city jitters out and Devers gets going. The Giants desperately need him to be the center of their lineup.
Willy Adames SS- 3 for 4, R, RBI. BA= .215. The Giants also desperately need Adames to get going. Perhaps eschewing home run swings on every pitch and just getting base hits is the way to start?
Christian Koss 3B- 2 for 4, R. BA= .229. Koss moves over to 3B with Casey Schmitt hurting. He has done everything the team asked him to do all season.
Brett Wisely 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI. BA= .143. Wisely gets the call at 2B with Schmitt out and responds with a couple of hits and 2 RBI's.
Joey Lucchesi LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 5.40. The Giants need a second LHP in the bullpen, preferably one who can go multiple innings. Is Joey Lucchesi the answer?
The loss completes a humiliating sweep of a home series against one of the doormat teams, albeit one with some hungry young players and may be up and coming. Sometimes teams going through a bad stretch need to hit rock bottom to start climbing back. Maybe this is that game? It sure felt like it.
The Giants go on the road to start a weekend series against the White Sox with Landen Roupp RHP facing Aaron Civale RHP.
Fought back once, but wasn't going to happen twice. If nothing else, Marlins are a better 2-out team than the Giants.
ReplyDeleteWithout Chapman and with 10 games against D'backs, Dodgers, and Phillies, SF could be a .500 team at the break, which is better than last year.
FWIW, this was the Giants 81st game, and they are 7 over half way through. Although we all know the SF started hot, and we think that they will get better with Chapman, Devers, and Ramos, a duplication of the 1st half — 44 wins — will get 88 wins and that's usually enough to get in the playoffs (although it wasn't last year).
Lets hope we can look back at this humiliating series and say it woke us up.
DeleteAfter the game, Melvin said Birdsong’s velocity was all over the place and he showed the same control problems as his last start. When interviewed afterwards, Birdsong said he couldn’t explain it … he had no idea why he couldn’t locate his fastball. I realize a player isn’t going to provide a detailed critique in public, but he really sounded lost. As a fan, though, it’s going to be interesting to watch a young homegrown talent with lots of potential fight to improve. I’m rooting for this kid.
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