Lack of hitting and mental mistakes were the culprits in the Giants 5'th loss in a row, at home no less. Key Lines:
Heliot Ramos LF- 0 for 2, 2 BB, SB(6). BA= .268. The problem with this line is it does not show the baserunning blunder in which Heliot was the lead runner when the infield fly rule was invoked. The ball dropped and he was wandering around somewhere near where the shortstop plays. He got thrown out trying to get back to 2B with several feet to spare. Not sure what he was thinking there or maybe he wasn't thinking!
Willy Adames SS- 1 for 3, HR(16), BB. BA= .238. Adames' HR was the Giants lone run of the game. It looks more like he is going to end up with close to his preseason ZIPS projections.
Justin Verlander RHP- 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K's. ERA= 4.53. Verlander looked sharp again and turned in his second consecutive start of 1 run allowed in 5 IP although this one was much cleaner.
Tyler Rogers RHP- 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 1.80. Yes, there was the obligatory bad groundball BABIP luck here but the killer was a grounder to the right side that pulled Devers off the bag trying to field but ended up fielded by Casey Schmitt requiring Rogers to cover first, which he did. However, Schmitt first looked at 2B and Rogers gave up on the play so didn't see the ball coming to first and did not attempt a catch. Looking at replays I am not sure the throw was in time to get the out but if Rogers saw the ball coming and stretched I think he might have gotten the runner by a step. That would have been out #2. The next batter, Joey Bart of course, singled on a groundball, of course, so the possible missed out probably would not have made a difference in the final outcome. Still.......
As mentioned, this was the Giants 5'th loss in a row. They are now at .500 for the first time since March and sinking fast. I read that Buster is still evaluating whether to be aggressive at the deadline. He's running out of time and based on tonight he might want to fold his cards on this season. Maybe even try to sell a pending free agent or two.
The Giants try to salvage a game out of the series and the homestand tomorrow afternoon with Logan Webb RHP trying to get his game back on track against someone named Mike Burrows RHP who comes in with a 4.15 ERA.
The hammer needs to come down on Heliot Ramos, he needs to ride the pine tomorrow. I'd experiment by trying Dom Smith out in left tomorrow, it's time to start trying new things.
ReplyDeleteBob told reporters that he spoke with Ramos and “asked him” if he needed a day…. I’m sorry but a good manager doesn’t ask a player with his head up his ass if he needs a day off. If Bob doesn’t have the balls to sit Ramos so that he learns then he isn’t a good manager. This is why he lost in SD and this is why we are losing now.
DeleteJim Bowden said on knbr that his sources tell him the Giants are looking to trade for a right handed power bat. We'll see what happens. He likes Devers trade, I do too, but he believes Giants won't get full benefit of the trade until next year, due to adjustment period. Makes sense. I knew Joey Bart would get that hit. He's actually regressed this year, so he's now in a 50/50 timeshare with Henry Davis. Susan Slusser hinted that Giants may be looking to upgrade at catcher, but she was not ready to say much more.
ReplyDeleteNot to excuse Ramos, but to put his blunder in perspective, it deprived the Giants from having Flores bat with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd.
ReplyDeleteFlores was among 7 Giants who collectively went oh-for-21.
Ramos does not have a lot of baseball "smarts" but he is the Giants "best" hitter and among the best of the Giants in all offensive categories. He is also the youngest regular on the team.
Punish him? Maybe he should stand in the corner of the clubhouse for an hour. And wear a dunce hat!
Ramos is the best hitter we have and the most toxic player on our team. Melvin doesn’t do anything because he’s a nice guy and a players manager. Posey has to see what’s going on but what can he possibly do? I know Melvin got extended through next year but that had to be just a courtesy and Posey knows he is going to eat some of that money whenever he finally fires nice guy Bob. Ramos has become what Devers was to Boston and if there is a way to improve by trading him like they did then please make the move. Package him for Morton and Oneil or Alcantara and Sanchez and maybe we get the same results Boston got when they cut out their cancer.
ReplyDeleteMelvin will at the very least still be manager for the last game of the 2026 season. Bet on that.
DeleteI’m not sure if Melvin will finish his contract. Local media said that they picked up Melvin’s option so that Melvin’s situation would not be a clubhouse distraction and that Melvin would not make any “Hail Mary” moves in a futile attempt to save his job. Melvin’s situation is similar to the “dreaded vote of confidence “ management often gives to struggling workers.
DeleteI will be shocked if Melvin doesn't finish his contract. I suppose a continued complete collapse over the remainder of the season might prompt a re-evaluation after the season but I see Buster as being stubborn about those types of decisions.
DeleteThe Giants last game before the Devers era, was a loss to the Hated Ones, 5-4, in a game they once led 3-2, leaving them 10 games above .500 @ 41-31, 2 games out of 1st place in the NL West, 5th best record in the NL.
ReplyDeleteWith Devers, the Giants are 13-23 and have dropped to 3rd place, 9 games behind.
Should the Giants lose today, they will drop below .500 — the last time they did that was September 25, 2024 — which got Zaidi fired, among other things.
More than a faceplant, pretty much a disgrace of a game, something happening far too often. And the Manager was extended? Doesn't look like he's handling or instructing his personnel all that well to me..Unfortunately, he is not going anywhere but perhaps the rest of the staff gets the axe (some should)..In my worthless opinion, forget the season and trade whoever you can, including Doval, Ray, Rogers and Verlander and ANY position player..
ReplyDeleteSteveVA
Perhaps the Giants can pull off a deal for Tyler Rogers and then re-sign him in the off season à la Aroldis Chapman and several others
DeleteIf the Giants want to compete in 2026, don't they absolutely NEED Ray? Trading him for a prospect could help in alter years but most probably won't improve SF for next year.
Trading Doval (and Rogers) may make the Giants better in the future but prospects are by nature "risky."
Geez, folks -- the Padres, Reds and Cards are hardly tearing up the league at the moment! Melvin hasn't been a manager this long without knowing a thing or two ... support by someone who knows the game as well as Buster shouldn't be taken lightly, especially by fans who don't know the players and never been in the clubhouse. We're fans ... let's keep things in perspective!
ReplyDeleteAt least today, the Giants are huge favorites with 80% of the bet money on the home team although they have lost 11 of the last 13 games.
ReplyDeleteWebb has given up 16 earned runs in his last 3 starts, but SF won one of the games, albeit 8-7, July 11th, the game before this 2-11 streak.
Well, they have to break out of this sometime, don't they? Who better than Webb to do it?
Just a bit over 24 hours until the trade deadline...
G's are 0-5 on the home stand, playing in NY on Friday.
ReplyDeleteIs today a MUST win?
Or is there such a thing?
Devers is 2-20, 1 2B, 0 RBI, 3 W, 7 K in the 5 games + 1st inning today. Think he'll be glad to get out of town?
Whoa! Looks like Buster is selling.
ReplyDelete