2026 is my 17'th season writing Game Wraps. In the 16 previous seasons I can count on one hand the number of games so devoid of any redeeming features I abandoned the Key Lines format. This was the second such game in a row and there probably should have been two more out of the 9 games played. This was a total breakdown on all levels of the game as the lineup managed just 3 singles and 2 walks. Landon Roupp struck out the first 4 batters he faced but then collapsed from the combined weight of bad BABIP luck and horrific fielding including Matt Chapman's failure to catch the f***ing ball.
The Giants set historic records for batting futility in the opening series. Three of the last four games were possibly even more embarrassing. I don't think it's alarmist or in any way a stretch to say this is a team in serious, serious trouble. It's a team that had to at least slightly over-perform to make the postseason and right now they are dramatically under-performing and it's the core players of an expensive team who are the leading under-performers.
Logan Webb RHP tries to salvage a series split today facing Kodai Senga RHP.
I've watched most games this year on TV. This is bad. I do not like writing this and being so critical. But since Greg took over for Charlie Johnson it's been a slow down hill decline. Right now Devers is a problem for me to watch and that clown Adames. I've watched Adames swing at pitches a foot outside the strike zone. I don't think he knows the strike zone sometimes. Just keeps trying to hit home runs. Team needs a leader on the field. Don't have one now. Sorry I am so negative but been a fan since '58 and the last few years have been bad...bad...Bob in Dixon.
ReplyDeleteWell said.
ReplyDeleteDoc, after me giving my Grandfather advice of yesterday > whatever I said stop singing the blue > lets wait and see where they are in the stadnigs at the end of April!!!
ReplyDeleteYesterdays game what can I say other than >WTF!!!
Last word today on Easter Sunday > cant wait for the Ham and Scallop potatoes tonight!!!
Richard in Winnipeg
P.S. Logan show us you are the Man > as we know you are!!!
Chapman should ride the pine today. Koss is due for some reps. I would also sit Lee for Oliva today. I dunno how much of the roster you can nuke at the deadline but. at this pace Buster has to be open to a fire sale.
ReplyDeleteAdames shouldn't be leading off. He should be 6th. Devers should be cleanup. Chapman should be 3rd. Lee second. Or leadoff. Arraez whichever position Lee isn't. Oliva in Lee's place if he can't hack it. Ramos 5th. Simple stuff.
ReplyDeleteWhen your lineup is getting 3-4 hits a game, the batting order is not the problem.
DeleteDisgrace. Embarrassment. Anything you want to call it. Except surprising. OK, maybe a little surprising because of the defense.. There will be many more like this because of the horrendous OF, a Bullpen that will really fail more and more after the early season feel good of a few, and inconsistent and streaky core players in Chapman ("Hit The Damn Ball"), Adames and Devers (though i expect him to be consistent--right??).. A so-so rotation with little room for error (and not bailed out last night)...ANd then there's the Manager who might not be a fit for a MLB roster of players. Also, there is NOTHING ready in Sac. All that said, Happy Easter ALL!!!
ReplyDeleteSteveVA
Yes, there have been multiple pathetic performances, but the Giants have been able to win 3 games while working through what everyone knew was an extremely difficult — nearly impossible — schedule, facing 4 legitimate playoff teams in their first 13 games.
ReplyDeletePerhaps even more surprising than the pathetic offense — only 2 games with more than 3 runs (winning both) — is the 4 pitching failures giving up 7 or more runs. Although they managed just one run in the 3 games to open the season, they did hold the Yankees to 3 runs twice, and the final game was, with some luck, winnable: hitting into 4 DPs did not help.
It is likely to get worse before it gets better, but let's hope we can look back on this and say we lived through the blight: this team is better than they have shown.
Last year the team went through long stretches in the “unwatchable” mode. As in, it’s physically difficult to watch them, particularly with all these big money veterans hacking away at the plate and on the field. It’s a bit shocking to see them unwatchable right now.
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of team you get when of the home grown position players you have a defensive specialist in Bailey and a replacement level player in Ramos. We should trade to get Luciano and matos back because this is the perfect team to give them 600 plate appearances this season (half kidding)
ReplyDeleteI went to the game last night and friday as well as friday opening day so I’ve gotten to see this dumpster fire of a team enough to be sick. My 15 year old son has never asked if we could leave a game early until last night. This team is quite frankly unwatchable.
ReplyDeleteI said it a week ago and still believe that something else is going on here that we aren’t previed to yet. The moves or lack of moves by Tony V is curious at the very least when he refuses to use his bench and brings in our best bullpen arms in the middle innings. Winn had no business wasting an outing last night on a game already out of hand while no pinch hitters were used….. ever?
It sounds crazy but why would Buster hire a college coach to manage established underperforming big leaguers unless he had other plans for this roster? If his ultimate goal was to force a rebuild by letting the current roster fail then cleaning house and replacing them with prospects who would be easier for Tony to manage and influence then maybe it would make sense? As Doc said this is likely 4D chess and I am giving Posey too much credit but it would make a lot more sense than thinking Tony was going to come in and get more out of this group of slop swingers than the other options available.
Bad contracts or not there will be a team out there that will take Chapman and Devers off our hands with little to nothing in return. At some point if things continue it probably doesn’t matter what the return is and only matters that they are gone freeing dollars and roster spots. Adames and Lee can be added to the list as well as Arraez, Bader, Bailey, and anyone else not part of the future. Too soon to say but this train is out of control with no brakes and the crash is looking inevitable.
The future however looks really bright if you look at our prospects and I could see Tony V managing a group of young players next year that turn into the future and core of this team in 2-3 years. Susac and Rodriguez take over at catcher. Eldridge replaces Devers, Harbor replaces Chapman, Level/Kilen/Maui replace Adames and Arraez. Gilbert replaces Lee etc and we wait for the Gonzalez, Hernandez, Davidson, Jordan, wave of talent to arrive. Would that not seem like a more likely scenario for Tony V to be able to successfully manage and develop than the current roster of uncaochable veterans???
I think this could be why he hasn’t fully embraced this roster and asserted himself yet. The less he does, the more these players revert back to their swing for the fences approaches, the more games we lose, the more justification for a rebuild. Why would Tony try to win with this roster if the ultimate goal is to move on after it has proven to fail?
DeleteThe best bullpen in the league this year will still blow 7-12 games while the worst will probably blow over 20. Buster has the exact stats but it seems like he planned to lose 20+ bullpen games this year when he traded away our best options last year and then didn’t replace them. Thats probably going to end up being around a 10 game swing when all is said and done. He had to know this.
No big FA contracts this offseason and 2 pitchers who would probably only make a quarter of the rotations in baseball as. 5th option. Best case scenario is these guys finish 500 and stay healthy but we all know that is unlikely.
Arraez was OK and probably made some of the owners feel like fans would be happy with what they did and still show up to the park but Buster may have been thinking more about the young arm he is going to trade Arraez for at the deadline. Ray is another nice trade piece that could get us some return and if they do nuke this thing we should have enough in our system to not have to worry about the return. I would ask for prospects on the younger side who won’t be out of options for 3-4 years at least.
I would be excited to see it and it isn’t crazy to think Buster has been setting this up for a while. Rebuilds suck unless you have players like the A’s do and we may have a wave of them. I will continue to dream and say all those moves should clear up enough money to sign Skubal!
"....and it isn't crazy to think Buster has been setting this up for a while." Uh, yes it is completely batshit crazy! There is no way in Hades that either Buster or Tony Vitello or both are purposely tanking with this roster. Yes, they may tank but I guarantee it's not on purpose. If this team continues to play like this and finishes well below .500 I think there is a very high probability Buster makes good on his promise to resign and ownership brings in a whole new management regime. And just a fair warning. This is the last time I will post comments speculating on Buster playing some sort of 4D chess conspiracy theory to sign expensive players just to make management happy so he can use that as a future excuse for a full teardown. That's just craziness not worth giving a platform to.
DeleteI really want to believe that Posey knows what he is doing but if he expected Tony V to be successful running a team full of overpaid and under performing veterans then he isn’t the guy for the job. The only way it would have made sense would be if he was hired to eventually manage a young team that he could influence and build a culture around. You are right, it sounds totally batshit crazy but its really the only way Posey doesn’t come away from this looking absolutely and totally unfit for his job.
DeleteWhen one team's ground balls find holes (Mets) and the other team's do not (Giants), the result will be the same. Usually.
ReplyDeleteOther than the HR by the first batter Ryan Borucki faced, all the Mets' runs had walks involved. There were 4 ground balls and a strike out immediately prior to the 2-out HR.
Borucki has pitched in 4 games, faced 15 batters, thrown 52 pitches, and given up 2 HRs. The Giants picked him up when the Chicago White Sox didn't want him.
Giants record when he pitches: 0-4.
No one likes losing, but the Giants are "only" 2½ games out of a "playoff spot" and a Logan Webb win away from splitting the 4-game series with the Mets after winning 2 of 3 in San Diego.
ReplyDeleteIt's not give-up time!
After the 3 NL division leaders, the 4 teams that are 2½ games ahead of the Giants are tied for the Wild Card, and the Mets are but a game behind the East leading Braves.
Not saying that the Giants are going to pull out of this "swoon" but it's far too soon for doom and gloom!