Down on the Farm: 8/19/2025

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats outlasted the El Paso Chihuahuas 4-3(10 innings).

Wade Meckler CF- 2 for 5.   BA= .265.

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .260.

Jesus Rodriguez DH- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .269.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 7 K's, 7/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 5.25.

J. T. Brubaker RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Miguel Diaz RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.26.

Luis Matos says "Hey! Don't forget about me!"  Brubaker is a newcomer recently released by the Yankees.  He must have gotten caught in a numbers game in New York because he had a decent 3.38 ERA for the Yanks.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels shut out the Chesapeake Baysox 4-0.

Bo Davidson DH- 1 for 4, 3B.  BA= .207.

Dayson  Croes 3B- 1 for 3, 2B, SF.  BA= .361.

Carter Howell RF- 2 for 4.  BA= .217.

Turner Hill CF- 3 for 4.  BA= .270.

Shane Rademacher RHP- 4.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K.  ERA= 6.61.

Chris Wright LHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 1.93.

Cameron Pferrer RHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 9.00.

Tyler Vogel RHP- 1.1  IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, Save(2).  ERA= 0.00.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds pounded the Hillsboro Hops 7-2.

Nate Furman 2B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .333.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 4, HR(17).  BA= .264.

Parks Harber 3B- 2 for 4.  BA= 296.

Charlie McDaniel LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 9.18.

Liam Simon RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 8.03.

Ryan Vanderhei RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.00.

Here are Charlie Szykowny's monthly splits:  April- .250/.320/.393, 2 HR, May- .193/.324/.353, 2 HR,  June- .297/.354/.538, 5 HR, July- .260/.324/.439, 4 HR, August- .329/.347/.557, 4 HR.  As you can see, May was his worst month and pulls his overall line down.  So far August is his best month and his overall numbers are rising.  Overall a strong season for Charlie who is emerging as sleeper in the system.  His K rate is under 20% but his walk rate is around 5%.  Maybe that's a profile that plays better in Oracle Park?

A: Fresno Grizzlies outscored the San Jose Giants 8-5(11 innings).

Jhonny Level SS- 3 for 6.  BA= .260.

Lorenzo Meola 2B- 1 for 5, 2B, BB.  BA= .200.

Tyler Cohen CF- 3 for 4, 2 BB, SB(3).  BA= .319.

Lisbel Diaz LF- 2 for 5, BB.  BA= .270.

Ubert Mejias RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.80.

  

DSL:  NYY Yankees edged out Giants Orange 3-2(7 innings).

Anthony Marquez SS(18 yo)- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .276.

Iverson Paulino RHP(18 yo)- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.05.

DSL:  Arizona Red topped Giants Black 2-1(7 innings).

Josuar Gonzalez SS(17 yo)- 1 for 2. BB, 3 SB(33).  BA= .288.

Yohendry Sanchez C(18 yo)- 0 for 1, 2 BB.  BA= .275.

Carlos De La Rosa LHP(17 yo)- 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 4.73.

Lender Bracho RHP(20 yo)- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.05.

Carlos Toro RHP(18 yo)- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 2.15.

Carlos De La Rosa 13 K's and 4 BB's in 7.1 shutout innings over his last 2 appearances. 

Game Wrap 8/19/2025: Padres 5 Giants 1

Jung Hoo Lee led off the game with a home run but that was the end of the Giants scoring and the pitching couldn't hold back a stacked Padres lineup.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(7).  BA= .262.  It's good to see Jung Hoo hitting better but the lineup, missing Willy Adames and Matt Chapman, managed just 2 other hits in the game and one of those was off the bat of PH Wilmer Flores.

Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's 4/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 8.78.  Teng's stuff and location looked better than his last start but he still struggled with command and some bad BABIP luck and left with the bases loaded in the 4'th inning after throwing 80 pitches.  Two HBP's in the 4'th inning contributed to the early exit.  Spencer Bivens came in with one out, a run in and the bases loaded.  He got a force out at home but then walked in Teng's final ER on 4 pitches.

Carson Seymour RHP- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K's, 3/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.92.  Seymour allowed 1 ER in 4.2 IP over his last 2 appearances.  His groundball-heavy approach should allow him at the least to eat some serious innings at the MLB level.  He has SP potential if he can refine his command just a bit more.

Today, Landen Roupp RHP takes on J P Sears LHP who comes in with an ERA of 5.12.

Down on the Farm: 8/18/2025

 The full season leagues had their usual Monday off.

DSL:  Giants Orange outscored Colorado 9-6(7 innings).

Anthony Marquez DH(18 yo)- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .271.

Yulian Barreto SS(17 yo)- 3 for 3, BB.  BA= .330.

Carlos Concepcion RF(19 yo)- 2 for 4, 2 HR(6).  BA= .282.

Djean Macares CF(17 yo)- 2 for 4.  BA= .219.

Jose Trevizo RHP(17 yo)- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.02.

Randry De Leon RHP(20 yo)- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, Save(3).  ERA= 3.66.

Josuar Gonzalez is a the top prospect from this year's international signing class but Yulian Barreto is having a fantastic season too.

DSL:  Nationals edged out Giants Black 3-2(7 innings).

Josuar Gonzalez SS(17 yo)- 1 for 3, HR(4).  BA= .286.

Yohendry Sanchez C(18 yo)- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .277.

Leandro Rodriguez LHP(19 yo)- 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 2.41.

Rainiel Duran RHP(21 yo)- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.15.

Alfonso Perez RHP(20 yo)- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.42.

Good to see Josuar finish the season strong after a midseason downturn.  Don't forget Yohendry Sanchez was the top bonus baby for the Giants 2024 international signing period.  Leandro Rodriguez and Rainiel Duran are older for the DSL but it appears this is their first pro season so plenty of time for development for both.

Game Wrap 8/18/2025: Giants 4 Padres 3

 A 3-homer, 4-run outburst in the first inning was all the scoring Robbie Ray and the bullpen needed for a wire-to-wire win.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 5, HR(15).  BA= .267.  Ramos led off the game with a HR, his first since July 5. Before the game Ramos found himself having to explain comments he made sounding like a complaint about lack of fan support.  If that's what he meant it's laughable as the fans continued to fill the park during the darkest days of the recent home slump.  If you look at the context and his explanation the point he tried to make was the players are aware of fans frustrations with Bob Melvin and continue to support him.(more on that later).  

Rafael Devers 1B- 1 for 4, HR(24), BB.  BA= .257.  Thanks to McCovey Chronicles BlueSky feed for noting this is the 5'th time the Giants have gone B2B to lead off a game and 4'th in the San Francisco era.  1958- Whitey Lockman and Willie Kirkland, 1964- Chuck Hiller and Duke Snider(Duke Snider played for the Giants?  I didn't remember that), 2015- Nori Aoki and Joe Panik.  MCC feed also pointed out that Devers in-zone swing rate is down and his called strike rate is up significantly since the trade suggesting a change in approach with worse results.  I think it was also MCC or maybe Bluesky Jeff who noted that Giants flyball percentage jumped starting with the FZ era and is even higher this season with fewer home runs.  So the Giants hitting approach seems to be take more in-zone pitches and hit more balls in the air.  The results are more called strikes and a lower BABIP without an increase in HR's, probably due to park factors.

Wilmer Flores DH- 1 for 3, HR(13), BB. BA= .248.  Wilmer's 2-run shot capped off the scoring in the first inning and the game for the Giants.  It was just his second HR since June 7.

Robbie Ray LHP- 6.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K's, 105 P.  ERA= 2.85.  Did Bob Melvin leave Ray in a batter too long?  Ray gave up a 1-out double to Xander Bogaerts followed by a throwing error by Casey Schmitt and a fly ball out, leaving a run in, 2 outs, a runner on 3B and a lefty-hitting PH, Ryan O'Hearn coming up.  He hit a 2-run HR to cut the lead to 1 and Melvin then went to Ryan Walker.  Defensible but when Ray loses it, he tends to lose it fast and he was getting to the end of his pitch limit plus he's only pitched 34 innings over his last two seasons with a surgery mixed in.  On the other hand, Melvin is short of reliable late-inning arms after the trade deadline.

Ryan Walker RHP- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.81.

Randy Rodriguez RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, Save(4).  ERA= 1.63.  The two best late-inning relievers went 2.1 IP and recorded just 1 K.  Rodriguez in particular appeared to lack a strikeout pitch.  Tyler Rogers RHP and Camilo Doval RHP had the same issue before they were traded.  Maybe late-inning relievers who pitch to contact is the latest undervalued asset but it's not ideal when runners are in scoring position with less than two outs and it's a huge disadvantage in extra-inning games.

All's well that ends well.

Kai-Wei Teng RHP gets a chance to bounce back from his last disaster start facing Nick Pivetta RHP.  Didn't he face Pivetta last time?  Yikes!

Down on the Farm: 8/17/2025

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats stopped the Round Rock Express 6-2.

Luis Matos RF- 2 for 4, HR(6), SB(6).  BA= .254.

Drew Ellis 3B- 1 for 3, HR(5), BB.  BA= .206.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.37.

It's starting to look like Matos' window of opportunity with the Giants is closing. He may need to make his mark with another organization. Whisenhunt has a nice mix of pitches but needs to improve his command considerably.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels outscored the Altoona Curve 6-5.

Bo Davidson CF- 1 for 4, HR(3), BB, SB(4).  BA= .205.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 2 for 3, BB, HBP.  BA= .259.

Scott Bandura LF- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .244.

Sabin Ceballos 1B- 2 for 3, 2 2B, BB, SB(4).  BA= .209.

Trystan Vrieling RHP- 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K's, 6/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.21.

Marques Johnson RHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.26.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Tri-Cities Dust Devils 3-1.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 3, HR(16), BB, SB(5).  BA= .262.

Jean Carlos Sio SS- 1 for 3, BB, SB(2).  BA= .318.

Josh Bostick RHP- 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.75.

Austin Strickland RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.26.

Charlie Szykowny is batting .318/.338/.515 with 3 HR so far in August. Aside from a very bad month of May(.193), he has quietly had a nice season.

A:  San Jose Giants edged out the Lake Elsinore Storm 7-6.

Lisbel Diaz LF- 3 for 5, 2B, 3B, SB(20).  BA= .269.

Jose Astudillo 2B- 2 for 3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 SB(2).  BA= .421.

Juan Perez C- 3 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .199.

Keyner Martinez RHP- 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K's, 5/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 0.00.

Melvin Pineda RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 7.36.

Game Wrap 8/17/2025: Giants 7 Rays 1

 The Giants rose from the ashes of a brutal home losing streak to break open a scoreless pitching duel in the 6'th inning and cruised to an easy win.  They actually appeared to play with enthusiasm and determination in the process.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .260.  Jung Hoo led off the Giants first inning with a line double to the RF wall.  Of course he was left stranded.  Later in the game, he made the circus catch of the year, maybe the decade, maybe all-time when he bobbled a drive in Triples Alley.  It bounced off his lower thigh.  He somehow managed to trap the ball between his knees without it touching the ground.  He stood up with it still locked between his knees and calmly retrieved it with his right hand.  Worth watching the game just to see that.

Dom Smith 1B- 1 for 4, R, 3 RBI.  BA= .281.  Smith drove a single into the RF corner with the bases loaded that didn't quite get through to the wall.  Two runs immediately scored.  When the relay man hesitated, Willy Adames alertly broke for home and managed to evade the tag while sliding his foot across home plate.  Smith advanced to 2B on the throw.  A rare 3-run single!

Christian Koss 3B- 2 for 4, RBI.  BA= .281.  Christian Koss and Dom Smith are now tied for the highest BA in today's lineup at .281.  Smith leads in OPS .744 to .731.  

Drew Gilbert RF- 2 for 4, HR(1), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .136.  Gilbert's bat came to life in the 7'th inning with a HR on top of the RF arcade.  He followed that up with a solid RBI single.  Hey!  I have an idea!  Let's put Gilbert out there every day for the rest of the season and see if he can sustain the traction.

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 1 for 4, HR(4), R, RBI.  BA= .220.  Very disappointing season for Fitz but he showed off the power potential going B2B with Gilbert's HR.

Logan Webb RHP- 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's, GO/AO= 13/1.  ERA= 3.19.  A classic Webb Gem which looked like it could be another fail due to no run support until the Giants put up the 4-spot in the 6'th.  Webb responded with the shut-down inning in the 7'th and the Giants tacked on 2 more with the Gilbert/Fitz B2B effectively putting the game on ice.

The Giants immediately travel south to take on the Padres and their parade of relievers who look like linebackers and roll out of bed throwing hundos in the immortal words of Mike Krukow.  Robbie Ray LHP starts game 1 facing Nestor Cortes LHP who comes in with a 5.71 ERA but he's 2.89 over his last 2 games.

Down on the Farm: 8/16/2025

AAA:  Round Rock Express shut out the Sacramento River Cats 4-0.

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 2 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .236.

Braxton Roxby RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.11.

Trent Harris RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.61. 

River Cats bats are quiet in Round Rock TX.  

AA:  Altoona Curve blanked the Richmond Flying Squirrels 2-0.

Nick Zwack LHP- 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 1.96.

Ian Villers RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.91.

Giants top two affiliates were shut out yesterday.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds blasted the Tri-Cities Dust Devils 10-3.

Nate Furman DH- 3 for 4, 2 BB.  BA= .344.

Jonah Cox CF- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(8), 2 BB.  BA= .255.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 6.  BA= .259.

Jean Carlos Sio 2B- 2 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .317.

Damian Bravo LF- 2 for 5.  BA= .333.

Jose Ramos RF- 2 for 5.  BA= .293.

Tyler Switalski LHP- 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.35.

Josh Wolf RHP- 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.19.

Excellent season for Jean Carlos Sio.  Definitely a sleeper in the system to watch.

A:  San Jose Giants outlasted the Lake Elsinore Storm 12-11(11 innings).

Tyler Cohen DH- 1 for 5, 3B, SF, 4 RBI.  BA= .282.

Jhonny Level SS- 2 for 6.  BA= .238.

Robert Hipwell 3B- 2 for 6.  BA= .254.

Jeremiah Jenkins 1B- 1 for 5, 2B, BB.  BA= .255.

Jose Astudillo LF- 3 for 6, 2B.  BA= .375.

Daniel Rogers C- 2 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .292.

Ryan Reckley RF- 1 for 4, BB.  BA= .177.

Yunior Marte RHP- 3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.45.

Ricardo Estrada LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, Save(3).  ERA= 2.70.

Gavin Kilen did not appear after being lifted for a PH in Friday's game suggesting some sort of injury.  Jose Astudillo can't stop hitting.  Daniel Rogers was signed as an undrafted free agent on July 21.

DSL:  Giants Orange defeated the Mariners 3-1.

Jose D. Gonzalez RHP(19 yo)- 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.40.

Brayan Cabello RHP(21 yo)- 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.81.

Jose Meza RHP(19 yo)- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.55.

DSL:  Giants Black beat Tigers1 5-3.

Josuar Gonzalez DH(17 yo)- 2 for 4, 3B.  BA= .285.

Evan Estevez LF(17 yo)- 1 for 2, HR(4), 2 BB.  BA= .272.

Yohendry Sanchez C(17 yo)- 1 for 2, SF, .  BA= .275.

Dilan Fernandez RHP(20 yo)- 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 3.24.

Jose De La Rosa RHP(17 yo)- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, Save(1).  ERA= 2.88.