Down on the Farm: 9/6/2023

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats outscored the Las Vegas Aviators 9-6.

Tyler Fitzgerald SS- 3 for 6, HR(19).  BA= .281.

Trenton Brooks 1B- 2 for 3,  3 BB.  BA= .295.

David Villar 3B- 3 for 6, 2B, HR(14).  BA= .277.

Luis Gonzalez LF- 3 for 4, 2 BB, SB(6).  BA= .256.

Bryce Johnson CF- 2 for 4, 2 BB, SB(16).  BA= .297.

Erik Miller LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, Save(10).  ERA= 2.53.  

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels outlasted the Akron Rubber Ducks 5-4(10 innings).

Ismael Munguia CF- 1 for 5, HR(5).  BA= .284.

Carson Seymour RHP- 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.10.

Wil Jensen RHP- 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.70.

Per Roger Munter on X, Carson Seymour struck out 5 of first 6 batters he faced with 97 MPH FB and slider as K pitch.

A+:  Everett Aquasox topped the Eugene Emeralds 6-5(10 innings).

Grant McCray CF- 1 for 3, 2 BB, SB(50).  BA= .256.

Damon Dues 2B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .306.

Eric Silva RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 6.08.

A:  San Jose Giants blanked the Stockton Ports 5-0.

Turner Hill CF- 1 for 3, BB, SB(27).  BA= .286.

Justin Wishkoski 3B- 1 for 3, HR(1), BB.  BA= .097.

Nomar Medina LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.19.

Tyler Vogel RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.41.

Medina has had his ups and downs this season but still young for the level and has 2 years of development before Rule 5 Draft eligibility.

Game Wrap 9/6/2023: Cubs 8 Giants 2

 Alex Wood LHP emerged from Gabe Kapler's doghouse.....and did a faceplant.  The Cubs scored 3 runs in the first inning and you had to know the game was already over.  A dead cat bounce but Wood in a scoreless second inning then two more runs(the 2'nd run in the third inning was an inherited runner Ryan Walker RHP allowed to score.  Kap used 5 pitchers in the game.  The only one who did not contribute to the Cubs scoring was Camilo Doval RHP who pitched mop-up just because he needed work.

The Giants actually got 10 hits in the game including 4 doubles.  That should be enough to produces more than 2 runs but they were.....well, scattered.  

The silver lining comes from Luis Matos OF who should not have been sent down to the minors and Casey Schmitt IF who has been a fast learner on the fly.  They had 2 hits each including a double by Schmitt.  Matos is hitting .300 over his last 7 games and .315 over his last 15.  Schmitt is hitting .333 over his last 7 games.  Oh, and Schmitt also made a sensational play at 3B.  I see the point of this season as establishing building blocks.  Add Matos and Schmitt to the list.  When looked at in that light, the season is already an unqualified success.

The loss dropped the Giants 2.5 games behind the Marlins for the last Wild Card playoff spot.

The Giants get a travel day to return home and regroup.  Kyle Harrison LHP faces Forever Giant Ty Blach LHP in the homestand opener on Friday.

Down on the Farm: 9/5/2023

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats pounded the Las Vegas Aviators 9-1.  

Heliot Ramos RF- 2 for 4, BB, SB(9).  BA= .324.

Bryce Johnson CF- 3 for 3, HR(8), BB, SB(15).  BA= .293.

Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.80.

Juan Sanchez LHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.34.

Joey Bart C was pulled from the game after 1 AB presumably to fly post-haste to Chicago in case Patrick Bailey C has to go one the concussion IL.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Akron Rubber Ducks 4-2.

Yoshi Tsutsugo DH- 1 for 3, HR(2), BB.  BA= .250.

Brady Whalen 1B- 1 for 3, HR(4).  BA= .252. 

Sean Roby 3B- 2 for 3.  BA= .219.

Ryan Murphy RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 4.10.

Hunter Dula RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 14.40.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds were apparently idle.

A:  Stockton Ports beat the San Jose Giants 5-3.

Cole Foster SS- 2 for 4.  BA= .213.

Quinn McDaniel 2B- 1 for 3, HR(3), BB.  BA= .367.

Dylan Cumming RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.60.

Marques Johnson RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Game Wrap 9/5/2023: Cubs 11 Giants 8

The Giants lineup wore their hitting shoes today but a parade of 6 bullpen pitchers got lit up and were not helped by sloppy defense in a high-scoring loss.  Key Lines:

Lamonte Wade Jr. 1B- 1 for 3, HR(14).  BA= .251.

Mike Yastrzemski RF- 1 for 3, HR(13).  BA= .232.

Wilmer Flores DH- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(21).  BA= .288.

Joc Pederson LF- 3 for 4, 2 2B, BB.  BA= .246.

J. D. Davis 3B/1B- 3 for 5, 2B, HR(16).  BA= .249.

These are the guys who need to produce if the Giants have any hope of making a playoff run.  Now they just need to do it when the pitching is more effective.  Not to take anything away from Wilmer Flores' career year, but I'm pretty sure I made a comment early in the season that it would not be a good sign if he had to carry the offense again as he did last year.  Well, he's carrying it again and no, that's not a good thing.  

The loss was the Giants 5'th in a row and drops them 2 games behind the Reds in the race for the final Wild Card Playoff spot.

TBD pitches for the Giants tomorrow facing Jordan Wicks LHP who will be making his 3'rd career start and I think we all know what THAT means!

Churn Watch:  John Brebbia RHP was activated from the 60 day IL.  Tristan Beck RHP was optioned to AAA Sacramento and A. J. Pollock OF was released.

Patrick Bailey C who entered the game as a PH for Blake Sabol C suffered a blow to the chin on a play at the plate and suffered a possible concussion.  Joey Bart C may get his shot at proving his resurgence in AAA Sacramento is not a mirage.

Down on the Farm: 9/4/2023

Not sure why the Ems were playing on a Monday but they were the only farm team in action today.  

Everett Aquasox edged out the Eugene Emeralds 2-1.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 4 for 5.  BA= .242.

Trevor McDonald RHP- 4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 11/0.  ERA= 0.53.

Arteaga's second half surge continues.  I feel like he has put himself in a great position for next season and beyond.  One of the youngest players in A+ ball at age 20 he's stayed healthy and built up his AB's while showing consistent improvement as the season went along.  He still has a year of development before the Giants have to make a Rule 5 Draft decision on him.  Trevor McDonald does have a Rule 5 decision coming up.  He fits the profile of very Rule 5 vulnerable prospect so the Giants probably need to seriously consider adding him to the 40 man roster this offseason.

Game Wrap 9/4/2023: Cubs 5 Giants 0

 The headline on sfgiants.com says "Giants show readiness to 'scratch and claw' for edge.  I'm not sure whatthehell Shaun O'Neill was talking about or when they showed this readiness but there was definitely not "scratching and clawing" today as they lost their fourth non-competitive game in a row.  This one might have been the most non-competitive of the four!  Key Lines:

Logan Webb RHP- 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 11/1.  ERA= 3.51.  Webby pitched his 20'th Quality Start out of 29.  Once again it wasn't good enough as his W-L record dropped to 9-12.  

Tristan Beck RHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, GO/AO= 3/1.  ERA= 4.04.  So Beck started Friday night in San Diego and pitched mop-up duty today.  I've been somewhat of a Kap apologist but this is complete chaos.  Right now, there are 3, or at most 4, pitchers with identifiable roles.  I get that some of the chaos is an organic result of performance failures but this has to change.  It reminds me a lot of the way Felipe Alou managed pitchers only more so.  The one thing Bruce Bochy, who will be in the Hall of Fame for his managing, did that turned the Giants around when he took over was establishing roles from top to bottom.  Of course Brian Sabean went out and got him pitchers who performed in those roles but how many people saw Brian Wilson as the Closer when Boch put him in that role and stuck with him?  

This loss will almost surely drop the Giants out of a tie for the last Wild Card playoff spot.

Tomorrow it's TBD facing Kyle Hendricks RHP whose assortment of offspeed stuff often flummoxes Giants hitters.

Down on the Farm: 9/3/2023

AAA:  Albuquerque Isotopes defeated the Sacramento River Cats 8-5.

Luis Matos LF- 1 for 4, HR(9), BB.  BA= .356.

Tyler Fitzgerald SS-2 for 4, HR(18), BB.  BA= .278.

Heliot Ramos RF- 2 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .321.

Luis Gonzalez DH- 2 for 5, HR(1).  BA= .234.

Mason Black RHP- 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 3.94.

Erik Miller LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.58.

Erik Miller has a 0.00 ERA since July 30 with 18 K's and 6 BB's in 11.1 IP.

AA:  Albuquerque Isotopes outscored the Hartford Yard Goats 9-6.  

Ismael Munguia CF- 1 for 4, BB. SF.  BA= .289.

Victor Bericoto RF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .240.

Shane Matheny 3B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .256.

Ben Madison RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.41.

A+:  Tri-City Dust Devils topped the Eugene Emeralds 8-7.

Onil Perez C- 2 for 3, 3B, BB, SB(2).  BA= .353.

Brett Auerbach 3B- 2 for 4, HR(5), 2 SB(13).  BA= .224.

Seth Corry LHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.25.

Not sure what to make of Onil Perez.  The man can obviously hit. The part that doesn't pass the eye test is foot speed.  He does not look fast but has a remarkable number of SB's and legged out a triple in this game.

A:  Lake Elsinore Storm beat the San Jose Giants 5-4.

Scott Bandura CF- 1 for 3, HR(2), BB.  BA= .286.

Cole Foster SS- 1 for 2, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .200.