Down on the Farm: 5/13/2024

 ACL:  Giants outscored the Guardians 14-10:

Ramon Peralta 3B(20 yo)- 3 for 4, 3 2B, BB.  BA= .350.

Dario Reynoso SS(19 yo)- 0 for 2, 3 BB, 2 SB(2).  BA= .240.

Juan Perez C(19 yo)- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .364.

Donovan McIntyre CF(21 yo)- 1 for 4, 3B, BB.  BA- .111.

Keyner Martinez RHP(19 yo)- 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.50.

Alix Hernandez RHP(19 yo)- 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 1.93.

Game Wrap 5/13/2024: Dodgers 6 Giants 4

 Luis Matos gave Giants fans reason for optimism with a 3-run HR in the second inning only to see it slip away in the late innings.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 4, SB(1).  BA= .333.  Ramos' hard single through the left side drove in a go-ahead run in the 6'th only to see the Dodgers even it up again in the 7'th.  He later beat out a squib ground ball to the right side on sheer speed and hustle.  He ultimately may not be the star we all hope he will, but for now he has injected some athleticism and hustle into a team that sorely lacked both.

Blake Sabol C- 1 for 2.  BA= .381.  I have to question Melvin pinch-hitting for Sabol with Jakson Reetz against a LHP.  1.  Reetz just looks overmatched at the plate and should only be an emergency catcher until Bailey can return.  2.  Reetz came up later against a RHP in a situation where you would much rather have Sabol up there and again looked overmatched.  

Luis Matos CF- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .125.   Kid gets called up and beats the Dodgers with a 3-run HR.  Great story that could have happened but it didn't.  

Jordan Hicks RHP- 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K's, GO/AO= 8/1.  ERA= 2.44.  Ideally you would like one more inning out of Hicks but the Dodgers are a tough, tough lineup and Hicks was a gamer through 5.  He left the game with the lead.

Bullpen:  Tyler Rogers RHP and Camilo Doval RHP pitched scoreless frames but the Dodgers chipped away at Luke Jackson RHP, Erik Miller LHP and Taylor Rogers LHP.  Doval only threw 8 pitches in a dominating 9'th inning.  Yes, I know Taylor Rogers is a LHP and lefty batters Ohtani and Freeman were leading off the 10'th but really?  You're taking out your Closer who was painting corners with 102 MPH fastballs for Taylor Rogers?  I'll second guess Melvin on this one too.

Umpire:  I have to confess I wasn't watching the the first part of the game that close but in a span of 4 Giants batters in the 8'th and 9'th innings, the home plate ump called strikes on 3 pitches that were balls,  Admittedly they were within 1 ball width of the strike zone but if we accept the frame on the TV as the true strike zone, there was space between the inner edge of the ball and the edge of the strike zone.  To my eye they looked like balls regardless of the frame. None of the 3 pitches conclusively made the difference between those batters reaching base or not but it definitely made it harder and none of them reached.

The Loss dropped the Giants 9 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West but they remain 2.5 games behind in the Wild Card race.

Keaton Winn RHP tries to get his season back on track and the Giants their first win of the season against the Dodgers tomorrow evening facing Gavin Stone RHP.  

Churn Watch:

As expected, Luis Matos got the call up to replace Jung Hoo Lee who went on the IL.  Lee's prognosis is still unsettled but shoulder separations almost always come with collateral damage so anything less than at least 60 days would be a shock.

Mason Black RHP was optioned to AAA Sacramento and Nick Avila RHP was recalled to replace him.  That's a signal the Giants expect Blake Snell LHP back before Black's next turn in the rotation.  I think most Giants fans would rather see Black in the bullpen than Avila but Black started Sunday so would not be available for several days.

Down on the Farm: 5/12/2024

AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees stung the Sacramento River Cats 6-3:

Donovan Walton 2B- 2 for 4.  BA- .270.

Brett Auerbach LF- 2 for 4, 3B.  BA= .250.

Spencer Howard RHP- 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K.  ERA= 5.87.

AA:  Erie Seawolves blanked the Richmond Flying Squirrels 7-0:

Matt Frisbee RHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K.  ERA= 7.50.

Nick Garcia RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.80.

The Squirrels have close to flatlined this week.  

A+:  Tri-City Dust Devils topped the Eugene Emeralds 5-3:

Diego Velasquez SS- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .304.

Tanner O'Tremba DH- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .235.

Hayden Wynja LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.60.

A:  San Jose Giants defeated the Stockton Ports 5-2:

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 3, BB, SB(20).  BA= .346.

Bo Davidson LF- 1 for 3, HR(2).  BA= .190.

Blake Snell LHP- 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Will Bednar RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

"Immaculate Inning" for Snell in the first and 4 perfect innings.  Very encouraging regardless of level.  Hopefully he's "fixed" as Madison Bumgarner would say.  Another encouraging appearance for Will Bednar.

Game Wrap 5/12/2024: Giants 6 Reds 5(10 innings)

Kyle Harrison gave up a 3-spot in the first inning and labored through 5 but the Giants lineup picked him up with a 5-spot of their own in the 5'th inning to set up a walk-off win in extra innings.  Key Lines:

Lamonte Wade Jr 1B- 1 for 3, HR(2), 2 BB.  BA= .340.  LMWJ has the 8'th highest BA among MLB hitters with at least 100 PA's and is #1 in OBP.  His 2 run HR in the pivotal 5'th inning tied the game.

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 5.  BA= .294.  Heliot is vindicating the fans who have been advocating for him.  He has definitely provided an injection of energy into a struggling team.

Kyle Harrison LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 5 K.  BA= 3.42.  Credit to Harrison for not folding his tent after a near disastrous first inning.  Although the lineup provided him with a chance to record a W, I am sure he is very happy with the ND and team win.

Camilo Doval RHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.60.  Doval sometimes does not perform well in non-save situation but his work here helped extend the game to give his team a chance to win.

Luke Jackson RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K.  ERA= 3.24.  Leaving the "ghost runner" stranded in the top of an extra-inning is huge.  

Casey Schmitt SS drove in the walk-off winning run with a ground-rule double in the bottom of the 10'th.

The Giants gained a game on the first place Dodgers at 8.0 games behind. They remain 2.5 games behind the Padres for the last Wild Card playoff spot.

Jordan Hicks RHP faces the Dodgers tomorrow in the first game of a 3-game series with Gavin Stone RHP going for the Hated Ones.   A word of warning:  Stone has allowed just 3 ER in 20 IP over his last 3 starts.  

Churn Watch: 

Brett Wisely UT was called up to replace Austin Slater who went on the concussion IL.  

Not unexpectedly, Michael Conforto OF went on the 10-day IL with a hammy strain.  Luis Matos OF was called up from AAA Sacramento to replace him.  Unfortunately, Matos has struggled in AAA to a .218 BA so far..

No sooner had Jung Hoo Lee OF returned to action after fouling a ball of his foot on Wednesday in Coors Field but he dislocated his left shoulder after trying to make heroic catch of Jeimer Candelario's 3-run double in the first inning today.  Not good!

Down on the Farm: 5/11/2024

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats defeated the Salt Lake City Bees 4-2:

Drew Cavanaugh C- 3 for 4.  BA= .571.  

Tommy Romero RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 1.66.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K.  ERA= 3.62.

Who is Drew Cavanaugh?   Lefty batting catcher drafted in 17'th round in 2023.  Had not played above A San Jose before getting promoted to fill in at AAA due to injuried at the MLB level.  Bivens has allowed just 1 run in 11.1 IP over his last 6 appearances with 11 K's and just 1 BB.

AA:  Erie Seawolves mauled the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-3:

Carter Howell LF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .267.

Jairo Pomares DH- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .133.

Carson Ragsdale RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.52.

A+:  Tri-City Dust Devils overwhelmed the Eugene Emeralds 10-5:

Thomas Gavello 2B- 1 for 5, HR(1).  BA= .169.

Scott Bandura CF- 2 for 4.  BA= .180.

Jack Choate LHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 2.10.

A:  Stockton Ports topped the San Jose Giants 7-6:

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 5.  BA= .337.

Bryce Eldridge DH- 2 for 5.  BA= .254.

Charlie Szykowny 3B- 3 for 4.  BA= .368.

Guillermo Williamson 1B- 1 for 4, HR(4).  BA= .250.

Javier Francisco 2B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .219.

Cesar Perdomo RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 1.74.

ACL:  Giants edged out the Dodgers 2-1(8 innings):

Mikell Manzano RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.86.

Raymond Burgos LHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Game Wrap 5/11/2024: Giants 5 Reds 1

Matt Chapman's first inning grand slam home run made this game a little easier for the Giants pitchers and they responded by limiting the Reds to just one run.  Key Lines: 

Patrick Bailey C- 1 for 3, SF.  BA= .280.  Bailey is back from a concussion IL stint and had a productive game.  It he why the pitchers were better too?

Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 4, HR(5).  BA= .213.  Chapman has been in a deep slump and fell behind my 25 HR pace.  Hopefully this is the start of a hot streak.

Heliot Ramos RF/LF- 0 for 3, BB, 2 Assists.  BA= .250.  Ramos drew a walk ahead of Chapman's grand slam and made three sensational plays on defense including 2 throws from RF to rob two runners of doubles and a diving catch on a pop fly in shallow LF later in the game.

Mason Black RHP- 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 6.23.  Black brought the hook a little quicker in this one. Taylor Rogers LHP got 2 K's to finish the 5'th inning without further damage.  Four pitchers, Ryan Walker RHP, Erik Miller LHP, Tyler Rogers RHP and Sean Hjelle RHP worked one scoreless inning each to finish it off.

With the Win, the Giants remain 9 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West but close to 2.5 games behind in the Wild Card race.

Kyle Harrison LHP tries for a series win tomorrow afternoon facing Frankie Montas RHP.

Churn Watch:  

Jakson Reetz C was optioned to AAA Sacramento with Patrick Bailey C coming off the concussion IL

Michael Conforto OF grabbed his hammy after rounding 1B on a single and exited the game.  Luis Matos OF was removed from his AAA game after 2 AB's so it seems he would get the call if Conforto goes on the IL.

Down on the Farm: 5/10/2024

AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees swarmed over the Sacramento River Cats 9-1:

Landon Roupp RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.76.

Salt Lake City has been a tough environment for the River Cats.  You have to wonder how multiple promotions to fill holes created by injuries at the MLB level impacts performance at the AAA level.

AA:  Erie Seawolved blanked the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-0:  

Hunter Bishop DH- 2 for 4.  BA= .258.

Jimmy Glowenke 2B- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .240.

Evan Gates RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.10.

A+:  Tri-City Dust Devils blew away the Eugene Emeralds 9-4:

Justin Wishkoski 3B- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .241.

A:  San Jose Giants defeated the Stockton Ports 5-2:

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 4, 3B.  BA= .333.

Luke Shliger C- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .237.

Elian Rayo DH- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .227.

Dylan Carmouche LHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.12.

Junior Flores RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.20.

Trent Harris RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K.  ERA= 1.88.

ACL:  A's outscored the Giants 7-4:

Jose Ortiz CF- 2 for 3, BB, SB(3).  BA= .500.

Dario Reynoso SS- 2 for 3.  BA= .300.

Jediael Maduro DH- 2 for 3, 2B.  BA= .400.

Alix Hernandez RHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's. 

19 yo Jose Ortiz is looking like a dynamic player in the early ACL season.