And that's good, because they are improving! The Giants won against LA today, 4 - 2, to take the series 3 games of 4 and climb to .500. That makes them 6 - 4 against the NL champions with 9 games remaining in the remaining 5/6 of the season. Crazy to play one team so much at the beginning of the year, right? But if LA gets in gear, which really hasn't happened yet, maybe it works in the Giants' favor. Or maybe the Giants will turn out to be a pretty decent club.
That makes 3 series in a row. Mark doesn't like to talk about last year, but I am still trying to purge last year's stain on my psyche, so I would note that the Giants actually won 3 series in a row last year, against Cincinnati, this team and St. Louis in May. But they never won 4 series in a row. BEAT the Padres!
Ty Blach vs Kenta Maeda. Maeda gave up 3 to the Giants in the 1st - Posey doubled with 2 outs, Belt walked, and Evan Longoria homered. The Giants added 1 in the 3rd, Posey scoring from 1st on a deep Brandon Belt double off the bricks in right center. Ty Blach pitched much, much, much better than in his previous start. He gave up a run in the 6th, and came out to pitch the 7th, but gave up a broken bat single so was pulled for Sam Dyson after 87 pitches. A high bouncer to Dyson enabled Muncy to reach second because it took so long to come down and then a single to the outfield scored the doggers' 2nd run. That run is charged to Blach, but it is an example of how unfair that can be. It was a ball that was so punk that it put Muncy on base, then a double play ball that bounced too high to be playable at second. Dyson then slammed the door on that comeback attempt, though, and Watson made quick work of the 8th. Strickland seemed to lack control except with his fastball, but managed to finish the game without allowing a baserunner.
You see the wisdom of Bochy's use of pitchers (and the wisdom of yesterday evening's and today's starters to get us some innings). We won 3 of the 4 games:
Game 1: Holland (3.1 IP), Johnson, Gearrin, Dyson, Watson, Strickland.
Game 2: Stratton (1.1 IP), Gomez, Law, Gearrin, Panda.
Game 3: Cueto (6 IP), Moronta, Dyson, Snelton, Strickland.
Game 4: Blach (6 IP), Dyson, Watson, Strickland.
Did I mention that we beat LA 3 of 4? Johnny Cueto is leading the National League in ERA. I'm feeling better about this club, and it starts with the bullpen. The feeling of impending doom is gone.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Lose Big or Don't Lose at All
Seems like that's the Giants' philosophy, lately. In the last 6 games, the Giants have been outscored 42 - 30. The Giants have won 4 of those games.
The Giants won 2 of 3 against the Nationals, dropping the finale 15 - 2. The Giants won Friday night, 6 - 4. That game featured a go-ahead balk to give the Giants a 5 - 4 lead in the 7th.
Weird twin bill today. Joe Panik is on the DL and Mac Williamson is on the concussion DL. The Giants started new father Chris Stratton, hoping to have a game that saved their bullpen for the night game, followed by 4 straight before a break next Thursday. Chris lasted 1 1/3 innings. 6 runs were charged to his record. Ouch. He was matched against dogger youngster Walker Buehler who also labored in the 1st, giving up 2 runs to the Giants, but hung in through 5 and got a win. After Stratton, the Giants pitched Roberto Gomez, up from Sacramento; Derek Law and Cory Gearrin for 1 out. The Giants finally found an effective pitcher for the 9th. It was Pablo Sandoval. He threw only 11 pitches to get 3 outs. The totals: 215 pitches for the Giants, a guy named Alen Hanson, up from the minors to fill in for Panik, hit a 3 run home run, Derek Law got his first major league hit and a final score of 15 - 6.
In the nightcap, the Giants faced Alex Wood with Johnny Cueto on the mound. JC started off with 3 hits and 2 runs to the first 3 batters, including a home run to the 2nd, Cory Seager. After that, though, the doggers did not have a base runner until the 5th when Cueto walked 2. The Giants scored 3 in the 5th on a bases-clearing double by Austin Jackson. That gave Cueto, who pitched 6, the win. Reyes Moronta, normally so dependable, could not get an out in the 7th, but Sam Dyson handily cleaned up the bases loaded threat allowing only 1 run. The Giants used another newbie, DJ Snelton in the 8th, but he ran into trouble in the 9th and Hunter Strickland bailed him out. Meanwhile the Giants tacked on rbis by Belt, Longoria and Tomlinson. The final score was 8 - 3.
So the Giants will not lose this series. The final is tomorrow, Blach is scheduled against Maeda. It will be the 10th meeting between LA and the Giants and it is not yet May. Then the tough Padres come into town for 3 before the Giants take off on a road trip to Atlanta, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Giants are 1 game under .500, but in third place in the NL West, 1/2 game in front of LA.
The Giants won 2 of 3 against the Nationals, dropping the finale 15 - 2. The Giants won Friday night, 6 - 4. That game featured a go-ahead balk to give the Giants a 5 - 4 lead in the 7th.
Weird twin bill today. Joe Panik is on the DL and Mac Williamson is on the concussion DL. The Giants started new father Chris Stratton, hoping to have a game that saved their bullpen for the night game, followed by 4 straight before a break next Thursday. Chris lasted 1 1/3 innings. 6 runs were charged to his record. Ouch. He was matched against dogger youngster Walker Buehler who also labored in the 1st, giving up 2 runs to the Giants, but hung in through 5 and got a win. After Stratton, the Giants pitched Roberto Gomez, up from Sacramento; Derek Law and Cory Gearrin for 1 out. The Giants finally found an effective pitcher for the 9th. It was Pablo Sandoval. He threw only 11 pitches to get 3 outs. The totals: 215 pitches for the Giants, a guy named Alen Hanson, up from the minors to fill in for Panik, hit a 3 run home run, Derek Law got his first major league hit and a final score of 15 - 6.
In the nightcap, the Giants faced Alex Wood with Johnny Cueto on the mound. JC started off with 3 hits and 2 runs to the first 3 batters, including a home run to the 2nd, Cory Seager. After that, though, the doggers did not have a base runner until the 5th when Cueto walked 2. The Giants scored 3 in the 5th on a bases-clearing double by Austin Jackson. That gave Cueto, who pitched 6, the win. Reyes Moronta, normally so dependable, could not get an out in the 7th, but Sam Dyson handily cleaned up the bases loaded threat allowing only 1 run. The Giants used another newbie, DJ Snelton in the 8th, but he ran into trouble in the 9th and Hunter Strickland bailed him out. Meanwhile the Giants tacked on rbis by Belt, Longoria and Tomlinson. The final score was 8 - 3.
So the Giants will not lose this series. The final is tomorrow, Blach is scheduled against Maeda. It will be the 10th meeting between LA and the Giants and it is not yet May. Then the tough Padres come into town for 3 before the Giants take off on a road trip to Atlanta, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Giants are 1 game under .500, but in third place in the NL West, 1/2 game in front of LA.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Bleah
Giants get clobbered in the finale. Max Scherzer is hard enough to beat, sloppy play and poor execution certainly won't help. Off-day tomorrow and the Dodgers come to town this weekend. Holland on Friday, Stratton & Cueto for the doubleheader on Saturday, and Blach on Sunday. I'll be on the road all weekend and unable to post. Maybe one of the other lads on the masthead will chip in. Otherwise, I'll be back on board for the San Diego series.
--M.C.
--M.C.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Giants Power Past Nats
SF 4 WSH 3
Brandon Belt and Mac Williamson both hit homers tonight to lead the Giants to a gritty win against a tough foe. The Giants scored in the 1st against a shaky Tanner Roark and Belt added his two-run bomb in the 3rd. Ty Blach couldn't hold the 3-0 lead, yielding a three-run homer to Michael Taylor in the 4th, but he put up a zero in the 5th. Reyes Moronta delivered two scoreless frames--he's looked very good--and Mac Williamson hit a solo homer in the 6th and that was enough. Blach's final line was 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 W, 3 K. Moronta was credited with the win, the first of his career. Sam Dyson covered the 8th and Hunter Strickland mowed them down (8 pitches!) in the 9th. That's three saves in three days for Strickland. A team effort to be sure. Two wins in a row against Washington and three wins in a row overall.
Nats über-ace Max Scherzer takes the hill tomorrow afternoon (12:45) against Jeff Samardzija.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Brandon Belt and Mac Williamson both hit homers tonight to lead the Giants to a gritty win against a tough foe. The Giants scored in the 1st against a shaky Tanner Roark and Belt added his two-run bomb in the 3rd. Ty Blach couldn't hold the 3-0 lead, yielding a three-run homer to Michael Taylor in the 4th, but he put up a zero in the 5th. Reyes Moronta delivered two scoreless frames--he's looked very good--and Mac Williamson hit a solo homer in the 6th and that was enough. Blach's final line was 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 W, 3 K. Moronta was credited with the win, the first of his career. Sam Dyson covered the 8th and Hunter Strickland mowed them down (8 pitches!) in the 9th. That's three saves in three days for Strickland. A team effort to be sure. Two wins in a row against Washington and three wins in a row overall.
Nats über-ace Max Scherzer takes the hill tomorrow afternoon (12:45) against Jeff Samardzija.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Mac & Strat
SF 4 WSH 2
Chris Stratton out-dueled Gio Gonzalez and led the way with a solid 6-2/3 to prevail over the Nationals. Mac Williamson had the big hit, a two-run homer in the 6th that proved to be the difference. Brandon Belt led off the inning with a walk, chasing Gonzalez, and reliever Shawn Kelly coughed up a 464-foot space probe that almost hit the bricks behind the bleachers in right-center. Right-handers don't usually hit opposite-field homers in San Francisco and certainly not ones that deep. Keep on rockin', Mac.
Speaking of rockin', Chris Stratton has logged 31 innings in 2018 with only 19 hits and 9 runs allowed. Like Johnny Cueto he has yet to give up a long ball. Both Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen flubbed playable balls (Cutch was charged with an error) in the 6th with one out, putting two on, but Strat pitched out of the jam expertly. It was a big moment in the game, much like Mac's blast. The Giants need that kind of execution up and down the roster.
Two wins in a row, both against good teams. The Giants finally get to double-digits in wins! Ty Blach goes tomorrow. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Chris Stratton out-dueled Gio Gonzalez and led the way with a solid 6-2/3 to prevail over the Nationals. Mac Williamson had the big hit, a two-run homer in the 6th that proved to be the difference. Brandon Belt led off the inning with a walk, chasing Gonzalez, and reliever Shawn Kelly coughed up a 464-foot space probe that almost hit the bricks behind the bleachers in right-center. Right-handers don't usually hit opposite-field homers in San Francisco and certainly not ones that deep. Keep on rockin', Mac.
Speaking of rockin', Chris Stratton has logged 31 innings in 2018 with only 19 hits and 9 runs allowed. Like Johnny Cueto he has yet to give up a long ball. Both Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen flubbed playable balls (Cutch was charged with an error) in the 6th with one out, putting two on, but Strat pitched out of the jam expertly. It was a big moment in the game, much like Mac's blast. The Giants need that kind of execution up and down the roster.
Two wins in a row, both against good teams. The Giants finally get to double-digits in wins! Ty Blach goes tomorrow. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Two outta three ain't bad
SF 4 LAA 2
The Giants win their first series of the 2018 season by nipping the Angels in the getaway game. Johnny Cueto was excellent again, allowing no hits through the first five innings and finishing with six shutout innings. An error by Brandon Crawford extended the 6th inning and that likely cost Cueto a chance to pitch into the 7th, but it also gave Brandon Belt a chance to flash some leather. He fielded a grounder from Luis Valbuena with the bases loaded and one out and threw a laser beam to BCraw to get the force and JohnnyC hustled over to cover first to complete the 3-6-1 DP. It was a big moment and preserved the 4-0 lead. Good thinking and execution by our southpaw first baseman. The Angels would rally in the 8th with a two-run homer from--who else?--Mike Trout and would put two on in the 9th but the Giants prevailed.
Speaking of Brandon Belt, he had a 21-pitch AB in the 1st against rookie Jaime Barria. Yes, you saw that right: a twenty-one pitch at-bat. That's a major league record. It's Belt, Mr. Hard Luck, so it ended in a line out and not a hit, but it was a great event nonetheless. He had 16 foul balls including 11 straight! And that was a small part of Belt's big day as he singled and scored ahead of Evan Longoria's homer in the 3rd and homered himself to lead off the 5th. He also led off the 7th with a single. I think Belt is one of the most under-rated players in the game. Few are as hurt by their home yard, and his gangly, awkward-looking style doesn't help. He is certainly under-appreciated by Giants fans who I think are put off by his hang-dog mien and fail to appreciate his overall fine play. I'm happy he's making some noise.
No rest for the weary as the Nationals pull in to San Francisco for three games starting tomorrow night. Chris Stratton faces Gio Gonzalez. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
The Giants win their first series of the 2018 season by nipping the Angels in the getaway game. Johnny Cueto was excellent again, allowing no hits through the first five innings and finishing with six shutout innings. An error by Brandon Crawford extended the 6th inning and that likely cost Cueto a chance to pitch into the 7th, but it also gave Brandon Belt a chance to flash some leather. He fielded a grounder from Luis Valbuena with the bases loaded and one out and threw a laser beam to BCraw to get the force and JohnnyC hustled over to cover first to complete the 3-6-1 DP. It was a big moment and preserved the 4-0 lead. Good thinking and execution by our southpaw first baseman. The Angels would rally in the 8th with a two-run homer from--who else?--Mike Trout and would put two on in the 9th but the Giants prevailed.
Speaking of Brandon Belt, he had a 21-pitch AB in the 1st against rookie Jaime Barria. Yes, you saw that right: a twenty-one pitch at-bat. That's a major league record. It's Belt, Mr. Hard Luck, so it ended in a line out and not a hit, but it was a great event nonetheless. He had 16 foul balls including 11 straight! And that was a small part of Belt's big day as he singled and scored ahead of Evan Longoria's homer in the 3rd and homered himself to lead off the 5th. He also led off the 7th with a single. I think Belt is one of the most under-rated players in the game. Few are as hurt by their home yard, and his gangly, awkward-looking style doesn't help. He is certainly under-appreciated by Giants fans who I think are put off by his hang-dog mien and fail to appreciate his overall fine play. I'm happy he's making some noise.
No rest for the weary as the Nationals pull in to San Francisco for three games starting tomorrow night. Chris Stratton faces Gio Gonzalez. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Friday, April 20, 2018
MacSmackdown
SF 8 LAA 1
The Giants called up the surging Mac Williamson and he did what they were hoping he would do: he hit a two-run homer to kick-start a moribund offense and the Giants walloped the Angels. Andrew Mac-Cutchen also delivered a home run, this one driving in three, and the Giants converted a six-run outburst in the 5th into an 8-1 victory. Jeff Samardzija had his first start of the season after a DL stint and looked good. He allowed only two hits and mostly had good command. In the bottom of the 5th he loaded the bases with three walks but sandwiched enough outs in between to walk off with a clean slate. 21 batters, 80 pitches, 63 Game Score. Reyes Moronta had another strong outing with six up and six down. Pierce Johnson (8th) and Josh Osich (9th) finished up, a Mike Trout homer in the 8th was the only blemish. A big win against a hot club.
Derek Holland tomorrow. Go Giants!
--M.C.
The Giants called up the surging Mac Williamson and he did what they were hoping he would do: he hit a two-run homer to kick-start a moribund offense and the Giants walloped the Angels. Andrew Mac-Cutchen also delivered a home run, this one driving in three, and the Giants converted a six-run outburst in the 5th into an 8-1 victory. Jeff Samardzija had his first start of the season after a DL stint and looked good. He allowed only two hits and mostly had good command. In the bottom of the 5th he loaded the bases with three walks but sandwiched enough outs in between to walk off with a clean slate. 21 batters, 80 pitches, 63 Game Score. Reyes Moronta had another strong outing with six up and six down. Pierce Johnson (8th) and Josh Osich (9th) finished up, a Mike Trout homer in the 8th was the only blemish. A big win against a hot club.
Derek Holland tomorrow. Go Giants!
--M.C.
1st inning: 7-11
The story so far.
The Giants have scored 51 runs, or 2.83 per game, dead last in all of baseball. The Giants have allowed 68 runs, or 3.78 per game, tied for seventh (third in the NL). I think we can see the problem. It is not an encouraging start, but with 8/9 of the season left it is nowhere near time for despair. If the arms can hold on until the band gets back together I have to believe the lineup will start producing.
--M.C.
The Giants have scored 51 runs, or 2.83 per game, dead last in all of baseball. The Giants have allowed 68 runs, or 3.78 per game, tied for seventh (third in the NL). I think we can see the problem. It is not an encouraging start, but with 8/9 of the season left it is nowhere near time for despair. If the arms can hold on until the band gets back together I have to believe the lineup will start producing.
--M.C.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Blach - Blah - Bah!
For a team that puts more effort into their myriad of uniform color schemes than they do into their baseball, Arizona certainly has had their way with us so far.
That's a grand total of 2 wins for the Giants of 7 meetings between the teams so far this year. Ty Blach on the mound, he pitched well enough to win. Not well enough for the Giants to win, but for another team. He allowed 2 runs in 6 innings, threw 92 pitches, gave up 3 walks and 6 hits. That seems pretty typical of what we can expect from Ty - he can keep us close and generate a lot of ground balls by which to get outs. He struck out 4 tonight, he only has struck out 13 in 5 starts. Tonight's score in yet another losing effort was 3 - 1. Moronta gave up a run - his first on the year. Brandon Belt hit a solo home run.
This was the Giants' 18th game - 1 inning as it were. I'm sure Mark has some thoughts to post about that. Some brief thoughts of mine: This was the 10th time that the Giants have not been able to score more than 1 run. 10. Of only 18 games. Is this team even capable of playing .400 ball? I am finding it very difficult to watch Giants baseball.
That's a grand total of 2 wins for the Giants of 7 meetings between the teams so far this year. Ty Blach on the mound, he pitched well enough to win. Not well enough for the Giants to win, but for another team. He allowed 2 runs in 6 innings, threw 92 pitches, gave up 3 walks and 6 hits. That seems pretty typical of what we can expect from Ty - he can keep us close and generate a lot of ground balls by which to get outs. He struck out 4 tonight, he only has struck out 13 in 5 starts. Tonight's score in yet another losing effort was 3 - 1. Moronta gave up a run - his first on the year. Brandon Belt hit a solo home run.
This was the Giants' 18th game - 1 inning as it were. I'm sure Mark has some thoughts to post about that. Some brief thoughts of mine: This was the 10th time that the Giants have not been able to score more than 1 run. 10. Of only 18 games. Is this team even capable of playing .400 ball? I am finding it very difficult to watch Giants baseball.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
GIANTS WIN!
SF 4 AZ 3 (10)
I was OK with leaving Chris Stratton in to pitch the 8th, it was the bottom of the lineup after all, and it's not like the Giants bullpen was necessarily a better bet. It didn't work out--he gave up two booming hits and a run. And then it did--Tony Watson miraculously got out of the inning with a 2-1 lead. And then it didn't--Hunter Strickland blew the save in the 9th. And then it did--Brandon Belt launched a two-run blast in the 10th to make it 4-2 Giants. It was Belt's 100th career homer. Cory Gearrin tried to blow the save in the bottom of the inning, but held on for a 4-3 win. Evan Longoria was the other half of the Giants offense, he hit a two-run homer in the 6th.
I'm happy that Stratton has looked very strong in his last two outings: 14 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 W, 12 K. Tonight was only his fourteenth ML start--he's yet to top 100 IP for his career. We are just starting to see what the former 1st-rounder is capable of, at age 27 (28 in August) he seems to be putting his game together. That bodes well for this season and beyond, I think.
Ty Blach matches up with Zack Greinke tomorrow. Go Giants!
--M.C.
I was OK with leaving Chris Stratton in to pitch the 8th, it was the bottom of the lineup after all, and it's not like the Giants bullpen was necessarily a better bet. It didn't work out--he gave up two booming hits and a run. And then it did--Tony Watson miraculously got out of the inning with a 2-1 lead. And then it didn't--Hunter Strickland blew the save in the 9th. And then it did--Brandon Belt launched a two-run blast in the 10th to make it 4-2 Giants. It was Belt's 100th career homer. Cory Gearrin tried to blow the save in the bottom of the inning, but held on for a 4-3 win. Evan Longoria was the other half of the Giants offense, he hit a two-run homer in the 6th.
I'm happy that Stratton has looked very strong in his last two outings: 14 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 W, 12 K. Tonight was only his fourteenth ML start--he's yet to top 100 IP for his career. We are just starting to see what the former 1st-rounder is capable of, at age 27 (28 in August) he seems to be putting his game together. That bodes well for this season and beyond, I think.
Ty Blach matches up with Zack Greinke tomorrow. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
2:05
AZ 1 SF 0
The Giants got a hit on a check swing and didn't get one on a screaming liner. Brandon Belt took advantage of the shift and half-poked a single to the absent third baseman in the 8th for the Giants only hit against Patrick Corbin. Buster Posey roped one to center in the 7th that had hit written all over it and only a lunging, spectacular play by A.J. Pollock made it into an out. It was that kind of game. Johnny Cueto was brilliant, fanning eleven over seven innings, but it was all for naught as that's all the Giants could get off Corbin--naught. It was the Arizona lefty's first career shutout.
Tony Watson gave up a run in relief of Cueto. He's pitched well so far this season. It was a grounder up the middle by a lefty (David Peralta) with two outs. That's exactly the kind of hit that has eluded the Giants, not that they had any chance of a RISP tonight. At least it was a quick death.
--M.C.
The Giants got a hit on a check swing and didn't get one on a screaming liner. Brandon Belt took advantage of the shift and half-poked a single to the absent third baseman in the 8th for the Giants only hit against Patrick Corbin. Buster Posey roped one to center in the 7th that had hit written all over it and only a lunging, spectacular play by A.J. Pollock made it into an out. It was that kind of game. Johnny Cueto was brilliant, fanning eleven over seven innings, but it was all for naught as that's all the Giants could get off Corbin--naught. It was the Arizona lefty's first career shutout.
Tony Watson gave up a run in relief of Cueto. He's pitched well so far this season. It was a grounder up the middle by a lefty (David Peralta) with two outs. That's exactly the kind of hit that has eluded the Giants, not that they had any chance of a RISP tonight. At least it was a quick death.
--M.C.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Tyler Beede, RHP
Bobby Bonds got tagged as "the next Willie Mays" when he broke in with the Giants. Now Bonds was a terrific player, one we were privileged to watch, and he had a great career. But comparing a rookie, any rookie, to one of the very best players in the history of the game is a comically limiting view. Bonds was Bonds. Not Mays. And to appreciate him was to appreciate his Bonds-ness and not his Mays-like-ness.
Which brings me to Tyler Beede. Tyler Beede was a first-round draft pick (2014). Expectations are higher for fellows with that sort of pedigree. After four seasons and 70 starts in the minors we expect our number one guy to be ready. We've been spoiled by Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, and Madison Bumgarner. We think all number one picks are like that. We forget about David Aardsma, Craig Whitaker, and Tim Alderson. And Zack Wheeler, Kyle Crick, and Phil Bickford have all been traded. Fellow first-round pick (2012) Chris Stratton is almost three years older and finally (we think) finding his groove. And he'll get there by being the Chris Stratton-est Chris Stratton that he can be, not some ersatz version of Matty, Timmy, or MadBum.
So Tyler Beede needs to become Tyler Beede, whoever that is. And we need to watch and appreciate his Tyler Beede-ness. What that will turn out to be is anybody's guess. Today was a little disappointing but it's only one day. There will be, we hope, many more.
Johnny Cueto is pencilled in to start Tuesday in Arizona. Hallelujah!
--M.C.
p.s. boxscore for today's debacle
Which brings me to Tyler Beede. Tyler Beede was a first-round draft pick (2014). Expectations are higher for fellows with that sort of pedigree. After four seasons and 70 starts in the minors we expect our number one guy to be ready. We've been spoiled by Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, and Madison Bumgarner. We think all number one picks are like that. We forget about David Aardsma, Craig Whitaker, and Tim Alderson. And Zack Wheeler, Kyle Crick, and Phil Bickford have all been traded. Fellow first-round pick (2012) Chris Stratton is almost three years older and finally (we think) finding his groove. And he'll get there by being the Chris Stratton-est Chris Stratton that he can be, not some ersatz version of Matty, Timmy, or MadBum.
So Tyler Beede needs to become Tyler Beede, whoever that is. And we need to watch and appreciate his Tyler Beede-ness. What that will turn out to be is anybody's guess. Today was a little disappointing but it's only one day. There will be, we hope, many more.
Johnny Cueto is pencilled in to start Tuesday in Arizona. Hallelujah!
--M.C.
p.s. boxscore for today's debacle
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Collapse
SD 5 SF 4
Derek Holland started the 5th with a 4-2 lead on the strength of homers from Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen. He unfortunately could not get through the inning, allowing another run, and had to be relieved with two outs and the bases loaded. Reyes Moronta got the final out as well as the first two in the 6th but it took both Josh Osich and Cory Gearrin to get the third out. In the 7th Joe Panik tripled with one out and the Giants had a great chance to pad their tenuous one-run lead. McCutchen, up next, smoked a liner to right that was caught. Panik, tagging up, was thrown out at home on a relay. It was a disaster. Getting thrown out at home is always a disaster, but this was a particularly egregious disaster. Sure enough Gearrin gave up a single and a homer to the first two batters in the bottom of the 7th and it was 5-4 Padres just-like-that. Another discouraging loss--a collapse, really. I thought the team would put on a much better show in San Diego.
Rookie Tyler Beede gets the ball tomorrow afternoon. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Derek Holland started the 5th with a 4-2 lead on the strength of homers from Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen. He unfortunately could not get through the inning, allowing another run, and had to be relieved with two outs and the bases loaded. Reyes Moronta got the final out as well as the first two in the 6th but it took both Josh Osich and Cory Gearrin to get the third out. In the 7th Joe Panik tripled with one out and the Giants had a great chance to pad their tenuous one-run lead. McCutchen, up next, smoked a liner to right that was caught. Panik, tagging up, was thrown out at home on a relay. It was a disaster. Getting thrown out at home is always a disaster, but this was a particularly egregious disaster. Sure enough Gearrin gave up a single and a homer to the first two batters in the bottom of the 7th and it was 5-4 Padres just-like-that. Another discouraging loss--a collapse, really. I thought the team would put on a much better show in San Diego.
Rookie Tyler Beede gets the ball tomorrow afternoon. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Friday, April 13, 2018
Stumbling Along
Ty Blach on the mound for his 4th start in this season of 13 games thus far. Ty has been good, poor, good again, and less than good tonight.
Ty gave us 5 IP, he pitched in the 6th, but was done for and removed for Pierce Johnson. Through 4, Ty did not allow a man to reach base. In the 5th, a hit, a fielder's choice, and another single put men at first and second. A possible double play ball was erred upon by Brandon Belt, leaving bases loaded. Then came a single, a fielders choice at home to prevent a 2nd run, and another single to score a 2nd run before the inning ended. None of those balls were hit particularly hard, but after a fairly quick top of the 6th, that changed. Two doubles and a single put the Padres up 4 - 0 before the Giants transferred mound duties to Johnson who retired the next three batters.
The Giants scored (Panik rbi, Blanco scoring) in the 7th. To get that, Padre shortstop Freddy Galvis had to blow a double play ball from Sandoval to put Gregor on second. The Pads tacked on a solo shot off of Dyson to make the final a loss for the Giants 5 - 1.
So in 4 starts, Ty has given up 10 earned runs in 20.1 innings. He has given up 24 hits and walked 9. That suggests that the 10 earned runs (11 total) could have been worse. That masks 2 excellent games, though, both against Kershaw.
The Giants actually had 10 hits tonight, more than the Padres. Every one of those hits was by a left handed batter. Who the fuck is Tyson Ross? I had to look it up - he was an A, a Pad previously, and a Texas Ranger last year. But really, making mid-level pitchers look like Cy Young is getting old.
Here's the thing. The Giants have played 13 games. In 7 of those games, they have scored 1 or 0 runs. I would say that they are lucky to be 1 game under .500. We have faced some tough pitchers, but you know what? The NL West is full of tough pitchers and we are going to face them all season long. Figure out how to get some runs on the board. Now.
Ty gave us 5 IP, he pitched in the 6th, but was done for and removed for Pierce Johnson. Through 4, Ty did not allow a man to reach base. In the 5th, a hit, a fielder's choice, and another single put men at first and second. A possible double play ball was erred upon by Brandon Belt, leaving bases loaded. Then came a single, a fielders choice at home to prevent a 2nd run, and another single to score a 2nd run before the inning ended. None of those balls were hit particularly hard, but after a fairly quick top of the 6th, that changed. Two doubles and a single put the Padres up 4 - 0 before the Giants transferred mound duties to Johnson who retired the next three batters.
The Giants scored (Panik rbi, Blanco scoring) in the 7th. To get that, Padre shortstop Freddy Galvis had to blow a double play ball from Sandoval to put Gregor on second. The Pads tacked on a solo shot off of Dyson to make the final a loss for the Giants 5 - 1.
So in 4 starts, Ty has given up 10 earned runs in 20.1 innings. He has given up 24 hits and walked 9. That suggests that the 10 earned runs (11 total) could have been worse. That masks 2 excellent games, though, both against Kershaw.
The Giants actually had 10 hits tonight, more than the Padres. Every one of those hits was by a left handed batter. Who the fuck is Tyson Ross? I had to look it up - he was an A, a Pad previously, and a Texas Ranger last year. But really, making mid-level pitchers look like Cy Young is getting old.
Here's the thing. The Giants have played 13 games. In 7 of those games, they have scored 1 or 0 runs. I would say that they are lucky to be 1 game under .500. We have faced some tough pitchers, but you know what? The NL West is full of tough pitchers and we are going to face them all season long. Figure out how to get some runs on the board. Now.
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Back to .500
SF 7 SD 0
Giants bounce back from their 3-4 homestand with a big win in San Diego. Chris Stratton held the Padres to only one hit in his seven innings of work. Except for a 32-pitch, two-walk 5th he was in command the whole way. The lineup jumped on Padres starter Bryan Mitchell immediately, scoring three in the 1st, and then added four more off Colten Brewer in the 6th. When Mitchell was pulled in the 3rd Andy Green called on Clayton Richard to pinch-hit. His single was the one Padres hit!
That's the third team shutout. The first was Blach/Osich/Gearrin/Watson/Strickland. The second was Cueto/Watson/Strickland. This one was Stratton/Law. Derek Law was just recalled today as Andrew Suarez (who showed some moxie in his debut) was sent back down.
Ty Blach tomorrow. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Giants bounce back from their 3-4 homestand with a big win in San Diego. Chris Stratton held the Padres to only one hit in his seven innings of work. Except for a 32-pitch, two-walk 5th he was in command the whole way. The lineup jumped on Padres starter Bryan Mitchell immediately, scoring three in the 1st, and then added four more off Colten Brewer in the 6th. When Mitchell was pulled in the 3rd Andy Green called on Clayton Richard to pinch-hit. His single was the one Padres hit!
That's the third team shutout. The first was Blach/Osich/Gearrin/Watson/Strickland. The second was Cueto/Watson/Strickland. This one was Stratton/Law. Derek Law was just recalled today as Andrew Suarez (who showed some moxie in his debut) was sent back down.
Ty Blach tomorrow. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Snakebit Giants Still Prevail!
SF 5 AZ 4
The Giants didn't need more bad news but they got some anyway--starter Johnny Cueto hits the DL with an ankle injury. Rookie Tyler Beede made his ML debut a night earlier than he expected to and had a rough time of it. He gave up two quick runs in the 1st and labored (20 batters, 82 pitches, 5 walks) through four. Reyes Moronta added two scoreless. Down 2-0 in the 6th the Giants rallied against Patrick Corbin who had been overpowering to that point. Up 3-2 a two-out hit by Brandon Crawford sent Andrew McCutchen home with what looked like run number four. The safe call, alas, was overturned by replay and some of the happy buzz from the rally was killed a bit. The Diamondbacks tied it up immediately against Josh Osich but fine relief work from Cory Gearrin and Tony Watson kept it knotted 3-3 into the 8th. In the bottom half, a walk to McCutchen and a single by Buster Posey put men on first and second for Evan Longoria with one out. He struck out, but with the runners going, Alex Avila chucked it into centerfield and Cutch came around to score to make it 4-3. The old double-steal/catcher-error play! Hunter Strickland got the first two outs in the 9th but gave up a bomb to--who else?--Paul Goldschmidt and the game was tied, again.
That crushing blow merely served to set up the winning rally in the bottom of the 9th. A walk to Kelby Tomlinson, a sacrifice bunt by Gorkys Hernandez, a walk to Austin Jackson, and a walk to Brandon Belt loaded the bases for Cutch. He delivered the game-winner on the first pitch and the Giants had a dramatic, hard-fought, much-needed victory.
On the radio Flemm said at the end of the game "in the NL West this year there will be a lot of games like this." I think he's right. This Giants team has a chance to be really good. They are holding their own with three starters and two relievers on the shelf and a team OPS in the bottom third. If they can get the offense warmed up a bit imagine what they could do. The pitching has been very tough overall considering the injuries, and the fielding looks very good. Rookie Andrew Suarez will most likely make his ML debut tomorrow. We wanted the team to get younger, didn't we?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
The Giants didn't need more bad news but they got some anyway--starter Johnny Cueto hits the DL with an ankle injury. Rookie Tyler Beede made his ML debut a night earlier than he expected to and had a rough time of it. He gave up two quick runs in the 1st and labored (20 batters, 82 pitches, 5 walks) through four. Reyes Moronta added two scoreless. Down 2-0 in the 6th the Giants rallied against Patrick Corbin who had been overpowering to that point. Up 3-2 a two-out hit by Brandon Crawford sent Andrew McCutchen home with what looked like run number four. The safe call, alas, was overturned by replay and some of the happy buzz from the rally was killed a bit. The Diamondbacks tied it up immediately against Josh Osich but fine relief work from Cory Gearrin and Tony Watson kept it knotted 3-3 into the 8th. In the bottom half, a walk to McCutchen and a single by Buster Posey put men on first and second for Evan Longoria with one out. He struck out, but with the runners going, Alex Avila chucked it into centerfield and Cutch came around to score to make it 4-3. The old double-steal/catcher-error play! Hunter Strickland got the first two outs in the 9th but gave up a bomb to--who else?--Paul Goldschmidt and the game was tied, again.
That crushing blow merely served to set up the winning rally in the bottom of the 9th. A walk to Kelby Tomlinson, a sacrifice bunt by Gorkys Hernandez, a walk to Austin Jackson, and a walk to Brandon Belt loaded the bases for Cutch. He delivered the game-winner on the first pitch and the Giants had a dramatic, hard-fought, much-needed victory.
On the radio Flemm said at the end of the game "in the NL West this year there will be a lot of games like this." I think he's right. This Giants team has a chance to be really good. They are holding their own with three starters and two relievers on the shelf and a team OPS in the bottom third. If they can get the offense warmed up a bit imagine what they could do. The pitching has been very tough overall considering the injuries, and the fielding looks very good. Rookie Andrew Suarez will most likely make his ML debut tomorrow. We wanted the team to get younger, didn't we?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Monday, April 9, 2018
Out-pitched
AZ 2 SF 1
Derek Holland gave up two hits in his start tonight: it was two hits too many. A single, a triple, and a sacrifice fly in the 1st staked the Diamondbacks to a 2-0 lead and that was enough. Holland whiffed eight in his six innings against only one walk. Arizona starter Zack Godley whiffed nine in his seven and walked none while scattering four hits (two by Buster Posey). Godley was god-like as far as Giants hitters were concerned as he generated 16 called strikes and 20 swinging strikes (mostly via the curveball) and ten groundball outs. Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria were particularly over-matched. The Giants managed a run against reliever Yoshihisa Hirano in the 8th but were closed out in the 9th by Archie Bradley. Roberto Gomez (2) and Sam Dyson (1) put up a clean sheet for the last three innings. Eight scoreless frames from both clubs tonight with only ten hits allowed (five from each team) and 23 strikeouts.
Arizona is the hot team so far in the NL West winning eight of their first ten. The Giants can be happy about a strong start from FNG Holland but they really ought to think about scoring some runs as their total of 25 over nine games puts them at the bottom of the heap. It was a tough matchup tonight but it will be another tough matchup tomorrow with Patrick Corbin who has 20 K in 13 IP and has allowed only two runs in his two starts. The Giants counter with Johnny Cueto who has allowed only one run in his two starts (also 13 IP).
They still have not named a starter for Wednesday.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Derek Holland gave up two hits in his start tonight: it was two hits too many. A single, a triple, and a sacrifice fly in the 1st staked the Diamondbacks to a 2-0 lead and that was enough. Holland whiffed eight in his six innings against only one walk. Arizona starter Zack Godley whiffed nine in his seven and walked none while scattering four hits (two by Buster Posey). Godley was god-like as far as Giants hitters were concerned as he generated 16 called strikes and 20 swinging strikes (mostly via the curveball) and ten groundball outs. Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria were particularly over-matched. The Giants managed a run against reliever Yoshihisa Hirano in the 8th but were closed out in the 9th by Archie Bradley. Roberto Gomez (2) and Sam Dyson (1) put up a clean sheet for the last three innings. Eight scoreless frames from both clubs tonight with only ten hits allowed (five from each team) and 23 strikeouts.
Arizona is the hot team so far in the NL West winning eight of their first ten. The Giants can be happy about a strong start from FNG Holland but they really ought to think about scoring some runs as their total of 25 over nine games puts them at the bottom of the heap. It was a tough matchup tonight but it will be another tough matchup tomorrow with Patrick Corbin who has 20 K in 13 IP and has allowed only two runs in his two starts. The Giants counter with Johnny Cueto who has allowed only one run in his two starts (also 13 IP).
They still have not named a starter for Wednesday.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Blach Holds His Own
Ty Blach and Clayton Kershaw have faced each other twice in a season that has consisted of 8 games. That's a lot to ask of a youngster - Ty might still be a rookie if not for his time filling in for Madison Bumgarner last year. In 2 games, here is how things stack up:
Ty Blach: 11 IP (6 today), 7 hits, 1 run, 6 BB, 1 - 0.
C. Kershaw: 13 IP (7 today), 14 hits, 2 runs, 2 BB, 0 - 1. Kershaw has a bunch more strikeouts.
That's pretty good pitching from Ty considering his opponent. The Giants are 3 - 3 against LA, with one game postponed, scheduled to be played as a Saturday doubleheader the next time they meet at the end of April. The Giants had a good shot to take this, especially once Kershaw was replaced by a relief pitcher in the 8th. But failure to get a bunt down, and no extra inning magic (for the Giants) meant a 2 - 1 loss and a split with LA.
The doggers picked up a run in the 4th, and an 8th inning Hunter Pence single followed by a perfect Kelby Tomlinson bunt for a hit put runners on 1st and 2nd. Buster Posey pinch hit for 8th inning pitcher Josh Osich, Kershaw was lifted for JT Chargois, and Posey singled to right for the Giants lone rbi. Austin Jackson, unable to put a bunt down, hit into a double play and Joe Panik flied out. Hunter Strickland held down the 9th, but LA scored in the 10th and the Giants were unable to come back against Kenley Jansen.
So the Giants are 4 - 4. Not setting the world on fire, but holding their own, and playing some pretty good, tough, emotional baseball. LA has their ace and closer. We do not. Giants take on the dbacks tomorrow. They are 7 - 2.
Ty Blach: 11 IP (6 today), 7 hits, 1 run, 6 BB, 1 - 0.
C. Kershaw: 13 IP (7 today), 14 hits, 2 runs, 2 BB, 0 - 1. Kershaw has a bunch more strikeouts.
That's pretty good pitching from Ty considering his opponent. The Giants are 3 - 3 against LA, with one game postponed, scheduled to be played as a Saturday doubleheader the next time they meet at the end of April. The Giants had a good shot to take this, especially once Kershaw was replaced by a relief pitcher in the 8th. But failure to get a bunt down, and no extra inning magic (for the Giants) meant a 2 - 1 loss and a split with LA.
The doggers picked up a run in the 4th, and an 8th inning Hunter Pence single followed by a perfect Kelby Tomlinson bunt for a hit put runners on 1st and 2nd. Buster Posey pinch hit for 8th inning pitcher Josh Osich, Kershaw was lifted for JT Chargois, and Posey singled to right for the Giants lone rbi. Austin Jackson, unable to put a bunt down, hit into a double play and Joe Panik flied out. Hunter Strickland held down the 9th, but LA scored in the 10th and the Giants were unable to come back against Kenley Jansen.
So the Giants are 4 - 4. Not setting the world on fire, but holding their own, and playing some pretty good, tough, emotional baseball. LA has their ace and closer. We do not. Giants take on the dbacks tomorrow. They are 7 - 2.
Saturday, April 7, 2018
FNG Supreme
SF 7 LA 5 (14)
Andrew "Clutch" McCutchen clobbered a three-run homer, a walk-off winner, to cap a 6-hit game that led the Giants to an epic extra-inning win. It all seemed lost in the top of the 14th when the Dodgers scored against Roberto Gomez, the Giants ninth pitcher. He gave up three hits to the first three batters but then retired the side with only the one scoring. The second out was a whiff of Clayton Kershaw, pinch-hitting as the Dodgers had run out of players. It was that kind of game. The Giants had a lot of chances, particularly in the 12th against Kenley Jansen, but obligingly struck out (18 K by LA) whenever they needed a big hit. Overall the Giants bullpen delivered an amazing performance despite blowing the lead after picking up for a flagging Chris Stratton in the 6th. In the end it was a battle of wills as both rosters were running on empty.
Kelby Tomlinson led off the winning sequence with a single, Joe Panik followed with his third hit, and Clutch got his chance to be a hero. It was a magnificent 12-pitch battle that ended with the big bomb and a happy home crowd. A memorable performance by our new right fielder!
Friday's rainout will be made up as part of a double-header on April 28th. Tomorrow Ty Blach matches up with Clayton Kershaw at 1:05.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Buster Posey hit a two-run homer in the 4th, his first of the season.
Andrew "Clutch" McCutchen clobbered a three-run homer, a walk-off winner, to cap a 6-hit game that led the Giants to an epic extra-inning win. It all seemed lost in the top of the 14th when the Dodgers scored against Roberto Gomez, the Giants ninth pitcher. He gave up three hits to the first three batters but then retired the side with only the one scoring. The second out was a whiff of Clayton Kershaw, pinch-hitting as the Dodgers had run out of players. It was that kind of game. The Giants had a lot of chances, particularly in the 12th against Kenley Jansen, but obligingly struck out (18 K by LA) whenever they needed a big hit. Overall the Giants bullpen delivered an amazing performance despite blowing the lead after picking up for a flagging Chris Stratton in the 6th. In the end it was a battle of wills as both rosters were running on empty.
Kelby Tomlinson led off the winning sequence with a single, Joe Panik followed with his third hit, and Clutch got his chance to be a hero. It was a magnificent 12-pitch battle that ended with the big bomb and a happy home crowd. A memorable performance by our new right fielder!
Friday's rainout will be made up as part of a double-header on April 28th. Tomorrow Ty Blach matches up with Clayton Kershaw at 1:05.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Buster Posey hit a two-run homer in the 4th, his first of the season.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
¡Adiós, pelota!
SF 10 SEA 1
Johnny Cueto wasn't overpowering like he was in LA but he was effective in his first home start (6 IP, 8 H, 1 R) and the Giants pounded the Mariners with a four-homer barrage. Felix Hernandez is no longer The King and the lineup took advantage of his early wildness, scoring three in the 1st on two walks, two singles, and a sacrifice fly. Gorkys Hernandez greeted his countryman with a homer in the 2nd and the rout was on. Gorkys started due to a late scratch of Hunter Pence and made the most of it with three hits. A Brandon Belt homer in the 5th was followed by two walks and a 3-run splash hit from Pablo Sandoval. That did it for Hernandez, and then Brandon Crawford blasted the team's fourth bomb off reliever James Pazos. Giants got another run off Wade LeBlanc in the 7th to make it double digits. Good work in the field too, no errors or sloppy play. A cathartic outburst and a satisfying win to snap the three-game skid, wouldn't you say?
Off-day tomorrow and the Dodgers (who were swept in Arizona) come to town to face Derek Holland on Friday at 7:15 p.m. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Johnny Cueto wasn't overpowering like he was in LA but he was effective in his first home start (6 IP, 8 H, 1 R) and the Giants pounded the Mariners with a four-homer barrage. Felix Hernandez is no longer The King and the lineup took advantage of his early wildness, scoring three in the 1st on two walks, two singles, and a sacrifice fly. Gorkys Hernandez greeted his countryman with a homer in the 2nd and the rout was on. Gorkys started due to a late scratch of Hunter Pence and made the most of it with three hits. A Brandon Belt homer in the 5th was followed by two walks and a 3-run splash hit from Pablo Sandoval. That did it for Hernandez, and then Brandon Crawford blasted the team's fourth bomb off reliever James Pazos. Giants got another run off Wade LeBlanc in the 7th to make it double digits. Good work in the field too, no errors or sloppy play. A cathartic outburst and a satisfying win to snap the three-game skid, wouldn't you say?
Off-day tomorrow and the Dodgers (who were swept in Arizona) come to town to face Derek Holland on Friday at 7:15 p.m. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Ty Blach's ERA is Blooming Like the Cherry Blossoms in San Francisco
Beautiful, aren't they? Not so much the Giants home opener. The Seattle Mariners scored 4 runs before Ty Blach and the Giants managed so much as an out. The M's loaded the bases on an infield single, a bunt single and a walk, then BANG! Single, Single, Single and there were 4 runs on the board before Kyle Seager was tagged out on the basepath. Realistically, there was some bad luck in there, no really scalded balls, and in an alternate universe, some of the called balls could have probably been strikes. But we're not in an alternate universe, we're in this one where the memory of 2017 is all too real.
The Giants scored 1 in the 4th. It was another solo shot from Joe Panik. It kind of made me want to send the Giants a note to remind them that there needs to be more offense than solo shots from Joe Panik. So with the Giants behind 4 - 1, Ty Blach only made it 1 out into the 5th inning, where he put 2 more runners on base. Reyes Moronta let those runners score but finished out the 5th, 6 - 1 Seattle. Anyone would have been excused for leaving early, really, in the first inning. But for those who stuck around, an actual ball game showed up. Evan Longoria hit a home run over the cars in the 7th with Buster Posey on base to make the score 6 - 3, that chased Seattle starter Marco Gonzales from the game. The Giants had their best chance in the 8th against former Rockie and dogger (among others) Juan Nicasio. Gregor Blanco doubled, Kelby Thomlinson singled on a play close enough to require a replay review, and Blanco scored on an Austin Jackson sac fly. That was it for the 8th inning though, and Seattle brought out their closer, Edwin Diaz. He is supposedly the hardest thrower in the major leagues, although not always accurately. Nevertheless, the final score was Seattle 6, San Francisco 4.
One other note. I am already tired of hearing about exit velocity and launch angle. I like the Giants announcers, but both of those terms are entirely meaningless in the context of a radio or tv broadcast.
Monday, April 2, 2018
Split
LA 9 SF 0
It's an Easter miracle that the Giants come home from LA with a split. Two shutout wins, two shutout losses. Normally I'd be OK with that but last night's game was ugly and embarrassing. The Giants couldn't hit and then let it get away from them late and wound up getting whipped. In the end, a loss is a loss and it matters not how bad it was. They all count the same. But it would be nice to see the team put up some fight. Tomorrow they open an 8-game homestand (with an off-day Thursday) that includes three more against the Dodgers. So, I'd say this is a good time for the team to put some wins together.
Ty Blach gets the call Tuesday. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
It's an Easter miracle that the Giants come home from LA with a split. Two shutout wins, two shutout losses. Normally I'd be OK with that but last night's game was ugly and embarrassing. The Giants couldn't hit and then let it get away from them late and wound up getting whipped. In the end, a loss is a loss and it matters not how bad it was. They all count the same. But it would be nice to see the team put up some fight. Tomorrow they open an 8-game homestand (with an off-day Thursday) that includes three more against the Dodgers. So, I'd say this is a good time for the team to put some wins together.
Ty Blach gets the call Tuesday. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
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