TB 3 SF 0
The Giants got five singles and two walks this afternoon, and also hit into a double play and struck out twelve times. Predictably, they were shut out by the Rays. Drew Pomeranz struggled through four innings (21 batters, 6 H, 4 BB, 1 HR, 94 pitches) and left with the team trailing 2-0. The bullpen allowed another run on a bizarre balk by Nick Vincent, who threw the ball to a surprised Evan Longoria in a pickoff attempt at third base. The problem was that Longoria was not on the base! Trevor Gott and Mark Melancon combined with Vincent for the final five innings. Anyway, the Giants got zilch today.
MadBum goes tomorrow night against the Padres. The new home start time is 6:45 Pacific.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
9 comments:
The lead off home run, on umpire review, was all that was needed to win the game. A key leading to the Rays second run, was an excellent pitch by Pomeranz that instead of being a K, ended up being a walk leading to a run scored. We all know about the balk. It seems to me either the giants are having more problems turning the DP this year, or everyone who seems to be grounding into a DP has super speed. So many Rays took have swings, almost all being called no swing. Then Pablo does not even take a half swing and it is called a swing and a K. Yes the human factor is part of the game, but so far this year it seems as if the giants who have not proven that they can hit, have suffered the brunt of more than their share of calls going against them. I suppose there is nothing that can be done about that, and the hope is that the calls even out over the course of the year.
The Connor Joe experiment is over. He is DFA'd.
Fellow All-Name Team All-Star A-level OF Malique Ziegler is traded to Minnesota for TYLER AUSTIN, OF-1B, 27 years old, 122 G MLB experience.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/austity01.shtml
Tyler Austin was born in 1991. Of course, you knew that from his name.
His real first name is Christopher. We get another "all first names" kind of guy, he could be Austin Tyler or Tyler Austin, just like Joe Connor and Connor Joe. Even Reed Michael works for Michael Reed!
From MLBTR, this gives a little on how these transactions emerge:
Austin, 27, will add a powerful but strikeout-prone bat to the Giants’ outfield mix while providing some insurance should Brandon Belt incur an injury. The former Yankees prospect was at one point looked at as a potential pairing with Greg Bird in the Bronx, but the Yankees flipped him to the Twins last July in the trade that sent Lance Lynn to New York. The Twins, cognizant of the potential retirement of Joe Mauer, viewed Austin as a possible option at first base until they managed to land C.J. Cron on waivers when the Rays dumped his salary. Both Cron and Austin are right-handed hitters, and Minnesota’s signing of Nelson Cruz to man the DH spot in the lineup made Austin, who is out of minor league options, somewhat redundant.
This "fringes of the 40-man roster" approach to talent-building is full of risk and uncertainty as witnessed by the rapid turnover. But when all you have is fringe pieces to deal, all you can work with is more (but one hopes, better) of such pieces. I'm guessing FZ has a big list ranking everyone, and when a piece ranking higher on the list than what he has becomes available he goes after it. There's plenty more roster-ing to come! Let's hope Tyler Austin can be a step up from the previous guys.
Yesterday, the first Giants' Game that I have had the chance to watch in near entirety, was one of the most tedious, boring, lame, &, w/ the creative way that they allowed Run #3, embarrassing episodes in Giants' baseball history. This is a Team that has really lost its way.
Sometimes, it seems that a lack of talent is the primary issue. But, there are other cosmic forces at work here, too. For example, they scheduled a Buster Posey [creepily weird] Hat Giveaway Day on a day when it might have been predictable that Buster Posey would be given a day off. Then, having the Game end w/ Buster Posey waving around a bat for a potential pinch-hitting appearance.
What little faith I had to at least be entertained by this Team is dwindling rapidly. Not a good sign for just a week-&-a-half into the Season.
Oh, the team will be PLENTY entertaining--maybe not the baseball, but everything else!
Tweet from Baggs has some insights from PoBO FZ re Connor Joe.
I admit to using the term "experiment" to describe the situation!
I liked Malique Ziegler. I hope Austin pans out.
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