3rd inning: 12-6

1st inning: 11-7

2nd inning: 11-7

3rd inning: 12-6

We've reached the one-third mark of the season. The Giants have played 54 games and have a record of 34-20 (.630). They are in first place in the NL West, 1/2 game ahead of the Padres. There are 108 games (six innings) left to play.

Today is also the last day in May and so we've completed the first two months of the season. The Giants were 16-10 in April (.615) and 18-10 in May (.643). These results obviously far exceed the expectations for this team. Way to go, Giants!

In this afternoon's 6-1 victory against the LA Angels Johnny Cueto struggled early with his command and gave up a run in the 2nd. After that he figured things out and racked up five scoreless frames. His final line was five hits allowed in seven innings with no walks and five strikeouts (97 pitches to 27 batters). The Giants have relied on terrific starting pitching to power their fast start. Johnny's long outing meant the bullpen only had to get the last six outs! Nick Tropeano was given the task and got it done without much fuss. That's something we need to see more of.

The Giants have also relied on patience and power hitting--today's lineup smacked three homers and two doubles to go along with six walks (and two singles). LaMonte Wade, Jr. played first base again, he hit one of the homers, and is slashing .350./458/.550. Steven Duggar continues to rake, he had two hits today and he is slashing .308/.357/.554. I think they call that "serving notice."

Alex Wood gets the start tomorrow night at 6:45 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Three in a row

SF 5  LA 4

Kevin Gausman was brilliant again and shut down the Dodgers for six innings, yielding only two hits. The bullpen made a mess of things, giving up not one but two two-run homers in the last two frames, but it wasn't quite enough to spoil the party. And it was quite the party early against ultra-nemesis Clayton Kershaw. I often say that Kershaw is "the greatest pitcher in San Francisco Giants history" and if you look at his career stats against our beloved ballclub you might agree. Warning: not safe for children. Today was his 50th career start and the Giants jumped on him for five runs in the first four innings. The big blow was a two-out, two-run homer in the 1st from Mauricio Dubon. That's right, Mauricio Dubon. It was his second career blast against the super southpaw, his first was this game in 2019. He now has one more than Kelby Tomlinson! Austin Slater hit an opposite-field homer in the 3rd, his third career shot which ties him with Buster Posey. The other slugger against Kershaw? MadBum, with two.

Gausman threw only 72 pitches, 62 of them for strikes. He was absolutely dominant and he also drove in a run in the 4th with a two-out hit. He tweaked his hip making a play on a ground ball and that ended his day. Let's hope the injury is minor. The Giants had a chance to blow the game open, loading the bases with no outs against Joe Kelly in the 7th but failed to score. It was one of those moments you knew would come back to bite them, and it almost did. The best you can say about the Giants bullpen is "work in progress." This afternoon both Zack Littell and Jake McGee were victimized by Dodgers sluggers when they left fat pitches out in the middle of the zone. The relievers really need to execute better.

Here's the bottom line: THE GIANTS BEAT THE DODGERS THREE STRAIGHT IN LA!!!

That's awesome.

The Giants come home and play a two-game series against the Angels followed by a day off. Then the Cubs come to town for four. Tomorrow--Memorial Day--Johnny Cueto gets the ball at 1:05 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Up to eleven

SF 11  LA 6

The Giants put a hurt on Dodgers starter Julio Urias, rapping out eleven hits and scoring seven runs in his five innings of work. They rapped out five more hits and scored four more runs off the LA bullpen to take a commanding 11-4 lead into the 8th. Jose Alvarez, back for his second inning of relief, suddenly could not throw a decent pitch and he gave up a two-run homer to Albert Pujols. Matt Wisler had to come in for the last two outs and he returned for the 9th to protect the five-run lead. It took 21 pitches but he got it done. We've seen enough late-inning meltdowns this season, don't you think? How big of a lead is enough? I can't say for sure, this season has me really spooked in the late innings. Thank goodness today's version of the lineup was "up to eleven!"

Logan Webb pitched well in his return from the IL. He had a rocky 1st and gave up a run and then two errors by Donovan Solano in the 2nd led to another. But after that he got his slider working and retired nine straight, putting up clean sheets in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th. He threw some nasty pitches and finished with seven whiffs and no walks. Gabe Kapler pulled him after only 62 pitches, but I think they are playing the long game with Webb. He's young and just off the IL, as I said, and the team had a big lead, so I can see the reasoning. It was going to be the third time through the order and with the lefties (Muncy and Bellinger) coming up they decided to go with Scott Kazmir. It wasn't pretty--he gave up a leadoff bomb to Muncy and gave up another run on a walk and two hits. Some might think Kap was getting too cute there, but with injuries up all over baseball it is probably the smart move to be a little over-cautious. Webb, at times, looks like he can be a really tough pitcher, even a star, and I think the Giants have high hopes for his development.

In the end the Giants bashed enough baseballs and plated enough runs to win the game. Evan Longoria and Donovan Solano both homered with a man on, Wilmer Flores had three hits, Mauricio Dubon had three RBI, and both Mike Yastrzemski and Brandon Crawford had two hits. Plenty of highlights and accolades to go around. The Giants had not scored in double digits in LA since 2013!

When this four-game set started I was hoping for a split. I'd turned the page on the ugly sweep in San Francisco and decided that the Giants just needed to show they could hold their own against the Dodgers. They've now had back-to-back wins, scoring 19 runs in the process. I think they've shown that. They given themselves a shot at winning three of four and taking the series. Way to go, Giants!

Kevin Gausman tomorrow afternoon at 1:10 Pacific.

BEAT LA!

--M.C.

Extra effort in extras

SF 8  LA 5  (10)

The Giants prevailed--miraculously--in an epic, see-saw contest in Los Angeles to get their first win against the Dodgers. Buster Posey got the biggest hit of the season, a three-run homer in the 8th to break open a nail-biting 2-2 tie. So we thought. Tyler Rogers got burned by too many squibbers and managed to give up a two-out, three-run homer to pinch-hitting Austin Barnes to blow the save. He nearly blew the game when Albert Pujols jacked one to left that would have gone out except for a spectacular catch by Mike Tauchman. In the 10th LaMonte Wade, Jr. smoked a single to score the magic runner. Mike Yastrzemski walked and with two outs Evan Longoria drove both runners home with a double. Jarlin Garcia got the final three outs to seal the win.

The urgency of beating the Dodgers made this game particularly nerve-wracking. When Buster got the big blast (his 150th, by the way) it seemed like the Giants had finally broken through the blue wall that's been vexing them this season. Alas, it wasn't going to be that easy. The Giants had to have another three-run lead in order to finish it off! When Pujols hit his big fly after the back-breaking, game-tying homer, I was sure it was over. But Tauchman "had it all the way" and timed his leap perfectly, reaching over the fence and plucking the ball back. He collapsed on the track but held on to keep the Giants alive.

It was a thoroughly excruciating contest. It's hard to stomach those bullpen collapses, but to be fair to Rogers he's pitched exceptionally well overall. One of the grounders should have been handled by Mauricio Dubon but he flubbed it, that play ought to have been the second out. Rogers isn't really a strikeout pitcher so the fielders have to make the plays. Nonetheless the Giants survived and pulled out a great victory.

Tomorrow it's a Fox Saturday game, 4:10 Pacific. Logan Webb gets the start.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Giants strike out

LA 4  SF 3

The Giants fell behind 2-0 in the 3rd on a homer by Justin Turner. Evan Longoria cut that in half in the 4th with a solo shot, but the Dodgers countered in the 5th with a solo shot from rookie DJ Peters. In the 6th, Mike Yastrzemski dragged a bunt for a base hit and Donovan Solano tied the game with a homer. Those were only the second and third hits for the team and they would not get another. In the bottom of the 6th Max Muncy launched an 0-2 pitch from Alex Wood into the seats and that was the game. Wood struck out eight without issuing a walk, but of his six hits allowed three were home runs. Zack Littell and Jarlin Garcia took the last two innings. The Dodgers used seven pitchers in a bullpen game and once again they stifled the Giants attack. The lineup struck out 13 times--five in the first 2-2/3 IP against David Price, and four in the last two innings against Blake Treinen and Kenley Jansen. That's four straight losses against LA and the team continues to look over-matched. Let's hope they figure it out soon.

Anthony DeSclafani and Walker Buehler tomorrow night at 7:10 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Comeback!

SF 5  AZ 4

Tyler Rogers gives up a lot of weak contact. That was nearly his un-doing. In to protect the one-run lead in the 9th, the submariner gave up a feeble infield hit to Pavin Smith, who to his credit hit five foul balls in a ten-pitch at-bat. Nick Ahmed then singled before Stephen Vogt popped out. Another single from Josh Rojas loaded the bases. Rogers then got burned on a bad call--a feeble grounder in front of the plate by Ketel Marte was seized by Buster Posey. He got the force at the plate and was about to throw to first to complete the DP but it was called a foul ball. Rogers shook it off and channeled his inner beast and got the strikeout. He then got another weak grounder, this one from Eduardo Escobar that had just enough legs so Brandon Crawford could throw him out and that was the game. It was torture, but it was a win.

The Giants fell behind early but mounted a huge comeback to take a 5-4 lead to the 9th. Johnny Cueto went five innings, giving up four runs, he was followed by an inning apiece from Caleb Baragar, Nick Tropeano, and Jake McGee before Rogers' dramatic finish. The hitting hero was Jason Vosler who was called up because Brandon Belt went on the IL. Darin Ruf started and got hurt running the bases so Vosler had to pinch-run and grab his first baseman's mitt. He hit the game-winning homer in the 8th! Austin Slater had the other big blast in that frame, a two-run pinch-hit bomb to tie the game. Steven Duggar had a great at-bat in the 6th to get a rally going that scored the first two runs.

The Giants really needed to win these two games in Arizona. They go to Los Angeles next for a re-match with the Dodgers, a four-game set starting tomorrow night.

Alex Wood gets the start at 7:10 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Stomp the Snakes

SF 8  AZ 0

The best tonic for a losing streak is a winning streak. Does one win count as a streak? I say it does. The Giants put a hurt on the Diamondbacks tonight in Phoenix, snapping their three-game losing streak and compounding Arizona's misery. Those guys have lost nine straight and have the second-worst record in baseball. The D-backs are down, and the Giants need to keep kicking them. Beating up on the bad teams is a good formula for success.

Brandon Crawford hit a two-out bases-clearing double in the 1st, Evan Longoria added a three-run homer in the 3rd, he added another RBI on a double in the 7th, and Curt Casali had a pinch-hit RBI single in the 9th. That took care of the scoring. Kevin Gausman was a little wild early and racked up a big pitch count but still threw five scoreless with nine strikeouts. Jarlin Garcia struck out four in two innings of relief, and Jose Alvarez and Sam Selman finished up.

Johnny Cueto tomorrow evening at 6:40 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Swept

LA 11  SF 5

You know it's bad when the opposing pitcher gets a hit and drives in a run. What's worse is when he does it again. Dodgers starter Julio Urias had a double in the 2nd that drove in two and a single in the 3rd that drove in another. It was that kind of day. Anthony DeSclafani gave up ten runs in his 2-2/3 innings, that's probably his worst game ever, but I didn't bother to research it. The Dodgers had an answer for everything this weekend and gave the Giants their first series sweep of the season and their first three-game losing streak. It's as if Dave Roberts and his players sat down before the three-game set and said "let's give these pretenders a smack upside the head and remind them who the best team is." Even with a shorthanded lineup (no Betts/Seager/Bellinger) and without using Kershaw LA dominated. It's no wonder lots of people picked them to win 110+ games!

On the bright side, this is the first time this season the Giants have looked over-matched. And, as I mentioned, the first time this team has lost three in a row. We've seen them bounce back from some hideous losses already--a season's worth for some teams--and I expect they'll bounce back from this debacle. At least they know better what they are up against and what adjustments they'll have to make to compete.

Tomorrow is an off-day and then they go to Phoenix for two before a four-game set in, you guessed it, Los Angeles.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

That was no fun

LA 6  SF 3

Walker Buehler becomes the first pitcher this season to complete seven innings against the Giants. He was overpowering for the first six, not to mention getting every borderline call, especially low in the zone. Memo to umps: pitchers don't need the extra help! Brandon Crawford led off the 7th with a booming double that missed being a homer by a foot. He scored later on an opposite field single by Alex Dickerson. That was all the Giants could muster off Buehler. Buster Posey launched a two-run homer in the 8th off reliever Alex Vesia for the other two runs.

Emergency starter Scott Kazmir gave up a homer to Max Muncy in the 1st but pitched three scoreless innings after that. For a guy who hasn't been in the majors for five years he did OK. He could be a valuable piece going forward. Reliever Jarlin Garcia gave up a run in the 5th, Nick Tropeano gave up two runs in his two innings, and Jose Alavarez did the same. At least they got some work in and maybe they will find their groove soon. Both Mike Yastrzemski and Steven Duggar made misplays in the outfield that led to runs. It was not a good day for the home team.

Anthony DeSclafani gets the start tomorrow at 1:05 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Bats cool off at home

LA 2  SF 1

Trevor Bauer is one of the hardest pitchers in baseball to get a hit against and the Giants found that out tonight, managing a total of two. They made Bauer work hard and forced him to throw 126 pitches in his 6-1/3 innings but could only get the one run. Two walks in the 7th and an a throwing error from Bauer himself let the run in and got him out of the game, but that was it. Alex Wood pitched well despite giving up eight hits in his six frames. A two-run homer from Chris Taylor in the 3rd was his undoing. Wood struck out seven and walked two. Zack Littell, Caleb Baragar, and Jarlin Garcia finished up. Bauer had 11 strikeouts and four walks, with Nate Jones and Blake Treinen getting the final eight outs on 25 pitches. Interesting note: no starter has completed seven innings against the Giants this year.

As I suspected, the Giants sent Camilo Doval down to make room for a call-up. They chose Nick Tropeano who I thought would make the team after Spring Training. He has ML experience as a starter.

Tomorrow's game is on Fox at 4:15 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Ka-pow!

SF 19  CIN 4

The Giants overwhelmed the Reds today to sweep the four-game set and head home with a five-game win streak. That's a 6-2 trip and it bumps their road record to 14-12. Johnny Cueto, in his first start off the IL, lasted only three innings, yielding eight hits and five runs. In his next start he lasted 4-1/3 IP, again allowing eight hits but only two runs. Today he managed five innings, allowing five hits and only one run. I like that sort of improvement. Let's hope he's back to full strength in his next go-round.

The lineup produced their biggest run total so far, it's also the most runs by any team this season. They looked great in the first inning, wearing down Reds starter Tyler Mahle with patient, disciplined at-bats, grinding out a run with two outs and forcing him to throw 28 pitches. When the top of the lineup got a second look in the 3rd inning they went on a rampage and pounded out nine runs. The highlights were a grand slam from Steven Duggar and two-run homer from Darin Ruf (he had a four-hit day). Brandon Crawford had six RBI in a three-hit day (including his 11th homer), and Evan Longoria added three hits including a homer. It got so bad the Reds used two position players to pitch the final two innings.

Sam Selman looked good in the 6th. Camilo Doval was wild in the 7th and gave up a run but also had three strikeouts. Jose Alvarez, just off the IL, gave up a two-run homer in the 8th but finished the frame. Matt Wisler gave up a two-out hit in the 9th but also struck out three.

The YouTube telecast was amateurish, unfortunately. They had FOUR GUYS talking about the game! Really? You need four guys? Jeremy Affeldt was one of them, and he's a motor mouth and doesn't know when to shut up. Even if he has something interesting to say his incessant chatter quickly becomes annoying and ultimately intolerable. Not to mention those nauseating interviews during the live action and the split screen that shows the interviewee more than the action. But that's why they invented the mute button!

The Giants crushed it this week and they set up a terrific showdown with the Dodgers who have been on their own hot streak. It's a three-game set starting tomorrow night at 6:45 PDT with Alex Wood facing Trevor Bauer. Saturday's game is a Fox Game of the Week (4:15 Pacific). Logan Webb went to the IL so no starter has been named. I suspect Sunday it will be Anthony DeSclafani.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Shutout!

SF 4  CIN 0

The San Francisco Giants used four pitchers to blank the Reds in Cincinnati tonight. Kevin Gausman was superb again, going six scoreless, and left after 94 pitches with the team clinging to a 1-0 lead. Zack Littell pitched a scoreless 7th and Jake McGee, in a bit of a switch, pitched a scoreless 8th. That left Tyler Rogers for the 9th, but the Giants spoiled the save by getting a massive two-out bases-clearing double from Buster Posey in the top of the frame to make it 4-0. Rogers put the first two runners on with a walk and a ground ball, but retired the next three to spare us all heart attacks.

The Reds have scored five runs in the three games, all but one coming off relief pitchers. Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani, and Kevin Gausman have thrown 19 innings in that bandbox stadium and allowed just the one run. That's some pretty serious starting pitching!

Johnny Cueto, who made his name pitching for the Reds, gets the start tomorrow morning at 9:35 Pacific. It's a YouTube game so check it out here.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Disco deals

SF 4  CIN 2

Anthony "Disco" DeSclafani returned to Cincinnati and delivered a terrific start to subdue his former team. He lasted a full seven innings and allowed only one run, a leadoff homer to the first batter he faced. He left with a 4-1 lead and Zack Littell and Jake McGee finished up, giving Tyler Rogers a well-deserved off-night. Littell gave up a solo shot in the 8th to give us all a scare, but that was it. The bullpen continues to be a mystery! A well-rested McGee got three outs in the 9th on nine pitches.

The Giants got eight hits and four walks and struck out seventeen times. Seventeen! Starter Luis Castillo (a former Giants farmhand*) struck out eleven in his five innings but gave up a three-run homer to Alex Dickerson in the 4th and left trailing 3-1. Another homer by the Giants--this one from Brandon Crawford--in the 7th off reliever Heath Hembree (a former Giants player**) pushed it to 4-1. It was BCraw's 10th homer in 36 games, a Bondsian stretch. Plus he continues to make big plays in the field. The Reds had eight hits and also had two homers, but both blasts came with the bases empty.

DeSclafani had the moves tonight and the Giants got another big road win. The team is now 12-12 away from home. They've two more games in The Great American Smallpark before the weekend series in San Francisco with the Dodgers. Kevin Gausman goes tomorrow at 3:40 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

*traded for Casey McGehee in 2014

**traded for Jake Peavy in 2014

Webb leads Giants

SF 6  CIN 3

Logan Webb pitched six scoreless innings to open the series in Cincinnati and the Giants held on to win. Webb did not have his strikeout stuff and gave up six hits but also did not walk a batter and induced ten ground balls, two of which led to double plays. It was an outstanding performance against a strong lineup. He kept the ball in the yard, a tough task in that park.

The bullpen gave up the three Reds runs, the first in the 7th when Jarlin Garcia had a two-out brain fart (walk, WP, single), and again in the 8th when Matt Wisler gave up back-to-back homers. He almost gave up a third before getting the final out. The Giants need both Wisler and Garcia to be reliable bullpen options and they unfortunately have not performed with any consistency so far this season. Tyler Rogers--again--came on to get the save in the 9th. Brandon Crawford made a two-out error to dial up the TortureMeter™ but Nick Castellanos flied out to end it.

The offense cranked out three homers, a two-run shot from Wilmer Flores, and solo shots from Mauricio Dubon and Mike Yastrzemski. The Reds played some poor infield defense, gifting the Giants a run in the 1st and again in the 8th. In fact the Flores homer in the 4th was after an error that put BCraw on base ahead of him. The play in the 8th was a blown rundown. With two outs Austin Slater was picked off first base, but he stayed in jeopardy long enough for Darin Ruf to scoot home from third. Duane Kuiper called it "junior varsity" on the post-game show!

But the story was young Logan Webb who out-pitched veteran Sonny Gray and got his first road win of the year. He's lined up up to pitch Saturday at home against the Dodgers.

Anthony DeSclafani tomorrow afternoon at 3:40 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Relief!

SF 4  PIT 1

The Giants even up the series with a win in the getaway game in Pittsburgh. Today the bullpen delivered three scoreless innings to back up another fine performance from Alex Wood who is 5-0 in six starts. The Giants took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 6th when Evan Longoria scored on a wild pitch. Wood batted for himself and made the third out but it paid off with a scoreless bottom half. That left the 7th for Caleb Baragar who gave up a walk but no runs and the 8th for Matt Wisler who was perfect. Mike Yastrzemski bopped a two-run homer in the top of the 9th to pad the lead. Tyler Rogers has been the best Giants reliever this season and he was tabbed for the 9th. He hit the first batter to give us all the heebee-jeebies but only needed nine more pitches to get the final three batters and the save.

Logan Webb opens the series in Cincinnati tomorrow afternoon at 3:40 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Not again

PIT 8  SF 6

The Giants bullpen had another meltdown, this time blowing a 6-2 lead and losing 8-6 to the Pirates. It was ugly. It's obviously the Achilles Heel of the team. Maybe they have a plan to fix it. I hope so. I don't really want to cover the particulars, it's a little too painful. For all the good this team is doing, these late-inning disasters, blowing chow in spectacular fashion, are hard to take!

Alex Wood goes tomorrow morning (10:05 Pacific) in the getaway game.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Cained

PIT 3  SF 2  (11)

Kevin Gausman gets the Matt Cain Award for a brilliant effort that results in a loss for the team. He held the Pirates scoreless through eight and was leading 1-0 in the 9th but was bedeviled by two bloopers from the first two batters. On came Jake McGee who gave up a grounder through the drawn-in infield and the game was tied. McGee struck out the next three and Tyler Rogers pitched a scoreless 10th. The Giants could only manage one run in the 11th and Caleb Baragar couldn't hold the 2-1 lead. The Pirates got two in the bottom half to even up the series.

If you like old school NL-style pitching duels the 2021 Giants are your team. In fact, the 2021 version of MLB is looking like 1968. Tonight there were a lot of clutch defensive plays by both teams and luck--both good and bad--played a big role. When games are close, anything can happen. The Giants lineup could not get it going against six Pittsburgh pitchers and it cost them a win. Kevin Gausman's final line: 8+ IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 12 SO, 96 pitches to 29 batters.

Johnny Cueto tomorrow at 3:35 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. Baragar had only allowed one run (unearned) this season in his first 14 appearances (11 IP). He did not allow a run in his final 16 appearances last season (14-1/3 IP).

Pitchers plank Pirates

SF 3  PIT 1

Anthony DeSclafani pitched a brisk five scoreless frames, allowing only one hit and one walk with five strikeouts. He was out of the game after throwing a mere 76 pitches to 17 batters as Gabe Kapler pinch-hit for him in the 6th. It was a bold move, but it was a good matchup with Darin Ruf against a lefty with two on. The Giants were up 3-0 and had a shot to break it open but Ruf grounded out. It didn't matter as Caleb Baragar and Zack Littell each pitched a scoreless inning in relief. In the 8th Camilo Doval gave up a solo shot for Pittsburgh's only run, and Tyler Rogers took the 9th and got an easy save.

The bullpen has had its ups and downs and it is interesting that Kap trusted his relievers in a close contest for four innings. They stepped up and sealed the win. The Giants grind out another close contest! They scored all of their runs in the 5th on a Steven Duggar homer and a two-run triple from Mike Yastrzemski. Buster Posey scored one of those runs and was on base three times (a hit and two walks).

Kevin Gausman goes tomorrow at 3:35 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

2nd inning: 11-7

1st inning: 11-7

2nd inning: 11-7

Raise your hand if you saw this coming. You did, right? You foresaw that the San Francisco Giants would be tied for the best record in baseball, didn't you?

NOT!

You did not. I did not. No one did.

But after 36 games, two full seasonal innings, the Giants are 22-14 (.611) and tied for the best record in baseball.

It's a beautiful thing, man. The Giants are playing well and playing especially well at home. They are 14-4 in San Francisco and 8-10 on the road. They go on the road for eight games starting tomorrow, four in Pittsburgh and four in Cincinnati. When they return home on the 21st they get their first showdown with the Dodgers.

I say bring 'em on!!

--M.C.

 

p.s. 18 games is 1/9 of the season (18 x 9 =162). So 18 games is one "seasonal inning" and 36 games is two innings, etc.

Posey, Slater ding Pads

SF 5  SD 4

The Giants parlayed four hits into five runs and edged the Padres tonight in San Francisco to take the first game of the three-game weekend set. Buster Posey got it started with a two-run bomb to right field in the 3rd off Blake Snell, and Evan Longoria drove in two with a bases-loaded single in the 5th. Snell walked six in 4-2/3 IP. Anthony DeSclafani ran into trouble in the 6th, yielding a two-run blast to Trent Grisham, and reliever Sam Selman was burned by a second two-run homer from Eric Hosmer in the same frame. But Austin Slater bopped a solo shot in the 7th (also to RF) to give the Giants the lead and they held on for a huge win. Tyler Rogers was dominant once again, shutting down the Padres on 14 pitches in the 8th. Jake McGee walked the first batter in the 9th, but struck out the final three hitters to record the save. It took 25 pitches, but he got the job done!

Willie Mays turned 90 today and the team conjured up a victory to celebrate the occasion. The Giants hang on to first place with their 19th win. I should note that Camilo Doval was impressive in a scoreless 7th, shutting down the heart of the order, and he was awarded the win. Mike Yastrzemski helped him out with a nice running catch.

Tomorrow and Sunday are both day games, start times 1:05 Pacific. Kevin Gausman and Johnny Cueto are slated to start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. I'll be AFK  ("away from keyboard") for the next several days and won't be blogging. I'll be back some time next week.

Six-runned

COL 6  SF 5

For the second straight game the Giants gave up six runs in an inning. Today it was the 4th inning, not the 9th, but the results were the same. Jon Gray, the Rockies starter, is a good pitcher and he kept the Giants in check. They had a chance against the bullpen in the final three innings but could not quite get there. It seems only the home team gets miracle comebacks at Coors Field. A promising series in Colorado instead leaves a foul taste.

Ah well, it's a day off for the lads tomorrow before a home series with San Diego starting Friday. Let's hope home cookin' is still best. Buster Posey had two hits but left the game for reasons yet to be determined. Please, no more injuries. The Giants are banged up enough.

--M.C.

p.s. I posted the above yesterday. Today is the 6th which is Willie Mays' birthday. Happy Birthday, Willie! He turns 90. He was born in 1931, the same year both of my parents were born. My mom will be 90 in September. (Her favorite player was Ted Williams--sorry, Willie.)

Ten spot

SF 12  COL 4 (7)

On June 29th, 1967 in St. Louis, the Giants scored 11 runs in the first inning. Nine of those were charged to Bob Gibson who exited without getting the third out. Bob Gibson! The Cardinals won the World Series that season. No one is going to confuse German Marquez for Bob Gibson, or the '67 champs for the '21 Rockies, but the Giants scored 10 runs in the first inning in Denver today. Marquez only lasted 2/3 of an inning, too.

Brandon Belt launched a no-doubter for a grand slam, and had an RBI single as well, giving him a 5-RBI inning. Let's just say there were lots of offensive highlights, but we do have to mention Buster Posey yanking one immediately following Belt's bomb, which is way cool. Buster had three hits and is now slashing .382/.440/.735 for an OPS of 1.175!

Is ten runs enough in Coors Field? Maybe. The Giants tacked on two more in the 6th with a two-run homer from Brandon Crawford, so apparently they weren't sure, either. Way to go, greybeards! Seriously, you never know in that accursed place, and I admit to some irrational worrying that the Giants would make a mess of things and blow the lead. That's because "Coors Field, man." Do I have to say more?

Aaron Sanchez gave up a grand slam of his own to Raimel Tapia, but that was it for the Rockies. They got all seven hits in the first four frames. The Giants bullpen--Jose Alvarez and Matt Wisler--split the final three innings, marred only by Alvarez' two walks. Wisler was awarded the win for completing the final 1-2/3. Obviously a starting pitcher has to go five innings in a nine-inning game to get a W, but don't you think it could be changed to four innings for a seven-inning game? (I don't really care, mind you, but it does raise the question.)

That's a great way to start a series, don't you think? Score ten runs first chance you get? Yeah, I like that. Let's see some more of that!

--M.C.

 

update: See? 10 runs is just enough! The Giants lose the second game 8-6 on a walkoff homer. Giants led 6-2 going into the bottom of the 7th but Jake McGee could only get two outs and got pulled after giving up three runs. Camilo Doval then induced a pop-up that shoulda-coulda been the third out but fell for a hit. Then the homer. The Giants wasted a lot of scoring opportunities earlier in the game. Brutal loss. A sweep would have been sweet.

p.s. Logan Webb tomorrow at 12:10 Pacific. Go Giants!

Opener in Denver rained out

The Giants and Rockies will play a doubleheader tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon starting at 2:40 Pacific. Both games will be seven innings. Lefty Alex Wood is listed as the Game 1 starter--Aaron Sanchez was scheduled for today, the starter for Game 2 wasn't posted on the website.

--M.C.

 

UPDATE: looks like it is indeed Sanchez for Game 1 and Wood for Game 2. Tommy La Stella goes to the IL and Jason Vosler gets called back up.

Gausman, Tauchman get it done

SF 7  SD 1

The Giants have relied on their starters so far this year and ace Kevin Gausman did not disappoint. He allowed a short-porch oppo-shot to Fernando Tatis, Jr. (who else?) in the 1st but that was it. He also got a hit and scored two runs! The Giants needed a stopper today and he delivered. His final line was 6 IP, 6H, 1 R, 1 W, and 6 K, throwing 97 pitches to 25 batters. The big blow was a three-run homer in the 3rd from FNG Mike Tauchman. He also drove in a run later on a bases-loaded walk. I should note he was robbed of extra bases in the 1st with a big play from RF Jurickson Profar. Tommy La Stella had two hits including a triple, two runs scored, and two RBI before leaving the game with an apparent injury. The Giants kept the pressure on, scoring two more in the 5th and another in the 9th to take the heat off the pitchers.

The bullpen has been a source of frustration for Giants fans so far this year but today they stepped up with three scoreless in relief of Gausman. Caleb Baragar was a strike-throwing beast last season but has struggled with command in the early going. He went 3-0 on the first batter he saw in the 7th but fought back to get a foul-out. He gave up a two-out infield single to Trent Grisham but then struck out Tatis. Tyler Rogers got two quick ground ball outs, gave up a single to Jake Cronenworth, but got Tommy Pham to ground out. In the 9th Camilo Doval struck out Profar (who'd homered off him last night) and Victor Caratini in succession, then induced a pop-up from Ha-Seong Kim to end it. Good show, lad!

The Giants played a good game when they needed to and avoided a sweep. They've split six games in San Diego so far and get their first chance at home against the Padres this coming weekend. Their 17-11 record keeps them in first place by a half game over the Dodgers.

Aaron Sanchez starts tomorrow night (5:40 Pacific) in Colorado.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants strike out

SD 6  SF 2

The Giants played a good game for seven innings but a three-run outburst by the Padres in the 8th broke things open. Anthony DeSclafani gave up a three-run homer in the 1st, but followed with five scoreless, and left after six for a pinch-hitter. He looked really strong and had only thrown 76 pitches and would have managed at least another inning, maybe two, but the Giants, down 3-2, were desperate for runs at that point. Like last night they loaded the bases twice (in the 4th and 5th) but could not get the big hit. The Giants scored two in the 5th before loading the bases: one a leadoff homer by Mauricio Dubon, the other on an RBI single by Darin Ruf. He drove in DeSclafani who'd reached on an error. Like last night the two runs (both off starter Blake Snell) would be all they'd get.

Caleb Baragar and Zack Littell faced five batters in a scoreless 7th. In the 8th Camilo Doval gave up a leadoff homer and then put two on in between getting two outs. Jose Alvarez was summoned to face lefty Jake Cronenworth who singled home both runners. That was after a double steal--Alvarez did not seem prepared to deal with baserunners. San Diego is a base stealing team, they lead MLB in that category. The Padres bullpen was overpowering, striking out the side in the 7th and 8th. That's 28 strikeouts for Giants hitters in the two games.

Kevin Gausman goes tomorrow afternoon at 1:10 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.