It was a workmanlike game, the kind we thought we'd see more of this season. Rodón was effective and a couple of lefty bats (Yaz and LuGone) got big extra-base hits when they were needed. FNG southpaw Thomas Szapucki (acquired with J.D. Davis and two others in the Ruf deal) gave up a homer to the first batter he saw which seems a fitting intro to his Giants tenure, at least for this season. He's given up 16 runs in 5-1/3 MLB IP which calculates to a 27.00 ERA! (A bunch of those were against the Giants.) But he just turned 26 and is noted for a big-spin curveball, a low-slot release, and a 92-94 mph fastball. Given the volatility we've seen in reliever performances it's easy to believe Szapucki's tools can be put to use in a middle-inning role. I hope so. The bullpen needs shoring up.
On a fun note, yesterday was Giants prospect Kyle Harrison's 21st birthday. Here's what MLBTR had to say about the San Jose-born, De La Salle-prep wunderkind:
The late Dick Tidrow supposedly spotted this kid and pushed the Giants to sign him. (His was a big loss to the organization.) Harrison was committed to UCLA but opted to take a draft bonus instead. It's not hard to be believe that the young lefty could get a cup of coffee this season. I fully expect to see him at camp next spring and possibly stick with the big club.
If you have not clicked on the link to Harrison's B-R page, you must. But since you won't, I'll tell you: he has 300 strikeouts in 185 innings pitched.
It's Logan Webb tonight (6:05 Pacific). He faces off against former Giants first-rounder (2011) Tyler Beede. Should be interesting.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
1 comment:
From FZ (Baggs, The Athletic):
“. . . hopefully Kyle Harrison can be a factor for us next year. We didn’t really have that this season — someone who could ignite the rotation when they come up from the minor leagues. Harrison is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. He’ll definitely be on the radar next season.”
We know how it is with young pitchers. Saber-ists have an acronym: TINSTAAPP. It stands for "there is no such thing as a pitching prospect!" That's a little too brutal of an assessment for me, but it properly points out how hard it is for anyone, no matter how talented, to survive and thrive in the big leagues.
That being said I think we should get excited about Young Kyle. That's what I'm going to call him: Young Kyle.
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