Reds steal a win

CIN 4  SF 1

Logan Webb pitched another strong game but the Giants eked out a mere four hits, and scored their only run on an errant pickoff throw. The Reds run more than anyone in baseball, and they ran a successful double steal to score a second run in the 6th and that was all they needed. The Giants made it 2-1 in the bottom half but managed only a few walks the rest of the way. It was feeble. The Reds played like they did not want to get swept. It was another missed opportunity in what feels like a season of missed opportunities.

The team travels to San Diego for four games. The first one starts tonight at 6:40 Pacific. There are 29 games left--a perfect time for a big winning streak.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Cobb masterful in near no-no

SF 6  CIN 1

With all my fussing about rookies and phenoms I may have lost sight of a grizzled vet or two. Alex Cobb will be 36 in October, and that's old in baseball years, but he's pitching at the top of his game. After youthful Kyle Harrison's big start in the first game of the series, Cobb topped it with the best performance of his career (228 G, 1310 IP). He came agonizingly close to a no-hitter, losing it with two outs in the 9th, but he carried on and got the strikeout to complete the game. Cobb retired the first 17 batters before an error by Casey Schmitt (originally scored a hit) gave the Reds their first base runner. In the 8th, having blown past his career-high in pitches, Cobb's gem was saved by a diving catch on a blooper from Austin Slater. In the 9th he walked a batter with one out who later scored on Spencer Steer's two-out double. Cobb finished with 131 pitches!

Not only was it a tremendous performance but a timely one. The Diamondbacks lost and the Giants reclaimed second place by half a game. Last night the lineup got seven hits but four were for extra bases. Patrick Bailey's two-run homer was the big blow.

Logan Webb gets the start this afternoon (12:45 PT) with a chance for a sweep. His rotation-mates have set a pretty high bar! Webb was not his usual dominant self in his last two starts and you know he wants to show the staff who is number one so I'm hoping for big things today.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. Remember when Yusmeiro Petit nearly threw a perfect game against the Diamondbacks? That was September 6th, 2013. He lost his after 8-2/3 as well.

Phenom dazzles in home debut

SF 4  CIN 1

22-year old southpaw Kyle Harrison put up six scoreless frames with eleven strikeouts and even came out for the 7th inning. He got the first out but after a double and a walk rookie Ryan Walker was summoned. He gave up a ground ball single but rookie right fielder Luis Matos fired a one-hopper home to get the runner for the second out. It was a pretty play. Walker whiffed the next guy. Tyler Rogers gave up a run with two outs in the 8th (on an error) but that was all for the Reds. Camilo Doval worked a 1-2-3 9th for the save.

The night belonged to the young lefty. He went 3-and-2 on the first two batters before whiffing them both, then overpowered Reds rookie sensation Elly De La Cruz on three strikes. Harrison struck out the first two batters in the 2nd before yielding a pop up. He struck out two more in the 3rd and gave up a hit. Two more strikeouts followed in the 4th. In the 5th he allowed a walk and a hit but got a strikeout to end the threat. I wasn't expecting him to continue but he was efficient in the 6th, whiffing the first guy and getting the next two outs on three pitches. With the Giants up 4-0 at that point Kyle went back on the mound but his night ended after 91 pitches. It was a sensational showing especially for a struggling club deep into a grueling season.

Wilmer Flores got the scoring going in the 1st but they squandered the chance for more. They got two more in the 3rd with an RBI hit from rookie Patrick Bailey and a sac fly from Paul DeJong. Rookie Wade Meckler got a clutch RBI double in the 6th to pad the lead. The Giants were 3-for-11 with RISP and stranded eight. I'm quibbling, I know. It was a big win against a tough foe. And Kyle Harrison was terrific in front of his first home crowd.

Alex Cobb goes tomorrow night, 6:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

A win! A win!

SF 8  ATL 5

Rookie Tristan Beck retired the first 12 Braves batters he faced. He's thrown four scoreless on two other occasions, both wins for the club, but those were in relief. Today he opened and cruised into the 5th with a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately a walk and a double spoiled the perfect game and the no-hitter. After a run scored Scott Alexander relieved and two more runs came in and suddenly it was 3-2 Atlanta. The Giants counter-punched, scoring four in the bottom half, and when the Braves tacked on two in the 6th the Giants responded with two more. Terrific bullpen work from The Brothers Rogers (Tyler in the 7th and Taylor in the 8th) kept it 8-5 until the 9th. Struggling closer Camilo Doval was summoned to seal the win and he was back to his dominant self and whiffed the first two batters. He had to work for the final out, getting dinged for a delay with an automatic ball, but he got the final out. It's been a while since we've seen a 1-2-3 save!

Rookie Patrick Bailey got the big hit, a bases-clearing double to re-take the lead for good. Rookie Casey Schmitt hit a homer. Rookie Luis Matos had a hit and scored a run and rookie Wade Meckler walked and scored. Grizzled vets J.D. Davis (2 RBI) and Austin Slater (2 H, 2 R) backed them up.

The Reds come to town for three. Monday night's game is at 6:45 PT. Rookie Kyle Harrison gets his first home start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Braves wear out Webb

ATL 5  SF 1

Atlanta phenom Spencer Strider dominated the Giants lineup--though that isn't hard to do--for seven frames, allowing only three hits and one run against nine whiffs. Two of the three hits were singles by rookies Wade Meckler and Luis Matos. Joc Pederson led off the 7th with a triple and scored on a ground ball out from J.D. Davis. Meanwhile Logan Webb was tormented by Michael Harris II (another Atlanta phenom) who homered in the 1st, and then singled, stole second, and scored in his next two at-bats. Webb lasted 5-1/3 and threw 92 pitches. Alex Wood relieved and finished up the final 3-2/3 with only one hit allowed.

This afternoon's game is at 1:05. Ryan Walker gets the start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Disaster. Recovery. Triumph.

SF 8  PHI 6

OK, that's a bit hyperbolic, but this team needed a win so badly that another loss felt like the wheels would come off for good. Camilo Doval took the ball in the 9th with a three-run lead. The Phillies had the top of the lineup scheduled. Doval walked Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner and then gave up a homer to Bryce Harper. It was a nightmare outcome. I don't know what to do about back-to-back blown saves. Doval has been great all year but has run out of luck lately and is having some serious command issues. The two bases on balls were all non-competitive pitches, well out of the strike zone, easy takes for MLB hitters.

Jakob Junis finished the 9th unscathed and the Giants counter-punched against Craig Kimbrel in the 10th. Patrick Bailey walked, Wade Meckler (who had two hits and a walk) was hit by a pitch. That moved Manfred Man Casey Schmitt to third base. FNG Paul DeJong (who hit a two-run homer earlier) drove in two with a single to make it 7-5 Giants. A Thairo Estrada sac fly made it 8-5. After the disastrous 9th it was quite the display of getting off the mat and getting back in the fight.

Alex Cobb started and threw five scoreless frames but also a lot of pitches. He gave up back-to-back homers (Schwarber and Turner) to start the 6th and that was it for him. Five relievers got the next nine outs before Doval's collapse. Southpaw Taylor Rogers got the save chance in the bottom of the 10th and gave up a run but also struck out two including leadoff hitter Schwarber. Then Ryan Walker came in to face Turner (with Harper on deck) and he flew out to end it. Nothing is easy for this team.

It's a blessed, welcome off-day tomorrow. Then it's a six-game homestand: the Braves and the Reds for three apiece.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Harrison debuts, Giants lose

PHI 4  SF 3

I can't pin this one on closer Camilo Doval even though he gets tagged with the loss. The Giants lineup just can't score enough runs to support their pitchers. And Doval has been heroically good; perhaps he's just fatigued or is over-exposed. You can't expect the bullpen to keep shouldering the load all season long. They've kept the team's head above water most of the year. Kap & Co. deserve a lot of credit for getting the team to this place with only two starters, a disappearing offense, and a boatload of rookies.

Speaking of rookies, Kyle Harrison's debut has been hyped and over-hyped. He can't "save the season" fer chrissakes, nor can he do anything except be Kyle Fecking Harrison. Today he gave up a two-run homer to Bryce Harper, a former phenom himself, and there is no shame in that. He also whiffed five guys in 3-1/3, that's half of the ten outs he got. The young southpaw threw 65 pitches and hit one batter and walked one batter, yielding five hits and two runs. What's weird is that he dominated the Phillies right-handed hitters but had trouble with the lefties! Regardless, welcome to The Show, kid! Just be yourself and keep throwing strikes!

I'm pretty excited that they finally called him up. He's not going to move the needle a whole lot because even in the best-case scenario he'll get six starts (maybe seven) with 36 games to play. He'll be limited with pitch counts and whatnot so the most important thing is that he gets some seasoning and tackles his command issues. That will get him in proper shape for 2024.

The getaway game is 1:05 PT tomorrow. Alex Cobb is listed as the starter.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. Tonight was Game 126 which is 7/9 of the season, the completion of the seventh seasonal inning. You can see that the Giants have really hit a wall in the second half. Here is the breakdown:

1st inning: 6-12

2nd inning: 10-8

3rd inning: 12-6

4th inning: 12-6

5th inning: 9-9

6th inning: 10-8

7th inning: 6-12

That's 65-61 (.516), tied now with Arizona for second-place in the NL West.

Giants edge Braves, salvage series

SF 4  ATL 3

The Giants blew a late lead on Saturday night and seem determined to do it again this afternoon but they eked out a win instead and there was rejoicing across the land. It's been an ugly stretch. The team opened the month of August with three straight wins against the Diamondbacks and then lost back-to-back games to the A's. That was an evil portent. They then lost two of three to the Angels, the Rangers, and now the Braves. That's 7-10 for the month and 16-18 since the Break. There's no rest for the weary, either: the team travels to Philadelphia next to face the number-one Wild Card contender.

But that's for tomorrow. Today we can enjoy a homer by rookie Luis Matos to open the scoring and a two-run homer from Mr. VSC Wilmer Flores to give the team the lead. Wilmer is on a roll (.301/.359/.541) these days and absolutely embodies Veteran Savvy Clutchness. A tremendous relief effort across the middle innings from rookie Tristan Beck was also crucial. Speaking of rookies, at one point there were five on the field: P Beck, C Patrick Bailey, LF/CF Matos, RF/LF Heliot Ramos, and 3B Casey Schmitt. Wade Meckler subbed for Ramos later so that's six rookies total. Whatever else happens this season it has been great to see all the young players get a shot.

The Giants scratched out the winning run in the 9th on a bases-loaded walk to Joc Pederson. Braves reliever Kirby Yates hit two batters before him. Sometimes the baseball gods give you a break when you really need it.

Don't look now but Arizona is only 1-1/2 games behind. Time to get back to winning ways.

It's Aaron Nola for the Phillies tomorrow at 3:40 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants blank Rays on three hits

SF 7  TBR 0

The Giants also had a good night with the bats, scoring three runs in the 6th, two in the 7th, and two in the 8th to seal a much-needed win. All the wins from this point on are "much-needed" so perhaps there's no point in reiterating that. But I don't want to bury the lede: four Giants pitchers combined for a three-hit shutout! Against a team like Tampa Bay that averages over five runs per game that's a particularly impressive pitching feat. And especially after Monday's lopsided loss. Tonight Jakob Junis went the first four frames and was overpowering with seven strikeouts. Sean Manaea whiffed five in 3-1/3 IP, Tyler Rogers got two outs on five pitches, and Luke Jackson struck out the side to end it.

Rookie phenom Wade Meckler got his first two hits. Meckler was drafted in 2022 and his video game minors stats (.335/.441/.469) made it hard not to get a look at him. He's a left-handed contact hitter with a feel for the strike zone but without a lot of power. He's an outfielder and would be a great fit in center but it is hard to know if he's got that kind of glove. He played college ball at Oregon State (he's from Anaheim) and is listed at 5-10 and 178 lbs. I think Tim Lincecum had pretty similar marks on his chart.

Homers from Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores got things going. Michael Conforto had three hits and drove in a run. Patrick Bailey had an RBI hit.

The series gets decided Wednesday afternoon (12:45 PT).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Bailey rescues Giants

SF 3  TEX 2  (10)

Just when all hope seemed lost Patrick Bailey hit a two-run homer to lift the Giants to a much-needed win. Logan Webb had thrown a superb eight shutout innings and got the first two outs in the 9th. A double by Julio Martinez ended his day, agonizingly short of a shutout win. Camilo Doval was summoned to protect the 1-0 lead but an infield single by Ezequiel Duran crushed the home crowd's dreams. Doval balked in a run in the 10th but his rookie catcher bailed him out in the bottom half.

It has been a run of ugly baseball and it looked like the anemic offense would waste Webb's great start. He had 14 ground ball outs to go with six hits, a walk, and six whiffs in 107 pitches. Speaking of whiffs, the Giants struck out 17 times this afternoon. That's right, 17 times. They got a solo shot from Michael Conforto in the 2nd but were otherwise 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position (until Bailey's blast) and left nine men on base. A bright spot was a three-hit day from Thairo Estrada.

The Giants snap their losing streak at four games and improve their August record to 5-6. They are .500 (14-14) since the Break. If they play .500 ball the rest of the way (22-22) they'll finish 85-77. They've lost the top spot in the Wild Card as they've fallen a game-and-a-half behind the Phillies but they are still strongly in second place in the NL West.

Another tough opponent comes to town, this time the Tampa Bay Rays. Monday night's game is at 6:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. here's the win probability chart from FanGraphs:

 

 

Early runs too much for Giants

LAA 7  SF 5

The Angels jumped on opener Scott Alexander for three in the 1st. He left before getting an out. Jakob Junis allowed another before putting up three scoreless. The Giants made it back to 4-3 in the 3rd, but Alex Wood gave up two in his four frames and Luke Jackson gave up another in the 8th. The Giants got a two-run homer from Wilmer Flores but it wasn't enough.

The Padres have lost three straight and the Diamondacks have lost seven straight. The Giants are five games behind the Dodgers but five games ahead of third-place Arizona. August hasn't been very exciting (4-3) but the Giants are grinding along at 62-52 (.544) which is tied with the Phillies for the first wild-card spot. If they play .544 ball the rest of the way (48 games) they'll win 26 more games and finish with 88 wins.

I'll be away from my desk until the weekend. Tonight's game is at 6:38 PT. Ryan Walker matches up with Shohei Ohtani.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants rally in the 9th

SF 8  LAA 3

It was another close game and when Tyler Rogers gave up a run in the 7th to make it 3-2 Angels it looked like another agonizing loss. Then the 9th inning happened. The Giants put the first two men on and Patrick Bailey drove them home with a double. Suddenly it was 4-3 Giants! But they weren't done. FNG Mark Mathias drove in two with a single and Thairo Estrada and Blake Sabol chipped in RBI hits. The lineup batted around and took charge of the game. Camilo Doval struck out the side in the 9th to end it.

Logan Webb started and gave up two runs (one earned) in 5-2/3. Tristan Beck finished the 6th. After Tyler Rogers his brother lefty Taylor Rogers had a 1-2-3 8th with two strikeouts.

Lefty Scott Alexander is listed as the opener for tonight's game (6:38 PT). Let's hope we see more of the same: good pitching and big rallies.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Lost weekend

The Giants could hardly conjure up a hit on Saturday, losing to the A's 2-1 and wasting one of Ross Stripling's better efforts. Today the offense finally woke up, scoring six runs and taking a 6-3 lead after five frames. But Oakland's lineup chased Alex Cobb and tagged relievers Luke Jackson and Scott Alexander for late runs and it finished 8-6 A's. It's as if the teams switched places: the A's played like contenders and the Giants played like also-rans.

The Giants go south to take on the Angels for three with all games starting at 6:38 Pacific. Logan Webb gets the start tomorrow night.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants get two hits but still win

SF 1  ARI 0

24-year old rookie right-hander Brandon Pfaadt ("fought") has made nine starts this season. He's sporting a 7.11 ERA, a 7.24 FIP, and an 0-5 record. He dazzled the Giants this afternoon in San Francisco, allowing only two hits in seven innings with one walk and seven whiffs. I should note he pitched against the Giants earlier in the season (May 14th) and threw five strong frames in a 2-1 Diamondbacks win. Like today he allowed only one run.

Oh, did I mention that the Giants scored a run off Pfaadt? They did, in the 4th, on a LaMonte Wade, Jr. home run. That was enough. The bullpen teamed up to throw a shutout and the Giants eked out a win. Tristan Beck threw four innings after opener Scott Alexander. His bulk work set things up nicely for Sean Manaea (2/3), Luke Jackson (1-1/3, 3K), lefty Taylor Rogers (8th), and closer Camilo Doval (9th). Doval gave us a scare when he gave up back-to-back base hits but he wriggled out of the jam for his 33rd save.

This lineup is really having a hard time scoring runs! It's a good thing the pitching staff has been up to the task. Taking three of four from Arizona to open the month is a terrific accomplishment. They are a tough club with good hitters and limiting them to nine runs across 38 innings was impressive.

It's an off-day tomorrow and they play a weekend two-game set in Oakland before heading to Anaheim for three with the Angels. They are off again on the 10th, then face the Rangers and the Rays in a six-game homestand. The rest of the month features the Braves, Phillies, Reds, and even a peek at the Padres. That's a lot of good teams. Yikes, this is some serious pennant race stuff. Let's hope the hitters find their mojo.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb and Davis lead the way

SF 4  ARI 2

Logan Webb gave up three hits and two runs in the 1st inning but then threw six scoreless and stymied the potent Diamondbacks lineup. He got TWELVE ground ball outs in his seven frames! The Giants were befuddled by rookie Slade Cecconi who was making his debut until the 5th when they tied it up. A J.D. Davis single got it started and a triple by Brandon Crawford and a single by Isan Díaz got it done. They added the winning margin on a bases-loaded double from Davis in the 6th. Tyler Rogers (8th) and Camilo Doval (9th) were both efficient and effective and the Giants had another close, hard-fought win. There were once again many scoring chances that the Giants flubbed (3-11 RISP, 7 LOB) but the stellar pitching held the line. That's win number 60.

--M.C.

p.s. Tuesday's win was the 108th game of the season. I neglected to do an "innings" post. The Giants had a rough month of July: 12-13 with the league's worst batting average and run scoring! This was after two outstanding months (May 17-12, June 18-8). The Giants are 2-0 in August after tonight's win.

1st inning: 6-12

2nd inning: 10-8

3rd inning: 12-6

4th inning: 12-6

5th inning: 9-9

6th inning: 10-8

That's 59-49 (.546) over the first 108 games (six innings or two-thirds of the season). Their 60-49 (.550) record after tonight's win is tied with Toronto for seventh-best in MLB, third-best in the NL, second in the NL West, and first in the NL wild card.

Late-inning LaMonte lifts Giants

SF 4  ARI 3

It was indeed a homer by LaMonte Wade, Jr. in the 7th that gave the Giants the lead and final winning margin. But a couple of plays by rookie catching prodigy Patrick Bailey really helped. He nailed would-be base-stealer Jace Peterson who had singled to open the 8th, taking some heat off rookie reliever Ryan Walker. In the 9th, with two outs, he picked off Geraldo Perdomo with a classic "snap throw to first" to end the game. Bailey is certainly making his mark.

Alex Cobb gave up three solo homers in his six innings. In the bottom of the 6th the Giants tied it against Zac Gallen on a Luis Matos RBI double and a Brandon Crawford two-run homer. Walker pitched the 7th and the 8th and got an out in the 9th after the leadoff hit by Perdomo. Sean Manaea relieved and got the second out before Bailey's alert play.

It's Logan Webb tomorrow night at 6:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.