1948

Of the last four teams standing in the post-season, three of them have MLB's highest payrolls. Cot's Contracts has two payroll lists, one called Year End 40-man and the other called CB Tax 40-man. In the first list it goes Mets ($341.5M), Yankees ($303.8M), and Dodgers ($288.3M). Figuring in the Competitive Balance Tax keeps the Mets ($356.2M) in the top spot with the Dodgers ($351.7M) and Yankees ($314.8M) switching places.

The three highest-spending teams in the two biggest baseball markets are in the League Championship Series. That's the semi-finals. The winners go to the World Series. The networks are guaranteed one LA-NY matchup (that starts tonight on Fox) and may get two.

The Cleveland Guardians are 21st ($106.1M) and 23rd ($139.7M) on the two payroll lists. They have not won the World Series since 1948, back when they were the Indians and had guys like Bob Feller and Larry Doby. Any discerning baseball fan who isn't rooting for the Guardians is doing the game a disservice. I'll exempt lifelong fans of the other clubs. After all, somebody must like them.

--M.C.

p.s. The moneyline (Fanduel) on winning the whole thing stands at Dodgers (+150), Yankees (+170), Mets (+410), and finally the Guardians (+550). If you bet 100 bucks on the Bums you'll clear 50 bucks if they win. They are 3-to-2 favorites. The longshot G's will make you a profit of 450 bucks if they pull off two upsets. Their odds come in at 11-to-2.

PoBO Posey

When I first heard the news I only caught the part about Farhan Zaidi being let go. I wasn't happy. I wasn't surprised, but I felt that continuity was important. And the FZ & Co. draft picks were finally coming of age and that, it seemed to me, would be a better criterion for judgment. But this is pro sports and results are what matters. And other than the 2021 NL West title this club has not produced the results during FZ's tenure.

Then I found out that they were naming franchise legend (and part owner) BUSTER POSEY to be the new President of Baseball Operations.

Now THAT is operating on an entirely new level! What's next, Brandon Crawford gets BoMel's job? Just kidding. Seriously, this is a big deal. All that talk about Buster wanting to spend more time with his family, yadda-yadda-yadda, and it turns out his competitive fires are still burning. He will get to spend more time with his family, sure. But he will be under enormous scrutiny. This is a high-profile gig, man. And the expectations will be off-the-charts. It's Buster Fucking Posey! Phenom. RoY. MVP. World Series Champion. It's quite a resume and it is all in orange-and-black.

Slick move by ownership. A+ rating for energizing the fanbase.

What say you, Giants fans?

--M.C.

p.s. this was so important I had to post even though I'm still "away from my desk"

80

SF 6  STL 5

Until this afternoon's victory the Giants were 0-4 against the Cardinals. They blew a 5-2 lead but recovered to win with the help of a throwing error by St. Louis reliever Matthew Liberatore. Two straight losses before today pushed their total to 81 so the best they can do is .500 with a win tomorrow. It's a disappointing season, that's for sure. I really felt like they had a more competitive roster this year. I do agree with Farhan Zaidi that the Giants have an excellent group of youngsters for 2025.

Matt Chapman got the obviously well-deserved Willie Mac Award. Blake Snell bailed out of today's start in favor of rookie Tristan Beck but he said lots of nice things about the Giants. I think they should sign him--it's just money, after all. What else is there to spend it on?

I'm going to be "away from my desk" for a week or so. Then we can start talking about next year. Tomorrow's finale is 12:05 and Hayden Birdsong gets the call.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants power-stomp Snakes

SF 11  ARI 0

Not only did the Giants claw their way back to .500 (79-79) with last night's thumping win they also pushed their run difference into positive territory (+7). Five home runs from the lineup and six scoreless frames from Logan Webb were too much for the Diamondbacks. Arizona might be watching its Wild Card chances slip away. This game was over in the 3rd inning. Tristan Beck threw a scoreless 7th and Austin Warren got the last six outs.

The Giants have won five straight scoring thirty runs and allowing only four. Mason Black gets the start tonight.

Let's get a sweep!

--M.C.

Spoiler Alert

SF 6  ARI 3

The Giants messed things up for the Kansas City Royals and they put the same hurt on the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight in Phoenix. Who are these guys? Why didn't they play like this last month? Anyway, the Giants played another good game and backed up Hayden Birdsong (5 IP, 2 R, 6 K) and annoyed the Arizona fan base. The New York Mets are now 1/2 game ahead for the final Wild Card spot in the NL. Matt Chapman drove in half the the runs with an inside-the-park homer (he really is fast!) and a triple. The bullpen did another stellar job to nail down the victory.

Logan Webb goes tomorrow. In his last five starts he's gone a mere (by his standards) 26 innings and allowed a whopping (by his standards) 19 runs. Mason Black is listed for Wednesday. There's an off-day on Thursday and I expect Blake Snell will get a start on the weekend series against the Cardinals. It looks like they may not bring back Webb at all and finish out with another start from Birdsong and perhaps Landon Roupp. Webb needs 1-1/3 IP to reach 200 for the second season in a row.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Road Warriors

The Giants are playing their best baseball of the season on this final road trip. It started with an emphatic 10-0 win in Baltimore on Tuesday. Blake Snell threw six shutout innings allowing one hit and whiffing twelve. Hayden Birdsong and the bullpen toughed out a 5-3 win the next day behind homers from Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Conforto. Logan Webb started the finale but the Orioles edged out a win and the Giants had to be content with a series victory.

In Kansas City the Giants small-balled past the Royals in a nail-biting 2-1 win on Friday. Mason Black got his first "W" with five scoreless frames. Heliot Ramos had a single, a double, and a triple. He scored one of the runs and drove in the other. Camilo Doval got a pulse-pounding save. On Saturday the Giants put on a show much like the one in Baltimore, thumping the Royals 9-0. Both Matt Chapman and LaMonte Wade, Jr. hit two homers. Landen Roupp threw five scoreless and Spencer Bivens and Tristan Beck added two scoreless innings apiece.

In the finale today the Giants got their sweep behind Blake Snell's six scoreless (two hits, nine strikeouts). Sean Hjelle, Tyler Rogers, and Ryan Walker were unscored upon in the final three innings and the Giants had a tidy 2-0 victory. That Snell guy is pretty good and I think the Giants should give him a bazillion dollars.

It's too bad we didn't see this version of the team a few months ago. Nonetheless there is something to play for--a .500 finish. They are 77-79 with six games left. There are three in Arizona the next three nights (6:40 PT start times). Thursday is the last off-day and then there is the weekend series at home against the Cardinals. They have to go 4-2 and that seems very doable.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

17-hit attack subdues Brewers

SF 13  MIL 2

The tally included seven doubles and three homers. The Giants had an 8-0 lead after two innings. The most runs they've scored this season was 14, that was in a 14-4 win over the Rockies in May. Last night's margin of victory--11 runs--was the year's biggest. They did lose 17-1 to the Diamondbacks (a Snell start) in April, and 14-3 to the Phillies in May.

Jerar Encarnacion hit an opposite-field home to RF. That's pretty rare for a right-hander in San Francisco. Everyone in the linuep had a hit except Heliot Ramos, but he did walk and score. Austin Warren was recalled from the minors and pitched in relief.

Hayden Birdsong tonight (6:45 PT).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

8th inning: 8-10

1st inning: 7-11

2nd inning: 8-10

3rd inning: 12-6

4th inning: 8-10

5th inning: 9-9

6th inning: 9-9 

7th inning: 10-8 

8th inning: 8-10

That puts them at 71-73 (.493) over 144 games or 8/9 of the season.

The homer-happy Giants pounded out a big 7-1 lead over the Padres this afternoon but almost let it get away before hanging on to win 7-6. Taylor Rogers and Camilo Doval were the late-inning relievers who gave up five runs but they got some help. Rookie infielders Tyler Fitzgerald and Marco Luciano collided on a routine pop-up to keep a rally going. That's what happens with rookies. Luciano is new to second base as well. Those two need to learn to communicate!

Matt Chapman, Jerar Encarnacion, Luis Matos, and Curt Casali all homered for the Giants.They got seven straight hits in the 4th off Joe Musgrove and scored six runs. Giants starter Spencer Bivens wasn't scored upon until the 5th, he left with one out and one run in. That was a big effort in an emergency-start situation.

Tomorrow is an off-day. They are then home for six games: three against the Brewers and three more against the Padres. The website hasn't listed a starter for Tuesday night (6:45 Pacific) but it lines up to be Hayden Birdsong.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

McCray leads the way

SF 6  SD 3

Rookie Grant McCray had a big night: two homers and five runs batted in to power the Giants past the Padres. Logan Webb had to really work as San Diego's potent lineup tagged him for ten hits in his six frames but he held the line and managed a quality start. Sterling relief work from Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval, and Ryan Walker nailed it down.

It didn't look good in the 1st when the Padres jumped on Webb for a quick two but the Giants responded with three of their own from the bottom of the lineup. A hit by Patrick Bailey, another by Brett Wisely, and then McCray got his first crack at glory and launched a two-out three-run bomb to take the lead. He got another chance with the bases loaded in the 4th but could only manage a no-RBI double-play grounder that upped the lead to 4-2.

San Diego dinged Webb for another in the 5th but he put up a zero in the 6th. It was a tight contest until the 9th when McCray, again with two outs, hit a homer, this time driving in Bailey who had walked. It was a sweet moment for the 23-year-old and for the ballclub. This is just the kind of thing the Giants need to see--the young players in the system "serving notice" for 2025!

Grant McCray is the son of Rodney McCray who had a "cuppa coffee" in the early 90s. He was a 3rd-round pick in 2019. The 4th-round pick was Tyler Fitzgerald.

Spencer Bivens is listed on the website as tomorrow's starter (1:10 PT). Kyle Harrison went on the 15-day IL. His season is likely over.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Walk-off win snaps skid

SF 3  ARI 2

The Giants got their first September win in grand walk-off style. Tyler Fitzgerald led off the bottom of the 9th with a single, stole second, and was doubled home by Patrick Bailey. Youth movement, baby. Speaking of youth, how about Landen Roupp? That was a game-saving long-relief performance (4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 W, 5 K) from the 25-year-old rookie. Blake Snell left after an ugly 42-pitch 1st inning and Roupp gave the Giants a chance to come back. And they did thanks to a two-run single from Bailey in the 4th. Erik Miller and Tyler Rogers handled the 6th and 7th but Camilo Doval had to be bailed out in the 8th by Ryan Walker, who also took care of the 9th.

Wins will be just as tough to come by this weekend as the Giants go to San Diego. The website has not listed the starters but it looks like Black-Webb-Harrison. Monday is an off-day.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Chapman extension

From MLBTR:

The Giants made a major splash overnight, announcing that they’ve extended the contract of third baseman Matt Chapman. The deal guarantees Chapman $151MM over six years and runs from 2025 to 2030, with a $25MM annual salary and a $1MM signing bonus paid out in 2025. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Chapman’s deal contains a no-trade clause.

No surprise here. I could see this one coming. Chapman has 150 more PAs than anyone else on the team! He's been a rock--clearly the club MVP. FanGraphs credits him with 4.5 WAR, Baseball-Reference says 6.0 WAR.

It's a risk signing a ballplayer to an extension at his age (he's 32 next year). But the Giants need some building blocks. Logan Webb and Jung Hoo Lee are the only other players with long-term deals (through 2028). Robbie Ray and Jordan Hicks are both signed through 2026. Now we have to find out if any of the youngsters are going to stick!

It's Blake Snell today at 12:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

VSC

SF 3  FLA 1

It was The Veteran Savvy Clutchness Show last night in San Francisco. Starter Blake Snell threw a great game and team MVP Matt Chapman delivered the winning hit. Snell was unscored upon through six frames but came out for the 7th and gave up a run. The home squad didn't get anything going against Marlins righty Adam Oiler but managed to load the bases against reliever Mike Baumann in the 8th. Chapman knocked in all three with a double to left-center. Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker got the last six outs.

The website says 24-year-old Mason Black is the starter tonight (6:05 Pacific). He hasn't pitched in the bigs since his debut in May when he had three starts and a relief appearance. He's a 2021 third-round pick from Lehigh and has been pitching for the River Cats in the meantime.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

"Waiving" the flag

The Giants waived three players yesterday: Thairo Estrada, Taylor Rogers, and Tyler Matzek. Matzek came in the Soler trade has been on the IL. Seems like they are waving the white flag on 2024.

Here's MLBTR:

Estrada, Rogers and Matzek were not designated for assignment. They can continue to play for the Giants pending resolution of the waiver process. If they go unclaimed, San Francisco can (and quite likely will) simply keep them on the roster for the rest of the season. However, waivers are irrevocable. If another team places a claim on anyone, the Giants do not have the ability to rescind the placement.

There's more to come, I expect. Take a look at Cot's Contracts. Veterans still in the arb-process like Yaz ($7.9M this year) and Wade ($3.5M this year) might be looking over their shoulders at the large crop of youngsters behind them.

This is that cruel time where teams like the Giants have to think about next season. Who will stay and who will go? There are 28 games left and the odds of being a Wild Card team are increasingly long. Nothing a ten-game winning streak wouldn't cure of course, but this team has not managed even a five-game winning streak this year!

Today's game is 11:10 Pacific. Birdsong gets the start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Yaz' late homer lifts Giants

SF 5  MIL 4

This was a big win on the road against a tough club. The Giants are clinging to the edges of the race--ESPN gives them a less than 3% chance to make the playoffs. Just this week Randy Rodriguez, Jordan Hicks, and Robbie Ray have all landed on the injured list!

Tonight it was homers that made the difference. Logan Webb uncharacteristically gave up two homers, plus three walks, and couldn't get out of the 6th inning. The lineup bailed him out with the big blasts. Mike Yastrzemski's came in the 7th and that finished the scoring. The bullpen delivered four scoreless innings: Camilo Doval (1), Landen Roupp (2/3), Tyler Rogers (1-1/3), and Ryan Walker (1) for the save.

Tomorrow night (5:10 PT) Kyle Harrison gets the start. Balls were flying out of the yard tonight so let's hope he can keep a lid on the home runs and have his strikeout stuff working.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. Giants picked up local boy (Granite Bay) and former Cal star Andrew Knapp to play catcher. He had a short stint with the team in 2022.

A win!

SF 4  SEA 3

It was another close one--the Giants almost blew a lead late in the game, but this time they held on for the win. Just-recalled Camilo Doval was very effective in his 1-1/3 IP spanning the 7th and the 8th, and Ryan Walker kept his new closer job with a scoreless 9th. Starter Blake Snell walked six guys in three frames and had to be bailed out by Spencer Bivens. The lineup tagged George Kirby for nine hits and three runs over the first five. Mike Yastrzemski's solo shot in the 7th provided the winning margin. The Mariners had only four hits but still scored three runs.

Tomorrow is another day game (1:10 Pacific). Wouldn't it be great to have an entirely West Coast schedule? It's so civilized to play a ballgame at one in the afternoon! There are certainly enough teams: SF, SEA, OAK, SD, LAA, and LAD. And Arizona is on MST all summer which is the same as PDT. To hell with traveling and to hell with the East Coast. Ah well, a guy can dream.

Robbie Ray is listed for tomorrow. Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb gets Cained

CHW 6  SF 2

The Giants lost to the worst team in baseball despite another great start (8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 W, 6 K) from Logan Webb. He was efficient, too: 93 pitches to 27 batters. Once he was pulled from the game the two guys in the 9th (Erik Miller and Spencer Bivens) combined to give up four runs. The Giants had their chances, of course. And they squandered them, of course. It's hard to believe a team can hit this badly in run-scoring opportunities!

It's an off-day tomorrow, thank goodness. I need a break! This team is maddening.

After that it's a weekend series in Seattle. The rotation has not been posted on the website but it looks like Birdsong-Snell-Harrison.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Three in a row

SF 4  CHW 1

A strong start from Robbie Ray and two RBIs from Heliot Ramos pushed the Giants past the White Sox and kept the dream alive for another night. At 65-63 the Giants are a game behind the Mets and 3-1/2 behind the Braves for the third and final Wild Card spot. They still have a legit shot to make the post-season--they just have to keep winning! Right now the Padres (72-55) and the Diamondbacks (71-56) have a grip on the first two spots and are actually threatening the Dodgers for the division title.

Tomorrow Logan Webb starts the getaway game at 12:45 Pacific. Then it is a weekend series in Seattle starting Friday night.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants hang in there

 SF 5  CHW 3

It went from a comfy 5-1 lead to a nail-biting 5-3 edge but they got the job done and won a game they needed to win. At this point they need to win every damn game. Kyle Harrison got through six with minimal damage and was well supported by the lineup's four-run outburst in the 5th. Things got a little shaky with the relief corps but they held on. Jordan Hicks was tossed into the closer role after Ryan Walker's two-inning effort yesterday and he delivered despite two hits and a blown double play.

Robbie Ray gets the start tomorrow night (6:45 PT). 

Go Giants!

--M.C.

7th inning: 10-8

SF 4  OAK 2 (10)

The Giants got a much-needed win this afternoon in Oakland after a wild and perilous finish. Blake Snell threw another great game (7 IP, 1 R, 10 K) but was matched by the A's JP Sears (7-2/3 IP, 1 R, 9 K). Once again the lineup couldn't get anything going. Finally in the 10th they got a leadoff homer on the first pitch from Jerar Encarnacion and Michael Conforto followed with another bomb. Adding in the Manfred Man that's a 4-1 lead. An error from Brett Wisely let in a run to start the bottom half, and Ryan Walker walked the next batter and then gave up a hit to load the bases. No problem--he struck out the next three guys.

Next the team travels back across the Bay to play the White Sox who are historically bad (.240 win percentage). This is without doubt the best opportunity for a sweep that the schedule presents. The Marlins come to SF at the end of the month and that's the second-best chance.

It's Harrison-Ray-Webb for the three-game set. Tomorrow night and Tuesday are at 6:45 and the getaway game on Wednesday is at 12:45 (PT). Thursday's an off-day before a weekend series in Seattle.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. This was Game 126, the end of seasonal inning number seven. The Giants are exactly .500 (63-63). There are 36 games left to play and they are ten games back in the division and four games back in the wild card.

1st inning: 7-11

2nd inning: 8-10

3rd inning: 12-6

4th inning: 8-10

5th inning: 9-9

6th inning: 9-9 

7th inning: 10-8

Giants snap losing streak

SF 6  ATL 0

The Giants really needed a win today and fortunately ace Logan Webb was up to the task. He dominated for seven scoreless frames and was finally chased from the game with two outs in the 8th. He gave up only four hits and one walk while striking out seven (104 pitches). The lineup backed him with a ten-hit attack that featured rookies Grant McCray's first hit and first homer. Rookie Casey Schmitt made an error at second base but had three hits including a two-run blast. It was a 2-0 nail-biter until a three-run rally in the bottom of the 7th. Tyler Rogers got the final out in the 8th and Spencer Bivens had a three-up, three-down 9th.

Tomorrow is an off-day. Then they go to Oakland for two: Saturday and 4:07 and Sunday at 1:07 (PT). Hayden Birdsong and Blake Snell are listed.

Go Giants

--M.C.

Giants take two from Tigers

SF 3  DET 2

Friday night went according to plan--FNG local boy Mark Canha had the game-winning RBI in his home debut. Alas, closer Camilo Doval was sent to AAA. It's not a surprise. He's been walking too many guys and giving up too many hard-hit balls. Seems like he can't command his pitches. I hope they can fix him!

SF 3  DET 1

Saturday featured Logan Webb. He fashioned another fine ace-like start: 7 IP. 4 H, 1 R, 1 W, 8 K. Number nine hitter Brett "Maverick" Wisely got the big hit, a two-RBI double in the 5th that proved to be the difference. Tyler Rogers had a quick 8th, getting the side on 11 pitches. Ryan Walker put two on in the 9th but got the save by whiffing the last two hitters.

The Giants are now 61-58 after a nice 7-2 August surge. This is the time. This is the moment. If this club wants to play in the post-season they need to keep winning. There's one more against the Tigers tomorrow (1:05 PT) and rookie Hayden Birdsong gets the ball. Then it's four against the Braves before on off-day Friday.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Winning ways

SF 9  WSH 5 (10)

The Giants got a big win yesterday on the road and in the rain. They have a winning record (59-58, .504) for the first time since the end of May.

In other news, I'm happy to be posting. My ancient (2010) desktop finally crashed! I'm not really set up to run the blog from my laptop so future posting will be compromised. I'll do my best. Meanwhile, does anyone have a spare 475W PSU for a Dell XPS 9000?

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Home runs lift Giants

SF 7  WSH 4

Blake Snell delivered a quality start on the heels of his no-hitter and the Giants bats awakened and powered past the Nationals to get the team back to a .500 record. Camilo Doval loaded the bases with one out in the 9th but got a double play to earn the save and seal the win. The Giants really need to beat up on teams like Washington and tonight they scored in four straight frames. They pounded out ten hits with five going for extra bases. Mike Yastrzemski had a triple and a homer, Matt Chapman had a double and a homer, and Heliot Ramos had a homer.

The getaway game tomorrow is at 9:05 a.m. Pacific. Kyle Harrison takes the hill.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

.500

SF 4  WSH 1

Tyler Fitzgerald led off the game with a homer and Matt Chapman hit a 3-run dinger in the 3rd and that was enough to edge the Nationals. Logan Webb cruised through the first five but ran out of gas in the 6th after a spirited 13-pitch plate appearance from Keibert Ruiz that resulted in a walk. A balk and two hits later a run was in and Webb was out. Ryan Walker finished the inning and put up a scoreless 7th. Taylor and Tyler Rogers managed the 8th, and Camilo Doval struck out the side in the 9th for the save.

The Giants had men on second and third with no outs in the 8th with a 4-1 lead and failed to add on. In the bottom half the Nationals pulled off the same routine, failing to score with runners on second and third and no outs. The Giants wound up with a 1-for-7 mark hitting with RISP and left five men on base. Washington's lineup fared worse, going 1-for-8 with RISP and stranding nine. Patrick Corbin went six, fanning six against one walk, but gave up the two homers. Webb walked three and whiffed four in his 5-2/3, allowing just the one run.

The team gets back to .500 (57-57) for the season. The last time was May 31st (29-29). The website still lists Birdsong as the starter tomorrow (3:45 PT).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants thump Reds

SF 8  CIN 2

It seems that August will be the make-or-break month for this 2024 Giants ballclub. Today's win gave them a series victory and starts the month with a winning record. There was a solid start by Robbie Ray, great bullpen work, and a superb offensive explosion (3 doubles and 3 homers) with a late-inning rally, all the ingredients for a big win. If the Giants are to make a move in the Wild Card race they'll need to do more stuff like that over the remaining 48 games.

This is a poor road team: 23-34 (.404) after today. They are 33-23 (.589) in San Francisco. There are four more away games on this trip, all against the Nationals, before they return home. Washington ought to be a team they can beat up on. The rotation looks like Webb-Birdsong-Snell-Harrison. Monday's game is 3:45 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Snell says NO!

SF 3  CIN 0

Blake Snell had four starts in July and ran out a nice looking line: 24 IP, 8 H. 2 R, 5 W, 30 K. The Giants won three of those games. Tonight against the Reds he surpassed all of that with a no-hitter. That's right, a complete game shutout without allowing a hit. It's the third no-no in MLB this season and the 18th in Giants history. Even better: it's the first complete game of Snell's career! Obviously it's also his first no-hitter and his first shutout. In fact he had never gone eight full frames--7-2/3 IP was his career high.

Snell threw 103 pitches in his last start where he struck out 15 in six innings. Tonight he reached 114 with 11 whiffs. He got nine fly ball outs and two on the ground. All this after the game's start was delayed by an hour due to rain.

The lineup struck out 14 times but the rookies saved the day. Homers by Tyler Fitzgerald (who also had an RBI double) and Casey Schmitt backed up Snell.

Back-to-back shutouts by the team's aces are a good way to "serve notice" to the rest of the league. Congratulations to Blake Snell for an historic accomplishment. And a pat on the back to the ball club for pulling out the win. Let's get some more! 4:15 PT tomorrow.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Lucky 13

SF 1  OAK 0

Logan Webb threw a complete game shutout and the Giants edged the A's to split the series. The Giants have six total shutouts this season but this was their first by one guy. It's the 13th complete game shutout in MLB this season (there have been 210 team shutouts). It was Webb's third complete game in his career and his second shutout.

Greg Maddux (1986-2008) had 109 CGs and 35 were shutouts. Baseball's active CG leaders are Justin Verlander (26) and Clayton Kershaw (25). They are also the active shutout leaders, Kershaw with 15 and Verlander with 9.

Webb leads MLB in innings pitched with 144-1/3.

The team travels to Cincinnati today for a weekend three-game set. Friday is 4:10 PT. The starters have not been listed but it looks like Harrison-Snell-Birdsong.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

I'm back. Are the Giants?

OAK 5  SF 2

The Giants didn't do much at the trade deadline. I think Zo summed things up nicely in the comments. They are, at this point, a middling team and made some middling moves. Not very exciting. Not that I was expecting much. I did notice that the first three names in the lineup last night were Fitzgerald, Schmitt, and Ramos, all rookies. The Youth Movement is officially underway. They went 1-for-10 with five whiffs, but hey, anyone can have a bad night.

I will miss Alex Cobb. He pitched really well in orange-and-black. He'll be 37 in October and is recovering from hip surgery so I can understand why the Giants moved on. Jorge Soler had a rough start to the year but is otherwise a solid DH. Though with youngsters in the wings and $32M on the books for '25-'26 it's not surprising they opted for a trade. I suppose getting anything for a pitcher who has yet to throw this year and an aging hitter (Soler's 33 next season) with limited defensive value is a bit of a coup. FZ likes to work the margins. Swinging for the fences (Harper, Judge, Ohtani) hasn't worked out.

This season will come down to the existing ace (Logan Webb) getting back to his ace-like ways. He hasn't looked good lately. Blake Snell and Robbie Ray have to perform like veteran studs. Rookies Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong have to keep it up--both have been impressive. Birdsong has only 169-2/3 innings of minor league ball under his belt. Plus a some college (73 IP). Harrison as we know came straight from HS. His minors IP tally was 279-1/3. Contrast that to Tim Lincecum's 113-2/3! Timmy did spend three full seasons at UW racking up 342 IP.

On the hitting side, you gotta like these kids because we will get a steady diet of them. I'm happy about that, actually. It's time to see if the system can produce quality major-leaguers. This 2024 club has yet to gel and it's not certain it will gel at all. But they will creep around the periphery of the race and keep us tantalized.

Logan Webb tonight (6:45 PT). Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. In my absence I missed Game 108 or the end of the sixth seasonal inning. They were a desultory 9-9. Last night's loss brings their record to 53-56. They are five back in the Wild Card.

1st inning: 7-11

2nd inning: 8-10

3rd inning: 12-6

4th inning: 8-10

5th inning: 9-9

6th inning: 9-9

Coorsed again

COL 7  SF 3

The Giants bullpen gave up seven runs—two in the 6th, one in the 7th, four in the 8th—and turned a 3-0 lead into a painful loss. Kyle Harrison strung together five scoreless frames which is no mean feat at altitude in Denver. But the overworked, overexposed relief corps cracked in the thin air and got clobbered. The lineup had their chances for more runs early on and didn't convert and then sort of faded away. The Rockies bullpen struck out five in the final three innings.

It was not the second half start we were hoping for. There's two more at Coors (Saturday at 5:10 PT and Sunday at 12:10 PT) and then they go to LA.  Logan Webb takes the hill tomorrow. He had an ugly All-Star game but he pitched well in Chicago on his last turn.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. Once again I must be away from my desk. I won't be posting for at least a week and perhaps two. But feel free to carry on in the comments!

Yaz saves the day

SF 3  MIN 2

Blake Snell had his best start of the year, seven shut out innings with only one hit allowed. He was perfect through six. That makes twelve consecutive scoreless frames over his last two outings. The single in the 7th was wiped out by a double play and a 1-2-3 8th from Tyler Rogers meant the Giants had faced the minimum going to the 9th. Clinging to a 2-0 lead Camilo Doval walked the first batter and two doubles later had to be pulled with the save blown and the game tied. Ryan Walker finished up. Fortunately Mike Yastrzemski tripled to lead off the bottom half and then promptly scored the winner on a throwing error. It would have been a shame to waste Snell's great effort. I can't decide whether to call pitching well and getting an ND being "Cained" or "Webbed" as both work.

Giants go to the Break with a 47-50 record, good for 4th place, 9 GB in the West and 3 GB in the Wild Card. The All-Star Game is Tuesday and the second half begins Friday in Colorado.

--M.C.

Score early, score often

SF 7  MIN 1

The Giants had nine hits total but five of them were for extra bases: three doubles and two triples. Rookie Brett Wisely had three of the nine hits including a double and a triple. Kyle Harrison threw five scoreless but ran into trouble in the 6th and was pulled with one out and one run in. After back-to-back disaster starts and two losses to the Blue Jays it was nice to get a strong effort and nab a win. The Twins are a good team, sitting second to the Guardians in the AL Central and second in the AL Wild Card hunt.

The Giants scored one in the 1st and two in the 2nd and followed that with one in the 5th, one in the 6th, and two in the 7th. That kept the pressure on and Minnesota, despite ten hits (eight singles), never got anything going. Giants flashed some leather—Heliot Ramos made a nice diving catch in the 4th, Brett Wisley stabbed a hot shot in the 6th, and Matt Chapman nabbed another of those impossible foul pop-ups in the 8th. He's good at that!

It's a FOX game at 4:15 Pacific this afternoon. Rookie Hayden Birdsong gets the start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Snell swell; Giants walk it off

SF 4  TOR 3

An errant pitch in the 9th capped a gritty comeback by the Giants and they snapped their two-game skid. They've played a nice stretch of ball lately: winning three of four from the Cubs, two of three from the Dodgers, and two of three from the Braves. Then they had three hard-fought close contests in Cleveland, just getting edged out and losing two of them to the best home team in baseball. If the Giants can go toe-to-toe with the Guardians and stand up to LA and Atlanta they are doing better than their record shows.

Last night was a breakthrough for our Thirty Million Dollar Man. Blake Snell went five scoreless allowing only one hit and three walks on what for him was a parsimonious 74 pitches. Let's see some more of that!

Youngsters Heliot Ramos and Casey Fitzgerald both homered off Yusei Kikuchi (who was awesome, whiffing 13 in 7-2/3) and that fueled the comeback. Ryan Walker had a rare bad outing and the Giants trailed late but still pulled out a win. Brett Wisely had  the game-tying hit in the 9th. There's a nice youth core emerging on this club. Austin Slater got lost in the squeeze--the veteran OF was traded to the Reds for lefty reliever Alex Young.

I missed posting for the team's 90th game or the end of the fifth seasonal inning. That was the loss on Saturday. Here's the story so far:

1st inning: 7-11

2nd inning: 8-10

3rd inning: 12-6

4th inning: 8-10

5th inning: 9-9

They've gone 1-1 since then and their record after 92 contests is 45-47. That's good for third place (tied with Arizona), ten back of the top and 2-1/2 games out of the Wild Card. Logan Webb and Heliot Ramos are All-Stars. It's exciting to see Ramos put his game together.

Speaking of Webb, he goes tonight at 6:45 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Split

SF 4  CHC 3

CHC 5  SF 3

The Giants took three of four from the Cubs but it felt like a lost opportunity. They had a real chance at a sweep but couldn't pull it off. That seems like the theme for the season—had a chance but couldn't get it done.

Rookie Hayden Birdsong made his debut Wednesday and the 22-year old impressed everyone with his electric stuff. He made it into the 5th but gave up a homer and that chased him from the game. Still, he whiffed five and did at least as well as his Chicago counterpart Hayden Wesneski. That's the first time two Haydens have started a baseball game.

Today Jordan Hicks had a rough second inning but still managed to log five with seven Ks. The Giants tied it up 3-3 with a rally in the 6th and got four innings of good relief work (Bivens, Miller, Walker, Hjelle) to send it to extras. Ian Happ hit a homer off Luke Jackson in the 10th and that was that.

The Dodgers come to town tomorrow night for a three-game weekend set. Logan Webb takes the hill at 7:15 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. I'll be away from my desk for a bit so I may not be posting regularly but comments are of course always open.

Two in a row

SF 5  CHC 1

A brilliant team-wide pitching effort from six guys kept the Cubs in check and gave the Giants their second win in a row. Randy Rodriguez opened things and was dazzling (5 K) for 2+ but then gave up a run with two outs in the 3rd. Sean Hjelle finished the frame and got five more outs. Taylor Rogers picked up the ball for three outs, then 1-1/3 from Ryan Walker, and then a scoreless inning from Tyler Rogers. Camilo Doval had a quiet 9th to finish things off.

Kyle Hendricks was very tough for Chicago, yielding only two in his seven frames. It was looking like a nail-biter until the Giants broke it open with three in the 8th. This late-inning scoring thing is pretty exciting. Two more hits for Brett "Maverick" Wisely at the top of the lineup. He's hitting .301 overall (29 G, 99 PA).

Hayden Birdsong, a 6th-round draft pick in 2022 from Eastern Illinois University, gets the start tomorrow night at 6:45 Pacific. He's a mere 22 years of age. He was pitching well in Richmond (AA) and got called up to Sacramento (AAA) where he's only had two starts but I guess he's on the fast track. Not to mention the Giants need starters! Welcome aboard, Hayden. Show 'em what you got!

Go Giants!

--M.C.

A true walk-off

SF 5  CHC 4

A lot of walk-off wins involve fast running and close plays. The only "true" walk-offs are game-ending homers. (I guess a ground-rule double with a man on second would count.) Or game-ending bases-loaded events, like a walk, HBP, catcher's interference, pitch-clock violation, etc. Otherwise they are really not "walk" offs where the winning run can literally walk home. All of that to say the Giants had a true walk-off with Wilmer Flores getting walked with the bases loaded in the 9th to win the game.

So, miracles do happen. The swooning Giants looked for all the world that they would keep swooning but they somehow turned it around in the final frame to snap their losing skid at five. That makes six walk-off wins so far in 2024.

FNG Spencer Howard got the win with 4-2/3 IP of superb relief work. Giants added 25-year old rookie southpaw Raymond Burgos to the staff as well. He's from Puerto Rico and was originally drafted by Cleveland. Next game is 6:45 tonight.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

June Swoon

On May 31st the Giants were 29-29. The calendar flipped and the Swoon happened. Today's loss makes it five in a row and a 7-13 record for the month of June. That's .350 ball.

After an excellent (7 IP, 2 R) but futile effort (5-2 loss) in Chicago in his last start, today Logan Webb got hit hard early and that did it for the Giants. Webb recovered to pitch four scoreless after allowing four runs in the first two frames, but his counterpart Sonny Gray threw a perfect game into the 7th. Patrick Bailey hit a homer with two outs to break it all up, but the 4-1 deficit was too much. Gray finished the frame and his day with eight strikeouts and no walks. The lineup rallied in the 8th but so did the Cardinals and it finished 5-3.

There's been a lot of injuries and the team can barely be said to have a starting rotation but it is still frustrating to watch them flounder. At least we get to see the youngsters like Wisely and Ramos and etc. The team is 20-17 at home so perhaps the next set of games in San Francisco (four against the Cubs, three against the Dodgers) will be better. Tomorrow night's game is at 6:45 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Willie Mays

Willie Mays was born in 1931, the same year both of my parents were born. My Mom is still alive and will turn 93 in September. My Dad was born in May—twelve days after Willie. He died in 1998. I was born in November of 1959. My first baseball game is too hazy, but it would have been at Candlestick Park in 1967 or 1968. I remember the 1969 season—Bobby Bonds was a phenom and Willie McCovey won the NL MVP. Dad took us to the first playoff game in 1971 against the Pirates. Tito Fuentes, my favorite player, hit a home run.

Willie Mays was of course a central figure on all of those Giants teams. He was unfortunately gone by 1972 and finished his final days with the Mets. Willie was 40 in 1971, his last productive season, and the Giants wouldn't make it back to the post-season again until 1987.

I didn't get to see the prime superstar seasons that Willie dazzled baseball with for over a decade. I saw an aging baseball legend. Even then, when I was a kid, people generally agreed that Willie was the best player ever. But as a boy I was much more excited about other guys on the team. I suppose I took Mays for granted. And then he was gone for a long time and the team was mostly pretty bad. They finally re-united with him in 1986 and it's been a happy relationship ever since.

Clearly Willie Mays is one of the greatest ballplayers of all time. As Giants fans we got to enjoy him more than everyone else, and that's pretty cool.

Rest in peace, Willie.

--M.C.

Estrada's blast lifts Giants

SF 7  CHC 6

It's hard to get more clutch than a 9th-inning three-run bomb to plate the go-ahead run on the road, am I right? That was a heck of a hit by Thairo. It really seemed like the Cubs had seized the momentum with a big bomb of their own but the Giants battled back. Jordan Hicks did his thing with five scoreless but rookies Randy Rodriguez and Erik Miller couldn't hold the line. Camilo Doval, handed a one-run lead with Estrada's clutch home run, nailed down the win with an effortless 11-pitch save. Go figure. Also, a hit, two walks, and a run scored for Jorge Soler. They really need his bat. Is it perhaps awakening from its slumber? Two more hits including a homer for Heliot Ramos who is now slashing .328/.404/.577 and has clearly "served notice."

Logan Webb goes tomorrow at 5:05 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

4th inning: 8-10

1st inning: 7-11

2nd inning: 8-10

3rd inning: 12-6

4th inning: 8-10

35-37, .486, 3rd place, 8-1/2 GB

The Giants exploded for 13 runs today and even had a nine-run inning. Unfortunately they lost the first two games of the series to this really bad Angels team and that dampers my enthusiasm a bit. Of course it is nice to see someone like Jorge Soler finally start producing and to see a good game from the bullpen. Even Camilo Doval got some much-needed work. He gave up four runs in 1/3 of an inning! That's a bit worrisome even if it was a blowout. Heliot Ramos continued his hot streak with two more hits today.

Overall it has not been a good June for the Giants. The pitching staff took another hit with Kyle Harrison going down. Apparently it was a weight room-related ankle injury. The rotation got a boost with Keaton Winn's return but it is still stretched thin. Today 30-year old rookie Spencer Bivens made his debut in long relief. With Spencer Howard that makes two Spencers on the staff.

The Giants go on the road to face the Cubs and the Cardinals and then come home for the Cubs and the Dodgers to finish out the month. Tomorrow night's game is at 5:05 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants take finale from Astros

SF 5  HOU 3

Logan Webb gave up two runs in the 6th on a double from Alex Bregman and a homer by Yordan Alvarez. It was only the fourth home run allowed by Webb in 15 starts (92-1/3 IP). That third-time-through-the-order-penalty tightened up a 5-1 game. Webb finished the inning but was done for the day. It was his eleventh quality start. Fortunately the Giants bullpen was up to the task and shut down the Astros the rest of the way. Ryan Walker and Tyler Rogers put up zeroes in the 7th and 8th and Camilo Doval (shocker!) had an uneventful 9th for the save.

Austin Slater, in the leadoff spot against lefty Framber Valdez, was the hitting star. He was 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Brett Wisely chipped in two more hits and is now sporting a .317 batting average. Giants #2-3-4 hitters (Ramos/Flores/Chapman) all contributed an RBI. Even Jorge Soler had fun: two hits, two walks, and a run scored. Webb wasn't at his best today but he certainly bested Valdez who was out after four frames and tagged for eight hits and all five runs.

There are only five teams in the NL with a winning record: Phillies, Dodgers, Brewers, Braves, and Padres. The Giants 34-35 record puts them at sixth-best. Tomorrow is an off-day and then the Angels come to town for a three-game set. Speaking of the LAnaheimers, there are only six teams in the AL with a winning record and they aren't one of them. Friday night's game is at 7:15 and the weekend games are both at 1:05 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Weird win in extras

SF 4  HOU 3 (10)

The Giants had perhaps their nuttiest finish of the season so far with an improbable comeback against the Astros to take the series opener. Down 3-1 after a goofy top of the 10th where the Astros bunted twice, the lineup fought back with their own oddball attack. Tonight's top of the order featured the youngsters: SS Brett Wisely, CF Heliot Ramos, and C Patrick Bailey. They all singled. With Michael Conforto batting the pitcher made an error and the game was tied. After Jorge Soler made an out (big surprise), Austin Slater hit one off the wall to end it.

Kyle Harrison pitched well but lost the shutout and the 1-0 lead in the 7th. Sean Hjelle, Ryan Walker, and Camilo Doval kept it quiet until Erik Miller's unfortunate 10th. But the Giants put together quite a comeback. Here's FanGraphs win probability chart:

Jordan Hicks goes tomorrow night at 6:45 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Rampagin' Ramos rips Rangers

SF 3  TEX 1

Heliot Ramos has eleven hits in his last six games (as well as six walks) and four of those hits have been homers. He doubled to drive in the Giants first run today and then hit a two-run bomb to plate the rest of the runs. How about a slash line of .327/.419/.554 for the 24-year old outfielder? Not bad! Let's hope he can find a consistent groove and be a steady producer for the rest of the season.

FNG righty starter Spencer Howard didn't make it out of the 5th but held the line at one run allowed. The bullpen took over and it was all zeroes the rest of the way. Camilo Doval put two on in the 9th but still got the save. Two wins in two tries in Texas means a chance for a sweep tomorrow. Keaton Winn is back from the IL and gets the start at 10:05 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb and homers subdue Rangers

SF 5  TEX 2

Logan Webb threw another good game and the Giants backed him with a homer barrage and some strong bullpen work. That was enough to win the opener against the Rangers. Wilmer Flores hit home runs in his first two at-bats against Michael Lorenzen to give the Giants an early lead. Texas rallied against Webb to tie it in the 5th but the Giants countered in the 7th. Michael Conforto homered after a Matt Chapman walk to re-take the lead. Hot-hitting Heliot Ramos drove in a run in the 8th—he had three hits from the leadoff spot. After Webb's seven frames (5 H, 0 W, 6 K) Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval each threw a clean inning and sealed the win.

Every time the Giants win a tidy game like this one I wonder why they don't do it more often. I suppose getting a dominant start from an ace pitcher is not such a common thing. Webb has now gone seven innings or more in eight of his fourteen starts.

Tomorrow's game is listed for 1:05 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Wilmer slams Snakes

SF 9  ARI 3

The Giants loaded the bases four times in this game, twice in the same inning. Behind 1-0 in the 3rd, Austin Slater led off with a single and Heliot Ramos followed with his fifth homer. Thairo Estrada singled, Matt Chapman walked, and Jorge Soler singled to load the bases. Wilmer Flores then hit a grand slam. Being up 6-1 was a great, but the way the Giants have been playing it didn't feel like enough. The Giants continued with the inning and loaded the bases again but didn't score.

Jordan Hicks didn't last and the D-Backs chipped away and it was 6-3 in the 6th when the Giants loaded the bases again. They failed to score. Fortunately the bullpen held the line. Soler hit a solo shot in the 8th to create some breathing room. In the 9th Michael Conforto led off with a hit and Ramos walked (he had three on the day). Estrada doubled home a run and Chapman walked to load the bases. Flores hit a sac fly to get another run home. It was enough.

The win snaps a six-game losing streak. That's enough about that. Travel day tomorrow and then a three-game set in Texas against the Rangers. Logan Webb gets the call, 5:05 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Yanks complete sweep

NYY 7  SF 5

The Giants had a real shot to win the game this afternoon in San Francisco. Taking a 5-3 lead into the 9th closer Camilo Doval had an epic meltdown and the Yankees emerged as winners. It was a shame because after two consecutive pastings (6-2 Friday and 7-3 yesterday) the home squad came out fighting and got some huge hits from the youngsters. Heliot Ramos homered and drove in another run with a single. Casey Schmitt had a run-scoring single and a homer. It was almost enough. Doval has not been the same this season. He walked two more batters in his disastrous outing and that makes 17 in 23-1/3 IP. Blake Snell started and looked better but then he couldn't make it out of the 5th. It seems he has another groin injury.

It's off to Arizona for three against the Diamondbacks. Tomorrow's game starts at 6:40 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Phils avoid sweep

PHI  6  SF 1

Kyle Harrison gave up twelve hits in five innings of work. Three were doubles and two were homers so it seems a miracle he only allowed four runs. The other two were scored off rookie Randy Rodriguez in the 8th, he had a nice stretch of five scoreless appearances (7-2/3 IP) before that. The lineup managed a mere six hits, two by Heliot Ramos, one of which came in the 9th to score the only run.

It's an off-day tomorrow. The Yankees come to town on Friday night (7:15 PT) with Jordan Hicks getting the start. Saturday night (7:05) features Logan Webb and on Sunday (1:05) it's Blake Snell. 

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. Looks like LaMonte Wade, Jr. is out for four weeks (hamstring). That's why there's Trenton Brooks on the roster.

Giants get the edge in extras

SF 1  PHI 0 (10)

The home team ought to have the advantage in extra innings and tonight it worked out for the Giants. They had to face Zack Wheeler to start the evening and they couldn't get anything going against him. They managed to run up his pitch count a bit and he left after six scoreless. A trio of relievers kept it that way through nine. The Giants matched zeroes with a bullpen array: Erik Miller opened, Taylor Rogers took the next two frames, FNG Spencer Howard delivered four more, and Tyler Rogers made it through the 8th. Sean Hjelle became the man on the spot and he delivered two more scoreless innings to see the Giants through. That was a big performance from Hjelle and from the whole relief corps. The lineup left eight men on base and was 0-for-9 with RISP. The winning run in the 10th scored on two sacrifice flies. Luis Matos got the winning RBI.

The Phillies are a tough team to beat yet the Giants make it two in a row to take the series. They have a chance for a sweep! Kyle Harrison takes the hill tomorrow—it's the getaway game, start time 12:45 PT. Phils send out Christopher Sánchez.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants snag first win against Phils

SF 8  PHI 4

The Phillies have the best record in baseball and they whipped the Giants four straight in Philadelphia earlier this month. But the Giants got the best of it today in San Francisco despite another poor outcome for The Thirty Million Dollar Man. Lefty Blake Snell lasted only four innings, throwing 90 pitches, yielding five hits, two walks, and four runs while whiffing seven. The Giants wore out Taijuan Walker and then added on later, getting big hits up and down the order. You have to love the Youth Movement: two hits apiece for rookies Luis Matos, Heliot Ramos, and Brett Wisely, and two hits for sophomore Patrick Bailey. The team had twelve total. Also rookie Ryan Walker continues to be Mr. Reliable out of the 'pen. And rookie Randy Rodriguez had another good outing bailing out the starter.

Tomorrow night (6:45 PT) the Phils send out Zack Wheeler so it will be a tall order to score runs. It's TBD for the home squad, probably a bullpen game.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

3rd inning: 12-6

1st inning: 7-11

2nd inning: 8-10

3rd inning: 12-6

27-27, .500, 2nd place, 5-1/2 GB

The Giants had a four-game winning streak last week and with a chance to make it five they blew a 6-2 lead in the 9th. The Giants had a four-game winning streak right after that, and with a chance to make it five today in New York, they blew a 3-1 lead in the 9th.

Logan Webb's strong seven (3 H, 1 R, 1 W, 8 K) was backed by another good inning from Ryan Walker who is the go-to guy for big outs these days. Tyler Rogers couldn't close it out, unfortunately. The Giants hit a lot of balls hard today and had scoring chances they didn't convert. The final game of the road trip was a 4-3 walk-off win for the Mets. Here's how the six games went: blown lead in the 9th, comeback, comeback, comeback, comeback, blown lead in the 9th.

But that's enough about today. The important thing is that the Giants are playing better baseball. They rank 11th of the 30 teams in runs scored with 237, or 4.39 rpg. They get on base at a decent clip (.317, 8th-best) but don't slug much (.387, 15th-best). They are mostly middle-of-the-road: 8th-most in doubles, 18th-most in homers, 12th-most in walks, 14th-fewest in strikeouts. Their .249 BA is 8th-best. They are dead last in stolen bases (19). I think those numbers square with what we've seen.

On the pitching side, the Giants have allowed 256 runs (24th-most) or 4.74 rpg. Over this stretch of 18 games they've allowed 78 runs (4.33 rpg) and ten of those were in one of the losses to LA. The Big Three of Webb, Harrison, and Hicks are all doing well. It's worth noting that Blake Snell (19) and Keaton Winn (29) have given up almost 19% of the team's runs. One expects Snell will improve but a fifth starter remains elusive. Winn is on the IL and will likely rehab in the minors. Mason Black (14 runs) is not quite ready, it seems. Injured pitchers Alex Cobb, Robbie Ray, and Tristan Beck are still far away.

Other than Ryan Walker the bullpen is shaky although Randy Rodriguez seems to be coming along nicely. Tyler Rogers, other than today, has been solid, and brother Taylor looks a lot better. As does Sean Hjelle who seems to be finding himself. Maybe he'll get some starts. Camilo Doval is walking too many people and he needs to tighten that up.

On the fielding side it's clear that Matt Chapman is a huge upgrade and a run-saving, out-generating machine. His hitting is much better these days as well. The outfield looks a lot better despite losing Jung Hoo Lee. The youngsters (Matos and Ramos) have really brought a lot of energy to the club. Losing SS Nick Ahmed was a blow as Marco Luciano is still struggling at the position despite swinging the bat well. Overall the Giants rate last in defensive efficiency and still make way too many errors. I think that fits our eye test. The team is more athletic with the youth infusion but there are still a lot of blown plays and missed chances. I'm happy to see Patrick Bailey behind the plate again and it looks like youngsters Wisely and McKenna might have some fielding chops.

One-third of the season is over. Lots of baseball (108 games) left. The Phillies are in San Francisco tomorrow (2:05 Pacific). Blake Snell is back, he gets the start. Two more games follow on Tuesday (6:45) and Wednesday (12:45). Thursday's an off-day and then it's the Yankees for three over the weekend.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Late game magic, again

SF 7  NYM 2 (10)

It was a seesaw battle this afternoon in Queens. Mets starter Luis Severino had a no-hitter through five. Jordan Hicks struck out eight in his five frames and only allowed two hits. One was unfortunately a solo shot from Starling Marte. Brett Wisely's single with one out in the 6th gave the Giants an opening and Patrick Bailey drove him home with two outs to tie the game at 1-1. Brett Baty hit a homer off reliever Sean Hjelle in the 7th to make it 2-1 and put the pressure on. The Giants responded with one in the 9th when Late Game LaMonte drove in the tying run. Ryan McKenna, pinch-running for Wilmer Flores (who'd singled as a pinch-hitter), stole second base to set up the scoring chance.

Luke Jackson pitched the 9th and put up a zero but he had to work around another error from shortstop Marco Luciano. Brett Wisely led off the 10th with a single that scored the Manfred Man. The Giants then loaded the bases and a walk to Patrick Bailey made it 4-2. With two outs Mike Yastrzemski cleared the bases with a triple and blew the game open. Camilo Doval had a 1-2-3 9th with two strikeouts.

Who are these guys? That's eight wins in nine games with the only loss being a blown 6-2 lead in the 9th! They are a game over .500 (27-26) and suddenly in second place in the NL West.

Like I said yesterday, it makes me happy to see the team playing better. You knew they were better than what we saw in April and in the first part of this month. They were 15-21 after getting trounced in Philadelphia and have gone 12-5 since then.

Logan Webb gets the start tomorrow (10:40 a.m. Pacific) in the finale against our old pal Sean Manaea. I'd like to see them get the sweep, of course. They need all the momentum they can get—their next two opponents are the two best teams, the Phillies and the Yankees.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

.500

SF 8  NYM 7

For the second game in a row the Giants scored five runs in the 8th inning to turn around a 6-2 deficit and go on to win. Miraculous late-inning comebacks aren't usually a sustainable winning strategy but they sure are fun. And this win brought the 2024 Giants back to a .500 record for the first time since March 31st.

Rookie shortstop Marco Luciano had three hits (including a triple) and is now hitting .409 but he also made two errors, one of them in the 9th. Camilo Doval struggled once again but managed to pull off the save thanks to an exceptional 5-3 final play from Matt Chapman and LaMonte Wade, Jr. Doval has walked 15 in 20-2/3 IP and add in the 16 hits and the bases have been crowded with him on the hill. Patrick Bailey's grand slam was the big blow in the five-run rally but homers from Jorge Soler and Mike Yastrzemski helped as well. That's three games in a row where there's been a four-run homer.

Luis Matos hit in the leadoff spot and went 0-for-5 with an RBI but also made a great catch in center to save an extra-base hit. Kyle Harrison started and struggled through five but was bailed out by Nick Avila and another good inning from bullpen workhorse Ryan Walker.

Apparently three comebacks in a row of four runs or more is a team record. It's nice to see them winning. Let's hope they can sustain it. Jordan Hicks starts tomorrow at 10:40 a.m. PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. Giants picked up lefty Drew Pomeranz and added him to the bullpen. This is his second stint with the club.

Giants take 2 of 3 from Bucs

After that ugly, excruciating 7-6 loss in extras on Tuesday, things did not look good for the good guys. Luke Jackson and Camilo Doval blew a four-run, 9th-inning lead that looked like a cinch and denied the team their fifth win in a row. An error at shortstop by rookie Marco Luciano (he had another 9th-inning error today) helped out, too. Logan Webb delivered a solid six with six whiffs and just two runs allowed. Good work by Ryan Walker and Tyler Rogers kept it that way until the mess at the end. Erik Miller was the sacrificial lamb—he threw one pitch, gave up a hit, and the Manfred Man scored to end it.

The Giants counter-punched 9-5 on Wednesday despite the unusual strategy of giving up a grand slam to the other team. The Pirates loaded the bases in the 4th against Blake Snell and then he hit Andrew McCutchen with his 87th pitch to force in the game's first run. Sean Hjelle was summoned and he promptly surrendered the salami to former Giants prospect Brian Reynolds. The lineup chipped away with a run in the 6th, two in the 7th, and one apiece in the 8th and 9th. A four-spot in the 10th was a nice touch! The young players have really added a spark to the lineup. Seems to have fired up Matt Chapman and Jorge Soler, don't you think? Randy Rodriguez threw a dandy two in relief with four strikeouts. Zeroes from Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker and a scoreless 10th from Doval evened up the series.

That grand salami strategy was so cool the Giants did it again today in an impressive 7-6 comeback win. This time former Giants prospect Joey Bart got to the swing the big stick. Mason Black was victimized in a bullpen game against big-time prospect Paul Skenes. The Giants were undaunted by their early setback. They chipped away at Skenes, getting six hits and three walks while striking out just three times, but could only score once (on a force out). They also hit into two double plays. The 21-year old righty phenom was done after six (93 pitches) and his team leading 5-1. It was his third ML start. He's 6'6" and 235 lbs. and was the overall #1 pick in last year's draft. There's a lot of buzz about this guy. Regardless, the Giants added one more run in the 7th and then had a happy time in the 8th with a five-run rally. The go-ahead run was a nice liner to center by lefty Brett Wisely off lefty Aroldis Chapman. It was a 13-hit attack today. Great relief work from Randy Rodriguez and Tyler Rogers (who got the save) sealed the series win.

The next stop is New York for three against the Mets this weekend. Kyle Harrison gets the start tomorrow night (4:10 PT). They are home Monday (Memorial Day) against the Phillies.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

A sweep and a streak

SF 4  COL 1

The Giants win their fourth game in a row (one against the Dodgers, three against the Rockies) behind some solid team pitching. Jordan Hicks gave up a solo homer in the 1st but only two hits after that and put up four straight zeros. He was pulled after five frames (72 pitches) and the team down 1-0. He wasn't throwing as hard as usual and I wonder if that was a red flag. They are being very careful with his workload. He's at 53 IP now and his career high is 77-2/3 in 2018. He had 65-2/3 last year. It seems like the right thing to do. Today it worked as four pitchers each pitched a scoreless inning: Sean Hjelle, Luke Jackson, Taylor Rogers, and Camilo Doval.

In the bottom of the 5th Marco Luciano walked and Curt Casali singled. Jorge Soler struck out but LaMonte Wade Jr. drove in a run with a single. Thairo Estrada grounded out but Matt Chapman singled in the go-ahead run. An error put Luis Matos aboard and allowed another run to make it 3-1 Giants. Heliot Ramos hit is first homer in the 6th to add insurance. It wasn't a double-digit extravaganza like the first two games but it was a crisp, workmanlike win and there hasn't been enough of those. Let's see some more.

They are off tomorrow and then play three in Pittsburgh starting Tuesday (3:40 Pacific). Logan Webb is listed as the starter.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. Giants claimed OF Ryan McKenna

Luis Matos: serving notice

SF 14  COL 4 (today)

SF 10  COL 5 (yesterday)

Twenty-four hours ago I found out that Jung Hoo Lee's season was over. He needs surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. In the interim the Giants scored twenty-four runs against the Colorado Rockies. That's over two games of course but as the Giants were averaging fewer than four runs per game it's a big deal. They've now scored 193 runs on the season (47 games) and the 24 runs from the previous two games represents 12% of their seasonal output. They now average 4.1 rpg!

I'm really upset about Lee getting hurt. I know he wasn't doing much but I think he will be an impact player once he gets acclimated to MLB. Alas, we'll have to wait until next year. Meanwhile Luis Matos is claiming the vacant center field spot with a jaw-dropping weekend: three hits and five RBI on Friday, three hits and six RBI today. The youngsters (Heliot Ramos, Marco Luciano, Kyle Harrison, etc.) are certainly getting their chances. Regardless of the outcome of the season that's an exciting development.

Jordan Hicks gets the start tomorrow (1:05 PT). The Giants have won three in a row for the first time all year. Let's see if they can keep the bats going and pull off a sweep.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb leads Giants

SF 4  LA 1

Logan Webb has not had an easy time against the Dodgers. Other than his memorable performances in the 2021 playoffs (2 GS, 14-2/3 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 W, 17 K) his career line coming into tonight's start was a modest 3-6 in 13 starts with a 4.41 ERA (67-2/3 IP, 70 H, 38 R, 20 W, 56 K). Webb labored in the 1st, throwing 30 pitches while wriggling out of a bases-loaded jam. He added another 23 in the 2nd but settled down after that, needing only 50 pitches to throw another four scoreless. He finished with just three hits allowed (all singles) in his six innings but added an uncharacteristic three walks (with five strikeouts). Sean Hjelle and Erik Miller combined for another zero in the 7th and Tyler Rogers gave up a run in 8th. Camilo Doval put two on in the 9th but closed it out for a tidy win.

Mike Yastrzemski hit a two-run homer in the 3rd, driving in the just-acquired Curt Casali. Luis Matos made a great play in center field in the 4th to save a home run and he also added a two-out RBI hit in the 8th. Heliot Ramos also had a two-out RBI hit, this one in the 6th, as the Giants added on late to secure their first win against the Dodgers this season. It's an off-day tomorrow and then the Rockies come to town for three on the weekend.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Early lead holds up

SF 8  COL 6

Nothing is ever for sure at Coors Field. The Giants had a nice 7-0 lead after three but the Rockies chipped away at Jordan Hicks and he left after five with a 7-3 cushion. Sean Hjelle gave up a run in the 6th but the Giants countered with one in the 7th. Camilo Doval entered the 9th with a 8-4 lead and he gave up a two-run homer after two were out but that was it. The Giants make it two in a row. It seems they've found a team that's worse than them.

It was a well-rounded thirteen-hit attack with Michael Conforto and Blake Sabol getting three apiece. Jorge Soler was put on the 10-day IL and Heliot Ramos was called up to take his spot. He had an RBI hit in the 2nd and scored a run in that big six-run rally.

Keaton Winn is coming off his worst start (2/3 IP, 5 R in Philly) which ballooned his ERA from 3.18 to 4.41. Like us I'm sure he's hoping for something better in the getaway game tomorrow at 12:10 Pacific. The Giants come back to San Francisco for a nine-game homestand starting Friday. I'll be away from my desk for a few days so I may not get a chance to post, so keep up the talk in the comments.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants snap skid

SF 5  COL 0

Coors Field is a tough place to pitch but Kyle Harrison made it look easy. He mowed down the Rockies over seven scoreless frames. It took him 86 pitches to get the 21 outs, giving up only four hits and two walks. He whiffed just two but eleven ground outs made up the difference. All the hits were singles. That's three nice starts in a row from Harrison: 18 IP, 12 H, 1 R, 7 W, 16 K. That was his fifteenth career start and he turns 23 in August. I think he's coming along just fine.

Ryan Walker struck out all three of the batters he faced in the 8th. Camilo Doval, who did not appear in the four losses in Philadelphia, walked two but also whiffed two in his inning and the Giants had a shutout. He benefited from a nice play from Thairo Estrada to get the first out in the 9th. Harrison got backing early when the Giants put up a four-spot in the 4th with a slew of singles. They had ten hits total, nine singles and a double (Yaz).

Jordan Hicks tomorrow, 5:40 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

2nd inning: 8-10

PHI 6  SF 1 

1st inning: 7-11

2nd inning: 8-10

The just-completed four-game set in Philadelphia turned out to be a showcase for the Phillies. The Giants provided a bit of competition, but the show was all about the powerhouse local squad who rocketed to the best record in baseball with an emphatic sweep. There were two close games, Friday's 4-3 loss behind Jordan Hicks and Sunday's 5-4 loss behind Logan Webb. Neither starter was effective—that's the second straight poor outing by Webb. Saturday is not worth mentioning and today rookie Mason Black's debut was spoiled by Bryce Harper. He hit a three-run homer off Black today and also hit one off Webb yesterday. He had a ridiculous series: four hits, six walks, five runs, six RBI.

There was a stretch where it seemed the rotation was coming together but then Blake Snell went on the shelf, the aces wilted, and the rookies got hammered. Kyle Harrison had a decent start in Boston and he'll get the start in Colorado tomorrow (5:40 PT).

The league averages 4.34 runs scored per game. The Giants don't score enough (3.67 rpg) and don't prevent scoring (4.81 rpg) well enough, either. They actually have a better record than their run difference (-41) suggests but that's not reassuring. This series in Philly was very discouraging. I realize they are really good but that's no excuse for such a pasting. I thought the problem with the last few years of Giants teams was the manager and the players. So they got a new manager and new players and yet they have the same results. Their 15-21 record is good for a .417 percentage. Only five teams are worse. Good thing there are a lot of games (126) left.

Like I said, they go to Colorado. Wednesday is also 5:40 (Hicks) and the getaway game Thursday is 12:10 (Winn). They are back home Friday where they are at least a decent team (9-7).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants avoid sweep

SF 3  BOS 1

After a couple of feeble losses the Giants put together a great pitching performance and added just enough offense to win the getaway game at Fenway. Kyle Harrison walked five but also struck out seven and allowed just three hits and one run in his five innings. Two of the hits were doubles but none left the yard. A 3rd-inning homer by Mike Yastrzemski was all the Giants could manage until the 7th. Three singles to start the frame plated the go-ahead run and a sacrifice fly added the other. Four innings of stellar, one-hit relief pitching made the difference. Ryan Walker needed 16 pitches for the 6th, giving up a single but also getting a strikeout. Erik Miller got three outs, one a strikeout, on 15 pitches in the 7th. Tyler Rogers got two groundouts and added a strikeout and only needed 8 pitches in the 8th. Camilo Doval went 3-and-2 to the first batter but then got a groundout, struck out the next guy, and closed it with a lineout, 14 pitches in all. Nice work—only one batter over the minimum.

Tuesday's shockingly poor start from Logan Webb was supported by four hits, all singles. Even if he'd pitched well they would have lost the game. Wednesday's bullpen game wasn't much better, only five hits, but at least there was one double and one homer and thus a couple of runs. This offense should be better. Right now it's all on the pitchers.

It's a tough road ahead: they go to Philadelphia for three four starting tomorrow. The Phillies are 21-11, the third-best record in MLB, just behind the Braves (20-9) and Guardians (20-10). Like the Red Sox the Phillies pitch really well. The Giants will have to match it. Jordan Hicks goes tomorrow against Aaron Nola (3:40 PT), Keaton Winn faces Ranger Suarez on Saturday (3:05 PT), and Logan Webb matches up with Tijuan Walker on Sunday (4:10 PT). Monday (1:05 PT) is TBD. It was encouraging to see a big game from the relief corps, don't you think?

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Another Winn!

SF 3  PIT 2

The Giants got another strong start from Keaton Winn and they just nipped the Bucs to take the series. That's 6-4 for the homestand: a 2-2 split with Arizona and 2-1 against both New York (N) and Pittsburgh. The Pirates featured rookie phenom Jared Jones (just profiled this morning by David Laurila at FanGraphs!) who came into the game with 39 strikeouts in 29 IP and only nine runs allowed. His arsenal includes a 100-mph heater. The Giants dinged him in the 3rd with back-to-back homers from Thairo Estrada and Mike Yastrzemski. They tacked on another (which proved to be the difference-maker) with singles from Tyler Fitzgerald (he had three hits on the day) and Jung Hoo Lee followed by a sacrifice fly from LaMonte Wade, Jr. The young righty was done after five (83 pitches) but relievers Luis Ortiz and Kyle Nicolas kept the lid on the scoring.

The Pirates got a run off Winn in the 5th and he was done after six (3 H, 1 W, 5 K, 80 pitches). He's lowered his ERA to 3.18 with three straight 6 IP, 1 R performances. Erik Miller and Ryan Walker handled the 7th and the 8th. Camilo Doval was summoned for the 9th and he gave up a run and loaded the bases with two outs but induced Joey Bart (of all people!) to ground out to end it. Whew. Good thing Camilo is tranquilo because I was getting nervous.

I like to see good starting pitching. Kyle Harrison did well last time out, Winn as we've seen is emerging, Jordan Hicks has been really good, and Logan Webb is doing the Logan Webb thing. It's a travel day tomorrow. They open a three-game set in Boston on Tuesday at 4:10 PT (Webb's on the hill).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Lucky 13

SF 3  PIT 0

Young southpaw Kyle Harrison had his best start of the season and the Giants added a miracle finish to get their 13th win. It was a tonic after the disappointing bullpen-game loss to the Mets on Wednesday. Which was precipitated by losing Blake Snell to the 15-day IL, an even more disappointing development. Which is why it was especially nice to see a good result for Harrison. He went six and whiffed seven with no walks. Pirates starter Quinn Priester matched him and it stayed scoreless until the final half inning. Hunter Stratton and Aroldis Chapman held the Giants at bay while Ryan Walker and Tyler Rogers kept the Pirates off the board.

In the 9th Camilo Doval put men on the corners to start things off. He then got a strikeout and followed that with a walk to load the bases. Bryan Reynolds then grounded into a double play. After that excitement the Giants had to come up with the winning run. Michael Conforto walked, Matt Chapman singled, and after a wild pitch to move up the runners and crank up the anticipation, Patrick Bailey went yard. His three-run homer sealed the walk-off win.

The Giants are 13-14 and tied with the Pirates for the 16th-best record in MLB, 6-1/2 games off the top spot (Braves, 18-6). Fortunately the Giants are only 3-1/2 back of the 17-11 Dodgers. Jordan Hicks gets the start tonight (6:05 PT).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Two in a row!

SF 5  NYM 1

Logan Webb retired the first eight hitters he saw tonight on ground balls. He added seven more over the course of eight scoreless frames in a dominant performance. Mets starter Luis Severino matched Webb with four perfect innings but gave up four singles in the 5th for a 3-0 Giants lead. They added two more in the 7th with a couple of extra-base hits. Tyler Rogers had an ugly 9th, giving up three hits and spoiling the shutout, but Camilo Doval bailed him out and saved the win.

Webb followed up rookie Keaton Winn's strong start with an even better one. Not only that, the lineup gave them each five runs to work with. That's a good combination! We'll see if Blake Snell can keep it going. He needs to deliver a good performance and a sweep would be sweet. I try not to read too much into a small subset of games but I like what I saw tonight and last night. The Giants potentially have a really good starting rotation. This looks like a pitching-and-defense club with a solid if unspectacular offense, so if they are to succeed in 2024 the starters will have to lead the way.

It's a getaway game tomorrow so a 12:45 PT start. Off-day Thursday and the Pirates come to town Friday.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants Winn!

SF 5  NYM 2

The Giants put up a couple of crooked numbers early and rode another strong start from rookie Keaton Winn to their 11th victory. Winn dominated through six, dinged only by Mets slugger Pete Alonso's solo shot in the 5th, but ran out of gas in the 7th. Sterling Marte singled to open the frame and Francisco Lindor walked to bring up Alonso. Manager Bob Melvin responded with Ryan Walker who induced an infield fly for the first out. Brett Baty lined out and DJ Stewart grounded out to end the threat. Tyler Rogers had a clean 8th while Camilo Doval had an ugly 9th but they got the last six outs to seal the win.

Winn threw 87 pitches to 21 batters. His final line was 6+ IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 W, 6 K. He's lowered his ERA to 3.54 which is bested only by Logan Webb (2.93) and Jordan Hicks (1.61).

Webb goes tomorrow night (6:45 PT) and Blake Snell is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon (12:45). It's an off-day Thursday and then the Pirates come to town for three over the weekend.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Bailey's Big Day Boosts Giants

SF 7  ARI 3

It was Patrick Bailey Bobblehead Day at the ballpark and the young catcher made the most of it, going 4-for-4 including a homer and two doubles to help the Giants to a bounceback win. Yesterday's stink-o start from veteran lefty Blake Snell led to a lopsided loss. Today's shaky start from rookie lefty Kyle Harrison was rescued by stellar bullpen work and a 16-hit attack. (The Giants need to get their southpaw starters going!)

I was particularly happy to see Jung-Hoo Lee get a couple of key extra-base hits. He led off the game with a homer and then smacked an RBI double in the 8th after a nine-pitch battle. LaMonte Wade, Jr. continues to rake, he's slashing .388/.483/.510 so far. But the day belonged to the backstop and his slash line rose to .340/.397/.560 with that almost-hit-for-the-cycle performance.

Harrison gave up six hits and three runs in four frames. At this point Keaton Winn looks more polished, and further along in his development. Winn is a few years older and played some college ball. I have to remember that Harrison is only 22! The relievers picked up the slack (unlike yesterday) and the lineup delivered a steady attack.

Tomorrow it's Jordan Hicks at 1:05 PT. It's a good matchup with Merrill Kelly.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants blank D'backs

SF 5  ARI 0

Logan Webb gave up hits to the first two batters he faced tonight and then got 19 straight outs (a career high). After a one-out walk in the 7th he picked that guy off and then got the final out of the inning. Giants win two in a row for only the second time this season. And they get their first shutout. A sacrifice fly from LaMonte Wade, Jr. in the 3rd scored Patrick Bailey (who had doubled) with the game's first run. It stayed 1-0 until the 8th when the Giants finally broke through. A pinch-hit double from Wilmer Flores to score two was the big blow, and Mike Yastrzemski added a two-out hit for two more.

Webb whiffed five to go along with 13 groundouts. Tyler Rogers pitched a scoreless 8th and Ryan Walker struck out the side in the 9th for a satisfying win against a key division foe. The two teams now have identical 9-11 records.

Blake Snell matches up with Jordan Montgomery tomorrow night (7:15 PT). It's Montgomery's debut for Arizona. Snell's had two forgettable outings so far and everyone is eager to see something better.

Go Giants!

--M.C.