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!
10 comments:
I know he has come through a few times, but the idea of batting Soler leadoff is not making me happy. I think it is a relatively stupid move. Even if it works out on occasion. That game was a pure snake bit game. The outside pitch to our lefties was called a lot. Yes Harrison got a couple of gifts, but he had a few pitches to their lead off batter just an inch or so outside called a ball, yet that pitch was constantly called a strike to our lefties, Conforto, Yaz, and Wade, all had some bad pitches called strikes. Key play was umpire blocking an extra base hit into an out. Later when Conforto up with the bases loaded, first pitch about 4 to 6 inches called a strike. He did work the count full, only to not swing and be called out on a good pitch, after he really should have walked. A guy admits he was not hit by the pitch, and the ump gives him first base anyway. Giants challenge, and N.Y. says FU giants. Next guy homers. Tyler Rogers once again screws up a ground ball out into an infield hit. Then after he throws a pitch right over the plate for strike 3, the ump says ball 3. Then he comes in with a better pitch, and it becomes a 3 run homer after he was struck out. Giants need to overcome bad calls, and terrible luck, but they do not. Chapman makes an error on the third out, and it again becomes an earned run because they give the guy a hit and and they give Chapman an error. Despite all the great run saving plays that chapman has made this year, some plays almost unbelievable, he has also made more than his share of errors, even if you subtract the error he got for blocking third, which really ticks me off because several giants baserunners were called out on similar plays and none of them were overturned. Giants have also been the victims of passed balls or wild pitches with our man on third, and the ball hits the umpire instead of rolling to the wall, it just stays right behind the catcher. Snake bit is what this team is. I could be wrong and I hope I am, but I just do not see Melvin giving this team the spark it needs to go on a winning streak. Raye had a nice start in triple A on Friday.
Why didn't Flores get charged with an error in the first inning today?
Got to Love Fitzy! I miss BCraw but I'm coming around to the new guy.
Birdsong has been sent down, although he may be back soon to pitch in the doubleheader Saturday. Mike Bauman, reliever, has been acquired and joined the team, and Robbie Ray is supposed to join the team and pitch Wednesday. The Giants sole post ASB win came as the result of a brilliant start and unending relief, because we still have a punk offense. Last 4 games: Conforto, 0 hits; Ramos, 2 hits (1 a double); Chapman, 2 hits (1 a double). Thank goodness for Fitzgerald.
Chapman has 13 errors, and is hitting 230, yet he has found a way to score a lot of runs. 67, tied for third in the N.L. He does still make a lot of really nice plays even though he has become a tad error prone ESPN lists him as 4.0 WAR. Seems a tad over-rated. He could end up scoring 100 runs, and have around 60 RBI, in a full season of AB's. Do we have any hitters who can hit when the opposing pitcher is in the stretch. Giants could have taken 8 or 9 walks easily in the second game vs the Dodgers but swung their way out of a few rallies by striking out on ball 4.
Giants trade away Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson for a minor league infielder named Sabin Ceballos and an injured reliever, Tyler Matzek. My first thought was that FZ got a 2 word phone call and those 2 words were "Dump" and "Salary." Soler has not had a great year, but of late, he has been very good, and great in the leadoff spot. I very much like the way he can put a charge into the baseball. He has been on base 22 of his last 37 plate appearances, that's over .590 OBP. It felt like throwing in the towel just as the Giants finally look like they have a rotation and look like they just might still make a run at the playoffs. And it especially felt like throwing in the towel for a return that is essentially, nothing. Nor could the Giants do something magical like dive under the CBA threshold. Andrew Baggarly had a good article in the Athletic (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5659860/2024/07/25/sf-giants-trade-deadline-luxury-tax/)that explains the strange case that even jettisoning Snell would barely dent the CB tax that the Giants find themselves with. He also surmises, though, that Soler is (was) pretty much untradeable without continuing to pay part of his salary. There is no mention of dollars changing hands in the MLBtraderumors report.
Here's something as I type this. Alex Cobb is going to the Guardians for another minor league pitcher named Jacob Bresnahan and a Player to be Named. So it feels even more like a salary dump. There are repercussions. Snell, Chapman, and, I think, Ray all have opt-outs. If the Giants have given up on competition this year, those guys are gone and although we have nucleus of promising young players, it leaves us with a churning team and a lot of work to do for next year. I really don't like the trade deadline - it is inevitably the rich getting richer. Plus, I was just getting to like this team. LA, for example, is suffering from injuries, but you know, with teams like the Marlins and White Sox, they can just beef up and continue along their merry way to ruining my post-season baseball viewing experience.
So, I am guessing Hayden Birdsong stays with the club as a starter (he certainly pitched well enough to deserve it) and, probably, Marco Luciano is promoted. I just hope the team is worth watching by the end of today.
Mike Baumann was DFA'd couple days ago. Now he's an Angel.
Giants acquire first baseman, sometimes outfielder, and former Cal Bear Mark Canha for minor league pitcher Eric Silva.
Well, that's over. Blake Snell is still a Giant, as is Michael Conforto. Hayden Birdsong is in the minors and the Giants have a few off days coming up so it will be a bit before they really need 5 starters. Spencer Bivens is still on the club, as is Mark Canha (I suppose to spell Lamont Wade Jr. and an outfielder with Wilmer on the IL). Luis Matos is still in the minors but Marco Luciano is on the big club. So, basically, the Giants move Soler and his salary which has 3 yrs after this one, and expend a pitcher they've gotten along without all year and his salary, keep their other big acquisitions and hope Luciano can fill in for Soler at DH.
And with that, the Giants put on their shit uniforms and play like shit. They were uninterested in their task at hand, which was to sweep their homestead to get back to .500. That would be a start, but only a start, to making what might be called a playoff push. Instead they handed JP Sears, a guy who pitches for a team that is uninterested in winning as an official policy, the best game of his career. Bah!
So the Giants are looking at 2025. I am guessing that they hope Snell, Ray, and Chapman stick around and then they will be "all in" on every other big name player out there. I wouldn't count on seeing many other veterans, JH Lee being the exception.
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