SD 5 SF 3
The Giants don't have the firepower to come back from a 5-1 deficit. They tried, but the best they could do with the bases loaded was to score a run on an out and a run on a single. The Padres only mustered five hits but one was a three-run homer and one was a two-run homer. Of the Giants seven hits, five were singles and two were doubles, although one of the doubles was really just a no-man's-land pop fly. Like I said this version of the Giants lacks the power hitting to put together a credible comeback.
Jeff Samardzija was something of a mystery: why didn't they use him in Los Angeles? The answer was obvious tonight: he's not, in baseball hipster parlance, "missing bats." His final line was 17 batters, 75 pitches, 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. Conner Menez went nine up and nine down in an impressive three inning stint. Sam Coonrod had some drama but put up a zero in the 8th, and Dany Jimenez delivered a scoreless 9th. There's some pitching on this team, but it remains to be seen if it is in the starting rotation!
The Giants called up RH C Chadwick Tromp and DFAd LH C Rob Brantly. Switch-hitting Tyler Heineman has been impressive so far, especially hitting lefty, so that made the more experienced Brantly a bit redundant. Not to mention the Giants added veteran LH C Chris Herrmann to the taxi squad. Tromp should be a nice platoon partner with Heineman and potentially has pop.
Johnny Cueto tomorrow night at 6:45 PDT.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Showing posts with label Shark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shark. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Friday, September 6, 2019
Dubon Leads Giants
SF 5 LA 4
The Giants survived a three-homer game from A.J. Pollock, all solo shots, and hung on to win in Dodger Stadium. Closer Will Smith struck out LA phenom Will Smith to end it. It was an agonizing 9th, in contrast to the brisk work from Tyler Rogers in the 7th and Fernando Abad and Jandel Gustave in the 8th. Jeff Samardzija delivered a solid six (5 H, 3 R) to keep the Giants close against Clayton Kershaw. I often joke that Kershaw is the greatest pitcher in San Francisco Giants history. We have all watched his exceptional dominance against our favorite team, but they prevailed over him this time. They worked counts and ran up his pitch total in the first few innings but were unable to capitalize on some big chances. Finally after a 12-pitch walk to Kevin Pillar to open the 5th Dave Roberts came out for his super southpaw and the Giants were able to crack it open against reliever Dylan Floro. The big hits were from Yaz, pinch-hitting for Joey Rickard, and young Dubon.
Speaking of Mauricio, he doubled and homered off Kershaw, his homer tying the game in the 4th. His single in the 5th off Floro scored the final two runs that proved to be the difference. I like watching him in the field, he is very smooth and he makes everything look easy. Looks like he has a great arm as well. Big night for the rookie. Giants need infielders who can hit, let's hope he can be a fixture on the 2020 club.
That's only the 19th loss at home for the Dodgers this season. Tyler Beede goes tomorrow night at 6:10 Pacific. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
The Giants survived a three-homer game from A.J. Pollock, all solo shots, and hung on to win in Dodger Stadium. Closer Will Smith struck out LA phenom Will Smith to end it. It was an agonizing 9th, in contrast to the brisk work from Tyler Rogers in the 7th and Fernando Abad and Jandel Gustave in the 8th. Jeff Samardzija delivered a solid six (5 H, 3 R) to keep the Giants close against Clayton Kershaw. I often joke that Kershaw is the greatest pitcher in San Francisco Giants history. We have all watched his exceptional dominance against our favorite team, but they prevailed over him this time. They worked counts and ran up his pitch total in the first few innings but were unable to capitalize on some big chances. Finally after a 12-pitch walk to Kevin Pillar to open the 5th Dave Roberts came out for his super southpaw and the Giants were able to crack it open against reliever Dylan Floro. The big hits were from Yaz, pinch-hitting for Joey Rickard, and young Dubon.
Speaking of Mauricio, he doubled and homered off Kershaw, his homer tying the game in the 4th. His single in the 5th off Floro scored the final two runs that proved to be the difference. I like watching him in the field, he is very smooth and he makes everything look easy. Looks like he has a great arm as well. Big night for the rookie. Giants need infielders who can hit, let's hope he can be a fixture on the 2020 club.
That's only the 19th loss at home for the Dodgers this season. Tyler Beede goes tomorrow night at 6:10 Pacific. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Friday, August 23, 2019
Wind-swept
CHC 1 SF 0
The Giants finally got the well-pitched game they needed but it was all for naught as they got shut out for the eleventh time this season. Jeff Samardzija threw seven innings and allowed only two hits but one of those was a two-out RBI and that was the ballgame. The Giants got swept right out of the Windy City and come home to play the Athletics in Oakland tomorrow and Sunday. This is their first and only Friday off-day.
FanGraphs rates Saturday's starter, Madison Bumgarner at 3.0 WAR. (There are thirty pitchers above him. Drop down twenty-five spots and there's Shark's 1.6 WAR. Max Scherzer is number one with 5.6 WAR.) Bumgarner was worth a total of 3.0 WAR for both 2017 and 2018 (240-2/3 IP, 38 starts). We can see that he is healthy and pitching better, and the numbers aren't lying either, and that's encouraging going forward. I'm assuming that holding on to him means they are going to try to sign him to a multi-year deal. If you want some comps to grasp fWAR for a pitcher, try Zack Wheeler (3.5), Clayton Kershaw (3.4), Marcus Stroman (3.1), Kyle Hendricks (3.0), Jon Gray (3.0), Aaron Nola (2.7), Masahiro Tanaka (2.6), and Tanner Roark (2.5).
The Giants need to get back on the beam and start winning some ballgames!
--M.C.
The Giants finally got the well-pitched game they needed but it was all for naught as they got shut out for the eleventh time this season. Jeff Samardzija threw seven innings and allowed only two hits but one of those was a two-out RBI and that was the ballgame. The Giants got swept right out of the Windy City and come home to play the Athletics in Oakland tomorrow and Sunday. This is their first and only Friday off-day.
FanGraphs rates Saturday's starter, Madison Bumgarner at 3.0 WAR. (There are thirty pitchers above him. Drop down twenty-five spots and there's Shark's 1.6 WAR. Max Scherzer is number one with 5.6 WAR.) Bumgarner was worth a total of 3.0 WAR for both 2017 and 2018 (240-2/3 IP, 38 starts). We can see that he is healthy and pitching better, and the numbers aren't lying either, and that's encouraging going forward. I'm assuming that holding on to him means they are going to try to sign him to a multi-year deal. If you want some comps to grasp fWAR for a pitcher, try Zack Wheeler (3.5), Clayton Kershaw (3.4), Marcus Stroman (3.1), Kyle Hendricks (3.0), Jon Gray (3.0), Aaron Nola (2.7), Masahiro Tanaka (2.6), and Tanner Roark (2.5).
The Giants need to get back on the beam and start winning some ballgames!
--M.C.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
When the Shark bites
SF 3 PHI 1
The Giants bounced back this afternoon behind a superb start by Jeff Samardzija. Yielding only two hits (one a solo homer) and no walks over eight innings (103 pitches) the big righty dominated a tough Phillies lineup. The rookie starters have been struggling so it is up to the veterans to give the team a better chance to win. The Giants lineup got two homers--a two-run shot from Evan Longoria and a solo shot by Kevin Pillar--to take care of all the scoring for the home squad. It was good to see the club show some grit and win the game after yesterday's discouraging loss. Will Smith finished up for his 28th save.
Conner Menez goes tomorrow at 4:05 p.m. PDT. Go Giants!
--M.C.
The Giants bounced back this afternoon behind a superb start by Jeff Samardzija. Yielding only two hits (one a solo homer) and no walks over eight innings (103 pitches) the big righty dominated a tough Phillies lineup. The rookie starters have been struggling so it is up to the veterans to give the team a better chance to win. The Giants lineup got two homers--a two-run shot from Evan Longoria and a solo shot by Kevin Pillar--to take care of all the scoring for the home squad. It was good to see the club show some grit and win the game after yesterday's discouraging loss. Will Smith finished up for his 28th save.
Conner Menez goes tomorrow at 4:05 p.m. PDT. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
6th inning: 13-5
SF 5 PHI 1
Do you remember the third seasonal inning? Good, you shouldn't. It was a bleak time, the month of May. There was a goddamn seven-game losing streak, for example. Here's a review of the season so far:
1st inning: 8-10
2nd inning: 8-10
3rd inning: 5-13
4th inning: 10-8
5th inning: 11-7
Here's what I said after the 5th inning:
6th inning: 13-5
I remember thinking after that 5-13 stinker that it would be OK if they Giants could pull off a 13-5 inning. And I thought the odds of that were vanishingly small, so small they were no different than zero.
Shows you what I know. They are now 55-53, with 54 left to play.
Tonight in Philadelphia the mostly still-together Giants kicked ass. Jeff Samardzija had another strong outing (6 IP, 3 H, zero runs, 5 K) and the lineup exploded for five runs in the 6th and that was enough. Here's how it went: Yaz walk, Buster homer, pitching change, Panda homer, BCraw single, Pillar homer. That's a Giants half inning for you!
Tony Watson gave up a run in the 7th. Reyes Moronta became the new Sam Dyson and pitched a scoreless 8th. Will Smith handled the 9th despite the four-run lead.
The Giants see Jake Arrieta tomorrow at 10:05 a.m. PDT. The website says TBA for the Giants starter but they just recalled both Dereck Rodriguez and Andrew Suarez, so I'm guessing it will be D-Rod. RHP Jendel Gustave also got called up, I was mistaken about Melvin Adon, he was promoted to AA.
As far as all the trades and other moves, I feel like the Giants threaded the needle. They got some new talent without compromising the core of the team. They even got some salary relief. If this team is truly a "contender" then they are still a contender and yet they improved the roster for the future. And they managed a "rental" second baseman, Scooter Gennett, who was a 4-WAR player last year! If he is healthy he could be a really nice pickup for the stretch run.
I just want the Giants to play winning ball. If they do that, opportunities may emerge. For now, just keep grinding out the wins. And avoid the losing streaks. One series at a time.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. I note that the already-formidable Astros got Zack Greinke. That cost them four players! I wonder if the price for MadBum was that high. It doesn't matter, I'm happy the team held on to him.
Do you remember the third seasonal inning? Good, you shouldn't. It was a bleak time, the month of May. There was a goddamn seven-game losing streak, for example. Here's a review of the season so far:
1st inning: 8-10
2nd inning: 8-10
3rd inning: 5-13
4th inning: 10-8
5th inning: 11-7
Here's what I said after the 5th inning:
That brings the team to 42-48, still in last place, but certainly in a better place than before.And they are in an even better place now. How about 19-6 (.760) in July?
6th inning: 13-5
I remember thinking after that 5-13 stinker that it would be OK if they Giants could pull off a 13-5 inning. And I thought the odds of that were vanishingly small, so small they were no different than zero.
Shows you what I know. They are now 55-53, with 54 left to play.
Tonight in Philadelphia the mostly still-together Giants kicked ass. Jeff Samardzija had another strong outing (6 IP, 3 H, zero runs, 5 K) and the lineup exploded for five runs in the 6th and that was enough. Here's how it went: Yaz walk, Buster homer, pitching change, Panda homer, BCraw single, Pillar homer. That's a Giants half inning for you!
Tony Watson gave up a run in the 7th. Reyes Moronta became the new Sam Dyson and pitched a scoreless 8th. Will Smith handled the 9th despite the four-run lead.
The Giants see Jake Arrieta tomorrow at 10:05 a.m. PDT. The website says TBA for the Giants starter but they just recalled both Dereck Rodriguez and Andrew Suarez, so I'm guessing it will be D-Rod. RHP Jendel Gustave also got called up, I was mistaken about Melvin Adon, he was promoted to AA.
As far as all the trades and other moves, I feel like the Giants threaded the needle. They got some new talent without compromising the core of the team. They even got some salary relief. If this team is truly a "contender" then they are still a contender and yet they improved the roster for the future. And they managed a "rental" second baseman, Scooter Gennett, who was a 4-WAR player last year! If he is healthy he could be a really nice pickup for the stretch run.
I just want the Giants to play winning ball. If they do that, opportunities may emerge. For now, just keep grinding out the wins. And avoid the losing streaks. One series at a time.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. I note that the already-formidable Astros got Zack Greinke. That cost them four players! I wonder if the price for MadBum was that high. It doesn't matter, I'm happy the team held on to him.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Thud
NYM 11 SF 4
Good times come to an end. It's one of those things you learn in life that is never fun, just relentlessly true. The Giants had a brilliant seven-game win streak come to a thudding halt this afternoon in San Francisco. The Mets lineup clobbered seventeen hits including four homers and a triple off Jeff Samardzija, Derek Holland, and Ty Blach, thumping the local lads with impunity.
The Giants scored five runs in the first 34 innings since coming home. They got two wins out of that which tells you they were on quite a hot streak. Today they were down 11-1 in the 9th before Alex Dickerson hit a two-run homer and Mike Yastrzemski added a solo shot.
Tomorrow they will continue their run of excellent play (13-3 in July) and kick off a new winning streak, right? Young southpaw Conner Menez gets the start--his major league debut--which is an exciting development. There are now three rookies in the rotation! This kid (he's 24) has risen quickly through the system and now he's earned a shot with the big club. Conner is from Hollister and went to San Benito High School (their nickname is the Haybalers, you have to love that).
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Good times come to an end. It's one of those things you learn in life that is never fun, just relentlessly true. The Giants had a brilliant seven-game win streak come to a thudding halt this afternoon in San Francisco. The Mets lineup clobbered seventeen hits including four homers and a triple off Jeff Samardzija, Derek Holland, and Ty Blach, thumping the local lads with impunity.
The Giants scored five runs in the first 34 innings since coming home. They got two wins out of that which tells you they were on quite a hot streak. Today they were down 11-1 in the 9th before Alex Dickerson hit a two-run homer and Mike Yastrzemski added a solo shot.
Tomorrow they will continue their run of excellent play (13-3 in July) and kick off a new winning streak, right? Young southpaw Conner Menez gets the start--his major league debut--which is an exciting development. There are now three rookies in the rotation! This kid (he's 24) has risen quickly through the system and now he's earned a shot with the big club. Conner is from Hollister and went to San Benito High School (their nickname is the Haybalers, you have to love that).
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Monday, July 15, 2019
Giants slaughter Rockies
SF 19 COL 2
The Giants went crazy today in Denver, having a Coors Field dream day after two-plus seasons of nightmares. They went 1-8 last year and 1-9 in 2017. This season they are 2-1 after three games! With 21 hits and 19 runs there are a lot of hitters to talk about but I want to mention that Jeff Samardzija pitched another good game. Here's his line in July: 21-2/3 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 17 K. The Giants are 3-0 in those games and 8-2 in July.
The outfield, composed of players not on the Opening Day roster (Alex Dickerson, debut 6/21; Mike Yastrzemski, debut 5/25; Kevin Pillar, debut 4/2), combined to go 9-for-16 with eight runs scored and six driven in.
Brandon Crawford had a career day with five hits (two homers) and eight runs batted in. Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda are the only other SF Giants with eight RBI in a game. Buster Posey looked good with two hits and three runs scored and Brandon Belt had two hits, a walk, and two runs scored.
Over the last eleven games the Giants have scored 94 runs, the most ever by a San Francisco club in any eleven-game stretch. They were historically bad at hitting and scoring earlier in the season, it feels good to see them be historically awesome!
D-Rod is supposed to get the start in a couple of hours to play the scheduled game (this was a makeup game) but the weather looks dicey. We'll see.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Both Ray Black and Sam Coonrod pitched in relief. Evan Longoria goes on the IL with plantar fasciitis.
The Giants went crazy today in Denver, having a Coors Field dream day after two-plus seasons of nightmares. They went 1-8 last year and 1-9 in 2017. This season they are 2-1 after three games! With 21 hits and 19 runs there are a lot of hitters to talk about but I want to mention that Jeff Samardzija pitched another good game. Here's his line in July: 21-2/3 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 17 K. The Giants are 3-0 in those games and 8-2 in July.
The outfield, composed of players not on the Opening Day roster (Alex Dickerson, debut 6/21; Mike Yastrzemski, debut 5/25; Kevin Pillar, debut 4/2), combined to go 9-for-16 with eight runs scored and six driven in.
Brandon Crawford had a career day with five hits (two homers) and eight runs batted in. Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda are the only other SF Giants with eight RBI in a game. Buster Posey looked good with two hits and three runs scored and Brandon Belt had two hits, a walk, and two runs scored.
Over the last eleven games the Giants have scored 94 runs, the most ever by a San Francisco club in any eleven-game stretch. They were historically bad at hitting and scoring earlier in the season, it feels good to see them be historically awesome!
D-Rod is supposed to get the start in a couple of hours to play the scheduled game (this was a makeup game) but the weather looks dicey. We'll see.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Both Ray Black and Sam Coonrod pitched in relief. Evan Longoria goes on the IL with plantar fasciitis.
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Just enough!
SF 1 STL 0
The Cardinals promising young righty Jack Flaherty dazzled the Giants for six no-hit innings in San Francisco this afternoon, dominating what had been a hot-hitting club. Fortunately Jeff Samardzija matched him with six zeroes himself, and Kevin Pillar bailed out The Shark in the 7th with two big catches to keep the shutout intact. In the bottom half Evan Longoria launched a no-doubter and the Giants had a 1-0 lead in the final game before the All-Star Break. Sam Dyson whiffed three in the 8th and Will Smith made it 23-for-23 with only seven pitches in the 9th and the win was in the books. That's six victories in their last seven games, and a 5-1 record for July. Game 90 (end of the 5th seasonal inning) is the first game back, Friday night in Milwaukee.
Seems fitting that we get a soccer score today as the USWNT completed their World Cup quest with a convincing shutout win in France over The Netherlands. Good show, ladies!
The Giants are playing better quality, more entertaining baseball. Let's hope they keep it up when they come back.
--M.C.
The Cardinals promising young righty Jack Flaherty dazzled the Giants for six no-hit innings in San Francisco this afternoon, dominating what had been a hot-hitting club. Fortunately Jeff Samardzija matched him with six zeroes himself, and Kevin Pillar bailed out The Shark in the 7th with two big catches to keep the shutout intact. In the bottom half Evan Longoria launched a no-doubter and the Giants had a 1-0 lead in the final game before the All-Star Break. Sam Dyson whiffed three in the 8th and Will Smith made it 23-for-23 with only seven pitches in the 9th and the win was in the books. That's six victories in their last seven games, and a 5-1 record for July. Game 90 (end of the 5th seasonal inning) is the first game back, Friday night in Milwaukee.
Seems fitting that we get a soccer score today as the USWNT completed their World Cup quest with a convincing shutout win in France over The Netherlands. Good show, ladies!
The Giants are playing better quality, more entertaining baseball. Let's hope they keep it up when they come back.
--M.C.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Giants Clobber Padres
SF 13 SD 2
Jeff Samardzija had his best start of the season (8 IP 5 H 2 R) and the lineup blasted 14 hits including nine that went for extra bases. That's what I call a convincing win. The Giants scored in five straight innings: the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th. Austin Slater, newly returned to the big club, had a triple and a homer. Donovan Solano played shortstop and hit leadoff and had two hits in six tries. His .294/.329/.338 slash line is semi-respectable, let's hope he can hit like a major-leaguer at some point. He'll need to add some pop: 17 of his 20 hits are singles. Buster Posey had two more hits as did Evan Longoria. Every time the team has a big offensive day I think "this is when they'll turn it around" but that's just fan-talk. Brandon Belt leads the club in OBP at .359 and that puts him at 47th among qualified regulars, just behind Corey Seager and Alex Verdugo. The Dodgers have three other guys ahead of them. It's best to savor these outbursts, they are few and far between. Giants are undefeated in July!
Tyler Beede goes tonight at 7:10 Pacific.
--M.C.
Jeff Samardzija had his best start of the season (8 IP 5 H 2 R) and the lineup blasted 14 hits including nine that went for extra bases. That's what I call a convincing win. The Giants scored in five straight innings: the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th. Austin Slater, newly returned to the big club, had a triple and a homer. Donovan Solano played shortstop and hit leadoff and had two hits in six tries. His .294/.329/.338 slash line is semi-respectable, let's hope he can hit like a major-leaguer at some point. He'll need to add some pop: 17 of his 20 hits are singles. Buster Posey had two more hits as did Evan Longoria. Every time the team has a big offensive day I think "this is when they'll turn it around" but that's just fan-talk. Brandon Belt leads the club in OBP at .359 and that puts him at 47th among qualified regulars, just behind Corey Seager and Alex Verdugo. The Dodgers have three other guys ahead of them. It's best to savor these outbursts, they are few and far between. Giants are undefeated in July!
Tyler Beede goes tonight at 7:10 Pacific.
--M.C.
Sunday, June 2, 2019
Two in a row!
SF 8 BAL 1
Jeff Samardzija produced an outstanding effort after a worrisome start. He allowed a solo shot in--you guessed it--the 1st inning but put up five zeroes after that. Three hits, no walks, and six strikeouts for the Shark who threw 110 pitches to 21 batters in his six frames. The Giants scored in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th to dominate in Baltimore and make it two wins out of three over the hapless Orioles. Evan Longoria (three hits including a homer) and Brandon Crawford (two homers) delivered the thump. Reyes Moronta, Tony Watson (who struck out the side), and Will Smith finished up.
Travel day tomorrow then it is three against the Mets in New York. Madison Bumgarner against Noah Syndergaard on Tuesday, with Tyler Beede and Shaun Anderson on Wednesday and Thursday.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Jeff Samardzija produced an outstanding effort after a worrisome start. He allowed a solo shot in--you guessed it--the 1st inning but put up five zeroes after that. Three hits, no walks, and six strikeouts for the Shark who threw 110 pitches to 21 batters in his six frames. The Giants scored in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th to dominate in Baltimore and make it two wins out of three over the hapless Orioles. Evan Longoria (three hits including a homer) and Brandon Crawford (two homers) delivered the thump. Reyes Moronta, Tony Watson (who struck out the side), and Will Smith finished up.
Travel day tomorrow then it is three against the Mets in New York. Madison Bumgarner against Noah Syndergaard on Tuesday, with Tyler Beede and Shaun Anderson on Wednesday and Thursday.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Monday, April 29, 2019
Giants bounce back
SF 3 LA 2
Tonight the Giants got creative in the field and pulled off both a 5-6 putout and a 9-1 putout! I love that kind of stuff. I also like the way the Giants used Jeff Samardzija. He was excellent for five shutout innings and 79 pitches--and they yanked him. This third-time-through-the-lineup penalty is a real thing. No reason to subject a starter to that when there are quality bullpen options. It didn't quite work as the normally reliable Tony Watson gave up two runs in the 6th inning, but it was the right move. Fortunately the Giants rallied in the 7th and turned that 2-0 deficit into a 3-run lead behind a bases-clearing double from Evan Longoria. He pinch-hit for Pablo Sandoval who started at third. Sam Dyson bailed out Watson and covered the 7th, Reyes Moronta got the meat of the order in the 8th, and Will Smith closed the door.
After that wretched display against the Yankees it was nice to see the home squad deliver a better effort. It seems Derek Holland is the first casualty to what has mostly been a healthy start for the club. He goes on the IL and Ty Blach takes his spot. They expect Holland to miss one start.
Drew Pomeranz goes tomorrow at 6:45 PDT.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Tonight the Giants got creative in the field and pulled off both a 5-6 putout and a 9-1 putout! I love that kind of stuff. I also like the way the Giants used Jeff Samardzija. He was excellent for five shutout innings and 79 pitches--and they yanked him. This third-time-through-the-lineup penalty is a real thing. No reason to subject a starter to that when there are quality bullpen options. It didn't quite work as the normally reliable Tony Watson gave up two runs in the 6th inning, but it was the right move. Fortunately the Giants rallied in the 7th and turned that 2-0 deficit into a 3-run lead behind a bases-clearing double from Evan Longoria. He pinch-hit for Pablo Sandoval who started at third. Sam Dyson bailed out Watson and covered the 7th, Reyes Moronta got the meat of the order in the 8th, and Will Smith closed the door.
After that wretched display against the Yankees it was nice to see the home squad deliver a better effort. It seems Derek Holland is the first casualty to what has mostly been a healthy start for the club. He goes on the IL and Ty Blach takes his spot. They expect Holland to miss one start.
Drew Pomeranz goes tomorrow at 6:45 PDT.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Giants get a homer!
1-0 win in Miami
Thank goodness for Brandon Crawford. Otherwise it would be 0-0 and they'd be playing extras. The bullpen did a superb job in relief of a reasonably effective Jeff Samardzija (5-2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K) and the Giants get their seventh team shutout. FNG Will Smith faced two batters, one in the 6th and one in the 7th and whiffed them both. That's a good sign. He's a good pitcher but has been beat up a bit. Maybe he is settling in to his new role. Hunter Strickland got two big outs. Derek Law once again pitched a clutch frame. And Santiago Casilla seems determined to disprove his doubters. That's all good. But the hitters still look lost--today's starter David Phelps is a converted reliever, that matchup should have had them salivating. Like I said thank goodness someone on the team could hit one over the fence because I couldn't take another parade of 0-fers with men on base.
Travel day tomorrow, and a resurgent Matt Cain at home on Friday against the Orioles.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Thank goodness for Brandon Crawford. Otherwise it would be 0-0 and they'd be playing extras. The bullpen did a superb job in relief of a reasonably effective Jeff Samardzija (5-2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K) and the Giants get their seventh team shutout. FNG Will Smith faced two batters, one in the 6th and one in the 7th and whiffed them both. That's a good sign. He's a good pitcher but has been beat up a bit. Maybe he is settling in to his new role. Hunter Strickland got two big outs. Derek Law once again pitched a clutch frame. And Santiago Casilla seems determined to disprove his doubters. That's all good. But the hitters still look lost--today's starter David Phelps is a converted reliever, that matchup should have had them salivating. Like I said thank goodness someone on the team could hit one over the fence because I couldn't take another parade of 0-fers with men on base.
Travel day tomorrow, and a resurgent Matt Cain at home on Friday against the Orioles.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Samardzija!
5-1 win in Tampa Bay
After a run of five scintillating starts--six runs allowed in 38-1/3 innings--Jeff Samardzija put up a trio of stinkers--thirteen runs allowed in 14-2/3 innings--and cast a bit of doubt about what was to come. But tonight the man they call The Shark sank his teeth into the Tampa Bay Rays and finished them off with a complete game four-hitter that seemed destined to be a shutout. Such hopes were cruelly dashed by a two-out two-strike homer by Brad Miller. It takes nothing away from the effort by the big righty. A complete game is a rare and special thing these days, something to savor. The shutout, even rarer, was tantalizingly close. I think we all felt kicked in the gut--Samardzija included--when that ball cleared the fence. Nice work, Jeff!
Giants keep the good vibes going with their 42nd win.
Albert Suarez gets the ball tomorrow, not Jake Peavy. Ol' Jake tweaked his neck, it seems. Santiago Casilla is on paternity leave, Steven Okert takes his spot. The game is at 1:10 Pacific.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
After a run of five scintillating starts--six runs allowed in 38-1/3 innings--Jeff Samardzija put up a trio of stinkers--thirteen runs allowed in 14-2/3 innings--and cast a bit of doubt about what was to come. But tonight the man they call The Shark sank his teeth into the Tampa Bay Rays and finished them off with a complete game four-hitter that seemed destined to be a shutout. Such hopes were cruelly dashed by a two-out two-strike homer by Brad Miller. It takes nothing away from the effort by the big righty. A complete game is a rare and special thing these days, something to savor. The shutout, even rarer, was tantalizingly close. I think we all felt kicked in the gut--Samardzija included--when that ball cleared the fence. Nice work, Jeff!
Giants keep the good vibes going with their 42nd win.
Albert Suarez gets the ball tomorrow, not Jake Peavy. Ol' Jake tweaked his neck, it seems. Santiago Casilla is on paternity leave, Steven Okert takes his spot. The game is at 1:10 Pacific.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
The Shark Bites
3-1 win in Cincy
Kelby Tomlinson, pressed in to service for the ailing Joe Panik, delivered two infield hits, one of them driving in the go-ahead run in the 8th, and played flawlessly in the field behind Jeff Samardzija. Gregor Blanco, filling in for the ailing Angel Pagan, had a clutch RBI hit right after Tomlinson to give the Giants a two-run edge. That was enough. The team had ten hits total, and five walks, but was 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position. The game was closer than it ought to have been. Lefty John Lamb kept throwing his goofy slowballs and they seemed to work as the Giants could not capitalize on their many opportunities. The first run scored in the 1st and was a Buster Posey-Hunter Pence double duet. Buster would hit two more two-baggers; looks like he's finding his stroke. Baserunning blunders from Denard Span and Brandon Belt derailed rallies as well, and when former Giants prospect Adam Duvall hit a solo shot in the 5th it was a nail-biter all the way.
But the night belonged to starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija who was up to the challenge and mowed down the Reds over eight strong. He's an up-and-down character: his Game Scores for his six starts are 43, 65, 48, 68, 44, and 79. But tonight he was in command the whole way using his big heat to pop 96 mph on the gun and a gnarly 92-93 cutter that bedeviled lefties and righties alike. He even got some sinkerball action going and the Reds made 11 ground ball outs. The Giants flashed their usual stellar leather, but even so Samardzija was getting a lot of weak contact. His final line was 3 hits, 2 walks, with 9 strikeouts (115 pitches, 29 TBF). Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild liked what he saw from The Shark as there were 26 called strikes. Santiago Casilla finished up for the third straight game.
Tomorrow morning (9:35 Pacific) is the getaway game and then Giants will come home to face the Rockies for four starting on Thursday. Jake Peavy takes the hill in Cincy--let's hope he can pitch a little better than last time.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Kelby Tomlinson, pressed in to service for the ailing Joe Panik, delivered two infield hits, one of them driving in the go-ahead run in the 8th, and played flawlessly in the field behind Jeff Samardzija. Gregor Blanco, filling in for the ailing Angel Pagan, had a clutch RBI hit right after Tomlinson to give the Giants a two-run edge. That was enough. The team had ten hits total, and five walks, but was 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position. The game was closer than it ought to have been. Lefty John Lamb kept throwing his goofy slowballs and they seemed to work as the Giants could not capitalize on their many opportunities. The first run scored in the 1st and was a Buster Posey-Hunter Pence double duet. Buster would hit two more two-baggers; looks like he's finding his stroke. Baserunning blunders from Denard Span and Brandon Belt derailed rallies as well, and when former Giants prospect Adam Duvall hit a solo shot in the 5th it was a nail-biter all the way.
But the night belonged to starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija who was up to the challenge and mowed down the Reds over eight strong. He's an up-and-down character: his Game Scores for his six starts are 43, 65, 48, 68, 44, and 79. But tonight he was in command the whole way using his big heat to pop 96 mph on the gun and a gnarly 92-93 cutter that bedeviled lefties and righties alike. He even got some sinkerball action going and the Reds made 11 ground ball outs. The Giants flashed their usual stellar leather, but even so Samardzija was getting a lot of weak contact. His final line was 3 hits, 2 walks, with 9 strikeouts (115 pitches, 29 TBF). Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild liked what he saw from The Shark as there were 26 called strikes. Santiago Casilla finished up for the third straight game.
Tomorrow morning (9:35 Pacific) is the getaway game and then Giants will come home to face the Rockies for four starting on Thursday. Jake Peavy takes the hill in Cincy--let's hope he can pitch a little better than last time.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Giants Sweep Padres
13-9 win in SF
I said I wanted "a big, thumping, sweeping kind of win" and the Giants certainly delivered, smacking 16 hits and scoring 13 runs. Jeff Samardzija looked good, then bad, then good, then not-so-good and lasted only 5-2/3 after yielding five runs. Steven Okert gave up a 3-run homer to Wil Myers in the 7th to make a 13-5 laugher a 13-8 not-as-funny, but that was a minor blip. The lineup went after Andrew Cashner and the Padres bullpen full bore, scoring in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. Brandon Belt, Hunter Pence, and Matt Duffy all had three hits. Belt drove in five on a homer short of a cycle. What do you call it when someone hits a single, a double, and a triple in the same game? A Triplet? The Holy Trinity? Le Tricolore? A Hit Trick? Help me out.
The Shark was not as sharp as last time but he finishes his first month with his new club having logged 32-2/3 IP over five starts, allowing 14 runs on 31 hits (3 HR) and 10 walks while striking out 26 (134 TBF). He gets awarded a W today and so his record is 3-1, the team is 3-2 in the five games. I like what we've seen despite the ups-and-downs. He's workmanlike, not flashy, tough, not overpowering. If he can log lots of quality innings--rack up mound time with the team in striking distance--he's doing his job and that should translate into wins. FanGraphs rates him at a 3.62 FIP, which puts him in the "solid starter" pack, which is what we expected. A little more consistency from the big righty would be nice, it seems like he cruises and looks unhittable and then suddenly he is very hittable, but it's a pretty small sample. I'm betting that over the long haul the Giants will get lots of value from this guy. He got another hit and RBI today, too! The other Shark, El Tiburón Blanco, came off the bench and delivered a hit and RBI in the 6th, then made a great catch in the 8th.
The team is off tomorrow and then off to the Big Apple for a showdown with the Mets.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
I said I wanted "a big, thumping, sweeping kind of win" and the Giants certainly delivered, smacking 16 hits and scoring 13 runs. Jeff Samardzija looked good, then bad, then good, then not-so-good and lasted only 5-2/3 after yielding five runs. Steven Okert gave up a 3-run homer to Wil Myers in the 7th to make a 13-5 laugher a 13-8 not-as-funny, but that was a minor blip. The lineup went after Andrew Cashner and the Padres bullpen full bore, scoring in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. Brandon Belt, Hunter Pence, and Matt Duffy all had three hits. Belt drove in five on a homer short of a cycle. What do you call it when someone hits a single, a double, and a triple in the same game? A Triplet? The Holy Trinity? Le Tricolore? A Hit Trick? Help me out.
The Shark was not as sharp as last time but he finishes his first month with his new club having logged 32-2/3 IP over five starts, allowing 14 runs on 31 hits (3 HR) and 10 walks while striking out 26 (134 TBF). He gets awarded a W today and so his record is 3-1, the team is 3-2 in the five games. I like what we've seen despite the ups-and-downs. He's workmanlike, not flashy, tough, not overpowering. If he can log lots of quality innings--rack up mound time with the team in striking distance--he's doing his job and that should translate into wins. FanGraphs rates him at a 3.62 FIP, which puts him in the "solid starter" pack, which is what we expected. A little more consistency from the big righty would be nice, it seems like he cruises and looks unhittable and then suddenly he is very hittable, but it's a pretty small sample. I'm betting that over the long haul the Giants will get lots of value from this guy. He got another hit and RBI today, too! The other Shark, El Tiburón Blanco, came off the bench and delivered a hit and RBI in the 6th, then made a great catch in the 8th.
The team is off tomorrow and then off to the Big Apple for a showdown with the Mets.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Cactus League Action!
The Giants played their first game of 2016 today and managed a clinical 4-1 win over the LA Angels. The hitting stars were Conor Gillaspie (solo homer) and Christian Arroyo (RBI double). The bullpen--Braulio Lara, Clayton Blackburn, Mike Broadway, Javier Lopez, Derek Law, and George Kontos--delivered seven scoreless in relief of starter Jeff Samardzija. The big righty, who signed a five-year deal with the orange-and-black in the off-season, admitted to some jitters:
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. It was great to hear the radio guys (via mlb audio). Still my favorite way to follow baseball.
"It's like the first day of school," he said. "You've been thinking about this moment for about four months now."No kidding. I know it's only Spring Training but bloggers need practice games, too.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. It was great to hear the radio guys (via mlb audio). Still my favorite way to follow baseball.
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