The fog rolled in about 3 pm today in my neighborhood, then got heavier and heavier until it was a drizzle. By game time, it had let up enough, but was hardly dry. The park looked the same, until the fog rolled back in again late in the game.
No matter, the ball seemed to jump from time to time. The Giants scored in the bottom of the 4th, Brandon Crawford singled home FNG Austin Tyler for 1 run, and then scored himself along with Brandon Belt, Yangervis Solarte and the batter, Kevin Pillar, on a grand slam home run. That will net you some fans at the new team. It was the first grand slam the Giants have hit in 2 years and 1 day. That, I think, is the result less of a paucity of home runs (although there's that, too) and more of a failure to put men on base - they haven't had many 3 run home runs or 2 run home runs either. After a good 4th inning, the Giants followed up with - nothing. A few chances wasted, but they were stuck on 5 and that was not good enough to win tonight. Padres 6, Giants 5.
Madison Bumgarner on the mound, and the Giants got him 5 runs to work with after he had held the Padres hitless through 4. Not runner-less, though, as he put Fernando Tatis Jr. on via a HBP. That was the guy who came back in the 5th and hit a 2 run shot. The kind of electric talent that we only wish we had. Madbum gave up a solo shot to Wil Myers on a pitch after he thought he had struck Myers out, but according the the little box on the screen, it was clearly a ball. Madbum pitched into the 7th, when he put Tatis Jr on again by the HBP. He scored on a ground out after Francisco Meija (another youngster) doubled and he went to 3rd. That made it Padres 4 and brought in Reyes Moronta. With Meija on, Moronta gave up a no-doubter to Franmil Reyes (23 years old, like Meija) for the 5th and 6th runs. For Madbum: 6 IP, 3 K, 4 hits, 1 BB, 5 runs and 2 HBP. Moronta got the loss.
I like the new 6:45 start time, but am curious as to what the Giants think they'll accomplish. If baseball has a "demographics" problem with its audience, an earlier start time is a move to attract seniors, like me. You know, the kind that take advantage of the 4 pm dinner specials. Punks, they're fine with being up late. Sparse crowd, tough weather, and no win tonight.
Monday, April 8, 2019
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Zilch
TB 3 SF 0
The Giants got five singles and two walks this afternoon, and also hit into a double play and struck out twelve times. Predictably, they were shut out by the Rays. Drew Pomeranz struggled through four innings (21 batters, 6 H, 4 BB, 1 HR, 94 pitches) and left with the team trailing 2-0. The bullpen allowed another run on a bizarre balk by Nick Vincent, who threw the ball to a surprised Evan Longoria in a pickoff attempt at third base. The problem was that Longoria was not on the base! Trevor Gott and Mark Melancon combined with Vincent for the final five innings. Anyway, the Giants got zilch today.
MadBum goes tomorrow night against the Padres. The new home start time is 6:45 Pacific.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
The Giants got five singles and two walks this afternoon, and also hit into a double play and struck out twelve times. Predictably, they were shut out by the Rays. Drew Pomeranz struggled through four innings (21 batters, 6 H, 4 BB, 1 HR, 94 pitches) and left with the team trailing 2-0. The bullpen allowed another run on a bizarre balk by Nick Vincent, who threw the ball to a surprised Evan Longoria in a pickoff attempt at third base. The problem was that Longoria was not on the base! Trevor Gott and Mark Melancon combined with Vincent for the final five innings. Anyway, the Giants got zilch today.
MadBum goes tomorrow night against the Padres. The new home start time is 6:45 Pacific.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
First Home Win
SF 6 TB 4
The Giants scored SIX runs this afternoon in San Francisco and defeated the hot Tampa Bay Rays for their first win at Oracle Park. A stinky start by Jeff Samardzija (4-2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, and most regrettably giving up the lead in the 5th) couldn't spoil the fun. First- and second-place hitters Steven Duggar and Brandon Belt (3 H, 2 R and all six RBI) brought the big bats (Belt HR, Duggar 2B) and got some help at the bottom of the lineup from Joe Panik (2 BB, 2 R), Kevin Pillar (1 H, 1 R) and pinch-hitter Connor Joe (1 H, 1 R). The bullpen delivered 4-1/3 IP and yielded only one run.
FNG Pillar had a bunt hit and stolen base in the 3rd that led to a run and he made a dandy play in the field later to save at least a run. I thought it was interesting that the Giants bunted twice successfully in the 3rd, with Samardzija bunting Pillar to third base (he scored on Duggar's sac fly). In the 5th, with two on, Duggar faked a bunt and that brought in the defense and he wound up ripping a double past the first baseman. Was that a bit of game theory maneuvering from the skipper? Regardless, it was fun. Let's see if they can keep it up.
Drew Pomeranz tomorrow afternoon. Go Giants!
--M.C.
The Giants scored SIX runs this afternoon in San Francisco and defeated the hot Tampa Bay Rays for their first win at Oracle Park. A stinky start by Jeff Samardzija (4-2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, and most regrettably giving up the lead in the 5th) couldn't spoil the fun. First- and second-place hitters Steven Duggar and Brandon Belt (3 H, 2 R and all six RBI) brought the big bats (Belt HR, Duggar 2B) and got some help at the bottom of the lineup from Joe Panik (2 BB, 2 R), Kevin Pillar (1 H, 1 R) and pinch-hitter Connor Joe (1 H, 1 R). The bullpen delivered 4-1/3 IP and yielded only one run.
FNG Pillar had a bunt hit and stolen base in the 3rd that led to a run and he made a dandy play in the field later to save at least a run. I thought it was interesting that the Giants bunted twice successfully in the 3rd, with Samardzija bunting Pillar to third base (he scored on Duggar's sac fly). In the 5th, with two on, Duggar faked a bunt and that brought in the defense and he wound up ripping a double past the first baseman. Was that a bit of game theory maneuvering from the skipper? Regardless, it was fun. Let's see if they can keep it up.
Drew Pomeranz tomorrow afternoon. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Friday, April 5, 2019
Rays Spoil Opener
TB 5 SF 2
Dereck Rodriguez got the first two outs in the 1st inning and then had a nightmare sequence: double, double, homer, homer. Suddenly it was 4-0 Rays and the home team never quite recovered. They did conjure up a couple of runs and had the bases loaded with no outs late in the game but responded with a strike out and double play to erase that chance. And so it goes.
Jeff Samardzija takes on Ryne Stanek at 1:05 Pacific tomorrow.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
Dereck Rodriguez got the first two outs in the 1st inning and then had a nightmare sequence: double, double, homer, homer. Suddenly it was 4-0 Rays and the home team never quite recovered. They did conjure up a couple of runs and had the bases loaded with no outs late in the game but responded with a strike out and double play to erase that chance. And so it goes.
Jeff Samardzija takes on Ryne Stanek at 1:05 Pacific tomorrow.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Dodgers Take Finale
LA 5 SF 3
One of the problems with bullpen-based baseball is that the bullpen has to be perfect. Tonight, it wasn't. Ace reliever Reyes Moronta gave up two hits, a walk, and two runs in the 7th with the big blow coming on two strikes with two outs. Nobody's perfect. It turned a 3-2 Giants lead into a 4-3 deficit. Tony Watson allowed a run in the 8th as well. Derek Holland had yielded two in the 1st but a solo shot by Steven Duggar and a two-run shot by Brandon Belt in the 4th reclaimed the lead. Speaking of Duggar, he was in right and FNG Kevin Pillar got the start in center.
Giants play their Home Opener on Friday at 1:35 Pacific. D-Rod gets the nod against the Rays.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
One of the problems with bullpen-based baseball is that the bullpen has to be perfect. Tonight, it wasn't. Ace reliever Reyes Moronta gave up two hits, a walk, and two runs in the 7th with the big blow coming on two strikes with two outs. Nobody's perfect. It turned a 3-2 Giants lead into a 4-3 deficit. Tony Watson allowed a run in the 8th as well. Derek Holland had yielded two in the 1st but a solo shot by Steven Duggar and a two-run shot by Brandon Belt in the 4th reclaimed the lead. Speaking of Duggar, he was in right and FNG Kevin Pillar got the start in center.
Giants play their Home Opener on Friday at 1:35 Pacific. D-Rod gets the nod against the Rays.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Salami
I was all set to write a post about how the Giants couldn't (again) help out Madison Bumgarner with so much as a single run aside from those he generated himself, but then they showed some grit and actually made a game of it. Pablo Sandoval hit into a double play to end the game with the tying run on 3rd. Final score from LA: Giants 5, LA 6.
Madison on the mound, he went 6, threw 95 pitches, struck out 4, but gave up all 5 dogger runs in the 3rd. They were not earned. A throwing error by Maddy put the first runner on, he scored, then a couple of outs and then the big salami. Had Russell Martin been thrown out, he could have gotten out of it with no runs. But he didn't.
In the 6th, with Geraldo Parra on base, Madison went yard. So at least I get to use that label.
The Giants made a game of it in the 9th. At this point I was surprised, but I guess tonight the optimist had the better outlook, even with the eventual disappointment. They looked like they might do it off of our old friend, Kenly Jansen, but after plating in 3 runs, Joe Panik struck out and then Pablo hit into the dp. So it goes. Grit's good though. Grit makes for better games than, well, no grit. I much prefer my Giants with grit.
Madison on the mound, he went 6, threw 95 pitches, struck out 4, but gave up all 5 dogger runs in the 3rd. They were not earned. A throwing error by Maddy put the first runner on, he scored, then a couple of outs and then the big salami. Had Russell Martin been thrown out, he could have gotten out of it with no runs. But he didn't.
In the 6th, with Geraldo Parra on base, Madison went yard. So at least I get to use that label.
The Giants made a game of it in the 9th. At this point I was surprised, but I guess tonight the optimist had the better outlook, even with the eventual disappointment. They looked like they might do it off of our old friend, Kenly Jansen, but after plating in 3 runs, Joe Panik struck out and then Pablo hit into the dp. So it goes. Grit's good though. Grit makes for better games than, well, no grit. I much prefer my Giants with grit.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Duck the Fodgers
SF 4 LA 2
The Giants battled back late in the game against the Dodgers in their first trip to LA. Drew Pomeranz gave up two solo shots, one to Chris Taylor and the other to pinch-hitter Alex Verdugo, to fall behind 2-0 in the bottom of the 5th inning. In the top of the 6th Brandon Belt greeted reliever Joe Kelly with a solo shot of his own to narrow the gap. In the 7th Yangervis Solarte opened things with an infield single and moved to third with two outs. Pablo Sandoval poked a dramatic two-strike single up the middle to tie the game. Steven Duggar then roped a double to set up the big blow by Belt who doubled off new pitcher Scott Alexander to score both runners. Suddenly it was 4-2 San Francisco with the entire stadium wondering what just happened!
Trevor Gott (6th), Mark Melancon (7th), and Tony Watson (8th) all pitched a scoreless frame in relief of Pomeranz who struck out six of the 21 batters he faced (90 pitches). Julio Urias held the Giants down for the first five innings with seven strikeouts and only three hits allowed.
Will Smith got the call for the 9th inning and he put a runner on with one out but whiffed two to end it. The red-hot slugging Dodgers got cooled off by the multi-headed monster that is the Giants pitching staff! The offense got to the magic number of four runs scored and it worked, just like they drew it up. After that terribly deflating trip to San Diego this feels like a big win. They played good baseball, especially in the field, and got some timely hits to back up the hurlers. Let's see some more of that.
Madison Bumgarner goes tomorrow night. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
The Giants battled back late in the game against the Dodgers in their first trip to LA. Drew Pomeranz gave up two solo shots, one to Chris Taylor and the other to pinch-hitter Alex Verdugo, to fall behind 2-0 in the bottom of the 5th inning. In the top of the 6th Brandon Belt greeted reliever Joe Kelly with a solo shot of his own to narrow the gap. In the 7th Yangervis Solarte opened things with an infield single and moved to third with two outs. Pablo Sandoval poked a dramatic two-strike single up the middle to tie the game. Steven Duggar then roped a double to set up the big blow by Belt who doubled off new pitcher Scott Alexander to score both runners. Suddenly it was 4-2 San Francisco with the entire stadium wondering what just happened!
Trevor Gott (6th), Mark Melancon (7th), and Tony Watson (8th) all pitched a scoreless frame in relief of Pomeranz who struck out six of the 21 batters he faced (90 pitches). Julio Urias held the Giants down for the first five innings with seven strikeouts and only three hits allowed.
Will Smith got the call for the 9th inning and he put a runner on with one out but whiffed two to end it. The red-hot slugging Dodgers got cooled off by the multi-headed monster that is the Giants pitching staff! The offense got to the magic number of four runs scored and it worked, just like they drew it up. After that terribly deflating trip to San Diego this feels like a big win. They played good baseball, especially in the field, and got some timely hits to back up the hurlers. Let's see some more of that.
Madison Bumgarner goes tomorrow night. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
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