Webb dominates Ohtani, still loses

LA 3  SF 0 

That's because of Max Muncy, mostly. Kyle Tucker and the bottom of the Dodgers lineup chipped in, too.

Was it folly to hope for a sweep? Perhaps. Tyler Glasnow cut down the Giants like my self-propelled electric mower cuts the grass: smoothly, quickly, quietly.

Logan vs. Shohei: groundout, strikeout, strikeout, GIDP. (Blade Tidwell got him on a flyout in the 9th to make it an Oh-for-five.) At least there's that.

Otherwise Webb is still getting dinged. I think his command is a wee bit off. He's walking more guys. In general it just seems like he's not locating as well. His game depends on ground balls and that requires fine-tuned placement. And it also seems like his top-of-the-zone four-seamer isn't working. He got a lot of strikes and strikeouts with that pitch last season. He needs something like that to balance his arsenal of bottom-of-the-zone sinkers, sliders, and change-ups.

The Giants missed an opportunity. But, there's a new team coming in and that's the Miami Marlins. Adrian Houser is lined up for tomorrow night (7:15 Pacific). It's day games for Saturday and Sunday, both at 1:05, and we'll see Robbie Ray and the Landen Roupp.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants flip script AGAIN

SF 3  LA 0

The Giants got a great start (7 IP, 3 H, 5 K) from Tyler Mahle and an unlikely homer from Patrick Bailey and beat the Dodgers for the second straight night.

The LA offense has been pounding the ball at a ridiculous (.280/.357/.480) rate and their MLB-best 42 HR underscore how good they are. So it's quite an accomplishment to shut them down for two games.

Tomorrow's getaway game is at 12:45 and will feature Logan Webb and Tyler Glasnow. I'd sure like to see a sweep.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants flip script

SF 3  LA 1

The Dodgers came to San Francisco with the best record in baseball and the biggest run difference as well (134 RS, 79 RA, +55). This series is a mis-match on paper!

Landen Roupp and five relievers had a different plan. The Giants jumped on Yoshinobu Yamamoto for three in the 1st and held on for their tenth win of the season.

Tyler Mahle goes tonight (6:45 PT).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. The bad news is that Daniel Susac goes on the 10-day IL. 

Back-to-back

A fine outing from Landen Roupp led to a 3-0 Giants win on Thursday in the finale against the Reds. Roupp's the team ace so far this season. It's exciting to have a young pitcher in the system mature into a legit major-leaguer. Roupp was a 12th-round pick in 2021.

Logan Webb picked up a win today after the Giants battered the Nationals 10-5 in the series opener in D.C. Webb has not been himself but he's still a workhorse and trails only Max Fried and Sandy Alcantara in innings pitched. Webb's walked more than his usual share of guys this year and the hits seem to come in bunches so far. But it's early and I expect he will come into form soon.

The lineup had a fine time today, banging out 15 hits including three homers. Drew Gilbert hit one of them, that was his first MLB hit. Heliot Ramos had a three-run variety to open the scoring. Like Rafael Devers he really needs to get his bat going! The Nats don't have a great pitching staff so maybe the Giants can get hot and beat up on them.

Tomorrow's game is at 1:05 Pacific. Adrian Houser gets the start. Sunday's game is early, 10:35, and it looks like Robbie Ray is lined up for that one.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

1st inning: 6-12

After another poor outing the Giants find themselves with the worst record in baseball. Well, I guess there's still the White Sox and the Rockies to compete with.

It's been one seasonal inning (18 games) or 1/9 of the way. It's not been a good debut for TonyV although it's hard to say that he's doing anything wrong. The team is playing poorly. The players aren't getting it done. It seems like it's on them, but in MLB the manager gets the blame/credit.

I wonder how patient Giants fans will be with PoBO Posey. He's Buster Posey after all, as close as you can get to an SFG deity. But fans like winning clubs and this club doesn't look like a winner.

One more game in Cincy and then it's on to D.C. for three with the Nats over the weekend.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Woeful weekend

After a promising start with Friday's crisp 6-3 win, whatever momentum the Giants had (three wins in a row!) quickly evaporated. They got whupped on the weekend, 6-2 on Saturday and 6-2 again today. Landen Roupp did great to open things but Logan Webb was not himself (3 walks, homer) the next day. Still, four runs allowed in six frames kept the Giants within striking distance. Unfortunately this team has no pop. They can't get a big extra-base hit with men on base and so they couldn't really threaten a comeback. Today Adrian Houser couldn't finish the 5th and the 'pen gave up two more runs after that. At least Casey Schmitt is swinging a hot bat.

A 6-10 record is a .375 win percentage (a .625 loss percentage!). Two more games and we'll be 1/9 of the way through the season, the first "inning" of baseball. I can say with near-certainty that the Giants will have a stretch of baseball where they will go 10-6 or better. It will happen. It could happen next week. Or next month. Or in September when they are already eliminated. But that will only get them back to a .500 record. That's what we've been getting for the last few years. I was hoping for something better.

I think there's a good chance that this is just a bad team. They have some good players, but it's a bad team. I'm not sure why. Tell me I'm wrong.

Off-day tomorrow before a trip to Cincinnati. 

--M.C.

Devers delivers

SF 5  PHI 0

FNG Tyler Mahle matched zeros with Phillies stalwart Aaron Nola into the 6th. Matt Gage came in to get the lefty Brandon Marsh for the final out in the frame, but Mahle's line (5-2/3 IP, 3 H, 6K) was his best so far in orange-and-black. It's the kind of pitching effort that sets a team up to win, especially at home.

Sure enough the Giants got the big hit in the bottom of the frame. Rafael Devers, who had hit into a double play in the 4th, got a second chance and he didn't miss. His homer was a towering fly to center on the first pitch. The team and its big slugger really, really needed a hit like that!!

The bullpen was great the rest of the way. Gage got an out in the 7th, Caleb Killian got the next two, Blade Tidwell took the 8th, and Erik Miller (2 K) the 9th.

It was an outstanding team effort to get a second shutout against a tough opponent. The top of the lineup is finally starting to hit and some arms just might be emerging in the 'pen.

They're off tomorrow and then play three in Baltimore to start a nine-day trip. Game time Friday 4:15 PT. 

Go Giants!

--M.C.