Sunday notes

SF 5  CHC 1

Another fine start from a resurgent Logan Webb led the way this afternoon in San Francisco. The righty allowed an unearned run on a throwing error from Casey Schmitt and that was it. He struck out seven in eight full frames and walked none. The twenty-fourth out was an excellent play in right field from Jung Hoo Lee who also had two hits and scored a run. Matt Chapman, in the leadoff spot, got the biggest hit, a two-run homer in the 5th. Bryce Eldridge kept his on-base streak alive (up to 20 games now) with a hit and a walk. He batted in the second spot. Caleb Killian, just announced as the closer, delivered a 1-2-3 9th with two whiffs. Good stuff!

This season has mostly not been good stuff. But I can roll with it. I can put it down to inexperience and rookie mistakes. Both Buster Posey and Tony Vitello are new to their jobs. Buster is finding out that being a great baseball player and a successful businessman were both easier than being a baseball executive! I can accept there will be a learning curve and an "implementation dip" from this new partnership. Poor performance from the club is not unexpected. It's disappointing, certainly. But I think it will improve.

What I don't like and have a harder time forgiving is a lack of leadership. I learned from a story on McCovey Chronicles (by Brady Klopfer) that four Giants pitchers did not like participating in the team's annual Pride Night on Friday. They decided to either put Old Testament verses on their caps or to not wear the pride cap at all. Big, manly Landen Roupp (6-2, 220), JT Brubaker (6-4, 200), Sam Hentges (6-8, 255!), and Ryan Walker (6-2, 215) all decided to hide behind their "Christian faith" and Roupp even had the gall to tell LGBTQ fans (if there are any left) to "read the Bible." Why are jocks so afraid of gays?

Fuck you. Fuck your prejudice and your narrow-mindedness. Not to mention your goddamn insubordination. You work for the Giants. The Giants have Pride Night. Suck it up, chickenshits! All of you are grown men (Roupp 27, Brubaker 32, Hentges 29, Walker 30) and seasoned professionals. You are not naive kids just out of amateur ball. I'm calling you out, losers!

And shame on you, Tony V, for not making them "toe the line." And yes, we all know Buster is a Bible Study kinda guy but that doesn't justify tacitly supporting bigots.

Otherwise, it was nice to see the team play well on National TV.

--M.C. 

Tip o' the cap

Jung Hoo Lee's 18-game hitting streak ended last night after he went 0-for-3. He hit .500 (36-for-72) during that stretch.

That's a lot of hits. You have to go back to Bill Terry (1932) to find a span of 12 games and 29+ hits by a Giants player.

Otto Lopez of the Marlins has a .342 average to lead MLB. Lee is second with a .333 and his .451 slugging is a career high.

Way to go, Jung Hoo!

--M.C.

Bryce Slams Nats

SF 11  WSN 10

I'm not ashamed to say I quit following this game. I gave up. And I'm not ashamed. This 2026 Giants team has been unwatchable. Literally.

Today they turned everything upside down. Bryce Eldridge hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Nationals. The Giants scored five runs in the 8th and five again in the 9th to pull off the miracle comeback. Certainly, in a Baseball Karmic sort of way, the Giants deserved one of these. They've suffered on the other end too many time already this season.

Jung Hoo Lee has been on fire and he got two more hits today. His .338 is second in all of baseball. But it's Bryce that we are hanging our hats on. He's the phenom. He's the 1st-rounder. He's the One We've Been Waiting For. (At least we hope.)

Anyway Bryce is slashing .298/.385/.521 in just over 100 PA.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Extra! Extra! Giants win! Giants win!

SF 2  CHC 1 (10)

The Giants spoiled NBC's Wrigley love-fest with a surprising win to take the series from the Cubs. The visitors scored a run in the 1st and another in the 10th and that was just enough. A crazy double play bailed out Erik Miller in the 8th. Keaton Winn gave us indigestion in the 9th but held the line. With a 2-1 lead to protect TonyV went with FNG Dylan Smith who calmly subdued the Cubs with a strikeout and two pop-ups.

Dylan Smith (age 26) was a 2021 3rd-round draft pick for the Tigers from the University of Alabama. He was in their system for five years but injuries derailed his progress. He made his debut last season and got into seven games (13 IP). Detroit DFAd him this year and the Giants picked him up for "cash considerations." Smith was called up from AAA on Wednesday and pitched in the blowout on Friday (1 IP, 2 K)

Jung Hoo Lee kept his hitting streak alive with his two-out RBI single in the 1st. Matt Chapman's opposite-field single was the clutch hit in the 10th.

The Giants come home from their 5-5 trip to face the Nationals tomorrow at 6:45 Pacific. Logan Webb takes the hill.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Homer Happy in Wrigley

SF 18  CHC 3

Daniel Susac will probably get a good ribbing from his teammates after his 0-for-5 showing. Everyone else in the starting lineup got at least one hit, including Jung Hoo Lee who extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Matt Chapman hit a grand slam which is the new signature hit of the 2026 Giants. He also had a sac fly and a three-run homer for a spectacular 8-RBI day. Two other guys—Willy Adames and Casey Schmitt—also hit a pair of homers. It was exciting to see young CF Jonah Cox get three hits including his first homer. He came over from the A's in the Ross Stripling trade and was promoted from AA-Richmond to the big club. He was crushing it (.400/.453/.644) with the Flying Squirrels in his 44 games.

It was "efficient" today as they got the 18 runs on only 19 hits. They were 6-for-10 with RISP and only left four runners on base.

This is the most bewildering team I have ever followed.

Tomorrow's game is also at 11:20 Pacific and Sunday's is listed for 5:30 p.m. Landen Roupp and Trevor McDonald get the call. Robbie Ray managed a clean five frames today despite five walks. Reminds me of another lefty, Jonathan Sanchez, who was effective despite too many bases on balls. Both guys were/are hard to watch.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

A twenty-hit nail-biter

SF 12  MIL 9 

The Giants clobbered the ball today, rapping out a score of hits including five doubles and two homers. One of the homers was a grand slam by Eric Haase. Usually the Giants win when they hit a grand slam so I was feeling good. It was 6-3 Giants in the top of the 6th and when they scored six to make it 12-3 I was feeling even better. Three Giants relievers conspired to give up six runs over the last three frames, including three in the 9th, and I actually, physically, couldn't watch anymore. I've said a few times that this team is "unwatchable" and this was one of those times! Caleb Killian managed to get the save, thankfully.

Two in a row against a good club. Wow!

Oh, does anyone else think we should swap Bryce Eldrige and Rafael Devers in the lineup?

Day games (11:20 PT) tomorrow and Saturday at Wrigley. Looks like Ray & Roupp.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb's gem lifts Giants

SF 1  MIL 0

Logan Webb retired the first 15 batters he faced and took a no-hitter into the 7th inning. He finished with only one hit allowed in the seven frames. Rookie Victor Bericoto got his first major-league dinger in the 5th and that was just barely enough. Two relievers gave up two hits and a walk but they managed to close out the win.

The Giants don't give us much to write about in 2026 unless you like doom-and-gloom. This nice, tidy, well-played victory means they won't get swept in Milwaukee. That's something!

Maybe Webb can keep it rolling and get back to being the top pitcher he was before.

Today's game is 11:10 Pacific; tomorrow they go to Chicago for a weekend series with the Cubs.

Go Giants!

--M.C.