Friday, April 7, 2017

Pads Pound Giants

7-6 loss in SD
On the one hand Matt Cain didn't pitch any worse than Matt Moore or Jeff Samardzija. On the other hand I can't take any comfort in that. The Padres got big games from no-name rookies Manuel Margot (2 HR), and Jose Torres (a perfect 7th) as well as three hits and four runs batted in from All-Name Team All-Star Yangervis Solarte. That's the story. Guys with no names and a guy with just about the coolest name in the bigs made life miserable for the good guys. Cain did not appear to have anything special working, maybe the occasional curveball, but it wasn't pretty, and this is Not Pretty, Part Three. It stinks writing about losses! Brandon Belt may finally silence his critics this season, I sure hope so, he looked great hitting two homers including his first-ever grand slam. The home park will always suppress his numbers, but the dude can rake. He hits booming liner after booming liner to right-center, the worst place for AT&T, so if he's going to get the dingers he's going to have to do it on the road. Rock on BB, and keep on doing what you are doing.

That's now 34 runs allowed in 5 games by the pitchers. That's going to need some improving.

MadBum tomorrow. GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

6 comments:

nomisnala said...

Cain in the aggregate did not pitch worse on the line score, but the other pitchers started off better, but did not seem to have Stamina. Giants eked out a run in the first, and Cain gave it back as the first batter went deep. He later went deep against Cain again. But Belt bailed him out, Then Kontos who had been good had nothing. Is there a way that Bochy can pick a guy from the pen who does not have a blister of some other ailment that makes him pitch poorly. Seems like Bochy has started out just the way he did after the all star game last year. The team is just making all the wrong moves and playing just a bit worse than their rivals. We are only 5 games into the season, but we have played the supposed two weakest teams in our own division and stand now at 1 win and 4 losses. This is not the giants way. I would like to have this turned around before we find the giants in too big a hole to start off the season. These games are in our own division, and against teams the giants are supposed to beat. Hate to waste a 2 home run game from Belt, after having lost a 2 home run game from Bumgarner. Players have to perform, but I am not sure how much of these losses can be blamed on Bochy We know he is a Hall of Fame manager, but even managers can have some losing streaks. Bochy is not immune.

Eljay said...

Hill in LF is a disaster.
Switch him with Nunez - Maybe speed can make up for not being able to play the position.

Zo said...

Kontos, like Melancon, had a terrific spring. A word on Belt. He had the 5th best OBP last year among major league baseball players. That's valuable and a good reason why he bats second. Also why he was given a big contract.

M.C. O'Connor said...

I'm willing to cut Hill some slack, he looks like a good athlete and can probably be a decent outfielder. Nonetheless, the OF is looking thin. Someone like Parker or Hernandez has to start playing like an everyday major-leaguer.

First turn through the ro' and the Giants look like shit. But going 1-4 will happen a few times in a season so I'm not going to fret. We'll get some 4-1 stretches pretty soon.

There's a good guest piece by the always-interesting Joe Sheehan at FanGraphs When Statheads Age that talks about the rapid and remarkable changes in baseball information and analysis that we have all been witness to over the last few decades. I particularly like his coda:

"The lesson that runs through all these moments is this: if you cling to what you once knew, you’ll be left behind. Keep learning."


(Being an old teacher, always trying to sell the notion of "lifelong learning" to my students, I'm an easy mark for this kind of pitch!)

nomisnala said...

Even in the minors, Parker was always a streak hitter. Could be cold as heck for a while, and then for a week or two he would get two or more hits again with many of them being extra base hits. For a power guy like him, timing is crucial.

Ron said...

And now, we have Melvin Upton, Jr..