Nail-biter at Coors, the Giants win 6 - 5.
This was starting to look like the feel-good month of July was going quickly to hell. But the Giants got their first win of August in Coors Field in Denver against the Roxies. Not easily.
In a 3 hour and 42 minute game, the Giants left 13 runners on base, and were 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position. They loaded the bases but did not score in the 8th and 9th innings. The Giants made Rocky starter Jon Gray work to the tune of 30+ pitches in the 1st inning and scored 4 runs including a home run by Scooter Gennett. But on a night with an early lead, and a need for the starter to go deep in a game, Madison Bumgarner could only give them 5 innings and left the game trailing. Madison threw 91 pitches, struck out 2 and walked 1 but gave up 2 home runs and 5 runs total on 8 hits. Those came in the 2nd and 3rd and finally in a 2 run 5th. Jon Gray did no better, he was gone before he recorded an out in the 5th. The Rockies wound up using 6 pitchers in the game, the Giants 5: Gott, Coonrod, Watson and Smith for an inning each.
In the 8th, Buster Posey showed us why he remains a God. With 1 out, Joe Panik, pinch hitting, walked. Austin Slater singled. Then, pinch hitting for the pitcher's spot, Buster Posey willed a grounder nearly to the wall for a 2 rbi double. The Giants then loaded the bases but couldn't add on. Steven Duggar started the game, did not have a hit, but made a leaping catch at the center field wall in the 5th that could have left the score 7 - 4 Rockies. Will Smith allowed 2 hits, but somehow held on for the save (Coonrod got the win).
So, the offense is not what it should be for a game at Coors and our pitching is showing some signs of strain. Yet, the Giants have a chance for a winning road trip (they're 4 - 4 vs San Diego, Philadelphia and Colorado), a .500 record in this young month and a series win in Coors. It doesn't get easier after that.
7 comments:
Some took yesterday’s pen failures, of the new Selman and Suarez, to be predictive of future pen failures, and thence to protest Zaidi’s trade of the more reliable Dyson, Pomeranz, and Melancon. One bloglord instructed his followers that these trades meant running up a white flag. By the same logic, of generalizing from one instance, Bumgarner’s failure today warns us that FZ made a mistake in not trading him.
In fact, Coonrod has so far been pretty close to perfect, with an ERA of 0.90, I believe; and Selman’s AAA record suggests that he has the command/control to keep himself from making the hittable mistakes that he has now twice made. Relying here on the implicit authority of FZ, Bochy, and their advisors, as well as my own more ignorant optimism, I predict we won’t miss Dyson and Pomeranz. Maybe too, with the dead weight of Austin gone, with Longoria returning, and with (I hope) the option of bringing up a potent RH outfielder (Rickard, Davis) to platoon with Dickerson, and supplementing Yaz or Belt with Slater, we can start to score enough runs to moot some of our current need for an awesome bullpen.
Terrific game, great fightback. Score four at home you have a chance at a win, but you have to score more than four in Denver! Let's hope we get some solid work from Beede today.
Good game, giants battle. But the chemistry of the team has certainly changed.
Just a note on yesterday's game - it was fucking terrible. Solano's hr excepted, the Giants didn't so much as hint at an offense. Beede gave up more hits in 3 2/3 innings than the Giants got all game. That was against Kyle Freeland who came into the game as one of the worst starters in the major leagues. His era was 7.48 before the game. The next 6 games are going to define the season, and if the Giants didn't find some mojo on the plane ride home, they'll be back in last place.
This is a big homestand, Nats and Phils will be tough opponents. At least Scherzer won't make an appearance.
The pitching, other than the 'pen, has been up and down all season. Holland and Pomeranz were both busts as starters and the rookie replacements (Beede & Anderson) have had a tough time. D-Rod couldn't follow up last year's good results, Andrew Suarez dropped off quite a bit (he started 29 games in 2018), and Ty Blach pitched himself off the team.
The Giants have picked up two other pitchers, both relievers. Ryan Dull, RH with 167 IP over four seasons with Oakland, claimed off waivers. Carlos Torres, RH with 500+ IP over 10 years with six teams, signed to a minor-league deal.
but now some of our young starters who are moving to the pen, are not doing so great in the pen either. With the exception of Coonrod, so far.
I greeted Gustave last night with a "who the hell is this?" but he gave us 2 scoreless.
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