All righties

If the Giants opened the baseball season tomorrow their starting pitchers would all be right-handed. Is this a problem? Probably. But there is plenty of time to scrape up some scrappy southpaws before Spring Training, am I right? I am.

The word is that lefty starter Andrew Suarez is signing with a KBO club and that opened up a spot on the 40-man. The Giants promptly filled it with a right-hander, 30-year old Anthony DeSclafani, most recently of the Cincinnati Reds. The accent is on the "De" as in "DEE-scla-faw-nee" and he's been a 2.5+ WAR pitcher in the past. If he joins Shaun Anderson, Logan Webb, Johnny Cueto, and Kevin Gausman in the rotation that's five right-handers. That's a big "if" as Spring Training is a long way away!

The Giants also added righty reliever Matt Wisler, a 28-year old with big strikeout stuff. They also picked up an intriguing Rule V player from the Mets, RHP Dedniel Nunez. His A-ball numbers are 33 K in 22 IP (85 TBF) with only 3 BB.

Pitching, pitching, pitching. The Giants need lots of it, so let's keep the arms a-comin'!

--M.C.

The New Minor Leagues

When you and I say "baseball" we mean the game. The sport. The players. The parks. The lines on the field. The pitching, the fielding, the hitting. That sort of thing.

When MLB says "baseball" they mean "MLB." The © ™ $ sort of thing.

MLB, its monopoly status reinforced by the powers-that-be over the last 100 years, will now absorb the minor leagues, downsizing them in the process. Is that still a thing, "downsizing"? It sounds so 80s, I don't think they call it that anymore. "Slash-and-burn" seems better. Anyway, each of the 30 MLB clubs will get four minor league affiliates, one each at AAA, AA, Advanced-A, and A-level, meaning 120 total. Several dozen minor league franchises and some leagues will evaporate. MLB is the only game in town and you either join up or get left behind.

There really ought to be independent baseball. It would be good for the game. Imagine if a plucky startup league featured briskly played games with lots of balls in play, and contrasted that with the lumbering MLB pace and over-reliance on the long ball. It would be good for fans and the competition would force MLB to improve their product. But MLB is a protected monopoly, and it will do its very best to cease-and-desist your ass into submission if you do your own thing.

Frankly, that's un-American. Much of MLB is un-American, and it ought not to be. The draft is the most blatant insult to the basic liberty of citizens seeking to ply their trade. From that follows all the contractual nonsense that is nothing more than vestiges of the odious reserve clause. And the stifling of competition, when "the free market" is so fundamental to the American Mythos, goes beyond hypocrisy to apostasy. The business of sports in America is disturbingly at odds with its nauseous self-promotion.

One has to put on one's big-boy pants to stay sane. Contradiction is the adult state of life!

So, back to the news. The Giants, it seems, will retain their links to Sacramento at the AAA level and also to Richmond (VA) at the AA-level. The San Jose club will become A-level, dropping a notch, and the new Advanced-A team will be the Eugene Emeralds. There are no AA-leagues west of Texas, by the way. I'm sure everyone will say they are excited and look forward to the future and in the meantime there will be lawsuits and other wrangling going on but in the end the juggernaut will prevail.

Now if we can get MLB and MLBPA to hammer out a new agreement so we have the possibility of baseball in 2021 that would be a hopeful start. The pandemic will of course decide how things play out this spring, but I remain oddly optimistic. I'm not sure why I can rant about the ravenous excesses of capitalism in one paragraph and feel upbeat in another, I've no rational explanation. Perhaps I'm figuring 2021 will, just by the fact it is not 2020, be better!

Happy Holidays!

--M.C.

Roster-ing

The Giants had some interesting decisions to make at yesterday's arbitration deadline and they decided to let go of starter Tyler Anderson and infielder Daniel Robertson. Catcher Chadwick Tromp and pitchers Rico Garcia and Melvin Adon, who are all pre-arb, were also let go.

The Giants offered contracts to outfielders Austin Slater, Darin Ruf, and Alex Dickerson. Pitchers Wandy Peralta, Jarlin Garcia, and Trevor Gott were also signed.

Arbitration-eligible infielder Donovan Solano and pitcher Reyes Moronta were both tendered contracts but have yet to sign.

I thought they might give Anderson another shot but with Tyler Beede returning from surgery I think they want to keep a spot open for him. I thought they'd hang on to Tromp as well and perhaps he will return on a minor-league deal. Buster Posey is expected to play in 2021 so that changes the backup catcher formula a bit.

The Giants 40-man roster is now at 35 players. Yaz, Dick, Solano, Buster, Belt, Longo, BCraw, Dubon, Bart, Ruf, Flores, Slater, FNG Jason Vosler, Gausman, Cueto, Webb, Suarez, Shaun Anderson, Rogers, Coonrod, Garcia, Moronta, Baragar, Peralta, Selman, Gott, and Beede make up the major-league portion so far (that's 27 players). Pitchers Kervin Castro, Conner Menez, Camilo Duval and Gregory Santos bring the list to 31, and the final four are outfielders Jaylin Davis, Luis Alexander Basabe, Steven Duggar, and Alexander Canario.

The Winter Meetings take place December 6-10. Originally scheduled for Dallas, they will be held remotely.

--M.C.

News

The Giants signed a lefty-hitting third baseman named Jason Vosler to a one-year deal and added him to the 40-man roster. He's projected to platoon with Evan Longoria and can also play first base. Vosler is 27 and has never played in the bigs but had a breakout year at AAA for the El Paso Chihuahuas and was in the Padres player pool for 2020. Welcome, FNG!

Former Giants player Mac Williamson is suing the team (actually China Basin LLC) over his concussion injury in 2018. The bullpen mounds were still on the field then and he--I'm sure we all remember--hurt himself when he tripped on the left field-side mound chasing a fly ball. It was an unfortunate event and we all wished it never happened. The Giants and MLB, I expect, have a process for such claims and grievances, so I'm surprised by the suit, but I really don't understand that stuff. I feel bad for Mac and hope they can work things out.

--M.C.

update: Kevin Gausman will accept the Giants QO so he will be in orange-and-black next season, which is good news. The two sides are supposedly still talking about a multi-year deal. I think he's a reasonable risk for a 3-year contract, or a two-year extension on the current deal, something along those lines.

Back to business

The Giants issued a Qualifying Offer to Kevin Gausman. This year a QO is supposedly $18.9M. If Gausman accepts the QO, then the Giants have him for 2021 at that salary. If he rejects it he becomes a free agent and the Giants will receive draft-pick compensation if he signs elsewhere. The Giants have said they hope to work out a multi-year deal with Gausman and he has publicly expressed interest in a reunion.

The Giants need pitching in general and they need starting pitching in particular. Kevin Gausman pitched really well (1.3 bWAR, 1.5 fWAR, 3.09 FIP) in the abbreviated season and in fact had career-bests in H/9 (7.5) and K/9 (11.9) while keeping his walks and homers in line. He turns 30 in January. I'd like to see the Giants keep Gausman around. I'd like to see them bring back Drew Smyly as well.

The Giants outrighted Tyler Heineman, Joey Rickard, and Anthony Banda. Banda, a lefty reliever, had already signed a minor-league deal and will stay in the organization. Rickard and Heineman become free agents. Tyler Beede, Aramis Garcia, and Reyes Moronta were moved off the injured list and returned to the 40-man roster. Let's hope those guys are healthy for 2021.

--M.C.

Finis

The 2020 baseball season ended last night with the Los Angeles Dodgers beating the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 3-1 in Game Six of the World Series. LA takes the crown, four games to two. Manager Kevin Cash of the Rays will be answering the "why did you pull Blake Snell?" question for the rest of his baseball life, I suppose. The Dodgers celebration was tainted by a positive COVID-19 test on Justin Turner who had to be removed from the game. MLB had gone almost two months without incident, and the playoff bubble had appeared to work beautifully, so the news was a bit of a shock. The virus has a way of defeating the best laid plans, it seems.

The Rays were a spirited and determined opponent and their bunch of "no-names" made some noise on the big stage. Game Four was one of the most fun and interesting post-season games I've ever watched. In fact, it was a good, competitive contest overall and showcased some great baseball. This is a Giants site and I've no enthusiasm for a Dodgers win but I will say that is a very familiar team. I feel like I know every player on the roster! Not just from the regular-season games these last several years but from all the playoff exposure, too. Anyway, I have a lot of friends who root for the blue and I am happy for them. Watching your favorite team win the World Series is a great thing.

I'm not one to put an asterisk on a record or a season. MLB and the MLBPA sat down and figured out the rules for a 60-game season. The Dodgers and Rays dominated that format. MLB and MLBPA sat down again and hammered out a post-season schedule. The Dodgers and Rays dominated that format as well, with LA coming out on top. All a team can do is navigate with the road map they are given regardless if it looks like last year's map or not. The Dodgers are the legitimate champions of baseball.

--M.C.

Odds

The Dodgers are favorites, to no one's surprise. The moneyline at Vegas Insider says -200 on LA (bet $200 to win $100) and +175 on TB (bet $100 to win $175). In fractional odds that's 1/2 on the Dodgers and 7/4 on the Rays.

I think it will be a close contest. The Dodgers have the depth and star power and I think that gives them a slight edge. They are also the home team (they bat last in Games One, Two, Six, and Seven) and that is also a slight edge. The Rays will have to summon their inner David to beat the LA Goliath. Sometimes, when two teams are even on paper, one will get hot and blow out the other. I think it is more likely LA can do that to TB than the other way around. Then again, the Rays have defied everyone's expectations this year, perhaps they will be the ones with the big performances and pull off an upset.

Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw face off in Game One tonight at 5:11 Pacific.

--M.C.

116th World Series

The Dodgers edged the Braves 4-3 to take Game Seven of the NLCS and advance to the World Series to face the Rays. Check this out: Cody Bellinger, he of the game-winning homer, "popped" his shoulder celebrating! You really don't want to get injured that way, do you?

The games begin on Tuesday, 5:09 p.m. Pacific. The Dodgers will be the home team. The schedule will include the usual off-days between Games Two and Three and Games Five and Six. All the games will be played in Texas, at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

--M.C.

Rays prevail

The Tampa Bay Rays won the first three games in the American League Championship Series only to watch their opponents--the Houston Astros--win the next three contests and force a Game Seven. The Rays prevailed 4-2 tonight in San Diego to punch their ticket to the World Series. Meanwhile in Arlington the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had fallen behind two games to none and three games to one against the Atlanta Braves, eked out a 3-1 win this afternoon in Game Six (after a 7-3 win Friday in Game Five). They will play the deciding Game Seven of the National League Championship Series tomorrow at 5:15 Pacific. I figured both LCS matchups would be close so I'm not surprised that both went to seven games. I'm happy for the Rays as I like the way they run that team and I like to see a good process rewarded. I'm not a fan of either the Dodgers or the Braves so all I really want tomorrow is a good game. Game One of the World Series is scheduled for Tuesday.

--M.C.

5-0

The Rays pitching and fielding have stymied the Astros so far and they take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven ALCS. Game Four is at 5:40 PT. The vaunted Dodgers have looked quite ordinary and they find themselves trailing the sizzling Atlanta Braves 2-0 in the NLCS. Game Three is at 3:05 PT. I thought both series would be more evened-up at this point.

Schedule is here.

--M.C.

LCS

The American League Championship Series begins on Sunday. The Tampa Bay Rays will host the Houston Astros at San Diego's Petco Park. The Rays edged a powerful New York Yankees team and continue to play excellent baseball. They finished the season on an 8-2 run on the way to a 40-20 record, second only to the 43-17 Los Angeles Dodgers, and took the AL East by seven games over the Yanks. The Astros powered past the Oakland Athletics, a team they finished seven games behind in the the AL West.

The National League Championship Series begins on Monday. The Dodgers welcome the Atlanta Braves to the Texas Ranger's Globe Life Field. Both teams have won all five of their post-season games. The Braves have thrown four shutouts. The Braves won the NL East by four games over the Miami Marlins, the team they beat in the LDS. The Dodgers won the NL West by six games over the Padres, the team they beat in the LDS.

I was disappointed the A's didn't make it through, they have had a good club for some time now but have yet to break through to the the LCS or World Series. The Rays are a very interesting team, the way they move players around and put them in many different roles is really something. In 60 games they had 60 different lineups, and 12 different pitchers earned a save for them this season. I'm rooting for them to get to the Series.

--M.C.

LDS

With the first-round madness out of the way the field is set for the League Division Series. It is a best-of-five with no off-days. The ALDS starts Monday, the NLDS on Tuesday.

The ALDS pits the Houston Astros against the Oakland Athletics in Los Angeles, and the Tampa Bay Rays taking on the New York Yankees in San Diego.

The NLDS features the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers battling in Arlington, with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins squaring off in Houston.

Here's the updated bracket:

 

You can see that there were three upsets: the Marlins beating the Cubs, the Yankees beating the Indians, and the Astros beating the Twins. In the other five matches the higher seed won.

Here's a cut-and-paste from MLB:

Here's the link to the broadcast information.

Enjoy!

--M.C.

Post-season

This was on the MLB homepage:

 

ESPN has the schedule:

 

Check the link for the rest of the games.

--M.C.

It's Over

SD 5  SF 4

The Giants were done after that bone-crushing loss in the final inning on Friday night. Yesterday they showed some spunk but not enough to challenge for a win, and today they fought back gamely but could not conjure up the victory they needed. They had some fine individual efforts over the last two days, but they did not have the team-wide x-factor they needed to finish strong, especially against a much more talented club. I had one goal for this team: improve. But, I had a yardstick: play .500 ball. They didn't measure up, but they certainly improved. I think FZ, Kap, and the players deserve a lot of credit for exceeding expectations and playing meaningful games until the bitter end.

And it was a bitter end. On Wednesday the Giants found themselves in an unexpected place: in charge of their post-season destiny. I didn't write much about the team's post-season chances because even at their highest point I considered them slim, and I viewed a seeding in the tournament as a bonus, not a goal. Alas, they really were close--they really did have a strong chance. In fact, all the other teams helped them out today--a win would have assured them a playoff spot! But that loss on Thursday set them back. Despite a great effort in the double-header on Friday they came out with another brutal defeat, a real shoulda-coulda-woulda kinda game. As I said at the top, I think that finished them.

The Giants had to play 26 games against three of the best teams in baseball this year, the A's, the Dodgers, and the Padres. They were 7-19 against them, a .269 percentage! They were 22-12 (.647) against the rest of their opponents and finish 29-31 or a .483 mark. That's better than 2019 (.475), 2018 (.451), and 2017 (.395) Those were full 162-game campaigns so I know it's not an entirely fair comparison, but I'm looking for improvement.

If you want to be a good team, you have to play better against other good teams, and that's an obvious goal for next year. But we'll talk about next season later. This season was weird, of course, but I'm really happy we got to have a season at all. Sports without fans in the stands is bizarre, but I'll enjoy the post-season even if I won't follow it too closely. I'll certainly watch the World Series.

I suspect lots of things will be different about baseball going forward. I suspect we'll have lots to talk about in the coming months. As always,

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

One More Chance

SD 6  SF 2

The Giants have one more game to play, one last chance to finish the season with 30 wins and a .500 record. After last night's brutal loss the team was perhaps a bit down and didn't play with the spark they needed. The lineup could not get anything going early on and when they finally did rally in the 8th they could not get the big hit. The Padres win for the seventh time in nine games against the Giants this season.

The team is clearly gassed. San Diego is flying high and rolling into the post-season as one of the top-seeded clubs. It is not a good matchup. That being said, Drew Smyly gets a chance tomorrow afternoon at 12:05 Pacific and the boys just might have one last fight in them. I'd like to see a nice nine-run outburst, wouldn't you?

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

p.s. Mike Yastrzemski gets the Willie Mac Award and I think it was an easy pick and certainly well-deserved.

Split

SF 5  SD 4

SD 6  SF 5

The Giants got a great start from Tyler Anderson in the first game and took a 5-1 lead into the final frame (the 7th!). The Padres rallied for three runs, aided by some poor umpiring, but Tony Watson hung on and saved a big win. Watson was charged with an error when he hit Manny Machado with a throw. Machado was not in the running lane and should have been out, but the umps missed it. In the end it didn't matter and the Giants were able to get it done. But plays like that should be reviewable, or at the very least the home plate umpire should be forced to get a second opinion--there's no excuse for that. They paint the lines on the damn field for a reason! The lineup did its damage in the 4th with homers from Mike Yastrzemski and Wilmer Flores.

In the second game the Giants were down 3-2 in the 6th but rallied behind a massive three-run homer from Wilmer Flores off Drew Pomeranz to take a 5-3 lead. Those were the only runs Pomeranz has allowed this season. Unfortunately the Padres once again rallied in bottom of the 7th for three runs, and this time it was enough to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Sam Coonrod was the victim, giving up a three-run homer to Trent Grisham, adding another brutal loss to the season's tally. The Giants managed a split but it sure felt like they should have pulled off the sweep. Two things of note: the Padres were the home team in Game 2 as it was a make-up game from the postponement in San Diego, and Jeff Samardzija started for the Giants, likely his last appearance in orange-and-black.

29-29 with two games to play, Saturday at 6:15 p.m. and Sunday at 12:05 p.m. (PDT).

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

The one that got away

COL 5  SF 4 (11)

Feels like the Giants have suffered more than a few brutal losses in this strange, truncated season, and today was certainly one of those. You can't mess with the baseball gods. If you get chances and continue to blow them they will make you pay. The Giants had the matchup they wanted with Kevin Gausman against Chi Chi Gonzalez. They jumped on him for two runs in the 1st but it felt like it could have been four, and they added another in the 2nd that felt like it could have been three. Missed opportunities! The lineup should have chased Gonzalez but he hung around and kept the Giants to three runs in 5-1/3 IP. Meanwhile the Rockies kept harassing Gausman with long counts and plenty of singles and he finally departed after six with a 3-2 lead. The bullpen couldn't hold it and it was 4-3 Colorado in the 8th but Brandon Belt tied it with a homer. Finally, in the 10th, the Giants held the line and did not allow the magic runner to score, but could not get it done in the bottom half despite a splendid opportunity. In the 11th the Rockies scored and held the line against the Giants and that was that.

It was a big chance for the home squad but a determined opponent and the wrath of the baseball gods did them in. Doubleheader with the Padres tomorrow, first game at 4:10, the second at 7:10 p.m. Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Another clutch win

SF 7  COL 2

The Giants employed the opener tonight, using Caleb Baragar in the 1st inning, and he went 1-2-3, but gave up a double to start the 2nd. Then they used Logan Webb. He produced a serviceable 5-1/3, facing danger in every frame, but got the team into the 7th allowing only two runs. Power from an unlikely source--a three-run blast from Mauricio Dubon--had given the Giants the lead in 5th and they never looked back. They tacked on two more in the 8th and rode the 'pen to another big win. Tyler Rogers picked up the last two outs after Webb, Tony Watson handled the 8th, and Sam Selman finished it.

Brandon Belt's three hits brought his career total to 999 and his RBI in the 8th made it 1,000 for his career. Alex Dickerson also had three hits--he's slugging .606! Evan Longoria added a solo shot and walked twice, and added some sterling fielding at the hot corner. Steven Duggar rather than Jaylin Davis got the call-up and responded with an RBI hit in the 8th, driving in Joey Bart who had tripled. Duggar had a walk earlier and also caught the final out. I think his defense is part of the promotion, and Kap said his lefty bat was a factor.

The Giants have had a rough time with the Rockies this season, and the win tonight brings their record to four wins against five losses, so a win tomorrow can even up the series. Both Baggs and AmyG just tweeted that Kevin Gausman will start tomorrow afternoon, 12:45 Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Clutch win

SF 5  COL 2

Giants get back to .500 with some good pitching and timely hitting, a tried-and-true formula. This year's variation on that formula involves getting better matchups and we saw that tonight. Righty Austin Slater led off against southpaw Kyle Freeland and hit a homer, and struggling righty Joey Bart got an RBI double in the 5th off the same lefty. With the game at 2-2 in the 7th, lefty pinch-hitter Alex Dickerson launched a homer off righty reliever Jairo Diaz and lefty pinch-hitter Brandon Belt added a booming two-run double in the same frame and that set up the win. Tony Watson and Sam Coonrod got the last six outs. Drew Smyly started and was effective for 5-1/3, with Trevor Cahill, Jarlin Garcia, and Tyler Rogers bridging the gap. The Giants are 27-27 with six games remaining. They are averaging about five runs on both sides of the ball, scoring 272 and allowing 269 in the 54 games. They are 17-10 at home and of course they are 10-17 away.

A couple of nine-run games would be nice, don't you think? No starter announced for tonight's 6:45 contest but maybe Logan Webb could go on four days rest (he pitched Friday). Trevor Cahill faced only three batters last night so you'd think he could deliver some "bulk innings" in relief. We'll see.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C. 

 

p.s. FNG OF Luis Basabe had to leave the game in the 3rd when he tweaked his hamstring. FNG IF Daniel Robertson had to play in left field, and he got his first ever OF assist when he threw out Garrett Hampson in the 7th trying to stretch a single into a double. I like both of these players and hope they are part of the mix next spring.

That hurts

COL 7  SF 2

Johnny Cueto pitched one of his worst games ever and the Giants were shut down by German Marquez. They drop to 26-27 with the loss. There are three more to play against the Rockies and then four (Friday is a doubleheader) against the Padres to end the season.

Drew Smyly goes tonight (6:45 Pacific).

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

I was happy at nine

 SF 14  OAK 2

The Giants saved up all their runs for today and gave the Athletics a good pasting. This team really can pile it on and I'm not used to that. San Francisco certainly owed it to their Oakland neighbors as they had been on the opposite end of a streak of pastings, a streak finally snapped this afternoon. That ends the season series, a lopsided 1-5 in the six (three home, three away) games.

Tyler Anderson pitched well, giving up a couple of runs in the 6th with an 8-0 lead, certainly an encouraging performance from the lefty. The inning started with a rare error from first baseman Brandon Belt and the runs were unearned. Shaun Anderson, Caleb Baragar, and Wandy Peralta put together a scoreless 3-1/3 to finish things. The Giants were able to take advantage of a good start unlike yesterday when they squandered Kevin Gausman's excellent effort.

The big bopper was Brandon Crawford with a double and a homer, a grand slam that "broke the game open" as they like to say. Joey Bart got a day off (he needed it!) and Chadwick Tromp responded with three hits including a two-run homer. Darin Ruf, after two misplays in left field yesterday, bounced back with two hits and four runs batted in, one of the hits a two-run homer. There were lots of highlights!

The Rockies come to town tomorrow evening at 6:45 Pacific. Johnny Cueto, scratched from the start today, gets the call.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Again?

See yesterday.

Tyler Anderson this afternoon.

--M.C.

Skunked

OAK 6  SF 0 

Logan Webb has some seriously nasty stuff but he had some serious command issues tonight and got predictably clobbered by the A's disciplined lineup. In the 1st inning Donovan Solano made a Little League error that led to a run but the three-run homer by Matt Olson in the 3rd made everyone forget about it. Meanwhile Chris Bassitt, after a strong campaign last year, is having his best season and he made the Giants lineup look punchless. The A's have a really good team and the Giants have a hard time against good teams. They have not won against Oakland yet this year. Even if they had won one of the two Trevor Gott meltdown games they would still be over-matched. Let's hope they play better this weekend!

Kevin Gausman tomorrow at 1:10.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

If 6 Was 9

 SF 6  SEA 4

This game would have been more relaxing if the Giants would have stuck to the formula and scored nine runs instead of a mere six. It happens that six was just enough, although it took a comeback featuring a big two-run triple from Wilmer Flores with two outs in the 7th to pull off the win. Giants pitchers threw 181 pitches this afternoon but walked only four batters (and hit two) so that's an improvement over yesterday. Starter Tyler Anderson got knocked about for four runs in the 2nd and then kicked out in the 3rd for arguing balls and strikes. Wandy Peralta, Rico Garcia, Tony Watson, Tyler Rogers, and Sam Selman covered the final seven frames without yielding a run. The Mariners threatened in the 7th, 8th, and 9th but the 'pen held firm and sealed the victory. Peralta's three hitless innings in relief of Anderson was the key performance, I think.

Newcomer Luis Basabe had a hit, walked twice, and scored two, Mauricio Dubon had two hits and scored a run, Evan Longoria had two hits and a run batted in, and Darin Ruf launched a solo shot in the 1st to fill up the highlight reel. The Giants are a sparkling 16-4 against Arizona (8-2), Seattle (4-0), Texas (2-1), and LA-Anaheim (2-1). Unfortunately their final three opponents are Oakland, Colorado, and San Diego and they are a less than stellar 3-12 against them. So it will be a big challenge for the Giants to stay in the hunt in their final stretch. This weekend's series with the A's is at the Coliseum but the final two sets are at home where they have won 16 of 25, so maybe home cookin' will be the ticket.

Logan Webb goes Friday at 6:40 p.m., Kevin Gausman Saturday at 1:10 p.m., and Johnny Cueto Sunday, also at 1:10, all times Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

 

p.s. Mike Yastrzemski had to leave the game early with a calf injury, let's hope it is minor.

Just score nine runs and it will all work out

SF 9  SEA 3

The San Francisco Giants 2020 pitching staff gives up, on average, five runs per game. Tonight they walked eight guys and hit two for ten free baserunners. That's a lot of free baserunners! The Seattle Mariners were kind enough to score only three runs despite the ten free runners (and their six hits). Other teams might take more advantage of the Giants generosity. Teams that are over .500, for example. It has been a lot of fun watching the ballclub this season but not because of the pitching. In fact, my Mom and I were watching the last part of the game tonight and she kept asking "who's that guy?" Oh, I'd say, that's Sam Selman, or Sam Coonrod, or Rico Garcia, or Jarlin Garcia, or what-have-you. When she asked me "who started?" I said "Drew Smyly" and of course she said "who?" She's a good fan but you really do need a damn scorecard this year.

But I'm not here to bemoan the state of Giants pitching. After all, they did get the job done tonight and it was a big win. After losing three in a row, getting back to .500 (24-24) is a big deal. They did that by scoring eight runs in the first four frames. You do that and more often than not you will win even if your pitchers throw 182 pitches!

The Giants lineup cracked 15 hits tonight. Fifteen! You do that you can win some ballgames. After the goofiness of the weekend with the COVID cancellation and the goofy re-locating of the Seattle series to San Francisco the hitters responded with an inspired collective effort to snap a three-game skid. By the way the M's were the home team and batted last but the G-men wore their home unis. Goofy!

Tomorrow the game is at 1:10 PDT and Tyler Anderson gets the start.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

If it ain't one thing, it's another . . .

The Giants and Mariners postponed their games in Seattle due to the poor air quality there. It's a little better in San Francisco so the games will be played Wednesday and Thursday at Oracle Park.

6:45 p.m. tomorrow--Drew Smyly gets the start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

The Ol' One-Two

SD 6  SF 0

SD 3  SF 1

The Giants picked a bad time to go into a slump! To be fair, San Diego has a very good ballclub and they also strengthened themselves for a playoff push at the trade deadline. One of those acquisitions was Mike Clevinger who threw a (7-inning) shutout, allowing only two hits. The Giants lineup managed a run in the next game but could not get anything else going. It was the ol' one-two: shut down pitching and timely hitting. That's seven wins in a row for the Padres.

The Giants are now 23-24 after the three straight losses in San Diego. There's an off-day tomorrow and then two games in Seattle, Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:40 Pacific, and then another off-day on Thursday.

Let's hope the team can gets its groove going again real soon!

--M.C.

Games Postponed

 

 Here's a link to the story on the Giants webpage.
 

Padres snap Giants streak

SD 6  SF 1

There was at least something to Smyly about tonight, and that is the return of southpaw Drew Smyly, who was popping 96 on the gun and whiffing Padres left and right in relief of Trevor Cahill. The Padres high-powered offense made short work of Cahill, scoring three in the 1st and one in the 3rd, and that was enough. Then they ran out one tough reliever after another and smothered the Giants hitting attack.

The Giants face a big challenge on this road trip. Getting Drew Smyly back could be a big help. I suspect he will get a start in Seattle. Johnny Cueto gets the start tomorrow evening (6:10 PDT) against Garrett Richards.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. Justin Smoak did indeed join the active roster and take Pablo Sandoval's spot. Activating Smyly also sent down Rico Garcia.

Five in a row!

SF 10  SEA 1

The Giants had another great night at the plate, rapping out 12 hits and 10 runs to overwhelm the Seattle Mariners and claim their fifth straight win. Tyler Anderson bounced back from a couple of poor outings to throw six scoreless innings and give the home squad a chance to wave their big sticks. Which they did, with Yaz yanking a three-run bomb, Longo driving in three, Wilmer getting two hits and scoring two, and Bart rapping out two hits with an RBI and a run scored.

It's been a little rocky for the veteran southpaw in 2020. On August 22nd Anderson threw his best start ever, a three-hit, one-run (unearned) complete game win against the Diamondbacks. The next two starts, also against Arizona (thanks to the goofy schedule), resulted in eleven runs allowed in 8-2/3 IP. Tonight Anderson put a man on in the 1st on an error by Solano, but then picked him off. He kept them at bay after that. Trevor Gott handled the 7th, and Rico Garcia gave up a run in the 8th but pitched a clean 9th to finish it off.

The Giants will face a stern test on this next road trip, their last one of the season, starting tomorrow with four against the Padres. San Diego (28-17) is the second-best team in the NL, four games behind the Dodgers, and in fact lead all of baseball in runs scored.

6:10 p.m. PDT.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

G-men subdue M's

SF 6  SEA 5 

The Giants had to take on a team much like themselves and it turned out to be an epic battle. The Mariners, like the Giants, didn't move the needle on anyone's meter this pre-season and both teams were laughably--all too predictably--bad in the early going. But both teams hit a hot streak when all seemed lost and fought back to respectability. In Seattle's case, it was passing two teams to claim third place. For the local lads, it was getting to a .500 record.

Luis Basabe made his Giants debut tonight and made a great catch, just what he was supposed to do. I've been curious about this fellow since we picked him up so let's get some more Basabe-ball! Speaking of doing things to the ball, the Giants hit three homers to claw back from a big deficit and put a hurt on Seattle's winning vibe. Alex Dickerson, Darin Ruf, and Mauricio Dubon (!) were the dinger dudes tonight, but a nice one-two combo by Donovan Solano and Brandon Belt also accounted for some big runs.

Logan Webb gave up five runs in the first three innings but managed to last two more and put up zeros in each. The bullpen then had to deliver and they put up four scoreless to seal the deal. This time it was Caleb Baragar (6th), Tyler Rogers (7th), Jarlin Garcia (8th), and Tony Watson (9th). It was another fine all-around effort! The Giants continue to play better in the field as well and that makes for a winning formula. It would be nice to see them knock a half-run or so off the team ERA, but it is also nice to see them make do with what they have. This team is competitive and puts up a fight in every game and you have to like that.

They are now 22-21 (.512) and in third place in the NL West. Tyler Anderson tomorrow at 6:45 PDT.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Back to .500

SF 4  AZ 2

Arizona starter Zac Gallen sliced through the Giants lineup with seeming effortlessness for five scoreless innings. But in the 6th, the cagiest of the cagey vets, Pablo Sandoval, of all things, worked a walk to start the fateful frame. Down 1-0, the Giants needed a spark, and Joey Bart followed the Panda with a sharp line drive single. It was one of the only hard-hit balls of the night against Gallen. Maurico Dubon also walked, a wild pitch followed, and Mike Yastrzemski hit a single that scored pinch-runner Daniel Robertson. Singles by Darin Ruf (filling in for Alex Dickerson who fouled a ball off his knee in the 4th) and Donovan Solano along with a walk to Brandon Belt scored three more runs. Suddenly the Giants had the lead and the Diamondbacks were calling on the bullpen.

Meanwhile Kevin Gausman was pitching an outstanding game of his own, allowing only two hits and the one run in his six innings, while striking out nine. The Diamondbacks threatened against the Giants bullpen, but a solo homer off Sam Coonrod in the 9th was the only blemish.

The Giants finish the season series 8-2 against Arizona. The Seattle Mariners come to town for two games, Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. They are surging right now, having won six in a row to bring their record to 19-22 and pass both the Rangers and Angels to claim third place in the AL West. The Giants get to .500 (21-21) after winning 13 of their last 18 games.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

20 wins!

SF 4  AZ 2

Johnny Cueto had to work hard this afternoon, throwing 109 pitches to 26 batters to get through 5-2/3 innings. He gave up two runs right away in the top of the 1st but kept the Arizona hitters off the board into the 6th. He left with the bases loaded but Caleb Baragar got the final out. The Giants got two in the bottom half of the 6th on a homer by Donovan Solano to take the lead and the bullpen did the rest. Jarlin Garcia loaded the bases in the 7th but struck out two to escape unscathed. Tony Watson (8th) and Tyler Rogers (9th) each struck out two in their brisk, dominant frames to finish off the Diamondbacks. Chadwick Tromp hit a solo shot in the 3rd but otherwise lefty Alex Young frustrated the Giants until Solano's big hit. Brandon Belt, pinch-hitting for Tromp in the 7th, added a solo shot off Yoan Lopez to make it 4-2 and that's how it finished.

The Giants get their 20th victory in their 41st game with some excellent defense, timely bombs, and superb relief work. Cueto deserves a nod for his veteran savvy clutchness, getting some big strikeouts (he had seven overall) against a patient lineup, and keeping the lid on things when it seemed ready to fly off.

Kevin Gausman takes the hill tomorrow against Zac Gallen at 5:05 p.m. PDT.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

2/3 of the season

SF 4  AZ 3

The Giants played a much better game tonight and it was just enough to prevail over the Diamondbacks. Madison Bumgarner was on the mound for Arizona and Giants hitters made him work (72 p in 4 IP) but he gave up only three hits. Fortunately for the home team two of them were homers! Evan Longoria and Darin Ruf went back-to-back to lead off the 2nd and that turned a 1-0 deficit to a 2-1 lead. The Giants got back-to-back triples (how often does that happen?) by Joey Bart and Mauricio Dubon after Brandon Belt walked in the 6th to make it a 4-1 lead. The triples were the first by both Bart and Dubon--how often has that happened? The Diamondbacks tagged Trevor Gott for a homer in the 7th and added a run off Tyler Rogers in the 8th but Tony Watson threw a 13-pitch 9th to seal the win.

Trevor Cahill had to leave in the 3rd with an injury but some solid work by Caleb Baragar, Sam Coonrod, and Jarlin Garcia (3-2/3 IP, 5 K) kept the lid on things and gave the lineup a chance to add runs later.

Tonight was the 40th game of the season. We are two-thirds of the way through the 60-game schedule. Here's the story so far:

1st third (Games 1-20): 8-12

2nd third (Games 21-40): 11-9

Overall: 19-21, .475, fourth-place in the NL West, 1/2 game behind Colorado (19-20) and four games ahead of Arizona (15-25). Johnny Cueto goes tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

D-Backs Double Up Giants

AZ 6  SF 5

The Giants put a lot of guys on base last night and had lots of chances to score but hit into four double plays and could not get the big run-scoring hit to get past Arizona. They fought back from an early deficit and had the bases loaded with no outs in the 8th, down by a run, but failed to get it done. Mauricio Dubon made a Little League mistake on the bases and turned a pop out by Alex Dickerson into a double play and that took the momentum out of that potential rally. Steven Duggar was at third base and feinted toward home (the fly ball was too shallow to score on) to draw the throw, unfortunately all he did was deke his teammate! Dubon broke for third and got hung up when the ball came back to the cutoff man. Dubon made a poor decision on a throw from centerfield earlier in the game that contributed to a run by the Diamonbacks. He looks good as an outfielder and seems to have the range and athleticism for the position but he is still really raw as a player.

Tyler Anderson gave up four runs in his four innings and Sam Coonrod got lit up for two more in his 1/3 inning of relief and that was enough. The 'pen did fine the rest of the way with Sam Selman delivering a very sharp six-out stint that gave the home squad a fighting chance. Five runs ought to be enough for a win but the lack of consistent pitching keeps the Giants struggling to reach a .500 record.

Brandon Belt was hitting .128/.227/.231 on August 15th. He got three hits the next day and has gone on a tear since and is now slashing .341/.429/.659 for a 1.088 OPS! FanGraphs rates him at 1.3 WAR and Baseball-Reference says 1.2, in either case he's second on the team to Mike Yastrzemski (2.4f, 2.2b).

Madison Bumgarner faces his old team at 6:15 tonight. Trevor Cahill gets the call.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Missed opportunity

COL 9  SF 6

I have a near-religious belief that a team must score at least eight runs in order to be competitive in Coors Field. I have seen too many leads evaporate in that park over the years. Today the Giants jumped to an early lead, 6-1 in the 4th, but the Colorado bullpen suddenly stiffened and threw five consecutive scoreless innings. Meanwhile the Giants bullpen had an epic meltdown. Logan Webb was solid through five, allowing only two runs, and with a low pitch count manager Gabe Kapler let him start the 6th. He got Charlie Blackmon with a strikeout, but gave up a single to Kevin Pillar* and a bunt single to Trevor Story. Kap replaced Webb with Jarlin Garcia who allowed both runners to score on a single and a sacrifice fly. Sam Coonrod came out for the 7th with a 6-4 lead but retired no one, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk. Tyler Rogers finally put the fire out but not before three more hits (including a homer) and two more runs. The Rockies flipped the game over and went to the 8th with a 9-6 lead and that's how it ended.

I was really hoping the Giants would take both games and come home with a .500 record. I felt like the early runs were only going to work if the Giants could tack on a couple more in the final third of the game. I figured the Rockies to chip away at the 'pen but I did not expect a five-spot, especially with the way Coonrod and Rogers had performed lately. A frustrating loss, to be sure. The Giants are 2-4 against the Rockies and have four more games with them (at home) in the final week of the season. I would really like to see the Giants pass these guys in the standings!

Off-day tomorrow. Arizona comes to San Francisco for four starting Friday night. The Diamondbacks are the team the Giants have beat up on the most this year, with the good guys taking five of six. Let's hope that continues.

--M.C.

 

*Pillar was picked up at the deadline by the Rockies from the Red Sox. He was in last night's game and was 0-for-3 but had two hits (including a 2-run triple) against his old team this afternoon. His current .274/.323/.476 slash line (over 30 G and 134 PA) is the best mark of his career.

Dick's Big Stick Leads Giants

SF 23  COL 5

Alex Dickerson hit THREE home runs--the first multi-homer game of his career--and the Giants clobbered the Rockies tonight in Coors Field. It was a sustained multi-hitter attack as the lineup scored at least one run in each of the first eight innings! Dickerson wound up with five hits (the others were doubles, one a booming near-homer), a walk, five runs scored, and six runs batted in. He tied a club record with 16 total bases (held by Willie Mays). Naturally, with 27 hits and 23 runs, there were hitting stars up and down the lineup but it is worth noting that young Joey Bart had three hits, two runs scored, and a run batted in. Donovan Solano and Brandon Crawford both had six RBI nights, and Mike Yastrzemski made another great catch. It was one of those nutty games but a hell of a lot of fun. The Rockies "only" used six pitchers (one was catcher Drew Butera) and they threw a combined 228 pitches!

Kevin Gausman allowed just two hits, both solo shots, and both by shortstop Garrett Hampson. Hampson would probably be the story on another night, but not tonight. Gausman was pulled after five innings and 87 pitches (5 K, 1 BB) and that was probably smart. Pitching in Denver is more "quit while you're ahead" than "go get a few more outs." Andrew Suarez pitched a scoreless 6th and 7th but came out after yielding two runs in the 8th. Wandy Peralta got the final five outs, giving up a run in the 9th.

Dickerson's first homer was a 480-foot moonshot, the longest by a Giants hitter since a 475-footer by Brandon Belt in 2015. That's when Statcast started tracking such things. Trevor Story is credited with a 505-foot satellite launch against the Giants two years ago, that's #1 on the Statcast list, but anything over 450 feet is prodigious. Dick is a big part of the team's plans but he's had a slow start to this abbreviated season. He had four hits in the two wins in Anaheim but still came into tonight's contest slashing an ugly .221/.299/.355 line, well below expectations. We know he's talented, but can he stay healthy and be a consistent, productive hitter? I sure hope so.

Infielder Daniel Robertson made his Giants debut and had a hit and a run scored subbing in the 7th for Evan Longoria (who had two hits). Robertson was on the taxi squad and was acquired for "cash considerations" from the Rays last month. He replaced OF Joey Rickard (60-day IL) on the roster and is a right-handed hitter who plays mostly second base but also has experience at third and short.

Logan Webb gets the start tomorrow (12:10 Pacific). The Rockies counter with lefty Kyle Freeland.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

p.s. Three teammates in the same game each getting six runs batted in is a first since 1920 when the RBI became an official statistic.

Cueto and Giants get it done

 SF 4  AZ 1

Johnny Cueto had some command issues early in the game but settled down to retire, at one point, 13 in a row. The Giants had a 1-0 lead thanks to an Alex Dickerson homer in the 1st but did not get another hit until the 8th inning. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks tied it up in the bottom of the 6th with a solo shot of their own. Cueto delivered a splendid 6-2/3 yielding three hits and three walks on 106 pitches. Fine bullpen work from Tony Watson, Tyler Rogers, and Sam Coonrod (who closed it) gave the Giants a chance. They responded with four hits in the top of the 8th to plate three runs and come away with a tidy win. The Giants improve to 8-11 on the road and 17-19 overall.

So far no news from Giants HQ regarding the trade deadline which is 4 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Monday is an off-day and then the Giants go to Colorado for two, with Tuesday at 5:40 and Wednesday 12:10 (p.m. PDT).

--M.C.

Giants Snap Skid

 SF 5  AZ 2

The Giants put a quick hurt on the Diamondbacks, taking a 4-0 lead after three innings, but had a setback when starter Trevor Cahill had to leave in the 4th with a hip injury. He had a physical issue in the 3rd but Kap and the trainers felt he was OK for another go-round but after yielding a two-run homer discretion got the better part of valor. The 4-2 lead was agonizing for Giants fans as the lineup had repeated chances to break the game open but could not deliver the big hit. Good thing the bullpen was up to the task and kept the lid on the Arizona hitters the rest of the way. Wilmer Flores added a solo shot in the 9th to make it easier for Tyler Rogers to close it out. Jarlin Garcia got five outs in relief of Cahill, Sam Coonrod popped 100 mph on the gun in the 6th, Trevor Gott handled the 7th, and Tony Watson got the 8th in front of Rogers.

I missed Friday night's loss as I was in a kayak on a nearby mountain lake as part of a (socially-distanced) surprise birthday celebration for a friend. Nutty, I know, but it sure broke up the routine and provided a nice diversion from everything. A good time was had by all.

The Giants snap their three-game losing streak! It was a surprisingly hard-fought victory as it really felt like they should have put up seven or eight runs. But the team got the job done and that's what matters. I'd really like to see them kick some butt tomorrow (1:10 Pacific) and take the series. Johnny Cueto gets the start against righty Taylor Clarke.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

p.s. You might be interested in "Giants More Likely to Buy Than Sell" by TC Zencka at MLBTR. There's also this tweet by notorious rumor-monger Jon Heyman that the Giants are interested in Jackie Bradley, Jr. I don't put too much stock in these things, these guys have to talk about something now that we are so close to the trade deadline. I have to say I'm much more interested in talking about what the Giants actually do as opposed to what they could or should do!

Dodgers Double Down

LA 7  SF 0

LA 2  SF 0

The Dodgers made quick work of the Giants in the first game. Logan Webb had command issues early and with some bad luck added on that was enough for the Dodgers. They turned nothing into something in a hurry. Webb kept the ball in the yard--the hardest hit was a double to center by Austin Barnes--but also walked two and hit two in addition to four hits allowed. Giants hit the ball hard off Clayton Kershaw but were denied by the excellent LA outfield defense and that was all the big lefty needed. He blanked the Giants for six innings on 89 pitches. Rookie Josh Sborz finished up. It was an abrupt ending to the seven-game win streak and the first time the Giants have been shut out this season.

Kevin Gausman got the call in the nightcap. He was supposed to be matched with Walker Buehler but the righty was a late scratch and sent to the IL. The Dodgers sent out southpaw Caleb Ferguson instead. They played a bullpen game and used six more pitchers after that. It didn't really matter as the Giants went stone cold and even if they could square one up someone was there to catch it. Gausman struck out six in 4-2/3 but got burned on a couple of extra-base hits. The two runs held up as the Giants were shut out for the second time.

After Tuesday's thrilling win I think the Giants stuck their chests out and told the Dodgers "let's go toe-to-toe" which you have to admire. The Dodgers said "OK, bring it on" and proceeded to throw 14 scoreless innings. Well, they are the best team and I have to give them credit for picking up the gauntlet and slapping the Giants in the face with it. The Dodgers take the season series six games to four.

Next game is in Arizona, tomorrow at 6:40 p.m. PDT. Giants are there through the weekend and then have a travel day Monday (7/31) before two in Colorado. They are off on Thursday (8/3) and then open a home series against the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Postponed

That's the official word. Tonight's Giants-Dodgers game has been postponed.

As Gabe Kapler put it: "some things are bigger than sports."

Both the Giants (in particular manager Kapler) and the Dodgers (in particular Clayton Kershaw) have been outspoken about injustice and systemic racism in our society and this action seems consistent with those stands. Things started with what one might call a "boycott" or "wildcat strike" by the NBAs Milwaukee Bucks and that quickly spread to all the teams in the NBA playoff bubble. Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers acted not much later and that rippled to other MLB teams on the schedule for tonight. Here's the word from MLB:

 

--M.C.

Giants Win Slugfest

 SF 10  LA 8  (11)

The San Francisco Giants have four wins against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that has lost only nine games. Last night the 3-4-5 hitters, Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt, and Donovan Solano, went 9-16 with 7 runs scored and 8 RBI while the rest of the lineup went 5-for-30 (three by Brandon Crawford) with 11 whiffs. The team was 3-for-22 with runners in scoring position! It was a crazy game: Giants used nine relievers after Johnny Cueto went four innings and overall the ten pitchers threw 199 pitches (122 strikes)!

It was more like a heavyweight boxing match with the Giants as the upstart contender and the Dodgers as the veteran champion. In fact, last night was merely the opening rounds of what promises to be a great three-game fight. In the opening frame, Max Muncy blasted a 3-run homer on a 3-0 pitch (I wonder if pitchers will stop grooving 3-0 pitches now that batters swing at them) but the Giants counter-punched with a 3-run homer of their own in the bottom half. That was the first of two for Brandon Belt, the other was a solo shot off Kenley Jansen that tied the game in the 9th! The Giants trailed in the 9th, 10th, and 11th but still won the game. Donovan Solano had just one hit but it was the game-winning two-run homer, only his second home run of the season.

Seven wins is a row. Kevin Gausman and Clayton Kershaw tonight at 6:45 p.m. PDT.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Sweep!

SF 6  AZ 1

The Giants designated Hunter Pence for assignment today, the halfway point in the 2020 season. It's not a surprise given his performance but it says a lot about the state of the team. There's just no room for him! Pablo Sandoval can swing a lefty bat and still back up at third base in a pinch so he hangs on to his job, at least for now. But Hunter was just too low on the outfield depth chart. We were privileged to root for this unique, accomplished, and lovable ballplayer. I wonder if he'll find his way back to San Francisco after his playing days are done.

But today was about the team on the field. They won again behind a strong start, a patient lineup, and a bend-but-don't-break bullpen. Two big homers, a solo shot by Mike Yastrzemski in the 6th and a three-run blast by Alex Dickerson in the 7th, were the difference-makers. Trevor Cahill went 5-1/3, throwing 88 pitches and striking out eight. Caleb Baragar allowed an inherited runner to score in the 6th to make it 1-1 but that was it--the Giants took the lead in the bottom half and didn't look back.

Halfway through 2020 I did not expect the Giants to be on a roll (six wins in a row!) and sniffing (14-16) a .500 record. My expectations for this season were low. When they were 8-12 after the first twenty games I thought the .400 percentage was a fair measure of their ability. Shortly after that they had a nightmare stretch of blown games and really bottomed out. To their credit they turned it around and in the six straight wins they've scored 42 runs and allowed only 13!

I'm glad I was wrong about this team. I'm not sure what they are capable of but it is certain they are not as bad as they were predicted to be. The pitching staff seems to be stabilizing behind the resurgent starters and I think we'll get a better picture after this next series. The high-flying Dodgers come to town for three (Tues/Wed 6:45, Thu 5:05 p.m. PDT) and it should be a real test. Johnny Cueto pitched Wednesday so I suspect he'll get the ball in the first game. They have a well-earned off-day tomorrow.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Complete Game!

SF 5  AZ 1

Southpaw Tyler Anderson pitched his best game of the season so far, and in fact his best game in years, perhaps his best ever. Tonight's three-hitter was his first career complete game in his 76th career start. He pitched the best game of the season so far for the Giants, that's for sure. The Giants had one complete game last season, a five-inning rain-shortened outing from Derek Holland which they lost 3-1 to the Pirates. The last time they had a real complete game was in 2018 when Chris Stratton threw a two-hitter and beat (believe it or not) Tyler Anderson and the Rockies 2-0.

Anderson took a one-hitter into the 7th with the Giants up 1-0, but a throwing error by Brandon Crawford put Ketel Marte on and he eventually scored the tying run. It was a frustrating moment as Arizona starter Zac Gallen was putting up zeroes of his own. Gallen walked the first three batters he faced but got a double play grounder from Brandon Belt (that scored a run) and then struck out Evan Longoria. You know those blown chances always come back to hurt the team. But Belt got a big hit in the bottom of the 7th in a weird inning that saw the Giants grind out four runs, the highlight a booming double by Joey Bart that was almost a homer.

Gabe Kapler deserves a lot of credit for sticking with Anderson in the 9th. The first batter hit a double (Ketel Marte again) but Kap stayed in the dugout and let his starter go. Anderson finished with 103 pitches so he'd worked efficiently all game long. Kap also started Chadwick Tromp at catcher and he obviously got in a good groove with Anderson and even got a base hit. Bart pinch-hit in that crucial 7th and that paid off, he also wound up scoring, and of course he caught the final six outs. Mauricio Dubon also pinch-hit in that inning and walked and scored, then took over center field from Steven Duggar (who was 1-for-2). So, a couple of smaller moves worked as well, it seems that Kap is getting into a better rhythm with his players and his substitutions.

But it all goes back to Tyler Anderson who really performed superbly tonight and that meant the Giants could be patient and wear down the other side, which they did with another fine team effort. Despite the BCraw error the Giants also got excellent defense with a great catch by Mike Yastrzemski in RF and a fine play from Alex Dickerson in LF. This lineup is showing a lot of patience (8 walks, 148 pitches) and fortitude lately, and I keep thinking "who are these guys?"

They are the San Francisco Giants, that's who, winners of five in a row. Tomorrow at 1:10 p.m. PDT it is Trevor Cahill with a rested bullpen and an off-day on Monday.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Webb Snares Snakes

 SF 6  AZ 2

The Giants played another great ballgame tonight and got the better of Robbie Ray and the Diamondbacks. Ray has been plagued by walks this season (20 in 22 IP coming into the game) and added five more in his five innings and the Giants dinged him for two two-run homers (Evan Longoria and Wilmer Flores) to win their fourth in a row. The big story was Logan Webb who kept the ball in the yard for seven impressive innings (5 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts, 102 pitches) to lead the way. The 23-year old righty showed some poise in his final two starts last season and I think everyone has been waiting to see some similar results this season. Tonight he may have erased a few doubts with a strong outing and the Giants lineup backed it up. Joey Bart hit a double and also added a bases-loaded walk in the 7th as part of a two-run rally that bumped it from 4-2 to 6-2. Tony Watson and Tyler Rogers covered the 8th and the 9th. The Giants are now .500 (6-6) at home.

Tyler Anderson tomorrow at 6:15 p.m. Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Three in a row!

SF 10  LAA 5

The Giants jumped on the Angels young lefty starter (Jose Suarez) for two runs in the 1st and then piled on four more in the 2nd off him and reliever Matt Andriese. The Giants added two more in the 3rd, one in the 4th, and another in the 6th off Julio Teheran. Wilmer Flores had three of the lineup's 12 hits and drove in four runs. Austin Slater had two hits and two runs scored as did Brandon Crawford who is looking better every day. Joey Bart was 1-for-4 with a double in his debut. Gabe Kapler pinch-hit Alex Dickerson for Darin Ruf in the 2nd inning (he was 0-for-1) to get a platoon advantage with the bases loaded and it worked as Dick walked to drive in a run. He drove in another with a sac fly in the 6th.

Kevin Gausman was charged with four runs in his 5-1/3 but struck out eight with only one walk. Sam Selman finished the 6th. Shaun Anderson made a bunch of new friends by throwing high heat to Mike Trout to open the 7th. Angels manager Joe Maddon flipped out after Anderson's pitch and you could hear him drop the f-bomb on the radio. The umpires issued the warnings and Trout promptly tripled, just missing a homer. He wound up scoring after Anderson loaded the bases with two outs and Wandy Peralta walked him in. That was the tensest the game got. Peralta got the strikeout to end the frame and then pitched a clean 8th. Jarlin Garcia threw 11 pitches (9 strikes) to close it out.

Just another routine Giants victory! 11-16 (.407) may not look like much but its better than the Royals, the Tigers, the Red Sox, the Angels, the Mariners, and the Pirates. The Arizona Diamondbacks come to San Francisco for three games, tomorrow night is at 6:45 Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

 

p.s. Logan Webb, Tyler Anderson, and Trevor Cahill this weekend.

Kicking Ass, part two

SF 7  LAA 2

The Giants played another outstanding ballgame tonight, besting the Angels behind some formidable pitching (13 strikeouts!) and a relentless attack (10 hits, two homers, two doubles). Johnny Cueto had to work hard (112 pitches) for his 17 outs, yielding four hits, a walk, and two runs, but he also whiffed eight. Andrew Suarez allowed the hit that drove in the second run, and Caleb Baragar had to come in to finish the 6th which he did with a strikeout. He added a clean 7th and Tyler Rogers struck out both Mike Trout and Albert Pujols to take care of the 8th while Tony Watson closed out the 9th on 13 pitches.

Wilmer Flores was the hitting star, Kap sat Brandon Belt to get the righty in against the lefty starter (Patrick Sandoval) and it paid off with two hits (one a 3-run homer) and four RBI. Austin Slater is not 100% and can't play the field so he led off tonight as the DH and chipped in two hits (one a two-run homer) and two runs scored. I especially enjoyed the late rally with the meat of the lineup (Solano/Yaz/Longo/Flores) carving out two runs in the 7th to make it 7-2 and take the pressure off the bullpen.

Kevin Gausman goes tomorrow at 6:45 p.m. Angels beat reporter Rhett Bollinger tweets that their starter for tomorrow is lefty Jose Suarez (that fact was re-tweeted by Andrew Baggarly, which was in the sidebar, which is why I have that feature there). The Giants came into tonight's game with a .268/.331/.455 line against southpaw starters and then they racked up six hits and five runs against another one! So, I think they like facing lefties.

--M.C.

Giants Kick Ass

 SF 8  LAA 2

Wow! A win! The Giants prove that the world has not yet ended by winning a baseball game. I've talked about it before--when your team is on a losing streak it can feel like it might never stop. That they'll never win again. Mostly, it is an irrational thought. Not with this team, though. After the last few games I think any Giants fan who thought they might finish the season stuck at eight wins (with 52 losses!) was at least semi-rational.

That notion was buried today by a superb team effort. I like to say it's not how bad you get knocked on your ass, it's how well you pick yourself up off the canvas and answer the bell for the next round. The Giants did that today. There were a lot of good things this afternoon: a Yaz leadoff homer, a Panda blast in the next inning that put the Giants up for good, a big two-out, two-run hit from BCraw, a four-inning hit-less, scoreless bullpen beast (Baragar/Selman/Peralta/Garcia), three straight doubles (Belt, Longo, Panda) for two runs in the top of the 9th, and best of all a bottom of the 9th inning that featured all three outs.

Shaun Anderson got the call in the 9th with an 8-1 lead. He walked Mike Trout. Anthony Rendon got a hit. A wild pitch moved up the runners. Shohei Ohtani drove in a run with a ground out. Brian Goodwin popped out and Jo Adell struck out to end it. If you freaked out a bit after the first run scored it's OK.

Anderson had a couple of wayward pitches buzz Trout who gave the kid a WTF look after the second one. Angels manager Joe Maddon didn't see intent and instead said "that's just a young man not ready to be here." Ouch. Yes, the Giants have some young and inexperienced pitchers! The Angels fall to 8-16 which shows that even a talented club with an accomplished veteran manager can fall flat on its face.

Good work today, Giants. It was especially gratifying to beat Dylan Bundy who came into the game arguably the hottest pitcher in baseball.

Johnny Cueto gets the ball at home tomorrow night at 6:45 p.m. against these same Angels.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

It can't get any worse . . . right?

 LAA 7  SF 6

They say "third time's the charm" but for beleaguered Trevor Gott the third time just might be "the farm." The Giants blew another 9th-inning lead when Gott surrendered another walk-off home run. He's not fooling anyone at this point and it's hard to know what's next for him. Manager Gabe Kapler did what a manager is supposed to do, at least in my book, which is show faith in his guy and "have his back" if the shit hits the fan. Unfortunately his faith has not been rewarded and the Giants continue their losing ways.

On the good side, the bullpen did deliver three scoreless frames (one apiece for Jarlin Garcia, Tyler Rogers, and Tony Watson) to give the team a chance. The lineup had ten hits including a homer from Brandon Belt, a triple from Evan Longoria, and a double from Mike Yastrzemski. Mauricio Dubon had two hits. Tyler Anderson started and gave up five runs in five innings but also had eight strikeouts.

Getaway game today at 1:10 p.m. Trevor Cahill gets the start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

The Giants don't have a bullpen

OAK 15  SF 3

It looked like there might be the makings of a 'pen a little earlier in the season, but the A's made it clear this weekend that the Giants relievers throw what amounts to batting practice. I remember writing before this series with Oakland that the Giants really needed better work from their starters. They got that. Unfortunately the bullpen imploded, collapsing upon itself in a firestorm of home runs.

We knew the Giants had a chance of playing even worse baseball in 2020 than they had from 2017 to 2019. We also held out hope they could get some surprise performances from the youngsters and some bounce-backs from the veterans and maybe take a run at a .500 record. Breaking even in the win-loss department would have been, in my mind, a terrific season.

Alas, the worst-case scenario has struck, and struck with a vengeance. The Giants don't have a bullpen. They have a reasonably effective lineup. They can score some runs. They are still a little weak, but they aren't useless. They are starting to show some effectiveness in the starting rotation. They might even get a front-line pitcher from the group, someone like today's starter Logan Webb. Johnny Cueto and Kevin Gausman are pitching like major-leaguers again. But they don't have a bullpen.

I don't know what they are going to do about it. This goofy season is getting goofier. I suppose the thing to do is treat it like a bad acid trip. I mean, once you gobble the tabs there's no going back, so you just have to ride it out. The team might be in a shit-hole right now, but there's always a shiny bauble to find now and again so you have to enjoy those moments when they happen.

Monday (6:40 p.m.) and Tuesday (1:10 p.m.) they are in Anaheim to take on the Angels.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. The A's are good. I'd like to see them knock off one of the big powerhouse teams (like the Yankees) this post-season. Assuming we get the full season in, of course. That's still an open question.

Oh, well

OAK 7  SF 6

The Giants are determined to lose games they should win. Last night's wretched loss was one thing, to have it repeated tonight was too much. Once again a veteran player (this time Hunter Pence) gave away an out in the 9th inning on a routine play. When a rookie or other youngster makes a gaffe in the field I can usually let it slide, but when an experienced player makes that kind of mistake you have to really wonder why they are on the roster. Gabe Kapler tried to give Trevor Gott another chance and it blew up in his face. The knives will be out for sure after this one. I have no issue with Kap and I have no problem with his bizarro approach to things. I'm patient. It's a young team, lacking the talent to compete, and I'm OK with that. And this is a goofy season. The lack of a proper Spring Training has really hurt the Giants and most likely any team in a re-build. Player development is the theme for this 60-game sprint and it will be the theme next year, too. But I wonder if the fans will put up with it for much longer. That's too bad as the Giants really are a couple of years away from any serious contention NO MATTER WHO THE MANAGER IS, but I don't think that will make a difference. I hope ownership will stick to the plan and suffer the indignities that go along with it because I don't see an alternative. The Giants are who they are. Oh, well.

Kevin Gausman didn't make it through the 6th inning but he once again flashed some electric stuff getting ELEVEN strikeouts from the 25 batters he faced. Maybe the best thing that can happen is he gets traded at the deadline for a youngster or two.

--M.C.

Giants get gut-punched

OAK 8  SF 7 

The Giants got a great start from Johnny Cueto and slugged past the A's lefty starter Jesus Lazardo to the tune of a 7-2 lead in the 9th inning. Alas, Trevor Gott finally lost his mojo and blew the save big time. The Oakland lineup scored five runs off him--a solo homer and a grand slam--to crush the Giants hopes of an easy win. The sequence was particularly galling: a walk, a fielder's choice that got no one out (a mental gaffe by Wilmer Flores), and a hit batter before the slam. Tyler Rogers came in to get the final two outs and almost gave it away before getting it done. It was really too bad as they had played a clean, strong game until that point. But the A's have a really good team and have been playing well so giving them extra chances in the 9th was a recipe for disaster.

Besides the fine work by Cueto (7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 104 pitches, 26 BF) the lineup showed some spunk with 13 hits, at least one by every starter except DH Pablo Sandoval (0-for-5 with 2 K). Mike Yastrzemski was 0-for-his-first-4 before connecting for a solo shot in the 8th off lefty reliever T.J. McFarland.

Jarlin Garcia got the call in the 10th and the A's pushed their magic runner across for an 8-7 lead. The Giants had Austin Slater on in their half but were overpowered by Liam Hendricks who struck out three to end the game. It was a brutal loss. Let's hope they can do better tomorrow.

Kevin Gausman gets the start against Frankie Montas at 4:07 p.m. PDT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

1/3 of the season

The Giants are 8-12 (.400) after 20 games. There are five teams (Phillies, Angels, Mariners, Red Sox, Pirates) with a win percentage below .400 and all have fewer than eight wins. The Giants have scored 85 runs and are 14th out of 30 teams, but their 4.25 rpg is only 22nd (league average 4.59). Only the Mariners (117) have allowed more runs than the Giants (114). The Giants 5.70 rpg is the third-worst in baseball. We all know about their shaky defense--their 20 errors leads the pack.

They just finished a 3-7 road trip against the Rockies, Dodgers, and Astros, but 11 of their next 13 are at home. They won't see the Astros again and they won't go to Dodger stadium again.

Mike Yastrzemski, Donovan Solano, and Austin Slater are leading the offense with some help from Alex Dickerson and Wilmer Flores. Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Crawford, Hunter Pence, and Brandon Belt have fallen off the map and Evan Longoria is right behind them. Chadwick Tromp and Darrin Ruf are hanging in there, but Tyler Heineman and Mauricio Dubon are barely hanging on.

On the pitching side Trevor Gott and Sam Selman have been the most dependable. Kevin Gausman has shown electric stuff and Logan Webb has shown some potential but the injuries (Jeff Samardzija and Drew Smyly) have really thinned the ranks. Johnny Cueto looks like he might be fully healthy again and that's a good sign. The bullpen has been a wild ride but Shaun Anderson and Wandy Peralta look like keepers.

I think the .400 record is a fair reflection of the talent and the state of the team, but I think they could finish the season a little stronger. A .500 record would require 22 wins in the next 40 games and that might be a reach. There's obviously room for improvement, especially in the field, but getting more consistent starts is the first order of business.

Next game is Friday night, 6:45 at home against the A's.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Comeback!

 SF 7  HOU 6 (10)

I almost titled this one "Gabe Kapler's a Genius" but that would be a bit much. The skipper does deserve a nod for getting Hunter Pence into the game against rookie lefty Blake Taylor in the 7th. The three-run pinch-homer turned an apparent 6-2 rout into a 6-5 nail-biter. Pence raised his average to .118 with another big hit in the 9th that set up Darin Ruf's game-tying hit. Ruf came in as a pinch-hitter in the 7th like Pence. The Giants got a "magic runner" in the 10th and got him home to make it 7-6 but were feeling like they should have scored more. In another Kap-move, Tyler Rogers was tasked with the save. He struck out Carlos Correa and Kyle Tucker to end it. Can you imagine the heat Kapler would have taken if Rogers had blown it again? And he has stuck with Pence despite the horrid start--they need the vets (BCraw, Belt, Longo, Panda) to step up.

Tyler Anderson started and gave up four runs in five innings, but the real hurt was Rico Garcia giving up two more in the next frame. After that the 'pen was tough, allowing no hits but yielding four walks, and of course no runs. Shaun Anderson got a little help when Tyler Heineman threw out a runner at third to end the 8th. The Giants have hurt themselves in the field this season so it is good when they can execute and get a big out.

It's been a very tough road trip but the Giants can at least say they won a game in each park. Tomorrow they face Zack Greinke at 4:10 p.m. PDT.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

At least it wasn't a no-hitter

HOU 6  SF 4

Or a shutout. Lance McCullers, Jr. carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning in Houston tonight. Donovan Solano broke it up with a two-out double. In the 8th Austin Slater hit a homer off reliever Josh James to end the shutout bid. Otherwise it was just another wacky night of Giants baseball. Solano, the man they call "Donnie Barrels," kept his 15-game hitting streak alive but made two poor plays in the field in a goofy 3rd inning with the Giants trailing 1-0. With one out he let a grounder under his glove at third base for a single. Chadwick Tromp was then called for catchers interference to put on another runner. Starter Logan Webb, who deserved better, walked the next batter. A pop fly that fell, barely fair, in front of left fielder Alex Dickerson (who didn't really have a play on it) went for a double with two runners scoring. Next was a grounder to Solano who tried to throw the runner from third out at home and wound up hitting him! Another grounder was too slow to turn two and a run scored. Another grounder ended the inning and it was 5-0. Solano hit a double and drove in a run in the Giants valiant comeback attempt in the 9th, and he's of course absolutely raking, but it is frustrating when the veteran players make mistakes in the field. I expect some from the raw youngsters (like the two catchers!) but the fielding miscues have hit everyone on the team, even the older players.

6:10 p.m. PDT tomorrow.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. LHP Jarlin Garcia made his Giants debut in the 7th with an inning of relief. He walked two and gave up a hit but no runs. Garcia is 27 and has 170 IP (150 G) over three seasons with the Marlins, who waived him in the off-season.

Ouch

LA 6  SF 2

Tyler Rogers had one job: keep the ball in the yard. He hadn't allowed a homer in 2020, despite inconsistent work, but streaks like that don't last. I wonder if the Rogers experiment might need re-thinking. It was certainly an intriguing idea, that a submariner could work both sides of the plate, get a lot of ground balls, and do multiple-inning stints. I was all for it, in fact. Unfortunately the results haven't been there for Rogers. Today he gave up a hit, got a strikeout, and then got tagged with the big three-run bomb. Overall for 2020 he's faced 43 batters in 8-1/3 IP (9 appearances), yielding 12 hits and 11 runs with two walks, three hit batters, and six strikeouts.

Gabe Kapler will likely take some heat for pulling Kevin Gausman with one out and one on in the 7th. He dominated a tough LA lineup with a sizzling fastball through six innings and then gave up a long fly out to Mookie Betts to start the next frame and a single to Cody Bellinger. Kap had seen enough even though it was only 80 pitches (Gausman had thrown 83 in Colorado in his last start). You have to figure they are being really careful about stretching out their starters. Gausman is one of those guys who seems to have all the parts but the sum hasn't always been there. The Braves dumped him after a very poor start last season and the Reds gave him a shot but kept him in the bullpen. The Giants took a chance on his live arm and, I think today, tried to protect him from that "third time through the lineup penalty." It didn't work out. Like I said Kap will get some heat for sticking to his saber-script instead of going with his gut but it was a defensible move. Rogers needed to execute in that situation and unfortunately did not. Gausman records the Giants first "quality start" (6-1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K) of 2020.

The Giants offense couldn't really get anything going against Walker Buehler and the Dodgers relief corps. Mike Yastrzemski got a clutch two-out two-run single, but that was it. The Giants bullpen fell apart in the 8th and LA cruised to a win in a game that looked like the Giants might sneak away with.

Giants head for Houston tonight and play tomorrow at 6:10 p.m. PDT.

--M.C.

 

p.s. I should note that Yankees manager Aaron Boone had a similar decision today, his starter James Paxton had a 3-0 lead over the Rays after six and he let him come out to pitch for the 7th. Result? Double, out, homer, homer and a 3-3 tie! Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Giants chase Kershaw

SF 5  LA 4

It's not often the Giants get the better of Clayton Kershaw but they did just that in LA tonight. In the 3rd inning Austin Slater and Mike Yastrzemski hit homers off the big lefty to make it 2-0 Giants. In the 5th, Slater hit another bomb and doubles by Donovan Solano and Yaz made it 4-0 and that was it for Kershaw. Meanwhile Johnny Cueto no-hit the Dodgers through five. In the top of the 6th, Hunter Pence got a hit (only his second of the season!) and came around to score later on a sacrifice fly by Mauricio Dubon. That would be a crucial run. Pence blew a routine fly ball (lost in the lights?) to open the bottom of the 6th. It turned into a triple and the next batter drove in the run with a ground out. Cueto then lost it, walking the next two batters. He probably should have come out then (his pitch count was up to 90) but with a 5-1 lead and an over-worked bullpen Kap let him pitch to Justin Turner. A 400-foot 3-run homer ended Cueto's night but Tony Watson got the last out of the inning and the bullpen did the rest. Tyler Rogers got the next six outs and Trevor Gott held his nerve against the heart of the order in the 9th to get the save.

The Giants have had really poor starting pitching so far this year and it looked like JohnnyC was going to fix that problem. He did just that for five innings but the "third time through the lineup penalty" bit him on the ass. The unfortunate misplay by Pence that ended the no-hit bid was a gut punch and certainly did not help. But the walks have been an issue so far for Cueto (9 in 18-1/3 IP) and they hurt him tonight. He does appear to be getting stronger and starting to look more like his old self and that is certainly good news. Slater's emergence as a hitter is also good news. He's slashing .310/.394/.586 so far!

Kevin Gausman tomorrow afternoon (1:10 PDT).

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

That's not gonna work

LA 7  SF 2

Jeff Samardzija has started three games this season. He's faced 65 batters over the course of 13-2/3 innings and given up 18 hits and four walks and has hit two guys. One-third of the hits (6) have been homers! He's struck out only five guys. The 16 RA (15 earned) is good for a 9.88 (!) ERA, a 9.29 FIP, and -0.5 fWAR. Yup, you can have "negative" WAR. I don't know what the Giants are going to do about Shark.

Johnny Cueto today at 6:10 p.m.

Go Giants!

 --M.C.

Rockies prevail

COL 6  SF 4

Tyler Anderson was superb for five innings, allowing only two hits and no runs today in Colorado. They pulled him after 66 pitches, but apparently that is part of the plan. He's coming back from knee surgery and had yet to throw 50 pitches in an outing this season. (He only pitched in five games last year.) With the abbreviated spring it was probably too much to expect an extra inning or two from him, especially when you consider it would have been the third time through the order, and that lineup has some thump. He left with the game tied 0-0. Wandy Peralta gave up a solo homer in the 6th but the Giants responded with a two-out, three-run homer from Mauricio Dubon in the 7th. I was feeling pretty good. Unfortunately, carnage ensued with Rico Garcia and Caleb Baragar getting clobbered for five runs in the bottom of the frame and the Rockies came away winners. The Giants added a run in the 8th but the rally fizzled.

It would have been nice to see a split. They played better in the field today (Dubon made a nice catch in right-center) and they got eleven hits to back the good start by Tyler Anderson, but the 'pen couldn't keep the ball in the yard. Garcia and Baragar pitched on Monday, and the Rockies saw Baragar yesterday, so maybe Kap went to the well too many times. Then again Garcia had only faced one batter in that game and should have been sharper. I'm not going to quibble about managerial decisions. The Giants have a lot to work on and I want to focus on the good stuff. I'm glad that Anderson is progressing, it will be nice to see him get back to full health and be able to pitch deep into games. Dubon can handle, it seems, the multiple positions, now his bat needs to get hot. He had another hit later. Conner Menez pitched well.

Off to Los Angeles for the Dodgers tomorrow at 6:40 PDT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. Giants announce their starters: Samardzija Friday, Cueto Saturday, Gausman Sunday.

Belt Leads Giants

SF 4  COL 3 

Brandon Belt hit his first homer of the season, a 3-run shot, and later doubled and scored on Wilmer Flores' single and those four runs were all the Giants needed. They got a good start from Logan Webb who pitched into the 6th and only allowed two runs, and some fine bullpen work from Caleb Baragar (again!), Tyler Rogers, and Trevor Gott (who closed it out). Tony Watson gave up a solo shot to--who else?-- Nolan Arenado in the 7th, that's three homers in three games against the Giants. The team needed a win after two sloppy losses. Baragar retired David Dahl, Trevor Story, and Charlie Blackmon. He has yet to have an easy pitching assignment!

Tyler Anderson gets the start today at 12:10 PDT.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

p.s. rosters are reduced today to 28, that will be the new limit for the rest of the season, and the taxi squad will be increased to five players

p.p.s. Steven Duggar and Andrew Suarez sent down; they will join the taxi sqaud

Coors strikes again

COL 7  SF 6

Johnny Cueto came out to pitch the 6th inning with the Giants leading 4-1. He probably should not have. I get that Kap needs to stretch out his guys, the team can't rely on the bullpen every night. But Cueto got burned, predictably, on his third time facing the Rockies batting order. A Charlie Blackmon single and a Nolan Arenado homer made it 4-3 and that was it. He'd thrown 85 pitches to 22 batters, yielding five hits and three runs. Wandy Peralta came in and got a ground ball out, but the next batter hit a ball off the glove of Alex Dickerson and it went for a triple. A couple of hits followed and Dick made a throwing error that allowed two more to score. It was an ugly half inning! The Rockies added another in the 7th to make it 7-4, that final run making a difference, unfortunately. The Giants fought back in the 9th and scored two, and poor Dick got to make the last out. He had two hits in the game including a homer, but his fielding misplays were costly. It's been the story of the season so far--poor fielding. They need to tighten that up just like they need to get more innings out of their starters.

Tomorrow Colorado sends out German Marquez at 5:40 p.m. PDT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. Caleb Baragar continues to impress. The lefty had another good outing tonight, retiring Blackmon, Arenado, and Daniel Murphy.