Bailey's Birthday Bash

SF 14  PIT 4

The Giants had a five-run 2nd inning and a eight-run 8th inning yesterday. Rookie catcher Patrick Bailey turned 24 and hit a two-run double in the 2nd and a 2-run homer in the 8th. It was a crazy game. Anthony DeSclafani threw three pitches in the 1st inning to get three outs: a double, a fly out, and a line out into a double play. He made it through seven innings on only 74 pitches giving up eight hits and three runs with no walks and two strikeouts. It was one of those "here, hit this" kind of outings: only four swing-and-miss strikes! There were ten ground ball outs and seven fly ball outs. Austin Slater was back from the IL and had three hits and four RBI. Brett "Maverick" Wisely pitched the 9th. He gave up a splash hit to CF Jack Suwinski who hit one earlier off DeSclafani. Only Barry Bonds ever put two in the water in one game.

It's a bullpen game tonight (6:45) with John Brebbia listed as the opener.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

 

p.s. It is the third seasonal inning (54 games). In this latest 18-game stretch they went 12-6 to bring their overall record to 28-26, good for third place in the NL West, 4-1/2 back of the Dodgers and three behind the Diamondbacks. The Giants are tied with the Marlins, Twins, Mariners, and Blue Jays for the 13th-best record in MLB.

1st inning: 6-12

2nd inning: 10-8

3rd inning: 12-6

Webb, Haniger subdue Brew Crew

SF 3  MIL 1

Logan Webb and Corbin Burnes staged an epic duel this afternoon in Milwaukee. Burnes gave up a run in the 1st with his own mistake (an errant pickoff) a key part of the sequence. He then threw six straight scoreless frames to give his team a chance. They eked out the tying run in the bottom of the 7th on Logan Webb's final pitch (#107) of the day. Webb had his string of six zeros snapped in that inning, but his was a dominant performance nonetheless, 11 strikeouts vs. one walk and only four hits. The Giants capitalized on the pitching change with Mitch Haniger hitting a two-run homer off reliever Peter Strzelecki in the 8th and that's how it finished. Camilo Doval had to really work for his 14th save, giving up a double to start the bottom of the 9th and needing 29 pitches to get the final three outs, but he got the job done.

Webb comes away with the "W" despite leaving with the score tied. He gave up a two-out RBI hit but the batter (Victor Caratini) was out trying to stretch the single to a double. The Giants scored in the next half inning (the top of the 8th) to take the lead. Taylor TYLER Rogers had another great outing with a scoreless bottom of the 8th for his 11th hold. He struck out Rowdy Tellez with a man on for the third out.

The Giants are 5-1 on the road trip, have won 10 of their last 12, and are 16-9 in May. Alex Cobb starts the getaway game tomorrow morning at 11:10 Pacific. They'll be home on Memorial Day to face the Pirates (2:05 PT), the first of a three-game set.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants batter Brewers

SF 15  MIL 1

Alex Wood gave up a run in the 1st on a double play ball but then put up zeros until he ran into trouble with two outs in the 6th. Tristan Beck came on to get the final out of that frame and then finished the game. A night after six pitchers shut out the Brewers the Giants use only two to stymie them again. Normally an impressive display by the hurlers would be the game story but tonight belonged to the hitters. They racked up 19 hits and plated 15 runs including a seven-run 3rd inning. J.D. Davis had two doubles, a homer, and 3 RBI, Mitch Haniger doubled and homered and drove in four, Patrick Bailey had four hits and 3 RBI, and Brett "Maverick" Wisely knocked in three with a double and a homer. It was a feast for the lineup. Here's a weird note: LaMonte Wade, Jr. was 0-for-6 with 5 K in the leadoff spot and number two hitter Blake Sabol was 0-for-6 with 4 K (and a run scored after reaching on an error). The Giants were 9-for-20 with RISP!

Logan Webb takes on Corbin Burnes tomorrow at 1:10 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Six Pitchers Blank Brewers

SF 5  MIL 0

Scott Alexander opened the game and got three outs on eight pitches. Taylor Rogers got the next four outs, three of them via whiffs. Jakob Junis followed with 2-1/3 including a pickoff and four whiffs. Sean "They Call the Man" Manaea finished the 5th and pitched a scoreless 6th. Tyler Rogers had a 1-2-3 7th and John Brebbia pitched the final two frames. He gave up a two-out double in both the bottom of the 8th and the bottom of the 9th but neither mattered. It was a very impressive performance by the much-maligned but lately much better bullpen. Final line: 9 IP  4 H  0 R  2 BB  13 SO.

The Giants scored in the 5th when Casey Schmitt singled and stole second and LaMonte Wade, Jr. singled him home with two outs. In the 8th Michael Conforto homered (he was 4-for-4) on the first pitch of the inning. Mike Yastrzemski singled with one out and after two were out Blake Sabol was hit by a pitch. A Schmitt double scored them both and a double by Patrick Bailey brought him in.

The team's 25th win brings them back to .500 and two games ahead of the Padres in the NL West. Alex Wood starts tomorrow at 5:10 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Three in a row makes .500

SF 4  MIN 3

Alex Cobb had given up only three homers in 51 IP so far this season so it was weird to see him give up two in one game. But that he did. He also pitched brilliantly over seven frames, keeping the Giants close and giving them a chance to win. Which they did. Down 3-0 in the 6th facing Twins starter Sonny Gray J.D. Davis led off with a walk and Michael Conforto followed with a double. A walk to Mitch Haniger loaded the bases and Gray was done. With two outs rookies Patrick Bailey and Bryce Johnson drew walks and the Giants were on the board. Thairo Estrada doubled to lead off the 7th and Conforto homered (#10) to give the Giants the lead. Scott Alexander had a 1-2-3 8th and Camilo Doval closed it out in the 9th for his 13th save.

The Giants even up their record to 24-24 and that's the first time they've hit .500 since they were 3-3 on April 6th.

It's Anthony DeSclafani and Joe Ryan tomorrow morning (10:10 PT) in the getaway game. They go to Milwaukee for four after that.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Relief corps on Target

SF 4  MIN 1

The Giants like to "score early" but they don't always follow up on that and "score often." Tonight was no exception. They tagged Twins starter Bailey Ober for four in the first but were held scoreless the rest of the way. It was enough as five pitchers stymied the Minnesota lineup with sixteen strikeouts. John Brebbia opened the game and got two whiffs in the 1st. Sean Manaea gave up three hits and three walks in his 3-2/3 but his eight Ks took care of business. Rookie Tristan Beck threw the next 2-2/3 and struck out four. He allowed a solo shot to Kyle Garlick in the 8th for the only blemish on the bullpen's night. Tyler Rogers struck out two for his 2/3 and Scott Alexander took care of the 9th on eight pitches.

LaMonte Wade, Jr. opened the game with a walk and Mike Yastrzemski followed with the same. J.D. Davis hit a double for one run and Michael Conforto homered for the rest.

Alex Cobb tomorrow, 4:40 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Rookies lead the way

SF 7  MIA 5

After Jorge Soler homered in the 1st to stake the Marlins to a 1-0 lead rookie catcher Patrick Bailey hit his first major league homer in the 2nd to even things up. Alex Wood gave up a run in the 3rd but the Giants fought back with a three-run rally in the bottom half. The big hit was a J.D. Davis homer. The Marlins chased Wood with a run in the 4th and another in the 5th to tie the game. The Giants rallied again in the 6th when Davis doubled and Mitch Haniger drove him in. Rookie third baseman Casey Schmitt singled him over to third and Bailey brought him home on a sacrifice bunt. Schmitt singled home another run in the 8th.

Rookie reliever Ryan Walker made his debut in the 6th and got three outs in between a few base hits. Jakob Junis threw two scoreless and turned it over to Camilo Doval for the 9th. A misplay by Bailey led to a run and brought Soler (who had four hits!) to the plate with a chance to tie the game but he flew out. All in all a nice win for the home squad, a real team effort.

The Giants travel to Minneapolis to face the Twins for three games. Monday's game is at 4:40 PT. No starter had been announced. They go to Milwaukee after that to play the Brewers and come home next Monday (May 29th).

Logan Webb was removed from Sunday's game after six shutout innings and 91 pitches because of back tightness. At first the move was supposed to be precautionary and he was not expected to miss time but now they say he needs an MRI. He's scheduled to start on Thursday.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Streak snapped

Friday night's 4-3 come-from-behind victory against Sandy Alcantara and the Miami Marlins bumped the Giants recent win streak to four games. This afternoon in San Francisco Marlins southpaw Braxton Garrett dominated the Giants for six innings allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out eight. He got an out in the 7th and left having thrown a mere 76 pitches. Logan Webb matched him with six scoreless and Jakob Junis had a clean 7th. But a run in the top of the 8th off Tyler Rogers (after an error by J.D. Davis) doomed the Giants to a 1-0 loss. Three Marlins relievers shut the door. The lineup was 3-for-29 with one walk and ten whiffs.

Patrick Bailey got his first major league hit with two out and nobody on in the bottom of the 8th. Bryce Johnson reached as well, giving the fans some hope, but it came to naught when Thairo Estrada grounded out.

Alex Wood gets the start tomorrow afternoon (1:05 Pacific).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Three in a row

SF 7  PHI 4

Camilo Doval, pitching in his third straight game, struck out Trea Turner with the bases loaded to complete the sweep of the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. That's the defending NL champion Phillies in case you forgot. The Giants jumped on Taijuan Walker for four runs in the 1st and chased him from the game. Ross Stripling threw three scoreless but then loaded the bases with one out in the 4th. A double from JT Realmuto made it 4-2 and then Stripling left with a back injury. Sean Manaea gave up a run on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3. In the 5th Bryson Stott homered to tie it but the bullpen put up zeroes the rest of the way. Jakob Junis struck out three in the 6th and Scott Alexander needed only seven pitches in the 7th, getting a huge double play from Stott to end the frame. John Brebbia got through the meat of the order in the 8th to give the Giants another chance.

Southpaw Gregory Soto took over in the bottom half and the Giants responded with two righty pinch-hitters, J.D. Davis and Mitch Haniger. Both got hits. Joey Bart attempted to sacrifice but managed a bunt single instead and the bases were loaded for LaMonte Wade, Jr. He forced out a run at home but the next batter Thairo Estrada singled in a run. Michael Conforto forced out another runner at home but Wilmer Flores drove in two with a single to make it 7-4 and we all breathed easier.

Doval had to add some drama in the 9th with a hit, a hit batter, and walk loading the bases and turning over the lineup. Leadoff hitter Turner struck out on four pitches and that sealed the deal. The Giants won three games in which their starters gave them a mere 11-2/3 innings pitched and allowed seven runs! The relief corps really stepped up when they were needed. Rookie Tristan Beck was the only reliever not used in the series. Doval threw 3-1/3 over the three games with Brebbia (2-2/3), Alexander (2-1/3), Tyler Rogers (2 IP), Junis (2 IP),  and Taylor Rogers (1-2/3) each appearing in two games. Manaea logged 1-2/3 this afternoon. It's an off-day tomorrow, and a well-deserved one.

Anthony DeSclafani takes on Sandy Alcantara and the Miami Marlins Friday night (7:15 PT) in San Francisco.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. rookie C/OF Blake Sabol is slashing .280/.330/.473 after two hits today

Back-to-back

SF 6  PHI 3

SF 4  PHI 3

Alex Wood returned from the IL on Monday and threw 72 pitches to 19 batters. Alec Bohm dinged him for a two-run homer in the 2nd. The Giants had a six-run rally, highlighted by a Michael Conforto three-run shot, in their half of the 2nd that was all the scoring they would need. Jakob Junis took over with one out in the 5th and gave up a run in the 6th but that was it for the Phillies. Scott Alexander (1-1/3), Taylor Rogers (2/3), and Camilo Doval (1-1/3) took care of business.

The bullpen played a similar role last night. Alex Cobb started but was wild and walked five guys in 3-1/3 IP. He didn't have his usual excellent command and the Phillies made him work. The Giants took a 2-0 lead in the 3rd on hits from Thairo Estrada and Michael Conforto but the Phils chased Cobb in the 4th with two to tie it. The Giants rallied for two more in their half. Joey Bart's pop-up was misplayed for a double to drive in Casey Schmitt and LaMonte Wade, Jr. singled to bring Bart home. Zack Wheeler struck out eight but the lineup collected nine hits and that was just enough. Taylor Rogers (1), John Brebbia (1-2/3), and Tyler Rogers (2) kept it 4-2 until the 9th. Kyle Schwarber hit his 10th homer off Camilo Doval with two-outs but that was it.

Ross Stripling takes the hill in the getaway game this afternoon (12:45). Thursday is an off-day and the Marlins come to town for a three-game set this weekend.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Giants waste Webb's effort

ARI 2  SF 1

Logan Webb had a bit of an unusual line: three walks and three strikeouts. But he allowed only three hits and got ten ground ball outs in his seven innings (27 TBF, 98 pitches) which is the kind of start we are used to seeing from him. One of the walks scored on a two-out double and that was the only damage the Diamondbacks managed against Webb. Unfortunately the Giants lineup was feeble, getting a mere three hits, one a solo homer from Michael Conforto. Arizona got another walk in the 9th (Tyler Rogers) and that was followed by another double and that was the winning run. That's three straight losses. The Giants are a half-game out of last place.

Webb pitched like a stopper but got no help. Brandon Pfaadt started for the D-backs. This was only his third big-league game. He gave up 16 hits and 13 runs in his previous two starts but held the Giants to one run in his five frames. Three Arizona relievers struck out seven and walked none in the final four innings.

It was a short trip--the team comes home to take on the Phillies tomorrow night (6:45 PT) at Oracle. Alex Wood gets the start.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Cobb and the Kid

SF 6  ARI 2

35-year old Alex Cobb is enjoying the finest seasons of his career in a San Francisco Giants uniform. He threw another great game last night (7-1/3 scoreless frames) and leads the team in bWAR (2.4). He's allowed only ten runs in his eight starts (47-2/3 IP). Backing him up was rookie sensation Casey Schmitt who went 4-for-4 with 3 RBI and is now 8-for-12 with two homers and two doubles matching Willie McCovey's great start in 1959. How's that for a debut? Schmitt, a natural third baseman, has played shortstop with BCraw sidelined and looks like he can handle any spot on the infield. He made a throw last night (92.7 mph) that is second only to O'Neil Cruz who uncorked one earlier in the year at 92.8 mph. The Giants surely need a spark and a homegrown youngster is the ideal candidate. Schmitt was taken in the 2020 draft, Farhan Zaidi's second season at the helm. Last night we saw Cole Waites in relief, he was a 2019 pick. The only other player from that 2019 group to make the majors is Caleb Killian who was part of the Kris Bryant trade.

It's a bullpen game tonight (6:40 PT). John Brebbia will be the opener.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

2nd inning: 10-8

1st inning: 6-12

2nd inning: 10-8

The Giants got whipped today 11-6 after another poor start from Sean Manaea. The last time I did an "innings" post the game was a lopsided loss to the Mets after a poor start from Manaea. Tristan Beck had his debut that day and pitched 5-1/3 IP in relief. Today Beck pitched 5-1/3 IP in relief. I'm not sure what they are going to do with both Manaea and Ross Stripling (who gave up five runs on Sunday). In 26 IP over 8 appearances Manaea's allowed 30 hits (7 HR) and 16 walks resulting in 29 runs (23 earned). Stripling has made 7 appearances (25-2/3 IP) and allowed 32 hits (8 HR) and 7 walks which has led to 20 runs (19 earned). Both of these guys signed 2-year, $25M deals! Take a look at the highest-paid players on the team: Joc Pederson $19.6 M, Michael Conforto $18M, and Brandon Crawford $16M. The two pitchers are tied for fourth-highest annual salary.

I'm happy that the Giants put together a stretch of play that I think is more indicative of their ability. I expect a lot of 10-8 innings this season. It's unfortunate they had such a lousy opening but there's enough time to overcome that. They have to start winning series against mediocre foes. Hell, they need to win more series regardless of the foe!

Casey Schmitt had another good day with two hits and two runs scored. BCraw is supposed to be back this weekend in Arizona but he has really struggled (.169/.244/.352) in his 22 games (78 PA). I hope they can find a way to keep Schmitt on the roster. Both Brett Wisely and David Villar have hit poorly so far and have options left. All three players have shown they can hit in AAA so I suppose sending them down doesn't really help them.

Thairo Estrada has been the hitting star in the early going and J.D. Davis has provided the other "big stick" in the lineup. LaMonte Wade, Jr. had been one of the best leadoff men in the game. On the pitching side Alex Cobb, Logan Webb, and Anthony DeSclafani make a formidable starting trio and they've been helped by good work from Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval. But we haven't seen much from FNGs Michael Conforto, Mitch Haniger, and Taylor Rogers.

The Giants go to Arizona to face the second-place 20-17 Diamondbacks. This is a good chance to make up some ground. Alex Cobb gets the start at 6:40 PT tomorrow night.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Webb subdues pesky Nats

SF 4  WSN 1

Logan Webb had to work hard against the Nationals lineup. They put lots of balls in play and racked up nine hits against him but only plated one run. Webb managed to come up with big strikeouts (seven total) when he needed them. This same lineup tacked a five-spot on Anthony DeSclafani in the 1st inning on Monday night in that weird 5-1 loss. TonyD followed that with six scoreless. He gave up six singles and one double in that inning. Webb gave up eight singles and one double and walked only one in his seven frames. Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval took the 8th and 9th and sealed the win.

Casey Schmitt made his debut. He turned a lot of heads in Spring Training and was on the fast track to the majors. With Brandon Crawford sidelined they started him at shortstop. He started a key double play in the 3rd to help out Webb and then blasted a homer in the 4th to give the Giants a 3-0 lead. Schmitt was a 2nd-round pick (#49 overall) in 2020. He's from Chula Vista and went to San Diego State. Patrick Bailey (#13) and Kyle Harrison (#85) were in the same draft class. I'm excited about seeing the young players in the system get their opportunities. Schmitt certainly made the most of his first chance!

It's a getaway game tomorrow (12:45 PT) and Sean Manaea takes the hill. The team travels to Arizona for four on Thursday.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Cobb shuts 'em down

SF 4  MIL 1

Alex Cobb blanked the Brewers for seven innings and the Giants muscled up enough to win their fourth in a row. Cobb got twelve ground ball outs to go with his five whiffs and got some help from his young second baseman who made a number of slick grabs. Brett "Maverick" Wisely clubbed his first big-league homer in the 7th to add some insurance to a 3-0 lead. An RBI double from Joey Bart in the 2nd and a two-run homer from Thairo Estrada in the 3rd gave Cobb something to work with and he delivered. Taylor Rogers handled the 8th but John Brebbia ran into trouble in the 9th and they had to summon Camilo Doval to finish it. The Brewers spoiled the shutout but the Giants came away with another win against a tough opponent.

Ross Stripling goes tomorrow at 1:05 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

p.s. Willie Mays was at the park and they celebrated his 92nd birthday. My mom was also born in 1931 and she will be 92 in September. Tim Lincecum made his debut on this date in 2007.

Three in a row

SF 6  MIL 4

The streaky Giants showed some spunk and got great relief work to edge the Brewers. John Brebbia, Tyler Rogers, and Camilo Doval gave up one hit and one walk and struck out six over the final four frames. Sean Manaea sandwiched three scoreless innings between the two-run 1st and the two-run 5th (one run scored on Joey Bart's errant throw) and got his first "W" of the season. J.D. Davis hit a two-run homer and Joc Pederson had a two-run single. Wilmer Flores pinch-hit in the 9th and homered.

Alex Cobb goes this afternoon at 4:15 PT.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Bart and Webb lead Giants

SF 4  HOU 2

The only blemish on Logan Webb's line today happened on his 102nd (and last) pitch. Alex Bregman clubbed a homer with two outs in the 8th and a man on to cut into the Giants 3-0 lead. Webb had cruised through the 6th and 7th but a walk and a hit put two on. After a double play he gave up the bomb to the lefty slugger. It was a good spot for a lefty reliever to come in and close the door but Kap let Webb go after Bregman. It didn't work out but I suspect Webb really wanted a chance to finish the frame. Kap has said he wants to stretch out the starters and give them opportunities to go deeper in games. And after his $90M extension Logan Webb is the new Face of the Franchise! He's going to get lots of tough assignments from now on. Scott Alexander got the last out of the inning. Wilmer Flores hit a solo shot in the 9th to make it 4-2, and Camilo Doval got the save in the bottom half. It was a big win against a tough foe.

Joey Bart was the hitting hero. Framber Valdez and Webb traded zeros for five innings. Bart singled to open the 6th and the Giants had the next batter, LaMonte Wade, Jr., bunt. It was looking like a pitching duel all the way and Kap decided to play for one run. It worked. Austin Slater drove home Bart with a single to break the deadlock. After Slater stole third base Valdez walked Thairo Estrada and then Mitch Haniger grounded an RBI single up the middle to make it 2-0. J.D. Davis hit into a double play to end the inning but that was all for Valdez. In the 7th reliever Phil Maton hit Michael Conforto with a pitch and with two outs Bart hit a booming double to drive him in. Joey is hitting .302 (13-for-43)!

The Astros are the defending champions and they have a really strong squad. It took some great pitching and some timely hitting to take the series. This Giants club is capable of playing really good baseball. Let's hope they can be more consistent and avoid those ugly streaks.

The Brewers come to San Francisco on Friday night (7:15 PT). Starters have yet to be named.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Shutout snaps skid

SF 2  HOU 0

Anthony DeSclafani pitched his best game of the season so far, stifling the Astros for eight innings on only three hits. Camilo Doval got the save in the 9th. Doval struggled with the pitch clock but managed to get the job done. Joey Bart helped him out with a mound visit before the final strikeout. The Giants offense blew a lot of chances (Houston's pitchers walked nine batters!) but they managed to plate a couple of runs and that turned out to be enough. I remember thinking about half way through the game that it would take a shutout to win, and that's just what happened. TonyD really stepped up and delivered a superb performance when the Giants desperately needed a stopper.

Yesterday the Giants finally got a better outcome from Ross Stripling (5 IP, 2 R, 0 W, 5 K) but lost anyway when the bullpen couldn't hold the lead. Sean Hjelle was the victim and he was sent down. Cole Waites gets the spot. Cal Stevenson and Brett Wisely replace IL-bound Mike Yastrzemski and Brandon Crawford.

The getaway game is tomorrow morning (11:10 PT) with Logan Webb matching up against Framber Valdez. Valdez leads baseball with a 64.3% ground ball percentage*. Alex Cobb is just behind him at 60.8%, and Webb is fifth-best with 59.6%.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

*GB% = (ground balls) / (balls in play)

Relief woes doom Giants

The Giants let both games in Mexico City slip away. They had an 8-5 lead in the 4th in Saturday's slugfest and still led 11-10 in the 7th but could not hold off the Padres and lost 16-11. Yesterday they led 4-0 in the 4th and 4-3 in the 8th before losing 6-4. Tyler Rogers, who has pitched really well this season, got tagged for both losses. He had help. Some poor baserunning cost the Giants yesterday, killing a rally. And the pitchers walked ten guys on Saturday, four in the final two frames, and those hurt. It was a disappointing outcome—they had a legit shot to win both games.

Logan Webb pitched well on Thursday but got tagged for a couple of runs in the 7th and that was enough. Miles Mikolas and the Cardinals threw a combined shutout and won 6-0.

The Giants travel to Houston to play three against the defending champions with Ross Stripling going tonight (5:10 PT). Time to dig deep!

Go Giants!

--M.C.