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.
7 comments:
I like a lot about the way Washington was hitting, and it shows that they are listening to the hitting coach as the entire team seems to have the same approach. I coached teenagers in baseball rich Florida For about 20 years, between about 1990 and 2010, and many of them have gone on to be good college players, and a few have been prospects. With no names, even a a couple have made it to the show. For hitting I coach much differently than most of the big conglomerates that train guys how to hit. I believe in a quick level swing with a short path to the ball which allows hitters to go with the pitch and take outside-ish pitches to the opposite field, and turn quickly on inside-ish pitches. The one think that I taught differently than it seems the Nationals approach, is to know the strike zone. The walk is your friend. Not only does the walk get you a free base, it may make the pitcher have to throw more hittable pitches to the next batter. The short quick swing may cut down the home runs a bit, but it is not as if one cannot hit the long ball, it also allows one perhaps a millisecond longer to make up one's mind about swinging at the pitch. In today's check swing is at a premium situation in the majors, the short stroke also means less called strikes on check swings. The large swingers often get called for check swing strikes even if they do not go around, it seems their bat patch covers so much distance it is difficult for the first or third base ump not to call a strike. It also does not mean that earlier in the count a batter cannot take a bigger less disciplined stroke. I guess with power at a premium simplicity in getting bat to ball is no longer the answer. A nice little hip swiver on a pitch on the inside corner with a short path to the ball also helps take that pitch away as a strike out pitch. The giants are playing and swinging for the homer. They are getting their home runs but their batting average is close to the bottom. They are also not taking as many walks as they should. The are taking walks, but this year on 3-2 pitches they have swung at balls in the dirt way too often. On the other hand, at times they have taken definite balls, only for the ump to call them strikes. Giants do not seem to show their hostility to those bad calls as much as the dodgers. A bad call to a dodger gets the ump the rath of the entire dodger bench. Correa batting 185 just helped the giants with a two out double against the Pads, giving the Twins the lead. Correa found a way help the giants without the giants coughing up 350 million.
Sorry for the above unknown post. Not sure what is wrong with my computer. Will have to delve into the issue. It is the regular responder nomisnala, as you can probably tell by my ridiculous wordiness.
Curt Casali does it again. He caught a bullpen game started by Derrick Law, against the Mets and he caught a shutout. The guy is amazing at lower pitcher's ERAs.
Dingers = Dollars so hitter swing for the fences!
At the pro level these guys find out how to optimize their swings to produce the maximum exit velocity.
I'm ready for robo-umps.
What is more important than exit velocity is contact. When you swing and miss your exit velocity is zero. When you take a strike your exit velocity is zero. When you line out at 110 mph your exit velocity is an out. When one hits a ball 90 mph in the hole for a hit, that can be more productive. Home runs and salary play a role but winning is the ultimate goal of pro sports. Interesting that when I coached teams that won I was very popular but even being the same guy if i had a less successful year I was less popular. I could care less about the popularity. I coached baseball and basketball because I loved to do so. When I lived in Calif. I coached tennis. If one gets the sweatspot of the bat to the ball, the exit velocity will be fine.
Rob Manfred would agree that contact > EV and that's why they banned the shift. They want to see more balls-in-play and fewer whiffs. But until home runs are "de-valued" then pro hitters will swing for the big fly. The single best thing any batter can do at any time is hit one over the fence. You can't defend against a homer. (And we all know chicks dig the long ball.) The reality is if ballplayers want to get noticed by their clubs they have to CLUB the ball!!
In pro baseball if you want a different outcome then you have to PAY for it. If players got bonuses for "most hits" on the team, the league, whatever, then you would see guys shorten their stroke, go the other way, hit-'em-where-they-ain't, etc. You could use balls-in-play as a tie-breaker. I even heard a suggestion that home runs have a randomly-assigned value (1-4 bases) at the start of the game. Today HRs are only worth a single so that will change the approach. Tomorrow it may be different. Crazy, I know, but that's what it will take.
It used to be the batting average leader (batting champion) was a big deal. It was a big honor. Now you hardly remember who leads the league in average. Maybe we could make it a big deal again with a killer bonus (issued by the league, not the club). The league hits leader should get a prize, too, if he's not the BA leader.
Like I said these guys are professionals. They want to get paid. If we want different outcomes besides dingers, whiffs, and walks, then we need to change the financial incentives of the game. I don't think that would be hard. It would be way better than a stupid shift ban.
Kris Bryant is an interesting case. He hits for less power now. His walks and whiffs are both down from his career norms. But his OBP is still high, and he makes more contact and hits more line drives. He's still productive but not at an MVP/All-Star level.
Often as hitters get older they do the opposite: they get way more selective and walk more, they swing at fewer pitches (but still whiff a lot), and they hit the ball harder and increase their SLG%. They optimize. They wait for certain pitches a hit them as hard as they can.
Which is the better approach? Hard to say, it depends on the team, the park, etc.
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