A bright spot

Let's take a look at Player1 and Player2:

 

 

            G    PA    R    H    2B    3B    HR    RBI    BB    SO

Player1    111  458   66   117   27     2    11    41     34    76

Player2    107  448   50   104   23     0    17    57     59   119

 

Player1 was 22 in March of that season. Player2 turns 22 this October.

 

                  BA/OBA/SLG%        OPS+       wOBA      wRC+

Player1        .287/.343/.444        121       .341       117

Player2        .269/.364/.461        133       .361       131

 

                BB%    SO%      ISO    TB 

Player1         7.4    16.6    .157    181

Player2        13.2    26.6    .192    178

 

Player1 is Will Clark and it is his 1986 season (rated 2.2 bWAR and 1.8 fWAR). It was his debut.

Player2 is Bryce Eldridge. He played in 10 games last year so I'm skipping that. His season is rated 2.1 bWAR and 1.8 fWAR.

Comparisons are invidious, I know that. It's unfair to label any player "the next _______". Players should be celebrated for their uniqueness.

That being said, it is exciting to see a young ballplayer with some serious UPSIDE!!  

--M.C.

9th inning: 6-12

1st inning: 6-12

2nd inning: 8-10

3rd inning: 8-10

4th inning: 7-11 

5th inning: 9-9 

6th inning: 8-10 

7th inning: 6-12 

8th inning: 7-11

9th inning: 6-12

If you add up the butcher's bill it comes to 65-97 and that's a .401 win percentage. The best way to think about that is .401 means (1.000 - .401 = 0.599) a .599 loss percentage.

The Giants lost 59.9% of their games this year. For all intents and purposes that's 60% and that is god-awful.

The Giants saved their best for last as they had their worst month (8-16 for September) and lost 8 of their final 9 games (and 12 of their final 15). Sure, they had to play the Dodgers six times but 0-6 is hardly excusable as they certainly could have won at least one of the games in each of the three-game sets. Today was about as stupid of a loss as the Giants have managed all season.

The 2026 season is over and all I can think to say is "thank god." This summer was agony. This was as bad a team as I have ever watched as a lifetime Giants fan. I remember 1985 when the Giants lost 100 games and I attended 25 to the tune of a 7-18 (.280) record! That was a bad team. This team is right up there in the Pantheon of Pathetic.

The Giants used a record 71 players this season. I have hoped for some time that the team would do a full "re-build" and stop pretending to be competitive. This year that was forced upon them. They did not want to tear everything down but the lousy results forced them to do it. Perhaps it will pay off sooner rather than later.

I've a lot of thoughts on baseball and sports to share in the coming off-season as well as much to say (of course) about the Giants. Thanks for being a part of things. Stick around and we'll see how things shake out for 2027.

--M.C.

Final week

SF 5  MIN 2

It was a nice, crisp win featuring a cool debut from Bo Davidson but marred by an injury to starter Blade Tidwell. Davidson, once known as "The JUCO Barry Bonds" got a hit in his first plate appearance, stole second, and scored on a Brett Harris single. The 23-year old from North Carolina was killing it in the minors (.290/.361./.527) with 55 XBH in 125 G.

Tidwell, acquired in the Tyler Rogers trade, has shown some real promise as a starter for next season. Let's hope his arm injury in not serious. Tristan Beck came up big with 2-2/3 scoreless after Tidwell exited.

The big bat belonged to Drew Gilbert. The former first-rounder came in the same Rogers trade and is looking more and more like a full-time outfielder.

Five more games to go, all at home. Tonight's at 6:45 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C. 

Technical issues

I apologize for the look of the blog. It's not my doing. Google's product ("Blogger") seems to have a mind of its own. I cannot make the blog display the sidebars where I have all the links and images. I'll try to figure it out, but this is legacy software (read: old) and who knows what kind of support is out there.

Meanwhile, you can still read the posts and make comments.

--M.C.

Nice and unexpected!

SF 6  STL 5 (10)

The Giants blew a lead in the 9th (what's new?) and tried again in the 10th but hung on for gutsy win. Jonah Cox, Andrew Knizner, and Shay Whitcomb combined for eight hits and a run apiece. Drew Gilbert hit the big pinch-homer in extras and the no-namers got it done. Bryce (I'm just going to call him that from now on) was without a hit but walked twice and his spot scored (Grant McCray PR) in front of Gilbert's blast.

FNG Anthony Molina gets a game ball for 5-2/3 scoreless innings. The bullpen gave up five hits and six walks which led to all five runs. Molina came to us in the Tyer Mahle trade.

It's on to LA to face the Dodgers over the weekend. Friday night's game starts at 7:15 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

#63

SF 10  STL 3

The Giants avoid historic ignominy by securing their 63rd win and guaranteeing that the team will not lose 100 games. A small victory to be sure but a victory nonetheless in this victory-starved season.

Big nights from two players who represent the future for SFG: Blade Tidwell and Bryce Eldridge. Tidwell threw a sterling 6-2/3 to stymie the Cardinal offense on just three hits. It's hard to know if the 25-year old righty from Tennessee is going to make it as an ML starter but we have to start somewhere! It's clear the organization likes him and is going to give him the opportunity to "serve notice" and grab a rotation spot.

Bryce hit his 17th homer (461 feet!) and his 23rd double. I think it is safe to say that this kid is the "real deal" and will be a middle-of-the-order force for the club next year and beyond.

It's an early game tomorro, 10:15 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Devers

Looks like the big slugger is done for the year. He apparently needs surgery on a "core" muscle. The problem is supposedly similar to that which sidelined Matt Chapman earlier in the year. Devers will be operated on this week and should be fully ready for 2027.

The Devers contract is a massive one. There was a lot of talk early in the season when he was not hitting about the Giants being "underwater" on the deal. That they wanted to move him, that the deal was "weighing down" the team payroll, that the contract was an "albatross," yadda-yadda-yadda.

Big contracts come with those attendant stories. They are just part of the narrative. The fact is, Rafael Devers is an elite MLB power hitter whose salary is perfectly in line with the going rate for such players. He's paid at a level commensurate with his talent. If one WAR is worth $10M then a 3-WAR player is worth $30M annually. Devers bWAR this year is 3.8, last year it was 4.3 (1.9 in 90G with SF), and 3.9 the year before that.

One thing we know is that Rafi could hit 50 homers and it wouldn't move the needle much on the team's win total. The Giants need pitching! But if/when they do get some decent pitching (and fielding), Devers' bat will be a difference-maker. 

And I can't wait to see 22-year old Bryce Eldridge next season!

There's talk of shutting down Logan Webb as well. That's probably a good move. There's a good chance he's just thrown too many damn innings and he needs a break.

--M.C. 

Stunning Sweep

SF 7  STL 6

The Giants played a terrible game. They made three errors. Blade Tidwell gave up more runs (5) than innings pitched (4). They got a run in the 1st but couldn't do crap after that. It was going to be another missed opportunity. Another lousy outcome. Another "let's just turn it off" and "thank god it's an off-day tomorrow" kind of afternoon.

Then something happened. The Giants, down 6-1 in the 8th, scored six runs. That's right, six runs. It was the late-inning nightmare all over again except this time the Cardinals were on the receiving end. The Giants are the best in MLB at blowing leads but today they turned the tables and pulled off a great win.

Here's how it went: Drew Cavanaugh single, Grant McCray strikeout, Christian Koss fly out, Brett Harris hit by pitch, Turner Hill walk, Bryce Eldridge single, Jonah Cox single, Jung Hoo Lee double, Shay Whitcomb double, Drew Cavanaugh groundout. That's what they call "batting around."

The result is three wins in a row and a series sweep. That's 62 for those of us counting. I'm starting to feel confident that the Giants will not lose 100 games.

In the bottom of the 9th the Cards put the first guy on but Trent Harris got a double play and a groundout to end it. Nice work from Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson as well (scoreless 8th and 9th). I'm still having a hard time believing the Giants won this game.

Enjoy!

--M.C. 

Giants hang on for win

SF 2  STL 1

Late innings have been hell this year. Tonight the bullpen bent a little but didn't break. They preserved Landen Roupp's fine start (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R) and helped the Giants claim their 61st win.

Bryce Eldridge hit his 16th homer in the 1st and Christian Koss added another in the 2nd. That was it for the scoring until the Cardinals got a two-out run in the 9th. The Giants loaded the bases in the 8th with no outs but failed to add on. That kind of failure has doomed the team so many times this season that it was nice to see them pull out the win despite it.

Here's a note from Sarah Langs about Bryce:

 

Cool, huh?

Getaway game tomorrow (12:45 PT), off-day Thursday, and then the Padres come to town for three.

Go Giants!

--M.C. 

Giants blow it but still win

SF 5  STL 4 (11)

It was inevitable that the Giants would blow their 3-0 lead. It was inevitable that they would fail to score in the 9th. It was inevitable that they would lose in extras.

Then they didn't. Oh, they tried real hard to do all those things but they only managed the first two. In the end, the Giants scored in both the 10th and in the 11th. More important than that, they stopped the Cardinals from scoring when it mattered most.

Somehow, that Giants won the game. That's 60 wins. Anyway, I'll admit that I gave up and did not believe the team could come back and win. So, good on them!

By the way, Sunday's loss was Game 144. That's eight seasonal innings. Here's the butcher's bill:

1st inning: 6-12

2nd inning: 8-10

3rd inning: 8-10

4th inning: 7-11 

5th inning: 9-9 

6th inning: 8-10 

7th inning: 6-12 

8th inning: 7-11

That's 59-85 if you're counting and with today's win it's 60-85 (.414). With 17 games remaining a .414 win percentage says seven more wins. That'd be nice. I'm looking for at least three!

Tomorrow is a night game (6:45 PT) and Wednesday is a lunch special (12:45 PT).

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Homer-happy Giants bash Mets

SF 9  NYM 5

Rafael Devers is the hottest hitter in baseball:

 

He has nine homers in his last thirteen games and his 70 extra-base hits are second in MLB to Pete Crow-Armstrong's 74.

Despite Devers' recent heroics I think today we have to give our "tip o' the cap" to FNG 24-year old Anthony Molina. He struck out six over a five-inning start. He gave up a two-run homer, his only hit allowed. And the runs were unearned as it was a Devers error that put the baserunner on. It was a good audition. I figure every youngster is auditioning for 2027. Speaking of youngsters, Christian Koss served notice with two homers today. And the Giants kept scoring which meant the Mets getting two in the 9th was irrelevant.

Both Grant McCray and Osleivis Basabe homered so all nine runs were the result of big flies. Bryce Eldridge hit his 20th double.

Tomorrow's game is early (10:40 PT). Go Giants!

--M.C. 

Winning formula

SF 5  PIT 4 (10)

It was sort of impossible to write about that ridiculous 13-12 loss the other night. The Giants gave up nine runs in an inning and yet tied the game later. Maybe next year they will learn that you have to go ahead and not just tie a ballgame. And WTF Logan Webb? That was the worst outing (202 starts!) of his career.

But tonight they found a winning formula: late runs and some decent bullpen work. Rafael Devers hit another homer (his 32nd) to open the scoring. Bryce Eldridge and Turner Hill accounted for the rest of the RBIs. The Pirates plated the Manfred Man to open the bottom half of the 10th but Dylan Smith got the next three outs for the save. It's the kind of game we've seen the team lose over and over again this season. Maybe next year they can use this winning formula more frequently.

That's two "maybe next year"(s) in the same post!

It's an early game tomorrow (9:35 a.m. PT) and it looks like Blade Tidwell's turn.

Go Giants!

--M.C.