Ryan Vogelsong was all lined up to get a proper Caining this afternoon in San Francisco but the lads rallied in the 9th and walked off as winners. Mat Latos was the other hard-luck no-decision recipient as he kept the Giants from stringing anything together for seven innings, matching Vogie's sterling effort. The Sunday lineup had Buster Posey, Angel Pagan, and Brandon Crawford all on the bench but each made a pinch-hit appearance later in the game. Starting shortstop Matt Duffy got the game-winning hit and starting catcher Andrew Susac started the game-winning rally. Pinch-runner Joaquin Arias got deked and held at third by Ichiro on Gregor Blanco's long blast to right field after Susac's hit. That double should have tied the game but the Marlins obliged with a bases-loaded walk to Nori Aoki, who had another good day, to make up for it. Duffy's coup de grâce came quickly and the Giants got their 16th win to climb back to a .500 record.
Vogelstrong was the story once again and only an unfortunate sequence with Sergio Romo giving up the go-ahead run in the 8th marred the afternoon on the pitching side. Overall, on the 7-3 homestand, the Giants allowed 30 runs with 22 of those coming in three games. Otherwise it was four shutouts and two two-runs allowed games to get six of the seven wins. The first and final games were both walk-offs in the 9th. The Giants swept the Angels, took two of three from the Padres, and salvaged a split with the Marlins. Not a bad way to open the month of May. After an off-day tomorrow the team is on the road in Houston and Cincinnati and then back home for three with the Dodgers before hitting the road again.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Showing posts with label Arias-ness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arias-ness. Show all posts
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Comeback Attack
The Giants pulled off another dramatic victory tonight in San Francisco and are now one win from the World Series. Ryan Vogelsong saw his string of post-season brilliance end cruelly after three innings, having given up four runs, the last a no-doubt rocket from Kolten Wong. Vogie had five previous playoff starts and had allowed only four runs total in 30-1/3 innings. The Giants battled back and chased Shelby Miller in the fourth, closing the gap to 4-3 on hits from Buster Posey and Hunter Pence. It was up to the 'pens from that point and the Giants proved up to the task and allowed no runs over the final six frames. Yusmeiro Petit was the difference getting nine outs in ten batters, four by strikeout.
The Giants followed up that great effort in the bottom of the 6th with another magic rally. Juan Perez, fresh off yesterday's heroics, came off the bench to open the inning and walked. After a BCraw single Matt Duffy, pinch-hitting, bunted them over. Nice work from the youngsters once again, and it should be noted that bench stalwart Joaquin Arias led off the 3rd with a pinch-hit and eventually scored. It's a team game, man. The Cards brought the infield in and Gregor Blanco shot a grass-clipper right at Matt Adams at first but he took too much time to get the throw off and Perez scored with a nifty slide. The low, off-balance throw was late and short-hopped catcher Tony Cruz who dropped it for good measure.Then Joe Panik hit a hard grounder to the bag at first and Adams gloved it and got the force, turned and threw it off-line to second giving BCraw a chance to scoot home. Buster then delivered a single to make it 6-4 Giants. It was not a good sequence for the big lefty slugger.
Boch had his matchups ready the rest of the way: Affeldt got four outs, then Lopez for Adams after Machi didn't get his man (Holliday), then Romo for the 8th and Casilla for the 9th. St. Louis put a guy on in both of the last two innings and had two on in the 7th but this time Giants pitchers executed and got the big outs. It was a tremendous game, lots of action, lots of anguish, but ultimately joy. The Giants win by attrition--they get the line moving, put the ball in play, and keep the pressure on. They were one massive blow away from breaking the game open, but their relentless peskiness was more than enough. Buster tallied three runs batted in, Pence had two hits, Blanco scored twice, the team had 11 hits and six walks and only struck out five times.
The late afternoon start meant some funny light in the outfield. Both centerfielders muffed tough chances they would normally have hauled in. I think they should play baseball at a proper local time and I'm sick of east coast television ruling the damn world. Alas, another of my multitude of bitches about our media conglomerate masters. Even corporate domination of our very souls can't ruin my high, though. This was an awesome win. I can't find any fancy way to say it. The Giants pulled off a great goddam win and are all set up with their ace tomorrow in a potential clincher. In 2010 Tim Lincecum got the ball at home in Game Five up 3-1 against Roy Halladay and the Phillies who won and forced the series to six games. It didn't matter, as I recall, but I would have rather seen the team nail it down on the first try.
So that's it, Giants. Nail it down.
5:07 Pacific. MadBum.
Go team! Win!
--M.C.
The Giants followed up that great effort in the bottom of the 6th with another magic rally. Juan Perez, fresh off yesterday's heroics, came off the bench to open the inning and walked. After a BCraw single Matt Duffy, pinch-hitting, bunted them over. Nice work from the youngsters once again, and it should be noted that bench stalwart Joaquin Arias led off the 3rd with a pinch-hit and eventually scored. It's a team game, man. The Cards brought the infield in and Gregor Blanco shot a grass-clipper right at Matt Adams at first but he took too much time to get the throw off and Perez scored with a nifty slide. The low, off-balance throw was late and short-hopped catcher Tony Cruz who dropped it for good measure.Then Joe Panik hit a hard grounder to the bag at first and Adams gloved it and got the force, turned and threw it off-line to second giving BCraw a chance to scoot home. Buster then delivered a single to make it 6-4 Giants. It was not a good sequence for the big lefty slugger.
Boch had his matchups ready the rest of the way: Affeldt got four outs, then Lopez for Adams after Machi didn't get his man (Holliday), then Romo for the 8th and Casilla for the 9th. St. Louis put a guy on in both of the last two innings and had two on in the 7th but this time Giants pitchers executed and got the big outs. It was a tremendous game, lots of action, lots of anguish, but ultimately joy. The Giants win by attrition--they get the line moving, put the ball in play, and keep the pressure on. They were one massive blow away from breaking the game open, but their relentless peskiness was more than enough. Buster tallied three runs batted in, Pence had two hits, Blanco scored twice, the team had 11 hits and six walks and only struck out five times.
The late afternoon start meant some funny light in the outfield. Both centerfielders muffed tough chances they would normally have hauled in. I think they should play baseball at a proper local time and I'm sick of east coast television ruling the damn world. Alas, another of my multitude of bitches about our media conglomerate masters. Even corporate domination of our very souls can't ruin my high, though. This was an awesome win. I can't find any fancy way to say it. The Giants pulled off a great goddam win and are all set up with their ace tomorrow in a potential clincher. In 2010 Tim Lincecum got the ball at home in Game Five up 3-1 against Roy Halladay and the Phillies who won and forced the series to six games. It didn't matter, as I recall, but I would have rather seen the team nail it down on the first try.
So that's it, Giants. Nail it down.
5:07 Pacific. MadBum.
Go team! Win!
--M.C.
Friday, September 12, 2014
That's One
And a most gratifying one it was. Madison Bumgarner on the mound, a full house, a beautiful night for baseball and that team from LA, the one we have to beat, down from the start.
Madison: 7 IP, 73 strikes among 97 pitches. 3 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts. No runs. None.
Juan Gutierrez in relief: 6 batters faced, 6 batters retired. Madison was a little rough at first, he walked the lead-off Puig, but soon settled down for another great game and his 18th win.
Hits? Early and often. 2 home runs, 1 each for Brandon Crawford and Travis Ishikawa.
Joe Panik: 1 hit, 1 run
Buster: 2 hits, 1 run and 1 rbi
Pence: 2 hits, 1 run and 1 rbi
Arias: 2 hits, 1 run and 1 rbi
Gregor: 1 hit, 2 runs
Travis Ishikawa's home run scored Gregor and BCraw. Brandon's home run scored Gregor, but he came up with the first of his 3 rbi in the first, a double that scored Joaquin Arias. Brandon scored twice on 2 hits and a walk. The Giants batted around in the first and scored 4 runs.
Madison: 7 IP, 73 strikes among 97 pitches. 3 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts. No runs. None.
Juan Gutierrez in relief: 6 batters faced, 6 batters retired. Madison was a little rough at first, he walked the lead-off Puig, but soon settled down for another great game and his 18th win.
Hits? Early and often. 2 home runs, 1 each for Brandon Crawford and Travis Ishikawa.
Joe Panik: 1 hit, 1 run
Buster: 2 hits, 1 run and 1 rbi
Pence: 2 hits, 1 run and 1 rbi
Arias: 2 hits, 1 run and 1 rbi
Gregor: 1 hit, 2 runs
Travis Ishikawa's home run scored Gregor and BCraw. Brandon's home run scored Gregor, but he came up with the first of his 3 rbi in the first, a double that scored Joaquin Arias. Brandon scored twice on 2 hits and a walk. The Giants batted around in the first and scored 4 runs.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Dodgers Spoil the Weekend
I thought Jake Peavy pitched well. A little bad luck and some fielding lapses is all it takes to undo a decent start when it's against a good team. LA did everything right in the series and made an emphatic point in San Francisco. The Giants couldn't do anything this weekend. I was impressed by Dee Gordon going home on the missed third strike--that was opportunistic and a real "kick 'em when they're down" moment. The Giants had a nice little post-ASB thing going at 5-1 but losing four in a row takes the shine off. They did have to face Cole Hamels as well as Kershaw and Greinke, so it is understandable as those guys are as tough as it gets. And the rash of injuries and the rag-tag lineup certainly crippled the team ahead of the biggest series of the season, but it still stings. The team looked overmatched by their chief rivals.
I'm not sure what the Giants can do at this point other than get their collective shit together and start winning some goddamn games. No one wants Dan Uggla starting at second base, but three second baseman on the roster out with injury and the other (Joaquin Arias) having his worst season with the bat EVER doesn't leave the team a lot of options. Sure, it would be nice to sit Mike Morse down for some needed rest, but who plays in his place? He's one of the few guys who CAN play every day! I'd love to have Jake Peavy alongside Matt Cain not instead of him. Not much the team can do in that department. Maybe Cain will go under the knife sooner rather than later and be 100% for 2015. That's assuming that's what he needs, of course. Even if it is just arthroscopic surgery you can understand any athlete's reluctance to have doctors poking around inside. I had my knee 'scoped a few years back (torn meniscus) and despite it all working out just fine I must admit to trepidation about the whole concept. I like doctors better when they aren't probing and cutting--I'll bet most folks feel the same way.
Are the Giants done dealing? Supposedly they are still interested in Ben Zobrist who would be a terrific addition, but it seems what they really need is David Price, who would probably be unaffordable. When you look at the cost of Jake Peavy, Price would probably require twice that much, and the Giants would likely have to give up a major-leaguer as well. Who do we dangle? Brandon Belt? I don't see it happening. I think the team is what the team is and we have to hope they get healthy and get back to playing good baseball.
The Pirates are in town for three this week, games 106, 107 and 108 to finish the month of July and the sixth seasonal inning. I'll post something on Thursday--I hope it is joy after a sweep, or at least tempered excitement after seeing two wins out of three. August has 28 games scheduled and September 25, but the Giants have a suspended game to make up as well and that's your final 54. Six of those are against the Dodgers so it's not like they won't have their chances. And a 1-1/2 game deficit is nothing. If you had told me in March that the team would be neck-and-neck with the $230M boys in blue at the end of July I'd have been happy. So why ain't I happy? Maybe it's this:
77 divided by 23 is 3.35 and 79 divided by 23 is 3.43. I may be a retired schoolteacher but I can still tell you that 3.35 < 3.43 and that usually correlates to W < L.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
I'm not sure what the Giants can do at this point other than get their collective shit together and start winning some goddamn games. No one wants Dan Uggla starting at second base, but three second baseman on the roster out with injury and the other (Joaquin Arias) having his worst season with the bat EVER doesn't leave the team a lot of options. Sure, it would be nice to sit Mike Morse down for some needed rest, but who plays in his place? He's one of the few guys who CAN play every day! I'd love to have Jake Peavy alongside Matt Cain not instead of him. Not much the team can do in that department. Maybe Cain will go under the knife sooner rather than later and be 100% for 2015. That's assuming that's what he needs, of course. Even if it is just arthroscopic surgery you can understand any athlete's reluctance to have doctors poking around inside. I had my knee 'scoped a few years back (torn meniscus) and despite it all working out just fine I must admit to trepidation about the whole concept. I like doctors better when they aren't probing and cutting--I'll bet most folks feel the same way.
Are the Giants done dealing? Supposedly they are still interested in Ben Zobrist who would be a terrific addition, but it seems what they really need is David Price, who would probably be unaffordable. When you look at the cost of Jake Peavy, Price would probably require twice that much, and the Giants would likely have to give up a major-leaguer as well. Who do we dangle? Brandon Belt? I don't see it happening. I think the team is what the team is and we have to hope they get healthy and get back to playing good baseball.
The Pirates are in town for three this week, games 106, 107 and 108 to finish the month of July and the sixth seasonal inning. I'll post something on Thursday--I hope it is joy after a sweep, or at least tempered excitement after seeing two wins out of three. August has 28 games scheduled and September 25, but the Giants have a suspended game to make up as well and that's your final 54. Six of those are against the Dodgers so it's not like they won't have their chances. And a 1-1/2 game deficit is nothing. If you had told me in March that the team would be neck-and-neck with the $230M boys in blue at the end of July I'd have been happy. So why ain't I happy? Maybe it's this:
77 divided by 23 is 3.35 and 79 divided by 23 is 3.43. I may be a retired schoolteacher but I can still tell you that 3.35 < 3.43 and that usually correlates to W < L.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Three of Four in St. Louis
The G-Train keeps rolling with another big win against a formidable foe. Tim Hudson went seven strong, allowing only three hits and not giving up a run to the defending NL champs. The lineup stroked 14 hits and plated eight and the fielders handled everything perfectly. Speaking of the lineup, Buster Posey was back and he looked great, getting three hits. Super-sub Joaquin Arias got the start at first base and he came back from the dead with three hits, a walk, and three batted in. He's been struggling and it was nice to see him get it going. The Giants jumped on Lance Lynn in the 1st and never let up, BABIP'ing the home team with lots of well-placed grounders and sharp liners and seizing the initiative after an error by second baseman Kolten Wong. Gregor Blanco pulled one into the RF corner for an RBI triple in the 6th and that was the furthest a ball traveled today for the Giants. Looks like they can score whether they hit home runs or not! Brandon Crawford has been slumping and he got on base twice and drove in two. He also robbed rookie phenom Oscar Taveras of a hit in the 6th with one of those phantom scoops (plus a spin-and-throw move) on a hard hit ball up the middle. It's amazing how many would-be hits he turns into outs.
I'm still in a bit of shock as the Giants respond to yesterday's shutout by the Cardinals with a shutout of their own. Four games, three wins, combined score 23-11. San Francisco pitchers have allowed 190 runs in 57 games, exactly 3-1/3 per game. 190 is the third-lowest total in baseball behind only Atlanta (183) and Oakland (178). Mike Morse sat out after fouling a ball off his foot yesterday which is why Arias got the nod. He's expected to be back in the lineup after the off-day tomorrow. David Huff got in an inning of scoreless work in the 9th after his ugly effort on Friday night. I'm a member of the Church of Three Lefties in the 'Pen and I think the team is going to need him over the long haul so I was encouraged. He has good-looking stuff but seems to have some command issues so let's hope he gets those worked out.
Tim Lincecum will get the call on Tuesday in Cincinnati. The Reds are 25-29 and 7-1/2 back in the Central, but were 90-game winners last season so you have to figure they will improve.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
I'm still in a bit of shock as the Giants respond to yesterday's shutout by the Cardinals with a shutout of their own. Four games, three wins, combined score 23-11. San Francisco pitchers have allowed 190 runs in 57 games, exactly 3-1/3 per game. 190 is the third-lowest total in baseball behind only Atlanta (183) and Oakland (178). Mike Morse sat out after fouling a ball off his foot yesterday which is why Arias got the nod. He's expected to be back in the lineup after the off-day tomorrow. David Huff got in an inning of scoreless work in the 9th after his ugly effort on Friday night. I'm a member of the Church of Three Lefties in the 'Pen and I think the team is going to need him over the long haul so I was encouraged. He has good-looking stuff but seems to have some command issues so let's hope he gets those worked out.
Tim Lincecum will get the call on Tuesday in Cincinnati. The Reds are 25-29 and 7-1/2 back in the Central, but were 90-game winners last season so you have to figure they will improve.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Almost Perfect
Baseball nobody Yusmeiro Petit threw the game of his life tonight and became only the twelfth pitcher in major-league history to lose a perfect game on the 27th batter. The well-traveled Venezuelan was dropped from the Giants 40-man roster twice this season before crafting his one-hitter. Among his many stops on the journeyman trail was Oaxaca, Mexico. The smiling, beardless picture of me you see when you click M.C. is from Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos in the city and state of Oaxaca, home of the Guerreros. I still have the O.G. jersey I'm sporting in the pic. The fateful hit came off the bat of Eric Chavez on a 3-2 pitch--I wonder how many of the eleven previous guys got two strikes on the batter before losing him. Chavez has been in the bigs for 16 seasons and has always been a tough out. The Diamondbacks are his third team. He spent his first 13 years with Oakland, their longest-tenured player next to Rickey Henderson (14 years). He almost had to hang up his cleats due to back injuries but managed to get healthy and get a second chance with the Yankees. He spent only two seasons in the minors before his call-up at age 20. Petit was a bit of a phenom himself, reaching The Show at age 21, but lost his job in the majors by age 24. He had to get cut by two clubs in two seasons before the Giants resurrected him last year.
Hunter Pence looked like he might have had a chance for a spectacular play on that stroke off the bat of Chavez, but it fell just short of his reach, and that's saying something. Hunter "Plastic Man" Pence gets to most balls, so you know it was a clean hit. It was, alas, a great night of baseball. The Giants won the game, in a large part, because Pence (who scored all three runs) and catcher Hector Sanchez got three hits each. And Juan Cruz made a great catch in left after being inserted for defense. Yusmeiro Petit came oh-so-close to baseball immortality, and it is a shame he lost it on the last batter. A damn shame. But it was one hell of an effort.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Matt Cain--he of perfect game fame--is listed as tomorrow's starter.
Hunter Pence looked like he might have had a chance for a spectacular play on that stroke off the bat of Chavez, but it fell just short of his reach, and that's saying something. Hunter "Plastic Man" Pence gets to most balls, so you know it was a clean hit. It was, alas, a great night of baseball. The Giants won the game, in a large part, because Pence (who scored all three runs) and catcher Hector Sanchez got three hits each. And Juan Cruz made a great catch in left after being inserted for defense. Yusmeiro Petit came oh-so-close to baseball immortality, and it is a shame he lost it on the last batter. A damn shame. But it was one hell of an effort.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Matt Cain--he of perfect game fame--is listed as tomorrow's starter.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Vogie Rocks, Giants Roll
Today was one of the best-pitched games of this mostly forgettable season. Ryan Vogelsong struggled mightily before his injury (37 runs in 46-1/3 IP), but looks like he's returning to the championship form we know and love. The Pirates are a good club, and Vogie had them off-balance all afternoon. Home plate umpire Lance Barksdale is known for a tight zone, and both Vogelsong and Pirates starter A.J. Burnett got squeezed on several close pitches. But no. 32 was brisk (2:42 game time) and efficient (98 pitches in eight innings) and only allowed two hits, an infield one to MVP-candidate Andrew McCutchen in the 7th, and a single to Andrew Lambo in the 3rd. Lambo walked with two outs in the 5th, but was gunned down by Buster Posey on a steal attempt. Those were the only blemishes, and that performance was good for a Game Score of 82. Burnett was also impressive, flashing a nasty curve ball that had the Giants frustrated and generated a lot of grounders. But they finally got to him in the 8th (should Clint Hurdle have gone to his 'pen sooner?) with a booming triple to right-center from Pablo Sandoval that would have been a three-run homer in most parks. The 1-0 nail-biter was suddenly 3-0, and we all breathed easier. Madison Bumgarner got burned the other night when the Giants could not generate a big hit. Joaquin Arias added to the fun and brought the Panda home with a searing two-out double down the LF line off reliever Tony Watson to make it 4-0. Sandy Rosario got the last three outs to preserve the win.
The Giants are 5th in the NL in triples, and 4th in doubles. I used to say I could live with a team that doesn't hit many homers if they can rack up extra bases with hard-hit balls. Alas, the 2013 Giants are so feeble--their 76 HR are second-from-last in the league and exactly half of the league-leading Atlanta Braves 152--it makes that statement pretty silly. That glaring lack of pop shows up in their second-from-last standing in both total bases and slugging percentage, and more significantly, third-from-the-bottom in runs scored. Yes, I know it's really about the pitching. The five best teams in the league have the five lowest ERAs (Pittsburgh, LA, Atlanta, Cincinnati, St. Louis). The Giants are the fourth-worst in allowing runs. Only Philadelphia, San Diego, and Colorado are worse. It's a deadly combination. At least in 2009 and 2011 when the team couldn't hit they could keep it close with good pitching. A healthy Ryan Vogelsong should certainly help turn things around in 2014.
I know, don't get too excited about one start, right? The hell with that. I'm pretty excited about Vogie's effort today. It gave me flashbacks of his October heroics. Keep it going, man, keep it going.
--M.C.
p.s. I had this post all ready to go but for a few final edits when the power went out about 1630. It just came back at 1900. The thundershowers were heavy all day and they must have knocked a line down or zapped something at one of the substations. Power outages in Siskiyou County are surprisingly rare, and when they happen, they don't take long to get fixed. This is one of the longest I can remember in the 24 years we've been here. It's a big place--the fifth largest county by area in California--but one of the least populated, only 44,900 at the 2010 census. We could all fit in the Giants ballpark!
The Giants are 5th in the NL in triples, and 4th in doubles. I used to say I could live with a team that doesn't hit many homers if they can rack up extra bases with hard-hit balls. Alas, the 2013 Giants are so feeble--their 76 HR are second-from-last in the league and exactly half of the league-leading Atlanta Braves 152--it makes that statement pretty silly. That glaring lack of pop shows up in their second-from-last standing in both total bases and slugging percentage, and more significantly, third-from-the-bottom in runs scored. Yes, I know it's really about the pitching. The five best teams in the league have the five lowest ERAs (Pittsburgh, LA, Atlanta, Cincinnati, St. Louis). The Giants are the fourth-worst in allowing runs. Only Philadelphia, San Diego, and Colorado are worse. It's a deadly combination. At least in 2009 and 2011 when the team couldn't hit they could keep it close with good pitching. A healthy Ryan Vogelsong should certainly help turn things around in 2014.
I know, don't get too excited about one start, right? The hell with that. I'm pretty excited about Vogie's effort today. It gave me flashbacks of his October heroics. Keep it going, man, keep it going.
--M.C.
p.s. I had this post all ready to go but for a few final edits when the power went out about 1630. It just came back at 1900. The thundershowers were heavy all day and they must have knocked a line down or zapped something at one of the substations. Power outages in Siskiyou County are surprisingly rare, and when they happen, they don't take long to get fixed. This is one of the longest I can remember in the 24 years we've been here. It's a big place--the fifth largest county by area in California--but one of the least populated, only 44,900 at the 2010 census. We could all fit in the Giants ballpark!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Rain, not enough
Madison Bumgarner started tonight against the former A Gio Gonzalez. Madison pitched OK, but not superbly, allowing 5 hits and 1 run through 4 while striking out 4 and walking 1. Gio was a bit better, not allowing a run on 4 hits. After four innings, the rains came and with them, the sense of impending doom that the Giants' relief brings. And sure enough, after the Giants tied the game at 1 all in the top of the 5th thanks to a Nats' error, Guillermo Moscoso gave up a 2 run shot to Adam LaRoche and that was enough. Both teams scored again, final score 4-2. Joaquin Arias had 4 hits. Giants were 1 for 9 with RISP.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Collapse
Matt Cain wasn't pretty, but he was reasonably effective, and I've learned not to scoff at the "Quality Start" statistic. Stringing together quality starts is what usually leads to winning baseball. The Giants though, can't seem to get clutch hits. Today they had a runner at third with one out and failed to score him--that would have tied the game in the 7th. They had a runner at third in the 8th with only one out, but only for a brief moment, as Marco Scutaro was thrown out at second after a questionable decision to advance. In light of Joaquin Arias' double play grounder the inning before, I can understand the desire to have runners on second and third rather than first and second. But it was one of those situations that required the runner to be absolutely sure of not getting thrown out. In fact, he was thrown out, and that meant Buster Posey (2-for-16 in the series) had to get a hit to tie the game, which he did not. Thus the Giants failed to give themselves a chance to win. Jean Machi collapsed completely in the 9th, giving up four runs and ending any hope of a comeback.
Mostly, though, this game was about another Marlins starter befuddling the lineup. We had Jacob Turner one night and Tom Koehler another, and today we got the overpowering Nathan Eovaldi. The Giants were averaging over four runs per game coming in to this series, but they could only manage EIGHT runs total against the vaunted Miami pitching staff. Only Ricky Nolasco was ordinary, and despite giving up nine hits the Giants could not finish him off and wound up losing. Even with Barry Zito throwing a gem yesterday, the Giants still had to resort to extra-inning heroics to win. This was a winnable game and a winnable series, but collapses from the bullpen and feeble efforts from the hitters meant another lost weekend.
Matt Cain continues to give up home runs. Today Justin Ruggiano murdered the second pitch of the game and put the Giants in a hole they never came back from. Cain has allowed 16 dingers in 16 starts. Before this year, he had allowed 129 homers in 235 starts. In 2011 he only allowed nine in his 33 starts, an anomalously low number considering that all his other seasons were between 14 and 22. So, is 2013 just an anomaly, an extreme case of bad luck, much like 2011 being, perhaps, an extreme case of good luck? Is the swing just normal variation? Or is something wrong? If so, what? His hit rate of 7.4/9 is close to his career norm (7.5), as is his walk rate of 2.7/9 (3.1), and strikeout rate of 8.3/9 (7.5). His BABIP of .249 is right there (.263), and his 37.0% ground ball rate (37.2) and 40.8% fly ball rate (43.7) aren't much different. Even his xFIP (3.82) is the same as last season's, suggesting that his expected runs allowed should be close to the same. Alas, he's allowing a home run on 14% of his fly balls, about twice his career rate of 7.1% (it was 8.4% last season and 3.7% in 2011). What's the deal? How can a guy do just about everything else the same and have one thing be completely out of whack? I tell ya, I just don't know, but it ain't no fun to watch.
Giants are firing on only one cylinder at a time these days, and it's hard to take. The parts and pieces are all there, despite the injuries, but they can't seem to get them coordinated and working in a mutually supporting way.
Let's go, Giants. Let's get some goddamn wins!
--M.C.
Mostly, though, this game was about another Marlins starter befuddling the lineup. We had Jacob Turner one night and Tom Koehler another, and today we got the overpowering Nathan Eovaldi. The Giants were averaging over four runs per game coming in to this series, but they could only manage EIGHT runs total against the vaunted Miami pitching staff. Only Ricky Nolasco was ordinary, and despite giving up nine hits the Giants could not finish him off and wound up losing. Even with Barry Zito throwing a gem yesterday, the Giants still had to resort to extra-inning heroics to win. This was a winnable game and a winnable series, but collapses from the bullpen and feeble efforts from the hitters meant another lost weekend.
Matt Cain continues to give up home runs. Today Justin Ruggiano murdered the second pitch of the game and put the Giants in a hole they never came back from. Cain has allowed 16 dingers in 16 starts. Before this year, he had allowed 129 homers in 235 starts. In 2011 he only allowed nine in his 33 starts, an anomalously low number considering that all his other seasons were between 14 and 22. So, is 2013 just an anomaly, an extreme case of bad luck, much like 2011 being, perhaps, an extreme case of good luck? Is the swing just normal variation? Or is something wrong? If so, what? His hit rate of 7.4/9 is close to his career norm (7.5), as is his walk rate of 2.7/9 (3.1), and strikeout rate of 8.3/9 (7.5). His BABIP of .249 is right there (.263), and his 37.0% ground ball rate (37.2) and 40.8% fly ball rate (43.7) aren't much different. Even his xFIP (3.82) is the same as last season's, suggesting that his expected runs allowed should be close to the same. Alas, he's allowing a home run on 14% of his fly balls, about twice his career rate of 7.1% (it was 8.4% last season and 3.7% in 2011). What's the deal? How can a guy do just about everything else the same and have one thing be completely out of whack? I tell ya, I just don't know, but it ain't no fun to watch.
Giants are firing on only one cylinder at a time these days, and it's hard to take. The parts and pieces are all there, despite the injuries, but they can't seem to get them coordinated and working in a mutually supporting way.
Let's go, Giants. Let's get some goddamn wins!
--M.C.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Giants Come Up Short
I don't like one-run leads. I like six-run leads. I know that's a little greedy, and since the Giants average about 4.3 runs per game, not a frequent occurrence. But I'm with Billy Martin on the idea that a team never has enough runs. Sure, if Jeremy Affeldt had made a better 0-2 pitch, the Giants might have won the game by a score of 1-0, but "ifs" and "mights" aren't wins. The home team allowed only five hits and two runs and yet lost the game. Youngster Tom Koehler wasn't particularly pretty and was also a little wild but still threw five no-hit innings, six one-hit innings, and seven one-run innings. That's too many innings, I know, but it sure seemed like the Giants made a lot more than 27 outs tonight. This was a game screaming for a two-run homer to give the 'pen a little cushion, but that's not the Giants. They have the second-fewest homers in the league (49), well ahead of tonight's winning club, the Miami Marlins (37). I can live without the homers--after all we saw a nice double and triple sequence (both hit to the gap in right-center) from Brandon Belt and Joaquin Arias to get the run, but that was that. There are lots of ways to score in the game of baseball, and I'll take any of them.
Chad Gaudin was the human pincushion tonight, and the third time was the curse. He took a shot off his pitching elbow with one out in the 5th and had to be relieved. Sandy Rosario retired the next eight but walked the leadoff hitter in the 8th and so turned the ball over to Affeldt. After his meltdown against San Diego on Tuesday, we were all looking for a better outcome, but it wasn't to be. Let's hope Gaudin is OK, he's been effective as a starter and the team needs him. Rosario looked good as well and at this point every arm counts. We'll all just have to ride out this "Bad Jeremy" stretch together, I reckon.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. They talked to first-round pick Christian Arroyo on the telecast. He looks like he's about 15, and talks like a high school kid. Oh, that's right, he is a high school kid. Or was, just a few days ago. Actually he sounded pretty good--said all the right things and was appropriately eager and awestruck. He's got some more inches to grow and some more pounds to put on. Should be fun to follow his progress over the next few years.
Chad Gaudin was the human pincushion tonight, and the third time was the curse. He took a shot off his pitching elbow with one out in the 5th and had to be relieved. Sandy Rosario retired the next eight but walked the leadoff hitter in the 8th and so turned the ball over to Affeldt. After his meltdown against San Diego on Tuesday, we were all looking for a better outcome, but it wasn't to be. Let's hope Gaudin is OK, he's been effective as a starter and the team needs him. Rosario looked good as well and at this point every arm counts. We'll all just have to ride out this "Bad Jeremy" stretch together, I reckon.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. They talked to first-round pick Christian Arroyo on the telecast. He looks like he's about 15, and talks like a high school kid. Oh, that's right, he is a high school kid. Or was, just a few days ago. Actually he sounded pretty good--said all the right things and was appropriately eager and awestruck. He's got some more inches to grow and some more pounds to put on. Should be fun to follow his progress over the next few years.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Giants Blow Two Leads, Win Anyway
Matt Cain was nearly unhittable through the first five, retiring 15 of 16 with eight strikeouts. With a 2-0 lead in the 7th he was suddenly vulnerable and the Padres crushed two home runs (Nick Hundley and Logan Forsythe) to tie the game. It seems like every time Matty misses a spot or gets a ball up it winds up over the fence! In the 7th, rookie Juan Perez saved a run by throwing out Mark Kotsay (who had doubled) at the plate after fielding a single from Chris Denorfia. That's two nights in a row he's made a great play--I wonder if San Diego will challenge his arm today. Cain's final line was 7 6 2 2 0 10 for a Game Score of 67. When Gregor Blanco got a two-out RBI hit in the bottom of the inning it looked like the Giants just might end the Padres surge. But Jeremy Affeldt threw gasoline on the fire in the top of the 8th and a two-run bomb by Jesus Guzman gave the lead right back. The 'pen has been a little shaky, but the Giants rallied to tie on a double by Brandon Belt, and take the lead on a two-out single by Juan Carlos Perez (B-R also lists Juan Pablo Perez, a pitcher). Yep, him again. The 26-year old from the Dominican Republic was born on my 27th birthday (November 13, 1986). He was a 13th-round draft pick (2008) from Western Oklahoma State College. After 568 games and 2330 PA in four-and-a-half seasons he finally got the call-up and the chance to show off his game. By the way, this guy is not just an outfielder--he spent time at third and short in Fresno! Let's hope he can keep making his mark.
Brandon Crawford joined the growing list of walking wounded when he sprained two fingers on his throwing hand on a head-first slide into second base. Next time lead with the feet, OK? You're too valuable to get hurt on the bases. That's why the team has multiple speed-burner outfield types. Joaquin Arias handled shortstop duties the rest of the night and will probably have to do so for the next few days. The good news is that Marco Scutaro was back in the lineup and had two hits. The good news, really, is that the Giants won the game. It took a little more drama than I expected, but that's how this team rolls.
Madison Bumgarner gets the ball today at 12:45.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. I love Game Graphs:
Brandon Crawford joined the growing list of walking wounded when he sprained two fingers on his throwing hand on a head-first slide into second base. Next time lead with the feet, OK? You're too valuable to get hurt on the bases. That's why the team has multiple speed-burner outfield types. Joaquin Arias handled shortstop duties the rest of the night and will probably have to do so for the next few days. The good news is that Marco Scutaro was back in the lineup and had two hits. The good news, really, is that the Giants won the game. It took a little more drama than I expected, but that's how this team rolls.
Madison Bumgarner gets the ball today at 12:45.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. I love Game Graphs:
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Cain and Giants Crush Bucs, Salvage Series
With two outs in the 7th inning Matt Cain threw a pitch that broke down and in to Neil Walker and it hit him on the right leg. Andrew McCutcheon had doubled with one out, only the Pirates second hit of the evening. With two on and 101 pitches thrown, Bruce Bochy called on Javier Lopez to get Pedro Alvarez and finish the inning. He walked him on four pitches and was promptly yanked in favor of Jean Machi, who got the final out, whiffing catcher Michael McKenry. That was the closest thing to a blemish on Cain's excellent start. His final line was 6-2/3, two hits, two walks, and three strikeouts. The lineup chipped away at Pirates starter Charlie Morton and finally chased him after five, and then lit up reliever Mike Zagurski for five in the 6th and had a mostly easy cruise from then on. Gregor Blanco, Buster Posey, and Joaquin Arias all had three hits, and Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer in the 10-0 romp. Not only did the Giants need a game like this, Your Humble Narrator did, too. The first two games of the series were seriously ugly, and with the team headed for Atlanta (another tough squad), it was nice to see them snap out of their funk, at least for one night.
Some funny things happened. Brandon Crawford got caught in a rundown play at third base in the 5th, but the third baseman (Alvarez) was called forinterference obstruction after a throw and BCraw was awarded home. Hunter Pence, a little later in the same inning, was in between second and third and was struck by a batted ball from Joaquin Arias for the third out. It would have been an RBI single. In the 6th, Cain ticked a liner up the middle from Jordy Mercer off his glove and it ricocheted to Nick Noonan at second for the out. In the 9th, Noonan hit a ball that looked like his first career homer, only on review was changed to a double as the replay showed it hit the yellow padding on top of the barrier and didn't clear it.
Mostly though, this game was a tonic. A balm. A salve. The Giants got good pitching (zero runs allowed!), lots of hitting (ten runs scored!), and good fielding (no errors and three DPs!). That's a good combination. Giants: repeat that.
--M.C.
p.s. Jake Dunning was called up to replace Ramon Ramirez who was DFA'd.
Some funny things happened. Brandon Crawford got caught in a rundown play at third base in the 5th, but the third baseman (Alvarez) was called for
Mostly though, this game was a tonic. A balm. A salve. The Giants got good pitching (zero runs allowed!), lots of hitting (ten runs scored!), and good fielding (no errors and three DPs!). That's a good combination. Giants: repeat that.
--M.C.
p.s. Jake Dunning was called up to replace Ramon Ramirez who was DFA'd.
Friday, June 7, 2013
1-0 Was Not Quite Enough
Jeremy Affeldt does not give up a lot of home runs, but he left a 2-0 pitch a little too up and a little too over the plate for Giant-killer Paul Goldschmidt who sent it over the right-field wall in the 8th to decide the game. Matt Cain left after 7+ with a 1-0 lead, having surrendered an infield single to A.J. Pollock. Ol' Boch summoned his normally stalwart lefty who induced a groundout from pinch-hitter Wil Nieves and then struck out leadoff man Gerardo Parra. Unfortunately he then walked Willie Bloomquist to bring the slugging Arizona first baseman to the plate. Dave Righetti made a trip to the mound and said "down, down, down, there's a lefty up next" or something to that effect, and it looked for all the world that Miguel Montero would get his chance, but then it was a three-run bomb and the gig was up.
Matt Cain gave up a hit, walked three guys, and threw 31 pitches in the 1st but wriggled out of the jam, courtesy mostly of the aforementioned Goldschmidt who hit into a double play. Cain got another 6-4-3 out of him later, and followed that with a whiff in the 6th. It looked like a good night. Matty put up six more zeros with only 72 pitches and had Pollock 0-2 before the high-hop grounder to third in the 8th finally ended his night. It was a good start (Game Score 66), and kept the Giants in the game against the Diamondback's young lefty. Patrick Corbin was clinical through the first six, using only 70 pitches to subdue the lineup, but a broken-bat hit from Pablo Sandoval and a two-out single from Gregor Blanco finally broke the ice. Panda, on his gimpy leg, raced to third on a fly out to right from Joaquin Arias (pinch-hitting for an overmatched Brandon Crawford who swung and missed the six pitches he'd seen) to get the extra ninety feet and make the hit from Blanco count. Alas, it was not to be enough. The Giants usually hang on to late leads and usually squeak out the close ones. Not tonight. Matt Cain pitched well, and despite the loss to the division front-runners, that has to be worth something. If the starters can grind out quality innings and string together good outings then the team can get back to their championship form. Madison Bumgarner gets his shot tomorrow.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Angel Pagan was finally put on the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 28th. Fresno OF Juan Perez takes his spot.
p.p.s. Brandon Belt made a sweet grab-and-throw on an grounder from Corbin in the 6th to get Didi Gregorius (who doubled to start the inning) at the plate and preserve the 0-0 tie.
Matt Cain gave up a hit, walked three guys, and threw 31 pitches in the 1st but wriggled out of the jam, courtesy mostly of the aforementioned Goldschmidt who hit into a double play. Cain got another 6-4-3 out of him later, and followed that with a whiff in the 6th. It looked like a good night. Matty put up six more zeros with only 72 pitches and had Pollock 0-2 before the high-hop grounder to third in the 8th finally ended his night. It was a good start (Game Score 66), and kept the Giants in the game against the Diamondback's young lefty. Patrick Corbin was clinical through the first six, using only 70 pitches to subdue the lineup, but a broken-bat hit from Pablo Sandoval and a two-out single from Gregor Blanco finally broke the ice. Panda, on his gimpy leg, raced to third on a fly out to right from Joaquin Arias (pinch-hitting for an overmatched Brandon Crawford who swung and missed the six pitches he'd seen) to get the extra ninety feet and make the hit from Blanco count. Alas, it was not to be enough. The Giants usually hang on to late leads and usually squeak out the close ones. Not tonight. Matt Cain pitched well, and despite the loss to the division front-runners, that has to be worth something. If the starters can grind out quality innings and string together good outings then the team can get back to their championship form. Madison Bumgarner gets his shot tomorrow.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Angel Pagan was finally put on the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 28th. Fresno OF Juan Perez takes his spot.
p.p.s. Brandon Belt made a sweet grab-and-throw on an grounder from Corbin in the 6th to get Didi Gregorius (who doubled to start the inning) at the plate and preserve the 0-0 tie.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Gritty Giants Gut It Out
I was thinking about Joaquin Arias tonight, about how he is a wonderful player, the perfect utility infielder and super-sub. I was thinking, though, that he really shouldn't be the starting first baseman. Now and again is OK, of course, but the team is better when Brandon Belt is in the lineup. All the world knows the young lefty's struggles since the start of the season, so who better to come to the plate in the 9th, against a southpaw no less, to get the game-winning hit? It would not have come to pass without a tremendous two-run homer in the 8th by Buster Posey to tie the score. His mother was probably an immortal goddess--how else to explain his perfection? It was a massive blow, as it looked like the home town boys were doomed at that point in the game. I thought "D-Back Dingers Vex Vogie" would be tonight's storyline, but Pablo Sandoval got a rally started with one out and Buster delivered the big blast to breathe life back into the orange-and-black heart. One must mention the dynamite relief work from Jean Machi (5 pitches, three outs), Jose Mijares (two strikeouts), and Sergio Romo (one pitch, one out) to put up the two scoreless innings that gave the team the chance to come back. Ryan Vogelsong labored through seven, looking like he had trouble hitting the outside corner. Either the zone was tight, he was a little off, or Arizona was laying off the close ones, but he seemed to get himself in trouble with long counts. Wade Miley, despite a rough 1st, was machine-like for a stretch, putting up a string of zeroes, and I thought perhaps Kirk Gibson had too quick of a hook in the 7th. They do have some scary-looking guys in that 'pen over there, and they probably figured David Hernandez would blow away the side in the 8th and they could use J.J. Putz to close it out. Alas, they did not calculate correctly. One must always account for the Posey Factor:
The Giants will not quit. The Giants will not die.
--M.C.
p.s. I love Game Graphs.
The Giants will not quit. The Giants will not die.
--M.C.
p.s. I love Game Graphs.
Friday, November 16, 2012
25 for 16: The Scrubs
Every team's got 'em. Even World Champs have guys on the bench you'd rather not see out there. This post-season the Giants filled out their 25-man roster with three players who were really only placeholders. We'll start with Xavier Nady, former Cal star and late-season pickup. The X-Man has had a long career (11 years) and been reasonably productive over his 3199 plate appearances. B-R rates his career line (.270/.324/.432) at a 100 OPS+. The Salinas native has been mostly a platoon player these last few years and is likely, at 34, near the end. Nady played in four of the LDS games and went 0-6 with a walk and three strikeouts. He was on the field (in left) at the end of Games One, Two, Three, and Five. He had four putouts in his short stints, including two in the critical final innings of Game Three. I'm still amazed that the Giants won that game, and they closed it out with X in left instead of Gregor Blanco and Joaquin Arias at short instead of Brandon Crawford. They used five pitchers in that game and 12 position players (everyone except Hector Sanchez). The Reds used Xavier Paul as a pinch-hitter, and that might be the only time in MLB history with two Xaviers in one game! Like I said, I'm still amazed the Giants won that game. One has to wonder why Dusty Baker yanked Homer Bailey after seven innings (88 pitches, 1 hit, 10 K). Seems like that sort of thing happens with ol' Johnnie B in command. Makes you appreciate Bruce Bochy, who has a knack for pulling the right strings.
Next up is Aubrey Huff, 2010 hero. The Giants brought him back after his huge contributions to their first championship but he never regained his form. Like Nady, Huff is at that point in his career where it may not be worth continuing. Two rings in three years is not a bad way to go out, eh? Aubrey was strictly a pinch-hitter in the 2012 playoffs, making ten plate appearances and getting one hit, one walk, and striking out twice. His hit in Game Two of the LCS was a pop fly behind third base that Blanco would have caught but Matt Holliday could not get to. He scored on a hit by Ryan Theriot. I thought Bochy might use him at DH in Detroit, but Sanchez got the call in Game Three of the Series (0-3, 3K) and, of course, The Riot was the man in Game Four.
The last man is one of my favorites, Guillermo Mota, he of the Easter Island face. I love watching him pitch! WillyMo got in big trouble for PEDs after being a valuable mop-up man for the Giants since they acquired him in 2010. He turns 40 in July and has pitched in the big leagues (743 games, always in relief) since he was 25. He made three appearances in 2012, Games One and Two in the LDS and Game Four of the LCS. He was ineffective, yielding five runs and four hits in his 1-2/3 IP. It was a far cry from his 2-1/3 innings of shutout ball in the 2010 Series against Texas. I suppose it is the end of the line for the big Dominican, but he can go out, like the rest of the scrubs, with a shiny ring on his finger.
That's it! I've covered all 25 guys. Hope you enjoyed the look back at our team. Great news about Buster Posey getting the MVP. And I think signing Jeremy Affeldt for three years was a smart move. He's a valuable guy and the Giants know it. I will be sporting my brand new 2012 World Series Champions cap and T-shirt today at work. I get to look forward to a week off (after today) for Thanksgiving, which is my favorite holiday. Lots of much-needed relaxing and basking in the glow of our favorite team's great season.
Cheers, mates!
--M.C.
Next up is Aubrey Huff, 2010 hero. The Giants brought him back after his huge contributions to their first championship but he never regained his form. Like Nady, Huff is at that point in his career where it may not be worth continuing. Two rings in three years is not a bad way to go out, eh? Aubrey was strictly a pinch-hitter in the 2012 playoffs, making ten plate appearances and getting one hit, one walk, and striking out twice. His hit in Game Two of the LCS was a pop fly behind third base that Blanco would have caught but Matt Holliday could not get to. He scored on a hit by Ryan Theriot. I thought Bochy might use him at DH in Detroit, but Sanchez got the call in Game Three of the Series (0-3, 3K) and, of course, The Riot was the man in Game Four.
The last man is one of my favorites, Guillermo Mota, he of the Easter Island face. I love watching him pitch! WillyMo got in big trouble for PEDs after being a valuable mop-up man for the Giants since they acquired him in 2010. He turns 40 in July and has pitched in the big leagues (743 games, always in relief) since he was 25. He made three appearances in 2012, Games One and Two in the LDS and Game Four of the LCS. He was ineffective, yielding five runs and four hits in his 1-2/3 IP. It was a far cry from his 2-1/3 innings of shutout ball in the 2010 Series against Texas. I suppose it is the end of the line for the big Dominican, but he can go out, like the rest of the scrubs, with a shiny ring on his finger.
That's it! I've covered all 25 guys. Hope you enjoyed the look back at our team. Great news about Buster Posey getting the MVP. And I think signing Jeremy Affeldt for three years was a smart move. He's a valuable guy and the Giants know it. I will be sporting my brand new 2012 World Series Champions cap and T-shirt today at work. I get to look forward to a week off (after today) for Thanksgiving, which is my favorite holiday. Lots of much-needed relaxing and basking in the glow of our favorite team's great season.
Cheers, mates!
--M.C.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
25 for 16: Super-Subs
Joaquin Arias made a name for himself all season long by filling in for Pablo Sandoval at third base and spelling rookie Brandon Crawford at shortstop. Both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference rate his contributions as worth 1.0 WAR. The former Rangers utility man made one of the biggest plays of the year when he completed Matt Cain's perfect game with a long throw from "deep third" (as Kuip called it) to get the ball to first and nail down the final out. B-R lists his closet comp ('similar batters through age 27') as Freddy Sanchez! In the playoffs he had his biggest day in Game Four at Cincinnati, roping two doubles and scoring two runs after a 4th inning double-switch with B-Craw (and Tim Lincecum). He saw action as a pinch-hitter in Game One (9th inning single and run scored), at short at the end of Game Three, and again at short in Game Four of the LCS. Otherwise he was Pablo's final inning defensive replacement at third base (eight games including the final seven). He handled all his chances (four putouts, one assist) flawlessly. The versatile right-hander from Santo Domingo is arb-eligible for the first time. I expect he'll be back in the same role in 2013.
Ryan Theriot carved out a spot for himself in all-time Giants lore by starting what proved to be the winning rally in Game Four of the World Series and scoring the go-ahead and ultimately winning run. His wild, car-wreck slide and ecstatic celebratory howl will forever be etched in our collective memories. The former Cubs shortstop was a 3rd-round pick from LSU but escaped from Chicago in a trade with the Dodgers in 2010 and then struck baseball gold via another trade with the 2011 world champion Cardinals. He signed with the Giants as a free agent this spring and I called him "Freddy Sanchez insurance." Sure enough, he was the everyday second baseman until the arrival of Marco Scutaro. Theriot was 0-2 as a pinch-hitter in the LDS, but worked a walk in Game One of the LCS in the same role. His other big moment was as a replacement in Game Two for Scutaro after the infamous Matt Holliday rolling tackle finally forced Marco to the bench. Ryan drove in two in the 8th with a line-drive single to make it a 7-1 lead and seal the deal for Ryan Vogelsong and the Giants. He had another pinch-hit RBI single in the 8th inning in Game Six as well. His final pinch-hitting opportunity came in Game Two of the Series but Drew Smyly struck him out. In Game Four he was the DH for the only time in his career, and delivered his biggest hit ever in his final at-bat. Phil Coke had struck out the previous seven batters he had faced before that single. The class clown of the Giants clubhouse was now the hero. (Good story by Baggs here.)
--M.C.
Ryan Theriot carved out a spot for himself in all-time Giants lore by starting what proved to be the winning rally in Game Four of the World Series and scoring the go-ahead and ultimately winning run. His wild, car-wreck slide and ecstatic celebratory howl will forever be etched in our collective memories. The former Cubs shortstop was a 3rd-round pick from LSU but escaped from Chicago in a trade with the Dodgers in 2010 and then struck baseball gold via another trade with the 2011 world champion Cardinals. He signed with the Giants as a free agent this spring and I called him "Freddy Sanchez insurance." Sure enough, he was the everyday second baseman until the arrival of Marco Scutaro. Theriot was 0-2 as a pinch-hitter in the LDS, but worked a walk in Game One of the LCS in the same role. His other big moment was as a replacement in Game Two for Scutaro after the infamous Matt Holliday rolling tackle finally forced Marco to the bench. Ryan drove in two in the 8th with a line-drive single to make it a 7-1 lead and seal the deal for Ryan Vogelsong and the Giants. He had another pinch-hit RBI single in the 8th inning in Game Six as well. His final pinch-hitting opportunity came in Game Two of the Series but Drew Smyly struck him out. In Game Four he was the DH for the only time in his career, and delivered his biggest hit ever in his final at-bat. Phil Coke had struck out the previous seven batters he had faced before that single. The class clown of the Giants clubhouse was now the hero. (Good story by Baggs here.)
--M.C.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Survival!
The Giants found a way to win tonight. They worked some road magic and kept the Reds champagne on ice. I am still not sure what happened, but Scott Rolen couldn't cleanly handle a ground ball from Joaquin Arias and Buster Posey crossed the plate with the go-ahead run in the 10th and the LDS heads to Game Four. It was a crazy ending to an agonizing game. Once again Cincinnati's starter overwhelmed the Giants lineup, this time Homer Bailey didn't give up a hit until the 6th (Marco Scutaro) and struck out ten in his seven innings. Sean Marshall and Aroldis Chapman mowed down the next six with three strikeouts, and even losing pitcher Jonathan Broxton struck out the side! It was an impressive display of offensive futility by the good guys, but it somehow worked out. Ryan Vogelsong was headed for a meltdown in the 1st but got a little help from Brandon Phillips who tried to take third after a stealing second on a ball that got away from Buster. He was thrown out and it turned out to be a big play. Two hits, a walk, and a run later and the Reds had 1-0 lead. That was it, though, as Vogie settled down and put up four zeroes, giving him the best start so far in the series for the Giants. They tied it up without a hit in the 3rd when Gregor Blanco was hit by a pitch to open the inning. He scored after a walk to Brandon Crawford, a sacrifice bunt by Vogie, and a sacrifice fly by Angel Pagan. It went to extras 1-1 mostly due to some fine bullpen work. Jeremy Affeldt threw an impressive 6th and 7th, Santiago Casilla got three outs in the 8th while scaring the crap out of us, and Sergio Romo got three harmless fly balls in the 9th to preserve the tie. It was a game more reminiscent of the 2009-2011 torture teams and not the run-scoring crew that blew away the rest of the West in 2012.
But the 10th! Craziness was everywhere. Buster and Hunter Pence opened the inning with singles, but that's not the whole story. Pence tweaked his calf on a swing and limped around for a while before getting back in the box. We were told later it was just a cramp, but at the time it looked like he might have to come out. The Giants had already used everyone except Hector Sanchez. Boch pinch-hit with Aubrey Huff in the 6th in Vogie's spot, used righties Xavier Nady and Ryan Theriot against the lefty Marshall (that's when Arias entered the game as well), so the only bat left was the backup catcher. Pence then singled on a ball I thought was a double play off the bat. He had tried to bunt earlier but looked bad so perhaps Bochy said "ah hell, swing away." It paid off, but he was obviously gimpy going down the line and had little chance of scoring on anything but a home run. Brandon Belt was not asked to sacrifice, a little surprising given the situation, and unfortunately whiffed. Nady followed with another whiff, and it looked like the decision not to bunt would fuel second-guessing for an entire off-season. In the post-game interview, Boch said he had not asked Belt to bunt all year, liked the lefty matchup against Broxton, and didn't like the lack of speed on the bases. I don't usually quibble with the manager's decisions these days, he's proved to me over the years that he's smart and knows his guys. Hey, it all worked out, so no grumbling allowed. Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan let a ball get past him and the runners moved up 90 feet, then Arias hit a chopper to third that Rolen could get on the first grab and it was enough for him to beat it out and bring in the run. Sergio Romo was the next batter. Dusty Baker elected not to walk Arias after the passed ball and force Boch to use his last hitter. Romo struck out comically--he looks like a bearded Little Leaguer when he holds a bat--but that was another great move that paid off. Sergio had it going on in the bottom of the 10th and retired the final three easily to nail down the win.
The Giants got three hits. They struck out 16 times. Their starter threw 30 pitches in the 1st inning and immediately put the team behind. They were 0-5 with runners in scoring position. They used Xavier Nady in left field.
And they won the game.
The Giants live to fight on. Another game. This time I'll miss it. The 1:00 p.m. start time (PDT) stinks--I'll be working and out in the field. I might catch the tail end on my way home. Here's hoping they keep finding a way to win.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
But the 10th! Craziness was everywhere. Buster and Hunter Pence opened the inning with singles, but that's not the whole story. Pence tweaked his calf on a swing and limped around for a while before getting back in the box. We were told later it was just a cramp, but at the time it looked like he might have to come out. The Giants had already used everyone except Hector Sanchez. Boch pinch-hit with Aubrey Huff in the 6th in Vogie's spot, used righties Xavier Nady and Ryan Theriot against the lefty Marshall (that's when Arias entered the game as well), so the only bat left was the backup catcher. Pence then singled on a ball I thought was a double play off the bat. He had tried to bunt earlier but looked bad so perhaps Bochy said "ah hell, swing away." It paid off, but he was obviously gimpy going down the line and had little chance of scoring on anything but a home run. Brandon Belt was not asked to sacrifice, a little surprising given the situation, and unfortunately whiffed. Nady followed with another whiff, and it looked like the decision not to bunt would fuel second-guessing for an entire off-season. In the post-game interview, Boch said he had not asked Belt to bunt all year, liked the lefty matchup against Broxton, and didn't like the lack of speed on the bases. I don't usually quibble with the manager's decisions these days, he's proved to me over the years that he's smart and knows his guys. Hey, it all worked out, so no grumbling allowed. Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan let a ball get past him and the runners moved up 90 feet, then Arias hit a chopper to third that Rolen could get on the first grab and it was enough for him to beat it out and bring in the run. Sergio Romo was the next batter. Dusty Baker elected not to walk Arias after the passed ball and force Boch to use his last hitter. Romo struck out comically--he looks like a bearded Little Leaguer when he holds a bat--but that was another great move that paid off. Sergio had it going on in the bottom of the 10th and retired the final three easily to nail down the win.
The Giants got three hits. They struck out 16 times. Their starter threw 30 pitches in the 1st inning and immediately put the team behind. They were 0-5 with runners in scoring position. They used Xavier Nady in left field.
And they won the game.
The Giants live to fight on. Another game. This time I'll miss it. The 1:00 p.m. start time (PDT) stinks--I'll be working and out in the field. I might catch the tail end on my way home. Here's hoping they keep finding a way to win.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Finally, a meaningless game
The Giants eliminated the Dodgers last night, but they didn't go quietly. It was an agonizing finish as the Giants needed six relievers for the final nine outs. Ol' Boch tried to get another inning out of Barry Zito who had thrown six solid to that point, but he plunked Andre Ethier to give the Dodgers life and end his night. Still, it was a fine effort, and Zeets made his case for a playoff start. George Kontos got the biggest out of the game* when he whiffed Matt Kemp to end the 7th, cleaning up the mess Guillermo Mota made. I wonder if that is it for WillyMo. He has only been marginally effective since his return from suspension, and Kontos has the strikeout stuff so valuable in those tight post-season games. The Giants like good PR as well, and leaving the steroid-tainted Ancient One off the playoff roster gives them a squeakier image. The word last week was they would carry eleven pitchers, and with the five starters that leaves six spots for relievers. Five are obvious: Romo, Casilla, Affeldt, Lopez, and lefty FNG Jose Mijares. I think you have to take the righty FNG as well.
Ryan Vogelsong, the forgotten man, pitches a meaningless game today. Let's hope he makes his case for a playoff start. The Giants need everyone ready going forward. This year's team doesn't have über-ace Tim Lincecum making the killer 1-2 punch with Matt Cain. The rest of the arms have to contribute with quality innings and big outs. It's a different team than the 2010 champs, with a different style and different weapons. Should be fun. It will be nice to relax this evening and watch Francisco Peguero, Justin Christian, and the like.
--M.C.
*Mota gave up a two-run homer to A.J. Ellis and then struck out Nick Punto. Mark Ellis hit a gapper, and perhaps made the biggest play of the night when he was thrown out at 3rd trying to stretch the no-doubt double into a triple. He was the tying run, already in scoring position with one out, in an elimination game. The extra 90 feet was not worth the risk and the Pagan-Arias-Sandoval team effort made him pay. It was one of those desperation, trying-too-hard moves, and he was out easily. Shane Victorino tripled after that, but was stranded by the Kemp strikeout. Nice. Don Mattingly made my favorite move when he walked Angel Pagan to get to Marco Scutaro (he wanted the righty matchup and had career numbers to back it up). Of course Scoots made him pay with the two-run double that proved to be the game-winner. You have to love walking a guy to get to the hottest hitter on the team!
Ryan Vogelsong, the forgotten man, pitches a meaningless game today. Let's hope he makes his case for a playoff start. The Giants need everyone ready going forward. This year's team doesn't have über-ace Tim Lincecum making the killer 1-2 punch with Matt Cain. The rest of the arms have to contribute with quality innings and big outs. It's a different team than the 2010 champs, with a different style and different weapons. Should be fun. It will be nice to relax this evening and watch Francisco Peguero, Justin Christian, and the like.
--M.C.
*Mota gave up a two-run homer to A.J. Ellis and then struck out Nick Punto. Mark Ellis hit a gapper, and perhaps made the biggest play of the night when he was thrown out at 3rd trying to stretch the no-doubt double into a triple. He was the tying run, already in scoring position with one out, in an elimination game. The extra 90 feet was not worth the risk and the Pagan-Arias-Sandoval team effort made him pay. It was one of those desperation, trying-too-hard moves, and he was out easily. Shane Victorino tripled after that, but was stranded by the Kemp strikeout. Nice. Don Mattingly made my favorite move when he walked Angel Pagan to get to Marco Scutaro (he wanted the righty matchup and had career numbers to back it up). Of course Scoots made him pay with the two-run double that proved to be the game-winner. You have to love walking a guy to get to the hottest hitter on the team!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The Comeback Kids
The Giants made it two come-from-behind wins in Houston with a 3-run 7th inning, erasing a 4-0 deficit. It was a lot of little things, but mostly it was a good team playing a bad one, and the good team prevailed. Hunter Pence got the big hit, fisting a ball up the middle to score the go-ahead run. I knew it would take around six runs to fend off the scrappy Astros, and I was happy to see the lads tack on some more. Not much left to say about Joaquin Arias, the man has seized his moment. Ryan Vogelsong got smacked around a bit, but hung tough and got eighteen outs, sparing the 'pen. That guy is a stud! My man WillyMo is back just when the club could use a reliable righty reliever. I say go with Guillermo.
Brandon Belt got four hits. Love it. Giants have won ten of thirteen. No complaints there, either.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Brandon Belt got four hits. Love it. Giants have won ten of thirteen. No complaints there, either.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Half a sixpence . . . is better than none
Hunter Pence launched a three-run homer in the 1st inning in Houston last night, a real moon shot that hit high up on left-field wall. The Giants had already scored a run, but you never have enough in this game. The plucky no-name Astros chased Barry Zito in the 3rd and made a game of it. Six Giants relievers subdued them eventually, and Joaquin Arias got a big two-out, two-run triple in the 6th to seal the deal. Give that man a cheroot! He's earned it. Pence has hit two homers as a Giant, both of the half-sixpence variety, and has managed to drive in 19 runs in his 27 games. But the .219/.274/.352 line is getting old. It does look like he's making better contact these days and the at-bats seem to be trending upward, but the team is really going to need something closer to his career averages real soon. He racked up 304 total bases in 2011! Let's hope another night at Minute Maid Park helps.
Angel Pagan led off the game with a double, and Marco Scutaro followed that with a bunt. I like to think he was trying for a hit--I don't get the logic of sacrificing someone to third base. The man is already in scoring position, and he's a fast runner. Why give up outs so early in a game? Teams win more often when they score first, I get it. But playing for one run means you only get one run. When the Houston Astros, one of the historically-worst teams in baseball history, can score four runs off a good pitching staff, playing for one run at the beginning of a game is, in my view, a loser's tactic. I'd rather see Scutaro hit in that situation. He's patient and selective, and I trust him to find a ball he can hit the other way if nothing to his liking comes in. A grounder to the right side at least has a chance of going through for a hit, and he's running out a .328/.356/.432 line as a Giant. Why give yourself up when you are one of the best hitters on the team? It wasn't Kershaw vs. Bumgarner at home, fer chrissakes. That's a hitters park down there. Thankfully Pablo Sandoval got a bloop for the RBI and Buster Posey walked to give Pence his chance. It's a quibble, I know. One of the things I like most about Ol' Boch is he's not big on bunting. (A game like last night really makes you appreciate how well he and Rags handle the pitching staff.) The Giants got the win and kept the pressure on LA, and that's what matters most.
A sweep would be sweet. Go get 'em, Vogie! And swing the bats, lads. Another sixpence ought to be enough.
--M.C.
Angel Pagan led off the game with a double, and Marco Scutaro followed that with a bunt. I like to think he was trying for a hit--I don't get the logic of sacrificing someone to third base. The man is already in scoring position, and he's a fast runner. Why give up outs so early in a game? Teams win more often when they score first, I get it. But playing for one run means you only get one run. When the Houston Astros, one of the historically-worst teams in baseball history, can score four runs off a good pitching staff, playing for one run at the beginning of a game is, in my view, a loser's tactic. I'd rather see Scutaro hit in that situation. He's patient and selective, and I trust him to find a ball he can hit the other way if nothing to his liking comes in. A grounder to the right side at least has a chance of going through for a hit, and he's running out a .328/.356/.432 line as a Giant. Why give yourself up when you are one of the best hitters on the team? It wasn't Kershaw vs. Bumgarner at home, fer chrissakes. That's a hitters park down there. Thankfully Pablo Sandoval got a bloop for the RBI and Buster Posey walked to give Pence his chance. It's a quibble, I know. One of the things I like most about Ol' Boch is he's not big on bunting. (A game like last night really makes you appreciate how well he and Rags handle the pitching staff.) The Giants got the win and kept the pressure on LA, and that's what matters most.
A sweep would be sweet. Go get 'em, Vogie! And swing the bats, lads. Another sixpence ought to be enough.
--M.C.
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