Giants Reach Nadir, Move Past It

Or at least, I hope so.  Filling in for MOC, he should be back tomorrow.  The Giants turned in their 11th loss in 13 games since the ASB Friday, Smardjy giving up 4 runs, which was plenty.  Joe Panik came back from injury, but was unable to contribute offensively.  As was true for pretty much everyone else.  1 -1 until the 5th, when the Nats pushed 1 across, 2 - 1.  Righetti visited the mound to tell Smardjy not to throw Daniel Murphy a strike, so he set it on a tee for him.  Tripled and he could pull into 3rd as he was slowing down.  Giants were 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and they hit into that rarest of plays, a triple play.  Rarer than that, a 3 - 5 (or 3 - 3 - 5) triple play, apparently the first one ever recorded in major league baseball.  I find that somewhat hard to believe, but it just seemed to capture the way the Giants have been going.  Bases loaded in the 7th.  Crawford did not hit a ground ball to 2nd for a DP, nothing like that.  No, a freaky triple play, and it was over in one swing of the bat.  Also, apparently, the first one the Nats had ever recorded.  Runners on again in the 9th, but, again, no cigar.


Snakebit or just plain sucky?  You decide.  But today, the Giants came back with a 5 - 3 victory.  Jake Peavy started, only went 4 and gave up all 3 Nats runs.  He was followed by fng Matt Reynolds, Strickland, Law, Lopez, Romo and Casilla.  And Hunter Pence came back!  He had a double and walked.  FNG Eduardo Nunez came through with 2 hits, including a 2-rbi double!  Buster Posey had 2 hits and a walk, and threw out 2 runners, including Bryce Harper by a finger.  Giants only 2 for 12 with RISP (I think), but still, 5 runs!  The Giants have scored 5 runs in a game 3 times since the ASB, but 2 of those efforts were losses.

So, maybe, just maybe, this stretch of bad, bad baseball is behind us.  Or at least, that is my most fervent hope.  At least for a day, you could believe it. 

Vlog 23 : "Hawaiian Jonny"

4-2 loss vs. Nationals 

I think it will be pretty obvious that I didn't follow much of the game. Sorry.  But I would say I have a pretty good reason.  So if you are a bit bummed about our boys, take a deep breath, drink a Mai Tai ( or any other fruity drink of your choice) and take a quick look at the Vlog.  I'm back next Monday so I have a few more days of bliss. I'll take care of this mess then. Until then, Maholo y'all.

Vlog 23 "Hawaiian Jonny"

The Return of Punchlessness

Punchlessness  (n)  Without the state or quality of having punch, or possessing the state or quality of a distinctive lack of punch.  Weak.  Feeble.

Boy, after last night, I kind of got my hopes up that this post-All Star stretch of bad, bad baseball.  But I guess yesterday's victory was more of a oddity than a trend.  Giants drop the series to the worst team in the NL Central by a score of 2 - 1.  Yes, another start by Madison Bumgarner without a victory to show for it.

Well, let's talk about Madison's day.  He went 8, struck out 9, gave up 5 hits and walked none.  He gave up a home run, to Jay Bruce, of course, Bruce's 4th home run of this series.  Maybe we just shouldn't pitch to that guy.  So there was that run, which was earned.  And another, which wasn't.  In the 5th inning, with 1 out and Brandon Phillips on 1st, Suarez hit a ball to the wall, which Angel Pagan couldn't hold on to.  That put Phillips on 3rd, and a fly ball turned into a sacrifice.  So that was another run, not earned, but it gave Madison the loss.  Madison also had 1 hit.

And now, the rest of the team.  Conor Gillespie hit a home run with no one on base.  Pagan had 2 hits, Belt had a walk.  That was it, a total of 5 stinkin' baserunners the entire game.   So since the ASB, Madison has given up 4, 2 and 1 earned runs and been on the receiving end of 3 losses.  His run support in those games: 1, 2 and 1 run.  Well, good luck against Washington, guys, you're gonna need it.

GIANTS WIN

9-7 win in SF
Crazy shit happened tonight: the Giants won and Matt Cain got the "W". Really. Matt Cain. Giants. Win. Did I mention Matt Cain hit a three-run homer? No? Matt Cain hit a three-run homer. It wasn't the prettiest start (5-1/3, 6 hits, 4 runs) but it wasn't the prettiest relief either, so there. Giants scored nine runs and had to use their closer. But enough of that--the Giants won the game, thank the gods. Oh, and BCraw had three hits, scored two, and drove in two.

Bumgarner tomorrow afternoon. Go Giants!

--M.C.

Homers Doom Giants

7-5 loss in SF
It keeps getting worse. Well, Brandon Belt returned to life with a big game. But that was bad. Real bad. I was sure Jake Peavy was going to keep the ball away from Jay Bruce, but he inexplicably grooved one on 3-1 count in the 6th and that did it. What was that all about? I don't understand. You can't groove one to a guy like that--hell, you can't throw meatballs like that to any ML hitter. What happened to corners? I suppose this improves the odds that the Giants will make a move. 1-8 since the Break, time to turn it around.

Matt Cain tonight. Go Giants!

--M.C.


p.s. As much as the Giants could use a live arm I'm glad the Cubs sold their franchise soul (and farm system) for Chapman.

:-(

5-2 loss in NYC
The Giants continue to play their worst baseball of the season. Perhaps coming home will snap them out of their funk.

The Reds come to town for three, then the Nationals for four.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Mac Attack

2-1 win (12) in NYC
Just when you thought the Giants would never win again they pulled out a near-miraculous victory in Yankee Stadium this afternoon to halt their six-game skid. Mac Williamson provided both the heroics (game-tying homer, go-ahead RBI single) and the un-heroics (error that led to the Yanks only run) and that was the difference, mostly. Quite a bit of credit must also go to embattled closer Santiago Casilla, who saved a two-on, no-out situation in the 10th and followed that up with a scoreless 11th to give the team a chance. Hunter Strickland delivered a no-nonsense 1-2-3 12th to seal the deal after Williamson drove in Trevor Brown (leadoff double) in the top half to break the deadlock.

Johnny Cueto started and had to work hard (117 pitches!) to get through six with only the one run allowed on the Williamson error. He struck out nine but also walked one and gave up six hits. He had a busy time out there with lots of long counts and foul balls. To his credit he battled and got the job done. The struggling offense (Belt 3 K, Posey 0-for-5 with a DP, BCraw 0-for-5) was on display once again but this time the team prevailed.

Whew. Needed that one. Jeff Samardzija tomorrow at 1:05 (whoops!) 10:05 Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.