Nats 3 Giants 1
Not many teams would have hit Max Scherzer tonight. He was overpowering and not just because it was the Giants. He really had it going on and tossed a brilliant game, needing only 100 pitches to finish it. Matt Cain did his usual, five competent innings. Giving up a three-run homer in the 1st is not good, but keeping it at that for another four is not bad. I wonder what will happen when MadBum comes back. Ty Blach has been impressive and one would think he'd bump Matty for the fifth spot. I wonder if Cain could turn himself into a super-reliever who could go long, spot start, or be the setup man depending on the situation. Most starters don't do that. I think Tim Lincecum would still be playing if he was willing to be a reliever. I think Cain could do a lot of different things out of the 'pen. What do you guys think?
--M.C.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
3rd inning: 10-8
1st inning: 6-12
2nd inning: 6-12
3rd inning: 10-8
The Nationals are a better team than the Giants, that much is clear. So are the Cubs. And the Rockies. And the Dodgers, although the Giants seem to play well against LA. Diamondbacks, Mets, and Reds are better, too. I'll stop now. We all know the 2017 Giants are stinking it up. 22-32 is a .407 win percentage. Let's imagine they go 10-8 in the remaining six innings or 2/3 of the season, 108 games. That's 60-48 or .556 ball and they'd finish 82-80, respectable but hardly in the post-season running. The question is: is this team capable of playing .556 ball for 108 games? At this point, after 54 games or 1/3 of the season, I'd have to say "no."
What would it take to get to 90 wins? Well, 68-40 of course, or .630 ball. That's not going to happen. The Giants need to have 12-6 innings. 10-8 is certainly an improvement but it's not enough. It won't cut it. The hole they've dug is too deep and they don't have the talent to compete. Everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong and the next question we have to face is: what now?
What to play for? They aren't going to make the playoffs with this roster. It's not in the organizational DNA to throw in the towel and have a fire sale. They will make every effort to look like they are fighting for a spot in the tournament. Perhaps they will be able to trade Johnny Cueto for some shiny minor-league bauble to a playoff-bound team that loses a starter to injury or needs to beef up the rotation. But that won't net much, I hate to say. Most likely he'll finish out the year on an up note and take his opt-out and get $30M/yr from the Yankees, Red Sox, or Indians. (I'll say sayonara JC it was grand thanks for all the great pitching sorry we couldn't get you the ball in Game 5.)
And what's also most likely is that we'll see a lot of Christian Arroyo and Orlando Calixte and Mac Williamson whether they hit .220 or not. And we'll have our infield intact for 2018: Belt at first, Panik at second, Crawford at short, Arroyo at third, and Buster at catcher. And MadBum, Moore, Samardzija, and Blach will be starting. Denard Span and Hunter Pence will still be on the payroll but the jury's out on whether they'll be on the roster. Mark Melancon will be the closer. Closers are useless on bad teams. Maybe some pennant-hungry team will need a closer and the Giants will trade him at the deadline for some exciting 22-year old. Hmm, does that sound like the Giants? (Hint: no.)
So, life is handing us lemons and it's up to us to make lemonade.
Matt Cain tomorrow night. At 13-15 the Giants are guaranteed a losing month, no matter the outcome. I'm sure you saw that Mike Morse hit the DL with concussion symptoms. Each day I find a new thing that "epitomizes" the 2017 Giants!
--M.C.
2nd inning: 6-12
3rd inning: 10-8
The Nationals are a better team than the Giants, that much is clear. So are the Cubs. And the Rockies. And the Dodgers, although the Giants seem to play well against LA. Diamondbacks, Mets, and Reds are better, too. I'll stop now. We all know the 2017 Giants are stinking it up. 22-32 is a .407 win percentage. Let's imagine they go 10-8 in the remaining six innings or 2/3 of the season, 108 games. That's 60-48 or .556 ball and they'd finish 82-80, respectable but hardly in the post-season running. The question is: is this team capable of playing .556 ball for 108 games? At this point, after 54 games or 1/3 of the season, I'd have to say "no."
What would it take to get to 90 wins? Well, 68-40 of course, or .630 ball. That's not going to happen. The Giants need to have 12-6 innings. 10-8 is certainly an improvement but it's not enough. It won't cut it. The hole they've dug is too deep and they don't have the talent to compete. Everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong and the next question we have to face is: what now?
What to play for? They aren't going to make the playoffs with this roster. It's not in the organizational DNA to throw in the towel and have a fire sale. They will make every effort to look like they are fighting for a spot in the tournament. Perhaps they will be able to trade Johnny Cueto for some shiny minor-league bauble to a playoff-bound team that loses a starter to injury or needs to beef up the rotation. But that won't net much, I hate to say. Most likely he'll finish out the year on an up note and take his opt-out and get $30M/yr from the Yankees, Red Sox, or Indians. (I'll say sayonara JC it was grand thanks for all the great pitching sorry we couldn't get you the ball in Game 5.)
And what's also most likely is that we'll see a lot of Christian Arroyo and Orlando Calixte and Mac Williamson whether they hit .220 or not. And we'll have our infield intact for 2018: Belt at first, Panik at second, Crawford at short, Arroyo at third, and Buster at catcher. And MadBum, Moore, Samardzija, and Blach will be starting. Denard Span and Hunter Pence will still be on the payroll but the jury's out on whether they'll be on the roster. Mark Melancon will be the closer. Closers are useless on bad teams. Maybe some pennant-hungry team will need a closer and the Giants will trade him at the deadline for some exciting 22-year old. Hmm, does that sound like the Giants? (Hint: no.)
So, life is handing us lemons and it's up to us to make lemonade.
Matt Cain tomorrow night. At 13-15 the Giants are guaranteed a losing month, no matter the outcome. I'm sure you saw that Mike Morse hit the DL with concussion symptoms. Each day I find a new thing that "epitomizes" the 2017 Giants!
--M.C.
Monday, May 29, 2017
One Moore Wasted Start
Nats win 3-0 in SF
The Giants couldn't do anything on Memorial Day other than create a little melodrama. Hunter Strickland hit Bryce Harper (below the belt I might add) in the 8th and that was the gasoline on the fire Harper needed to go bananas and go after Strickland. He charged the mound, feinting a helmet toss which got Strickland to flinch, then the two traded blows before the teams spilled out. The scariest/stupidest moment was Jeff Samardzija and Michael Morse knocking heads in the scrum. I'm hoping they are thick-skulled enough so I don't have to worry. Harper is the volatile sort, and it seemed like he way over-reacted, but Strickland's madness lasted longer and it took three teammates to drag him off the field. Plenty of silliness to go around. Both were ejected, of course. (Oh, Harper's run wound up scoring, just to rub salt in the wound, not that it mattered.) It was the only thing worth writing about today and that ought to tell you something. Moore pitched well and got Cained, ho-hum, that's the 2017 Giants in a nutshell.
--M.C.
The Giants couldn't do anything on Memorial Day other than create a little melodrama. Hunter Strickland hit Bryce Harper (below the belt I might add) in the 8th and that was the gasoline on the fire Harper needed to go bananas and go after Strickland. He charged the mound, feinting a helmet toss which got Strickland to flinch, then the two traded blows before the teams spilled out. The scariest/stupidest moment was Jeff Samardzija and Michael Morse knocking heads in the scrum. I'm hoping they are thick-skulled enough so I don't have to worry. Harper is the volatile sort, and it seemed like he way over-reacted, but Strickland's madness lasted longer and it took three teammates to drag him off the field. Plenty of silliness to go around. Both were ejected, of course. (Oh, Harper's run wound up scoring, just to rub salt in the wound, not that it mattered.) It was the only thing worth writing about today and that ought to tell you something. Moore pitched well and got Cained, ho-hum, that's the 2017 Giants in a nutshell.
--M.C.
Sunday, May 28, 2017
A Genuine Easy Win
Win, 7-1 vs. ATL
Combine the fact that JohnnyC broke a personal three game losing streak with a solid performance, and the fact that the Giants offense had no trouble with a knuckleball today, and you get an easy win. Yep, you read that right. An honest to goodness easy victory. In a season where nothing is quite going right, we should relish this one for a while.
Here's a partial list of the good stuff: Three RBI's from BCraw, 2 runs scored from Panik and Nuñez, a Cueto (5-4) game score of 67 that included 8 strikeouts in 6 innings, three solid innings of no drama relief, an opposing knuckleballer that let loose a season high 5 walks, a wild pitch and a passed ball. Oh yeah, Dickey made a big error too. All told, it was a lovely vacation Sunday.
Sure hope the love continues against the Nationals. Moore is a god at home so that should help. Happy Memorial Day everyone!
Combine the fact that JohnnyC broke a personal three game losing streak with a solid performance, and the fact that the Giants offense had no trouble with a knuckleball today, and you get an easy win. Yep, you read that right. An honest to goodness easy victory. In a season where nothing is quite going right, we should relish this one for a while.
Here's a partial list of the good stuff: Three RBI's from BCraw, 2 runs scored from Panik and Nuñez, a Cueto (5-4) game score of 67 that included 8 strikeouts in 6 innings, three solid innings of no drama relief, an opposing knuckleballer that let loose a season high 5 walks, a wild pitch and a passed ball. Oh yeah, Dickey made a big error too. All told, it was a lovely vacation Sunday.
Sure hope the love continues against the Nationals. Moore is a god at home so that should help. Happy Memorial Day everyone!
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Blach Stop
Ty Blach on the mound, on what appeared to be military style clothing night, as the Giants tried to snap a 4 game losing streak. That's right, the Giants haven't won since Ty last pitched. So they won again! The Giants scored as many runs as in their last 4 games and beat the Atlantans, 6 - 3.
Ty gave us 7 2/3 innings, 102 pitches, 2 runs, 6 hits, struck out 5 and walked 3. Ty is not the kind of guy to chalk up a lot of strikeouts, he gets ground balls and double plays. Atlanta grounded into 2 of those. Law followed and finished up the 8th, started the 9th, but after giving up a walk and a triple with 1 out, Melancon finished for the save. Ty has now given us 7 innings in his last 4 starts. What more do you want out of a guy who wasn't on the team until Madison Bumgarner got hurt?
We got 6 runs! Nick Hundley, behind the dish, hit his first home run, a 2-run shot that scored Aaron Hill (who replaced Steven Okert on the major league roster). Hundley was 4 for 5, scored and picked up another rbi late in the game with a single. Belt hit a solo shot. Ty picked up an rbi with a single, as did Denard Span. Here is a stat that falls somewhere between pleasant and startling: the Giants were 3 - 5 with runners in scoring position. I must say that the military look, olive drab, is not a good one paired with orange trim or shoes. But still, if it takes a fashion faux pas to get this team rolling, I'm all for it.
Ty gave us 7 2/3 innings, 102 pitches, 2 runs, 6 hits, struck out 5 and walked 3. Ty is not the kind of guy to chalk up a lot of strikeouts, he gets ground balls and double plays. Atlanta grounded into 2 of those. Law followed and finished up the 8th, started the 9th, but after giving up a walk and a triple with 1 out, Melancon finished for the save. Ty has now given us 7 innings in his last 4 starts. What more do you want out of a guy who wasn't on the team until Madison Bumgarner got hurt?
We got 6 runs! Nick Hundley, behind the dish, hit his first home run, a 2-run shot that scored Aaron Hill (who replaced Steven Okert on the major league roster). Hundley was 4 for 5, scored and picked up another rbi late in the game with a single. Belt hit a solo shot. Ty picked up an rbi with a single, as did Denard Span. Here is a stat that falls somewhere between pleasant and startling: the Giants were 3 - 5 with runners in scoring position. I must say that the military look, olive drab, is not a good one paired with orange trim or shoes. But still, if it takes a fashion faux pas to get this team rolling, I'm all for it.
Friday, May 26, 2017
Matt Cained
2-0 loss in SF
Matt Cain found himself in familiar circumstances tonight: pitching well but the team failing to deliver runs. It felt like the good old days in '07 and '08 when he put up a 15-30 W-L record. The team was a robust 149-175 over those two seasons; that .460 win percentage looks pretty good right now. It was a 0-0 tie until the top of the 7th when the Giants intentional-walk-of-the-no.8-hitter gambit bit them in the ass. The Braves pitcher, veteran southpaw Jaime Garcia, got a two-out hit and two runs scored on the play and that was the ballgame. Garcia had thrown six scoreless by that point and he got two more outs in the bottom of the 7th before handing it over to the 'pen who kept the string of zeros going. The Giants got four hits, all singles, all against Garcia.
Buster Posey played first base. Imagine how rested and protected Posey would be if he could DH. He'd be a great DH. I say we lobby the NL to adopt the DH. I'm not willing to go there, usually, but we're talking about Buster here. I'm willing to go there for Buster. The question is: are you?
--M.C.
Matt Cain found himself in familiar circumstances tonight: pitching well but the team failing to deliver runs. It felt like the good old days in '07 and '08 when he put up a 15-30 W-L record. The team was a robust 149-175 over those two seasons; that .460 win percentage looks pretty good right now. It was a 0-0 tie until the top of the 7th when the Giants intentional-walk-of-the-no.8-hitter gambit bit them in the ass. The Braves pitcher, veteran southpaw Jaime Garcia, got a two-out hit and two runs scored on the play and that was the ballgame. Garcia had thrown six scoreless by that point and he got two more outs in the bottom of the 7th before handing it over to the 'pen who kept the string of zeros going. The Giants got four hits, all singles, all against Garcia.
Buster Posey played first base. Imagine how rested and protected Posey would be if he could DH. He'd be a great DH. I say we lobby the NL to adopt the DH. I'm not willing to go there, usually, but we're talking about Buster here. I'm willing to go there for Buster. The question is: are you?
--M.C.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Cubs Club Giants
Today's 5-1 loss in Chicago came a little too soon after last night's 5-4 loss for my taste. I was still hungover from that gut-wrenching game and I didn't need another disappointment. Ah well, another wasted start from--get this--team ace Jeff Samardzija who was mostly effective in his gangly strong-armed way. He even whacked a double and gave the Giants a good chance to get a run but the lineup failed to get it done. Today the Giants hit some balls hard and had some bad luck but that matters not anymore. This team needs to hit the ball in key spots and they just don't do it consistently enough or with sufficient power. Mostly they just make too many outs: the team OBP is .288, tied for last with the Royals.
The Cubs not only blasted the ball (10 homers in the four games) but played superbly in the field. Their defense is as good as advertised. Giants are now 11-12 for the month of May.
Matt Cain tomorrow at home against the Braves. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
The Cubs not only blasted the ball (10 homers in the four games) but played superbly in the field. Their defense is as good as advertised. Giants are now 11-12 for the month of May.
Matt Cain tomorrow at home against the Braves. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
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