Tuesday!
Tonight we have to try to hit The Cuban Alphabet and as we have seen in the past, that’s not an easy thing for Giants hitters to do. Luckily, MVP is pitching for us. So we have a fighting chance.
The goal: scratch a run or two off a guy most other teams pound into the ground…..
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I had forgotten that Darryl Hamilton was traded for one of my favorite short-term Giants of all time: Ellis Burks. What a senseless tragedy. He and the woman who killed him leave behind a 14 month old daughter. Just so sad.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
While Dodgers are straining vs. Cubs, who pin L #5 on Opie and blast a couple more out the yard off him, Giants have 6 vs. 2 bottom feeders of the Division, Pads 34-38 and Sherps 30-39. Pads winning pct. is 11th in NL and 1 pct. point. above the Reds. Cue Jim Mora re: playoffs for these guys.
They have lost 5 of 7 since canning Black. Pitching staff has been primary culprit, as they are 11th in NL in ERA, and give up lot of runs hits walks. Other than Shields and Ross, everyone else including the D-guy Giants killer going tonight has ERA way over 4.00. So far given up 27 more runs than they have scored.
Highly touted offense brought in off season has been hit and miss: J Up (dubbed Mr. April by one blogger) has an .821 OPS, but Kemp is at .636. Middlebrooks is hitting .220 something, the Gyorko kid they were so high on 2 yrs ago is back in the minors, and SS are terrible. Norris, after hot start, is down to .252 and mid-.700 OPS too. Solarte has played 1b and 3b, but not hit much either.
And yes they’ve added Melvin Jr. the bad Up back into OF mix, which can’t be good.
Hey Flav, saw a pic in Chron today of Anthony Brown from Stanford as potential guy available when Warriors pick late first round.
I really liked his game as a senior–good rebounder, accurate long range (college 3, sure) shooter and I thought better all around player and more consistent than Chasson Randle (or Nastic). Seems like potentially a good fit for back up shooting G.
Hope he is physically OK; Dawkins supposedly practiced his team pretty hard during the season, tho I doubt anything will prepare guys for rigors of NBA training camp and 80 game (plus playoffs) season.
Yeah. the Dubs ended up playing 103 games. Insanity. They need to lose about 20 reg season games and 8 playoff games.
All I know is our boys need to start winning some games at home. WTF…this yard is supposed to be an ADVANTAGE! This 17-18 home record just doesn’t flush.
Giants are scoring 5.11 runs/game on the road (2nd best in MLB).
Road? Ugh…3.00 RPG (worst mark in baseball since our boys were at 2.91 RPG in 2011).
Giants are batting .101 against Alphabets. Craw is 1-8 and Posey 0-10. Time to light this chump up and start a little home winning streak.
I uncharacteristically have nearly zero to say. Just checking in. Been consumed with 3D life stuff. All good.
3D life stuff? Like a blow-up doll? 😉
JK, Mr. Kokonuts…carry on.
When being consumed by 3D life stuff, I like to grab hold of, and just hang on.
We are talking about bouncing triple D’s, right?
Now those are some 3Ds I can get behind, or into, or…well, you get the drift (see BBOTD)…
Macho reinstated ( Bummer)
Lights on Broadway back to minorville
I would not be so quick to slam Machi over his activation and the demotion of Broadway back to Sacto. Machi, while struggling this year, kicked-ass last year (sub 3 ERA and sub 1.0 WHIP). If he was truly hurt, maybe he regains his form. If not…I see him getting either optioned back to Sac, or DFA’s when Peavy or Cain come back.
If (more like when) Cain and Peavy come back, two players will have to be moved. And two will have to go to the bullpen. I think Machi gets DFA’d and someone else has a mysterious ailment that lands them on the DL. A trade may also be a way they clear the log jam.
Like most long guys, Machi is OK for a while and then gets lit up.
The fork ball is fine as long as it’s dropping off the table and out of the strike zone…til it’s forking off a wall somewhere, or over one.
Kontos (so far anway) has been pretty good and outpitched him for that last pen spot.
Kontos and Machi, for now, will both have spots. When Peavy or Cain come back, a starter will have to go to either the pen or DL. If the pen, the someone has to go, and as I mentioned, I think Machi is the guy who draws the short stick.
Here is an article that shows that Bochy and crew have been discussing the rotation. There is mention of a six man rotation (I just do not see that happening), and of one of the current starters hitting the DL (something I have mentioned previously), with Hudson being strongly considered for a stint on the DL.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/rewind-giants-management-set-tweak-rotation-day
No guarantee hoe Cain and Peavy will do on return. Peavy may be no better than Timmeh, Voggy or Huddy. I like the idea of rotating those guys on and off the DL every fee weeks at their age to regroup, then see who is hot to install in the rotation down the stretch …
It has been stated in multiple recent articles that both Peavy and Cain will return to the starting rotation. And sure, if Peavy pisses down his leg, then there may be changes. But for now, there will be movement to make room for Peavy and Cain in the rotation.
The Giants could try this
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/royals-rays-reinventing-teams-starting-183728410.html
Interesting concept…and there is a lot of validity there (the numbers back it up).
Kontos has made a lot of appearances so I don’t know that Machi is necessarily the odd man out. Maybe Sabevans makes the move that is called for and its Lincecum.
Two pitchers will have to GO to make room on the roster. Timmy may go to the bullpen, but that’s about it. I could seen Machi getting DFA’s to make room (or he could be packaged in a trade to make room, too).
Yes, I understand that Chi. Which is why I said I don’t think it will necessarily be Machi. To me Hudson, Vogelsong and Lincecum are all the same with Vogelsong having a slight edge. Regardless, I think they’ll drag this out as long as they possibly can.
When I said two pitchers have to GO…I meant as in be removed from the 25 man roster. Unless it is a trip to the DL for 15 days, Lincecum, Vogey, and Hudson will not be one of those two. I can see one player being moved from the 25, and I think the short guy out is Machi. And again, they may pull-off a trade to balance out the pitching. Whatever it is, it will happen sooner rather than later (see the link I shared at 12:36…it is all in the works as we speak).
I don’t see a trade happening. 1 Other clubs can simply wait it out. 2. Who’s going to want them? They may not do it but I don’t see any reason they shouldn’t cut loose any one of those 3. Maybe they really go for it and dump McDP. Finally.
Yeah, I see McDeepee going before anyone else. At least that’s what I hope.
We have 13 pitchers at the moment, how big a staff you want? Strickland and Heston have Options, they will probably be part of the discussions but I’d imagine just for a short term fix, Machi DFAed, a trade or the DL game, are all in play. .
McGehee will probably be the odd man out when Pence comes back, although I think Arias and Maxwell will be in the discussions as well.,
Aoki back in there. Pence sure would be nice in this LU.
LF Aoki
2B Panik
CF Pagan
C Posey
1B Belt
SS Crawford
3B Duffy
RF Blanco
LHP Bumgarner
I’m fine with a 13 man staff. I mean, how often do we actually notice that they’re down a position player in a game? It just limits Bochy’s flexibility a little. The 13th pitcher, especially when you have such a rag tag staff as ours, is a nice go-to move for Boch
Yeah but, we already have a 13 man staff. If they cut McGehee to add one of the pitchers as was suggested, we have a 14 man staff and seven of those are starters.
For now it’s mostly about money. The guys making the big bucks stay. Heston will get sent down.
if there’s a post-season, they’ve shown that they’ll do what they have to do. Ask Zito, Timmy and Huff…
totally agree.
Melvin Jr. a curious choice for leadoff…last 3 seasons (1500 ABs) OB pct. were .287,.268 and .298.
BA over those past 3: .208, .184,.246.. Probably a curious choice to be in LU at all, but whatev.
Little bit of a shock to see his bio on B/R as we share same b-day (30+ yrs apart)…so does Count Basie, so…
Wow, country hardball tonite, with some killer off speed stuff mixed in for good measure.
Pls score one for him…might be all he’ll need.
He may have to do it himself…
I find it amusing that the MLB app referred to more than one pitch by the Cuban Alphabet as “eephus.”
As in Rip Sewell???
yeah….crazy
That’s why no-hitters are really just freaky and totally overrated…
SyrChiefs 4 Charlotte Knights 3. I left Manny Burriss alone as he concentrated in the on deck circle. Tyler Colvin — remember him? — tripled for the losing team. I think he got a ring last year. Well, so did Dan Uggla.
So did Jarrett Parker…
and Chris Ray in 2010
Cubs Win!! 1-0 vs the visiting LaBumbos in 10.
I sat next to the wife of the Chiefs’ hitting coach, Joe Dillon. (I was flattered that this attractive woman with a drawl from Dallas began the conversation by saying, “Are you from San Francisco?” She must’ve been dying to meet me. Hahaha) Learned that: they lived in Japan for a year; the game there is very different, the Americans are the power hitters; it is not cool not to hit singles, sort of pre-Ruthian. I asked about what a hitting coach does. She said in the minors the coach might engage a hitter, or vice versa. But in the majors? The players come to you, not vice versa.
Hard to believe. Maybe they need to start bunting on this guy.
or some HBPs
The Dodgers are now something like 6-19 against teams with a winning record. Their offense is dangerous, but really struggling over the last several weeks. And their bullpen remains iffy, other than their closer.
Risky play thee. Think he’s safe, shoulda taken the out at first.
Why is it so hard to beat these guys?
Because we’re not that good?
Well we’re better than the pads.
Javier Lopez: ALL-STAR
You know, with 1st place on the line (again), wouldn’t it be nice to see the lads step up and seize the flippin’ day… or night…
Romo hung a frisbee to J. Upton, and Upton whiffed on it for strike three.
Then Panik makes a great play for out #2.
And Romo may be injured.
Man, we need Pence back. Maxwell is getting way too many ABs.
Nice inning from Casilla.
Kimbrel has been a little more mortal this year, couple Ls and blown saves, high ERA.
Nice work from Casilla. One of his sharpest outings all season.
I’m still kind of marveling at Blanco getting thrown out by five feet on a ball in the dirt. Blanco’s just not an above average base-stealer.
He’s hitting pretty well so far, and has had a good night tonight, but yeah he’s never been a big SB guy…unable to get the proper read to get a good enough jump I guess.
Yeah, Zum, agree about Maxwell. I remember when Fontenot and The Riot were both on the team, and we Flappers (or were we Splashers way back then?) generally thought that was fine as long as they were bench players; if the starting lineup included both of them too often (due to injury or whatever), it was going to be bad news. Same with Maxwell at this point; I like his potential power bat off the bench, but give him too much playing time, and the heart doth not grow fonder. The docs really need to get Pence better and playing, or Sabevans might have to add a rightfielder to the “buy” list next month.
Strick and his fastball, longer the counts go, haven’t bothered the Pads better hitters.
He has to have another out pitch, or something else he can control.
Now he’s down a run.
His stuff isn’t as good as it was against the Dodgers. He struck Puig out on three pitches.
Kimbrel for sure now.
He’s given up way more hits than normal this year and more HRs than all last season.
LH doing OK (.250 avg and .800 OPS), RH not so much.
Belt with that called third strike, look of injustice at the umpire. Seen that a few times.
What’s that now, 3 consecutive starts for MadBum when he pitched effectively enough but did not get enough run support to win? He’s gettin’ Cained big time this month…
Pathetic AB from McG. He’s just done. Let him go.
And another low-scoring loss at home.
That might be the worst loss of the year, yet another MadBum start gone to utter waste, this one even more unbearable given his total dominance. And Bochy double-switching Duffy out of the game for McDPK. Frustrating.
Yep. Giants hitters seem to be taking it too seriously that AT&T is a pitcher’s park. It’s your HOME park, boys. Figure it out.
Max is hitting .190 this month, Craw .224, Belt worse than that.
Belt is 3 for his last 31 I think.
But Strick takes the L…left that fastball of his up a couple times too often to good hitters.
And with the lasting image of Maxwell not even coming close to making contact on his final whiff, there’s this cheery news: “Bochy said Aoki has fractured fibula. Out at least two weeks.”
Maxwell had no strikezone recognition tonight. He’s now up there trying to hack an HR everytime, and swinging at garbage. It seemed like he was more selective earlier on in the season.
Good times for the Panda, Hanley, and crew. The Red Sox now have the worst record in the AL.
“The docs really need to get Pence better and playing, or Sabevans might have to add a rightfielder to the “buy” list next month.” That’s what I said earlier…. add Aoki’s injury, and … yikes….