Unfortunate Events
Winning games, staying at or above .500, this is exactly the blueprint we had hoped for when the season started. Unfortunately, things are looking grim. Injuries are a part of the game, next man up, yadda tadda, but this team isn’t built to withstand these types of blows.
The only sliver of hope is that we can hit this year (unlike last year). Maybe we stay competitive on the strength of our bats but I’m really just saying that rather than believing it….
I guess we’ll see what happens. Pffftttt…..
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Braves shut out Mets last night and took over division lead.
They are top run scoring team in NL with plus 46 run differential, and lead in BA (.273) OB SLG OPS 6th in HRs.
Enciarte about only reg that isn’t hitting. Freeman has OPS over 1.000. Markakis is hitting .320
Couple familiar faces mixed in with younger players: Stewart at back up C and Culberson reserve IF.
In the pre-season, I strongly suggested the Phillies would be contenders (thus far they are) one year earlier than most people projected them to compete. I missed on the Braves, as did many others – who indicated that they would likely become relevant in 2019. Two points: 1. along with all the other projected Wild Card and Division teams expected to compete, you now have 2 more teams with their “hats in the ring”; and, 2. This makes it much more difficult for the Giants to compete for the 2 WC slots.
I wish I could remember the Flapper who said (yesterday or the day before) that it will take more wins than what was predicted in the pre-season for the Giants to secure a wild card spot???* Maybe it was you Willie or AK. Regardless, IMO, they’re absolutely right.
*I’m still wait and see until mid-May on where our team is going. To date, I’m amazed that they’re competing as hard as they are.
By the by, the Pirates are obviously outperforming their critics (including myself). Very surprised they are competing so well in the early going.
GH I think said that Blade. I agree he’s probably right, and agree with both your 2 points. Top teams everyone figured were shoo-ins looking up right now
Braves throwing Teheran today in NY so Giants will miss him.
SF plays 17 consecutive days after today. See how rotation fares. Blach Strat Smrdz this weekend.
NL Division leaders 30 ish games in:
AZ up 5 games LA 8 back at 13-17
MIL half game over STL 1 game over Cubs 1 and half over Pirates
ATL half game over Mets Nats still under .500
Passan had long column in yahoo about uncompetitive teams. Pointed out worst division shaping up to beAL Central with Tribe Twins and 3 very bad teams. Interesting thing here is, interleague play will have NL Central as their primary opponent, so big opportunity for top 3 in that division to fatten up.
Giants first inter games vs. Stros on road in 3 weeks.
Sounds like DeGrom’s ok.
What time is Cueto’s appointment with Andrews?
didn’t Tanaka visit Andrews last year and ended up choosing no surgery and it’s kinda worked out for him? He hasn’t been the same but he’s been decent
Yeah. Even longer ago I think. Might’ve had a partial tear, not sure…
Prolly today or tomorrow. Baggarly is reporting Cueto is out ‘a very long time’ as Andrews will be the 3rd doctor he is visiting. Which means he didn’t get good news from the first two.
http://www.knbr.com/2018/05/02/baggarly-cueto-injury-could-keep-him-out-for-a-very-long-time/
Pirates are fading already.
We score we might win… heh heh. Good news is we took a series from the fucking Pads. Haven’t done that since the 90s. At least it feels like that.
May is a tough month as well, 18 of the next 25 games are roadies. Braves Phillies Pirates Astros Cubbies, Rox on the road is gonna be a challenge.
I thought this would make for interesting off-day reading: Ralph Steadman recalls (as best he can) drunk adventure with Hunter S. Thompson at ’70 Kentucky Derby:
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/events/kentucky-derby/2018/05/02/kentucky-derby-hunter-s-thompson-ralph-steadman-friendship/446608002/
If Cueto is gone, man, I don’t know how we’re gonna do this. No Bum, half-there Smarge, no Cueto….can only withstand so many blows.
We have Sandoval. We’re fine.
Bum has another 3 weks out? Don’t know his time frame. Samarjj’s next start should be an indicator of where he is. Otherwise It’s Southbound Suarez, Stratton, and . . . . . Blach and Blue?
Six weeks . . . All 3 (Melanoma, Panik and Bum) out 6 weeks minimum.
Melanoma (love it, Blade)was put on the 60 day last week. He’s done, IMO. I will be very surprised if he ever pitches again.
Ouch.
Melanoma being out or back, to me makes little difference.
His deal after a year and half is already a bust.
How can U miss a guy that basically never did much?…
Agree. I see him having no bearing on this season.
You can’t find a baseball fan in NY who can name a current Giant SP other than Smrdja…
You’d be hard pressed to find one at AT%T.
espn makes sure everyone knows who pitches for the fucking yankees. Last night the announcers used imitation texas accents when they mocked the astros at the end of the “second shutout in a row”
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail is a must-read.
As is “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”
I’m with you on that one.
The club has been rolling so maybe they can overcome losing Cueto in the near term (2 weeks?) and then Bumgarner comes back in June. Just trying for a positive spin I guess. This club has gone from power arms in the rotation to a majority of soft tossing control types which won’t get it done if they’re able to get into the post season.
Playoffs! Playoffs? Playoffs?!?!? If we get healthy and get into the playoffs, I like our chances, but there’s a lot of shit that has to work out to get there. And it is only if Cueto and Bummie are there.
Even after Bumgarner went down I was pretty positive about the club going into the season (unlike some of the doomers up in here) and thought the first or second WC spots were attainable but that assumed Cueto was in the rotation. Now we’re looking at a rotation of Bumgarner (eventually), Samardjiza, Stratton, Blach & Juarez? I don’t know who holds down Bumgarners spot until he return – Beede? pfffffft.
If the club can somehow stay in the hunt they’ll have to pick up a power arm so say goodbye to any up and comers like Shaw, Slater, Gomez, Williamson and Ramos.
Giants not picking up any big salary. They are up against the lux tax limit. That’s Baer’s DMZ, the Don’t (pay more) Money Zone…
Dbacks look like they are in driver’s seat.
And, they haven’t even had Lamb play since April 3…
Looks like SF will at least be competitive this year, off and on.
If Cueto goes down, the absolute top they could reach is WCII, and that will take 85 wins at least. Slim chance of that…
Awful quiet on the “MTO” front.
Don’t like the silence…
Made to order? Que?
“Mac The Oaf” which I must continue to push…
I love that nickname. I can only take credit for calling him an oaf.
I think Xoot coined the nickname…
I think he’s eligible Saturday, if his head’s right
Yep. Saturday is what I have heard.
thought they might activate him soon as he’s eligible; haven’t heard anything negative. Problem right now is Bochy is going with 13 pitchers. Column in chron suggested Belt and Hanson might play some OF
Braves again beating up on Mets.
I’m surprised by Cabrera’s performance thus far this season. Nothing in his past indicated he would have 5 bombs and a .337/.388/.567 slash line, with a .955 OPS. Any ideas why from you or Loo? Also, didn’t Loo propose a trade of Cabrera for one of our guys (forgot who he suggested)?
I had a concoction to get us Lagares and Flores, but never Cabrera, Blade.
Braves can sure hit. Also no-hitting Mets in 7th…
just saw tweet: Braves top 7 have 14 hits (and lead 11-0) Mets have none.
wow
.looks like Harvey got lit up again. He’s gotta be toast.
Passan wrote interesting book on pitching/surgeries/alternative treatment/comebacks yada yada. As he says, it’s strange that with so much $$$ teams have invested in pitching these days no one has any clear cut idea how to prevent diagnose or treat most injuries.
Given overall health of athletes today plus much improved conditions for travel clubhouses et al, frequency of season ending injuries (to position players too) is just odd. Look how rare it is for most SPs to go beyond 7.
from Dave O’Brien tweet: “Matt Harvey said he wasn’t a reliever. He was right.”
Harvey owned the town a few years ago. He would get huge ovations at Ranger games when they would show him on the big scoreboard in attendance…
There is a viable route to the playoffs and way to enjoy the season . It’s not the high road, not the low road, it’s the middle road, flat as a Kansas highway and more scenic than one would expect.
It does require a sacrifice on the part of Giants fans, rooting for the Dodgers when they play the D-Backs and Rockies. Rooting for American League teams.
83 wins might be enough, just two measly games over 500 and the Phoenix descending back to the ashes.
Here’s how it’s done.
http://proxy.espn.com/mlb/standings?year=2006
Perhaps I’m being too literal, but wouldn’t the Phillies have been the second wild card? They led the league in runs scored in 2006.
Forget the wildcard. Winning the division title is the easiest path. The Cardinals won the World Series that year, after an 83-78 regular season. They didn’t even have to play the make-up game.
It’s certainly not impossible for Arizona to go 61-70 the rest of the way. Not a bet I’d make, though.
One positive note for the Giants, they have a winning record since Bruce Bochy opened a Twitter account!!!
Slow news day…
Pence, in four games with the River Kitties, is 5-16 (.316) with no extra base hits. 1 walk, 4Ks. Uggghhh…
Someone needs to go all Tonya Harding on his ass . . .
Better they err on the side of caution and go all Pope of Greenwich Village on him.
“They broke my thumbs,” from The Hustler would be more appropriate, given the weekend we approach.
Well, nothing wrong with 5-16 (all singles) and a BB. You know I think he batted lead off quite a bit in 2014 if not other years – and with Panik out, he could wind up there again. I’d like to know how he looks, not just the small sampling of numbers.
Much like I will talk myself into some loser in the Derby, I have convinced myself that Pence will return and hit lead off in a last ditch effort to revive him and keep the team energized…
The contract will likely mean more chances for him.
this was the last time the Giants had someone in the OF resembling present Pence
http://technifex.com/portfolio/old-navy-splash-landing/
Rusty was a terrible idea.
Larry Baer probably winces if someone ever mentions Rusty.
How long did Rusty last? I have absolutely no memory of that.
oh, it was ugly
Collectively, the revival of Hunter, Pablo, and Rusty could emotionally overwhelm the team.
Rusty rusted, i guess. As did Hunter.
I liked Rusty a lot better than Rohand, who came much later.
And, Rusty wasn’t near as expensive…
Well, Rowand The Squat earned $48 million over 4 years for his efforts. And his only time on the DL, I think, was after he took a dodger FB to the jaw. wtf knows how much Rusty cost; he was always on the DL for bad mechanics. My son saw Rusty a few times when the park opened (his fourth grade teacher and her husband took him to a bunch of games) and my son has never forgotten the experience. I only remember seeing Rusty on tv. It was ugly. On balance, I’d say Rowand was better. Slightly.
It seems like Rusty didn’t make it through the first season.
that engineering and design firm still includes Rusty on its résumé