The Great Cardinal Fan Daniel Weighs In
Hey guys– late to the party today. Here’s a response our good friend Daniel gave via email earlier this morning.
| Daniel Shoptaw | 7:37 AM (4 hours ago) |  | |
| to me | |||
Craig,
Hey! Good to hear from you. Thanks for your kind words. The kids are scattered right now so I’m holding down the fort until they get back in a few days.
The crowd was booing last night and they did back in April as well, mainly out of frustration. A lot of that frustration is born out of not having a clue why things are so bad. This offense is supposed to be stacked but has struggled. The run differential is somewhat skewed because they’re 7-16 in one run games and 9-7 when the score is decided by 5 or more. Then when a little momentum occurs, like they win a couple of games, the pitching goes to pot. About the time you trust that someone is bouncing back into form, they hit a pothole, much like Flaherty did last night after a run of good outings.
They are hitting only .254/.334/.466 with runners in scoring position and .175/.226/.316 with the bases loaded. Contreras had a good week or two after the whole blowup about removing him from the catcher spot but overall has been a disappointment to this point. Nolan Arenado has taken a bit of a step back or at least been very streaky instead of consistent like he was last year. The starting outfield has been completely different than planned most of the year due to injuries.
About the only thing that isn’t wrong with this team is Paul Goldschmidt. I know y’all understand how he is.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
They need to bring up Harrison soon and/or get another starter that regularly can go 5-6 frames. I have no idea whether Stripling was really hurt, when he’s back, and whether the time off gets him right or he’s just crap even if healthy. The Pen has been very good, hiding the starter problem. The way Kapp has blow through the Pen this season to date, if that Pen usage keeps up it’s going to be running on fumes by mid-August…
Whoa down to last strike and Yaz ties it up.
YAZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
who plays where on IF, I give up.
Wow. Yaz comes up big.
Yazzzz! Wow, Cards fans letting this reliever have it.
Ah with Flores at 3b, Rogers hits in leadoff where Slater and Joc were, as they lose DH.
Estrada with the clutch RBI !
And, his defense has improved since last year.
And, just stole second.
Really getting to like that kid…
Yaz scores tying and go-ahead runs in consecutive innings.
Wilmet!
Wilmet! Owns inside half of the plate.
Wilmer with another clutch RBI !
St. Louis Boos from the crowd.
Gotta love messing with the Cards…
Mgr. Marmol isn’t guy on the mound but man he’s gotta be toast.
Stuff I read on mlbtr and Athletic, Cards fans lit up Mozeliak too for roster creation in off season.
Get the oxygen canister ! Wilmet scores.
Ha, sure looked like he wasn’t gonna make it.
Mid-day Wade!
Love Hallberg’s aggressive waiving in of all 3 baserunners to score.
He recognized you gotta get more than a one run lead with this ghost runner thing going on — force the D to make a good throw/play.
And, it didn’t all 3 times…
Especially with tying run now up.
Sweep ’em in St. Louis!
Shades of 2021.
Tremendous W. Doval gets Goldschmidt and Arenado and they get out of Dodge with sweep.
Doval blowing away Goldie and Arenado makes this extra sweet.
Big, Big win, awesome down-to-last-strike comeback.
First 3-game sweep in St. Louis since ’87.
This gives Gigantes momentum and a nice little cushion over .500 that really helps as they enter this 10-game gauntlet against LA, Pads, and Dbacks
Giants pitchers walked 2/K’d 17. shut Cards out for last 7 innings.
well I did not see that comeback happening…solid win…Cards really do suck…
Or maybe the Giants are actually good.
not sure I can buy in yet to “good.” Ive said before there are a lot of really bad teams in the NL. Pirates and then the AL O’s teams were the two better than I expected.
What you said James, i.e., you still have to overtake the lead and get hits. Too many comebacks this season where the Giants don’t surrender.
Those pitches by Doval to strike out Goldy (slider or change?) and then brought the heat on Arenado in the perfect location up and just outside the zone!!!
Giants have turned into an exciting team.
Like I said at the end of the other thread – I don’t think this is a .500 team. Too much heart.
Helluva win today. Yaz delivers with two out in 9th, back-to-back-to-back RBI singles in 10th and Hallberg continues to make smart decisions in sending runners home. DeScalfani only downnote but sweep 🧹 of Cards sweet.
Yeah Blade they have a good mixture of young and old and adding a true center fielder in Matos only a plus! The LU with Slater in LF&Yaz in RF ( is like having 3CF in there)along with Conforto but those 3 are corner outfielders now with Matos up..
Great work by the BP again, but they need another Starter, you can’t continue to burnout this pen when the starters are not going deep in games..
Bullpen today just noticed 6 pitchers covered 7 innings 2 hits 0 runs 1BB 10K’s outstanding work !
Best bullpen ERA since May 2nd (2.13)
1st SWEEP 🧹 in StLouis since 1998!!
Another amazing win. Gotta love it.
test
You lost your capital W.
Yeah, I got a new computer and had to go through sign up again
In the hinterlands of Central Oregon and when I left to go wine tasting, it was 5-2. Pleasantly surprised to see the W. Saw that we lost Haniger and Davis.
You were near me I wish we could have met up.
Where are you?
Fantastic win after losing 2 starters. Big losses. Let hope Matos is for real!
Sometimes not real noticeable with everything else going on with the rejuvenated lineup, but Slater has been a hitting machine…. when he’s healthy….
D-Backs lose in 10, after getting Yaz like three run HR from Walker in the 8th.
White Sox got a double whopper from Jake Burger, are leading in the 9th over the Dodgers. The marine layer just went all Mike Tauchman on a deep fly from Mookie Betts.
A’s streak is finito, as are their chances to remain in Oakland.
Dodgers lost tonight when Kershaw pitched, which is really cool, and means he won’t be pitching vs. the Giants this weekend.