Hicks Revenge
Back to St. Louis to finish this series. Hicks should have a fair amount of motivation to bend the Cardinal over and remind them they should have given him a better shot to be a starter. He’s easily one of Farhan’s top free agent signings although it really isn’t too hard to get to the top end of that list.
Playing Crystal Springs today so i’ll be missing the game, might have a radio on though.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
We score, we win.
As bad as Giants hitters not named Ramos and Bailey/Wisely have been they still sit middle of pack in NL for runs HRs and team OPS, no worse than 7-8. Fact is offense over all in MLB is down to levels approaching 1968. As Eno Sarris said in column TA, average ML hitter has become Bruce Bochy and his career .685 OPS. pitching is dominating everywhere, except for SF.
Maybe hot weather will fuel uptick. Surging Mets pounded Cubs for 11 yesterday, Braves hammered Rodon and Yanks for 3 HRs and 8 inside of 4 innings, Os-Stros final was 14-11. Giants themselves have scored 19 runs in last 4 on this hot weather trip, above their average, while giving up 23.
And fwiw, Dodgers lost to Angels 3-2 in 10 at Latrine. Ohtani had 2 run HR vs. old team but that was it as 4 guys behind him went 0-16 and team had 5 hits total. One of Dogs pen guys hit 3 batters in same inning.
Incredible how they made the whole Ohtani gambling mess completely disappear…
The Greg Anderson Phenomenon.
Or Tim Donaughy.
Yeah, he was the only “rogue” NBA ref involved in fixing games. Uh huh…
The NY Post:
https://nypost.com/2024/06/15/sports/questions-remain-in-shohei-ohtani-ex-interpreter-gambling-probe/
The Giants defense has supposedly given away more earned runs than any other in the NL. The is primarily attributable to Conforto, Matos, Estrada, and our beloved best Oracle RF ever Yaz, per the total zone runs stat. The Giants also have the biggest gap between actual ERA and FIP, a correlation that makes sense, given the above. However, when you look at the individual pitchers who’ve ostensibly been victimized by all of this horrible defense, you’ll see that almost all of them are the same names I listed yesterday, Winn, Snell, Jeffries etc. In addition, two other underperformers, Jackson and Rodriguez, also have FIPs significantly below their actual ERAs. To be clear, the FIPs for each of these pitchers are still pretty bad. In other words, the Giants’ defense only becomes abnormally porous when they’ve got their worst performing pitchers on the mound. Draw your own conclusions.
The number of errors and fielding percentage stats are very clear. The Giants have made a few more errors than average, but they’ve contained the number of unearned runs allowed to middle of the pack. I continue to be suspicious of the other defensive metrics.
i wonder where our pitchers allowing so many stolen bases fits into this. A single is often a double for the opposition due to their inability to hold runners on. It’s got to be contributing to all the earned runs allowed.
Certainly not helping, but . . . Looking at the percentages and league averages helps get a handle on it. The Giants have thrown out only 16% of the runners attempting. The league average is 21% (Bailey, btw is is still at 24%). If you take the 21% and multiply it by the 95 attempts, you’ll get 4 extra SBs given up. Remember, it is a percentages game, because each caught runner represents scoring you’ve prevented.
So, the stats are valid even if they don’t make sense.
We are 13th in fielding %age in the NL. Throw in the no-error errors (misplayed popups/fly balls and you get what you get. An inconsistent team that can’t get out of its own way. They can’t afford to be a poor-hitting and fielding team when they don’t pitch very well either.
They are hitting fine, Chuck. Could be better, wish it was better, it would be a lot more fun if they were a great offensive team. As it is, they are ok relative to the rest of the league and where they play their home games. The 13th in FP is deceptive, which is why looking at league averages is useful. The number of errors that separates them from teams in the middle is small. They’ve only given up 30 unearned runs. As far as the advanced defensive stats being valid, I’m questioning them.
Fielding pct. one of those old school stats that leaves out lot of context. guy isn’t charged for an error if he didn’t touch a ball that could have been fielded by more competent fielder, and errors/hits up to discretion of official scorers who have a bias, usually to help hitter.
Statcast data available on every ball put into play lot more efficient in determining who is good/who isn’t. Still lot of fluctuation year to year, where it probably shouldn’t be. Never used to notice OFs checking cards after every out in olden days
The you can’t judge a player’s defense by his error totals has been a truism since Kubek and Garagiola. OTOH, last year the Giants had the 3rd best team ERA, yet gave up 6th most runs. That damaging gap was simply the result of errors and an inordinate number of unearned runs.
The Hank Thompson biography that Loo posted yesterday is part baseball story and part Quentin Tarantino movie. A wild story. And, unfortunately, alcohol abuse has had its share of casualties in baseball history, including Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin.
The schedule finally turned more favorable for the Indy Fever, and they’ve won four in a row. And yet again, as visitors, they helped a home team break their attendance record. 17,000 attendees broke Atlanta’s record of 11,000.
Clark had good game yesterday, and she got plenty of help from posts (Boston and NaLyssa Smith) and other starting guard Kelsey Mitchell. She also had 7 turnovers in game they won handily vs. opponent with best player sidelined.
Matos back in the lineup could be fun.
The Giants new PA person sounds a lot like Renel. I’m not hearing a lot of difference.
Nice! Soler, Chapman, and Conforto with 2 out knocks for a 3 run rally. They need to do more of this during the season.
Stolen bases are fun to watch and some of my favorite players were guys that could do that a lot. And yet, Reds and Elly have stolen NL best 105 bases (to Giants NL worst 24) but have scored 20 fewer runs than Giants have in one less game.
And while Giants have certainly had problems allowing SBs, oldest adage is you can’t steal 1b. Giants pitchers with worst WHIP include SP Snell (and Winn) and beside Doval the other pen guys or replacement SPs like Howard Black Avial Roupp etc. As a team SF is 13th NL for hits allowed. Doesn’t appear like today is going to lower that stat or ERA.
yeah, keep pitching to Goldie. We aren’t hitting fine.And Wisely should ave gotten the error. Hi is looking like he’s scared already.
Yaz DL 10 days oblique,Buster Keaton Winn 15 days DL right forearm tightness ,Fitzgerald back to Sac..
Back up to the show is Luis Matos RF batting 8th and making his 2024 debut probably for a throwin look at the trade deadline is David Villar playing 1B and batting 9th as Giants go with 12 pitchers (1st time all year)
Jesus he coulda stolen 3rd with that jump.
Looks like a pen game
How can that possibly be “ruled a hit?”
Home town scorers
Ramos getting burnt on high hard one lately. K rate almost 30%, something Giants have always been concerned about with him.
Just needs to make sure he gets his walks to balance that out. Nice catch!
So, a double = a hit. Got it.
We are 9th or worse in just about every hitting stat. That’s fine?
13th in fielding %age.
Last in SBs. We don’t generate runs and we don’t defend well. Sure, the pitching is below par as well, but they have given away a lot of games with poor defense late and too many LOBs.
Once again, not holding runners. Hicks walking guys. He’s all over the place.
Aaaaaaah. Nice!
Damn.
There you go. Yeah OK it’s the pitching . . .
There’s still plenty of time to tie it up, leave the bases loaded a couple times, and lose it on a Wisely error.
Pretty much their MO..Get within a run and lay over.So I say they won’t even tie it up…
Giants should wear those Mickey Mouse hats against Dogpile since they play Mickey Mouse Baseball.
In the time it took me to take a dump, Cards score 3 runs. Smh . . .
Conversely, the Giants must have dinner reservations or something similar, as their half of the inning went by in a nano second.
there it is.
And just like that after I destroyed my toilet like Blade the Cards finished destroying the Giants ..7-4 and that’s the ballgame folks!
Remember if your ass are car needs an oil change visit Speed Dee for your full lube service..
Burlsen is having a career game in his still young career . . . and this game isn’t over yet.
Good for Villar, he’s been hot at Sac and doubled and Homered yesterday. Luciano (SS) 3-4 drove in 2 and doubled, Birdsong went 5 innings allowed 3 hits 4 BBs 7 Ks 2 runs as RCs won 7-2
Villar can fill in at 3b too for Chapman, who could use a rest himself. 6-38.
Tonight’s River Cats game is on local TV.
Matos hit the ball hard last time, but so far, more of the same, making outs early in the count.
The city of St. Louis has messed up the skyline view from the ballpark with random buildings. It looks like garbage.
Back in the 80s when the stadium was across the street from the Bowling Hall of Fame, I could see my hotel from my seats.
Getting killed here.
The Cardinals are back above .500 and competing for a playoff spot. The Cardinals didn’t stay down long. Only a year or two.
And we are in the midst of another losing streak.
As Jimi said:
“Down and down and down and down and down and down we go”
SD and AZ have crawled over us and hit .500 as we head toward Sherpatown.
Only 7 teams to get past.
Glad I missed this one.
Giants slowly sinking into a lower than .500 trajectory with injuries and lack of overall talent. Poor pitching, defense and desultory hitting. Soler and Snell signings basically disastrous. Worst of all, a boring ass team. If they end up under .500 and miss the post season six full years into his regime, it’s time for Farhan to hit the exit…
Counting on Ray and Cobb to come in after the break to save the day is a hope, not a roadmap to wins somewhere in the high 80s — that seems a pipe dream now…
But that will be Farhan’s battle cry.
“We will get Cobb, Yaz, Ray, Yaz, Flores, and Wade back, so it’s just like we did something!!!”
And the masses will be placated.
At 36-41, Giants need to win 51 games to get to a full season 87Ws, which was my pre-season prediction to get a WC spot. That would be playing at a .593 clip the rest of the season, which is improbable with the talent at hand, even if/when those on the IL come back. Snell would have to turn into a dominating pitcher, and Cobb plus Ray settle into a second half juggernaut rotation. The only way I see the Giants making the playoffs is some kind of big, multi-player trade before the deadline that injects both pitching and scoring into the team– that seems a fantasy at this point…
A big multi-player trade may be the only way Farhan can save his job, but I’m not sure he has it in him. Plus, its debatable SF has the talent inventory to make such a trade that results in immediate improvement in the big club…
I wish, but didn’t Zaidi sign a 3 year extension? Yeah, they can release him prior to 2026 (expiration of contract), but I doubt Greg Johnson would, as that penny pinching asshole watches every cent that the Giants spend.
If they crater in the second half and end up under .500, I think a fan revolt will be pretty strong. That, I think, would generate a reflexive FO bloodletting, before the season-ticket-selling in the off season starts…
Kappler and his weirdness is no longer available as an excuse. Melvin is on board, they can’t fire him after only one year. The target would definitely be on Farhan, there’s nobody else to blame except where it belongs– ownership — and they aren’t firing themselves…
Your down to 1 reliable starter in Webb to give u 6-7 innings.It’s beyond how shitty the staff has become.Hicks has reached now his most innings pitched, and is looking wobbly so they will monitor him closely.Harrison same thing with his fake injury to slow down his innings not to overwork and pass his most innings .Groin Snell,TJ Ray,and Cornhold Cobb if the latter 2 especially will all be on limited pitch counts and that will be after the break if even then?So forget that ever working out.
Bevins&Howard lol getting anything out of them.And who would have predicted those 2 along with even knowing their names before more broken down pitchers like Beck& now Winn who sucks anyway clog up the IL list as well.
Hjelle the only guy I could see being stretched out for possible 5-6 innings at best.This team is screwed already and blowing out the BP arms as well this early isn’t helping..
So who’s got some value at the deadline?
Lou Seal.
When you trade for and sign broken pitchers this is what you get I suppose.
They could get something for Soler just on the hope he’ll get hot for 1/2 the year. He’s got his shitty side out of the way
Small crowd at the River Cats game, but understandable given that it was over a 100 degrees today.
In total number of people interested, tomorrow’s Indy vs. Sky game is likely the most anticipated game in WNBA history thus far. Two teams with losing records who are battling for the 8th and final playoff spot. Pretty remarkable. But it has the Clark vs. Reese narrative, and the WNBA never had a narrative that many people cared about before.
Hunter Bishop was hit in the hand by a pitch. Hopefully he’s OK.