Bird Dog
You know what? That went about as you could expect it to go. He walked dudes, he struck out dudes, he went 4.2 innings. That line sounds a lot like a right handed Snell outing. But BIRD DOG is but 22. He’s got a lot to learn and a long time in which to learn it. I counted 4 elite pitches (4 seam, circle change, slider, curve). It was fun to see him.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
I watched the highlights this morning and looked like his stuff was about pitching around things rather than blowing people away. Is that fair?
For someone his age and his experience topping out for just a little while at AA and to get thrown into a big league start, that was probably a pretty solid effort. Does he look like a legit long-term rotation piece?
Estes said something interesting in post game-Bailey called lot of off speed pitches early and that seemed to get him in groove and force him not to overthrow. As Flav said slider and change looked good and fastball is 97-98. Too many pitches that were easy takes drove up pitch count, cost him some velo as night went on and gave Cubs walks (Krukow mentioned trying to be too fine), but yes I think Melvin and Giants feel pretty good about him being part of rotation.
It was a few innings of an ok ML debut. I took nothing out it it…
thanks for that summary Loo and WDā¦I could see that is how they wanted to ease him into that first start. Maybe he gets 1-2 more.
thanks for that summary Loo and WDā¦I could see that is how they wanted to ease him into that first start. Maybe he gets 1-2 more.
change your text to BOLD and you’ll start loving this motherfucker
He’s definitely got a huge upside and with the proper guidance and experience there’s no limit to how great he can be!
He was just wild.
I thought the kid showed plenty of moxie controlling his nerves and his 1st inning 1-2-3 start on 15 pitches was impressive hitting 98 but Bailey saying I want to see the rest of the the arsenal as well is real important so u canāt sit on one pitch. That 3rd inning impressed me the most losing some control a hit then 2walks on 8 straight loads them up for Bellinger no outs,falls behind 2-0 then battles back to get him on a nasty swing and a miss curve and he gets out of that inning u donāt see that often.Heās tossing 4 pitches,FB,Curve,Changup,and Slider with no fear in the world.
His only fear is getting carded purchasing āGarlic Friesā
At halfway point….My fiend (huge Giant fan from Norcal) asked me if we have a chance this year? I said “for sure”. This isn’t 2021. NO ONE is doing better than we expected except Ramos on the offense. Webb is Webb. So only Hicks has been better than expected from the pitching side.
How many are doing worse than we expected? Offensively almost everyone except Bailey. Think of the trade deadline. We are going to get Wade, Snell, and possibly Robbie Ray for NOTHING.
Yes we can expect some regression from Ramos, and some improvement from Soler and getting Wade back. Pitching should be better. I say 84-78 at the finish. 3rd WC spot
wow! That’s a bold call my man, I hope you’re right
You’re too young to remember one my old favorites, 1976 Derby-Belmont winner Bold Forbes. Laz Barrera getting this speedball to go 1.5 miles is considered one of the greatest training jobs ever. His jock, Cordero before the race said something like “just get me to the quarter pole” and he would do the rest. Golden era of racing long gone…
Definitely BOLD get it??
84 wins, I think it’s optimistic and not unreasonable, I like it. I expected the offense to improve from bottom of the NL to the middle. It’s done that.
SWEEP??? š§¹ sweep š§¹
Have no idea how good the kid is going to be but he sure was a bright spot yesterday.
The light show:
Predictions? Every time I think this team finally gets it, they lose 5-6 in a row. And when I try to bury them, they reel off 5-6 wins.
I guess Farhan’s strategy is to sign older and hurt guys so they can be considered mid-season moves when they get healthy.
This team can’t seem to get loose from the grip of .500.
Cobb signed in 2021. Ray was acquired in a trade. Snell wasn’t hurt when he signed.
Snell was a fucking reach. His seasons have been mediocre surrounded by 2 good ones.
Is developing “long-term rotation piece(s)” even something anyone can or does pin a team’s hopes on anymore?
And I woulda liked to have seen Fence Post keep Birdie in the game one more batter to get him a shot at the win.
Really hope pitching comes around. Giants 23-17 at home, better home record than AZ or SD. Is park helping them hide deficiencies that show up during summer warm weather elsewhere? they’ve given up 50 more runs on road than they have at home, in 1 more game.
Bottom line as much as we’ve complained about disappointing players, the vast middle ground of NL contending for WC spots isn’t any better. Giants sit dead middle NL for runs HRs and OPS.
Good sign for Matos last night, HR and line drive single. Said he knew he had things to work on in Sac, and has a plan. Rag on Melvin all you want, guys play hard for him, as witness the come back Ws and 6 walk offs. Players make the difference, guys with bats glove and ball in their hands.
The “average” OPS figures and runs scored number aren’t the result of a few really high scoring teams on the one hand and a bunch of bottom feeders with little separation on the other. There is a fairly even distribution from top to bottom.
I don’t know if they still do it, but in some gymnastics meets (Olympics?) they would throw out the highest and lowest scores of the judges and only count the others. And that was just with like 5 or 6 of em. Not sure what my point is…
If you eliminate the Dodgers and Marlins, the Giants would still be the team closest to average, but their run total would drop slightly below the mean. I’m always happy to bring relevance to your musings!
It’s much appreciated…
I give benefit of the doubt to the kid’s wildness for first start heebie geebies. See how he does in start #2. Looks like he has some good stuff, unpolished as could be expected. His mechanics look a little rough, Kruk should have plenty of content. At least he’s breathing and throws hard in the right direction, that’s enough to stay for at least a bit in a rotation of Webb, Hick, Birdie, TBA, and TBA …
Farhan is considering a trade of TBA and a PTBNL for TBD and cash considerations…
Missed most of the game. Happy for Birdie. That definitely was a tough situation to be in, but he handled it in an outstanding way.
I think the answer is yes Willie regarding the park (same way the ‘stick helped us). Not certain this is true anymore, but I believe Oracle* or whatever it’s called now, is usually in the #1 or 2 spot for toughest parks to hit in.
*Speaking of which – if ownership really wants to show they care about baseball and could give 2 shits about profit, they would rename the park Willie Mays Memorial Park. That would be a real statement that would not only echo with our fans, but send a message to every other money grubbing major sport franchise (MLB, NFL, NBA, etc.).
Has any ML team ever done that?
Joe Louis Arena is gone…
Any idea who is tied for second most wins on pitching staff? Luke Jackson with 4 after last night. He has ERA over 6.00, WHIP of 1.7 and bunch of other awful stats that go beyond the eye test. If that doesn’t explain how useless that stat can be in evaluating effectiveness, idk what is.
by time he left with 2 outs in 5th Birdsong had thrown 97 pitches, the last of which left the yard. If he’d thrown any more he was more likely to have gotten the L than W. Nice ovation on way out. Cool scene at end of him signing balls for young fans.
All RH Lineup in the traditional give up game…
Austin Slater (R-LF)
Heliot Ramos (R-CF)
Wilmer Flores (R-1B)
Matt Chapman (R-3B)
Jorge Soler (R-DH)
Luis Matos (R-RF)
Thairo Estrada (R-2B)
Nick Ahmed (R-SS)
Curt Casali (R-C)
SP: Jordan Hicks (R)
Yeah, the scrubini lineup.
which even though much maligned at time used to often work fine for Bochy. Ahmed and Flores aren’t playing much and it’s tougher to remain sharp. Casali isn’t here to hit anyway, just to give Bailey a rest…we all know how beat up he was as 2023 wore on.
Bailey btw is sure looking good. Kid acknowledged how much he helped him last night, and Bailey picked off clueless Morel at 1b. He’s having fine year at plate, raising OPS 140 points.
Bench guys look much better when highlighted.
Loo, yes – many NFL, NBA, and MLB teams do NOT name their teams after a company and/or do NOT have corporate sponsorship:
Major League Baseball (MLB):
Lauren on the MLB Network is wearing a mini skirt, high heels, and big false eyelashes. The MLB Network women hosts have evolved to that. Maybe it’s about trying to boost ratings in a competitive media market. Increase the amount of eye candy.
They save the blow up dolls for late night viewersā¦
In a way, you are correct Loo – no team named after a player, except for possibly Coach Lambeau (fairly certain he played).
Happ picking up where he left off last night.
Out! Nice relay
Thairo guns him down.
The Cubs pissing away outs on the bases is awesome.
Hoping Hicks can give us at least 5 today.
Throw em out at home, now thats a highlight!
The Giants lead the league in issuing HBPs that just graze the hitter.
PCA, all 4 syllables of him, is really fast, but the Cubs are truly dumbasses. Nearly thrown out twice, and he scores on a bomb.
Hope Hicks can get through 3.
Well that meatball pitch by Hicks to a licking!
2-0 Cubs .Man that as the Crow flies dude is faster than a speeding bullet.He scored from 1st base (albeit running on the play) on a single to left center last night ..
Not looking good for Hicks 3-0 now and up to 63 pitches and over 30 + this inning..
USF guy Jonathan Mogbo drafted #31 top of second round by Toronto. First guy drafted from Dons since Quentin Dailey 1982.
A freaking long way to the Dubs pick 52? for a player that wonāt make the team are just a development project in Santa Cruz..
He got through 5 anyway.
He’s pulled way back on the velocity. Isn’t Hicks building strength right now?
Soler just missed that one.
Soler manages to frustrate even when he comes through. Why not a bomb? Why the ground rule double?
Wild pitch as I’m typing!
Great at bat by Matos. Fucking awesome.
Luis for the tie!
“Hope Hicks can get through 3.”
Well played, sir!
this is a big deal
https://x.com/ShaynaRubin/status/1806442955680764389
Walker and Jackson are like the same guy to me. I don’t know which is which, or really even care to know.
Well, Jackson sucks ass. Walker doesn’t.
0.899 whip compared to 1.680
2.23 era compared to 6.12
Miller can be wild but he’s still better than Jackson. I like Walker, more reliable.
I didn’t know because they looked interchangeable to me, kind of like the two ZZ Top relievers we used to have. Morton and Merton, or whatever their names were.
Damn. Walker getting it done. Miller as well. Missed the beginning.
Walker Ks Swanson with the slider. Cubs paying Swanson through 2029 as part of the 7 year $177 million deal. He’s hitting .219 with .660 OPS. He’s made some fine plays this series but man so glad Z isn’t paying any of the big market FA SS guys from that time.
mlb.com story said Wade Jr. back Friday.
Poor Wilmet, really feel bad for him, but could be time for stud farm.
Better than the glue factory.
Bellinger keeps coming up at crucial times.
Ha, Lakers do take Bronny at #55. I saw him with USC…maybe 5th best player on weak team in what turned out to be a not very good league. He’s 6-1 and not a good shooter. anywhere else he’d be in G League at best.
Well, there’s the ballgame.
Jackson now?!?!?!?!?!?
Jackasson
There you go.
Fuck Fence Post for putting Jackass in there.
Yeah, Jackson’s not the guy to bring in with the ghost runner.
I wonder why not Doval there.
Not a save situation. They’ve done it before, and I get it, but putting your worst fucking guy in in the top of the 10th is dumb.
Tie game in the 10th is a closer situation
One time, Wilbur.
Fence Post fence posting again. How fucking stupid to use your worst reliever in the 10th inning.
Tough to lose that one.
The last three guys had several hittable pitches.
A closer should be able to pitch three days in a row, especially after a week off.
Melvin’s only excuse would be if Doval was feeling a little soreness.
No it isn’t. He had 5 other guys he could have used.
Again can anybody Justify Jack Ass Jackson on this team???
And I donāt want to hear about his VULTURE 4-0 record!!!!
This SOILED TURD š© is Fucking embarrassing š to watch..
He can Boldly get Stuck in the Star Trek Energizing Machine and Materialize in a LAVA PIT!!!
Beam him down, Scotty ! …
Melvin saved Doval to spare Ty Rogers the agony of blowing the save for Webb tomorrow night.
Melvin is playing 5 dimensional chess!
The NBA network is showing the Sun/Mystics game instead of the far more appealing Sky/Aces or Fever/Storm games. That’s a bummer.
Bronny James to the Lakers in round 2 — really an embarrassment to the NBA. The kid was riding pine with USC, so now he’s going to take a pine seat away from a kid who would be a real player on the Lakers? Really a testament to LeBron’s ego — which appears insatiable…
Wait a minute.
I think the Lakers meant to draft Boney James, they need a sax player for halftime entertainment…
Yeah this sucks on so many levels. If Bronny wanted to make himself into viable NBA player he should have gone back to school somewhere. How do you coach him? suppose you dunk on him during scrimmage–are you allowed to say anything without his Dad busting you?
Is there a super secret reason why Luke Jackson isn’t back in Sac or DFA’d? If the guy has a hurt arm, send him down and let him throw games away down there. If his arm is healthy, then even more reason to cut him from the active roster. Criminy…
One of the notable off season FA choices for SP was Jordan Montgomery signed by DBax March 29 appeared in first game 3 weeks later April 19. Contract is $25 mil with option on next year.
Twins ate him up today scoring 8 runs/4 earned in 2.2 innings and getting 9 hits off him in 13-6 W. ERA is now over 6.00. He’d had 3 decent starts before that only allowing 5 runs in 15 innings. 2 starts before those he only last 6 innings and gave up 14 runs, one of those vs. Giants who hit 2 bombs off him in 9-3 W.
DBax team ERA was 4.61 coming into today 14th NL, even worse than Giants.
Willie, agree that it’s a good thing we didn’t go for Dansby Swanson (although I did really want Trea Turner at that time). Besides, I can’t hear the name Dansby Swanson without chuckling and chortling a little. Don’t know why. Sounds like a cartoon character. Same with Mandy Patinkin. Can’t hear his name without wanting to say it in a cartoony helium voice. Mandy Patinkin. Dansby Swanson. And that’s all I got on this Friday morning. Ya’ll watching the debate?
Not watching because it was destined to be unwatchable.
It just flat sucks that these 2 candidates are the picks for the leader of the free world. Iām sure Biden can run the country OK. He just canāt run for the job.
trump is just a vote for the elites.
and the 40 percent of any population that would vote for Adolf in the right moment and context. At least they had real inflation back in Weimar!
I wish I hadn’t watched. Preface by saying I am a Democrat . . . Biden got his clock cleaned by Trump. Dems should be panicking.
Really? Uh oh…
Yes, and I’m not the only one panicking, i.e., the entire Dem political apparatus is Code Red. That’s how bad Biden was.
Maybe the convention will be a little more dramatic than it seemed it would be…
My sense is, it wouldn’t be so distressing IF Kamala Harris was better liked. I don’t mind her, but she seems highly unliked by the masses. That’s a big oops.
If Newsom wasn’t so laden with baggage he’d be a decent choice. Who else is out there?
Fucking Dems ate their own best candidate in Al Franken. Stupid fucks.
Guess Trumps Oops I shit in my pants diaper held up better than Bidenās?
Well, Trump lied through the whole thing. He never answered the questions asked, but Biden sounded like a doddering old man. He made some points, but he had a golden opportunity to call out Trump for all his lies, and didn’t. After it was over, Biden sounded stronger and more normal. Fucking weird.
Trump’s answer to the two-state Palestine question was “We’ll have to take a look at that” and then go on a 2 minute rant on how some third-rate magazine lied about him calling solders chumps and losers. Trump talked about that about 5 times. Why?
That was the whole night. I wish the moderators, or even the fucking president, would tell Trump to answer the fucking questions.
There are some alternatives… Gretchen Whitmer… that guy from Connecticut… right. “That guy” is an alternative… It’s probably too late to change, they should’ve done that a year ago.
I saw a thing that said, on this date, in 1980, Jerry Reuss of the Dodgers threw a no-hitter against the Giants. I have absolutely no memory of that.
Speaking of the Dodgers, here they are on the schedule again. It seems like a lot of games vs. them already this season. Saturday’s game is a Fox game, oh yay.
Reese’s team, the Sky lost, but she got her 9th double/double in a row, which tied a WNBA record. Say what? In 27 years, the record is 9 in a row? The WNBA “legends of the past” set the record at 9?
The WNBA games are only 40 minutes long, but still.
Wilt holds the NBA record at 227 games in a row.
China has a woman basketball player who is 7′ 3″ tall. She is supposedly a pretty good player.
Yao Ming’s daughter?
The best part of the Lakers taking Bronny is the fact that they will suck.
How long before the LA fans get fed up with this charade?
Her vertical ‘leap’ = Tommy Lasorda’s. And I think she travels in about half her shots.