No Smoking Zone
Uh, looks like the old lady from the 70’s took a break from smoking her cigarillo. I’m out of town for several days but I’ll try to get a thread up for you guys every day. Webby today.
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A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
After 2nd, Yanks SP set down 9 of 10 guys through 5th. Hicks had awful 2nd, then got through 3rd and 4th easily before meltdown in 5th. Rodriguez gave up sac fly and base hit to 8 hitter dominguez, allowing all 3 inherited runners to score. Golds continues onslaught vs. Giants pitching at age 37.
Not an encouraging start by Hicks, though no help from Ramos in the 1st. He should’ve been yanked after Bellinger RBI hit in 5th, yet stayed in for two more batters. And yeah, Rodriguez was one out away from keeping it at 5-2, couldn’t get Dominguez out.
Yaz the latest to hit in what’s been the futile leadoff spot. After a promising start Friday, Yaz 0-3 with 3 Ks yesterday though he did get 2 walks. Overall leadoff numbers are ugly: 6-57, 24 Ks, 6 BBs, 5 runs, 5 RBI. Wade 3-35 — the 3 hits all in one game — with a sac bunt and sac fly, Ramos 2-12, Yaz 1-6, Schmitt coming off bench 0-4. Ramos gets another shot at it today.
I was a bit surprised when Melvin announced Lee would bat 3rd, after he had pretty much always hit lead off. Lee seems nearly the prototypical lead off guy. BoMel might need to rethink that situation.
Agree Paul . . . Maybe just me, but this musical chairs at the lead off spot (or for that matter, any of the LU) is in part what sunk us last year. None of the players knew what their role was. Sheesh, I clearly recall our 60s teams, along with our WS championship teams BEING SETTLED OUT OF SPRING TRAINING. I hope we don’t go back to that Zaidi analytical crap.
16-0 cubs over bums yesterday. Takes the edge off.
I like to see Melvin mix up the order based on opposing team, SP, and hot hand. Can be effective combination of old school steadiness and analytic nimbleness
of course, I’d like to see it work.
Xoot, good points. What I don’t get is Ramos batting lead off (as Mac noted). His OBP is .274 . . . Leave him in the 3, 4, or 5 spot. Why is Lee batting anywhere but #1??? Outstanding OBP of .404 and 4 stolen bases. Just leave him be. Yaz and Chappie should be 2 and 3, respectively. This attempt to go “righty lefty” or vice versa does not fit the team this year. We have too many right handed hitters (which I am alright with) versus left handed hitters – see below:
Right-Handed Hitters:
Left-Handed Hitters:
Switch Hitters:
Lee is hot right now. But his Korean obp wasn’t huge. He was a more balanced offensive star there. In mlb, his slap swing and speed play differently. He’s dangerous from any slot and well may settle in perfectly at one. But, meanwhile…
A win yesterday may not have been in the cards. But, Melvin did not help things. He gagged the Pen management for Hicks. Got Rodriguez up way too late, so he wasn’t really warmed up well when he came in. Meanwhile, Hicks was left out there struggling. Melvin just admitted as much on the pregame radio show — said he was thinking of saving the Pen given the tough schedule coming up. Huh? You’ve got to manage for the moment now if you’re still in a game you can win, and that’s what the situation was then. Melvin really needs to up his Pen management this season. Bochy was a master at it, Melvin has shown he is not, even after all these years in the manager’s seat…
lineup is fine, IF they are hitting. Right now Adames Wade Jr. and Chapman are all under Mendoza line and Ramos is at .220, and Giants are hitting .226 as a team.
blade thanks for ESPN column on Posey, hadn’t seen that. Good luck to him but as POBO I don’t think he can do much for hitters–that’s gonna be on Melvin and staff. idk how they get Ramos off chasing high hard ones out of zone or help Fitz get on base more to utilize speed. Situational hitting has been very hit and miss, which isn’t surprising–yesterday it was awful (2-11) while Yanks took advantage when they had chances (3-6) with guys on base.
Tremendous grab from Matos at wall, what a play.
Oh yeah Grandson gets Giants on board!
Lee is loving NY.
Lee has pop when that quick swing gets extended!
if Rodon keeps this high fb low slider contrapuntal performance going he may throw a complete game. Hang a few, Carlos.
Lee should be leadoff he’s a natural hitter with his knowledge of the strike zone reminds me of Brett Butler able to get on base setting the table.I don’t see why they don’t put Fitzgerald at the 2 hole to get added speed at the top instead of hitting him 9th..
And yes their to RH heavy and should bring up Wisely and demote Koss headphones, nice story making the club but looks loss at the plate..
As I say that he gets his 1st hit on a charitable call to SS which should of been an error..
Yaha what a shot! Giants lead 4-3.
wow! Lee is on fire.
Lee is loving NY huge.
Hoo Lee!
Hell yeah Lee owns the Yankees and Rodon get his statue erected at the stadium!!
2Bombs and the Giants take the lead 4-3 3 HR’s in the series!!
I bet the Yankees have already sent their first trade proposals for Lee to Posey.
Just my NSHO, but moving guys around lineup/back and forth to Sac was Melvin’s doing, no one else. Soler was brought in to hit middle order and drive in runs, and was laughably bad at it to start season. Hence he was moved to leadoff and started to hit before being dealt to ATL. Estrada (like Ahmed) never hit at all, Flores was hurt like Lee. Once Ramos came up in May he hit well and stayed here. Fitz got nickname here on this blog “fitzfuckup” after getting picked off first and making an error everywhere they played him including CF. When he came back up and settled in at SS he found a groove and got hot at plate.
Matos had one great week and fell apart, and no one could handle CF. Luciano was incapable of playing SS at all and had to go. Schmitt didn’t hit either at first, while Wisely started off hot and stuck around to cover 2b and SS as LH.
so you’re saying they all came better prepared to play together this year? What a concept.
I think experience did young guys some good, but having healthy Lee Flores Wade Jr (rough start so far) and adding a vet like Adames to IF has allowed Melvin to keep set group in there of guys he believes in–fewer holes to plug, unlike 2024. Matos looks so much better…less sure about Fitz. Not lot of young guys hitting right now including Ramos.
Conforto only hit on the road/sucked at the O. Soler was just someone who didn’t work out. Both these guys weren’t bad pickups, just didn’t fit park. Dogs snapped Conforto up right away, and while they spend stupid $$, they aren’t stupid organization.
Willie, have to disagree with ya a bit. I’m pretty sure Zaidi wanted to have the super utility guys, Dubon played all over, Fitz in 2023 played more games in the OF than INF. Villar had stints at IB, 2B, 3rd and P in 2022 and 2023. multiple guys doing the OF 1B shuffle. He picked up Sabol in the rule 5 because he played OF and C and had to keep him on the 25 man roster all year.
He ran through 41 position players in 2023, 46 in 2022 and only 31 in 2021. I’m pretty sure it was Zaidi to have all those moving pieces.
Not trying to make excuses for Melvin I just think Zaidi played with the roster more.
Sure that makes sense. Kinda weird Schmitt might find opening for more PT at 1b.
That’s true and unfortunate for him IMO.
No better example than there of just putting the ball in play with RISP often results in good things happening. Despite slugger Lee’s heroics so far, the Giants aren’t bangers at the plate so they have to score any way they can this season with RISP. Just put the ball in play puts men in motion and the defense under pressure. The Ks have to be kept down…
this ump is gonna screw us yet
I look forward to the automatic umpire taking over next year. Stop these umps from imposing their inconsistencies on the game. I hope it also stops the Kruk pre-game ump breakdowns…
I thought those ST challenge games went very well. I’m all for it.
Agreed. The challenge system they used seems reasonable, worked well, and did not really slow things down much at all. I wish the ball/strike protest could extend to called strikes on check swings — some of the calls on those are horrendously wrong…
Hooge win.
Cool way to end the game, K the Judge ! …
what a perfect pitch to end it! Walker is great.
Walker is the man. Holding my breath for that one
Hell yeah, all sit down! Series win!
Wow Walker closes it out
Great Pitch to get Judge hi Walker, froze him totally!!
Giants take the series!!!Jung Hooligan Lee was incredible in NY!!!
Tyler Rogers 2-2 lollipop 83 mph down the middle thigh high to Jazz Chisholm that was immediately parked into the RF stands was a joke of a pitch.
Take Rogers out of high leverage innings. He should not see the 7th, let alone the 8th. He’s good for mopping up laughers, not much else…
Missed the game, due to unloading the POD shipping container, which arrived yesterday. I guess I should say my “new” friends, whom would not let me help . . . One is a 6’7″ former Chicago Bears player, Levi Horn, and his high school chum, Anthony (who apparently was an outstanding high school and collegiate wrestler . . . played football too). I got connected to both via Mike and Holly (whom is related to Levi). Both of these guys were regaling me with stories about their sports careers and life after football . . . Not bragging at all, just very, very down to Earth. After they left, I read Levi’s bio – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Horn
Most important, they made Michele feel so special, as I told her that 2 very, very big guys were coming over. She asked, “Daddy, are they bigger than you?” lmao . . . I told her much bigger. She was shy at first, but both of them made her feel like the most important person in the world. Anywho, I have about 1, possibly 2 weeks of unpacking boxes on my agenda.
that’s awesome
Yeah Chuck, it was a very nice day with these guys. Time moved quite quickly. We were talking, but I respected their space, particularly Levi . . . However, he’s a quite a jokester and loves talking about football and his life afterwards. Hard to explain, but a very “happy go lucky” guy, yet down to earth. He does volunteer work with native American indians. Afterwards, I had so many football related questions that I wanted to ask, particularly the lifestyle of a Pro football player; but again, in my mind, it would have been crossing a line so to speak. I think Anthony is going to come back to my place (do some work, e.g., finishing nails that were not done well on the garage siding; a kitchen cabinet that needs same; wrap an AC line w/insulation; and, 2-3 vents on the roof that need to be removed, as he is handy with tools). Maybe I will ask a few other questions about Levi. Dunno.
So much for the Dubs. Even if they get thru the playin they have Houston.
shame they choked away so many games.
Yeah, and it wasn’t the kids either. Steph with couple bad turnovers and Dray misses point blank 2 footer at rim that would have tied game. Butler was awesome…more he has ball in his hands the better.
Steph and Dray seemed to make their worst mistakes late in games this season.
hell of a series win in the big city
I still recall the disaster of the 2 Boston and New York series, where Chi and I met up with Mac, Loo, Peter, San Dawg, and a couple of people from Finnertys on the trip. All that was fun, but the Gmen only won 1 game out of 6, if I recall correctly (and we didn’t attend any of them, although San Dawg and his son may have attended a 2nd Yankees game Sunday, where they won. Not certain).
Yeah, pretty sure they got swept in San Diego right before that to start post All-Star game second half.
Ha would be fun to go back and read through those threads if you guys can remember the dates. Pretty cool everyone sorted all the travel and accommodations out.