When A Loss Makes No Sound
I watched that loss on the Score app on my phone. No sound. No video. Just green and red dots sprinkling the screen around a pretend strike zone with the run total for Pittsburgh clicking upward one by one. After Bart won it I just quietly put the phone down. Why can’t we find a pitcher who can actually close a game successfully? And don’t fucking say “We had Doval” he was one of the worst we’ve ever had in terms of fucking shit to hell on the reg.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Here’s a general theory…
There’s nothing special about a guy throwing 100 mph anymore so you need a guy who has at least another really good pitch or two and maybe some intangible thing that makes him consistently successful. Hard to find…
I look forward to the special theory to follow. On your general: I’d say Walker had it then lost it and now half has it again. RR? Not quite.
It’s gonna have to come from someone else, Xoot. That’s all I got…
Randy R. reminds me a bit of Felix R., 2002 World Series, you just knew something bad was going to happen in that game 6 as he kept slinging straight fast ball after straight fast ball, not enough effective pitches.. I haven’t seen enough of RR’s off speed stuff to know if it’s good, but his speed stuff looks fast but also a little too straight…
Slider was all over the place last night, way wide to RHs or up and hittable. He shook Bailey off to throw it couple times too. Verlander got Bart out with 98 fastball… idk why R Rod couldn’t. he’s been getting most other hitters out with it too. But until he has another pitch that’s all he’s got.
Slusser and Baggs both cited same stat: Verlander has 10 starts where he’s gone at least 5 and allowed 2 runs or less. Giants are 1-9.
Last night was microcosm of 2025 Giants. Some good, some bad. Excluding 12-4 start to season, an imperfect team whose flaws are exposed at inopportune times.
Veterans who play up to their expectations at times then wander through periods of drought – Devers, Adames, Chapman, Flores, even Webb. Youth who show promise and hope but then remind us of their inexperience – Lee, Ramos, Schmitt, Rodriguez, Bailey, Roupp.
Probably no immediate panacea. But given age of position players plus Ray and Webb, Giants window is likely in next 2-4 years max (at least with current roster) so ongoing moves by Posey and Minasian over next couple years crucial. Hope I’m proven wrong this year or next but to me it’s about 2027 and 2028.
RR really could use a 3rd pitch to go along with his 4seam fastball &slider just to give a different visual effect on players only looking on those 2 pitches.Granted his stuff plays and he’s overall consistent, a 3rd pitch( more developed during offseason)would be a huge asset.A breaking ball,Marino Rivera patented cutter I jest would be great.. But still I’ll take his consistency over brainless Doval any time.
Mentally a closer and it’s tough ,has to ultimately match an opponent’s last AB when their really grinding hard to stay in it down 1-2 runs..RR was an A/S for a reason all opponents and managers knew how good he is, I’m not worried about him at all..just work on a 3rd pitch to change a hitters sight line..
Why not just flip the whole fuckin thing? Use your relief pitchers early and bring your starters in mid-game? What’s the fuckin difference anymore?
The baseball data dudes want more fans like you!
Rodriquez was perfect for half a season. Reality is simply catching up.
The Giants pitching numbers were declining in June, lousy in July, and are worse in August so far.
The overall pitching must be better than it used to be because when I was a kid most every team had two or three .300 + hitters or close to it. IIRC the Goose and a few other relievers relied on their fastballs. I wonder how Stu Miller would be in today’s game. I still hate Ron Peranoski(sp).
A closer can get away with a fastball and an out pitch if the out pitch is just devastating and looks like a strike until it isn’t, which is too late for the batter to check swing. Rivera had the cutter. Sutter had the forkball/split finger. Hoffmann had the change up. RR doesn’t have the devastating out pitch, yet, maybe never. For now, predictability is the problem as his arm tires late in the season. He needs a passable third pitch to at least show — change the hitter’s sight lines and take the hitter off from sitting on the high 98 mph heater and 91 mph slider off the plate. Whisenhunt has the same problem — he needs to sharpen up a breaking ball option — maybe just a cutter — to break up his fastball/change up combo. Jayson Schmidt did very well with that combo because his change up was pretty devastating with movement and his motion was near undetectable from fastball motion. But, even he threw a decent breaking ball once in a while…
Command was his issue last night. Sliders were up and hittable over the plate instead of down to RHs or way off the plate for easy takes. Tried to jam Suwinski with fastball and hit him instead. He wound up scoring the game winning run eventually.
Pitchers make adjustments and change grips on pitches all the time. R Rod has been fine most of the season.
So you’re saying he doesn’t need a third pitch.
Romo splits 2015 vs. RHs: 25-147 .170 BA 2 BBs 64 Ks.
I’d like to see that Drew Gilbert kid in call ups, if not sooner. 1030 minor league ABs, looks like over 400 at AAA. 44 HRS. K rate about 20% overall. .814 minors OPS. Has good speed, vids show quick bat, can go oppo field. Supposedly good glove in any OF position. LH bat. With McCray striking out at a horrendous 34% over his entire minor/major league career (2218 ABs), I don’t see that improving. I’d really like to see this ex-Met farm hand get a shot ASAP in the OF…
Jerar gets the RF start. Koss, 2B (w Webb on the mound, DPs are advisable).
RR started the season with a negative fip and a near zero era. He’s no longer so effective four months later. Duh. Parse it all you want. Verlander is the only Giants pitcher who has improved. Now he’s a very good five, for the time being. Ray is fine. Otherwise, the staff is in apparent disarray. No wonder they’ve won only five games since July 9. (@codify baseball posted a list earlier today with SF way down at the bottom with that number.).
meanwhile home attendance is chugging along at a very respectable 36K per game. And KNBR is fading fast. It’s essentially worthless. I get the feeling times have changed.
Jesus! 5 wins since 7/9?
That’s disastrous.
Thing is, its gonna keep going down this path. No consistent hitting and now the pitching is weakened by the trades and the wobbling of the starters.
Oh well. One more month till football!
Oh yeah. the entire 49er team is already on the IR.
There’s something unique about the ninth inning closer job. It’s hard to put the opposing team away. Their survival instinct kicks in.
Another dildo was tossed onto the court of a WNBA game. Players are asking fans to not do that. It could cause an injury. Everything’s funny until someone sprains an ankle on a dildo.
assault and battery as it were. Dust for fingerprints and prosecute to the hilt.
Tuesday afternoon
I’m just beginning to see
Now I’m on my way
It doesn’t matter to me
Chasing the dildos away
Currently the Fever have the #5 playoff spot, and the Valkyries are at #8. It will be a big challenge for the Vals to hold off the Sparks and the Mystics, two teams that seem poised to make a run at a playoff spot.
If the Vals’ head coach doesn’t get the coach of the year award, that will be absurd.
Zum I like her but I don’t like her 5 out offense. she seems OK to let everyone shoot as many 3s as they want, and they are terrible at it, among worst in League. she complains about difference in FTs in games they have lost but she doesn’t have players who will drive to the rim and can finish through contact, especially since Thornton is out with knee injury.
I had convo with mentor coach friend about team I was coaching looking for tips about offense, and he asked me what I was running. when I told him, first thing he said was, “What are you getting out of it? ” That’s what I would ask Nakase given the chance.
And kudos to Channel 31 in Sacramento, a local channel in the Central Valley, for showing Vals games this season. That’s how you help build a big fan-base, if your team doesn’t have Caitlin Clark. The Vals fan-base goes beyond the Bay Area because of Channel 31.
Speaking of broadcasting, here’s a cheer for the great Lon Simmons. He set a standard for what we expect from Giants broadcasters. We expect quality.
The A’s had the hideous awful Monte Moore during their three-peat. That’s a pity.
Later they had the great Bill King, and even Lon for a few years. That was a golden era for A’s broadcasting.
King is my pick for best radio basketball play-by-play broadcaster of all time. That’s a difficult sport to broadcast on radio, and King made it work well. Papa was good, too. I’m not too keen on Fitzgerald, although he’s the TV guy now.
Giants have a pitcher at Sac from the Taylor Rodgers trade off-season from Guardians named Braxton Roby I would easily like to see him pitch over “Gopher Ball I Seymour Neck Strain Turn from Carson” already 5 HR’s in 10 -11 innings?complete garbage!
Roby has been real solid at Sac ,stingy on walks,hits allowed, 30 innings pitched No HR’s, 56 K’s a fireballer this BP could certainly use over a HR Machine in Seymour, he couldn’t be worse imo..
The survival instinct may kick in, but death seems nearly inevitable:
One study of eighth- and ninth-inning leads (from Baseball‑Reference Blog, data through 2007) found that around 2.5% of 9th-inning leads became actual losses within that inning, and an additional ~4.1% turned ties at the end of 9 innings—summing to about 6.6% of all leads entering the 9th being “blown” at that point . While this is historical, it provides a baseline: blown 9th-inning save chances are far less common than all-inning blown saves (which average ~30–35%).
from a quick ChatGPT query.
I was always foggy on how a blown save is charged. Technically, any reliever who enters the game with a lead of 3 or less runs is eligible for a save, right? But only one save can be awarded per game, yet numerous relievers can be charged with a BS in a single game. Then there’s the inane HOLD stat – even dumber. In Ball Four (55 years ago) Bouton said baseball was a game “choked by statistics.” IDK what I’m trying to say…
I rewatched “The Long Goodbye” a couple nights ago. I’d completely forgotten that Bouton does a nice turn as Philip Marlowe’s sleazy friend. His hair is certainly excellent.
hooray for Hollywood!
always reminds me of the hamaca I used for a few months winter of 77-78 in Chiapas.
https://share.google/1PqSpZVoNk1z0Lyjj
Am I the only one who missed this last season?
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bakerda02.shtml
The exit velocities on his 7 hits must have been historically anemic.
We should have ponied up to send Mac to Pittsburgh.
There’s still time!
As Dom stepped up to the plate with one out in the 2nd, Ritzo actually said “Giants looking for their first hit”…
Flaco Koss unloads!
Koss surprises.
No doubter from Koss
Koss, gets a lot of leverage from that skinny/wiry body of his.
Burrows going to be pfffttt after the 3rd (60 pitches already).
Webbie is due a good game.
I guess that counts as a shutdown inning for Webb these days.
the Oaxaca Wonder! what a bomb.
Beer bong.
Moonshot Jerar!
The Wahaka Wonder!!!
Los Guerreros de Oaxaca — beisbol!
Wow Jerar got run back in a hurry.
Jerar gets to play once a week or less (less than 25 ABs for the season), so difficult for him to make an impression. Feel bad for him getting injured in Spring Training, as I thought the club’s plan for him was to give him significantly more playing time early this season.
slusser said he put in the max rehab time at sac to work on his timing. He may get a good shot now.
Hope so. Love the guys that grind to keep their dream alive. Him going to Mexico to play the game, along with what you said about rehabbing his injury – shows his perserverence to succeed at all costs and odds.
Speaking of Sac, Gilbert is 4-10 with 3 BBs 1 SB/1K.
Baseball been bery bery good. To me.
– Chico Escuela
Pham fucked that up hilariously!
86 pitches for Webb????
I guess I’m behind but just saw the throw from Pham!
Hey now. I feel like we need 7 runs to make me feel good.
Not absolutely certain, but I think my 8 year old daughter throws better.
Pittsburgh fans collectively thinking, “A few more weeks until Steelers 1st NFL game.”
boom boom!
Whoa!!!
Loving all the HRs but would like to see some small-ball conga line action too.
Agreed,
Adames makes up for bases-loaded DP.
Hmm…I have seen this before. Like last night?
Adames goes yard.
Giants must have gone to Primanti Bros. and got homer sandwiches…
Now that’s a shutdown inning.
Nice bounce back after tough L last night. 8-1 top 6.
Where are you sitting Mac?
Not there. Might’ve made the trip if they hadn’t fallen apart.
Well looks like you’re doing your magic all the way from NJ then.
Yaz who ?
Not a bad play off the corner wall by Jerar, strong throw.
Adames takes over team rbi lead with 61. 37 on road, as are 12 of 18 HRs.
Eric Davis was such cool player.
If they were still in the race, missing Skenes twice would be a big deal…
Stranger things have happened.
The Giants beat the Pirates! The Giants beat the Pirates!
And dats a win.
Yanks have lost 4 in a row and trail Rangers 2-0 in 8th.
Mets lost again tonight, as Tyler Rogers gave up 3 hits HBP and run in 7th on hit by Steven Kwan that cost them 3-2.
tough times (great song by John Brim) in Apple.