Category: San Francisco Giants

Seven In The Eighth: Big inning leads Padres past the Giants, 7-4

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

The Giants most excruciating losses in 2022 have come to the Padres. That pattern continued on Monday night.

Jake Cronenworth’s two-run double and Wil Myers’ three-run homer highlighted San Diego’s seven-run, eighth inning that broke up a scoreless ballgame and pushed the Padres past the Giants, 7-4.

The Giants (80-80) fell back to .500 with the loss, and still need one more win to avoid a losing season. The Padres have already punched their post-season ticket but will likely need one more win to clinch the fifth-seed and a trip to either New York or Atlanta to a start a best-of-three, opening round series starting Friday.

The Giants got the best imaginable in their battle with Padres’ starter Joe Musgrove, who threw six, scoreless innings but left with the game scoreless and no opportunity to get an 11th win on the season in his final start. Musgrove allowed two hits and two walks, with the hits coming in the fifth when David Villar and Lamonte Wade Jr. both singled. In four, previous starts against the Giants this season Musgrove allowed four runs in 27 2/3 innings pitched.

“It seemed really easy there for a while. Had really good command of his breaking ball. Good change-up today. Good fastball when he needed it,” manager Bob Melvin said of Musgrove.

The Giants matched Musgrove by getting a scoreless inning from opener John Brebbia followed by five, impressive innings from Sean Hjelle. Shelby Miller pitched a 1-2-3 seventh but fell into trouble in the eighth.

Trent Grisham and Brandon Dixon doubled to start the inning and put the Padres up 1-0. With one out, the Giants opted to put Juan Soto on base with an intentional walk, but Miller went 3-0 on Chris Drury before walking him as well and loading the bases. Jarlin Garcia was summoned by manager Gabe Kapler but he gave up Cronenworth’s double and Myers’ home run.

The Giants rallied in the ninth first with Brandon Crawford’s bases loaded single, then two batters later, Joey Bart’s two-run single. Bart’s hit was just the second time he’s delivered an RBI hit since August 10. Bart’s hit chased Tim Hill, but Josh Hader came on to strike out Austin Slater and induce J.D. Davis to fly out to end the game with the tying run on base.

The Giants will turn to Carlos Rodon on Tuesday in his final start of the season. The Padres have not as of yet named a starting pitcher.

EVAN LONGORIA: The Giants veteran third baseman was placed on the injured list on Monday with a fractured thumb. That ends his season, and begins the speculation as to whether he’ll return to the Giants in 2023.

The Giants hold a team option for Longoria at $13 million. His buyout number is $5 million, and that is the most likely option. But Longoria said his family is open to him continuing his career, and he would consider renegotiating a deal at lower price than $13 million.

“I’m a Giant until I’m not a Giant anymore. I don’t have any desire to go anywhere else. I’m very comfortable here,” Longoria said.

Giants end 2022 home season with 10 inning win over Diamondbacks 4-3

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Arizona (73-86) 3 13 0

San Francisco (80-79) 4 6 1 10 innings

Sunday, October 2, 2022

San Francisco Giants David Villar (middle) gets congratulated by teammates JD Davis (7) and Mike Yastrzemski (5) after getting a tenth inning walk off two RBI single against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun Oct 2, 2022 (@SFGiants photo)

By Lewis Rubman

At first, it was a novelty. Then it was a rarity. Now, for the second day in a row, the Giants played a bullpen game. Yesterday’s wasn’t successful, although opener Scott Alexander handled his five man chore perfectly. It was nominal reliever Jakob Junis and bullpen denizen Jarlín García who opened the floodgates to enable the Diamondbacks deathly offense.

For today, the Giants again chose Alexander to open. Being eliminated from the playoffs means you play spring training games in the fall, so there was nothing to do but relax and enjoy the show.

And what a show it was! The Giants ended up on top of a 4-3 thriller in which they were they got less than half the amount of hit as the visiting snakes. Alexander got through his inning scorelessly but not before giving up a pair of singles. Thomas Szapucki ran into a spot of trouble in the third, but he kept Arizona off the board in his two frames on the mound.

Alex Young followed him in the fourth with another shutout frame in the fourth but faltered in the fifth, yielding a pair of two out doubles to Carston Kelly and Jake McCarthy that allowed the Diamondbacks to score their first run. The always exciting and recently more effective submariner Tyler Rogers came in at that point and got Christian Walker to fly out to end the threat.

Rogers allowed a leadoff double to Josh Rojas in the sixth, but The Curse of the Leadoff Double and a pitcher’s best friend allowed him to escape the consequences of that blow and Corbin Carroll’s infield single. Shelby Miller pitched a perfect seventh in his third big league appearance.

Arizona sent Zach Davies (2-5, 4.18 at game time) to the mound as their starter. The Giants jumped on him for a quick lead in the top of the first. With one out, Wilmer Flores and JD Davis walked, and Joc Pederson’s sharp line drive single to center loaded the bases.

Evan Longoria’s sac fly to left brought Flores home. Brandon Crawford drew a base on balls to clog the base paths with Giants. Then, for some reason, maybe because he’s pretty speedy, Thairo Estrada bunted for a base hit. His speed turned out to be irrelevant; Estrada popped out to the mound.

Davis left the game, trailing 1-0 after five, but escaped with a no decision. He threw 91 pitches, 40 of which were balls. The run he allowed was earned, and he also yielded two hits and five walks. He struck out three and brought his ERA down to 4.09.

Lefty Caleb Smith took over for Davis and pitched a perfect sixth, but Austin Slater, pinch hitting for LaMonte Wade, Jr., led off the seventh, leaning into a 90mph four seamer to send it flying 395 feet into the left center field seats and put San Francisco ahead 2-1.

That advantage was short lived. The oft used John Brebbia started the eighth episode for the hosts, and the visitors put good wood on his offerings. Their most telling blows were McCarthy’s lead off single to right and Rojas’s one out line drive double to right that drove him in with the tying tally. Brebbia escaped unscathed after that, and Camilo Doval threw a perfect ninth.

Kevin Ginkel took care of the Giants with no trouble in the eighth, and Marc Melançon did the same to his erstwhile teammates in the ninth.

The teams went into extras with Jharel Cotton on the mound for San Francisco and Daulton Varsho on second base for the club from Phoenix. Carlson Kelly made an inexplicable bunt attempt that didn’t even advance Varsho, who scored when the next batter, McCarthy singled him home with a line drive to right.

Christian Walker hit a single to third that hit Longoria’s hand, but the veteran third sacker stayed in the game. Things looked bleak for the orange and black when the D’back runners pulled off a double steal. But Cotton buckled down and struck out Rojas and retired Pavin Smith on a fly to center. The inning was over, but Arizona now led 3-2.

They sent Taylor Widener to the mound in the Giants’ half of the tenth. Yaz was the zombie runner. Flores walked. JD Davis filled the bases with an infield single. David Villar ended the suspense (and the Giants’ home season) with a first pitch ground ball single to left.

Cotton got the win. He’s now 4-2, 2.76. Widener took the loss. His record now stands at 0-1, 5.11.

The Giants will play out the string in San Diego. Tomorrow’s game will start at 6:40. Joe Musgrove (10-7, 3.03) will be on the hump for the Padres. The San Francisco brain trust hasn’t yet announced their starter (or opener, as the case may be)

Loss to Arizona eliminates Giants from post season in 8-4 final

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants Mike Yastrzemski heads home after getting congratulations from third base coach Mark Wallberg after hitting home run in the bottom of the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Oct 1, 2022 (AP News photo)

Arizona (73-85). 8. 12. 0

San Francisco (79-79). 4. 8. 1

Saturday, October 1, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–It’s October, but today’s 8-4 Giants’ loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks wasn’t an October Classic. On the contrary, it was an exercise in futility.

The Rattlers sent 5’11”, 170 lb. right handed rookie Drey Jameson to face the Giants in his fourth major league start. He was 2-0, 0.98 in those games, and the deepest he’d gone was the seven innings he hurled in his September 15 debut, and the most pitches he’d thrown was 95 five days later when he beat the Dodgers in Chavez Ravine.

This afternoon showed he’s the real thing. He pitched six innings, yielding two runs, both earned, on six hits, one of which went out of the park, and two walks. He struck out seven, throwing 98 pitche, 65 for strikes, on the way to his third win. His ERA rose to a still better than respectable 1.48.

For the Giants, it was a bullpen game, with 0-0, 1.20 southpaw Scott Alexander as opener for the third time this season. He hung around for an inning and a third, not allowing a hit but having to face four batters because of an error behind him by Thairo Estrada at short.

Jakob Junis took over with no one on and one down in the top of the second and pitched decently but not much better than that.

San Francisco opened the scoring in the bottom of the third. Joey Bart drew a one out, full count walk and moved on to second on what sounded like a broken bat single to center by Joc Pederson. LaMonte Wade, Jr., hard grounder to first took a bad bounce and went for an infield single to fill the bases with Giants.

Estrada grounded to Buddy Kennedy at third, who threw to Josh Rojas at second for the force on Wade, but Estrada beat out the relay to first, driving in Bart with the first run of the game.

They don’t call it Triples Alley for nothing. Christian Walker demonstrated that by walloping Junis’s first offering against the State Farm advertisement in right center field wall and coasting into third with a three bagger.

Josh Rojas plated him with the tying tally on a sac fly to deep center. After Kennedy went down swinging, Arizona resumed its battering of Junis. Corbin Carroll socked a double to right.

Cooper Hummel got the benefit of a semi-intentional walk, and number nine batter Sergio Alcántara sent a sinking liner to left that a diving Jason Vosler couldn’t corral. That brought Carroll and Hummel in with the runs that put the Diamondbacks ahead 3-1.

It was Junis’s fielding rather than his pitching that kept Arizona off the board in the fifth. With runners on the corners and one away, he grabbed Jake McCarthy’s bouncer to the mound and chased Jordan Luplow back to third, tagging him out before closing the frame.

Carroll opened the sixth with a reprise of Alcántara’s double in fourth. But, between Junis’s skill and The Curse of the Leadoff Double, the score remained 3-1.

JD Davis narrowed the gap with two down and the bases empty in the sixth by sending Jameson’s first pitch to him, a 96mph four seamer, into the netting under the batter’s eye, 436 feet deep into centerfield. It was his 12th home run of the year.

The Giants still trailed 3-2 when, after Luplow led off the top of the seventh with a nubber to third that went for a single, Jarlín García relieved Junis, who had gone 4-2/3 innings and allowed three runs and soon would be charged with a posthumous fourth tally, all earned, on eight hits and two walks He threw 83 pitches, 55 for strikes and two walks. He would be charged with his seventh loss of the year against five wins while his ERA rose to 4.42.

The bottom fell out for the Giants with García on the mound. Luplow scored on McCarthy’s single to left. A double by Walker, a single by Rojas, a walk to Kennedy, a sac fly by Hummel, and Alcántara’s double made the score 8-2 in favor of the visitors, who had batted around as they battered their hosts.

Kevin Ginkel took over for Jameson after his long rest on the bench while his teammates took care of business.

Needless to say, García didn’t come out to pitch the eighth. That task fell to Junior Marte, who set the side down in order. Except for a leadoff walk, he did the same in the top of the ninth.

One time Giant Mark Melançon got his first two men out in the eighth, but the 90mph cut fastball he threw to Yaz touched down in McCovey Cove to cut the Rattlers’ lead to five runs. That made 17 homers and. 55 RBIs for Yastrzemski’s disappointing season.

Reyes Moronta pitched a sloppy bottom of the ninth, in which he allowed a run on a single to Austin Slater, who advanced to second on defensive indifference and to third on a wild pitch before Ford Proctor drove him in with a sacrifice fly to left, giving the Giants a small fig leaf as they scored their fourth run against Arizona’s eight.

With this loss, the orange and black were mathematically eliminated from postseason competition.

The Giants close their home season tomorrow afternoon at 1:05. Arizona will send Zach Davies (2-5, 4.18) to the mound. San Francisco’s starter is yet to be named

Ford’s Drive: Rookie’s grand slam propels Giants to 6-4 win over the Rockies

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Improbably, the Giants avoided post-season elimination for the second night in a row.

While the Giants drubbed the Rockies for a team-record eighth, consecutive time, winning 6-4, the Phillies lost to the Cubs, and Brewers lost at home the Marlins.

Of the 18 clubs that will be parked in front of their TV screens when the playoffs commence on October 7, 15 have already ordered food from their preferred, delivery service. The Giants aren’t one of them, and that’s a good thing. Officially, they’re still battling.

“We’ve still got a chance, I guess,” Carlos Rodon said. “A lot of things have got to go our way, but all we can control is us winning.”

An upbeat, engaged Rodon maybe as valuable to the Giants as any late-season surge. In winning for the 14th time as a Giant, Rodon was flawless, allowing two hits and striking out 10 in six, scoreless innings of work. With each impressive outing, it becomes more and more apparent that the Giants will want to consummate a long-term deal with Rodon, and make him the most, prominent free agent signing in the Farhan Zaidi era, pending Aaron Judge’s decision, of course.

While the Rockies started six rookies on Thursday night, making Rodon’s path less Rockie, the Giants started one, Ford Proctor, who essentially won the game. Proctor’s second inning, grand slam off Ross Feltner increased the Giants lead to 5-0 and erased whatever doubt regarding the game’s outcome early. Proctor, who started his trip around the bases in a reserved manner was an absolute teenager with a huge smile on his face when he crossed the plate, in celebration of his first Major League home run.

“The fastest I’ve ever run around the bases, I know that,” Proctor said. “This past week has been a whirlwind. Just trying to take it all in and enjoy it.”

Kelly Tomlinson was the last Giant to have his first home also be a grand slam in 2015, and Brandon Crawford also achieved the feat in 2011, when his slam was also his first Major League hit.

Eight different Giants had at least one hit in the ballgame including pinch-hitter Austin Slater, who doubled and later scored in the seventh.

Very little went wrong for the Giants individually or collectively until the ninth inning when Jharell Cotton fell into trouble in his third inning of relief. Yonathon Daza and Alan Trejo singled to open the inning, giving Colorado runners at first and third. With one out, C.J. Cron’s sacrifice fly scored Daza with the Rockies’ first run.

That flurry forced Gabe Kapler into his bullpen and Sean Bouchard greeted John Brebbia with a two-run homer off Brebbia’s first pitch. Two batters later, Elehuris Montero tripled home Michael Toglia and the Giants’ lead was trimmed to 6-4.

Camilo Doval came on to face Ezequiel Tovar as the tying run and Doval retired Tovar to end the game.

The Giants welcome Arizona to Oracle Park for their final, three home games starting Friday night. Alex Cobb will face the Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly in the opener.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Daniel Dullum: Giants couldn’t convert 107 win 2021 season to a playoff team this year

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Daniel Dullum takes a look San Francisco Giant catcher Joey Bart and other Giants as to their progress and their season. Here Bart slugs a two run home run at Wrigley Field in Chicago in the top of the second inning against the Chicago Cubs on Sat Sep 10, 2022 (AP News photo)

On SF Giants podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel, just to review a bit as the season winds down the Giants Joey Bart hit .217, 31 runs, 53 hits, and 11 home runs and 23 RBIs. He did get sent down during the season to fix his hitting and also got a concussion when he was hit by a foul tip. How did you see his performance this season?

#2 How much did Brandon Belt’s absence impact the Giants. Belt had knee surgery that forced him out for the rest of season. How much was he missed from the line up?

#3 Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford is really impressed by the job that Thairo Estrada did at second base.

#4 Crawford himself had a nice season on defense making barehanded plays on choppers, making a diving back hand play and throwing off his right knee to get the force play to mention a few of his fine defensive highlights.

#5 Daniel, taking a look at tonight’s starting pitchers for the Rockies righthander Ryan Feltner (3-8, 5.91) and starting for the Giants Carlos Rodon (13-8, 2.98) a 6:45pm PDT first pitch.

Join Daniel for the Giants podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Not Mailing It In: Giants top the Rockies 6-3 to avoid post-season elimination

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The streaking Giants aren’t just winning games, they’re also setting the table for 2023.

When the off-season’s as anticipated as the Giants, consider it a win-win.

Four different Giants, including rookie Ford Proctor, had run-scoring hits in a 6-3 win over the Rockies on Wednesday night. The Giants have won 8 of 9 and still have (slim) post-season possibilities with seven games remaining in the season.

The Giants trail the sixth-seeded Phillies by 6 1/2 games, and would have to leapfrog the Brewers as well in an almost impossible finish, but the door’s open as is the possibility they could finish .500 or better with their record at 77-78.

It’s been more than a month since the Giants have held a non-losing record with that being on August 23, after they beat the Tigers in Detroit to get to 61-61.

The Giants fashioned a bullpen game gem, starting with John Brebbia pitching a scoreless first inning for the ninth, straight time in his sometimes role as the opener. Sean Hjelle followed with four innings of two-hit ball after being recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Sacramento as the corresponding move to Jarlin Garcia being placed on the paternity list.

That performance earned Hjelle his first Major League win and a sticky, concoction celebration from his teammates.

“I think there was one beer mixed in there, too,” Hjelle said of what substances where poured on his head in the clubhouse. “It was great. I’m gonna feel gross for a couple of days.”

The 31-year old Shelby Miller was the other Giant to throw multiple innings, pitching the sixth and seventh. He was sharp, starting all six batters he faced with a strike and fanning five.

“He’s getting opposing hitters comfortable looking for a slider and then delivering a really quality strike with his fastball,” manager Gabe Kapler said of Miller.

Tyler Rogers and Yunior Marte also pitched an inning as the Giants held the Rockies to just four hits. The evening served as another hint that the answers to the team’s bullpen woes could be already in the clubhouse. In the last three weeks, Scott Alexander, Alex Young and Miller have been impressive while Brebbia and Camilo Doval have continued their outstanding seasons.

The Giants scored three runs in the first off Colorado’s Jose Urena, who gave up four hits, four walks and took the loss. The Rockies narrowed the deficit to 3-2 on Alan Trejo’s solo shot in the fifth. But the Giants responded, scoring three times in the sixth. Proctor’s first big league RBI came on a sacrifice fly scoring David Villar. Joc Pederson’s two-run triple later in the inning finished the scoring for the Giants.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Pederson looking forward to working hard and coming back next season; plus more Giant profiles

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants Joc Pederson is congratulated after scoring a second inning run by teammates in the Giants dugout at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Sat Sep 10, 2022. Pederson said during the post game presser. Pederson said he looks forward to returning next season. (AP News file photo)

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 Giants outfielder Joc Pederson said “your either in the playoffs or your not and when your in the playoffs anything could happen.” Pederson was not with the team last season when they won 107 games but how disappointing has it got to for Pederson not be on a playoff team this season.

#2 Pederson who hit a homer on Tuesday night said he got under the pitch and it just got out. Pederson said it got out because he’s pretty strong.

#3 Pederson said in the post game show Tuesday that he enjoyed the 2022 season being with the Giants and won’t see this same group together again.

#4 Pederson also said that with the last six games left he could look forward to coming back next season work hard and find a way to get back in the playoffs.

#5 Michael, Thursday’s starters for the Rockies Ryan Feltner right hander (3-8, 5.91) and for the Giants Carlos Rodon (13-8, 2.98) a 6:45p PDT first pitch at Oracle Park.

Join Michael Duca for the Giants podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants get three run win 5-2 past Rockies to open 3 game series; Webb strikes out seven hitters

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb delivers the first pitch of the game to Colorado Rockies in the top of the first inning at Oracle Field in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Colorado (65-89). 2. 8. 0

San Francisco (76-78). 5. 9. 0

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Baseball presents many interesting ethical questions. Take gambling, for instance. Pete Rose was banished from organized ball for betting on his own team to win but not for deliberately maiming Ray Fosse in an all star game, basically an exhibition game.

Yet today you can place a bet online in major league stadiums where state law permits it, and a team that bills itself as “Rooted in Oakland” is threatening, with MLB’s blessing, to pull up its roots and move to Las Vegas.

Teams aren’t supposed to cheat, but it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between sportsmanship and gamesmanship. No one was punished for the New York Giants’ sign stealing spree of August and September, but Houston’s 2019 malfeasance cost the entire coaching staff their jobs.

Catchers are praised for their ability to “frame” a pitch. Teams are supposed to do all that they can to win every game they play, but it’s perfectly legitimate to have an ace pitcher skip his turn so that he can be used against a more powerful opponent.

Baseball’s unwritten rules even mandate going easy on a moribund opponent. And then, there’s the draft. If a few teams with no playoff hopes face each other near the end of the season, why should they knock themselves out to win when all they would get from it is a lower draft choice?

This last question arises because Your San Francisco Giants (75-78 at game time) were facing the 65-88 Colorado Rockies tonight. The teams aren’t immediate rivals for the number one draft pick, but a win wouldn’t benefit either organization’s plans for its future personnel.

The game, a 5-2 win for San Francisco was a hard fought contest that went down to the wire without being affected in spite of the ambivalence of its results.

The Giants sent Logan Webb with his 14-9, 2.93 record to the mound, and the Rockies countered with Germán Márquez (8-12, 5.15). Both of them are right handers. When they finished their work for the evening, Logan was the winning pitcher, 2.90. Márquez was charged with the loss and ended up at 8-13,5.12

The Giants’ righty got off to a rocky start but settled down as the game advanced. He lasted only five innings but held the Rox to a single tally, which was earned, on five hits, three of them in the first inning. He walked one and threw 78 pitches, 27 of which were balls.

Colorado’s Márquez lasted five frames, in which he yielded three runs, all earned, on six hits, two for the distance, a walk, and a wild pitch. 57 of his 91 offerings counted as strikes.

The Rockies jumped ahead early, forcing Logan to throw 27 pitches to the six batters he faced in the first. They were able to convert singles by RyanMcMahon, CJ Cron, and Charlie Blackmon into a run.

The home team gave as good as it got, going ahead in the bottom of the frame. Joc Pederson slammed Márquez’s first offering 390 feet to dead center field for his 23rd homerun and 67th RBI of the year.

Thairo Estrada followed with a hard grounder to short that got past Ezequiel Tovar and could have been ruled an error, but it. went into the record as a double. Estrada advanced to third on Wilmer Flores’s foul fly to right (great catch by Michael Toglia) and scored on Mike Yastrsemski’s sac fly to medium deep center field.

JD Davis took Márques deep, 434 feet deep to be precise, over the Visa advertisement in right enter field to put SF up 3-1 with his 11 dinger of the season.It came on an 0-1 pitch that if it weren’t a hung slider when ite reached the plate, sure was one when Davis hung it out to dry.

The Giants still were leading 3-1 when Tyler Rogers came out of the bullpen to face the Blake Street Bombers in the top of the sixth. The high spin right handed submariner set them down in order and stuck around for the seventh, in which he allowed a single and nothing else.

Jake Bird took over for Márquez for the home seventh and wasn’t as successful as Rogers. The Rockies’ righty gave up a single to Joey Bart, followed by Pederson’s hard liner down the first base line that hit the bag and went into right field for a run-scoring triple. Pederson then came home on Estrada’s single to right.

Southpaw Scott Alexander pitched the top of the eighth for SF and retired the Rockies to a conga beat.

It was Gavin Hollowell on the mound for the Rox in the home eighth. All the Giants got off him was a base on balls to Crawford.

And then it was Camilo Doval, on the hump, hoping to seal the deal. Charlie Blackmon led off with a slow grounder to third. Jason Vosler made a fine backhanded catch of it behind the bag, but his throw ws nowhere near in time to nab Blackmon, who arrived at first, credlited, correctly, with a base hit.

Díaz got a four pitch free pass. Toglia grounded out two to first, moving both runners up a base, and a walk to Sean Bouchard loaded the bases, putting Ezequiel Tovar up as the potential tying run.

Doval whiffed him on a slider, Alan Trejo now in the game as second baseman and batting ninth, singled to left, which plated Blackmon and narrowed the gap between the teams to 5-2. The count went to 2-2 on McMahon before he went down swinging at a 102 mph cut fastball.

José Ureña (3-7, 5.34) will be on the mound for Colorado at 6:45 tomorrow evening. The Giants. haven’t yet announced who will be their starter.

The Way-Too-Early 2023 NL West Power Rankings: The Giants need to retool

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

At 27-40 with all nine remaining games to be played, the Giants’ answer to the question, “How the West was lost?” lies squarely with divisional play.

The first-place Dodgers lit up the Giants, winning 15 of 19, the first time LA has beaten the Giants as many as 15 times in a season. The second-place Padres have won 11 of 16, with a couple of the losses delivered in excruciating fashion. And Arizona leads the season series between the clubs 9-7 with three games remaining.

Only the Rockies have felt the Giants impose their will, dropping 11 of 16 to San Francisco with three games left to play. The .402 winning percentage in divisional play, if it stands, will be one of its worst since divisional play commenced in 1969.

So what does this mean for next season, one in which divisional play will be reduced by 24 games, and interleague play expanded?

Who knows? But we’ll pretend to know anyways with our Way-To-Early 2023 NL West power rankings.

1) Los Angeles Dodgers: Count on it, the Dodgers unprecedented divisional dominance will extend into a second decade as they again finish first in the NL West in 2023. Start with the imposing top of the lineup trio of Trea Turner, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman and go from there. The Dodgers undoubtedly will open the bank account for Turner, the 29-year old free agent to be, who will be their foremost, off-season priority. Max Muncy will also likely return on the team’s option to retain him. That leaves Justin Turner as the guy who status is up in the air.

Add in the youthful crew of Gavin Lux, Trayce Thompson, James Outman along with pitchers Walker Buehler, Julio Urias and Dustin May and just know the Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches.

2) San Diego Padres: San Diego’s biggest nightmare–the PED suspension of Fernando Tatis Jr.–will negatively impact next season as well, with the ban stretching across the first 30 games of 2023.

Along with that, the Padres have played losing baseball since June 23 (34-39) dating well before the trade deadline acquisition of Juan Soto and Tatis’ suspension. The Dodgers have had their way with their Southern California rivals, beating them 12 times, nine of those by five runs or more.

The Padres look set for the 2022 playoffs barring a collapse, but they could face the Braves in the opening round without the benefit of a home game to energize their fans, who have filled Petco Park this season in record numbers.

So what’s next?

The Padres don’t seem likely to unleash another round of spending heading into next season, but they will face tough decisions in regards to how to improve a rotation that has seen Mike Clevinger and Blake Snell regress. Also their bullpen with Josh Hader’s arrival hasn’t been as good as they were in 2021. Still, the Padres should be a second place, playoff contender in 2023.

3) San Francisco Giants: The Giants will undoubtedly make the most personnel decisions among NL West teams in the off-season. Will they also make the biggest decisions?

The Giants are one of the teams that will be involved in the Aaron Judge sweepstakes, a big money game if there ever was one. Can they win it? The odds have to be as little as 20 percent that they can, but if so, they’ll lean heavily on Judge’s ties to Northern California and his opportunity to play in low scoring, competitive games where home runs are essential.

Regardless of Judge’s decision the Giants must first decide on Carlos Rodon’s future and the wisdom of handing the strikeout king a four-year extension that would bring the total of his deal near $100 million. If so, the Giants would be set in their rotation with a 1-2 punch of Rodon and Logan Webb.

Beyond that the team has intriguing decisions regarding Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt (UFA), Mike Yastrzemski and Lamonte Wade Jr. But the biggest choices will be to improve the bullpen that fell dramatically from the top of the 2021 NL rankings.

Whatever transpires, the goal is getting the Giants back into the postseason mix.

4) Arizona Diamondbacks: The D’Backs keep spending money, the D’Backs keep adding pieces, and they have stability in manager Torey Luvullo.

When will it add up?

Arizona’s last playoff appearance was in 2017. The last time they won a playoff game was in 2011. Since winning the World Series in 2001, they’ve won two playoff games while cycling through five, different managers. What they have done in the last 20 years is make a number of splashy free agent signings (Shelby Miller, Madison Bumgarner, Justin Upton) and not seen much in terms of results.

Ok, what’s next?

Stay the course. Christian Walker’s elevated his game, becoming one of the NL’s premiere sluggers in 2022 with 36 homers thus far, Daulton Varsho’s come up with 50 extra-base hits this season, and Ketel Marte (56 extra-base hits) was good, and could easily regain the form of his previous, two seasons. Stone Garrett, a promising prospect that got stuck in the minors, could be ready to become an every day outfielder. They have a core offensively.

Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen–a pair of starting pitchers that the Giants know all too well–are frontline starters and the centerpieces of a plus, starting rotation. Both Kelly and Gallen are signed through the next, couple of seasons.

The Diamondbacks have to get younger, and better in their bullpen and make a tough decision regarding the future of 32-year old Nick Ahmed.

Do they go out and spend a pricey addition again? Maybe not, and if not, that’s the good news.

5) Colorado Rockies: Will the Rox say adieu to manager Bud Black? Will they realize the production they sought by signing free agent slugger Kris Bryant? Can heralded starter German Marquez regain his form, and get his ERA under five?

That’s a lot of questions, and there are more in Denver. Until some or all are answered, the Rockies will carry up the rear in a very, demanding division.

Longoria pinch-single sparks Giants to 3-2 win over Diamondbacks

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants third base coach Mark Hallberg, left, congratulates Ford Proctor, right, after Proctor picked up his first Major League hit at Chase Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the top of the seventh inning on Sun Sep 25, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Sunday, September 25, 2022

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Even with their postseason hopes all but fading, the San Francisco Giants put together a solid weekend in the Valley of the Sun, taking two of three games from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Evan Longoria’s pinch-hit single in the top of the eighth inning provided the go-ahead runs in the Giants’ 3-2 win Sunday.

The Giants have won six of their last seven games, and need to go 6-3 over their final nine games to reach .500.

“’I’m proud of the way the guys have prepared throughout this road trip,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “When you get towards the end of the year, it’s been a long season, and a lot of the guys are tired. But the preparation has been excellent, These guys are getting ready for games in the right way with a lot of good game-planning going on.

“We just want to see improvement through these stretches. It’s been a positive road trip in that regard.”

Longoria added, “Obviously, we need a miracle to make the playoffs, but our message has been pretty consistent throughout this month – we need to play hard and for a lot of guys in this room, there’s a lot to play for in terms of a job next year, contract money, whatever it is.

“We preach to go out there and find something every night, and that usually translates into good games and winning.”

Winning pitcher Jakob Junis (5-6) threw 83 pitches in 5 1/3 innings of a bullpen game for the Giants, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. Camilo Doval gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth, but struck out Corbin Carroll for the final out, earning his 26th save.

In the Giants’ eighth, Brandon Crawford singled and Jason Vosler drew a one-out walk; both runners moved up on a passed ball charged to Arizona catcher Cooper Hummel before Austin Wynns walked to load the bases.

After Evan Longoria was announced as a pinch-hitter, D-Backs reliever Reyes Moronta replaced Luis Frias (1-1). Longoria delivered a single to left, driving in Crawford and Vosler with the go-ahead runs.

“We depend on (Longoria) in those big moments,” Kapler said. “He had good swings, he’s got plenty of bat speed left, and he knows what to do in those situations.”

J.D. Davis, who went 4-for-5, added a solo home run into the right-center field swimming pool off Diamondbacks reliever Mark Melancon in the top of the ninth, his 10th of the season, extending the San Francisco lead to 3-1.

“If J.D. doesn’t have the most power on the team, he’s right there with everybody,” Kapler said. “He’s locked in right now. We don’t make too much of the hot-hitter thing, but he came through against a pitcher that was throwing really hard.”

The Diamondbacks cut the San Francisco lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly to right by Pavin Smith, driving in Christian Walker, who led off the inning with a double.

Arizona threatened in the eighth when, with two out, Ketel Marte singled and Daulton Varsho walked. After Marte and Varsho advanced on a double-steal, Stone Garrett grounded out to second.

The Diamondbacks pushed a run across in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie. Sergio Alcantara hit into a fielder’s choice and scored from first on Smith’s double to right.

San Francisco loaded the bases with two out in the top of the seventh, but came up empty. Ford Proctor and Thairo Estrada singled and Mike Yastrzemski drew a walk, prompting the Diamondbacks to replace Kevin Ginkel on the mound with Frias. Davis lined out to Alcantara at shortstop to end the threat.

Proctor’s single was his first major league hit.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Proctor said. “That’s a moment you always dream of. I just wanted to see a bunch of pitches to help me settle in, and just remember that it’s the same game, to step back and breathe a little bit.

“I had my family there, I’m very thankful for them, and so blessed that they could make it out.”

“One of the tougher decisions of the day is whether to start Proctor or Longoria,” Kapler said. “You want to give Proctor a chance to get his first major league hit and contribute like he did today.”

San Francisco opener Scott Alexander gave up one hit in a scoreless first inning. Jarlin Garcia worked 1 2/3 hitless innings with two strikeouts, followed by Junis and Doval.

Arizona starter Drey Jameson scattered five hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and three walks and a hit batter.

The Giants won despite stranding 12 baserunners.

GIANTS JOTTINGS: After taking Monday off, the Giants return home for a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies starting on Tuesday. RHP Logan Webb (14-9, 2.93) will start the first game and Carlos Rodón (13-8, 2.98) is slated to start the third game. Wednesday’s starter has yet to be determined. … Announced attendance for the D-Backs’ final home game of the season was 25,389.