Category: San Francisco Giants

Kapler validating MOY honors

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San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler looks for some skin after Luis Gonzalez slugged a go ahead home run in the top of the ninth against the Milwaukee Brewers on Mon Apr 25, 2022 at Miller Park in Milwaukee. Kapler was the National League Manager of the Year for 2021 (AP News file photo)

By Jeremy Harness

SAN FRANCISCO – You see it all the time in sports. Star players of successful teams either get traded or simply walk away as free agents, and those teams often experience a drop-off. It’s a major factor of the ebbs and flows of a pro sports franchise, and it all just comes with the territory.

There are exceptions to the rule, of course. Over the course of the past 20 years, head coach Bill Belichick has guided the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl wins and only missed the playoffs three times in that span, despite losing key players along the way.

Belichick and his staff implemented what is called “The Patriot Way,” a culture that has pointed the way for a countless number of unheralded players to rise to the occasion and fill key roles that had previously been vacated.

It may be too early to tell, but thus far, Giants manager Gabe Kapler appears to have his squad on a similar path.

There was plenty of speculation when Kapler took over for the retired Bruce Bochy in 2020, especially considering his firing as the Phillies’ skipper the year before and that he was stepping in for a legend who had guided the Giants to three World Series titles.

After just missing the playoffs in a pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Giants won a franchise-record 107 games in 2021 with a roster mostly made of relative unknowns – with the exception of mid-season trade acquisition Kris Bryant, shortstop Brandon Crawford and the recently-retired Buster Posey – and came within a game of reaching the NLCS before falling to the hated Los Angeles Dodgers.

As a result of that run, Kapler was named the National League’s Manager of the Year, both by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America as well as the Sporting News. The Giants also rewarded him with a two-year extension through the 2024 season.

The Giants have since parted ways with Bryant as well as emerging stars such as starter Kevin Gausman and infielder Donovan Solano, all of whom left the club via free agency. Kapler, however, has made sure the train never left the tracks, as the Giants entered Friday’s game with a 13-6 mark, which is second-best in the majors.

Just as the case with the Patriots, relatively-unknown commodities have stepped up and made an impact in this young season.

Right fielder Luis Gonzalez, who was waived by the Chicago White Sox last August and has been on the Giants’ major-league roster for exactly a week, entered Friday night with a .316 average with five RBI, including his first big-league homer on Monday, a go-ahead two-run shot in the team’s win at Milwaukee.

Another example is third baseman Jason Vosler, who is hitting .211 this season after finishing 2021 with a .178 average in 41 games with the Giants, who stepped up in the second inning and blasted a two-run homer off Washington starter Aaron Sanchez to cut the Nationals’ lead to 3-2.

However, the next couple of weeks will certainly test the Giants’ mettle, as it was learned hours before Friday’s game that five Giants players had tested positive for COVID-19. At press time, which players had tested positive was not disclosed, nor how long they are expected to be out of the lineup.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Daniel Dullum: Wood gets the call tonight for Giants opposed by Nats Sanchez at Oracle Park

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Wood delivers in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland Sunday, April 17, 2022. Wood is the starting pitcher against the Washington Nationals Fri Apr 29, 2022 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Daniel:

#1 Daniel, MLB clubs must cut two players by Tue May 3 going down from a 27 man roster to 25 and one of those players must be a pitcher. The Giants are looking for pitcher Alex Cobb to comeback from an strain injury and they’ll to cut someone to keep Cobb.

#2 The two Giants that could get demoted are relief pitcher Zack Littell who should be coming off the Covid IL in a week, also pitchers Tyler Beede, Kevin Castro, and Yunior Marte are possible cuts, Beede has no more options.

#3 Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski need two negative Covid tests before he can be allowed to return from the Covid IL. Yastrzemski has provided the Giants a great bat hitting .267, 12 hits, 1 home run and 3 RBIs the Giants miss his glove too.

#4 LeMonte Wade Jr who suffered a knee injury in spring training could return by early next week. It took some time for Wade to return and feels he’s ready. Wade was helpful with his glove and the ability to play different positions last season.

#5 The Giants will open a three game series against the Washington Nationals tonight at Oracle Park a 7:15 pm PDT first pitch. Starting for the Nats right hander Aaron Sanchez (0-1 ERA 8.31) and for the Giants left hander left Alex Wood (2-0 ERA 2.51)

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

Giants Good Again: Any drop-off from last season’s 107 wins? None yet

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By Morris Phillips

A better win percentage than the Giants had in last season’s 107-win campaign? Weren’t they supposed to experience some measure of dropoff?

Yes, of course. A baseball team’s not supposed to better its best season in over 110 seasons. But so far, the Giants–purely by measure of wins and losses–are better.

And better despite two sidelined starting pitchers–Alex Cobb and Anthony DeSclafani–and fewer healthy outfielders than unhealthy ones. Yeah, they’ve taken advantage of a couple of downtrodden opponents but they’ve squeezed teams like the Nats and the Guardians for all they were worth.

The Giants led baseball in one significant category: fewest runs allowed, a real testament to the depth of quality arms, starting and relieving, they have. Offensively, they’ve been spotty, and overall good, but notably they don’t appear to be a threat to lead all teams in home runs like last season even if it’s just because they haven’t gotten off to a flying start.

The missing pieces–Mike Yastrzemski, Lamont Wade Jr., Austin Slater and now early pacesetter Joc Pedersen–are troubling, but none are expected to miss huge chunks of time. Other guys like Brandon Belt and Darin Ruf are on pace for better campaigns than last which really helps compensate for the absences.

Nothing speaks to the team’s success better than their different methods to win ballgames starting with their calling card: winning close games with big hits late. But they also score early, add on and frustrate opponents through the lopsided scores. They win low scoring ballgames with pitching and defense, and they concede the lead and rally soon there after to win.

The starting rotation isn’t among the National League’s best as some trumpeted, but three fifths of the rotation has been stellar with Logan Webb as the ace, Carlos Rodon and Alex Wood as the best supporting arms. Webb simply hasn’t shown much let up and that’s after factoring in that he finally dropped a home game at Oracle Park.

Rodon established a new franchise record for strikeouts to start a season, and his focus and success immediately after signing a hefty, two-year deal speaks of his professionalism.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: It’s falling into place Rodon lights out; Pederson and Slater turning on the ball

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Carlos Rondon delivers against the Oakland A’s in the first inning at Oracle Park on Tue Apr 26, 2022 to open a brief two game series between the two teams (AP News photo)

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 Michael we can’t get the show started without asking you about the fine handy work of San Francisco Giant (13-5) starter Carlos Rodon. Rodon on Tuesday night against the Oakland A’s (9-9) struck out nine hitters and has 38 strikeouts in his first four starts.

#2 Rodon is getting to be in the Christy Matthewson league when he struck out 35 batter in those four starts he surpassed former Giant pitcher who was know as the franchise Tim Lincecum who had 35 strikeouts in four straight games in 2009.

#3 Joc Pederson on that last road trip is all the rage hitting his first six home runs in his first 14 games with the Giants. Pederson on Sunday hit two home runs against the Washington Nationals and hit a two run home run that tied up the game on Monday in Milwaukee against the Brewers.

#4 Austin Slater is hitting for average at .455 with two home runs and eight RBIs over his last five games before Wednesday night’s game against the A’s will Slater and Pederson be platooning between right handed and left handed pitchers?

#5 The Washington Nationals (6-13) are up next for the Giants on Friday night. The last time these two teams met the Giants swept the Nats in three games and Washington were in a six game losing streak. How much are the Nationals a different team being two seasons removed since Bryce Harper left the team?

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Pinder home run; Blackburn, bullpen pitch A’s into 1-0 split with Giants

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Oakland Athletics pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) reacts after a double play hit into by San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Belt at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Thu Apr 28, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry Oakland A’s pitching was the rule of day at Oracle Park, after the A’s Chad Pinder started the game with a lead off home run in the left field seats things settled down from their as A’s starter Paul Blackburn kept the Giants hitters off balance for five innings, three hits, one walk and four strikeouts.

#2 The A’s had had trouble with starting pitching but Blackburn set the tone Wednesday night and the bullpen that followed continued to not allow a Giants run.

#3 Classic pitching duel for most of the way with A’s relievers Domingo Acevedo, Sam Moll, Zach Jackson, and Kirby Snead.

#4 The A’s continue not to get runs in bunches and really hoped that the Pinder home run would stand up to get the A’s a split against the Giants.

#5 The Cleveland Guardians are opening up a three game series at the Oakland Coliseum on Friday night as the A’s have tonight off the Guardians are starting right hander Aaron Civale (0-2 ERA 9.58) the A’s will start Frankie Montas (2-2 ERA 3.28)

Join Jerry for the A’s podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cold Snap: Giants shut down, lose 1-0 ending 5-game win streak

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Just six pitches in, Chad Pinder put the Giants’ win streak on notice.

Pinder’s line drive, first inning home run off Sam Long not only made a statement, it soon became the statement. The A’s and starter Paul Blackburn made it stand up in the A’s 1-0 win that gained them a split of the two-game series.

The Giants failed to score, but they also missed an opportunity to gain first place in the NL West and take full advantage of a rare, second consecutive loss by the Dodgers. Instead the Giants’ limped through a meager evening of just three hits, along with seeing offensive leader Joc Pederson suffer a troubling groin injury.

Already without Mike Yastrzemski, Steven Duggar and Lamonte Wade Jr., Pederson’s potential absence thins their outfield considerably. But if that’s what a team off to a flying start must experience, then so be it.

“I don’t really want to miss any games, but those games are always more fun,” Pederson said. “I think I have to look at the bigger picture. You see our team and it’s a playoff-caliber, World Series-caliber team. So the game matters now but you don’t want to put yourself risk of an injury that might cause you not to be able to play down the road.”

Jakob Junis, the length man in support of opener Long, kept the Giants within range by pitching five, scoreless innings while allowing four hits and striking out six. Jake McGee, Tyler Rogers and Camillo Doval followed with scoreless innings to boost the hosts hopes for a tying run at some point. But that run never materialized.

Paul Blackburn picked up the win by limiting the Giants to three hits over his five innings of work. Blackburn induced Brandon Belt’s double play, ground ball with the bases loaded that ended the third inning.

The Giants’ other threat came in the fifth when Luis Gonzalez leadoff with a double. But the outfielder was left stranded as Thairo Estrada, Jason Vosler and Curt Casali recorded outs.

Oakland A’s game report: Mark Kingwell writes in Fail Better Why Baseball Matters

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Home plate umpire Chris Conroy (98) talks over a strike three call on Oakland A’s hitter Tony Kemp (5) in the top of the seventh inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue Apr 26, 2022 (AP News photo)

Oakland. 2. 5. 1

San Francisco. 8. 7. 1

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

Oakland A’s game report: Mark Kingwell writes in Fail Better Why Baseball Matters

SAN FRANCISCO–We know, with part of our rational minds, that it does not matter who wins a baseball game. And yet, it matters—-sometimes so deeply as to generate much genuine emotion. And if we wonder how non-real things can arouse real emotions, we need only recall Aristotle’s analysis of catharsis, the psychologically beneficial venting of painful feelings under controlled conditions such as the theatre.

If this is the case–and I think it is–it is even more so in the Bay Bridge Series. The final score of a ball game may not amount to a hill of beans in the grand scheme of things (if there is such a thing), and it means even less in the pretend world to which Kingwell refers.

When play began (the “controlled conditions such as the theatre”), Oakland, refreshed after their first day of rest since completing a season opening 17 consecutive days of arduous labor, occupied third place in the AL West standings, at 9-8, a game and a half behind the division leading Mariners and one game behind the second place Angels.

The Giants had just flown over half the continent after spending three hours of their lightening visit to Milwaukee, where they completed a 11 game swing through the east and Midwest by coming from behind to defeat the talented Brew Crew 4-2, scoring two runs in each of the eighth and ninth innings.

That win put San Francisco’s record at 12-5, a half game behind the Dodgers for the lead in the NL. In a season of 162 games followed by nearly all-inclusive playoffs, tonight and tomorrow’s contests fade into insignificance.

Yet we care.

My wife likes to say that we’re Athletics fans but the Giants are mishpokhe, a Yiddish word for extended family. I usually add that families fight. They did in classical Greek drama, and they do in Major League Baseball.

The rivals’ starting pitchers took the mound with almost identical earned run averages. The visitors sent right hander Daulton Jefferies, who had posted an almost unbeatable ERA of 1.17 but still had come out on the short end of two out of his three decision, while the home team entrusted its fortunes to left handed Carlos Rodón, whose 1.16 was paired with a 2-0 won-lost record. That says a lot about the teams’ relative strength at bat and on the field.

Neither team was at full strength. Drew Jackson, Jed Lowrie, Chad Pinder, and Lou Trivino were on Oakland’s Covid list, Sky Bolt, James Kaprielian, Kevin Smith, and Stephen Vogt were on the 10 day list, and Deolis Guerra and Brent Hnneywell were out for 60 days. Ramón Laureano still was serving his suspension, doing rehab in the minors.

San Francisco had to manage without the services of Alex Cobb, Anthony DeSclafani, Tommy La Stella, Evan Longoria, and LaMonte Wade, Jr., all on the 10 day IL; Mike Yatrzemski, on the Covid list; Matthew Boyd, on the 60 day list; John Brebbia, on bereavement leave; and Tyler Rogers, on paternity leave.

The Giants took an early lead when Brandon Crawford led off the second with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch to DH Wilmer Flores, who proceeded to jump all over a hanging curve, driving Jefferies´offering of the left centerfield wall and bringing Crawford home with the initial tally.

Flores moved up a base on a single to center by Luis González. Both Thairo Estrada and Jason Vosler hit grounders to Nick Allen at second, whose tosses retired the lead runner. Elvis Andrus, however, didn’t get his relay over to first on time, allowing Flores to score on Estrada’s force out. Joey Bart grounded out to Andrus to end the inning with the Giants ahead, 1-0.

A wild pitch from Rodón in the top of the third allowed Nick Allen, who. had walked, to take second with one down. After Tony Kemp struck out, Sheldon Neuse’s single to left center drove him home, cutting San Francisco’s lead in half. Murphy went down swinging, and that was it for Oakland’s rally.

That close score was short lived. The home team came roaring back with Belt’s single to right center and a walk to Crawford, followed by Flores’s 389 foot blast over the left field wall on a 93 mph sinker that didn’t sink enough. Just like that, it was 5-1, San Francisco after three.

Jefferies didn’t come out for the bottom of the fifth. He left the game, having thrown 72 pitches, 43 for strikes. All five of the runs he allowed were earned. He gave up four hits, one of which went the distance and a pair of walks. He also unleashed a wild pitch. His slim ERA ballooned to 3.26. AJ Puk replaced him on the mound, and Austin Slater replaced Joc Pederson in the San Fran line up.

Rodón’s night was over after six innings of work, in which he allowed just that single, earned, run in the third. He gave up two walks and a costly wild pitch. His pitch count was 107, 74 for strikes. His ERA crept up to 1.17.

Rodón gave way to Dominic Leone, who faced four batters in the seventh, two of whom touched him hits; Cristián Pache, a one out single and Seth Brown, pinch hitting for Christian Lopes, a two out double to right center that drove in Andrus and brought Jarín García to strike out Nick Allen on a disputed, and very disputable, called third strike.

After pitching two three-up. three down frames, Puk gave way to Jacob Lemoine in the home half of the seventh. Again, a three run Giant homer was the counterweight to a lone Oakland tally.

This one was a towering fly that travelled 345 feet before smacking against the right field wall. Lemoine then surrendered a single to Belt and struck out Darin Ruf before turning mound duties over to Adam Kokarek.

The Athletics’ southpaw side armer who walked Crawford but retired Flores on a grounder to third to close out the inning with Oakland on the short end of an 8-2 score.

It was Yunior Marte’s turn to face the A’s in the visitors’ eighth. He set them down in order. The Giants entrusted their six run lead to Kervin Castro, recalled today from Sacramento, in Oakland’s last chance top of the ninth. He allowed a two out walk to Pache, but struck out the three other batters he faced,

The win went to Rodón and the loss to Jefferies.

The trans bay rivals go at it again tomorrow, Wednesday, night at 6:45. The probable starters will be Paul Blackburn (2-1,1.80) for the Athletics and for the Giants they will go with left hander Sam Long (0-0 ERA 0.00) at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Powered by Rodon, Long Balls, Giants Move into First Place with 8-2 Whupping Of A’s

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San Francisco Giants third baseman Jason Vosler goes to field a hot grounder hit by Oakland Athletics’ Elvis Andrus, who Vosler threw out at first base in the seventh inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue Apr 26, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Tony “The Tiger”Hayes

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants used the phenomenal power arm of pitcher Carlos Rodon and home runs by Wilmer Flores and Austin Slater to dismantle the visiting Oakland A’s 8-2 Tuesday night at Oracle Park.

The win improved the Giants record to 13-5 as San Francisco leapfrogged the Dodgers -who lost 5-3 at Arizona – into first place in the NL West by half a game.

Meanwhile San Francisco Rodan continued a historically significant start to his Giants career, pitching six lock down innings, while allowing one earned one run on three hits to improve his record to 3-0, with a 1.17 ERA.

Rodon struck out nine, giving him 38 for the season, the most by a Giants pitcher in his first four starts of the season since 1901.

Oakland’s run off Rodon came of a solo round tripper by Sheldon Neuse.

With the Giants up 2-1 in the third, Flores murdered a fastball by A’s starter Daulton Jefferies, sending a searing bolt into the left field seats for a three run home to put the Giants up 5-1. Flores had a hot bat swinging for five RBIs in his last ten games when the Giants were on their last 11 game road trip. Flores was the Giants designated hitter who touched up Jefferies for in the second inning.

The lead held until the seventh, when the A’s Seth Brown pummeled a run scoring double off Dominic Leone.

With two runners on in the bottom of the frame Slater sliced an opposite field sizzler off the right field tin roof to put San Francisco up 8-2.

Giants Jottings: San Francisco right-handed reliever John Brebbia was placed on the injured list before the game and replaced with RHP Kervin Castro. Castro struck out the side in the ninth to close out tonight’s win.

The Giants also completed a trade, picking up infielder Kevin Padlo in a cash deal with Seattle. Padlo was recently designated for assignment by the Mariners. Padlo was assigned to Triple-A Sacramento.

Starting pitchers for Wednesday night: Starting for Oakland right hander Paul Blackburn (2-0 ERA 1.80) and for San Francisco left hander Sam Long (0-0 ERA 0.00) first pitch is 6:45 pm PDT at Oracle Park.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants Pederson a huge feature to open two game series against A’s at Oracle Park

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San Francisco Giants rookie Luis Gonzalez slugs what would be the game winning home run at Miller Park in the top of the ninth inning in Milwaukee against the Milwaukee Brewers on Mon Apr 25, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris, no doubt that the San Francisco Giants (12-5) outfielder Joc Pederson has been a rock for the team in the last two games in Washington on Sunday with two homers, three hits and three RBIs and hit a two run homer in the eighth inning to tie up the ball game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

#2 Morris, Pederson was touted when it was first learned that he was coming to San Francisco after seeing what he has done recently are you surprised?

#3 Rookie Luis Gonzalez couldn’t wait to get into the act with a two run homer of his own that put the Giants in the drivers seat for keeps it was Gonzalez’ first MLB home run to help win the ball game.

#4 Morris, Alex Wood got a groin injury on the trip in New York last week he got to do a 30 pitch session off the mound and is expected back pretty soon.

#5 Morris, talk about the match up tonight for the Oakland A’s (9-8) Daulton Jefferies (1-2 ERA 1.17) and for the Giants Carlos Rodon (2-0 ERA 1.06) a 6:45 pm PDT first pitch at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Morris does the San Francisco Giants podcasts Mondays was on for a special Tuesday edition at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Fly In Win: Giants beat Brewers 4-2 with dramatic finish

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By Morris Phillips

For struggling National League offenses–and there are a bunch of them–knowing opponents’ aces aren’t quite ready to pitch deep into games is a welcome break.

The Giants caught a break Monday. Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes mowed down hitters into the seventh but was lifted, leading 1-0 in deference to the shortened spring due to the lockout. Teams just aren’t going to risk their best arms to finish a game this early in a long season.

Burnes won the Cy Young last season and has looked the part again thus far. The St. Mary’s alum allowed two hits and registered 11 strikeouts while lowering his ERA to 1.75.

But then he was gone.

And in Burnes’ absence the Giants’ early-season magic appeared. This time to cap their best, lengthy road trip in 28 seasons with a pair of dramatic home runs. Manager Gabe Kapler sensed his club’s locked in mentality that had them engaged despite having just one day off thus far this season and needing to rally in the environment of a rare, one-game trip to Milwaukee.

“I’m not always sure what day of the week it is,” Kapler said. “You come to the ballpark, you prep for the game, you’ve got a good understanding of all the teams around the league.”

And you rake.

Joc Pedersen–fresh off a two home run game in D.C. on Sunday–struck first. With fans audible behind the Giants’ dugout, Pedersen responded to their heckling with a two-run blast off Trevor Gott that put San Francisco on the scoreboard for the first time on the eighth inning.

And after Milwaukee’s Wily Adames answered with a homer to tie the game 2-2 in the bottom of the inning, rookie Luis Gonzalez took over in the ninth.

The base hit off Burnes (earlier in the fifth inning) really gave him a lot of confidence,” Kapler said of Gonzalez. “In that situation, it was the best time for his first Major League home run to show up and so clutch. Also aesthetically, really pretty.”

In only his 23rd official MLB plate appearance–all over the previous week on the road–Gonzalez delivered, with two outs and a man on off reliever Jake Cousins. In a two-strike count, and by just barely avoiding the right field foul pole with his shot that silenced American Family Field.

“It’s just incredible,” Gonzalez gushed. “I’m just loving life right now.”

The Giants completed the road trip 8-3, a record last achieved on a trip of 11 games in July 1994. They swept the Guardians and Nationals each in three-game sets.

“The road trip finished in dramatic fashion with one of our newer players introduced with his first Major League home run. I think we’re going to enjoy the flight home and get ready for when we get back.”

The Giants open a two-game set on Tuesday with the A’s. Carlos Rodon faces Oakland’s Daulton Jeffries at 6:45pm.