Category: San Francisco Giants

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Who are the Giants fooling?

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

The San Francisco Giants front office fear the word “rebuilding”. Maybe they really believed the propaganda that they were going to win a World Series every two years from 2010-14 forever and ever. There is an old saying, “you can’t be half pregnant” and the Giants do not want to say they’re rebuilding and they are talking about trading some players to make the team better this year, but the fans are usually smarter than the front offices.

Take a look at the attendance so far at Oracle Park. People realize the party is over, and the casual fans that were there “for the party, dude!” have disappeared and are now more interested in watching Game of Thrones than Giants baseball. At the end, the fans always have the last word, they pay for the tickets to into the park, pay $12 for a beer, pay $14 for nachos with cheese (and those are cheap snacks!), and not to mention, the souvenirs.

The Giants are not going to contend this season. They should start trading the players that still might have some value like Madison Bumgarner, which I believe will be gone by the trading deadline on July 31. Gut the whole thing, They are not fooling anybody — maybe they’re fooling themselves. They have no power and little speed. They depend exclusively on their pitching. If their pitching gives up four runs, they will lose the game. They are not an exciting team.

As of the conclusion of action Sunday, the Giants have yet to score a run in the first inning during any of their first 23 games of the season. They are 9-14 and heading to Toronto, who are a typical American League East team that can score runs in bunches. There are teams that also have losing records like the Kansas City Royals, but that is a very exciting team with lots of speed and some power.

Still, there are some 140 games for most teams as there is a season still ahead, but the way it is going for the Giants, the next six months might look like six years.

Posey launches a three-run home run in Giants’ 3-2 win over Pirates

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Photo credit: @sfchronicle

By Jeremy Kahn

Buster Posey came up with the biggest hit of the weekend at the most opportune time in the game for the San Francisco Giants.

Posey launched a three-run home run off of Chris Archer in the top of the fifth inning, as the Giants hung onto the last batter to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 at PNC Park.

It was the first career home run of Poseys career against the Pirates, and it helped the Giants avoid the three-game sweep against the Pirates.

When Posey got back to the dugout, he was mobbed by his teammates and you could a smile on his face as well.

Just in front of Posey to scorewas Dereck Rodriguez, who singled to lead off the inning and then Steven Duggar singled.

Things got dicey for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth inning, as former Giants farmhand Bryan Reynolds hit a double into the right-field corner that kicked around to Duggar, who threw to Joe Panik, who in turn, threw to Posey to get Jung Ho Kang at the plate to end the game.

Closer Will Smith walked Francisco Cervelli with one out, and then Kang grounded into a force out that saw Brandon Crawford unable to turn the double play; however, they were able to get Cervelli at second base for the second out and then the game came to an end, when Kang was thrown at the plate.

Rodriguez made one mistake, but other than that, the right-hander was on point for the Giants.

Rodriguez gave up a two-run home run to Josh Bell in the bottom of the fourth inning, but was solid before and after that home run by Bell.

He went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, walking just one and striking out four, as he improved to 3-2 on the season.

After not pitching yesterday, the Giants bullpen was well rested, as the trio of Reyes Moronta, Tony Watson and Smith went a combined 3.1 innings, allowing two hits, walking two and striking out three and it ended with Smith picking up his fifth save of the season.

Archer went five innings, giving up three runs on six hits, walking two and striking out two; however, that one-pitch to Posey sent to his first loss of 2019 against one win.

NOTES: Posey last hit a home run on June 19, 2018 off of Dan Straily of the Miami Marlins, a span of 237 at-bats. The Pirates were the last team that Posey never hit a home run against in his career, a total of 49 games.

UP NEXT: After an off-day on Monday, the Giants begin a brief two-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Jeff Samardzija will take the mound against the Blue Jays, as he wants to bounce back from his last start, where he went five innings, allowing four runs on five hits, walking two and striking out seven, as he lost to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.

Samardzija will face Trent Thornton, who is 0-2 with a 5.40 earned run average for the Blue Jays under first year manager Charlie Montoyo.

Giants lose rain-shortened game in Pittsburgh 3-1

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Even though the date on the calendar says April 20, weather and timely hitting by the Pittsburgh Pirates helped them out in the long run.

Cole Tucker hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, helping the Pirates defeat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 in a game called after just five innings due to rain.

It was a three-hour 20-minute rain delay that saw Tucker pickup his first major league hit when he launched a 431-foot home run to centerfield that sent the Giants to their fourth straight defeat.

Steven Duggar tied up the game in the top of the fifth inning, as he picked an opposite field single that scored Kevin Pillar from second base.

In what could have been a big inning came to a heartbreaking halt, as Gerardo Parra lined into a double play that doubled Derek Holland off of first base. Holland reached on a bunt single down the third base line.

Pillar ended up going 2-for-2 in the rain shortened game that saw the game lasted just around 90 minutes after the 4:05 (eastern time) start.

Jung Ho Kong put the Pirates on the board, as he hit his third home run of the season, a solo home run off of Holland that gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

Jameson Tallion pitched five innings, allowing just one run, scattering four hits, walking one and striking out three, as he won for the first time this season after losing two.

Holland saw his record fall to 1-3, as he also five innings, allowing three runs, also scattering four hits, walking just one and striking out seven.

NOTES: Once again, the Giants did not score in the first inning, making it 22 consecutive games that they have not scored, tying the 1952 Chicago White Sox and the 2007 Washington Nationals for second place. The 1948 Chicago White Sox hold the major- league record for not scoring a run in their first 28 games.

Tallion retired the Giants on nine pitches in that first inning, as they are now 6-for-69 in the opening frame on the 2019 season.

In his major-league career, Buster Posey does not have a home run against the Pirates in 184 career at-bats against the Pirates.

UP NEXT: Dereck Rodriguez looks to stop the losing streak, as he takes the mound on Sunday afternoon. This will be the second career start for Rodriguez against the Pirates, as he is 1-0 against the Pirates all-time.

On August 12, 2018, Rodriguez went seven innings, allowing one run on two hits, walked one and struck out four, as the Giants defeated the Pirates 2-1.

Chris Archer will go to the mound for the Pirates, as they go for the series sweep. Archer will make his first start after returning from the suspended list. Archer is 1-0 on the season.

Archer was suspended for five games after throwing a pitch behind Derek Dietrich on April 7.

Pirates’ four-run first does in Giants’ 4-1 loss

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By Jeremy Kahn

If it was not for the first inning, it was a second fantastic outing in a row for Madison Bumgarner.

Unfortunately, Bumgarner gave up four runs on four hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-1 at PNC Park.

After getting the first two out in the inning, Jung Ho Kang walked, then Josh Bell and then Francisco Cervelli doubled to left to score both Kang and Bell. Pablo Reyes then singled in Cervelli, which saw Reyes move up to second on the throw home and then the scoring ended, when JB Shuck singled in Reyes.

Bumgarner then settled down, as he ended up going six innings, allowing those four runs, on six hits, walking just one and striking out seven.

In the final five innings of his start, Bumgarner allowed no runs on just two hits, not walking a batter and striking out six; however, he saw his record to 1-3 on the season.

Jordan Lyles pitched a great game for the Pirates, as he went six innings, not allowing a run, scattering four hits, walking just one and striking out six, as he improved to 2-0 on the season.

Lyles forced to leave the game after he took a Joe Panik line drive off his pitching hand that the Pirates turned into a double play that ended the inning.

Starling Marte and Erik Gonzalez were also forced to leave the game in the top of the eighth inning, as the two collided on the ball hit by Yangervis Solarte that fell in. Gonzalez was able to walk off on his own, but Marte, who was able to stand at first, was taken off on a cart per the teams request.

Felipe Vazquez struck out the side in the top of the ninth inning, as he notched his sixth save of the season.

Buster Posey drove in the only Giants run of the game in the top of the eighth, as he singled with two on and two out to score Solarte, who singled with one out in the inning. Steven Duggar then walked, and Panik struck out for the second out of the inning, Posey singled to right to score Solarte to bring Brandon Belt to the plate as the potential tying run; however, he popped out to third base to end the inning.

NOTES: Once again, the Giants were unable to get going in the first inning, as they went down in order and are now 6-for-66 in the first inning, a batting average of .091.

Mark Melancon continues to have a great start to the season, as he has thrown 10.0 scoreless innings to start the season and Is only reliever to throw 10 or more innings and not allow a run.

UP NEXT: Derek Holland takes the ball on Saturday for the Giants, while Jamison Tallion goes to the mound for the Pirates. Game time set for 1:05 pm PT.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants struggle with Nats; Hope to turn it around in Pittsburgh

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photo from msnsports.com: Washington Nationals Wilmer Difo takes San Francisco Giants pitcher Drew Pomeranz deep in the fourth inning for his first home run of the season at Nationals Park in Washington DC.

On the SF Giants podcast with Miguel:

#1 The Giants dropped two out of three to the Washington Nationals. On Thursday, Nats pitchers Patrick Corbin and Sean Doolittle both gave up just one run apiece for the 4-2 win.

#2 The Giants scored a run in the eighth and ninth innings. It wasn’t a rally, but it seemed like they came on late in games and Wednesday night wasn’t an exception either when they scored four runs in the top of the ninth, but came up short as well.

#3 Giants starter Drew Pomeranz threw for 4.2 innings, six hits, four runs, three walks and seven strikeouts. He pitched well, but dropped his record to 0-2.

#4 On the other hand, the Nats got some pitching from starter Patrick Corbin, who threw a distance 7.2 innings, one run, two hits, and nine strikeouts. Talk about his body of work.

#5 The Giants open up a series next against the Pittsburgh Pirates Friday night at PNC Park. It’ll be Giants starter Madison Bumgarner (1-2 3.12 ERA) against the Bucs’ Jordan Lyles (1-0 0.82 ERA). Can the Giants score off a starter who has an ERA lower than 1.00?

Michael Duca does the Giants podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants back to the skids, lose 4-2 to the Nats

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Harness

After a promising start to this road trip, the Giants are back to a way of losing that has gripped them over the past year.

They surprised the Washington Nationals in the series opener on Tuesday, but were bombed out of Nationals Park on Wednesday and came out flat again on Thursday, losing by a count of 4-2 to drop the three-game series.

The Nationals scored the first four runs, the last one coming in the bottom of the fifth, when starter Drew Pomeranz walked in a run, after which he was pulled from the game in favor of reliever Trevor Gott.

Gott, along with Sam Dyson, Travis Bergen and Mark Melancon, combined to shut out Washington the rest of the way, but the damage was already done and the Giants bats could not bring them back.

Catcher Erik Kratz doubled in a run in the eighth, and Evan Longoria singled in a run in the ninth, But it was not nearly enough.

Frustration appeared to have boiled over in the fourth, as Brandon Belt was called out on strikes, on a pitch that looked like it was more than a few inches off the plate. As a result, Belt slammed his helmet down and flipped his bat to the side, because of which he was thrown out by home plate umpire Ryan Additon.

On the bright side, the once-maligned Melancon pitched a perfect ninth on Thursday while striking out two, keeping his ERA at 0.00 with nine innings pitched this year. Sure, it is a small sample size thus far, but it is a far cry from his 2018 campaign.

The Giants open a three-game series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Their series opener has been set for Friday at 4:05 pm PT.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Will Clippers come up with any more surprises in Game 3?; Giants get 4 runs in 9th, but still lose; plus more

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Photo credit: @ESPNStatsInfo

On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 The Golden State Warriors tip off in Los Angeles Thursday night at Staples Center against the Clippers in a series that’s tied 1-1. The Warriors are coming off a loss in which the Clippers made a 31-point comeback. The Warriors are without an injured DeMarcus Cousins. Will the Warriors regroup, jell and win this one like going through butter or will the Clippers take advantage of the home floor and try to repeat a win like they did in Game 2?

#2 In Game 3 tonight, is there a possibility that the Clippers will take full advantage of the home floor and maybe have some inspiration from the Game 2 comeback? Also, it doesn’t seem like the Clippers’ Patrick Beverley is getting in the Warriors’ Kevin Durant’s head?

#3 The Giants lost a tough one on Wednesday night to the Washington Nationals 9-6 at Nationals Park on Wednesday night. The Giants got home run help from Steven Duggar and Geraldo Parra and tried to rally in ninth inning for four runs, but wound up short losing by three runs.

#4 For the first time in five games, the Oakland A’s finally got a win over the mighty Houston Astros. It was pitching that stopped the Astros’ lineup as A’s starter Frankie Montas went six and third, three hits on one earned run, and six strikeouts in the 2-1 win.

#5 The Boston Celtics’ Kyrie Irving scored 37 points to lead the Boston Celtics past the Indiana Pacers 99-91. Irving could end up as a free agent after the NBA Championship. Could Irving end up in Los Angeles and join former teammate LeBron James?

Tony does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Nats’ 4 HR’s sink Giants 9-6

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Harness

Jeff Samardzija was in complete control of his pitches all night last Thursday, and it resulted in the best outing he has had in quite some time.

By the end of the first inning Wednesday night, it was clear that it was not going to be a repeat of that performance. He surrendered three runs in the opening stanza, coming from a pair of homers that were off of mistake pitches out over the plate, which sparked the San Francisco Giants’ 9-6 loss to the Washington Nationals.

Samardzija only lasted five innings and gave up a total of four runs on five hits, walking two and striking out seven, as his record fell to 1-1.

The Giants made their way back in the game in the fourth inning with a pair of runs, but the Nats distanced themselves in the seventh with a pair of homers, a two-run shot to go along with a three-run dinger that gave them a seven-run lead.

The Giants made yet another valiant effort in the ninth, as Gerardo Parra and Steven Duggar, who went 2-for-5 and has been slowly working his batting average up to his current mark of .247, each hit two-run homers. However, they simple ran out of outs, and the series was squared up at a game apiece.

Nats starter Jeremy Hellickson didn’t last much longer than Samardzija, but he did earn the win by surrendering only a pair of runs on five hits while walking four batters, running his mark to 2-0.

The Giants and Nats wrap up their series with a finale Thursday at 10:05 pm PT.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast with Barbara Mason: Tiger’s Masters win is confidence-building, could he win another one?; How Walton will fit in in Sacramento; plus more

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Photo credit: @Neo_Ungasabi

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 On Sunday, Tiger Woods made a comeback and won the Masters for the first time in 11 years. What made this day so unbelievable?

#2 How do you see Luke Walton fitting in at the Sacramento Kings organization as head coach?

#3 It was a true battle between the Warriors and Clippers on Monday night as the Clips erased a 31 point deficit for a 135-131 win.

#4 After the San Francisco Giants got nearly no hit by the Colorado Rockies pitcher German Marquez, is this alarm that offense has to do something and very soon?

#5 The Oakland A’s got clobbered by the Houston Astros on Tuesday night and the A’s struggled with the Astros on the road trip earlier this month.

Barbara Mason is a freelance sports reporter for Area Grande Spanish Newspapers and is filling in for Amaury Pi-Gonzalez for News and Commentary.

Three home runs by the Giants get a huge 7-3 win over the Nats

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Maybe what the San Francisco Giants needed was a trip outside the state of California for the first time this season.

Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt and Steven Duggar each hit home runs off of Stephen Strasburg, as the Giants defeated the Washington Nationals 7-3 at Nationals Park.

Entering the game, the Giants hit only 10 games in 17 games, only the Detroit Tigers, who hit seven in their first 15 games have hit fewer.

With the victory, the Giants have won four out of their last five, that included a fantastic performance on the mound by Dereck Rodriguez.

He went five innings, allowing just one run on five hits, walking three and striking out six, as he improved to 2-2 on the young season.

Longoria led off the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run that tied up the game, and then after a single, Duggar launched a 92 mile per hour Strasburg over the left-center field wall to give the Giants the lead for good.

Belt hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning, for his fourth home run of the season.

The Giants closed out their scoring in the top of the seventh inning, as Nationals reliever Matt Grace was charged with an error, as he was unable to cover a bunt and then committed another error, when he jumped in the way of a teammate at first base.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez was ejected by home plate umpire Tony Randazzo for arguing called third strikes against Brian Dozier and Anthony Rendon.

Strasburg may have been saddled with the loss, but he did pickup his first extra-base hit since the 2016 season.

In all, Strasburg went six innings, allowing four runs on six hits, not walking a batter and striking out eight; however, his one downfall was the three home runs that he allowed and lsot for the first time this season against one win.

Once again, the Giants bullpen fared good, as the quintet of Reyes Moronta, Sam Dyson, Tony Watson, Mark Melancon and Will Smith went a combined four innings, allowing two runs on three hits, walking two and striking out four.

NOTES: Tyler Austin (right elbow) should not have to go on the injured list, and may start the series finale at first base on Thursday.

The news is not good for 2018 first-round pick Joey Bart, who will miss the next four to six weeks after a fracturing his left hand after getting hit by a pitch on Monday night.

UP NEXT: Jeff Samardzija takes the mound, as he looks to back up his fantastic seven inning performance on Thursday night against the Colorado Rockies, as he faces right-hander Jeremy Hellickson.