Category: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Posey to have hip surgery; McCutchen waived by club–could end up with playoff team

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On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko:

San Francisco catcher Buster Posey has called it a season he will have hip surgery. The Giants decided after they fell eight games back it was time to get Posey’s hip taken care of.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he wants Posey ready for next season. Posey hit .286 for this season, five home runs and 40 RBIs.

The Giants’ Andrew McCutchen was placed on waivers Tuesday night.The Giants could deal McCutchen, who is .257 and a free agent at the end of season. Teams named that could use McCutchen include Oakland, St. Louis, and New York Yankees, who are all playoff teams.

The Giants face the Mets again for game three of the series after the 6-3 loss on Tuesday night. The Giants will start Casey Kelly (0-1, 1.69 ERA) and Noah Synergaard (8-3, 3.40 ERA).

Marko Ukalovic does the Giants podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants unable to hold lead; lose to Mets 6-3

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Chris Stratton was cruising, but then the seventh inning came and the New York Mets tied up the game with the help from a former San Francisco Giants outfielder.

Michael Conforto hit a sacrifice fly to score Jeff McNeill, who went 4-for-4 on the night, and then Austin Jackson tied up the game with a single to score Wilmer Flores. The Mets then added four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to even up the four-game series with a 6-3 victory over the Giants at Citi Field on Tuesday night.

McNeil picked up his fourth hit of the night to score Jose Reyes to give the Mets the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth. Two batters later, Conforto launched a three-run home run to put the final runs on the board for the Mets.

Evan Longoria hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning to give the Giants a 2-0 lead, and it looked like it would hold up until Stratton got into trouble in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Stratton, who was recalled from Double-A Richmond earlier in the day, and Derek Law was optioned to Sacramento to make room for Stratton. In all, Stratton went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, not walking a batter and struck out four.

Tony Watson got into trouble in the bottom of the eighth inning, and was unable to keep the Mets off the board in the fateful frame, as he went one inning, allowing four runs on three hits, walking one and striking out one and fell to 4-5 on the season.

McNeill equaled his career-high with those four hits that included that double in the bottom of the eighth inning.

This was the second time since he was recalled that McNeill picked up four hits in the same game.

McNeill was not the only Mets player to have a big game, as Conforto hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs on the night.

The rookie picked up singles in his first three at-bats, and scored the Mets’ first run of the game on Conforto’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Longoria’s home run off of Steven Matz in the top of the first inning was the first home run by the Giants since Andrew McCutchen hit one on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

It looked like Matz was in line for a loss, but ended up with a no-decision, as he went five innings, allowing two runs on five hits in his second start since returning from a strained pitching forearm.

Hunter Pence made the defensive play of the night, as he made an over-the-shoulder basket catch with his back to the field, a la Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series not too far from Citi Field at the Polo Grounds, which happened to the Mets first home in their first two seasons of 1962-1963 before moving into Shea Stadium in 1964.

Austin Slater drove in the Giants final run of the evening, as he singled in the top of the ninth inning in the top of the ninth inning.

NOTES: Buster Posey sat out the game, and according to reports, Posey may hip surgery that would end his season. Dereck Rodriguez, who is currently on the 10-day disabled list with hamstring issues ran prior to the game, and will go through pitcher’s drill tomorrow. Rodriguez is set to be activated from the disabled list on Friday, and scheduled to start that night against the Texas Rangers in the opener of a three-game series at AT&T Park.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Mets will meet again Wednesday at 4:10 pm PDT.

Casey Kelly will make his second start of the season in the third game against the Mets in place of Rodriguez. Kelly went 4.1 innings on Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds, while the Mets will send Noah Syndergaard to the mound, who went 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

We’ll Take It!: Giants need big assist from the bumbling Mets to win 2-1 in 13 innings

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By Morris Phillips

If you’re the offensively anemic San Francisco Giants, hanging around the ballpark until your opponent falls flat on their faces can be an effective strategy.

Trying to neatly pull everything together with five hits and a run over the game’s first seven innings, then add three singles over the final six innings of a 13-inning affair wasn’t going to cut it for San Francisco, but that’s precisely when Mets’ left fielder Dominic Smith ever so politely bumped into shortstop Amed Rosario, allowing Brandon Crawford’s fly ball to drop harmlessly in front of both as Andrew McCutchen crossed the plate with the game’s winning run.

If your the Giants desperately trying to interrupt a four-game losing streak, you’ll take it.

“We had our struggles there in some pretty good situations where we just needed to hit a groundball,” manager Bruce Bochy explained. “We had a hard time. We had a tough time getting the big hit. We got a break and you take it.”

Breaks have all but disappeared for the Giants in August when it comes to scoring runs. The Giants are hitting .229 as a team and have just seven home runs and 59 runs scored in 17 games. Those numbers have dropped the team into the National League’s bottom three in each of those categories. And that lack of production didn’t get a measurable jump on Monday, not even close.

Former Giant Zac Wheeler was simply following the established script when he held the Giants scoreless for the game’s first six innings Monday before allowing a run in the seventh.

Wheeler struck out a season-best 10 batters, and was still throwing gas in the seventh when Alan Hansen’s softly-hit double fell in, scoring Brandon Crawford. But while Hansen’s extra-base hit did the trick, it merely tied the game. With a runner in scoring position, Hunter Pence grounded out to end the inning, leaving the game tied.

Wheeler, having expended 113 pitches, was done for the evening, but the Mets’ bullpen took it from there hanging five more zeros on the scoreboard. The Giants threatened only once in the 11th, but failed when Brandon Belt struck out to end the inning with runners at first and third.

Derek Holland got the start for the Giants, and he was effective, allowing five hits and a run in four innings. Six Giants’ relievers would follow, and all acquitted themselves well, including Tony Watson in the seventh.

In the Mets’ best threat, pinch hitters Jeff McNeil and Michael Conforto singled with one out, only to see Rosario ground into an inning-ending double play.

With all three NL West contenders idle, the Giants moved within 7 1/2 games of division-leading Arizona. In between, Arizona and the Giants, the Dodgers and Rockies complicate the Giants situation with 36 games remaining in the season.

 

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Cracks showing as the Giants fall eight off the pace with a dimming postseason

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Photo credit: @KNBR

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris:

The last time the Giants used a position player to pitch was 27 years ago. Utility man Chase d’Arnaud pitched a scoreless eighth. The Reds, who swept the series, started three pitchers with 4.46, 5.19. 5.04 ERAs and the Giants could only get four runs to the Reds’ 11.

The Giants’ Joe Panik, who has six hits in two games, is one of the few Giants hitting. The Giants open a four-game series against the Mets Monday night at Citi Field. The Mets are 14 1/2 out of first in the NL East. The Giants are now eight games out of first and their chances are sinking for their playoff hopes.

Morris Phillips does the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: This Week in 1980, Charlie O. Finley Sold the A’s for $12.7 Million

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Photo credit: thesportsesquires.com

By: Amaury Pi-González

On August 21, 1980, Athletics owner Charlie Finley announced at a news conference that he has sold his A’s to Walter A. Haas, Jr., the chairman of the board of the Levi Strauss clothing empire, Haas’s son Walter Jr., and son-in-law Roy Eisenhardt for $12.7 million.

In 1980, Finley agreed in principle to sell to businessman Marvin Davis, who was planning to move the A’s to Denver, but before that, Finley and Davis were to sign a contract, as the NFL’s Oakland Raiders announced they were moving to Los Angeles in 1982. The City of Oakland and Alameda County officials didn’t wanted to be held responsible for losing Oakland status as a big league city and refused to let the A’s out of their lease with the Coliseum. So the A’s were sold and stayed.

Although they have changed ownership a few times since, today’s A’s are in solid ground to continue playing in Oakland. These days, the last thing in mind for the A’s is to move out of Oakland, because soon they will be the only professional team left, after the Warriors move to San Francisco and the Raiders to Las Vegas. That is the good news. Plus, MLB commissioner Robert Manfred has said it all along, “the Bay Area is a two-team market.”

However, there is presently a group called Protect Oakland’s Shoreline Economy that is questioning the A’s proposed move to their favorite location of the Howard Terminal near Jack London Square. Here in the greater Bay Area, there is never a shortage of groups that oppose construction of sports facilities. and this one is the most recent. This is the second chapter of this novela. In December of last year, the A’s plans to build a 35,000 seat ballpark near Lake Merritt was stopped cold, when the community college refused to start negotiations about the proposed park.

All these recent concerns have been rather silenced by the A’s current play on the field, as they have been shocking the baseball world. They just took two out of three from the Mariners and two out of three from the Astros–two of their biggest rivals. This Monday, the Rangers open a three-game series at the Coliseum and then the A’s go on a six-game road-trip to Minnesota and Houston. They return the 30th of this month to say adios to August and welcome September with a four-game series against the M’s, three against the contending Yankees and the Rangers again. I do not believe the A’s bandwagon is close to capacity yet, as there are still a lot of folks who are not 100 percent certain they are going to see postseason play at the Coliseum. But I think they will.

By then, we will see how are the Atléticos de Oakland doing, with two very possible scenarios: 1) winning the division or 2) advancing as one of the two Wild Card teams.

Listen to the A’s games in Spanish on KIQI 1010am/990am, covering the Bay Area, Sacramento, Stockton and the Valley, and on the SAP Channel on NBC Sports California.

Reds rout Giants 11-4 to break out brooms at home

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Photo credit: @Reds

By Jeremy Kahn

After losing the first two of the series, the San Francisco Giants were looking to the salvage the finale against the Cincinnati Reds with rookie Andrew Suarez on the mound.

Unfortunately, the rookie could not get of the third inning, as the Reds scored seven runs in the inning on their way to a 11-4 win over the Giants at Great American Ballpark on Sunday afternoon.

Eugenio Suarez hit a two-run home run helping the Reds to their second consecutive sweep over the Giants in the City of Cincinnati.

Jose Peraza added a two-run run home run for the Reds, who took the season series 4-2 over the Giants, who have lost four in a row.

The seven runs allowed by the Giants were the most they gave up in an inning this season. During the 2017 season, the Giants gave up seven or more runs in an inning on five different occasions.

Over the final two games of the series, the Reds outscored the Giants 18-5 after the Reds defeated the Giants 2-1 in 10 innings in the opener on Friday night.

Suarez ended up going a season-low 2.2 innings, allowing seven runs (five earned), and seven hits.

Scooter Gennett continued his hot hitting, as he hit a two-run triple in that fateful third inning that also saw Suarez hit his career-high 27thhome run of the season.

Curt Casali also picked up two hits and drove in two runs in that third inning.

Luis Castillo went 6.2 innings, allowing three runs and six hits, while striking out nine, as he won for the seventh time on the season.

Brandon Belt hit leadoff for the Giants, as it was the first time that a first baseman hit leadoff since David Bell did so on July 6, 2002 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at then Bank One Ballpark.

The last left-handed first baseman to hit leadoff was Mike Aldrete against the Atlanta Braves on May 4, 1987 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

Will Clark leads all Giants first baseman with 28 starts from the leadoff position.

Chase d’Arnaud pitched the bottom of the eighth inning for the Giants, becoming the second Giants position player to pitch this season. Pablo Sandoval pitched the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first game of a day-night doubleheader on April 28.

d’Arnaud is just the fifth Giants position player to pitch since the team moved to San Francisco in 1958. He joins Sandoval, Greg Litton, Dave Kingman and Matty Alou.

Despite allowing a hit in the bottom of the eighth inning, d’Arnaud is the third to not allow any runs, joining Alou and Sandoval.

UP NEXT: The Giants take on the New York Mets for a four-game series starting Monday at 4:10 pm PDT.

Derek Holland looks to get the Giants back into the win column on Monday, as he makes just his second ever start against the Mets, who will send Zach Wheeler to the mound.

Bumgarner, Giants shelled in embarrassing 7-1 loss to Reds

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Photo credit: @SanDiegoGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

When this key road trip began, thing were looking good for the San Francisco Giants; however, by the end of the week, it is a totally different story with the Cincinnati Reds.

Matt Harvey took a no-hitter into the top of the sixth inning, while Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera each hit home runs and the Reds defeated the Giants 7-1 at Great American Ballpark on Saturday.

One night after picking up three hits in the opener of the three-game series, Scooter Gennett did it again and scored three runs, sending the Giants to their third straight loss after winning three straight.

Madison Bumgarner did not pitch well at all, as he gave up a season-high six runs and eight hits in six innings.

Things were going good until the bottom of the fourth inning, and that is when the Reds scored the only runs that they would need off of Bumgarner.

Peraza led off the inning with a home run into the left field seats, and then Brandon Dixon completed the scoring in the inning, as he hit a two-run double.

It got even worse in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Friday’s hero Phillip Ervin hit a sacrifice fly that scored Peraza from third base and then Eugenio Suarez scored on a throwing error by Steven Duggar to extend the lead.

Herrera launched a 419-foot home run into the center field seats that gave the Reds a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Suarez rounded out the scoring in the bottom of the seventh inning, as his single to center field scored Gennett.

The Giants scored their only run of the evening in the top of the eighth inning, as Evan Longoria grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Andrew McCutchen from third base.

Harvey did not give up a hit until there were two outs in the top of the sixth inning, as Joe Panik beat out an infield roller that was snared by Peraza and Panik just beat out the throw from Peraza.

NOTES: Hunter Strickland made his return to the active after being out since June 10 when the team leader in saves with 13 was placed on the disabled list with a fractured right hand. To make room for Strickland on the 40-man roster, Pablo Sandoval was transferred to the 60-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring and is out for the rest of the season.

Strickland pitched one inning, allowing one run on two hits after replacing Bumgarner in the bottom of the seventh inning.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Reds will wrap up their series on Sunday at 10:10 am PDT.

Andrew Suarez looks to get the Giants back into the win column on Sunday, as he takes the mound at Great American Ballpark for the first time in his major-league career. Suarez faced the Reds on May 16 at AT&T Park, and lost to the Reds 6-3.

The Reds will send Luis Castillo to the mound, as they look for the sweep.

Ervin’s first career walk-off helps Reds to 2-1 win over Giants in 11 innings

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By Jeremy Kahn

Phillip Ervin ended the pitchers’ duel between the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds with one swing of the bat.

Ervin hit the first pitch he saw from Ray Black over the center field wall, helping the Reds to a 2-1 over the Giants at the Great American Ballpark on Friday.

It was the first walk-off home run for Ervin since he hit one in his sophomore year of college for Samford against Auburn.

The loss by the Giants was the second straight loss after starting the road trip with two straight come-from-behind victories over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday and Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

Casey Kelly made the start in place of the now disabled Dereck Rodriguez, who is on the disabled list (retroactive to Monday) after straining his hamstring during the bench clearing brawl between Nick Hundley and Yaisel Puig.

Kelly, who was making his 10th Major League start of his career and first since May 22, 2016 for the Atlanta Braves had a long-time fan in the Reds’ dugout, his father Pat, who is the bench coach for the Reds.

Prior to the game, Kelly looked into the Reds dugout, and the two saluted each and then it was the Giants and the Reds.

Kelly, who pitched 1.1 innings on Wednesday night in the series finale against the Dodgers went 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on nine hits, walking one and striking out two.

Not only was Kelly’s father in the Reds dugout, but Kelly also faced former high school teammate, Scooter Gennett, who ended the night with three hits.

Five Giants relievers 5.2 innings, allowing just that one run on two hits, walking one and striking out nine.

It was the second loss of the season for Black, who went one inning and one batter, allowing the eventual game-winning home run to Ervin, on one hit and struck out the side in the bottom of the 10th inning.

David Hernandez pitched a shutdown 11th inning, as he struck out two of the three batters he faced in the inning to up his record to 5-0 on the season and the Reds ended a four-game losing streak.

Curt Casali gave the Reds a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, as singled in Tucker Barnhart, who doubled.

That was not the score for long, as the Giants tied the game in the top of the third, as Steven Duggar hit a leadoff double, then Kelly sacrificed to third and then Duggar scored the tying run on an Andrew McCutchen single off of Reds starter Andrew DeSclafani, who went 7.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits, walking one and five strikeouts.

McCutchen picked up three hits on the evening for the Giants.

NOTES: With Rodriguez on the disabled list, Hunter Strickland will be activated from the 60-day disabled list after missing two months with a broken right hand.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Reds will face each other again Saturday at 4:10 pm PDT.

Madison Bumgarner takes the hill on Saturday for the Giants, as they look to even up the series, while Matt Harvey takes the mound for the Reds.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants and Dodgers meet again end of September–will there be more bad blood?

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Photo credit: @MLBONFOX

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

How about Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen on Wednesday night? He hit a three-run home run that gave the Giants a lead that would soon end in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But, regardless, he is finding his swing, so look for more from McCutchen during the Cincinnati Reds series starting tonight.

In the rivalry series in LA, things got hot and somewhat out of control in the seventh inning of Tuesday night’s game in which the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig missed a pitch and tossed and caught his bat when Giants catcher Nick Hundley said something to Puig. Both players ended up in each other faces and Puig shoved Hundley. That emptied the benches and both Puig and Hundley were ejected. Michael will see if this a continued trend between the two teams?

Major League Baseball offices are sifting out what discipline will be given to Hundley and Puig. Puig was suspended for two games and fined. Hundley was also fined. Unless Puig appeals, he’ll begin the suspension today.

Michael has the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants rookie Dereck Rodriguez to miss Friday’s start against the Reds

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Photo credit: @McCoveyChron

By Jeremy Harness

The little brouhaha between Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and Giants catcher Nick Hundley claimed a casualty. And the Giants will feel that starting Friday night.

That’s because starter Dereck Rodriguez expected to take the mound in Friday’s series opener against the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ball Park, but he was hurt in Tuesday’s skirmish, as he strained his right hamstring. As a result, he will miss at least this start, and he was also placed on the 10-day disabled list.

In the meantime, righty Casey Kelly (0-1, 1.42 ERA) will start in Rodriguez’s spot, as he will go opposite Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (6-3, 4.46 ERA). DeSclafani has been on a roll lately, winning his past two starts and going seven innings each time.

He shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 3-0 win last Friday, as he gave up only three hits as he struck out nine guys and did not walk a single batter. Six days before that, he surrendered only a run on six hits in a 7-1 win over Washington.

The Giants will bring out Madison Bumgarner (4-4, 2.71 ERA) on Saturday against the Reds’ Matt Harvey (5-7).

Bumgarner has started to hit his stride these days, as he has given up a total of three runs over his last three starts. However, he has only one win out of those three to show for it, as he was stuck with a pair of no-decision in each of his past two starts.

Harvey (5-7, 5.19 ERA), on the other hand, has gone the other way, going 0-2 in his last four decisions, although he did go seven strong last Saturday and gave up only two runs in a win over Arizona. He, however, was stuck with a no-decision.