Category: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants-Arizona Diamondback preview: Cueto-Posey both off DL will be tonight’s battery; D-Backs alive and well first in NL West at 11-3

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San Francisco Giants’ second baseman Joe Panik celebrates with teammate Andrew McCutchen on March 29 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

By Jeremy Harness

The San Francisco Giants who lost three of four to the San Diego Padres to start this current road trip open a three game trip against the Arizona Diamondbacks strarting tonight with the Giants Johnny Cueto (1-0) starting on the mound after being on the disabled list since last week. Cueto had trouble throwing and was shelved after the Giants medical team said Cueto was at a 70% performance level but has recovered and is ready to throw at Chase Field tonight.

Also Giants catcher Buster Posey suffered a right thumb injury and is expected back behind the plate tonight. Posey’s bat is vital to the Giants core of the line up but with the injury and having to sit the Giants depended on their other sluggers in the line up Austin Jackson, Andrew McCutchen, Joe Panik, Evan Longoria, but all four struggled against Padres pitching during the four game series.

With Posey back tonight against the Diamondbacks the Giants who have Jackson, McCutchen, Panik, and Longoria should have a potent line up. The Diamondbacks in their own right have been one of the hottest teams in the Majors, they had a three game win streak going up until Sunday night when they ran into the Los Angeles Dodgers and got whipped 7-1.

In that game in Los Angeles Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Godley who beat the Giants on Thursday the 12th didn’t have the same fortune with the Dodgers. On Sunday he lasted only four innings giving up five hits, giving up six runs, walked six batters and struck out four.

Tonight at Chase Field the Diamondbacks start Patrick Corbin (2-0) ERA 2.45 this is Corbin’s sixth year with the Diamondbacks and the thing that Giants manager is concerned with is Corbin getting off to a great start and keeping hitters off balance when San Francisco needs to touch up Corbin early and get him out of the game early. This will depend soley on the abilities of Jackson .250, Panik .304, and with McCutchen .203 and Longoria .204 both struggling to take advantage and do some of the things that they weren’t able to do in San Diego and get runners on base early and move runners into scoring position.

Notes: Posey who is 15 for 18 for .313 knows how to hit left handed pitching can see the ball well coming out of the pitchers hand could give the left hander Corbin a challenge his handy work will be needed when facing Corbin especially with runners on base. How well Posey comes off this thumb injury only tonight will tell and Posey mainly was hurting when swinging the bats.

Bochy said, “He’ll be fine Tuesday, in the past, there were a couple of times we’ve had to do this get him a day and he’s fine. If we let it go, then it gets to the point he needs more time.” Bochy really wanted to have Posey catch Giants pitcher Tyler Beede who was sent down to triple affiliate Sacramento after he got lit up by the Padres on Sunday going three plus, six hits, five runs, three walks, and six strike outs. Bochy said he would have liked for Beede to have been throwing to Posey but Posey had to sit out with the thumb injury and Nick Hundley took over the catching duties.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks tonight at 6:40PM at Chase Field Jeremy Kahn will have game recap coverage tonight from Chase Field in Phoenix.

Jeremy Harness covers Giants baseball for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Beede goes back down to the minors, Giants look to who can start next

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photo from nbcsportsbayarea: Tyler Beede’s first stint in the big leagues is over after his second start, and the coaching staff has advice as heads back to the minors.

On the Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 The Giants’ Tyler Beede is headed back to the farm. He was demoted after Sunday’s game after going three-plus and scattering six hits and five runs.

#2 Beede looks at the experience as positive and wants to work on a few things and hopes the phone rings again and hopes this was more than a cup of coffee.

#3 Catcher Buster Posey sat out Sunday’s contest, resting his sore right thumb. Posey took a swing during the series and didn’t feel the same strength that he would normally feel and had to sit down. Posey is expected back by Tuesday night in Arizona.

#4 The Giants and Beede got ripped in the contest, but the relief staff also wasn’t able to hold it together. This has to be a concern for Giants manager Bruce Bochy.

#5 The Giants continue this road trip to Arizona starting Tuesday night. The Diamondbacks continue to roll now at 11-3 and in first place in the NL West.

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

 

Lucchessi, Padres take series with 10-1 blowout win over Giants

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

It seems that the San Diego Padres once again have the San Francisco Giants’ number, and former Giants catcher Hector Sanchez is not on the roster.

After Oakland native Tyson Ross beat the Giants on Friday night, it was another East Bay native to get to the Giants on Sunday in the series finale.

Joey Lucchesi, who grew up in Newark and went to Chabot College in Hayward was dominant and the Padres defeated the Giants 10-1 at Petco Park.

Lucchesi pitched six strong innings, allowing just one run on five hits, not walking a batter and striking out nine, as his earned run average dropped to 1.66.

The left-hander is now 2-0 on the season, as the Padres took three out of four from the Giants, who have dropped three in a row.

Brandon Belt gave the Giants an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, as he hit a sacrifice fly that scored Nick Hundley from third base.

That lead would last for Tyler Beede and the Giants until the bottom of the third inning when Christian Villanueva gave the Padres the lead for good, as he hit a double that scored Freddy Galvis and Franchy Cordero.

Just prior to the Villanueva double that put the Padres on top in the bottom of the third, Galvis walked for the second consecutive at-bat and then Cordero singled. Villanueva cleared the bases with a double.

Cory Spangenberg lengthened the Padres lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, as he doubled to center field to score Chase Headley, who walked just prior to the Spangenberg double.

The Padres broke the game wide open, as Jose Pirela hit a ground-rule double that scored Spangenberg and then Galvis singled in Pirela to give the Padres a five-run lead.

Things did not get any better for the Giants, as Villanueva hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Cordero added a single in the bottom of the sixth inning that scored Pirela to lengthen the Padres lead up to 7-1.

Pirela got back in on the act in the bottom of the seventh inning, as he hit a two-run triple and then scored the final run of the game for the Padres, when Cordero reached on a fielding error by Joe Panik. Galvis walked just prior to the Panik error.

It was not a good second start for Beede, who lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing five runs on six hits, walked three and struck out six, as he lost for the first time in his major-league career.

Evan Longoria continues to put the ball on the bat, as he went 2-for-3 on the afternoon, while Nick Hundley also picked up two hits for the Giants.

NOTES: Buster Posey sat out the game with a sore thumb, and should be back in the lineup on Tuesday night, as the Giants open a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Jeff Samardzija, who is currently on the disabled list with a strained right pectoral muscle will likely make another rehab start. Samardzija threw 62 pitches in just 2.2 innings for the San Jose Giants on Saturday night. In those 2.2 innings, Samardzija gave up six runs on hits, walking two and striking out five.

Johnny Cueto is expected to be activated from the disabled list and will start for the Giants on Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks. Patrick Corbin will go for the Diamondbacks, as he looks to raise his record to 3-0 on the season.

UP NEXT: The Giants have a day off before traveling to Arizona to take on the Diamondbacks. Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:40 pm PT.

Renfroe, Padres escape with 5-4 win over Giants

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Hunter Renfroe gave the San Diego Padres the win on one swing of the bat and sent the San Francisco Giants to their second straight loss.

Renfroe hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Padres defeated the Giants 5-4 at Petco Park Saturday night.

His eventual game-winning home run came just one inning after he came up with a huge outfield assist that saw Joe Panik be tagged out at the plate by catcher A.J. Ellis.

Panik tripled to get to third base with one out in the inning, and then Andrew McCutchen hit a fly ball to Renfroe, whose throw was cut off by Christian Villanueva, who in turn threw to Ellis, who tagged Panik. Replay showed it looked like Panik got underneath the tag; however, after a two-minute and 41-second review, the play was upheld.

Following the Renfroe home run off of losing pitcher Cory Gearrin, the Padres loaded the bases; however, Tony Watson was able to get out of the jam, as he struck out two and got a lineout to Brandon Crawford at shortstop to end the inning.

Adam Cimber pitched two strong innings to pick-up his first major league win, as he gave up a hit and struck out three.

Brad Hand picked up his sixth save of the season, and struck out Hunter Pence to end the eighth and then struck out the side for the Padres second straight win.

After falling behind in the bottom of the first inning, Evan Longoria tied up the game with one swing of the bat, as he hit a two-run home run off of Padres starter Clayton Richard in the top of the fourth inning.

Crawford hit a triple of his own and then scored on an Austin Jackson single to give the Giants their first lead of the game.

McCutchen lengthened the lead to 4-2, as he hit his second home run of the season in the top of the fifth inning.

Jose Pierla got the Padres within one at 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he hit a double off of Derek Holland. The Padres loaded the bases, but Reyes Moronta came on to replace Holland and got Chase Headley to ground out to end the inning.

Renfroe gave the Padres a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as he hit a sacrifice fly and Villanueva hit his first home run since April 3 to lengthen the Padres lead to 2-0 at the end of the first inning.

Holland pitched 4.2 innings, allowing three runs and four hits, while walking two and struck out four

Richard went five innings for the Padres, as he gave up four runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out three.

NOTES: Tyler Beede makes his second major league start on Sunday afternoon, while the Padres will send Joey Luchessi to the mound.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Padres conclude their series Sunday afternoon at 1:10 pm PT.

East Bay native Tyson Ross, Padres rout the Giants 5-1

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Photo credit: @SFGiantsFans

By Jeremy Kahn

Tyson Ross did all the damage by himself, both on the mound and the plate for the San Diego Padres.

Ross, who grew up in Oakland and went to Bishop O’Dowd High School hit an RBI single to snap a scoreless single in the bottom of the fifth inning and the Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-1 at Petco Park Friday night.

The right-hander also pitched six strong innings, as the Padres snapped a 10-inning hitless streak.

Prior to an Austin Hedges hit in the fateful fifth inning, that saw the Padres score the only run that they would need, their last hit came in the bottom of the third inning by pitcher Clayton Richard, who came on as a pinch hitter for Bryan Mitchell, who pitched just three innings in a 7-0 Giants win.

Jose Priela added a RBI single in the fifth, and then the Padres added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to end Ty Blach’s night.

The Richard hit off of Chris Stratton was the only hit that Stratton and Derek Law would allow in the game.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Richard became the first pitcher that did not start a game to get the lone hit in the game since June 28, 1935, when reliever Mace Brown of the Pittsburgh Pirates picked up a hit against the Chicago Cubs.

Ross gave up an unearned run in six innings on seven hits, walked one and struck out one and won for the second time this season.

Joe Panik drove in the only Giants run on the evening in the top of the seventh inning that led to the end of Ross’ evening.

Ross allowed a single, then a fielding error by Freddy Galvis and then Panik singled to end Ross’ night on the mound.

Franchy Cordero hit his second home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning for the Padres.

Brandon Crawford picked up three hits for the Giants.

Blach went six innings, allowing four runs, three of them earned, and seven hits. He also walked just one and struck out three.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Stratton’s gem helps SF get the shutout and get to .500

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Chris Stratton #34 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the third inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on April 12, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 It wasn’t quite a nail-biter as Giants starter Chris Stratton lost his no hit bid early in the ball game the third inning to pitcher and pinch-hitter Clayton Richard on a base hit, but Stratton didn’t allow another hit over the seven total innings. He pitched in the Giants’ 7-0 win at Petco Park in San Diego on Thursday night.

#2 Stratton surrendered only three walks and threw for four strikeouts. He’s one of the key pitchers that have help San Francisco improve not only their rotation, but kept the club in their games.

#3 Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that Stratton looks to have worked his way to the No. 1 position in the rotation.

#4 The Giants start Ty Blach tonight at Petco Park. who had a good outing. Michael takes a look at his body of work going into tonight’s game.

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

Giants blank Padres 7-0; Stratton gets a one-hitter

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Joey Friedman
Sports Radio Service

In their first meeting of the season, the San Francisco Giants shutout the San Diego Padres by a score of 7-0 at Petco Park Thursday night on the backs of pitchers Chris Statton and Derek Law. Hunter Pence and Buster Posey would each collect two RBIs in the win. San Diego position players were held hitless tonight.

In the Giants’ half of the first, they mounted an attack with a Joe Panik walk, an Andrew McCutchen single, a Buster Posey walk, and an Evan Longoria fielder’s choice ground ball to San Diego shortstop Freddy Galvis on the first pitch which turned in a run as Longoria reached first when Galvis took the out at second in Posey. After Brandon Crawford walked to load the bases again, Hunter Pence pushed everybody up 90 feet with a broken-bat RBI bloop single to right.

San Diego’s sparkling defensive play came in the third inning when Gregor Blanco hit with runners on the corners, the Giants up 3-0 with one out and a 0-1 count. Blanco popped up a bunt in foul ground that held in the air just long enough for Padre catcher Austin Hedges to make a diving grab halfway to the backstop. He would throw to first to double off the runner Crawford and end the threat.

The only hit in the game for the Padres came from 34-year-old LHP Clayton Richard who pinch hit for starting pitcher Bryan Mitchell before Mitchell could get his first at-bat of the night. Through 289 career at-bats, Richard carried a .118 batting average. The line drive to right came off starting pitcher Chris Stratton of the Giants in the third inning.

The Giants’ next big inning came in the 6th when the Giants loaded the bases with two out. Andrew McCutchen grounded the ball to third baseman Christian Villanueva, who through the ball in the dirt to Gold Glove first baseman Eric Hosmer who could not dig it out. The ball bounced into the seats, sending McCutchen to second, scoring two. Before the inning was over, the next batter, Buster Posey, would hit a ball on the ground down the left field line, scoring two more, and sending Posey to second. The Giants would load the bases once again before Hunter Pence would fly out to right to end an inning in which the Giants scored four runs on four hits and an error, leaving three on base.

For the Giants, Chris Stratton would pitch seven innings of one-hit ball on 101 pitches. He walked three and struck out four. He would improve to a 1-1 record. Reliever Derek Law came in to finish the game in the eighth, going two innings and striking out a pair. No one could cross the plate tonight for San Diego.

Bryan Mitchell of the Padres got the tough loss after going for three innings of four-hit, five-walk, and two strikeout baseball. All three runs he allowed were earned. His record is now 0-2. Nice relieving appearances for Jordan Lyles and Robbie Erlin were belittled by the four unearned runs that Colten Brewer gave up due to the Villanueva error.

The Giants saw a multi-hit night from Longoria, Pence, and Blanco. Almost everyone who picked up a bat got a hit tonight with the exception of Brandon Belt (who went 0-2 with two walks), Nick Hundley (0-1 in a pinch-hitting role), and Chris Stratton (0-3).

What’s Next?
Ty Blach (1-1, 4.11 ERA) will be on the hill for the Giants in the second game of the series opposed by Tyson Ross (1-1, 5.25 ERA) of the Padres. They will be making their fourth and third starts, respectively at 7:10 pm PT tomorrow night.

 

 

Goldschmidt hot, Dyson not as the Diamondbacks capture the series with the Giants

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giants-suarez-0411

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants’ future appears bright. Now, they could use some tightening up on their present.

For only the second time in the history of the franchise in San Francisco, the Giants started rookies making their major league debut in consecutive games, and the reviews for both guys were overwhelmingly positive.

Andrew Suarez got the call on Wednesday afternoon in place of Johnny Cueto, who landed on the disabled list with a sprained ankle, and he was a roaring success out the gate, retiring the first ten batters he faced.

Lengthy home runs allowed to Paul Goldschmidt and backup catcher John Ryan Murphy eventually would spoil Suarez’s bid for a victory, with the D’Backs expanding on an initial 3-0 lead and winning 7-3.

Suarez allowed just four hits, no walks, and struck out seven. In comparison to Tyler Beede, Suarez was probably more composed andcin control, just done in by a couple of unfortunate pitches.

“I didn’t walk anyone,” the 2015 second round selection said. “I felt good.”

Trailing 3-0, the Giants rallied to tie the game in the sixth. Andrew McCutchen got an RBI groundout, then Buster Posey hit a two-run shot. But that was it for an offense that’s scored the fewest runs in the National League through the first 11 games.

Hanging in there: Giants blow ninth inning lead, but win in the bottom half, 4-3

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Close games mean rare opportunities, and Andrew McCutchen knows that’s the time to ramp it up.  When Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt took reliever Hunter Strickland out of the park in the top of the ninth Tuesday night to tie the game, McCutchen got his cue.

In the bottom of the ninth, Kelby Tomlinson drew a walk. A sacrifice moved Tomlinson up a base, then Austin Jackson was intentionally walked, and reliever Jorge De La Rosa, in his worst moment, missed with a pair of splits to Brandon Belt, then walked the bases loaded on four pitches. In the Giants’ dugout, McCutchen took it all in, his competitive juices starting to flow.

“I was just sitting there, like, ‘This is about to happen again,” McCutchen recalled.

Yeah, but only because McCutchen–who had six hits and the game-ending home run against the Dodgers on Saturday–was about to make it happen.

On the first pitch fastball from De La Rosa, McCutchen singled and the Giants were 4-3 winners.

“We get a guy like Andrew McCutchen. I said he’s going to impact our club,” Bruce Bochy said. “And he’s shown that. In that position, you couldn’t ask for a better guy to be up there.”

The Giants evened their record with the 4-3 win, a sure sign that through the first 10 games of the season, the team is embracing the need to survive a tough early schedule, win just enough against the most prominent teams on their schedule, and hopefully thrive after that. In the team’s clubhouse, you can almost see the scratch and claw marks on the walls.

“We’re all about just scoring runs,” McCutchen said. “We’re a team that can do it. It’s been a little odd that we haven’t been doing that right now, but today was a good game.”

The Giants are the lowest scoring team in the National League, having scored just 30 runs in their first 10 games.  Heck, the first four games for the Giants were the worst for run scoring any MLB team has experienced in 30 years.  They scored just twice. But after a pair of 1-0 wins against the Dodgers, one blowout win over the Mariners, and a couple of games won by McCutchen on the final at-bat, the Giants have five wins to show for all their frustration.

That’s called surviving.

Tyler Beede made his major league debut on Tuesday, starting in place of Johnny Cueto, who has developed some lower body issues that have forced the cautious Giants to scratch him temporarily.  Beede, the former first round pick from Vanderbilt, made 76 starts in the minors, and would have arrived in San Francisco last season were it not for an unfortunately timed injury.

Not surprisingly after such a lengthy build up to his inevitable rise to the majors, nerves played into his debut as his pitch count skyrocketed, and his control deserted him.  But after allowing two, first inning runs, Beede settled enough to get the Giants through four innings down just 2-0.

“I was obviously working in and out of situations for the next three innings, but just limiting damage,” Beede said.  When guys get on its just kind of bearing down and making a quality pitch, getting a ground ball or getting a strikeout.  It’s easier said than done, but going out there and pitching against these guys shows that my stuff can play at this level.  So its just a matter of making those adjustments I need to make, and obviously, commanding the ball a little bit better.”

The Giants conclude this homestand and series with the Diamondbacks today at 12:45PM  at AT&T Park.

 

Godley, Diamondbacks outdo the Giants at their game, in their park

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Paul Goldschmidt

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Giants’ fans, here’s your introduction to Arizona’s Zach Godley.

Big guy, loves to fish, perpetually sweaty, selfless, great curveball, and yet another youthful player in the NL West not with the Giants who’s career track is ascending rapidly.

In facing MLB’s toughest schedule through the first 28 games of 2018, the Giants are seeing the best-of-the-best early and often. On Monday, that gauntlet of a schedule brought the Diamondbacks to AT&T Park, and by any measure, Arizona impressed.

In beating the Giants 2-1–with both teams limited to five hits–the D’Backs manufactured runs early, pitched, played defense and their bullpen got the big outs late.

Just like the Giants used to do.

Last year, the Diamondbacks won 93 games, with winning records both home and away, and they somehow flew under the radar, dwarfed by the bigger story lines in Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Boston. An epic wild card win over the Rockies brought Arizona some notoriety, an NLDS loss to the Dodgers kept them from being a bigger story.

Now with a franchise-best ever 8-2 start, the Diamondbacks are looking for more, and getting it. Godley’s clearly no No. 5 starter, not with his swing-and-miss curveball, and his excellent mechanics, and ability to not tip his pitches. Everything comes out looking the same which prevents hitters from keying on something, and being hitterish.

Godley may have pitched better last week when matched with Clayton Kershaw he downed the Dodgers 6-1 while allowing just one run, on four hits, in seven innings of work.  Against the Giants, Godley again went seven, allowing four hits, no runs while piling up nine strikeouts.  According to Godley, the key was the Giants’ approach, not his.

“They were just aggressive, and that played in to what we wanted to do,” Godley explained.

In his first ever appearance at AT&T Park, Godley relied heavily on his curveball, and his success against the Giants’ first three hitters in their lineup.  Godley allowed one hit, and struck out six when facing the Giants’ 1-2-3 combo of Joe Panik, Brandon Belt and Andrew McCutchen. After Belt struck out looking on reliever Archie Bradley’s 95 mph fastball at the knees in the ninth, the Giants’ first baseman was saddled with an 0 for 4 collar with four strikeouts.

And while the Giants have been gritty and competitive early this season, they haven’t produced a lot of offense. After scoring just one run Monday, one thing sticks out. The Giants are a major-league worst 30th with runners in scoring position, hitting .119 (8 for 67).  They were 0 for 4 on Monday.

In the eighth, the Giants got a leadoff double off the bat of Brandon Crawford in their best opportunity to catch Arizona, leading 2-0 at that point. But Hunter Pence flew out, with Crawford advancing to third, then scoring on Gregor Blanco’s ground out.  But without the tying run aboard, pinch hitter Pablo Sandoval tried to dial up magic, and struck out to end the inning.

Derek Holland was plenty effective, closing the door after allowing two runs in the first, with Paul Goldschmidt’s run-scoring triple as the big blow.  Holland ended up going six innings, allowing just two hits while striking out eight. That’s a quality start, and deserving of a better fate.

“It was a pitcher’s duel, but (Godley) obviously lasted longer than I did,” Holland said.

The Giants get a second crack at the Diamondbacks on Tuesday with Tyler Beede making his major league debut after being called up from the minors. Beede replaces Johnny Cueto, who will instead pitch Wednesday afternoon. Arizona will counter with Patrick Corbin, who is 2-0, winning his first two starts.