Category: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants center fielder Gorkys Hernandez misplays a ball hit by New York Mets’ T.J. Rivera during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 9, 2017, in New York. Rivera had an RBI double. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

By Jeremy Kahn

Yes, the San Francisco Giants nightmarish road trip thru Los Angeles, Cincinnati and New York is almost over and one can imagine that they will be happy to get back to the Bay Area.

Former Giants farmhand Zack Wheeler gave up just two hits, while Michael Conforto hit a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and the New York Mets made it two straight in the series with a 6-1 victory over the Giants at Citi Field.

Wheeler went six innings, allowing one run on just two hits, as the Mets send the struggling Giants to their fifth consecutive loss and their eighth in their last 10 games.

With the loss, the Giants are now a major-league worst 11-23, and received another blow to their season prior to the game.

It was learned that Giants closer Mark Melancon was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Saturday with a mild right pronator strain in his pitching arm.

Jeff Samardzija lost for the fifth time this season without a win, as he was shelled in the first inning and the Mets never looked back.

Samardzija struck out nine and walked none, but gave up six runs and 10 hits in seven innings of work.

Neil Walker got the ball rolling for the Mets, as he hit a two-run triple that went under the glove of usual infielder Eduardo Nunez in left field.

Jose Reyes drove in a run with a single, and Rene Rivera drove in a run with double.

Rookie T.J. Rivera, playing at first base for the injured Lucas Duda picked up three hits for the Mets in the five-run victory.

Buster Posey hit a home run for the second straight game, while his battery mate, Samardzija picked up the only other hit for the Giants.

NOTES: Matt Cain looks to stop the bleeding on Wednesday afternoon, as he takes the mound for the Giants in the road trip finale, while former Oakland A’s left-hander Tommy Milone makes his Mets debut. Milone was claimed off of waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers, where he was 1-0 with a 6.43 earned run average and a save in six games.

Brandon Crawford was scheduled to play seven innings for the Richmond Flying Squirrels on Tuesday night, and could be in the lineup on Wednesday night. Crawford is currently on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right groin.

New York Mets’ Neil Walker (20) celebrates after driving in the game winning run on a single as San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt (9) leaves the field after a baseball game, Monday, May 8, 2017, in New York. The Mets won 4-3. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

On the Giants podcast with Morris:

The New York Mets teed off on the San Francisco Giants in game one of their meeting at Citi Park in Queens New York 4-3 as the Mets Neil Walker belted an RBI single to get the gamer in the bottom ninth inning as the Mets take the first game of the series. The Giants struggles continue on this long, long winding road trip which consisted of nine games and comes to a conclusion on Wednesday morning.

The Giants dead last and some 8 1/2 games out in the NL West can’t get any run support which was evident in the last two games on Sunday in Cincinnati dropping a 4-0 shutout and Giants Pitcher Johnny Cueto took the loss and Monday night with the Mets starter Buddy deGroom pitching and holding the Giants to just enough runs so they can get to the ninth and get the gamer. Giants reliever Josh Osich gave up the walk off single and the Giants closers continue to struggle as the Giants will start Jeff Samardzija on Tuesday who is 0-4 and as of yet to register his first win of 2017.

Morris Phillips covers Giants baseball for http://www.sportsradioserivce.com

 

San Francisco Giants pitcher Ty Blach sits in the dugout after the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, May 6, 2017, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael E. Keating)

By Jeremy Kahn

When you thought, things could not get any worse for the San Francisco Giants and their early season slump, just turn your head from Saturday night’s outcome.

Ty Blach allowed 10 runs in three innings of work, along 11 hits and the Cincinnati Reds simply destroyed the Giants for the second straight night after a 14-2 victory at Great American Ballpark.

Blach is the first Giants pitcher to allow 10 runs in a game since Jamey Wright did so against the San Diego Padres on May 1, 2006 at AT&T Park.

The left-hander, who was making his third start in place of the injured Madison Bumgarner saw his earned run average increase from a moderate 2.55 to an astounding 5.66.

The Reds blew the game wide open in the bottom of the third inning, as they sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs to take a commanding 10-2 lead.

Reds left-hander Amir Garrett gave up two runs on five hits in six innings of work, as he walked four and struck out four.

Former Giants outfielder Adam Duvall, along with Patrick Kivlehan and Eugenio Suarez each hit solo home runs, as the Reds topped their season high in runs by one that was set in Friday’s 13-3 victory over the Giants.

Prior to the game, the Giants recalled Justin Ruggiano from Triple-A Sacramento and designated outfielder Drew Stubbs for assignment.

Ruggiano made his Giants debut, as he started and went 0-for-3 on the night.

Nine different Reds players drove in runs, as they picked up 18 hits on the night. The 27 runs scored by the Reds in the first two games of the series are the most by the team in a two-game stretch since May-2010, when they also scored 27 runs against the Houston Astros.

It was the fourth straight victory for the Reds, who have six out of their last seven. They are 5-1 on their nine-game home-stand after losing seven out of 10 on their previous home-stand.

NOTES: Former Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto looks to stop the bleeding on Sunday afternoon, as he takes the mound against his former team, while Peninsula native Scott Feldman takes the ball for the Reds, who are looking for the sweep.

Cincinnati Reds’ Billy Hamilton, left, and Adam Duvall celebrate after Hamilton scored on a Zack Cozart double in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, May 5, 2017, in Cincinnati. The Reds beat the Giants 13-3. (AP Photo/Michael E. Keating)

By Jeremy Kahn

This will be a game that Matt Cain will want to put behind him as fast as he can and never looked at the tape.

Cain gave up nine runs, matching his career high in his 13-year career and the Cincinnati Reds defeated the San Francisco Giants 13-3 at Great American Ballpark.

The right-hander gave up 10 hits on just 78 pitches in 3.1 innings of work. Cain walked five of the first six batters he faced, as he saw his earned run average raise from 2.30 to 4.70.

This was the third time in Cain’s career that he gave up nine runs in a game, as he also did it on April 18, 2008 and on April 7, 2013, both times against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Giants pitchers walked 11 batters on the evening, the most by the team since September 24, 2011 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The 12 walks issued to the Reds were the most since April 23, 2006, when they picked up 13 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Eugenio Suarez picked up three hits and drove in three runs, while Billy Hamilton scored four runs for the Reds, who have won five out of their last six games, including three straight.

Bronson Arroyo gave up three runs, two of them earned on five hit in 5.1 innings of work. Arroyo also walked just one and struck out four, and his raised his record to 3-2 on the season.

Joey Votto drove in the first run of the game for the Reds on a sacrifice fly, while Jose Peraza and Suarez each drove in a run on singles and the Reds never looked back.

Peraza extended his hitting streak up to nine games, a career high.

Christian Arroyo hit a solo home run in the top of the second inning.

NOTES: The Series opener got off to a late start, as the game was delayed one hour and 50 minutes due to a rain delay.

Ty Blach takes the mound on Saturday night in his third start of the season, while Amir Garrett takes the mound for the Reds.

San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Belt, left, hits an RBI single as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, right, and home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt watch during the 11th inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 3, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

By Jeremy Harness

It’s no mystery that the Giants are severely lacking in the offensive department, but that has not stopped them from winning three World Series in a five-year span.

However, they can’t pitch, either, and that is making things awfully tough on this team to make any kind of statement that they are ready to bounce back from some early adversity.

The stats don’t lie. The Giants currently rank 21^st in the majors in team batting average and are also 29^th in runs scored. To make things troubling, they are also 23^rd in team ERA and have given up the ninth-most home runs in the game as well.

When you add all of this up, the end result is a 11-18 record through Thursday and a place in the National League West cellar. Not exactly what one would expect to see from a ballclub that hopes to contend come October.

The most damning stat is this: The Giants are tied with the Oakland Athletics in having the worst run differential in the game, clearly indicating that they lack the offense as well as the pitching and defense to be able to get it done right now.

The Giants, however, have overcome bad starts in the past as well as endured prolonged bad stretches in order to come away with a world title in the fall (the 2010 season, for instance).

But what is clearly going against the Giants this time is that the mainstay players are getting older and the starting pitching has been largely ineffective at this point.

They have a chance to start turning things around this weekend as they travel to Cincinnati to take on the Reds, who have a 14-14 record and right in the middle of the pack in the National League Central, and are also riding a two-game win streak.

Matt Cain, who will take the ball in Friday’s series opener against Cincinnati veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo, has been pretty consistent over the course of the season. He overcame a lackluster opening start of the year, during which he gave up four earned runs but came away with a no-decision, to surrender only four earned runs in his previous five starts combined en route to a 2-0 record and a 2.30 ERA.

 

San Francisco Giants’ Gorkys Hernandez, left, hits an RBI double as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal watches during the 11th inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 3, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

by Jessica Kwong

LOS ANGELES – On a very special night Wednesday at Dodger Stadium for all baseball – with a Ring of Honor Ceremony for retired legendary Dodgers announcer Vin Scully – the San Francisco Giants got away with the win.

The 4-1 victory in 11 innings was San Francisco’s first road series win of the season.

“They kept fighting and they had good energy in the dugout. Everyone was doing something to help out,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “We kept searching for the big hit and we finally got it.”

Gorkys Hernandez’s RBI double off Grant Dayton in the top of the eleventh inning allowed a three-run rally for the Giants.

“We have to prepare for any situation, but in that situation (I was) looking for a good pitch, not trying to do too much, trying to put the ball in play and see what happens,” Hernandez said. “It’s pretty exciting when you get to the dugout and everyone is laughing, it’s great.”

Starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija had his strongest start so far this season, tossing 8 innings and allowing only one run, unearned, on three hits and collecting a season-high 11 strikeouts.

Bochy said he threw “a beauty.”

Samardzija, who’s struggled recently, said he felt good coming out of the bullpen Wednesday night.

“It’s important for the starter to come out the next day, eat up some innings and give those (bullpen) guys a break,” he said.

The game was scoreless through five innings. In the sixth inning, Yasiel Puig reached on a fielding error by second baseman Joe Panik and got to third base. Chris Taylor singled on a ground ball to right fielder Hunter Pence and Puig scored, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

In the eighth inning, Buster Posey grounded out and Pence scored to tie the game at 1-1. Then it was free baseball.

The 1-1 tie continued through the ninth and tenth innings. Giants left-handed pitcher Steven Okert got five outs, two of them on a Corey Seager’s double-play ball. Okert, who got his first career win, said he entered the series “feeling good and feeling ready.”

With their second series victory of the season Wednesday night, the Giants improved to 5-10 on the road.

“Just a good, hard-fought game,” Bochy said. “I think it means a lot for us after the April we had. We’ve taken some body blows.”

The Giants face the Cincinnati Reds on Friday at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is at 3:40 p.m.

 

 

 

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zimbio.com photo: San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Bryan Morris

On the Giants with Michael:

Little bit of a struggle is the understatement for Giants reliever Bryan Morris who surrendered one inning four hits and three runs on Tuesday night at Dodgers Stadium and has a lot major league experience and is 30 years old. The second thing for the Giants is their stacking their starters and it’s beginning to look like a disaster in the making. The Giants are beginning to get concerned about Morris and that their beginning to get concerned that it’s beginning to be physical but their not sure yet. Morris is going to have a lot longer leash then pitcher Chris Patton has. The Giants pitcher Neil Ramirez had a very good spring and was sent down to Sacramento ended up putting up a 15.00 ERA and was sent down to Sacramento.

For Morris who started his season putting up four runs in one inning as a reliever your going to need several good outings to get your ERA below 6.00 after Tuesday night’s performance Morris’ ERA escalated to 27.00. So it’s going to look pretty ugly for awhile and more important he’ll have to work on how the ball is moving and how it’s coming out of his hand. If Boch has confidence in these guys they normally respond for him.

Michael Duca does the San Francisco Giants podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com