Category: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Tough luck Giants lose grip to Jays in six run sixth; SF looking for a bounce back today at Oracle

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San Francisco Giants shortstop Brett Wisely (left) can’t hang onto the baseball as the Toronto Blue Jays Ernie Clement (28) makes into second base safely at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Jul 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 All Star selected Giants pitcher Logan Webb got lit up in the top of the sixth inning by the Toronto Blue Jays at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wednesday night was it a matter of losing command or the Jays had a good read on his pitches.

#2 Webb had a line of eight hits, seven runs all earned and four strikeouts. It’s line you don’t see too often from one of his performances.

#3 Blue Jays lead off hitter George Springer was seeing the ball well going two for five, two hits and three RBIs. The Blue Jays say his value in the lead off spot has paid off a game or two.

#4 One hitter that Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt had keyed in on was Heliot Ramos one of the Giants most dangerous hitter. Bassitt was able to silence him most of the way as Ramos was one for four with one RBI.

#5 Giants go back to the drawing board as they host the Jays in game three of the series for today’s matinee. Starters for the Blue Jays former Giant RHP Kevin Gausman (6-8, ERA 4.64) and for the Giants RHP Jordan Hicks (4-5, 3.47) first pitch 12:45pm PT at Oracle Park.

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

SF Giants Thursday game wrap: Early offense for Blue Jays spells series loss for Giants 5-3

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Photo courtesy of Toronto Blue Jays.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN FRANCISCO- The Giants closed out their three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

So far, this series had gone both ways with the Giants winning the first game in walk-off fashion while losing the second game 10-6, meaning today’s game decided who would win the series.

Getting the start on the mound for the Giants was right-hander and former Blue Jay Jordan Hicks. Heading into this game Hicks had a 4-5 record with a 3.79 ERA.

For the Blue Jays it was former Giant Kevin Gausman starting who had a 6-8 record and 4.60 ERA before playing in today’s game.

Hicks found himself in some trouble right off the hop in this one when after giving up two hits Vlad Guerrero Jr. grounded out bringing home a run getting the Blue Jays an early lead. Then Giants villain Justin Turner got an RBI on a sac fly, followed up by a homer from Danny Jansen who snuck one over the left field wall putting Toronto up 3-0 in the first inning.

The Giants did quickly respond in the bottom of the first when all-star Heliot Ramos smoked a two-run homer over the center field wall getting his 14th HR of the season making it a 3-2 ballgame.

Problems wouldn’t arise again for Hicks until the fourth inning when Leo Jiménez smacked an RBI single to center field. Then in the fifth Spencer Horwitz lead off the inning with a bomb to right field as the solo shot was his fourth of the season. After hitting Justin Turner, the Giants would make a pitching change bringing in right-hander Randy Rodríguez.

The Giants relief pitching did their job in this one as they gave up no runs and only one walk.

Hicks finished his day pitching 4.1 innings giving up five earned runs, eight hits, and only managing to strike out one batter.

While Hicks had a rough day Gausman had a great outing pithing a solid seven innings only giving up two earned runs and striking out three.

Toronto would turn to Chad Green to close this game out who has been fantastic so far this season sporting a 1.57 ERA and 2-1 record.

That terrific play from Green continued in the ninth as he retired the Giants first two batters easily.

Down to their final out Mike Yastrzemski made things interesting with a solo home run over the right field wall making it a 5-3 game.

That’s as close as the Giants got as Wilmer Flores struck out swinging securing Toronto’s 43rd win of the season.

For the Blue Jays they had a combined 10 hits and got them from all over their lineup with Horwitz, Jansen, and Kevin Kiermaier tying for the lead with two hits each.

The only real standout batter in the Giants lineup was unsurprisingly Heliot Ramos with his two-run homer with Yaz picking up the other lone RBI on his solo shot in the ninth.

With the loss the Giants fall to 45-49 but will look to bounce back when they open up a three-game homestand against the tough Minnesota Twins tomorrow at 7:15 p.m.

Jays Clement hits for 4 RBIs, Springer gets 3 RBIs defeat Giants 10-6 in SF

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Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr scores as San Francisco Giants catcher Chris Casali stands at home plate with plate umpire Chad Whitson at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Jul 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

Toronto ((42-50). 000 036 010. 10 14. 0

San Francisco (45-48). 200 011 002. 6. 9. 1

Time: 2:41

Attendance: 32,014

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Wednesday night’s ignominious 10-6 defeat of the Giants at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays came as quite a contrast to Tuesday’s hard fought walk off pitchers’ duel of a win. The drubbing the orange and black received was only barely masked by the two runs they managed to tack on as a fig leaf in the bottom of the ninth.

The starting pitchers for both teams were work horses. San Francisco’s Logan Webb began the evening at 7-6, 3.09 and leading the National League in innings pitched with 119-1/3. Toronto’s Chris Bassitt (7-7, 3,43 at game time) had 200 last season.

The one time Oakland A has had an injury plagued career . While a minor leaguer in the White Sox organization he suffered a broken finger on his right, pitching, hand. While with the A’s, he missed almost a month in 2015 because of a strained right shoulder and almost all of the 2016 and part of the 2017 seasons for Tommy John surgery. Then he lost almost a month in ’21 after a line drive fractured one of his cheekbones in late August.

The Giants jumped out to an early lead on first inning singles by LaMonte Wade, Jr., back in lineup, Michael Conforto, and Thairo Estrada with a walk to Patrick Bailey thrown into the mix. That’s where things stood until the Jays erupted for three runs in the top of the fifth on Ernie Clment’s 385 foot blast into the left field bleachers with Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., and Alejandro Kirk on board.

The Giants got one of those runs back in their half of the frame on an infield hit by Bailey and Conforto’s double to right center, and a wild pitch. That was the last inning Bassitt would pitch Wednesday night. He finished his work after throwing 99 pitches, 60 for strikes. The three runs he surrendered were earned and came on five hits and a walk. He struck out a half a dozen Giants and gained his eighth win of the year even though it raised his ERA to 3.52,

Toronto erupted for three runs against the heretofore hermetic Webb, in the top of the fifth on singles by Davis Schneider and Alejandro Kirk followed by Ernie Clement’s 385 foot homer to left center. Those three RBI were 75% of his career high four in the game.

Webb became completely undone. in the sixth, when the Blue Jays crossed the plate a half a dozen times, in ways too numerous and painful to mention. Four of the runs were charged to him, giving him a total of seven, all. earned.

The Giants’ ace, who will, along with Héliot Ramos, represent the team in the All-Star Game was the losing pitcher, leaving his record at 7-7, 3.47. He surrendered eight hits and a walk to the 24 batters he faced. His successor, Sean Hjelle, was charged with two runs, both earned, on three hits in the one inning he pitched, while Luke Jackson coughed up another run in his three innings of relief.

The Blue Jays sent a total of five hurlers to the mound. Following Bassitt were Brendon LIttle (2/3 of an inning, a run, earned, on two hits and an equal number of walks; Zach Pop (one batter); Ryan Burr (two perfect innings); and Bowdin Francis, who gave up back to back consolation prize solo round trippers to Bailey and Chapman in the final, futile ninth.

Wade, Bailey, and Conforto, with two each, had multi hit games for SF.George Springer, Leo Jiménez, who replaced Bo Bichette, who left the game with muscle soreness in the bottom of the fourth, and David Schneider got two hits apiece for the visitors, and Clement got three.

Who knows what surprises are in store for us when these two struggling teams play the rubber game of the series Thursday, at 12:45 San Francisco’s Jordan Hicks (4-5, 3.47) is slated to start against Toronto’s Kevin Gausman (6-8, 4.64).

Wisely’s base hit ties it, Fitzgerald scores on walk off wild pitch Giants edge Jays 4-3 at Oracle

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Heliot Ramos is greeted by San Francisco Giants third base coach Matt Williams after hitting a bottom of the fourth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Toronto (41-50). 000 000 300. 3. 3. 0

San Francisco (45-47). 000 000 013. 4. 9 1

Time: 2:27

Attendance: 32,924

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Before defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in a thrilling come from behind walk off pitchers’ duel this pleasant July evening, the San Francisco Giants announced a series of transactions that complimented the recent trade of Austin Slater to the Cincinnati Reds.

Last year’s Cy Young trophy winner, Blake Snell, returned from his rehab assignment in Sacramento . Southpaw hurler Alex Young came to the Giants as part of the Slater deal and was optioned to the River Cats. Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores came off the IL, and Nick Ahmed was designated for assignment.

The first of these movements was the most critical. The Giants have been moving towards playoff contention at a Snell’s pace; his return to the 26 player roster gave San Francisco reason to hope that the team could play the second half of the season without a rotation of Webb and three days of bullpen.

Snell pitched only five innings this evening, but what a five innings those were! If you looked at the Giants’ pitching numbers, you’d think it had been a bullpen game. If you watched the game, you knew it was old fashioned strong pitching, cut short only by the desire to stretch Snell out gradually he allowed only one hit, a second inning single to Davis Schneider, and three walks while throwing 73 pitches, 45 for strikes on his way to a no decision that brought his atrocious pregame ERA of 9.51 down to an ugly 7.85, but the numbers were incidental. Snell was in charge from the first of his first out until his last. Randy Ramírez replaced him and hurled a perfect sixth.

Flores started at first base, batting fifth, and went one for four.

Jorge Soler originally was slated to lead off as the designated hitter, but an unspecified viral infection made him a last minute scratch, so Thairo Estrada, originally batting seventh and playing second was inserted in his place.

Brett Wisely batted ninth and played second. His two out single with runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth tied the score of this nail biter. Fitzgerald, who had occupied Wisely’s places in the original lineup card, was moved up a notch in the batting order and a few feet over on the field to play short. He hit a home run in the eighth and scored the winning run on a wild pitch to Estrada to nail down San Francisco’s walk. off wind.

The Blue Jays, whose season thus far has been about as disappointing as the Giants’, chose 菊池 雄星 (Kikuchi, Yūsei) to start this three game penultimate first half series. Kikuchi, who had established himself during his eight years with Tokyo’s Seibu Lions, where he went 69-45, 2.69.

He spent a mediocre three years, 2019-23 with the Seattle Mariners and two more after that with Toronto.. He was 4-8, 4.12, going into the game this evening. But he did a beautiful job, allowing only two runs, both of which came on leadoff home runs, one by Héctor Ramos in the fourth and the other Fitzgerald’s in the eighth. Kikuchi was his old self Tuesday night.

He threw 7-1/3 strong frames, facing 27 batters and striking out 13 of them while holding them to six hits without issuing a single base on balls. He, too, had to be satisfied with a no decision although he shaved 0.12 runs off his ERA.

San Francisco’s all star right fielder Héliot Ramos broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth, a 418 foot blast into right center off a 95mph four seamer. It was his 13th round tripper and part of his 15th multi hit game in Oracle Park this season.

Disaster struck the Giants after Ryan Walker took over on the mound for the top of the seventh. With one down, he walked Danny Jensen gave up a double off the Bank of America advertisement to the left of the 399 foot marker in center field to the pinch hitting Spencer Horwitz.

Kevin Kiermaier pinch rancor it Horowitz, but that proved unnecessary because Ernie Clement smacked an 85mph slider over the Hanwha Life advertisement in right center, landing 385 feet from the plate and putting the Jays up, 3-1.

Walker retired his next two opponents, one by one on a called third strike. Luke Jackson pitched a perfect eighth, and Erik Miller allowed naught but a walk while fanning one Blue Jay to earn the win, giving hi a record of 3-2, 3.43.

The series will continue Wednesday, evening at 6:45. Logan Webb (7-6, 3.09) will start for the orange and black. Chris Bassitt (7-7, 3.43) will be on the hump for the squad from the Rogers Centre.

He Was A Giant? J.R. Phillips 1B 1993-98 #31 By Tony the Tiger Hayes

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JR Phillips San Francisco Giants Topps 1995 #590

J.R. Phillips -1B – 1993-96 – # 31

By Tony the Tiger Hayes

Tall and handsome, with a tattoo of a large American Eagle perched on his rippling left bicep and a Patrick Swayze- worthy mullet – the swashbuckling J.R. Phillips would have made a great fictional character in a Hollywood sports film or even a baseball themed romance novel.

The problem for the Giants – who foolhardily floated the idea of Phillips as a replacement for franchise icon Will Clark – was that the strapping lad was not the creation of a screen writer or some drug store fiction scribbler.

The 6-foot-2, 205 pound Southern Californian was very much a real dude and in turn, not a particularly good real- life major league ballplayer.

An all or nothing slugger with gigantic, upper-cut stroke, Phillips once fanned 165 times in a baseball professional season.

That portion of his game was prominently on display as a Giant.

In fact, San Francisco had not seen a swinger as brazen as J.R. Phillips since leisure-suited lotharios populated Union Street fern bars in the 1970s.

But initially there was hope for Phillips. After Clark left the Giants via free agency after the 1993 season, the Orange & Black had their fingers crossed that they had some how struck gold with Phillips.

The 22-year-old had led the Pacific Coast League in home runs in 1993 and dazzled in a late-season cameo for San Francisco.

But it was a major ask for Phillips whose baseball pedigree was about as impressive as a junk yard dog applying for a runway slot at Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Phillips ultimately flopped. But then again, so did every other dud first base candidate who tried to follow in Clark’s footsteps for several years after his decampment.

Why Was He a Giant?

Not only was the intense Clark one the most popular Giants of the Candlestick Park era, Clark was one of the most successful Giants in terms of both personal production and his prominence in transforming the Giants into a winning organization after many dormant seasons.

A charismatic 1984 baseball Olympian, Will also served as a major marketing tool for the Candlestick Park-addressed franchise.

Clark’s eight year tenure with San Francisco encompassed three of the team’s most successful seasons of the ‘Stick era: the team’s first division title in 16 seasons (1987), first pennant in 27 years (1989) and most regular season wins at that juncture (103) in 1993.

Moreover, Clark was also MVP of the 1989 NL Championship Series, a five time All-Star, Gold Glove winner (1991), and Silver Slugger winner 1989. He batted .299 in his eight-year Giants career.

In ‘89 he famously drove in the winning run vs. the Cubs to send San Francisco to the World Series vs. Oakland.

With liberally smeared lamp black under his eyes and an always turned-on intensity, the member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame was the living and dying face of Giants baseball.

To this day, Giants fans rhapsodize about Will’s first career at-bat home run off Nolan Ryan and a wild fight with Ozzie Smith and multiple Cardinals after a hard slide into second base.

But despite batting .387 in the final month of the ‘93 campaign – and a solid .283, 16, 73 for the season -Giants officials believed Clark – who would be 30 at the start of the 1994 season – was on a downward trajectory.

Club officials secretly fretted Clark was not committed to physical conditioning and his usefulness would peter out before he reached the end of his next contract period.

The club refused to budge from a three-year $15 million offer, with a club option for a fourth season.

So, disheartened Giants fans helplessly watched Clark walk away to Texas where Rangers principal owner George W. Bush was pleased to hand “The Thrill” a cartoon sized check for $30 million over five seasons.

Bay City ticket buyers weren’t the only one’s frustrated. In 1993, Giants rookie manager Dusty Baker had watched Barry Bonds, Robby Thompson, Matt Williams and Clark lead the Giants to a then club record 103 victories.

Why mess with the recipe for a delicious and deeply satisfying meal, Baker wondered.

“My first reaction is I would have loved to have kept Will,” said Giants manager Dusty Baker, after Clark’s departure became official. “But If Willie Mays and Hank Aaron can be traded, anything can happen in baseball.”

Saying he was “very disappointed” that the Giants could not come to terms on a new contract with Clark, San Francisco general manager Bob Quinn announced the club would find it’s 1994 first baseman from a hodgepodge fronted by the uninspiring Todd Benzinger with fellow journeymen Mark Carreon and Dave Martinez also thrown into the mix.

Lastly, he mentioned Phillips.

Though the marketable rookie was the most intriguing candidate, initially Giants bigwigs played down the phenom.

“We don’t want to place too much pressure on (Phillips),” said Quinn of the MLB novice, who had bopped a combined 39 professional homers during the ‘93 season. (11 to top the Arizona Fall League; 27 to lead the PCL and one with San Francisco.)

Baker also pumped the brakes on the kid.

“I’m not ready to put the “Next Will Clark” label on J.R.,” said Baker. “Todd Benzinger is my first baseman for now.”

And with that comment, absolutely zero fans went out and bought season ticket plans.

Though a decent hitter for average and an excellent defender, the mundane Benzinger possessed limited run producing power and even less pizazz.

Benzinger, a Cincinnati- area native and member of the Reds 1990 World Championship club, was steady, but hardly a highlight reel machine.

Plus, he didn’t exactly present as an bankable figure. While Phillips resembled a square-jawed professional wrestler or muscular Oklahoma oilfield roughneck in appearance -the buttoned-down Benzinger looked more like the guy you would pay to do your taxes or possibly someone who collected Osmond Brothers records for fun.

Everyone, including, apparently, Phillips, knew, the Giants were really itching for the next sellable “Will the Thrill” or at least “J.R. the Star.”

“(I know) they’re not going to hand me the job,” Phillips said after Clark’s departure became official. “But I think they want me to play first. I will be disappointed if I don’t win the position. I know what I can do.”

Why Was He a Giant?

With a young J.T. Snow entrenched at first base in the majors, California left Phillips exposed to the 1992 minor league draft. The Giants – who risked losing Clark after the upcoming 1993 season- were all too happy to take Phillips off the Halos hands for $25,000.

Phillips, an Angels fifth round draft pick out of his La Puente, CA high school had bashed 55 career home runs over his first five minor league seasons. But he was a strikeout machine, hit for a low average and was a shoddy defender.

But the Giants swiftly loaded J.R. onto the back of truck with the words “Reclamation Projects” stenciled on the side.

(Ironically, San Francisco would not solve their post-Will Clark woes until Snow – who eventually flamed out in Anaheim – was acquired from the Angels to play first in 1997.)

The club added the fledgling Phillips to the 40-man roster and invited him to 1993 spring training.

Phillips did not cause much Cactus League commotion, but once the ‘93 Pacific Coast League season began, he commenced hammering balls into the Sonoran Desert night sky like shooting stars with purple- hued afterburners.

It seems Giants veteran minor league batting coach Duane Espy had noticed some fixable flaws in Phillips’ swing. After 31 games, Phillips was batting .286, with 8 home runs and 23 RBI.

Six weeks into the PCL season, reports began filtering back to Fog City about a potential future replacement for Will Clark.

“(Espy’s) changed my whole approach to battling. He took me into this little room and showed me video tapes and told me ‘this is what we’re going to do with you,” Phillips told the San Francisco Examiner in May of ‘93. “I never realized my swing was so bad until he showed me.”

Phillips moved up onto the plate, shortened his swing and began pulling the inside pitch.

When major league rosters expanded in September, J.R. – after topping the PCL in both home runs (27) and RBI (94) – was recalled to San Francisco to help in the quest to keep the seemingly unstoppable Atlanta Braves at bay.

He Never Had a Giants Bobblehead Day. But…

In his first big league start, Phillips, subbing for Clark, teamed up with 21-year-old rookie RHP Salomon Torres – a Giants prospect even more hyped than J.R. – to upend the Cardinals, 3-1, at St. Louis (9/4/93).

Phillips barreled- up a triple that caromed off the center field fence in his first at-bat, then in his next plate appearance bombed a two-run home run to right, scoring Bonds, off future Forever Giant Rene Arocha.

“It’s a great feeling. I’ll take it anytime,” said Phillips, of his first two big league hits. “Really, on the home run, I was just trying to move Barry up.”

“We didn’t bring these guys up just to look at them,” Baker said, of the fresh reinforcements.

(The victory kept the Giants incredibly shrinking lead in the NL West at 3.5 games ahead of the rampaging Braves. Atlanta would eventually capture the NL West in the waning hours of the ‘93 regular season.)

Before & After

When spring training rolled around in 1994, Phillips appeared more than ready to take command of Clark’s vacancy.

The confident rookie started the exhibition season batting 4-for-5, including a mammoth 450-foot homer.

“We’ll go in with our eyes open,” Baker said regarding roster competition. “There’s nothing I would love more than for someone to make my decision hard.”

In the final week of Cactus League friendlies, Phillips continued his hot spring: tripling and whacking a two-run jack, to up his exhibition average to an impressive .333. J.R.’s 17 RBI topped the squad.

He was named winner of the Harry S. Jordan Award, denoting the Giants top rookie in spring camp.

The same Giants press release that publicized Phillips spring achievements, also listed Benzinger’s stats as .256, 1, 4.

Despite the wide discrepancy in spring numbers, the Giants chose to send Phillips back to Triple-A Phoenix to open the ‘94 season.

Benzinger was an eight-year veteran and top notch glove man. He also played quite well in 1993, batting .288 hitter in 86 games off the bench for San Francisco. Todd got the nod as opening day first baseman in 1994.

“Benzinger deserves the chance based on what he did last year,” Baker said. “He fits well into the lineup. We like what J.R.’s shown, we like his attitude. He’ll be back, and when he’s back, he’ll be here for a long time. People want to rush these kids too soon. If they fail, then what? It’s also important to have a person in between J.R. and Will (Clark). It’s tremendous pressure to follow. His future is ahead of him. We feel he can still get better before he’s ready to come to the big leagues.”

The second-year skipper told the stout rookie to work on raising his batting average, cut down on his strikeouts, and improve on defense after committing an alarming 28 minor league errors in 1993.

Phillips seemed to understand Dusty’s dugout perspective.

“I’m disappointed, but Todd deserves it. He’s been up there,” the husky batsman commented. “He did a hell of a job last year. I wish him all the luck in the world. What they’re doing is trying not to rush me. They told me I’m the first baseman of the future. They said when it’s my time, I’ll be there.”

But it wasn’t his time in 1994. The ‘94 season, with it’s infamous labor conflict, was a lost year for Phillips.

After beginning the season with Phoenix of the PCL, Phillips received a call-up in June, but batted a miserable .132 in 15 games.

The ball player, partially blamed the pressure of replacing a crowd favorite for his poor showing.

“I haven’t been swinging at strikes. I’m swinging at balls,” Phillips lamented.

The extended stay in the minors allowed Phillips to iron out some of his issues. Once again he proved PCL pitching was not a mystery – hitting .300, 27, 96, before breaking his forearm late in the season.

The labor issues spilled into 1995, but when spring training finally opened, the Giants, this time, proffered a full vote of confidence to the procrastinating prospect.

The hard swinger was named the Giants regular first baseman. On opening day at Atlanta (4/26/95), Phillips creamed a Greg Maddux pitch for a long home run, in an otherwise dismal 12-5 lop-sided loss.

J.R. however, soon fell into a deep slump, collecting just ten hits in his first 99 at-bats. After batting 0-for-2 in an 11-6 win at Montreal (5/29/95), the lethargic contestant was batting an icy .101.

The Giants could no longer justify playing Phillips every day and he was returned temporarily to Phoenix. Carreon was named starting first baseman by default.

Later in the ‘95 season the light seemed to come back on for Phillips.

A day after depositing a gigantic homer into the right field football bleachers at Candlestick off the Pirates RHP Paul Wagner, J.R. clocked a pair of round trippers against Pirates RHP Steve Parris for a career topping 5 RBI game in a wild 8-7 home win (8/10/95).

By September 15, the wayward phenom was batting over .300 in his previous 31 games.

At the time, Phillips took a moment to reflect on his roller coaster big league odyssey.

“It’s been very frustrating,” the weary Californian acknowledged. “Stupidity is more like it. I look at the things I could have done.”

Phillips ended up the ‘95 season appearing in a career high 92 games with San Francisco. On the positive side he achieved career bests in homers (9) and RBI (28). But he also batted an inexcusable .195 and struck out 69 times – or nearly 30 percent of the time.

It was back to the drawing board for Phillips, which in his case was located south of the border.

Phillips logged time in the Mexican Winter League after his disastrous ‘95 Giants campaign. Upon reporting to spring training in 1996, J.R. declared to anyone with a pen and pad that he was back on track.

He offered a new batting stance as evidence. Phillips would now be holding the bat very low, with his wrists about parallel to his waist before swinging.

After going 6-for-10 with a pair of homers to start the Cactus League, it looked as if he actually knew what he was talking about.

“I’m very comfortable that way,” he said.

Phillips indicated he was close to reclaiming a spot in the Giants lineup. If not at first base, then possibly the outfield. He even brought a catcher’s mitt to camp.

Phillips was also beginning to sound like someone who had brought a few extra bottles of tequila back from Jalisco.

Besides anything short of getting run over by a turnip truck, Carreon – who had reached career highs in hits, home runs and RBI in 1995 – was now San Francisco’s clear cut starter at first. The outfield was booked too. As far as catching – well – was he legitimately nuts?

Dusty Baker said it was time for some introspection on Phillips’ part.

“It’s not like I took J.R.’s job from him. Carreon did that,” Baker said. “If J.R. had been doing relatively well in the first half of the season, he might have gotten more of a chance. I was told a long time ago the best way to keep your job is to keep your competition on the bench.”

Phillips kept the spring training pressure on. After an impressive three- homer weekend in the final portion of the ‘96 exhibition schedule, he was batting a lusty .388 for the spring. The Giants had no choice but to include him on their 1996 opening day roster.

J.R. said he learned a lot by his ‘95 failures.

“I tried to keep up with the great Matt Williams and Barry Bonds, and I didn’t play my game,” he said. “The turning point was when they sent me down and Carreon started getting hot. Coming up as a pinch hitter off the bench was difficult. I’d never had to do that.”

Well, he didn’t have to do it for much longer- at least not for San Francisco.

After starting the 1996 season a squalid 5-for-25 – albeit with a pair of home runs – the Giants decided to finally cut ties with the once promising player – trading Phillips to Philadelphia for “future considerations.”

“He has tremendous power potential,” said Giants GM Quinn. “It didn’t happen in this uniform, maybe it will happen elsewhere.”

Phillips looked forward to the new horizons.

“I thought something was going to happen,” Phillips confessed before departing the Giants clubhouse. “I feel good about it.”

Phillips played in Philadelphia about as well as he did with the Giants, before moving on to fruitless stops in Houston and Colorado. He played his final pro season in 2005.

Giant Footprint

The decision to let Clark walk to the Rangers detrimentally set the Giants franchise back for years. Who knows what the team could have accomplished if Bonds, Williams, Thompson and Clark would have had more than one season together joining forces in their prime.

After going 103-56 in 1993, the Giants would not produce another winning season until 1997, with the arrival of Snow, Jeff Kent and others.

Will Clark meanwhile batted over .300 in six of his remaining seven seasons in the majors, ending his career with a .303 batting average.

Thirty years after he left the Giants as a player, San Francisco retired Clark’s familiar uniform no. 22.

In 242 career big league games, Phillips batted .188, with 23 home runs and 87 RBI.

Giants Drop Series to Cleveland in a 5-4 loss; Naylor nails 3 run homer to pace Cleveland in win

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Cleveland Guardians Bo Naylor watches the flight of his three run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning as San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey looks on at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Sun Jul 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants were looking for a series win as they took on the Cleveland Guardians (56-32) Sunday afternoon but had to settle for a 5-4 loss only winning game two in the series. The Giants have dropped to 44-47, three games below five hundred. San Francisco rallied in the ninth inning pulling to within one run but fell short in this game.

Game recap: The Giants got a great start in the game taking a 2-0 lead in the second inning. It was a quick strike, a Michael Conforto home run, with Patrick Bailey aboard taking the 2-0 lead into the third inning. San Francisco scored another run in the third inning extending their lead. Heliot Ramos singled and Nick Ahmed scored from third after leading off the inning with a double for a Giants 3-0 lead.

The Guardians began to make some noise scoring 2 runs in the fourth inning. Cleveland pulled to within one run with a couple of Guardian hits that brought two runners home. Bo Naylor hit a single that drove Angel Martinez home for their first run of the game. Daniel Schneeman came to the plate and doubled allowing another Cleveland runner Jose Ramirez to score ending the inning with the Giants still leading 3-2.

It was a quiet fifth inning for both teams. In the sixth inning Cleveland took their first lead of the game scoring three runs. Bo Naylor had his second hit of the game, a home run, driving in two runners, Andres Gimenez who was on second and Tyler Freeman on third for a 5-3 Cleveland lead.

This game went into the ninth inning with the Guardians hanging onto the 5-3 lead. San Francisco had one inning left to try and turn this game around. Patrick Bailey flied out but Matt Chapman doubled to keep this game alive for the Giants. Michael Conforto grounded out bringing Chapman home and San Francisco had pulled too within one run with two outs on the board. Luis Matos who hit for Slater and was called safe on a Cleveland throwing error and the Giants were still alive. It all came to an end when Brett Wisely grounded out and the Guardians had won the game 5-4 as well as the series.

Cleveland had 10 hits in this game and San Francisco finished with 7 hits. Giants starting pitcher Hayden Birdsong went 4.2 innings allowing 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. The Guardians starter Carlos Cerrasco threw for 5 innings with 6 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. It all came down to the Bo Naylor 3-run home run in the sixth inning to push Cleveland over the top.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon in Cleveland, the San Francisco Giants (44-47) played the Guardians (56-32) in the rubber match of their three-game series. Cleveland evened up the series in Saturday’s game with a 5-4 win keeping them atop the American League Central. Sunday the Giants sent Hayden Birdsong to the mound. Birdsong pitched for 4.2 innings, allowed five hits and two earned runs.

Carlos Carrasco started for the Guardians went five innings, six hits and three earned runs with four strikeouts. San Francisco wrapped up the series with a win on Friday night but losing two out of three to the Guardians. The Giants are heading home to San Francisco for a series with the Blue Jays which will get underway Tuesday night at 6:45pm PT.

Blake Snell (0-3, ERA 9.51) will take the mound for the Giants in this game returning from IL. This will be his first start since June and his second IL this season. It was not be an easy return for the pitcher in his first return from IL but he was solid on Wednesday in Sacramento looking sharp with five no-hit , shutout innings striking out nine batters. The Blue Jays will start Yusei Kikuchi who come in with a 4-8 win/loss record and a 4.12 ERA.

Giants Lose Game Two In Cleveland Guardian Series 5-4

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Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (left) can’t get the the throw as the San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman (right) slides safely at home in the bottom of the fifth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Sat Jul 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

After winning game one in this series 4-2, San Francisco was looking for a second win in their series with the Cleveland Guardians but had to settle for a 5-4 loss to even up this series. Each team came away with six hits in the game.

San Francisco did not score until the fifth inning which got them right back in the game after trailing 4-0. The Giants scored three runs in the fifth inning. Cleveland got an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and that was it for the Giants who did score one more run in the seventh inning but it was too little too late. San Francisco will be looking to win the rubber match to finish off this series Sunday.

Game recap: It was not the start that the Giants had hoped for; it was a very rough first inning for the team. Bo Naylor grounded out to third allowing Steven Kwan to score for the early 1-0 lead. Cleveland went on to score two more runs in the same inning. Angel Martinez scored when Jhonkensy Noel sacrificed and Jose Ramirez scored off a Tyler Freeman single for a great Cleveland start leading 3-0.

The Guardians took up where they left off in the second inning extending their lead. Steven Kwan had his second hit of the game, a home run to center for a 4-0 Cleveland lead. San Francisco needed to get some offense going. Through two innings, the Giants only had a couple of hits. Jorge Soler doubled in the first inning and Austin Slater had a hit in the second.

The Giants had a couple of runners on base in the third inning and they would go on to load the bases in the top of the fifth inning and with Tyler Fitzgerald at the plate San Francisco had a great opportunity get on the scoreboard.

Fitzgerald singled to center and Heliot Ramos and Jorge Soler both scored and the Cleveland lead had been cut in half. San Francisco scored again in the fifth in thanks to a couple of steals and a Guardian throwing error from second baseman Jose Martinez. Matt Chapman stole home and the Giants trailed by a single run 4-3 and were right back in the game.

The Guardians would hit an insurance run in the sixth inning, a home run off the bat of Jhonkensy Noel, Cleveland’s second long ball of the game taking a 5-3 lead. San Francisco would answer in the seventh inning when Matt Chapman scored off a Michael Conforto double continuing to trail by a run 5-4.

San Francisco went into top of the ninth inning with one last chance to either tie or take the lead in this game. With two gone, Matt Chapman came to the plate, San Francisco’s final chance for a comeback. Chapman walked and Michael Conforto came to the plate and hit a slow roller for the final out and game two went to the Guardians 5-4 to even the series. Each team had six hits in this game.

Game notes: Saturday afternoon the Giants continued their series at Progressive Field with the Guardians after winning game one of the series Friday night 4-2. The Giants Michael Conforto hit a two run double in the first inning of game one getting the Giants on the board early.

San Francisco was looking for another win in game two to get back to the .500 mark. Kyle Harrison took the mound for the Giants and dropped his record to 4-4 and raised his ERA to 4.24. The Guardians starter Logan Allen went 4.1 innings, gave up three hits and two earned runs and is 0-1, ERA 5.46.

The rubber match of this series will be played at 10:40 AM PT Sunday with San Francisco looking to walk away with the series. Starters for the Giants Hayden Birdsong (1-0, 4.66) and for the Guardians Carlos Carrasco (3-6, 5.21) at Progressive Field.

Giants grind out huge 4-2 win in Cleveland

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Michael Conforto hits a key double for two RBIs in the top of the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Fri Jul 5, 2024 (AP News photo)

Friday, July 5, 2024

Progressive Field

Cleveland, Ohio

San Francisco Giants 4 (44-45)

Cleveland Guardians 2 (54-32)

Win: Ryan Walker (5-3)

Loss: Tanner Bibee (7-3)

Save: Camilo Doval (17)

Time: 2:57 (:26 rain delay)

Attendance: 36,769

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants came into Progressive Field, and fought to grind out a big 4-2 win against one of the best teams in Baseball in the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night.

The Giants have gotten hot since they came back to beat the Chicago Cubs last Monday, as they have won seven of their last ten. They’ve also done this against good teams. They took two of three from the Dodgers, and they also took two of three from the Braves.

Now, they were headed to Cleveland to take on a young and powerful Guardians’ team, who came into Friday night with the best record in the American League, and the second-best record in all of Baseball at 54-31. The Giants would be up against Tanner Bibee, who has had a solid season with a 7-2 record and an ERA of 3.47.

A 26-minute rain delay pushed the start of this game back. Once the tarp was cleared, the Giants were ready to go against Bibee in the top of the first inning. Jorge Soler reached on an infield hit to start the game; LaMonte Wade drew a walk; and the red-hot Heliot Ramos lined an opposite-field base-hit to right field to load the bases.

Patrick Bailey put the Giants on the board with a sacrifice fly to center to knock in Soler. Matt Chapman walked to reload the bases, and Michael Conforto shot a hanging curveball from Bibee over the glove of Guardians’ right-fielder Daniel Schneemann out in right-center to knock in a pair and make it 3-0.

Blake Snell, Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb are all expected to return to the Giants’ rotation soon, but until they do, there will be some more bullpen games. Friday night was one of them, and the left-handed flamethrower, Erik Miller, was the opener.

The first batter Miller would face in the bottom of the first was the American League batting average leader, the scrappy young outfielder, Steven Kwan. Kwan came into tonight hitting .367, and he is having the type of season that has not been common in Baseball in the Three True Outcomes Era.

Kwan hit a fly ball down the left field line that hooked foul and was headed out of play, but third-baseman Matt Chapman made a running catch and ended up on the tarp afterwards. It was reminiscent of a catch that Nolan Arenado made against the Giants at then-AT&T Park back in 2015 when tumbled onto the tarp to make a catch.

Anyway, Miller ended up pitching a scoreless inning, and Bibee settled with a 1-2-3 top of the second. Spencer Bivens, who made the start and got the win in a strong five-inning performance against the Dodgers on Sunday, came in for the bottom of the second, and he ran into trouble.

David Fry grounded out to third to start the inning, but Andres Gimenez singled to right, and Schneemann walked. The Guardians had runners at first and second with one out, but Bivens was able to take control. Bivens struck Gabriel Arias swinging, and he got Bo Naylor to ground out to end the inning, as he got out of it unscathed.

Both pitchers pitched 1-2-3 innings in the third, and the Giants would be back in action in the top of the fourth. Conforto led off the inning with his second double of the night, and he got to third when Brett Wisely reached on an error by shortstop Gabriel Arias.

Nick Ahmed then laid down a safety squeeze that was made harder by the fact that he got a curve that was up and in from Bibee, which caused Ahmed to bunt the ball up in the air. The ball landed just fair on the first base line, and Conforto scored to make it 4-0.

Josh Naylor led off the bottom of the fourth with a towering home run to center field to put the Guardians on the board. Fry and Gimenez then both singled to put runners at first and second with nobody out.

Once again, Bivens was able to regain control in a jam. He got Schneemann to fly out to center, and he got Arias to ground into a double play to end the inning.

Bibee and Tim Herrin combined to throw a scoreless top of the fifth, and left-hander Taylor Rogers pitched through a two-out double in a scoreless bottom of the fifth. Herrin struck out the first two men he faced in the top of the sixth. Ahmed walked, and then Guardians Manager and Former Giant Stephen Vogt brought in Cade Smith, who got out of the inning.

Randy Rodriguez came in for the bottom of the sixth, and he was in trouble right away Josh Naylor lined a base-hit to left to start the inning, and Fry doubled to left to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Gimenez got Naylor in with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-2, and Schneemann walked.

Bob Melvin then brought in Ryan Walker, who was able to get out of the inning with the Giants’ lead still at 4-2. Smith threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh, and Walker worked through a one-out walk to pitch a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

Sam Hentges came in to throw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth for Cleveland, and submariner Tyler Rogers came in for the Giants in the bottom of the eighth. Fry grounded out to short to start the inning, and then Gimenez reached on a seeing-eye single along the third base line.

Schneemann grounded into a force out that second-baseman Brett Wisely took a gamble on by trying to get the lead runner at second for the second out of the inning. Bryan Rocchio then lined a double down the right field line to put the tying runs on second and third with two outs.

A Giants’ pitcher had to escape yet another jam, and that is precisely what Rogers did. Bo Naylor grounded out to second to end the inning, and the Giants kept their lead going to the ninth.

Nick Sandlin pitched a scoreless top of the ninth for the Guardians, and Melvin brought in Doval to try and convert the save in the bottom of the ninth. However, as Doval has done many times this season, he made things dramatic.

Kwan led off the inning, and he reached on an infield hit, when he hit a ground ball to Wade at first, but Doval was late in breaking for the bag. Angel Martinez walked, and the Guardians had runners at first and second with nobody out.

The Guardians were threatening again. Jose Ramirez struck out swinging for the first out, and up came Josh Naylor, who was up to do one thing and one thing only: hit one out. However, Naylor grounded to double play to end it.

Ryan Walker got the win, and with the Giants’ opener, Erik Miller, going only one inning, the decision on who got the win was at the discretion of the official scorer. Tanner Bibee got the loss, and Camilo Doval picked up his 17th save.

The Giants really had to fight this one out against one of the best teams in Baseball, and they did so beautifully. Plain and simply, it was a big win for the Giants, who have been beating some of the best teams in Baseball, and who have now won eight of their last 11 to improve to 44-45.

The Giants will be right back at it for a late-afternoon game Saturday with the left-hander, Kyle Harrison (4-3, 3.96 ERA), on the mound. Harrison will be opposed by left-hander Logan Allen (8-4, 5.75 ERA). First pitch will be at 4:10 p.m. in Cleveland, 1:10 p.m. back home in San Francisco.

Strong start from Webb leads Giants to series win over Braves with 4-2 win

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San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb deals to the Atlanta Braves line up in the bottom of the first inning at Truist Field in Atlanta on Thu Jul 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, July 4, 2024

Truist Park

Cumberland, Georgia

San Francisco Giants 4 (43-45)

Atlanta Braves 2 (47-38)

Win: Logan Webb (7-6)

Loss: Charlie Morton (5-5)

Save: Camilo Doval (16)

Time: 2:24

Attendance: 40,672

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants beat the Braves 4-2 at Truist Park behind another strong start from their ace, Logan Webb, to take the series on Thursday night.

The Giants won the series opener 5-3 on Tuesday night, but they were stymied by Chris Sale and the Braves’ bullpen in a 3-1 loss Wednesday night. Thursday night, they had a chance to take the series on a warm and muggy overcast night in Cobb County.

40-year-old Charlie Morton, who took the ball for Atlanta Thursday night, has seen it all. Morton first came up with the Braves in 2008, and has since bounced around with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Houston Astros, the Tampa Bay Rays and now back with the Braves. 

Morton closed out the Astros’ first world championship back in 2017, as he pitched the final four innings of Game 7 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium. Morton was the starting pitcher and took the loss for the Rays in Game 3 of the 2020 neutral site World Series against the Dodgers in Arlington, Texas; and he broke his right fibula making the start in Game 1 of the 2021 World Series as a member of the Braves against his old team, the Astros, in Houston. 

Morton came into tonight 5-4 this season with a 3.89 ERA, and he got off to a solid start Thursday night with a scoreless top of the first inning. Giants’ ace Logan Webb took the mound for San Francisco, and immediately ran into trouble in the bottom of the first.

Jarred Kelenic singled on a ground ball up the middle and into center field to lead off the inning, and Ozzie Albies doubled off the top of the wall in right to score Kelenic and give the Braves an early 1-0 lead. Matt Olson lined a one-out base-hit to move Albies to third, and Autin Riley got him in with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 2-0.

Both teams went down scoreless in the second, and both pitchers threw 1-2-3 innings in the third.

LaMonte Wade singled to center to lead off the top of the fourth, and Heliot Ramos stayed hot with a two-run home run to straightaway center to tie it at 2-2. Patrick Bailey struck out looking for the first out, and then Matt Chapman hit a solo home run to the first row out in left-center to give the Giants a 3-2 lead.

The Braves almost re-tied the game off Webb in the bottom of the fourth. Olson walked to start the inning, and then he was thrown out at the plate trying to score all the way from first base on a double by Riley. Webb proceeded to get out of the inning unscathed.

Both pitchers threw 1-2-3 innings in the fifth, and the Giants would extend their lead off Morton in the top of the sixth. Ramos singled to start the inning, and was out at second when Patrick Bailey hit into a fielder’s choice. 

Chapman, who put the Giants ahead with his home run in the fourth, hit a check swing chopper for a weird double down the right-field line that scored Bailey to make it 4-2. 

Webb pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the sixth, as did Grant Holmes for Atlanta’s in the top of the seventh. Webb pitched another scoreless inning to cap off his night in the bottom of the seventh. Webb provided the Giants with another big outing, as he gave up two runs and struck out six over seven innings.

Holmes was assisted by a great diving catch from left-fielder Forrest Wall in a scoreless top of the eighth, and the much-underappreciated Tyler Rogers did his job with a nine-pitch 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth. 

Aaron Bummer came in to throw a scoreless inning in the top of the ninth for Atlanta, and Camilo Doval came in to try and convert the save in the bottom of the ninth. Marcell Ozuna reached on an infield hit to third to start the inning, but Doval retired the side in order, and the Giants held on 4-2 to win the series.

Logan Webb got the win; Charlie Morton took the loss; and Camilo Doval picked up his 16th save.

Funny thing: The Giants had six hits Thursday night, and they all came on two-hit nights by LaMonte Wade, Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman.

In addition to winning another series against the strong team, the Giants have now won seven of their last 10 to improve to 43-45. 

They will now head to Cleveland to take on a very powerful young Guardians’ team in a three game series that will start at Progressive Field Friday night. Tanner Bibee (7-2, 3.47 ERA) will make the start for Cleveland, and the Giants will go with a bullpen game. First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m. in Cleveland, 4:10 p.m. back home in San Francisco.

Giants News and Notes:

  • Blake Snell pitched five-no hit innings against the Reno Aces in his rehab start for the Sacramento River Cats Wednesday night at Sutter Health Park. Snell allowed just one base-runner, a walk, while striking out nine. Snell could feasibly return to the Giants’ rotation when they come back home next week.
  • Mike Yastrzemski left Thursday night’s game in the fifth after getting hit in the right elbow by a pitch from Charlie Morton an inning earlier in the top of the fourth. Yastrzemski’s elbow was swollen, but x-rays came back negative, and he is listed as day-to-day.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants-Braves battle for rubber game tonight in Atlanta

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San Francisco Giants catcher Chris Casali (18) puts the tag out on the sliding Atlanta Braves Austin Riley (27) in the bottom of the fifth inning at Truist Field in Cobb County GA on Wed Jul 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca:

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 The Atlanta Braves Chris Sale allowed only three hits in six innings of work picking up his 11th win of the season as the Braves evened the three game series with the San Francisco Giants at 1-1. The Braves with a two run 3-1 win at Truist Field on Wednesday night.

#2 Michael with the win Sale moved into a tie with the Kansas City Royals Seth Lugo for the most wins with 11. Sale in 2018 had a win total of 12-4.

#3 The Giants had a tough time trying to solve Sale who held them to four hits with the help of four relievers.

#4 Giants starter Jordan Hicks threw a good ball game Wednesday night but the team absorbed the loss. Hicks went five inning, allowed eight hits, three earned runs, and struck out six. Well pitched game but tough game to lose.

#5 Giants try it again they’ll start RHP Logan Webb 6-6 ERA 3.12) and for the Braves RHP Charlie Morton (5-4, ERA 3.89) first pitch 4:20pm PT Thursday night at Truist Park in Cobb County.

Michael Duca does the San Francisco Giants podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com