Tag: Darin Ruf

Giants release J.D. Davis to clear 3B job for Chapman

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Former San Francisco Giants third baseman JD Davis rounds the bases during an exhibition game against the Texas Rangers in Scottsdale AZ on Fri Mar 1, 2024. Davis was released by the Giants on Mon Mar 11, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants released third-baseman J.D. Davis to clear the way for the recently-signed Matt Chapman to be the team’s everyday third-baseman.

This move was inevitable after the Giants signed Matt Chapman to be their everyday third-baseman on March 3. The Giants placed Davis on waivers on Saturday, and then outright released him Monday. This was despite the fact that Davis was 6-for-15, hitting .400, this spring.

There was also some drama between the Giants and Davis over the off-season. Davis took the Giants to arbitration, and while the Giants offered him $6.55 million for the 2024 Season, Davis was awarded $6.9 million by the three-person arbitration panel.

“We negotiate[ed] all of our arbitration cases in good faith, and tried to reach an agreement with all of our arbitration-eligible players, [Davis] included,” said Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi. “Sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn’t.”

Due to a clause in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, the Giants will not have to pay Davis the $6.9 million that he won in arbitration. The clause stipulates that players are guaranteed the pay in negotiated contracts, but are not guaranteed the pay in contracts decided by arbitration until Opening Day.

With the release coming prior to Opening Day, the Giants will not have to pay Davis the $6.9 million, but they may have to pay him over $1.1 million in termination pay. The CBA states that termination pay applies to players who “failed to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability.” With Davis’ .400 spring thus far, the Giants stand a good chance of not having to pay Davis the $1.1 million-plus.

After Chapman signed with the Giants, it was speculated that Davis could have been traded, but with the Giants unable to find a suitable deal for him, they opted to release him instead.

The Giants acquired Davis from the New York Mets on Aug. 2, 2022 at the Trade Deadline in exchange for Darin Ruf. Davis hit .263 with eight home runs in 49 games for the Giants in 2022. He then hit .248 with 18 home runs last season, but he struck out 152 times.

Teams that are looking for a power bat could benefit from signing Davis, who will now become a free agent.

Other Notes:

With Opening Day in San Diego on March 28 now two and a half weeks away, the Giants are making cuts.

Among the cuts was Heliot Ramos, who at one point was not just one of the Giants’ top prospects, but one of the highest-ranked prospects throughout Baseball. However, Ramos has struggled mildly in recent years, especially over the last two seasons.

Ramos was called up by the Giants to start their second game of the 2022 Season against the Miami Marlins on April 9. Ramos went 2-for-3 in that game, and scored a run. However, over the rest of that stint, as well as three others later in the season, Ramos did not record another hit, and ended up hitting .100 in nine games.

Last season, Ramos saw a bit more time with the Giants, and he appeared in 25 games. However, his stats did not improve the way the Giants would have liked, as he hit .179.

Ramos came into camp this spring hoping to bounce back, and he hit a home run against Jordan Hicks in live batting practice. However, once games began, Ramos’ struggles continued, as he was just 2-for-16 in nine games.

The Giants have some competition for bullpen spots this spring. With Camilo Doval set to begin his third season as the Giants’ closer, as well as Taylor and Tyler Rogers set to precede Doval late in games, there are battles for other spots in the bullpen.

The Giants cut left-handed relief pitcher Erik Miller, who despite yet having to have his major league debut, was considered a candidate to make the team. Miller appeared in three games, and gave up four runs, but just one earned run in three innings.

Manager Bob Melvin has stated that he would like one more left-handed reliever to accompany Taylor Rogers in the bullpen. Ethan Small, who is on the 40-man roster, remains an option. Juan Sanchez, and the veteran Amir Garrett, who are in camp non-roster invitees, are also potential options.

While the Giants have not announced their rotation, Logan Webb is set to make his third-straight opening day start, and Kyle Harrison, the Giants’ top prospect, is set to be the number-two starter.

Webb and Harrison talked to NBC Sports Bay Area. The two starters discussed working out together over the off-season in Arizona, as well as how despite being two completely different pitchers, have the same attitude when they compete and take the mound.

With Jordan Hicks being transitioned from a reliever into a starter, and Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray not set to join the rotation until later in the season, Webb and Harrison are expected to be the Giants’ top two starters.

Harrison was called up late last season on Aug. 22, when the Giants were in Philadelphia. He gave up two earned runs over three and a third innings against the Phillies in his major league debut. That was followed by an 11-strikeout, six-and-a-third-inning shutout performance against the Cincinnati Reds in his home debut at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Aug. 28.

Harrison made five more starts for the Giants, including the final game of the season against the Dodgers on Oct. 1, in which he pitched five shutout innings, but also hit three Dodger batters.

Giants Sign Rosenthal, Then See Bullpen Implode in LA: Dodgers capture second-half opener, 9-6

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By Morris Phillips

The Giants’ eighth inning lead over the Dodgers on Thursday night seemed like an incredible accomplishment. It was, but it didn’t last long.

After trailing 5-0, the Giants rallied to lead 6-5 in the eighth, with Darin Ruf’s grand slam as the centerpiece of their awakening. But the Dodgers felt a nudge as well: they answered with Trayce Thompson’s RBI triple, then Mookie Betts’ dramatic, three-run shot to take the lead.

Dominic Leone opened the inning by striking out Jake Lamb, but Gavin Lux battled through a two-strike situation with a double. Max Muncy’s ground out advanced Lux to third, which gave Thompson, brother of the Warriors’ Klay, a big spot and he delivered with the game-tying triple.

In what was clearly not a strategic move, Jarlin Garcia came on to face Cody Bellinger, hitting just .208 and still not removed from his struggles of the last two seasons. But in a left-on-left matchup, Garcia unintentionally delivered four, consecutive balls, and that brought Betts up with two on in a big spot.

Betts delivered with the home run into the left field bleachers on the third pitch of the at-bat, and not only was the Giants’ gutty comeback wiped out, the game was essentially lost.

The irony of it all? The Giants’ bullpen is in a state of upheaval, witnessed by Jake McGee’s release, Mauricio Llovera’s emergence and subsequent injury, and now the signing of veteran closer Trevor Rosenthal. The 32-year old right hander represents a world of potential, but he’s thrown just 40 innings over the last five seasons as injuries have consumed his career. In fact, last season as the member of the A’s, Rosenthal didn’t pitch at all as thoracic outlet syndrome cancelled his stint with the A’s, who were on the hook for the closer’s one-year, $11 million deal.

The Giants have been encouraged by Rosenthal’s workouts over the last month and moved to sign him to a $4.5 million deal for the rest of the season, which won’t commence until Rosenthal ramps up his workouts and heals his hamstring. Despite all the questions, the Giants and manager Gabe Kapler stand bullish.

“Obviously, it’s been some time and hasn’t been on the mound in a while,” Kapler said. “But the talent hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s an electric arm. Physical, strong body. Lot of potential to really make an impact for us in the second half.” 

It’s clear the Giants had to do something, they’re 13 and a half games behind the Dodgers after Thursday’s loss, and they possess the eighth-best record in the NL, but are only a game-and-a-half from moving into the fifth spot. From a strategic standpoint, the Giants stood pat on Thursday witht their platoon-heavy lineup featuring Lamonte Wade Jr. in the leadoff spot again despite his sub-.200 batting average. Carlos Rodon, who was held off the All-Star roster with this start against the Dodgers as the reason, was rocked, allowing five runs on six hits in his five innings.

Freddie Freeman hit a solo shot off Rodon in the first. Justin Turner knocked in a pair with a double in the third, and Hanser Alberto followed that with an RBI double of his own. After just three innings, the Giants trailed 5-0.

The Giants appeared to get a break with Mitch White drawing the start for the Dodgers. The spot starter was preferred over Julio Urias, and Tony Gonsolin and Clayton Kershaw pitched in the All-Star Game on Tuesday. But White was fantastic, allowing one hit in five innings.

An opening was forged in the seventh when Evan Longoria homered, and Ruf hit his slam. Ruf pinch hit for Wade in the sixth, and his second at-bat became the occasion of his first-ever big league grand slam. Phil Bickford allowed Longoria’s blow and Alex Vesia was the pitcher who empowered Ruf. Those two relievers, who were tabbed when manager Dave Roberts had better options, were all the vulnerability the hosts were willing to show on Thursday.

Evan Phillips, the former Oriole, followed with his 1.70 ERA in 37 appearances, giving the veteran the best season to date of his six-year career. But he too struggled, walking Thairo Estrada with the bases loaded to give the Giants’ their short-lived lead. Phillips also walked Wilmer Flores who led off the inning, and Luis Gonzalez intentionally to load the bases and take his chances with Estrada.

One of the Giants’ ongoing issues is their inability to dial up strikeouts from their bullpen. Rodon, even with his obvious failures on Thursday, struck out seven. But after he departed four Giants’ relievers registered just two strikeouts, which enhanced the hosts ability to rally and prevail.

The two teams meet again on Friday with Logan Webb facing Tyler Anderson, the former Colorado Rockie who’s been energized with his move to Los Angeles. Anderson has a 10-1 record and a 2.96 ERA.

Giants Stay Hot, Roast the Royals 6-2 at Oracle Park

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Buoyed by all their success gathered in a sweep of the Dodgers, the Giants kept their momentum going Monday night by breaking open a close game, and beating the Royals 6-2.

Alex Wood stood out, pitching six innings and allowing just four hits. He threw an economical 80 pitches and retired the last ten batters he faced, which was enough for manager Gabe Kapler, who turned to his bullpen to protect a 3-2 lead. Wood pitched with base traffic in the first three innings, but managed to keep the visitors from cashing in outside of a two-run third.

Brady Singer started for Kansas City, and Amir Garrett relieved him in the fifth, and neither seemed comfortable with Singer issuing five walks, and Garrett one to Austin Slater, who advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Thairo Estrada’s base hit that gave the Giants a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Singer issued four consecutive walks in the third, allowing the Giants to tie the game with free passes issued to Darin Ruf and Joc Pederson coming with the bases loaded, forcing in a pair of runs.

In all Giants’ batters drew nine walks, likely infuriating former catcher and Royals manager Mike Matheny. The walks in combination with the Giants five hits–four of them doubles–put the Giants in position to add on with two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth.

Relievers Mauricio Llovera, Jake McGee and Camilo Doval each pitched a scoreless inning after Wood departed with Doval picking up the save. Llovera was a gameday callup from AAA Sacramento as Heliot Ramos was sent out after another short stint with the big club.

The Giants have won four in a row, impressive in that it brings them within three games of the Dodgers and the division lead, and somehow has kept them in front of the Atlanta Braves in the wild card stack, despite the Braves winning a 12th straight on Monday. The Giants hold the lead wild card spot, significant this season in the expanded playoff field which will see that lead team host an opening round series in the postseason.

On Tuesday, the Giants and Royals play game two of a three-game set with Logan Webb, coming off arguably his most impressive start of the season facing Kris Bubic, who has an unsightly 0-3 record with a 9.13 ERA.

Echoes of 1993: The Giants beat the Cardinals, 5-2 and avoid a sweep with historical significance

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Avoiding being swept is part of the championship equation with the key being don’t make it a major part of your diet. The Giants did that Wednesday night, besting the Cardinals 5-2, and winning the finale of a three-game set.

The win kept the Giants atop the NL West ahead of the Dodgers, who lost to the Marlins in Miami. The Giants also maintained baseball’s best record, and–with the All-Star break three games away–their win total continues to be reminiscent of their 1993 squad that won 103 games.

There’s just one distinction the 2021 Giants want that eluded the ’93 club: a postseason appearance.

The Giants rolled into September 1993 with an 89-48 record and a 3 1/2 game lead on the Dodgers. But they couldn’t maintain that pace. A loss to the Pirates preceeded a four-game sweep at Candlestick Park by the Cardinals, then three more losses to the Chicago Cubs. Despite a huge win streak that saw them win 14 of 15 after that, the Giants fell on the season’s final day to the Dodgers and went home empty with 103 wins.

That was the last time the Cardinals swept the Giants in a four-game series, and they last beat the Giants in a three-game set in San Francisco in 1991. Thirty years later, the Giants avoided reliving any of that history on Wednesday.

The indelible lesson: avoid lengthy, losing streaks. Thus far in 2021 the Giants have lost three straight once, and just suffered a four-game slide last week.

Alex Wood pitched seven innings, allowed three hits and a run, and picked up his eighth win of the season. After Nolan Arenado doubled home Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning for a 1-0 St. Louis lead, Wood took control. He departed after the seventh, leading 3-1. Mike Yastrzemski and Donovan Solano doubled home runs in the second and fifth innings to put the Giants ahead, and Darin Ruf added a two-run homer in the eighth to provide some cushion.

“(Wood) had all of his pitches working well,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “He had good command and control of all three of his pitches and mixed it up well. That was a pretty gritty and tough outing from him. It was exactly what we needed.”

“I felt like I commanded my fastball really well and stuck the slider,” Wood said. “Good overall night, that’s for sure. Games like that are important. I was happy to come out and do my job tonight.”

The Giants reverted to their winning pattern of taking control of games in the middle innings, a formula the Cardinals adopted in winning the first two games of the series. This time, the Giants took advantage of hard luck starter Johan Oviedo, who has failed to win any of his first 16 starts at the big league level, including all 12 this season. Oviedo showed some distraction early when he jawed with Yastrzemski after his RBI double in the second with the issue being that the pitcher felt the Giants were relaying information to their hitters. Yastrzemski, who carries himself too quietly to get caught up in petty beefs, acknowledged Oviedo’s tough words, but offered few back.

“Any advantage that we can take, whether teams are paranoid, whether they think we’re doing something that we’re not, it’s just a way to hopefully get a distraction off the hitter and to get it onto the baserunner so they can’t make their pitches. I definitely think that he had a lot of intent thinking that I was relaying signs, which I wasn’t. I had nothing.”

The Giants are off on Thurdsay and finish the first half of the season with a three-game set with the Nationals. No pitcher has been announced for Friday, but the possibility that Tyler Beede could make his season debut after missing more than a year due to Tommy John surgery is getting some steam.

Wood, Giants find the time and the place to get past Texas, 3-1

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Texas Rangers have been rough on left-handed starting pitchers this season, so Alex Wood and the Giants knew they’d need a special performance on Monday night.

Special and timely.

The Giants waited until the last possible moment to pounce, but they did just that with a two-run, seventh inning rally that carried them past the Rangers, 3-1 at Oracle Park.

With Wood lifted from the game for pinch-hitter Darin Ruf, the Giants lefty appeared destined for a no-decision despite allowing just four hits and a run in seven innings of work. But Ruf singled, following Austin Slater’s walk and preceding Mauricio Dubon’s tie-breaking base hit. Suddenly, Wood was in business, cheering loudly from the dugout and leading 2-1.

For those scoring at home, that’s three, consecutive right-handed hitting pinch-hitters–with spotty records–coming through with two outs and the game on the line.

“I liked that (Giants manager Gabe Kapler) used all his pinch hitters there. If they had not scored, then we had them in trouble,” Texas manager Chris Woodward recounted. “We just didn’t execute a pitch there at the end.”

How spotty? Ruf had managed just one hit in ten pinch-hitting appearances coming in, and Dubon, the last guy any manager would want hitting deep in a count, had just one hit in 31 plate appearances this season with a two-strike count.

So what does Dubon do with the game in the balance? He fouls off five, consecutive pitches and singles to center field on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to give his team the lead.

“If you don’t end up scoring a run, you’re almost out of players,” Kapler said. “Dubon’s at-bat was excellent, that’s the one that’s going to stand out. But Slater’s was equally as good and Ruf’s was awesome.”

The Rangers then contributed to the Giants’ fortunes when third baseman Charlie Culberson one-hopped his throw across the diamond for an error that allowed Mike Yastrzemski to reach and Ruf to score.

Wood improved his record to 4-0 (in just five starts) by avoiding any explosive hits outside Khris Davis’ triple off the bricks in the fifth, and hanging around in a matchup with Texas’ Kyle Gibson, who has a similar reclamation story to Wood’s and was almost as good on Monday.

Gibson pitched six innings, allowing four his and a run while striking out six. He did surrender a solo shot to Brandon Belt, the game’s first run in the fourth inning.

Wood became just the third lefty starter to defeat the Rangers joining Steven Matz and Mike Minor, who both accomplished the feat in the season’s first week. Since then, the Rangers have compiled a major league-best 12 wins against left-handed starters, including the last six opportunities consecutively.

The Rangers lost in interleague play for the 13th time in their last 14 matchups. The Giants improved to 13-4 at home, tying their best start to a season at home in their San Francisco history.

The teams conclude their brief series Tuesday afternoon with Texas’ Jordan Lyles facing Logan Webb.

Veteran Ruf making his case to stick with the Giants

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chatsports.com photo: San Francisco Giant Darin Ruf

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, March 7, 2020

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – It was a big day on Saturday at Scottsdale Stadium for a veteran trying to catch on in San Francisco’s 12-7 Cactus League exhibition win over the Chicago White Sox.

Darin Ruf, a 33-year-old non-roster invitee, was 2-for-2 with a pair of home runs and three runs batted in. In 19 at-bats in 10 games this spring, Ruf, who hasn’t played in the majors since 2016, is hitting .368 with three home runs and eight RBIs. He hit 81 home runs and batted .315 in three seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization with the Samsung Lions.

Top catching prospect Joey Bart continues to impress. Bart homered – his second of the spring – and is hitting .438 in the Cactus League.

It was an offensive show provided by both teams for the announced crowd of 9,721, who were enjoying the 82-degree game-time temperatures. The Giants scored 12 runs on 18 hits, while the White Sox had seven runs on nine hits, but committed two errors.

Also contributing offensively for the Giants, Donovan Solano was 2-for-2 with an RBI and scored twice, Zach Green was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs, Brandon Belt collected two hits, and Buster Posey (hitting .412) was 2-for-2.

San Francisco took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third on RBI singles by Belt and Posey that drove in Jaylen Davis and Evan Longoria.

The White Sox answered with a run in the top of the fourth.
Ruf and Bart hit back-to-back home runs for San Francisco in the bottom of the fifth. It was the second Cactus League homer of the spring for each.

Chicago used a six-run rally to take the lead in the top of the sixth. After James McCann’s two-run triple pulled the Sox to within 6-5, Zach Collins’ RBI single tied the game. Chesler Cuthbert’s run-scoring single gave the White Sox a 7-6 lead.

The White Sox did most of that damage off Giants reliever Jerry Blevins. Enderson Franco (1-0) gave up two runs for a blown save, but got the win.

Green hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to put the Giants back in front at 8-7.

Solano added an RBI double in the eighth, driving in Billy Hamilton, and Green reached on an error, allowing Solano to score the Giants’ 10th run. Ruf’s second homer of the game extended San Francisco’s lead to 12-7, capping a four-run rally.

Trevor Cahill started for San Francisco, striking out five in three scoreless innings. Yapson Gomez threw a scoreless ninth for the Giants, who used eight pitchers.

Dallas Keuchel started for the White Sox and worked the first 3 2/3 innings, surrendering four earned runs while striking out three. Alex Colomé (0-1) was tagged with the loss.

GIANT MOVES
The Giants Friday optioned RHPs Melvin Adon and Conner Menez, LHP Sam Selman, INFs Chris Shaw, Abiatal Avelino and Kean Wong to the minors; RHPs Tyler Cyr, Sam Hjelle, Jake Jewell, Luis Madero, Raffi Vizcaino and Trey McNutt, LHP Sam Moll, C Ricardo Genoves, and OF Jamie Westbrook were reassigned to the minor league camp.

San Francisco has 54 players in camp, 21 of them non-roster.

WEEK AHEAD
San Francisco hosts Seattle on Sunday at Scottsdale, travels to Goodyear for a split-squad game with Cleveland on Monday, host the Chicago Cubs in Scottsdale on Tuesday, and heads to Surprise to play Texas on Wednesday. Thursday is an off day.