Tag: giants

Giants close home stand with a critical win as the Dodgers lose in Colorado

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Moore provides more

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt, who makes himself at home in San Francisco on three occasions each year, sent a rocket to the centerfield wall in the sixth inning that seem destined to erase the Giants’ 2-0 lead, and add to the slugger’s ledger of feats at AT&T Park. But with great calm, centerfielder Gorkys Hernandez raced back and snatched the drive a split second before crashing into the wall.

Giants’ fans cheered wildly for the tremendous catch, then likely turned to each other to ask, “Who’s Gorkys Hernandez?”

With the NL West crown to be decided in the remaining month of the season, and the Giants battling attrition on an almost daily basis, it’s all hands on deck. Hernandez, briefly a major leaguer in Pittsburgh and Miami, and after putting together a decent season at AAA Sacramento, is that next hand. And at that critical juncture of Wednesday’s 4-2 win over Arizona, a pretty good one at that.

“What a beautiful catch, huh? He’s a gifted outfielder, that’s why he played today,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We wanted our best defense out there. He’s really good defensively. If he doesn’t catch that ball, now they got second and third (with one out).”

Hernandez’ catch helped make a winner out of Matt Moore for the first time in his new home park. Moore was coming off his near no-hitter in Los Angeles last week, and he was as good, but far more brief this time out. Manager Bruce Bochy, mindful of the 133 pitches Moore threw against the Dodgers, lifted his starter after Hernandez’ catch with one out and one on in the sixth.

“You don’t really watch the scoreboard in April and May, so just right now knowing where we’re at, we’re all focused on getting ourselves on a good hot streak,” Moore said.

Diamondbacks’ starter Shelby Miller took the loss in his return from an extended stay in the minors to regain his stuff after starting his Arizona career with a 2-9 record in 14 starts. But he didn’t appear any more effective in the first inning, allowing hits to Joe Panik, Buster Posey and Hunter Pence to put the Giants up 2-0.

Miller settled after that, pitching six innings allowing just the two runs on six hits. Consequently, the pitcher who the D’Backs leveraged their farm system to acquire has had a confounding season-to-date. Miller’s 2-10 with a 6.81 ERA in his big league starts, juxtaposed against a 5-1 record with a 3.91 ERA at AAA Reno. Maybe it should have been buyers beware for the Diamondbacks: Miller was 6-17 in 2015, his only season with the Braves.

After Miller departed, relievers Randall Delgado and Edwin Escobar failed to record an out in the seventh, allowing the Giants to increase their lead to 4-1. Delgado has been a bright spot for the D’Backs, making 62 appearances, the last 14 without allowing an earned run, but the Giants pounced on the reliever as pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie tripled, and Angel Pagan doubled him home.

The Giants bullpen had its moment in the ninth, when with two outs closer Santiago Casilla allowed a home run to pinch-hitter Jake Lamb, then a soft single to Jean Segura. But Casilla steadied, retiring A.J. Pollock to end the game.

The Giants got help on the out-of-town scoreboard as the Dodgers dropped the opener of their doubleheader in Denver 7-1. At press time, the Dodgers trailed 5-2 in the second game, and with a loss there, the Los Angeles lead in the division would drop to ½ game. When asked if he noticed what was going on elsewhere during the game, Bochy refused to bite.

“We try to stay positive here, and try to win ballgames, and don’t get concerned with what the other teams are doing. It’s up to us to go out and play better ball and win ballgames,” Bochy said. “It’s the old adage, ‘we control our own destiny.’”

The Giants open a big four-game series in Chicago on Thursday afternoon with Jeff Samardzija returning to Wrigley Field as the starter in the opener. Mike Montgomery will get the start for the Cubs.

NOTES: Bochy said the Giants have not decided on Friday’s starter, first indicating that Matt Cain would return and get the start, then apparently leaning toward swing guy Albert Suarez. Neither option seems ideal, likely making the call a last-minute decision… The Giants announced their first round of September callups with reliever Josh Osich, outfielder Mac Williamson, utility man Kelby Tomlinson the key guys. Those three will be available in Chicago along with pitchers Ty Blach, Steven Okert and Matt Reynolds. Blach posted a 14-7 record in Sacramento with 113 strikeouts.

Giants lose at home to the NL-worst Braves, fall two games behind the Dodgers

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants’ opportunity to post a three-game win streak for the first time in six weeks disappeared Saturday night in one swing of the bat.

Matt Kemp, the former Dodger and still a nemesis of the Giants, delivered a three-run homer off Albert Suarez in the fourth inning, and it stood up in the Braves 3-1 win. The Giants lost for the 26th time in 39 games, and fell two games off the pace of the Dodgers in the NL West.

“It’s good to quiet the crowd a little bit,” Kemp said. “They get riled up when they’re up. But if you can get on the board and get them down, they’ll back off you a little bit.”

Kemp homered for the 23rd time against the Giants, and ruined Suarez’ return to the big leagues after he was demoted to make room for the newly acquired Matt Moore on August 2. Suarez replaced Jake Peavy, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back issue. Suarez breezed through three innings, extending the Giants’ pitching staff’s scoreless streak to 25 innings, then ran into trouble in the fourth.

Adonis Garcia singled and Freddy Freeman doubled ahead of Kemp’s homer to center field. That wiped out the Giants’ early 1-0 lead courtesy of Brandon Crawford’s solo shot in the second inning. Braves’ starter Mike Foltynewicz took it from there, pitching into the eighth inning without allowing the Giants another run.

The Braves have split six games with the Giants this season, despite being saddled with the National League’s worst record. Foltynewicz has beaten the Giants twice, also shutting them down May 30, allowing three hits and a run in six innings.

Hunter Pence, Buster Posey and Brandon Belt were all out of the Giants’ lineup, and only Belt made a pinch-hitting appearance, striking out in the eighth. After Belt’s strikeout, a pair of Giants reached base, chasing Foltynewicz. But reliever Mauricio Cabrera came on to retire Joe Panik to end the inning, and preserve the Braves’ two-run lead.

“We just couldn’t get a key hit,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “That’s how you win ballgames, and that was missing tonight.”

The Giants haven’t captured a series since winning two of three in Miami three weeks ago. On Sunday, they’ll look to capture this series with Madison Bumgarner scheduled to start. Aaron Blair will get the ball for the Braves after spending the previous two months with AAA Gwinett. Blair pitched against the Giants on June 2, allowing three two-run homers in the Braves’ 6-5 loss.

The Giants did receive some good new Saturday. The Marlins and Cardinals, their closest pursuers in the wide-open wild card race both lost at home, allowing the Giants to remain three games ahead of the Marlins and Pirates.

 

 

Giants blow early lead, get swept by the Pirates

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Cain crushed

By Morris Phillips

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

According to manager Bruce Bochy, he’s got tough guys, but the get going part has yet to take place.

On Wednesday, the Giants saw their 4-0 lead evaporate in one inning, Matt Cain’s disastrous fifth in which he coughed all six runs the Pirates would need in a 6-5 victory that capped a three-game sweep. On top of all the Giants have experienced in their 9-21 stretch since the All-Star break, they now have a pair of mid-game meltdowns in less than a week, the type that teams that aren’t tough, don’t survive.

“We couldn’t ask for more than what we created there,” Bochy said. “We just couldn’t finish.”

Cain was cruising along, allowing just one hit, until the fifth. Then, that fast, Cain wasn’t cruising. He hit David Freese, then walked John Jaso, Jordy Mercer and Eric Fryer to force in a run. Manager Clint Hurdle, sensing an opportunity, then pinch-hit for his starter, Ivan Nova, and Matt Joyce delivered a two-run single.

Josh Harrison then hit a sacrifice fly that tied the game. With the Giants’ bullpen in motion, Cain recovered to retire Sterling Marte for the second out, but Andrew McCutchen was next, and Bochy decided to stick with Cain. But McCutchen deposited Cain’s first pitch–a substandard fastball–over the left field wall.

“I probably stuck with him a little long there, being honest,” Bochy admitted. “I felt he had enough to get through it. It didn’t play out.”

With five opportunities remaining, and a two-run deficit, the Giants’ response was tepid. Rallies fizzled in the fifth and sixth, nothing more promising came in the seventh and eighth, then with a real opportunity in the ninth, the first three batters reached to load the bases, the normally clutch Buster Posey hit into a double play, then Brandon Crawford flew out to center to end the game.

The Giants finished 3 of 10 with runners in scoring position, actually an improvement on their 5 of 23 in the first two games of the season. Regardless of the numbers, the Giants have been consistently one hit short, hitting just below .200 since the All-Star break.

Now, after a four-game losing streak that began with the meltdown against the Orioles on Sunday, the Giants are looking up at the Dodgers, now holding a 1 ½ game lead in the NL West. At some point, the Giants have to respond, but it hasn’t happened yet.

“We better find a way to get out of it pretty soon, we know that,” Bochy said.

Posey provided a boost on Wednesday by starting a day game after a night game after the All-Star missed a pair of games with back issues. Brandon Belt fouled a pitch off his leg in the fifth, but stayed in the game as the Giants fielded a lineup with all eight of their preferred starters.

The Giants get what should be a break next with the hapless Mets in for four games with Madison Bumgarner lined up to pitch the first one. The Mets, hitting .188 since the break with runners in scoring position, have an offense struggling to a greater degree than the Giants. But can the Giants take advantage?

Bumgarner faces Jacob deGrom in the opener at 7:15pm on Thursday.

Vogelsong wins in his return to AT&T Park, as the Giants continue to struggle

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Vogey's back

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Ryan Vogelsong’s first start against the Giants in more than a decade was a lot like the starts the right hander made for the Giants in the years in between: emotional, rocky, good and bad, but ultimately a success.

Vogelsong allowed the first two runs of the ballgame, then saw his Pirates provide support with five runs off Matt Moore, enough for Vogey to register an 8-5 win, and keep the Giants reeling, now losers of 19 of 28 since the All-Star break.

While Vogelsong came in hyped up and vulnerable, Moore, in his first start as a Giant at home, was flawless early until thing unraveled in the fourth. After retiring 10 batters without allowing a hit, Moore allowed the next five hitters to reach and three scored. For the rest of the night, the Giants trailed, fighting an uphill battle they would ultimately lose.

Moore came in with a streak of eight consecutive quality starts, the best current streak among major leaguers along with Washington’s Max Scherzer, and this time, couldn’t make enough pitches to extend it. Along with the six hits he allowed, three walks, all bunched into his final three innings of work, were Moore’s undoing.

Just as inconsistent were the Giants behind Moore, who made several flashy defensive plays, but just as frequently saw well-placed balls drop in around them. On the base paths offensively, the Giants couldn’t extend their early 2-0 lead, much due to Trevor Brown being thrown out at the plate in the second, and Hunter Pence not heeding a stop sign put up by third base coach Roberto Kelly, allowing the Pirates to record a critical out in the third.

The Giants briefly rallied behind home runs from Eduardo Nunez and Denard Span that closed the gap to 5-4 in the sixth. Span’s shot marked Vogelsong’s final pitch of the inning, not that the former Giant wanted it to be, as he uniquely waved off manager Clint Hurdle as he approached the mound.   But this was a case where the manager knew his pitcher better than the pitcher knew himself as Hurdle recounted.

“His job is to pitch, my job is to manage, and I wasn’t going to go back in the dugout,” Hurdle said.

From Hurdle’s keen perspective, Vogelsong’s evening was perfectly summarized. Hurdle said his pitcher came in “overamped” allowing two hits, and two walks in the first inning, in which he escaped allowing just one run. Heading into the start, Vogelsong said it would be emotional day, returning to the place where he enjoyed the greatest success of his 16-year career, while needing to show he’s still viable and capable of winning. Afterwards, Vogelsong talked about the juxtaposition of trying to get locked in while warming up, all the while with Giants’ fans yelling at him and expressing their appreciation of his previous five seasons.

“I’m tired,” Vogelsong said afterwards. “I’m off in the right field corner and the fans are screaming at me, and I’m loving every minute of it.”

While Vogelsong was all over the place in attempting to describe the experience, Hurdle was more succinct in saying, “I don’t think it was just another day at the park.”

After allowing the home run to Span, and trying to shush Hurdle, Vogelsong exited to rousing applause.

“I was expecting a warm reception, but I wasn’t expecting that reception,” he said.

Trailing 7-4 in the seventh, the Giants had an opportunity to change the story, after a wild pitch allowed a pair of base runners to move up with Nunez back at the plate. But Nunez’ liner to center was snagged by Andrew McCutchen just inches above the turf, as the centerfielder came racing out of nowhere to rob the Giants’ third baseman.

“Cutch’s play was one of the best I’ve seen in a long time,” Hurdle said.

The Giants played a second straight day without Buster Posey, sidelined by back issues, and his absence was noteworthy to Vogelsong, who felt the catcher’s intimate knowledge of his tendencies would make him his toughest out.

Also on the San Francisco injury front, Cody Gearrin drew closer to a return to the big club, pitching a rehab stint in Sacramento on Monday. Josh Osich continues to rehab, but his return before September 1, is considered unlikely, as he’s not as close to returning from his forearm issue as is Gearrin.

On Tuesday, the Giants have Jeff Samardzija on the mound in a matchup with Pittsburgh’s Jameson Taillon.

Giants bullpen gives up sure win in late innings

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by Michael Martinez

SAN FRANCISCO – Johnny Cueto (13-3) appeared to have his first win since the All Star break in the bag after he threw a solid six and two thirds innings, allowing just three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. Cueto also had a nice day at the plate putting together two hits and driving in a run. However, the Giants bullpen fell apart in the late innings and allowed the Orioles to make things competitive.

Hunter Strickland came in to relieve Cueto and got out of a seventh inning jam but gave up two runs in the seventh to let the Orioles back into the ball game, which included a solo shot by Mark Trumbo. The blast was Trumbo’s was number 34 of the season he still leads the AL in that category.

Derek Law replaced Strickland in the eighth and was able to limit the damage as the Giants still held a 7-5 lead heading into the top half of the ninth.

Then Santiago Casilla came into the game and not only let two runners get on base, but threw a hanging curveball right over the heart of the plate to Baltimore second baseman, Johnathan Schoop. Schoop made Casilla pay as he crushed the hanging breaking ball into the left field bleachers to give the Orioles the lead, eight to seven. The homer marked Casilla’s fifth blown save of the year.

“I have confidence in all my pitches,” Casilla said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “I threw the curveball, and I just made a mistake. The ball didn’t break.”

The Giants then tried to make something happen off Orioles closer Zach Britton in the bottom of the ninth, but unfortunately could not get a run across the plate to push the game into extra innings. Britton added to his league leading save total, 37, as Baltimore sits just a half game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East.

For San Francisco, its their 18th loss since the Mid Summer Classic and a real bad one after they held a six run lead heading into the top of the seventh.

The orange and black hit their stride at the plate, tallying 14 hits for seven runs and forced Orioles skipper, Buck Showalter,  to remove starter Wade Miley in the fifth inning.

Giants back up catcher Trevor Brown got the scoring started with an RBI single in the second inning. Brown got the start behind the dish after Buster Posey was a last minute scratch due to back tightness. The injury could have been sustained from the flight back and has gradually worsened, according to Posey.

Before Sunday’s ball game, Brown had been hitless in his last seven at bats, with just three hits in his last 19. But Brown made the most out of his start and was a huge spark for SF’s offense. He finished the game three for five with three RBIs.

“He’s been great,” Posey said about Brown’s performance this year. “He gave us a chance to win the game.”

Outfielder Hunter Pence also had a good game and it appears his swing could be coming into form. Pence hit a bomb to center field, 436 feet to be exact, and added a single during the Giants big fifth inning. Pence’s dinger was his first since returning from the disabled list. Prior to today’s game, Pence had not put one into the seats dating all the way back to May 18.

Fortunately, the Dodgers (65-52) lost to Pittsburgh on Sunday, 11-3, keeping the Giants a game ahead in the NL West.

After blowing a huge lead and taking a loss in what looked to be the Giants first back-to-back wins since July 30 and 31 as well as their second consecutive series victory, San Francisco will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates at home tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. PT as Matt Moore takes the mound.

“I think everyone knows what’s at stake. I don’t think there’s really any motivation needed,” Posey said. “This time of the year, this is when it’s fun. Each game as we get further and further along will have a little more importance on it. I think the group of guys in here generally thrive in these situations.”

Overtime in Overtown: Giants survive in extra-innings win as Crawford gets seven hits

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Belt celebratesBy Morris Phillips

Suffice it to say, the 815th win of Bruce Bochy’s career as the Giants’ manager was unlike no other.

First of all, Bochy wasn’t even present, having been hospitalized overnight soon after the Giants arrived in South Florida for their three-game set with the Marlins. While the cause of the hospitalization wasn’t disclosed, it was said to be precautionary, and Bochy is expected to rejoin the club for Tuesday’s game.

Among the other oddities: after 377 of the 480 pitches required to complete the game were thrown, Giants’ catcher Buster Posey sat in the dugout explaining to team athletic trainer Dave Groeschner how his side battle with the third base bag went decidedly to the bag, while teammate Hunter Pence sat unattended next to Posey after failing to drive in Posey with the go-ahead run in the 11th inning, and striking out for the seventh time since suffering a grotesque eye bruise in Saturday’s win in Washington.

Both players would shake it off, and continue until the game’s conclusion in the 14th inning where Brandon Crawford drove in the game-winning run with his seventh hit of the night, the first time a major-leaguer’s accomplished that feat in the last 41 years.

After five hours and 34 minutes of baseball, the Giants earned the 8-7 win allowing them to maintain sole possession of first place in the NL West for at least one more day. Ron Wotus, the team’s interim skipper in Bochy’s absence, had a humorous take on the Giants’ lengthy night at Marlins Park.

“Bochy picked a heck of a day to take off.”

Lost in the improbable conclusion was the Giants’ unlikely, two-pronged comeback after trailing 5-1 in the seventh. After scoring five times in the seventh and taking a 6-5 lead, the Giants came up with one more run in the eighth to tie, after the Marlins regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh.

After hitting .171 as a team with runners in scoring position since July 1, the Giants came up with four such hits in their comeback, capped by Crawford’s single scoring Denard Span in the eighth. The comeback allowed the Giants to avoid becoming another victim of Miami starter Jose Fernandez, among the best pitchers at home in the history of the game with a 26-2 record at Marlins Park.

Fernandez went six innings, allowing six hits and a run, but departed when his pitch count his 106. Relievers Hunter Cervenka and Nick Wittgren followed Fernandez, but retired just one of the seven batters they faced in the seventh, as the Giants mounted their comeback.

Giants’ starter Johnny Cueto lasted just five innings, allowing six hits and five runs, and failing to win for the fifth consecutive start after starting the season 13-1. But unlike the Marlins’ pen, the Giants’ relievers picked up Cueto. Of the seven relievers that followed Cueto, only Will Smith slipped, allowing the two-run Marlins’ rally in the seventh.

Eight Miami pitchers followed Fernandez, and five of them allowed a hit to Crawford, who became the first big leaguer to gather seven hits in a game since Rennie Stennett accomplished the feat on September 16, 1975. Incredibly, Stennett accumulated all seven of his hits without the benefit of extra innings. Manager Don Mattingly conceded that Crawford proved almost impossible to retire on Monday.

“We didn’t figure it out today,” Mattingly said. “He’s a tough out right now and obviously, when you’re getting seven hits, you’re feeling pretty good about yourself. So I’m sure this whole series, it’s not going to be fun trying to get him out.”

Among those observing Crawford’s feat was Ichiro Suzuki, who tripled in the Marlins’ win at Colorado on Sunday, the 3, 000 hit of his unique career. Suzuki pinch hit in the sixth inning on Monday, failing to pick up hit 3,001. As an illustration of what a tough feat Crawford accomplished, Suzuki, the unrivaled hit machine, has 50 games in his career with four hits, and seven games with five hits, but none with six or seven hits.

George Kontos pitched the 13th and 14th innings and picked up the win. Andrew Cashner, the Marlins’ trade deadline acquisition, took the loss, throwing just two pitches and allowing Crawford’s go-ahead hit. On that play, Crawford was thrown out at second trying to advance after Brandon Belt scored what would become the game-winning run. Cashner was brought in despite being the Marlins’ scheduled starter for Friday’s game against the White Sox.

Matt Moore will start for the Giants on Tuesday given the obvious mandate to pitch deep into the game with Tom Koehler the scheduled starter for the Marlins.

Giants acquire left handers Moore and Smith with Duffy, Susac and Bickford among those shipped out

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By Morris Phillips

The Giants consummated a pair of trade deadline deals on Monday and the cost of acquiring reliever Will Smith from Milwaukee and starting pitcher Matt Moore from Tampa Bay was enormous.

Gone are 21-year old Phil Bickford, youthful shortstop prospect Lucius Fox, former big league catcher Andrew Susac, and the biggest surprise, starting third baseman Matt Duffy, who was thought to be on track to rejoin the Giants on the upcoming road trip to Philadelphia and Washington.

Instead, Duffy appears to be on his way to becoming the starting shortstop for the Rays.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t heartbroken about leaving the group of guys and fans in SF,” Duffy said. “But I’m also excited about the opportunity to help push the Rays over the top and be a contender in the AL East.”

Moore, a left handed starter, is two years removed from Tommy John surgery and has pitched extremely well over his last 10 starts for the Rays. While the cost to acquire Moore was high, the Giants get a starting pitcher that’s under control for several seasons going forward, and can slot into the third starter position, temporarily dropping struggling Jeff Samardzija down a spot, and likely bumping Jake Peavy out of the rotation.

Most recently, Moore won at Dodgers Stadium against the lefty-leaning Los Angeles lineup, pitching into the seventh inning and allowing just one run, four hits. Previous to that, Moore won in Oakland, holding the A’s in check for seven innings. Moore had demanded that the Rays allow all of the starters to pitch deeper in ballgames, and Moore benefitted when the Tampa coaching staff relented. He’s thrown at least six innings in each of his last 10 starts with the one sore spot being the eight home runs Moore allowed.

Fox, 21-year old pitcher Michael Santos and Duffy were all shipped to Tampa Bay for Moore. In the other deal, Susac and Bickford went to Milwaukee for Smith.

Smith, a quality, left handed setup man, has not pitched at his best over the last month, but is envisioned as a replacement for the retired Jeremy Affeldt, and the struggling Javier Lopez. Smith obviously is not the knock out acquisition that Aroldis Chapman was for the Cubs, or Andrew Miller was for the Indians. But the Giants quickly found out that they were short can’t miss prospects to complete a deal for an elite closer, and Smith was the next step down in terms of what pitchers were available.

Smith’s acquisition likely means that Santiago Casilla will continue to be the closer for the Giants, and Smith will slip into a setup role with Sergio Romo. Since the Giants did not acquire a big-time closer, expect the Giants’ coaching staff to challenge the relievers they have—most importantly George Kontos, Derek Law, and Hunter Strickland—to pitch better down the stretch as they get more acclimated to being in more defined roles.

On Tuesday, the Giants start a three-game set in Philadelphia with Madison Bumgarner facing the Phillies’ Zach Eflin at 4:05pm.

Giant problems: NL West lead down to 2 1/2 games after 7-5 loss to the Reds

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Bruce loose

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–For Brandon Belt, the cool ocean air and adoring fans along McCovey Cove made all the difference. Stuck in a nasty post All-Star Game slump, the first baseman responded upon returning to AT&T Park with three hits, including a seemingly effortless, two-run homer.

For the rest of the Giants, Monday’s narrow 7-5 loss to the Reds was maddening, a rerun of most of the issues that plagued them on the just-concluded 1-7 road trip that’s all but eroded their comfortable lead in the NL West.

Balls flying over the fence? Three of them, all charged to starter Jake Peavy. Poor defense? Defender extraordinaire Brandon Crawford fumbled a ground ball, then threw wide to first, his improbable fifth error in the last seven games. Heads up play? Not enough of that either: Ramiro Pena wandered too far from first base and was picked off when Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips wormed his way between Pena and the bag as catcher Tyler Barnhart’s throw arrived.

The home team’s fans were off their game too. A guy wearing a Giants’ jersey and armed with a glove reached over the rim of the right field arcade and snagged Jay Bruce’s first of two homers, a two-run shot that likely would have gone for three bases, not four, had the fan shown restraint.

So what’s it going to take for the Giants—21-7 before the break, and now 1-8 after it, to reignite their engines?

“Right now, we just need a quality start,” manager Bruce Bochy admitted.

Peavy seemed capable of giving the Giants what they needed, but didn’t have it on Monday. The veteran starter has won twice as much after the break than before over the last three seasons, and had never lost to a visiting Cincinnati ball club in his career (4-0 with 50 strikeouts in seven starts). But capturing that synergy would have first required that the Reds forget how pleasurable it was seeing Peavy at Great American Ballpark in May.

In that one, Peavy went six innings, departing after allowing four home runs, and leaving the Giants in a 7-2 hole. On Monday, Peavy gave up three home runs, the last one to Bruce, allowing the Reds to regain the lead after the Giants had scored four times to go ahead 5-4.

Talk about an extension of the road trip: the Giants’ pitchers have allowed 19 home runs in the last nine games.  And that four-run comeback might be all the offense the team can muster right now: over the final four innings Monday, the Giants had one hit and stuck out five times.

After the game, Bochy remained upbeat, finding a silver lining.

“Jake gives up six runs. He only gave up four hits, three of them left the park. That’s what power will do for you. They played hard, I loved the vibe in the dugout. Good comeback off a tough pitcher who’s been throwing the ball well. We just couldn’t hold ‘em,” Bochy said.

Belt’s home run answered the four-spot the Reds posted in the fourth. The slugger’s bust out night came after he went 2 for 33 on the road trip, and was dropped to sixth in the batting order on Monday in hopes that he would feel less pressure to carry the club offensively, according to Bochy.

Angel Pagan’s two-run shot in the fifth briefly gave the Giants a 5-4 lead, but Peavy’s final pitch of the evening was deposited over the left field fence by Bruce. The Cincinnati outfielder has been mentioned as a trade target of the Giants, and his latest stretch explains why. Bruce has 10 hits, 13 RBIs and four homers in his last seven games, that despite the persistent trade rumors that have him moving who knows where before the August 1 deadline.

“I feel like personally I have been pretty good at keeping things in their own little boxes,” Bruce said. “The last thing you want to do is let things creep in that affect performance or preparation or execution or focus.”

On Tuesday, the Giants will take aim at 23-year old Cody Reed, the Reds’ starter who is 0-4 in six starts. Matt Cain will go for the Giants, looking to have a far better outing than he did in Boston last week, where he was lifted in the third inning of an 11-7 loss.

 

 

Giant objective: Close a deal for a closer

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By Morris Phillips

Santiago Casilla literally fell off the mound at Petco Park in San Diego on Saturday night, the statistics over a half season plus are howling, and the fans have spoken, almost in unison.

The consensus? The Giants need change in their bullpen, starting with veteran closer Casilla.

And the response from the Giants’ brass? Not a peep… yet.

With the August 1 trade deadline approaching, and the team sporting baseball’s best record despite a rough weekend in San Diego, how is that?

Probably because the trade that’s nearly inevitable may be the biggest one Bobby Evans has consummated in his short tenure as the team’s general manager, and one of the biggest in the Brian Sabean era. Let’s just say some high-level, serious negotiating is about to commence.

Already, the smoke screens are up, with the Yankees saying publicly that they’re not interested in anyone the Giants have in their farm system. But here’s what we know: The Yankees are undeniably sellers in this year’s market, as they flounder around .500, and in fourth place in the AL East just ahead of this weekend’s meeting with the Giants in the Bronx. And even as they move closer to moving some high-profile talent, most notably relievers Andrew Miller and possibly, flamethrower Aroldis Chapman, they too aren’t eager to tip their hand.

But what the Yankees have, the Giants need. That’s readily apparent.

If these two teams do a deal the historical implications are huge. The Yankees with their five World Series titles since 1996 are the team of this most recent era of baseball, and they aren’t particularly interested in sharing that stage with either the Giants or the Red Sox, both next up with three Series titles each in that same span. Also Brian Cashman may have tenure and titles, but he doesn’t have the reputation within the baseball industry that Sabean has amassed by doing more with less.

Simply, the two most tenured GM’s  (for the purpose of this story labeling Sabean a GM emeritus) in the game aren’t necessarily comfortable trade partners, especially given that Sabean left the Yankees to take a bigger role with the Giants.

Clearly, the Giants have the ammunition to make a trade with the Yankees or anyone else. From top prospect Christian Arroyo to pitcher Tyler Beede, infielder Lucious Fox, and Single A pitcher Phil Bickford, the Giants are awash with prospects unlike they’ve been at any point since 2010. The Giants have seen their farm system grow in reputation by leaps with the major league success of homegrown stars Joe Panik, Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner and others. What just a few years ago was a minus, has clearly become a plus.

If not the Yankees, look for the Giants to entice the Pirates with Mark Melancon, or the Rays with Alex Colome. Jeremy Jeffress of Milwaukee could be another rising star the Giants attempt to acquire.

But whatever transpires, don’t expect to hear a lot before it actually happens. Even broadcaster Mike Krukow seemed to be following the company line when he spoke on KNBR, saying that as constituted, the Giants’ bullpen has one logical guy to be the closer, Casilla, someone who he says has proven that he has the mental toughness to get the job done. With so many buyers, and only so many quality relievers available, the Giants tipping their hand, or overplaying their desire to close a deal, could simply drive up the price.

Casilla’s five blown saves are the second most of any reliever in baseball, and the bullpen as a whole has already blown 18. As it stands, with the long absence of Sergio Romo, and the struggles of Josh Osich and Hunter Strickland, the Giants’ bullpen lacks defined roles. The arrival of a flame throwing closer could change all that, bumping Casilla and Romo back, and creating a more defined back end of the pen. Also, even as high as the Giants are on both Strickland and Osich, one of the two also could be moved if it brings back the desired leader of the bullpen.

The Giants see what everyone else sees going on in their bullpen, but unlike the fans and the pundits, they don’t have a say a word. They have to close a deal.

With Samardzija off his game, A’s take liberties in 8-3 romp over the Giants

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Samardzija looking for

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Whether speed bump or cautionary tale, Monday’s 8-2 loss to the A’s was what it was for baseball’s hottest team. Another game looms tomorrow and another opportunity for the Giants to become the National League’s first 50-game winner this season outweighs a rare, lopsided result.

For Jeff Samardzija, things are a little more complicated. The Giants’ $90 million free agent acquisition completed a rough June on Monday, in which he had three abbreviated starts and allowed nine home runs, including Marcus Semien’s three-run job on Monday that highlighted the A’s five-run, second inning.

Somehow Samardzija needs to get his performances more in line with how his team is performing, something he says is attainable, despite the recent, rough outings.

“It’s just about eliminating those mistakes that come back to haunt you,” he said.

Samardzija had several in the second inning against the A’s, after he cruised through the first. The A’s struck for five runs on three extra base hits, two singles and a walk. For the 6’5” right hander, it was almost like, “where do I start?” in trying to assess the disaster of an inning.

The obvious, first choice would be Samardzija’s 1-2 offering to Semien, a capable hitter, but not a guy who’s going to make his living hitting for power in two-strike counts. But Samardzija threw Semien a slider that was intended to be outside and off the plate. Instead, the pitch was right down the middle of the plate and Semien crushed it.

Some good, some bad, Samardzija’s pattern was weaved through the entire outing, not just the second. Samardzija started seven of the first eight batters in the inning with a strike, but the first pitches didn’t set up outs. Instead, pitches that were supposed to be on the edges, caught too much of the plate prompting the pitcher to say “get your off-speed pitches in the strike zone and your two-strike pitches out of the zone.”

“The second inning got away from him,” Bochy recalled. “He lived in the heart of the plate and we paid for it.”

Samardzija would recover, retiring nine batters in a row to get through the third through fifth innings, before getting hit again in the sixth. Consecutive doubles by Yonder Alonso and Semien made it 6-0 before Billy Burns was intentionally walked to get to A’s starter Daniel Mengden, who was retired ending the inning and Samardzija’s evening.

The Giants had beaten the A’s 16 of 19 times at AT&T Park coming in, giving the Bridge Series some semblance of balance after it had gone decisively to the A’s for years. Last year, the Giants finally broke through, winning five of six. Monday’s wipeout was the Oakland response.

“We’ve had games like this, we just haven’t done it consistently,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We have the ability to do this. If you look at our offensive numbers as a whole and they’re not great–on base percentage, really across the board—and then you look in the lineup, and you say, we should probably do a little bit more.”

Mengden picked up his first big league win after three losses, reinforcing what Melvin had said throughout, that the quirky rookie with the handlebar moustache belongs. Mengden retired the first 12 hitters of the evening, and allowed just two hits through seven. In the eighth, the Giants scored twice during which Mengden gave way to the Oakland bullpen, a task that even the incendiary A’s relief core could handle.

The A’s have won four of five, while the Giants have won 13 of 16 despite the loss.

On Tuesday, Albert Suarez tries to capture his fourth win in five decisions in a matchup with Kendall Graveman at 7:15pm.