Tag: Kevin Pillar

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Gray and Samardzija matchup for great pitching duel

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Photo credit: @NBCSGiants

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 The Giants had a great pitching duel going with the Colorado Rockies Thursday night. Rockies starter Jon Gray threw shutout ball and the Giants starter Jeff Samardzija likewise throw shutout ball in what some say was masterpiece pitching.

#2 You won’t see pitchers throwing nine innings, but both Gray and Samardjiza threw like the could have pitched nine.

#3 The Giants have had a number of games where hitting had been suspect other than Pablo Sandoval and Brandon Crawford in Thursday’s starting lineup. No one is hitting above .250

#4 You can see at the beginning of the game that Samardzija and Gray were throwing those off balance-breaking balls and were not missing by very much. It was the bottom of the seventh when the Giants centerfielder Kevin Pillar took Gray deep to left center field for his third home run of 2019 to break the deadlock.

#5 Miguel takes a look at Friday night’s starters for Colorado Chad Bettis (0-2, 11.88 ERA) and for the Giants, Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 4.00 ERA).

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

Bummed Out: Padres get to Giants’ ace and their bullpen in 6-5 comeback win

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Two contrasting themes of the early 2019 baseball season were reinforced on Monday night: the Giants are starting the season with a whimper, while the Padres are finishing games with a bang.

Kevin Pillar’s grand slam gave the Giants a 5-0 lead in the fourth, the first slam by a Giant in nearly two seasons. But it didn’t hold up. The Padres responded with a homer in each of the next three innings, and the visitors shocked the home team with a 6-5, come-from-behind, series-opening win.

“With the offense we have, we’re never out of a game,” said Padres’ starter Eric Lauer, who allowed the Pillar grand slam, but was still the pitcher of record when San Diego capped their rally in the seventh. “You know they’re going to produce at some point.”

Fernando Tatis Jr. homered off Bumgarner ahead of Eric Hosmer’s leadoff walk in the fifth. Will Myers also connected off Bumgarner leading off the sixth. And with the Giants clinging to a 5-4 lead, pinch hitter Franmil Reyes hit a two-run shot off Reyes Moronta in the seventh.

“I was already hyped, because what my teammates were doing. I was ready for that moment,” Reyes said.

For the Giants, Pillar’s blast was exactly what the struggling club needed, until it wasn’t all they needed. The Giants scored just 25 runs in their first 10 games, their most tepid beginning on offense since they moved West in 1958. That painfully rough start to the season prompted several roster changes. Pillar was acquired from Toronto last week, and power-hitting first baseman Tyler Austin was acquired in a trade with the Twins Monday, and immediately plugged into the starting lineup.

While Pillar’s slam represented a turnaround, the Giants’ hit total (5, three singles, double, home run) was more of the same. Lauer escaped further damage, retiring seven of the final eight batters he faced. The San Diego bullpen followed suit, retiring nine of 11. After Buster Posey doubled leading off the eighth, Brandon Crawford struck out, Evan Longoria and Yangervis Solarte grounded out. Posey’s double stood as the Giants’ only hit over the final five frames.

Bumgarner’s presence in the mid-inning collapse made it that much tougher. The Giants’ ace has made three starts, but doesn’t have a win.

“You spot him five runs, it’s a real uphill climb. Our guys made that climb today,” Padres’ manager Andy Green said. “It was really special to come back against a guy like that.”

“I feel like we played a good game,” Bumgarner said. “There was a lot of home runs. Too many home runs.”

The Padres improved to 7-4 on the season, with four of those wins against the Giants, who fell to 3-8.

Derek Holland and San Diego’s Joey Luchessi get starting assignments in Tuesday’s newfangled 6:45pm start.

WINNING MANAGERS SOUND COOL AFTER THE GAME: Of course, Andy Green does it. The 41-year old Padres’ manager doesn’t stray from character in sounding cool amongst his players, who aren’t that much younger than him. 63-year old Bruce Bochy does it occasionally, which points to the retiring manager maintaining a keen ear inside his clubhouse.

Colorado’s Bud Black does it. Clint Hurdle and Bob Melvin too. And the silver-tongued Joe Maddon might be the all-time best.

All these loquacious big league managers can succinctly recap a ballgame in their postgame pressers, and keep it fresh by sprinkling in descriptions using the newest, hottest phrasings.

Green was gushing Monday in recounting his club’s come-from-behind win over the Giants. Firstly, he championed in his starter, Eric Lauer, who Green said had “everything coming out hot” with the exception of the pitches in his fourth inning hiccup.

But Green was just getting warmed up, saving his best for describing his never-say-die, Padres’ offense.

“It starts very subtly sometimes with a very grind walk from Hosmer before Tatis hits that home run. And the bench production we’re getting is borderline ridiculous right now,” Green said. “Everybody who comes off that bench realizes they’re being deployed as a weapon and they’re impacting baseballs in a profound way. … So just a really good team win.”

 

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants home opener hopes to bring successful homestand today

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Photo credit: sfchronicle.com

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 The Giants went 2-5 on their first road trip of 2019. Anything manager Bruce Bochy should be concerned about or is this something that will chalked up as experience?

#2 The Giants’ bright spot was when first baseman Brandon Belt hit a game-winning home run on Monday night for a win.

#3 Meanwhile, the Dodgers took their opening homestand, winning five of seven. Will the Dodgers be dominant much like the last two seasons this year?

#4 How important is it for Kevin Pillar to play for the Giants and be back in the Bay Area after playing most of his major league career in Toronto?

#5 In the Pillar deal, did the Giants make a good deal in sending Alen Hanson, Derek Law, and Juan De Paula to the Blue Jays?

Michael Duca does the Giants podcasts each Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Jays beat the A’s 6-3 to take the series

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
MLB: Oakland Athletics at Toronto Blue Jays
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Eric Surkamp Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

There is nothing harder to do in Major League Baseball than to try to establish a winning streak on the road. After winning six games in a row, the A’s lost on Saturday to the Toronto Blue Jays.

On Sunday, the A’s wanted to get back into the win column and take the series from the Jays. The A’s were unable to accomplish either of those goals.

The A’s starting pitching left much to be desired on Sunday allowing Toronto to score six runs in 4.2 innings.

The A’s hitters showed some power hitting three home runs. The only problem with those round-trippers were that all three were solo shots.

The Jays starting pitching was not overwhelming but was just good enough to get the win.

Toronto used a combination of power and productive two-out hitting to score six runs which was more than enough to win the game.

On the hill

LHP Eric Surkamp (0-2, 5.59) started the game for the Athletics. Surkamp came into the game looking for his first win of the season. Instead, he was charged with his second loss of the year.

Surkamp gave up all six Toronto runs in his 4.2 innings of work. He gave up two home runs and two doubles. Surkamp threw 97 pitches (54 strikes), walked three and struck out just two Blue Jays. He face 26 batters in his time on the hill.

The Oakland relief corps did its job. Marc Rzepczynski, Ryan Dull and Fernando Rodriguez held the Jays scoreless in their 3.1 innings of work. The relievers allowed only three base runners in closing out the game for Oakland.

Drew Hutchison (1-0, 3.18) started the game for Toronto and picked up his first victory of the season. Hutchison was not over powering on the mound as he gave up two runs (both earned) on four hits in his 5.2 innings of work. Two of those hits were home runs. Hutchison struck out five and walked three A’s hitters.

Former Oakland Athletic Jesse Chavez relieved Hutchison in the top of the sixth inning inning. Chavez returned to the mound in the seventh and issued a home run to the A’s lead off hitter Chris Coghlan.

Brett Cecil, Drew Storen and Roberto Osuna finished off the game for the Jays holding the A’s without a hit. Osuna picked up his sixth save of the season.

In the batter’s box

The A’s were had only five hits in the game. Josh Reddick had the only multi-hit game going 2-for-4 including a home run. Khris Davis and Chris Coghland hit the other home runs for Oakland. Yonder Alonso recorded a base hit for the A’s.

Oakland was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left just three men on base.

Three Blue Jays had multi-hit games. Ezequiel Carrera went 2-for-4 including hitting his first home run of the season. Kevin Pillar hit a double and scored a run in going 2-for-4. Darwin Barney also had a two-hit game for the Jays.

The Jays went 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.

Up next

The Athletics head to Detroit for a four-game series that begins at 4:10 PM on Monday in Northern California. It could be an opportunity for the A’s to get back on the winning track.

The Tigers have lost four games in a row and have record of just 2-5 at home this season. They were just swept by the Cleveland Indians.

The A’s must achieve at least a 2-2 split in the four-game series. To come home 1-3 or heaven forbid 0-4 in the final series of this road trip would be devastating for the psyche of this team.