Death Ray

Aug 16, 2023 | 2023 Season, Latest Post

by
Greek Giant

In the final game of a three-game set against the Tampa Bay team the Giants were death rayed, 6-1. It was a game that felt like 26-1 in favor of the Rays. That’s the Tampa Bay Rays, to be exact. They’re a team that was struggling mightily till they arrived in San Francisco. I should know. I watch a lot of Rays game because they’re fun, athletic and full of energy. The Rays started the season with a historically brilliant record of 26-6, absolutely bludgeoning teams.. but since then they have had pitching injuries and struggled to score runs consistently. The Orioles of Baltimore have over-taken them and now the Rays are kind of hanging on to stay in Wild Card contention, though the American League East title is not out of the question.

The Giants?

Don’t ask. They can’t score runs and they have a two-man starting rotation. They call up young prospects aggressively and still lose. The Giants, let’s face it, are in the midst of a death spiral, the kind that can end a season in August. In the series finale on a bright Wednesday afternoon the Giants had some chances with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, down 6-zip, but could only muster one run. Want more proof this team inspires zero confidence? How about Kruk and Kuip discussing the various attributes of press boxes around MLB stadiums in the seventh and eighth innings? That’s how bad this game was!

There’s really no need to get into Ross Stripling five run outing or the fact that the Giants had eight quiet hits. This team looks old, stale and not ready to play at the elite levels. The Giants young players may yet prove to be promising. But right now they are not helping the club win games. Casy Schmitt was sent down to re-discover his stroke. Wade Meckler is an intriguing prospect who just got his first Big League hit but don’t expect him to be the second coming of Patrick Bailey just yet.

The Rays’ Raley hit a stand up inside-the-Willie-Mays-Field homer thanks to a weird bounce. That was the story of the game.

Zaidi and Kapler on the Hot Seat?

I have a theory about all these aggressive call-ups of Minor Leaguers. Though both Zaidi and Kapler have had their 2024 options picked up by ownership, I think they are living on borrowed team and these moves are born of desperation. I don’t see this Zaidi regime lasting beyond next season, if that.

I hate to be so downerish but that’s what three Gin and Tonics will do to you after watching this game and watching this team tightrope walk their way to trying to win without a legitimate starting rotation and aging hitters like Conforto, Wilmer, Pederson, and Haniger who would not even be on the roster of a team like the Braves or the Dodgers. That’s where we are, Giants fans.

Maybe the Giants will squeak into the playoffs but the Rays showed us how two baseball organizations are going in totally opposite directions.

Wade’s Award

LaMonte Wade Jr. won the Giants Heart and Hustle Award. Congrats to a fine young man!

 Meckler’s First Highlight

Meckler makes a nice play in center: