by
Greek Giant
I was going to come up with some sarcastic title for today’s post about the Giants 1-0, ten-inning loss to the Padres at Willie Mays Field last night but then I re-watched the bottom of the tenth inning and realized that the Giants were also a bit unlucky. Yes, the boys in orange and black got shut out (their second 1-0 loss in three games), yes, they managed only a grand total of five hits and left 12 men on base… but the truth is that the team was very unlucky too. In the bottom of the tenth with the Giants trailing 1-0, a runner on third and one out with Chapman hitting a 110-MPH laser down the line at third you expect a double or at least a single, a tie game and a Giants rally. Instead Padres third baseman Jose Iglesias made a scintillating stab of the ball and threw out Chapman after checking the runner back to third. It was just bad luck and it was repeated by the next batter, Jerar Encarnacion, making his first appearance of the season earlier in the game, who hit another laser beam and again, directly at a Padre, this time it was the first baseman, Luis Arraez who snared it to end the game.
The look of disappointment and exasperation on Patrick Bailey’s face in the dugout said it all. It was a tough loss on a night when Logan Webb pitched his best game of the season, going eight shutout innings and walking zero batters while striking out seven Padres during his 102 pitches. He was so efficient that I am sure he could have pitched a shutout in the ninth as well but Randy Rodriquez did that for him.
If you are keeping score at home, according to Mike Krukow, an authority on Giants pitching, Logan Webb developed a sweeper and a cutter this season to go along with his fastball, changeup, and splitter. That makes five pitches in his arsenal, all of which he can throw for strikes. Webb is a throwback pitcher, the type whose wiles, command and smarts generate weak contact or strikeouts when he is on his game, which is most nights when pitches. Watch Manny Machado’s at bats in this game and you will see mastery in action. Webb used Machado’s aggressive style of hitting against him as if the Giant were a Kung Fu master besting a sumo wrestler by using his weight and power against him. It was fun to watch. Machado had two popups and weak grounders and looked like a .120 hitter against Logan. That’s not easy to do to a future First Ballot Hall of Famer. Webb’s performance was efficient and dominant in an era when pitching for most starters is reduced to rear back and fire then mix in a changeup. Webb’s stuff is much more complex and his fastball barely reaches 93 mph! He is the person I would use as an example to a young player learning how to pitch.
What was not fun to watch, however, were the Giants futile at bats with men on base. The went 1-12 with runners in scoring position. They had bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the second against Padres starter Stephen Kolek, But he induced a weak grounder and a double play by Heliot Ramos, perhaps the key at bat of the game for San Francisco, to end the inning and the threat. Kolek was very good as well and ended up pitching 5 2/3 innings of work. San Francisco has now scored four runs or fewer in 15 consecutive games, its longest such streak since 1976, according to MLB.
“This is a hard game. Baseball is a game of ebbs and flows. Some of the best teams in history have gone through stretches where they’ve had struggles like this. But everyone in this room believes in ourselves.”
-Logan Webb
The San Diegans took the lead in the top of the tenth when Manfred’s man was sacrificed to third. With one out Ryan Walker allowed a fairly deep fly ball on a curve ball to Iglesias that scored the run. Iglesias and Webb were the stars of this game.
There was a contretemps when Wilmer Flores was hit on the hand by the Padre stater. He was visibly upset and both benches were clearing. It was his belief that he was targeted after Padre Diaz was hit on the hand as well by Webb earlier in the game. I am not sure what to think but the important thing is Flores was ok after the At bat.
It’s hard to get upset anymore when the Giants don’t score runs. It’s who they are this season, a version of the 2009 or the 2011 Giants teams but without Buster Posey. They need hitting. Against top teams the Giants are not a formidable opponent. Let’s hope Encarnacion injects some power and pizzas into the lineup. The Giants are two legitimate 100 RBI types away from being a contender. Until then, enjoy the pitching.
Roster Moves
The Giants cleared a spot on the 26-man roster for Encarnacion by optioning young outfielder Luis Matos to Sacramento on Monday, one day after Luis hit a three-run homer to help the Giants win their series in Miami. Baseball is brutal, says I!
Here is Bob Melvin on Matos roster move:
“We’ve seen when he’s getting a lot of at-bats, he’s productive. For younger players to have to sit around for long periods of time, it’s really difficult. He hit a big home run for us yesterday. But it’s been spotty playing time. It’s probably not great for his development, too. He even said to me, ‘I need more at-bats.’ It’s not the last you’ll see of Luis Matos.”
-Bob Melvin
Tonight’s Game
Game two of the series is tonight at 6:40 PM. The pitching matchup will be Ryan Bergert ( 1-0, 0.00 ERA in 4 innings pitched) versus Landen Roupp, (3-4, 3.54)
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