by
GreekGiant
Today’s Game: Giants (79-71) Vs Dodgers (85-65) at Dodger Stadium, 7:00 pm
Johnny Cueto (16-5, 2.86) vs Rich Hill (3-1, 1.48)
After vowing never to watch another Giants game after last night’s heartache here I am looking forward to tonight’s game. To quote Willie Dixon: “I Can’t Quit You Giants”.
Johnny Cueto is on the mound vs. Rich Hill in Dodger Stadium. No need to get into all the high drama from last night. The Togethers have hashed it out pretty well in the comments.
I was pleased to hear Bruce Bochy announce on his twitter feed that the Giants are going to start a new routine before every game: Yoga, meditation and group hugs at 6 AM.
It’s time to see what the Giants are made of. Hopefully the team hypnotist worked her magic on the pitching staff, on the whole team and coaching staff during this morning’s pre-game yoga and meditation session. Word has it that while doing the lotus position, Bumgarner had to be separated from the Dodger stadium waterboy who was approaching our ace with an odd look…
MadBum: “That kid wearing the Dodger t-shirt was kind of staring me down…”
Dodger Waterboy (quivering with fear): “I … I I just wanted his autograph…”
Madbum: “Come here kid, Let me give you a hug…You want a selfie?”
You can do this Giants. Remember your Championship blood. It may be time for a transfusion.
Gotta have a W, fellas.
Bochy: please “go with our TEAM”, not “our guys”.
Yes W! I do not know if I can watch tonight……..
But how could I not?
I know! It’s like watching a slow moving disaster: Horrible but you can’t take your eyes off it!
Exactly. And then there is that tiny sliver of hope…..
Bucket list for TWG Peeps
http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2011/08/the-25-coolest-minor-league-ballparks/13
https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/best-minor-league-baseball-stadiums
Apologies for not reading all through the emotional posts of every TWG posters. Had I – I may not post what I thought were relevant thoughts about last nights game. The only way I can do it is off the top of my head thus these are not in any particular order but obviously interwoven. Most of these I post with my head not heart.
1) Dodger are a good to great team
2) Kershaw was not as sharp, but still excellent. “If one strives for perfection and fails, there is still excellence”
3) Kershaw knew immediately when he let the ball go – that his command was not vintage Kershaw
4) Nunez provides only run with his freakish type of “all out or get out” play.
5) I thought Pence should have “found the wall” first before attempting a catch-able catch.
6) Rick Honeycutt spent most of his playing days in Oakland, (1987–1993) and those were mainly Larussa’s years – Oakland Athletics (1986–1995). Had Bum hit in the T8th – he was going to be thrown inside or hit. Had Bum gotten hit – he was going to go to the mound. Had he gone to the mound – he (and others) would have been suspended.
7) Rags spent most of his playing days with NYY New York Yankees (1979–1990) and they kicked the crud out of other teams but did not throw at hitters.
8) On a scale of 1-10 of Puigs egregious antics this was about a one. Bum was 15 feet from his own dugout; Walk inside the dugout Madison.
9) Although the B 8th was full of drama – the relief guys got out scoreless. Bum with 97 pitches and an adrenaline and testosterone meter off the charts, no guarantees that he does the same. Bum may have thrown 10-20 pitches in the 8th had he pitched; That is somewhere around 107-117.
10) Doubtful Bum comes out for the 9th with a drama filled 8th plus the amount of tosses.
11) Will Smith got a head of every hitter in the 8th. Struck out Grandal on 1-2. Utley grounded out on 1-2. Ruiz singled on 1-2 and the only reason it was a single is because Nunez was hugging the line.
12) Law got lucky with Kendrick falling behind 3-0 and Kendrick fouled off a 3-0 pitch that was ball 4.
13) Kendrick flied out on a 3-1 pitch that was also ball four.
14) Law goes 2-0 on Toles and on 2-1 singles to RF. Both Law’s first two pitches were “easy takes”. With a PH off the bench cold Law needs to throw a first pitch no doubter strike. Law’s stuff is fantastic but his 2-3 different windups (trying to maybe emulate Cueto) make it tough for him to throw early count strikes.
15) Seager singles on a Lopez 2-2 pitch that HAS to Be a double play but Wotus had Panik “out of double play depth position” – shading towards Belt.
16) On a 1-2 pitch Strickland misses Busters pre-pitch motioning “high and away” target and Turner singles
17) On a 2-1 pitch by Strickland – Gonzo doubles over Pence’s head. Gonzo is the last hitter in the world that anybody wants to fall behind with in the count.
PS: Puig’s effort to catch the ball down the line was amazing. You cannot playing “trying not to get hurt” and the proof in the whole matter is he got his glove on the ball.
PSS: Puig got Bum to bite. Bum took the bait. On that play both Bum and Belt made great plays. Bum for his athleticism and Belt because Bum fired the ball to Belt less than 7 feet away and Belt hung on. At that point Bum needs to go get his helmet and bat because he is batting second in that upcoming inning. Bum did not. Bum took the silliest of silly bait.
You left out “the sun rose in the east.” I’m also wondering what Rick Honeycutt has to do with anything.
A LaRussa protege retaliates. Period.
A bunch of BS. First, Bumgarner didn’t do anything beyond yelling. Second, even they were terribly offended by his yelling, it’s very unlikely they were going to do anything in a one run game. Third, if they’re really going to throw at Bumgarner because of that, you’re just delaying the inevitable while hurting your chances to win a big game.
Very wrong. What I wrote was accurate and germane to those who have been in those situations but “you go TO – you go TO”. Your just butt hurt that your manly man Madison took the cheese – where as our soft guy Buster – maybe was heading to the dugout where he belongs.
What was your personal experience in MLB pennant races again?
Dumb response.
LOL on TO. I have been in HS and college baseball games where the other team took our so called ACE out of the game. Baseball is a simple game. It is just played more proficiently at ever level up the ladder. The gamesmanship at every level is the same.
Don’t forget that American Legion experience, too. Its all the same as MLB.
You have a huge void in your knowledge base RE Sports mirrors life and Life mirrors sports. Somebody makes a cogent comment and you have to play Perry Mason played by Gomer Pyle.
Hitters are thrown at in HS and College. American Legion not so much.
Oh but it were that simple with TO.
True….
* Handcuffs – check
* Baton – check
* Dunkin Donuts – check
* Pay check – double check
That’s just mean for the sake of being mean. IMO, it’s unnecessary. He’s an atypical hardhead, not because of his occupation, but, IMO, he can’t stand the thought of things just happening with no definable cause, or to paraphrase, shit just happens isn’t part of his DNA. He knows his baseball, even if his glasses are dark rose colored, though. Annoying as he can be, he’s still a valuable member of this polyglot Giants fan community.
Ok I will remove a couple
LOL.
That’s the only one that doesn’t apply.
Ok edit again
I’d say you haven’t been watching ML Baseball all that long. Common fan logic has nothing to do with it.
When have you seen someone hit for yelling? Maybe the rest of the teams should let it be known they’re going to throw at Bumgarner? He’ll never be able to pitch again.
Yelling – haha – it took Cain and Marge and Rags to retrain him and Rags probably has a hernia now…
Picture I saw had Bum in positions to start a brawl as he was poised in a boxing position with his left arm leading.
He’s left-handed. he would lead with is right. Ergo you’re FOS.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CszEieyWIAAi1EI.jpg:medium
He also bats right handed and swings his
axe right handed so why not box like a righty.
Obviously you’re still FOS; That’s a ballroom dance position.
Sometimes you should absorb and pay attention to details.
The defense shifts…late in the game…have recently seemed to be a negative, not a positive. Maybe they’re getting too enamored with these defense shifts.
Gee, can I change negative to stupid. I read elsewhere that they’ve had zero impact in the aggregate on game outcomes.
Bravo….in the end – all things would just even out. I mean my GOD – a ball is hit to Nunez now playing over on the right side near Belt and because Nunez is a third baseman and his symbol number is 5 on the diamond – the scorer NOW writes 5-3 into his scorers book. That is the most erroneous part of it. It is not 5-3 which so notes that the ball was hit somewhere near third base.
Shifts, like you said are stupid.
I think some are appropriate. For example, dead pull LH hitters. I think they’re effective on the Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz and Belt’s of the world. But when they start doing it on guys who hit it all over the yard (such as Seager), it’s just as likely to backfire. And given a GIDP would’ve been huge there, to be out of DP position and shaded in the hole didn’t make as much sense. Sad part is all of that would’ve been moot if Lopez had the stuff to strike out decent hitters anymore.
18. Pagan jawbones the HP ump again on a (clearly) called third-strike. I wish they’d just toss him so the Gints can work on finding their 2017 LFer.
Of all the bad strikes he may have gotten – THAT one was right down Broadway aka Center cut
I think Bum could have been instructed to either get out of the way or just properly take the pitch. The Dodger pitcher would be suspended and Bum would get first base. Bochy could tell him we won’t forget and will retaliate next year. This has also happened in baseball a lot — i.e. scores are settled the next year.
Bum threw 117 pitches against AZ in a one hit shutout earlier this year. He should have been out there in the 8th. He was averaging less than 14 pitches per inning. He could have easily gotten through the 8th and probably the 9th at least done a hell of lot better than Bochy changing pitchers every batter.
The 8th was not the issue. He wasn’t pitching the 9th at around 127 throws.
And none of us know that he would have been docile and trotted to first base.
Great job by Bochy. He’s been masterful in 2016.
I love you so much. Thanks for all you do and your department. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b4e3945f4afb42cda9b22907da1536243f42222510a54886e842ba519b946082.jpg
He would have been at 110 pitches after the 8th if he stayed on pace and could have at least started the 9th. if one person gets on you could go to the pen and you would still have Smith and Law who got through the 8th.
That would have been the talk I had with him in the dugout. I.e. we need you to finish this game and not get kicked out.
That is 13 for inning eight. I agree with that had he gone and gotten his helmet and bat as he was batting second in the T8th. After what transpired – he could have easily thrown 20 pitches in the B8th.
And “they” got out of the 8th either way, it is just as you say – Bum was now out of the game.
@extrabaggs https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/af3f2bd26bca47b4836e154b41196341d101d8cdf2cf45405a23d08f7bd7b0c9.jpg
Bumgarner on exit: “You want to say go until I can’t go anymore, but the tank’s running low for sure.”
I think bullet item 6 says the most about the decisions on Bum
Well said
@extrabaggs
Bum on Puig: “He tried to stare me down or something. I don’t know. That’s what it looked like to me.”
* Uh, Gee Madison, way to make sure it was something worth losing your composure over.
PS: You got the guy out and you were hitting second in the order.
He has probably done that a dozen times in his career — he plays hot and he plays hot fine. Nothing happened beyond some pushing and shoving. It wasn’t that big of a deal.
Ok, I disagree – have you seen still photos or video. It was like road rage
It ended up dramatically changing the arc of the game…so, yes. It was a very big deal
Only because Bochy let it — he has pitched hot before and done a great job. Nobody was kicked out of the game.
So? It ended up dramatically…..
According to AP, the Bumgarner decision came as a matter of mutual agreement in a private conversation between the two of them alone. What was said was unknown.
(I don’t buy it)
It’s the only thing approaching a fact available. Speculation is simply uninformed.
Only because Bochy chose to make it so by removing him.
Yes, and it goes much deeper. Though you tend to not believe in tribal thinking, but every quote I saw from LA seems to indicate it woke them up. Now, maybe tonight we see that reaction will do the same for SF…these guys are easily jacked up kids. They don’t have your discipline or compartmentalization abilities in some cases
I’m sure it did fire up the Dodgers, as it probably did Bumgarner. But they still would’ve had to him…if he had pitched.
Agreed
Hard to say … does Gonzalez not hit that awful pitch if he weren’t “awake.”? Does any of the other 2-strike cookies not get swatted if they weren’t awake? It seems like post hoc analysis to me for the sake of gloating. In other words, because LA said it doesn’t make it true. Indeed, most of what pro athletes say to the media is not true.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
I took logic in college too.
Wonder what Dodger coach #27 George Lombard and Belt have in common … https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/752b96d7859c8d3a2cebfc8476cddc2c399a6eff455df8c7b50a85d73265b56b.jpg
http://blog.ivman.com/wp-content/FarSideSpamalopes.jpg
Duvall has been reading to many of Belt’s movie reviews.
https://i.imgur.com/7gvuJku.png
Well god forgive me but Duvall has a higher batting average than BB9 in the second half, has hit 60% more home runs and has 12% more RBI’s than BB9 in the second half. That is more of a reflection of how awefull BB9 has been as Duvall is hitting .222 in the second half and Brandon is worse.
What is 12%, 4-5. What is 60%, 3-4 more HR. Is this part of your never ending effort to understand statistics, or are you still in search of significance.
Making fun of someone’s IQ is funny, but not very nice.
It’s not his IQ, it’s his ignorance.
Sorry, my bad. It must have been something, though, that made me say that.
A passing blur of Christian forebarence, or your indigestion went away? 😉
Belt OPS+ 127
Duvall OPS+ 105
Belt is the better hitter despite all the rage to the contrary. Duvall had one unbelievable month, one decent month and one month with a lot of power but nothing else. Duvall hits in the 6th best ballpark for HRs whereas Belt hits in the worst (and AT&T is even worse for LH hitters than RH).
I’m not saying Duvall couldn’t have helped the Giants this year but his OBP is below .300 and his slugging % has dipped below .500. Let’s just all agree that Mike Leake sucks and trading for him was a disaster. I was never a Mike Leake fan, and since that trade I’m even less of one.
I suspect Duvall will get it back, at least to some extent. But baseball is full of tales of guys with one good year, and little after. Duvall used to hit an awful lot of mistakes. Now pitcher never give him an easy look.
Not sure if this was already posted, but, oops!
http://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/Giants-quickly-delete-tweet-they-should-never-9234467.php
I saw that and I will say, as a Jew, it did not offend me at all. Maybe I’m misinterpreting but I viewed that tweet as a shot against his incredibly offensive and disgusting nickname. I actually supported that tweet (of course assuming my interpretation is correct that it was mocking his disgusting nickname). What offends me is that the Latino culture accepts, and apparently frequently uses, that disgusting nickname. I don’t care if it’s accented. What if another culture had a nickname of N-i-g-g-e-r and said well the g’s are pronounced like y’s, it’s phonetically ni-yer. Just use Enrique, or spell the damn nickname Kique. The way it is spelled is *the* most offensive thing you can call/say to a Jewish person.
So what’s the proper fan action when the Giants go into the 9th with a one run lead:
1. Peek through your hands over your eyes like you’re watching the most violent scene in a horror movie.
2. Get the bottle of your favorite liquor (no glass).
3. Turn off the TV, go to sleep, and dream of MadBum closing out Game 7 of the WS.
4. Bring out your Bochy bobblehead and start putting pins into all parts of it.
5. Don’t worry, the law of averages says it can’t keep happening!
6. Deer Hunter. 3 bullets
I’ve definitely done the first three.
Sardonic humor for 50.
3a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvAGBcNlCJU
When the G’s went 1,2,3 in the top of the ninth, i turned on the Weather Channel and watched that
This is how desperate I was to watch anything else that would be less painful – I switched to a rerun of fashion police. ugh.
Close your eyes cover your ears, stomp your feet and shake your head and upper body ferociously while screeming NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOO
This is how bush the Dodgers are: they are wearing T Shirts today that say “Don’t Look At Me”
I get competition. That’s bush…that’s Gonzales and his beer/chicken/pool/bubble machine/selfie classless “leadership”
Let’s see what happens with the Giants tonight. It’s a big motivation I suspect for both teams.
Then it’s up to the Giants to do something about it.
Yes..it is. Baseball isn’t typically a “fired up motivated” sport, but tonight will be rather intense. Let’s see how United the boys are
Yes, very profound.
Sounds like a 2004 Boston Red Sox kind of thing. Dodgers are bush and very very loose…
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/21909f48f0f324235139ed7923178e034e817662c98317d9d826237f7e15e478.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f85d58d9e30ef93583f7d65f25617a3bed2653d18577f7ffc0772011fba90c21.jpg
Fan meme’s are one thing…player actions a whole different category
I think it speaks to their priorities and motivation. A team that is solely focused on winning would never waste its time with those kind of childish gimmicks. But I agree wholeheartedly with TO below, it’s up to the Giants to do something about it.
Dodgers are smug and bush league. LOL, really. When your balls are fan toys that blowup, you tend to overcompensate.
It really speaks to how little the Dodgers respect the Giants right now, and honestly why should they? The Giants are the WORST TEAM in baseball during the second half. The whole team is on edge, Bum showed that last night. It could be gamesmanship to get under the skin of the Giants even more but TO said it, it’s entirely on the Giants to actually respond in a way that matters, Win.
Really hope they don’t do something stupid like hit a guy, last thing the Giants need is to give up free bases.
Help us Johnny baseball, you’re our only hope.
Wow. Williamson in the lineup.
too little too late
Not really
He has not started in 3 weeks @ Sacramento, what do you expect from him ? Bochy does this to young players, puts them is a position to fail, and then never gives them another chance after that, and the Bochy backers will say, see he had his chance .
One: I expect better fielding.
Two – change is needed when Span and Pagan are both under .150
He won’t be the difference by himself. But my point to 22 is: they are in the Wild Card race, so it’s not too late, as bleak as it looks
One more thing: these “Bochy backers” you speak of – does that mean anyone who uses the blog to share an opinion regarding what he might be doing? I don’t know of a single person who is acting as if Bochy is having a stellar year. Don’t overstate
Pitching matchups. It’s not fair to Williamson to cast him as some kind of cast off savior. He’s not. Right now, he’s a marginal addition to a team with few good options. Maybe he’ll see this guy and turn it loose, but that would frankly be a surprise, but a welcome one.
I don’t think anyone looks at him as a savior, only as someone whose performance in the first half deserved more of a look in the second half.
I’d agree. Had he had time to play and avoided that injury, he might well be getting the majority of ABs in LF.
Wow, Bochy must really think the season’s over. Next thing we’ll hear Ty Blach’s getting a start.
LOLOL
I haven’t checked, and maybe I’m forgetting, has Blach appeared since his 3-inning relief appearance in Denver on Labor Day? Are they trying to limit his innings up here?
Nope, he hasn’t. I’m guessing it’s just that there hasn’t been an opportunity. The starters have pitched quite well and there hasn’t been a long relief opportunity since then. He’s a starter, not a closer.
Thanks. I’ve checked and you’re right. Since he was a starter in Sacramento and more of a long reliever here, can we give him the last 3 innings of a game? : )
Dodger Pre Game Notes
http://mlb.mlb.com/documents/3/7/4/202397374/Dodgers_Daily_Notes_9.20.16_lzcno6x5.pdf
Even the behind the scenes SF Giants people are struggling
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/giants-send-and-delete-an-incredibly-regrettable-tweet-132915078.html
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a96ebc1c1e00e5fe92ee48c487ee8ff4ca9d9d5fa839472b33605cb8c4735391.jpg
Bum was as pissed as he’s ever been.
I’m sure everyone on the team is frustrated with this season just as we are.
whoops
Interesting Puig isn’t in tonight.
https://i.imgur.com/TVUK80h.png
Let’s hope AD doesn’t get the yips.
Mays and Kevin Durant https://twitter.com/SFGiants/status/776959267517587456
Anybody know what the weather is like in LA? It’s raining here in SoCal.
Smug with a chance of high pressure retribution out of the northern part of the state
Sort of Weatherman weather report. Explosive retaliation?
…or does anybody remember the Weathermen?
Of course! I just always felt they could have been a CIA plant. But that’s just Cynical Me.
You ought to hear conservative commentator Hew Hewitt wax eloquent on the Weathermen at Madison and their vendetta against his father, a UW professor.
So who gets it tonight? Seager? Turner? AGon?
I’ll be watching through my fingers with hands pressed firmly to my face, hoping for the best, but planning for the worst.
Cueto seems like a lover, not a fighter, but if Osich or Strickland and their high-90s stuff get in there…yikes.
I just got this from an academic friend. You might find it interesting.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/6/11/1537582/-The-most-thorough-profound-and-moving-defense-of-Hillary-Clinton-I-have-ever-seen
Thanks, Bapah. I saw it awhile back on Facebook, and I thought it was excellent. The other piece that’s really stuck with me along these lines was a blog post a month or two back by Caroline McCain, John’s granddaughter.
I don’t think anything will happen. Last year 3 or 4 Giants went on the DL because of errant pitches and nothing was done. It’s not the Giants way to retaliate.
84* and sunny:
https://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=90045
Clogged.
Oh that’s the freeways
http://www.sfgiants.com/GCF
Annual Giants Community Fund Auction (seriously).
The attached picture is the display case for a yet-to-be-listed item. The item will consist of baseballs from all 9 of Santiago Casilla’s 9 blown saves! Clearly a one-of-a-kind collectible that will be a conversation pieces for many years to come! Don’t miss out!
Minimum Bid: $9.00
Clever.
Baseball has been played over 150 years or so. The douple play shift is there for a reason. Enough with these defensive shifts to all field hitters!! Plain and simple: if we win just 7 of those blown 9th inning leads we r in first place. Madision has nothing to do with that!! He can pitch on my team any day. Fricking pitches a 1 hit 7 inning no walk shutout and some people bitching about his intensity!! Give me break!! Dont even look at me!! Blame Bochy for his bipolar pitching decisions.
I love MadBum and I’m not going to make any excuses for him or pile on him, either.
But seriously–how messed up is this team right now? We all know MadBum is fiery. He always has been. But this is the guy who had the laser focus to carry the whole team on his back through the 2014 postseason. If he’s losing his head in the worst possible moment, if Romo, another guy who stood tall on the big stage, is laughing openly at the manager during another ninth-inning meltdown…these are just the things we see. And it’s probably just the tip of the iceberg.
The Giants have bigger problems than whether or not they can back into a wild card game in the next 12 days. If they don’t right their ship, the next few years could be a mess. And that loyal fanbase and all the sellouts? Remember those people booing the other night? Get used to it.
You won’t have to get used to it, it is not the 49ers. Baer + Investors + Sabean won’t let it happen.
Remember the tough Saturday night loss? This was Ron Wotus the next day, Sunday morning being optimistic telling listeners that on Sat night they all believed that Conor Gillaspie was going to knock a ball up the gap rather than make an out on one pitch.
https://audioboom.com/boos/5063182-9-18-ron-wotus-talks-about-last-nights-giants-loss?t=0
The players know it is on them and not on the Coaching Staff, not on Bochy.
Bum did not lose control on account of Bochy. He lost his composure because he was staring at Puig after ***getting him out*** and not walking into the dugout.
Romo has that little boy nervous laughter-embarrassment laugh going on. Raising sons or coaching young men – people/coaches have seen it all the time. You don’t see it with girl athletes but boys to men will grin and laugh at the most inappropriate times…
I actually don’t mind him being fired up. And if he is pissed off I would have put him back out there in the 8th. I think the Doyers would have been light footed in the batters box. Someone shows some fire which is a good thing. There is a story about a Pirates pitcher who when his team was in a slump came out and hit 3 batters in a row to start a fight. It got his team going on a winning streak. Something needs to ignite these guys.
I don’t mind it either. While I realize the players are probably frustrated, I’ve been wondering where the emotion is. This team likes to always play it cool but I don’t think that’s always the best and it’s clearly not working this year.
I’m glad to finally see some fire, for better or for worse.
That’s why I actually sort of liked Romo acting the way he did the other night, too. I know you have to support the team/don’t show up the manager, etc., but at least it suggested SOMEONE cares about what’s happening out there. It was kind of a breath of fresh air.
Madbum had the team on his shoulders last night and his final play (on Puig) illustrated that emotion. It was Puig, so that type of response could have easily happened during any previous Madbum start against the Dodgers…no matter which month it was in the season.
I think Romo’s reaction was that of someone that is frustrated with his role/play and maybe thinks he has more in the tank than everyone else does. He was pulled when a RH was coming up and that was his role with this team. Instead of being pissed off…he chose the “I’m going to laugh at this” approach. Umpires get that all the time; although this had a little more meaning to it.
Purging players that can no longer perform at a Championship-level and players that have shown me-me tendencies will clean up the clubhouse some. Bochy need to rest his mind and the coaches should truly look at what they did wrong in 2016…and improve on it. The Front Office needs to mend whatever holes and clubhouse “wounds” were created by holding on to guys that they shouldn’t have.
THAT’S what’s depressing: realizing we might be witnessing the wind-down of a mini-era, and unraveling of a great baseball team. Unless something changes dramatically in 2017, Cueto will be gone after the season – Bum could have another sub-par (for him) season (by that I mean, this season he should be 18-5, not 14-9) and lose his desire to pitch in S.F. – and on and on. That great IF is already wobbling, thanks to the way Panik is being treated. It’s truly shocking to see how quickly this all occurred.
Panik hasn’t hit well. That’s on him.
Yes, but he’s still a key part of the future in the infield. Span and Pagan keep playing no matter how badly they hit or field or run the bases. Panik’s being jerked around. It’s ridiculous, for example, that a guy who’s 4-15 vs. Kershaw AND a better defender was benched for a guy who was 0-12 with 6 Ks against Kershaw.
When compared to Pagan and Span, you’re right. But I don’t think you approve of those guys being in the lineup every day, regardless of production.
Oh, if they were producing (and could play defense), I’d feel a lot differently–but in general, I think regulars ought to get regular rest and bench players ought to get regular reps. It just makes the whole team better.
No sheet Dr. I love KT, but Opie chewed him up last night.
p.s. IF you’re going on stats, AD woulda been a more astute sub. Bochy has his head up his arse these days…
Your response is inadequate.
A downward turn at the end of a season is the thing that marketing folks hate most. I’m not sure when season ticket renewals are due but they’re not making the case for it on the field.
No wonder Comcast was showing all those reruns of past glory the other night. They and the Giants may be getting desperate wondering what the fans are thinking.
They got a pretty good idea of what the fans are thinking on Saturday night when the fans in the park booed Bochy and Casilla. They should pay attention to that. No one wants to waste hours and hundreds of dollars to have that kind of gut-punch. Obviously stuff happens in baseball games and you take your chances, but when the manager puts both hands right on top of the hot stove AGAIN, after saying several times he was done getting burned–well, the fans have a perfect right to be angry.
We were at a Casilla meltdown game last year against the Braves. It was a Bumgarner start and the Brandons and Panik hit homers. The Giants took a 2-run lead to the top of the ninth, and it was one of those classic Casilla unraveling sequences. Bochy left Casilla in at least three batters too long, damage done, Giants lose. I’ve been at some great wins and some desultory losses over the years, but that one left a bad taste and stuck with me. Why didn’t Bochy go get Casilla when he clearly didn’t have it and was becoming visibly distressed? “Well, he’s our closer. I didn’t want him thinking I’d lost confidence in him.”
The Giants were in first place at the start of that weekend. It was the last weekend in May. After losing that game they went into an eight-game tailspin and never were in first place again.
You would have thunk he would have learned….. Time for new blood.
Casilla was a mediocre closer at best last year and has been a disaster this year. There is no excuse for this going on so long. It’s insane.
Romo has always had bad judgement in the heat of the moment. He shows up players on the other team, he makes bad comments post game (or no comments). He is very volatile personality. What Bum did last night is also right in his wheelhouse of past behaviors.
I think Bochy was worried that Bum was going to get hit and injured if he let him hit in the 8th and didn’t want to risk that happening to Bum. Regardless, I doubt Bum would have gone all 9. The Giants can’t get anybody to close out a game.
Its a shame, because I would love to see this team play a 7 game series. I think they can beat anybody in the league. They are dangerous.
I was actually surprised they signed Romo back after 2014. He had a track record before that, including the fight with Dunston that Baggs made public, the drunken arrest at the airport, and bringing his girlfriend to the 2012 parade while still married to the mother of his children.
Yeah, I thought they were ready to move on as well after all that baggage. I thought him showing up Bochy was incredibly inappropriate and a terrible thing to do. No place for that stuff but Romo has never had any kind of filter for his actions.
If that was really the reason for the decision, letting fear cause you to voluntarily reduce your chances of winning an important game is so weak.
I don’t think it was fear. It may have been a combination of both and a logical thought process. Your World Series MVP who bats right handed leaving his pitching arm exposed is probably about to get drilled and is coming off an emotional explosion. Who knows what Bum would have done if he got hit. At minimum he would likely be ejected. Very likely he would be suspended and they might need him for an important game coming up if they get their heads out of their axx
Kuiper and KNBR’s Brian Murphy did quite a little dance this morning.
http://richliebermanreport.blogspot.com/2016/09/duane-kuiper-was-sort-of-pissed-off-on.html#comment-form
Kuiper – https://audioboom.com/boos/5071430-9-20-duane-kuiper-talks-bumgarner-puig-and-recaps-the-giants-loss-to-the-dodgers
Brian Johnson on last night
https://audioboom.com/boos/5071440-9-20-brian-johnson-talks-bumgarner-and-puig-scuffle-another-blown-save?t=0
Ned Colletti on Last Night
https://audioboom.com/boos/5072665-9-20-colletti-says-bumgarner-s-emotion-is-what-drives-him-to-be-a-great-pitcher
Good Night Allen. – Go Giants! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f8839715a95a48c8f756e2eabe8495696ceed303f7865dba5c6b034ffb7789ab.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f85d58d9e30ef93583f7d65f25617a3bed2653d18577f7ffc0772011fba90c21.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b3b243665f246f656c098cf198a6268ecef96d8c732df36cc173d065939b580c.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b26ef3d40910e424fdddb3b2c43008bd28809a0fc6b1693bd845084123ebf86c.jpg
Throwing at hitters is weak. Whining about t-shirts is weaker. I’m glad the Giants aren’t doing it. Who cares? Win the game.
I’m hoping Bochy let’s Bum pitch to Puig tonight and lets him show him what he thinks of the t-shirts
I don’t think the Commissioner would be too happy about those t-shirts and posting out there on social media. Instigating problems…
Hmmm…the guys in the picture are Kenley Jensen (and his 6 blown saves), Justin Turner (PEDs*), and Adrian Gonzalez (Boston antics documented). It looks like the inmates are still running the asylum.
* = Hmmmm. Year #1 with the Dodgers he increases his HRs by 129%. Then in Year #2 (this season), he’s already increased them by almost 70%. Just say’in…
Bochy has lost the plot and the clubhouse. His handling of the pen this season has put it so no one, not even Bum trust him anymore. His inconsistencies in quickly benching some, and sticking with other well past the obvious killed this team.
The Bullpen is the symptom, not the disease. Lots of quality arms down there that do great innings 6,7,8 but all of a sudden ‘mix and match’ Bochy has no trust in anyone and its eroded the confidence of everyone down there.
Romo was right to laugh at the way his HOF manager has gone Leonard Tose and lost it this season.
This season is done. Kaput. IF by some miracle of God they hoist 4 in 7 I’ll happily eat my words, but just like 2011… sticking with one vet or two a little too long cost us everything the scrubini’s like Green, Parker, Mac et al. earned us in June.
Perfect example. Gorkys went 3 for 5, hit a HR, and didn’t play again for 8 days this September. Whatever happened to playing the hot hand? Old Bochy rules, hit a homer play the next day… New Bochy rules????
Bums picking a fight with Puig should have been held close like a warm blanket. The ace setting a take no prisoners we don’t like you, we’re coming for you tone. its worked in the past. And that’s what you would want expect from Bum. Instead? Madison gets pulled and gets a talking to….. WTF?!?!?!!?
Hey Bochy, go read Band of Misfits again and remember what won you 3 rings instead of this nonsense. Show a little faith in whoever you appoint as Casilla’s replacement and remember what a young Wheez was like.
If your ticker can’t take it anymore, hang’em up. Cooperstown awaits.
I don’t think that was ever a Bochy rule. He just made it up one day as an excuse for why Belt was on the bench for the second day in a row.
You didn’t just imbue Baggarly with insight and journalist skill did you? That must have really hurt .
Worse than a ninth inning….
Ouch!
If they actually lead into the 9th tonight, I bet we see Joe Nathan. He’s pitched in 8 games, 5 innings, and does not yet have an ERA (i.e., it’s zero). They need somebody like him in there now.
At least they’re still breaking records!
Alex Pavlovic
✔
@AlexPavlovic
Per Elias, Giants are fifth team in MLB history to blow five ninth-inning leads in a month. No team has ever done it six times.
Until this week….
Month is FAR from over yet!
Yup, they could shatter that record.
Just got home and saw this t-shirt business for the first time. Something tells me LA is gonna regret that. Seems like a stunt the Cubs would pull. You should never poke the dragon, especially when you haven’t won a goddamn thing recently.
This will likely be the fourth straight year they’ve won the division. That’s a thing.
To me that’s just added salt in a title-less wound. Would I like to win the division? Yes. Would I trade even one championship for four straight division titles? Hell no.
No one would, but they’ve obviously played consistently well.
And have no rings to show for it. All I’m saying is there’s a time and place to gloat, and that time is after winning it all and that place is behind closed doors.
From their perspective, and even objectively, they’re right. Getting mad because someone looked at you probably deserves a bit of mocking.
Mock away.
It reminds me a bit of when the Dodgers celebrated (and maybe urinated) in the Dbacks’ pool after clinching the division a few years ago and the Snakes whined about it. Two things can be equally true. The Dbacks were whiny twits and it was absolutely a d**k move by the Dodgers.
Kershaw got suspended for hitting Aaron Rowand on purpose in 2010 in the Donnie Two Trips game, which the Giants won, but I don’t recall the Giants doing anything to mock him. What he did was way, way worse, especially after his thug teammate had broken Rowand’s face two months earlier.
I would be interested to read what you might write if the exact opposite scenario happened…if SF players followed up an incident with those very actions, I believe you would be very critical towards the Giants players…I truly find it interesting that you take the opposite side of most arguments. I swear it’s planned.
It’s impossible that you would say Giants players mocking any opponent was OK by you.
I’m not a Dodger fan, so I don’t much care how the Dodgers act. There are plenty of a-holes in the world, and that includes baseball. From the Giants perspective, I don’t think they should give two seconds of thought to t-shirts, and it doesn’t seem like they are. Good. Don’t worry about what the Dodgers think or say. Just win the game.
When I’m at work, people running their mouths is a common occurrence. They mean nothing to me, so what they have to say means nothing as well. Say what you want, it doesn’t bother me. Focus on what’s important and don’t react to the extraneous BS. I hope that’s what the Giants are doing. A reaction is probably exactly what the Dodgers are looking for.
True, but with a bazillion dollar payroll and buying players left and right every year, not winning a championship at all in those years must be considered a failure.
Joey Votto’s second half: .416/.502/.650/1.152. Pretty great.
Osich Okert Law and Gearrin have not developed their balls of steel yet. Cannot trust Casilla Romo and Lopez. Smith competes as a hold guy. Strickland is almost there as a closer. Just needs to develop a nasty change up. Not sold on Nathan Reynolds Peavy or Cain in any tight pressure role. Tyler Blach? I’d like to see more of him. Stratton? Who’s that? Where’s Heston. What’s Bochy to do? Bochy needs to get nine innings out of his starters and the offense needs to generate a shit pot of runs. Our no pressure bull pen can hold eight nine ten run leads.
‘Needs to develop a nasty change up” is much easier to type than accomplish. Strickland doesn’t have elite stuff.
Yeah, we don’t have the arms. I think all of Osich, Okert, Law, Gearrin, and Strick have potential. But they don’t have the guts to tackle the big moment. Compared to Romo, Affeldt, Lopez when they were in their prime, they look very nervous. I think Law has what it takes, but his stuff looked way off last night. I wonder if he is still feeling the effects of his injury.
With guys like Affeldt and Lopez they had the stuff and the experience to pitch in certain spots. I don’t know if Buster needs to be more creative with the new guys or they just tighten up under pressure. I think Strickland especially gets nervous in the big moment.
Strickland is a mess. He certainly has value, but they should forget any idea about having him be the next closer. Groom Law for that if he’s healthy enough, or go get someone.
Agreed. Keep Strick as a 7th or 8th inning guy. He gets rattled in the big moment.
Gearrin looked flat-out filthy on Sunday. I’m not saying make him the closer, either, but I’d like to see him part of the mix.
His stuff is solid but I have seen him tighten up in big moments as well. Not sure he has what it takes to be a closer. But I think he can be an effective reliever for sure.
But, Doughnut…. How many chances have they gotten? Let a guy like Gearrin take some lumps to get past that. The ropes are either way too long (Casilla) or way too short ( the rest)
I don’t think its about chances. I think its about getting the best matchup in high leverage position. They have all blown saves. Casilla the biggest culprit but blown saves can happen in all late innings and there have been no shortage on this team. I don’t think its that Bochy doesn’t ahve confidence, its just that these guys are all somewhat mediocre so he is going to play LR matchups
Made the right move bringing in Lopez to pitch to Seager, who is a stud. Lopez even got the ground ball but that’s the way its been going this year. Strick couldn’t execute
I think it’s grossly over managing which is making those guys seeing shadows
Cory’s more a stopper than a closer
I would like Strick to get a few clean innings to start, and finish. But the hooks are quick for the non-Santi set. I get it, but it’s chicken/egg
Agreed. He did get that vs. San Diego last week and it didn’t go well, but at the same time, he didn’t get hit hard, and it was Okert who gave up the big home run. Whoever is tapped next, whether it’s Strick, Law, or whoever, should get a chance to settle in. More than one game, more than two hitters.
Yeah, I think it was a real mistake the chance Strick9 got his shot, Bochy didn’t let him try to get the 3rd out and finish it Wheez style. He might be able to do it, but not now after quick hook has shown a lack of faith in him.
For me, he can’t go to any of them except maybe Law now, he’s said he has faith in them and then his actions show otherwise. Pick a guy, let him hang himself out there win or lose until you find the right one.
Not choosing a closer means you don’t have one, and by committee obviously isn’t working.
How about Matt Cain? What the heck do they have to lose at this point?
Agreed, and we know he knows how to handle the pressure. That would be a HUGE win-win.
And it would be Bochy. He could just let Matt go out there and be supportive of a longtime clubhouse leader. No mix and match. Matt is his guy. Let him go out there and either give up 20 runs or get 3 outs. Hopefully not both.
I never would have though Cain, Timmy, AND Bochy would all loose it the same year….
Mets losing to Atl 5-1 in the 7th. Their fans are probably matching our angst.
Giants have been worse but Mets and Cards are a mess too.
10 late blown games and they will be in the neighborhood
Mateo!!
Though we walk thru the valley of darkness…
We hope our flashlights work?
Hello, dear!
Off topic….
I really hate penny pinching manipulative Jed and his family, and I don’t care for Baalke what so ever; but, the more I hear and see Chip Kelly, the more I like him.
If they can get him a real GM, one that knows how to find a frickin’ wide receiver, and will tell the Yorks that he’s gunna spend some of their $154M in annual profits to try and win, they might be in decent shape.
Now that being said, they’ll probably mutually part way before next season.
Agreed across the board. We’ll see if Chip is able to make tough roster calls or if Trent undermines him.
One thing that has really stood out this season is that this team is COACHED. Win lose or draw, they are getting instruction and discipline and following it. It glared off the screen in week one, and you could see it again last week. After last year it was a welcome change of pace.
Sunday will be another interesting test…Seattle has not played well yet. I have trouble believing they are very good after losing to Case Keenum and LA. Hostile environment in Seattle, but they may be having a Coaches Voice issue like some team we know…
Plus Russell Wilson is hobbled with a high ankle sprain. I read that Carroll is being persuaded to maybe play Boykin, the rookie QB from TCU, and give Russell a game off to heal.
Whoa….
Unfortunately, I see Jed and Trent continuing to drive this once great franchise into the turf.
For me the whole Super Bowl run was one big Jeffery Loira style con job to get his stadium. They put Jed as the public face, trotted Eddie around, spent a little money for the first time since Eddie was around, got us all suckered to build their building(which isn’t that great for the average fan on the Plebian side) EXACTLY where they wanted it, then immediately explored trading their coach to cut on costs, and then proceeded to gut the roster SWAP MEET style in 2 years. Hired a sniveling boob of a lackey to a league low salary and tried to pass it off as Prime Rib.
At least that debacle was ended quickly as the lack of butts in the seats was going to affect the bottom line, or that’s what Paraag’s spreadsheets told Jed. We’ll see if the son has the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the old man, and try to live up to his uncle’s legacy. His current coach from my observations after 2 weeks is a huge step in the right direction.
Nuñez should have been lead off as soon as he got here.
nunez should have been hitting L/O for awhile
Looks like we’re on our way towards 2016 being another 2011- so much talent and opportunity blunted by the decisions of an extremely stubborn manager. I give Bochy all the credit in the world for 10, 12 and 14, but man he’s crashed and burned this team twice now during the golden era. That stings.
I assume Bochy will survive the off-season, but i expect if the team comes out the gate sluggish in 2017, he might get the boot mid-season. Way too much talent and money being spent here to let this go on.
You certainly are kidding
So if Bochy continues in this way throughout next season, no problem?
Well eff that.
he stinks
Those two outs were more exciting than any of the game-starting 2 outs I’m used to.
Yes, that’s what I’m reduced to….
LOL
bet that 3rd out is more like what you’re used too, eh?
Yup
another “shift” hit
braves are blowing it
If the Mets lose and the Giants and Cardinals win, there would be a three-way tie for the two wild card spots. What would happen if the season ended that way? Schulman explained it in his pregame article. It’s complicated.
1. The three teams are ranked according to their head-to-head records. The Giants would be #3.
2. The #1 team hosts the first of two tiebreaker games. The winner gets one of the wild card spots. The loser proceeds to the second game vs. the other remaining team, and the winner of that gets the second wild card spot.
3. Here’s the complicated part. The #2 team gets to choose between playing the first game on the road or sitting it out and playing the second game at home. The benefit is only playing one tiebreaker instead of two and on their home field. The drawback is that it gives them one chance, not two, to earn a wild card spot. The #3 team plays the first game on the road IF the #2 team decides to sit it out, and, if they lose, plays the second game on the road as well.
4. Then the two surviving teams play the wild card game. You can see what it could do to your rotation to have to play all those elimination games.
Eek. It’s one of those things like this: I need spellcheck at my age to spell “rhythm”.
In other words, I’ll use WildCardCheck and watch when told
Nunez, he hits, he runs, he gets the double play. I may love Duffy, but I like this guy.
First three pitches, two base hits and two on. Next three pitches, three outs. Crazy.
Hopefully Cueto finished his pre game warm up that inning.
I can’t stand watching this guy Hill pitch
Com’on Craw. Sit curve ball.
Great White Hope, Williamson still 0 for September
O for 3?
4 for his last 25
Well, let’s let Pagan or Span play! They are SO MUCH better!!!!
Difference is that at one time they have both proven that they can hit big league pitching while Williamson never has
Does defense count?
Surf, I love ya….but you sound like Bochy.
Span has proven he is grossly overpaid, can’t throw, barely hits. Pagan has outfieldwallophobia. You know this
Love you too Mathew. It is a difference in perspective. Obviously both Span and Pagan are slumping so the logical question becomes which is more likely– that one or both come out of the slump and regain their form of either yesteryear ( See e.g. Pat Burrell) or that a guy who has never proven to be a big league hitter, starts producing. I can see the argument for the latter, but I think that while we are still in a race for the playoffs, that the former has a higher percentage of success.
BTW I hope Williamson hits 4 home runs in this game!
I would normally agree, but there defense is so epically bad that this makes sense to me. Pick our poison, these days, I guess
Unfortunately there are no good options– maybe Gary Brown and Todd Linden are avaiable. Where is Juan Perez when wh need him– or even Blanco.
One of the very under analyzed aspects of the Giants collapse is the total non production all season from Blanco because of his injury and the loss of his defense and ability to spell the other outfielders
Williamson leads the team in OPS after the All Star break, do your homework !!!
That’s like saying Casilla leads the team in saves post all star break.
Easy you two! Don’t make me have to fetch Belt and Pence to separate you….
I have MadBum in front of me
BS
Pagan is hitting .155 in September while getting consistent ABs and playing poor defense. Williamson can’t be worse..
Much better at a cool .160
I told you guys about the Bochy fan boys like Surf Maui, Williamson gets his 1st start since he went on the DL, and after 1 at bat they talk crap, never mind the kid was getting rusty on the bench .
I hope he is a great player– there is just no evidence of it yet– to the contrary
BS. You were in the park when he hit a three-run homer in Fenway–brought them back into the game. Then he hit an RBI double off Andrew Miller at Yankee Stadium to tie a game and drove in the winning run the next night. He’s done plenty in very limited opportunities. You’re being unfair.
Great. Craw’s hurt.
Broken finger would seem in order.
Just fkng wow.
Why do that with 2 outs?
Well only two runners thrown out in the bases in two innings
Half full: we had two base runners in 2 innings?!?!
Three
I’m having ice cream!
careful of your gut
My gut endorses the idea….that may change, of course, when the Mocha Almond Fudge takes the intestinal offramp to Highway to Hell
2 outs on the base paths in 2 innings..smh
Did their baseball IQ just drop all of a sudden?
Just desperate to make something happen. Damn, Crawford is hurt.
It looked like a reasonable chance for a second there
Season is busted.
So….. what else could go wrong?
It just did…that’ll do it
Yeah, I meant now that Bcraw’s hurt. :-
Adrianna gets his chance.
Never want to make the third out at third base. Ever..
maybe belt should have known kuip?
Wow, Greek Giant. What an absolutely tremendous job you’ve done with this new Giants blog. The layout is beautiful and well-organized. The tweets from the three beat reporters and SF Giants (and you!) are all on the side, easy to access. The standings are here. This is very, very impressive. Our own place to hang out! I’ll start reading your posts right away. A huge thank you!
And thank you too, Bapah and ClutchUp!
Now, what’d I do?
You sent me an e-mail with the link to here to let me know where to go.
I’m so dumb, I forgot
You’re many things, but you’re not dumb.
I was trying to stay away from senile.
Stop that!
Together we’re welcoming you!
I’m not so sure the standings are a good idea!
kruk still thinks it’s luck..smh
“Giants have not been able to figure him out”
Your 2016 Giants. Vs Everyone on the mound.
Can we just end the season though? It’s like watching a wounded animal bleeding in the middle of the road and not putting it out of its misery.
Headfirst slide….more injuries than avoidance of tags
I missed the first inning. What happened to Craw? The announcers aren’t saying anything.
Jammed his pinky getting thrown out by a mile trying to steal 3rd.
Must have been a helluva jam to get removed from the game. Why in hell was he trying to steal 3rd?!
Continuation play
Sorry for my ignorance but what was being “continued”?
The trainwreck.
Pretty much, right?
Sorry put answer in wrong place
No problem … I caught your drift when Lefty explained it wasn’t a steal attempt but just an attempt to take third on a single.
Belt hit w/ BC on 1st tried to stretch it
It wasn’t. He was going first to third on Belt’s single.
Oh … that explains Bapah’s remark. Sounds like a bad base running mistake if he was out by ten feet.
Yes. Out and injured. That’s a pretty bad mistake.
What’s with the G’s propensity of late to do belly flops? It’s not even as efficient as a foot slide since your feet are already in contact with the ground.
Actually throwing your feet out in front of you while running slows you down.
It IS safer, though.
Yeah, I guess you’re right because while you’re flopping your feet are moving to the last instant. Still, it’s a lot easier to damage a hand than a foot.
no argument
Crawford has always done it and I wish he’d stop. He’s too valuable.
The major bad thing that bags can do to fingers is dislocate them, especially the pinky. Those don’t heal very well because ligaments get stretched.
Most wear sliding pad/glove on hand
He looked like he had his batting gloves on. I wonder why?
He had pad on R hand. not left
If he’d been wearing that sliding glove like he does on his throwing hand, he’d have been OK
It looked like good bet but arm was stronger than anticipated.
What Bapah said…it did look like he was gonna make it until he didn’t. I was surprised how quick Toles got to it and fired. So was Craw
Headfirst slide as always….and always at bigger risk of injury
I told you so!
I agreed with you wholeheartedly. There are only a few rare occasions where its justified.
So Baggarly and Schulman both provide “the truth” about why Bumgarner came out of the game last night. Baggarly cites his “experience” of covering Bochy all these years. Schulman cites on- and off-the-record sources.
Their truths are different. Schulman says Bum was tired (he does lead the majors in pitches thrown) and that he’s “trained to answer Bochy honestly”–and that’s why he came out.
Baggarly says Bochy’s covering for Bum and that a “selfish and thoughtless act of aggression” ruined the Giants’ NL West chances.
Yikes, journalism at its finest, eh?
There’s no way I believe Bumgarner asked out of that game.
I don’t like speculation. That’s for blog commenters, not professional journalists.
He didnt say he asked out– he said that he told the truth when asked– that he was tired. Who knows who is coveting for who, but it is nice to see them backing each other up
I agree…we won’t know. And shouldn’t. Bum seems like a very stand up guy. ( and a crazy MMA kick ass take names country boy)
I don’t I don’t believe it for a second. I think Bochy is covering his butt by trying to put it on Bumgarner. But if that story is true, it’s an indictment of Bumgarner’s character for not owning up to it. If it’s not, then it’s on Bochy. My money is on Bochy.
It’s the same thing. If you’re Bumgarner, you know what it’s going to mean if you admit you’re tired. I don’t believe it. It would completely out of character for the guy that took the ball on two days rest.
So glad we’re not there anymore.
Really pi$$ed me off. Who is a bigger hero than Madison Bumgarner in this Giants’ run? Making modest money when he could be in the $200 million club, never complains, reliable workhorse, stands tallest when the stakes are highest.
And Baggarly wants to throw mud at him. He and Cueto are the best things on this year’s team. They’re in contention today because of those two guys. Shame on him.
Certainly though there have been some hiccups the starting pitching has not been the issue– to the contrary it has been a strength– and as my waiter at dinner told me tonight, he still “wouldnt want to face the Giants in the playoffs”
Now we can finally say these things because Baggarly’s not here!
Baggs has displayed a slight tendency toward sensationalism in the past.
This clubhouse is Kardashianish
It’s Baggarly auditioning for his next job–with TMZ.
On the pre-game Bruce Bochy show, Jon Miller asked him about the incident. Bochy said he and Bumgarner had a talk right after the incident and what was said was between him and Bum. When Miller asked him why he took Bum out, Bochy replied, “I’m not going to take him out, he was pitching great, had thrown only 97 pitches.” BTW, he did not emphasize the word “I’m,” meaning that Bum asked to be removed, but it sure sounded like it wasn’t Bochy’s idea. Hmmm.
It’s all the same, they lost. I have no interest in the drama part.
I’m with you on that one, E.
braves hung on
I’m going to go outside and feed my dogs. Hopefully that will help turn the inept tide of Giants futilism and they’ll have a big inning. We’ll soon find out. My dogs couldn’t care less.
he does have a hell of a hook
Rich Hill looks like a heck of a find for the Dodgers. With his low ERA’s of recent years one wonders why Boston and Oakland got rid of him. He’s only given up ten hits in 24 innings with the Bums. It’s strange … he sucked early in his career and has been lights out in recent years.
Billy Beane screws us again. He loves helping LA….
Funny thing about that, eh?
that was just good business. At his age and his history of injuries they banked on selling really high, which they did. It’s not as though the A’s were going to compete anyways.
Absolutely. It would have been insane for him to NOT trade Hill. They got some good young pitchers for their system, too.
Hill made his MLB debut in 2005. Since that time (12 seasons), he’s pitched just over 1,000 innings, majors and minors, despite being a starter for much of that time. That’s a lot of injuries.
Well, he’s fresh now having pitched in only 18 games. That’s about 10 starts less than most MLB’ers at this point in the season.
“They will not run on Gorkys…”
I love a center fielder that can throw
Krukow: “They will not run on Gorkys Hernandez on a medium fly ball.”
I could weep with happiness.
Weep thru 2018. Choose your CF motivation.
They just can’t keep running Span out there for two more years…CAN they?!
See Rowand, Aaron….
Agreed
Live Nation presents….
The Get Him Going Tour! featuring Denard Span and the Spandex Dancers
If the manager wears a size 8 1/2 hat, they can.
I thought Melonhead was pushing size 9,
They probably will due to the Sunk Cost Principle. They’ve demonstrated that principle for years starting with Zito.
Zito, Rowand, Lincecum, Cain, Peavy, Renteria, Huff…
That’s quite a list and illustrates Sunk Cost in abundance.
Renteria was World Series MVP his last year with Giants, some were shocked they did not resign him
Yes, he was, but his two regular seasons with them were an overpaid disappointment. Still, every one of those guys on my list contributed to one or more championships.
Yeah so it was worth it !
Sure. It’s not MY money. But it’s frustrating when that money leads to guys playing when they’re washed up.
And Rowand.
I know! He is a big defensive upgrade for us.
Here’s something we can all agree on– Greek Giant for the Blog version of the Willie Mac award for creating this site.
Aw shucks
Dodger fans must be the stupidist people on the pkanet– between the wave, the beach balls, and an excited roar on a routine ground ball to Panik for the third out
“It’s a BASE HIT!”
It’s an LA thing…go to a Kings game. They think “icing” means candles and cakes
I am assuming that Hernandez is the only MLB player in history with the first name Gorkys
Let’s hope so.
He’s Gorkys the First.
Crawford dislocated left pinky finger. Per Flem on the radio just now.
Luckily it’s glove side, but hitting will be a PITA
Buster should be on 3rd
He’ll be home in a minute
Sounds good! Wonder if he forgot Puig wasn’t out there tonight
Saw Crawford thrown out
I got to see Mac’s first MLB homer in person back in June. I hope he finds that magic spark this game.
And his homer was what won us that game. So COME ON Mac!
Off David Price, IIRC.
I was there, too! Nice!
It was a pretty good game! I was with a date that night that ended so horribly all I could do was just laugh about it, but at least we won!
I was with my sister, ( the non-NY one who isn’t as baseball savvy)… She likes to talk…she REALLY likes to talk….a lot. I cannot describe properly how much she likes to talk. One example – She wanted everyone to know I was her baby brother… We drove home for an hour and a half…in which she talked…a lot.
Oh man, that’s rough. I was sitting in front of some talkers at the last game. They were discussing football and other mundane irrelevant things during every inning. I wanted to turn around and suggest they just go to a bar instead of sitting there for the rest of the game that they were clearly not paying attention to (and it was actually a winning game with runs!).
Hit a home run please
Il be very happy to eat crow
Bad news from WebMD … the healing time for a dislocated finger is generally 3 to 6 weeks. In any case, we’ve probably lost him for the rest of the regular season.
Let’s go to Bapah for the couch diagnosis.
You seem to have an itch that can’t be scratched. You seem sensible at times and vicious at others. That seems to be too emotionally labile for your line of work.
I’m always very calm and chuckled to myself when I wrote that. Maybe it’s you that needs to relax and stop taking things so seriously.
Maybe a better command of language is what’s needed because it fools a lot of us and appears vicious at times.
What’s with you?
Just tape last 2 fingers together. Hitting will hurt, but he can do it. Wager?
2 days.
Most likely
No wager because Craw is as tough as nails. However, every at-bat and every catch would hurt like hell. If his effectiveness at the plate is reduced to Bumgarner’s level it’s probably best just to start Adrianza.
Wheel Sea.
I think he can probably play in a couple of days. The real question is: why bother? Let’s get real here. At this point, with only about a dozen games left in the season, the team should be thinking long term.
Jesus Christ how good is that curveball! That’s all he is throwing! Just sit on it hitters!
Efrain is waiting at his keyboard…rooting for…..
RWI?
Anyway you can. Though I’d prefer a multi run hit.
And not that.
I just think after a tough loss last night…it’s just great that the offense has come roaring back with many runs so far.
smh
I think the pattern is blow a save, get shutout.
Another landmark POS post.
Don’t blame the messenger Bapah
Some crap never changes.
Mr. Belt is starting to make me righteously peeved. The guy strikes out as much as a 40 HR hitter only without the power.
And I add that he’s supposed to be a low ball hitter so that strike was right in his hit zone. SMH.
He may have a better eye than the umps, but he MUST protect in those situations. Trusting the call simply doesn’t work…be aggressive
Looked good to me. Knee high outside paint.
Actually it caught a lot of the plate. re f/x
Yep
It was a strike and you are right!
That one was a strike.
I agree…guess I need to be clear that I meant in general…
What’s worse is I’m pretty sure that’s in his scouting report now. They paint the corners on him knowing he’ll take more than most.
That’s what they’re trying to do to all hitters, all the time.
Not surprised at all.
That was it. That was their big opportunity & it’s a representative sample of the 2016 Giants offense.
I would say Game Over
But I don’t want GreekGiant to scold me
Atta boy!
Now spout off.
Teehee.
Dodgers with their own misadventures on the bases.
Do you think they’ll have a bobblehead of Pence’s un-catch from last night next season?
I put Cueto at the top of my list of true competitors, along with Pence and Bumgarner (assuming Bumgarner didn’t ask out last night).
I LUV that guy’s competitiveness.
I think Bum got pulled because he was near 100 pitches and his blow up at Puig indicated physical and emotional exhaustion. He left it all on the field.
Keep in mind that the eighth inning was not when we lost the game.
Bum wasn’t going to pitch the ninth in any case, and that’s where we lost the game.
But, yeah, Cueto, Bum, Pence: and that’s about it on this roster.
We’ve been all through this. Total BS. If he kept pitching like he had been, he would’ve had no problem finishing the game.
What you said!!!
Then why do you think Bochy pulled him?
I don’t know, but I would be very surprised if Bochy’s version is true. My wild speculation is that Bochy tried to say something to him after the Puig thing, Bumgarner responded with something that irritated Bochy, so Bochy decided to pull him.
LOL!!
That’s purty short-shrift. You just tossed Craws, Panik, Posey, Nuñez, Blanco, and some other competitors under the bus, EFH.
Where’s Blanco? He was so great in the 2014 postseason …….
Right here, right now, those three guys make an impression on me for competitiveness. I haven’t seen much from Buster these days. Panik’s been hurt and hasn’t done much. Nunez: good some days, not others. Craw: Yeah, he was hot, a while ago.
Cueto is pitching his sack off. You wonder why the line up can’t get him any fkng run support.
Uh, CJ – why should he be any different? :o?
True. If it wasn’t for Kershaw, Nuñez is stranded at third last night.
Weird game. Eleven hits in four innings and nothing but goose eggs.
Yeah. Not exactly a pitchers’ duel.
They’re getting plenty of practice being in the stretch.
Bapah’s enjoying the broadcast tonight!
That’s OUTTAAA HERE
Nunez!!!
That’s a homer
That looked GONE to me
Gone
Ok now!! Let’s make that be the opening of the floodgates!!
I’m glad Nunez still hauled ass though to be on the safe side
Zackly, Peachy. He HAULED ASS! :o)
Damn, Nunez is creeping up on Scutaro’s 2012 Sept
Nuñez 1 Dodgers 0.
2-0, including last night. Dammit.
Nunez 2 Dodgers 2
Nunez and the Score Nots
Was about to post Nunez hits one out when he came up but didn’t wanna jinx it. You’re welcome.
Atta babe.
We are not worthy
Surf, I just aspire to be at your level.
Hope you all remember the Casey McGehee 2014 Grand Slam call even though it was on the other site
You know, this guy is making the loss of the Duff almost bearable. He’s got the same killer attitude too.
I, for one, am looking forward to seeing him for a full season next year.
I love watching him at third, too. Such a great arm and quick reflexes.
In two weeks I expect ” I knew the Giants were going to make the playoffs but I didn’t want to jinx it. You’re welcome”
At the end of my life when I write my autobiography, “I knew Mateo and I would be lifelong friends from day one but I never said anything cuz I didn’t wanna jinx it.”
Venison Chronicles
Ok, I’m stealing that. Giving you full credit, of course.
Happy about the home run, but a one run lead is not good enough, folks.
Dodgers have us just where they want us
Nice buzz-kill there, Ed.
Nunez: .291, 16 HRs, 38 stolen bases.
And you KNOW Span will be leading off tomorrow.
Got to get him going.
I’d like to get him going…
El Paso, Dr.
Slikk is going to ship him to Miami with Casilla. GG and Surf M will make sure they have plenty of Chambermaids.
Haha you bet!
Easy– i like the guy too but separate out the NL stats– somewhat different story
A season is a season. It’s not a small sample size. He’s had an excellent year.
If Bochy ever rolls anybody #1 in the line up other than Nuñez, then yes, he truly needs a brain defrag.
CTRL-ALT-DEL
Defrag. I like that. Is it the same as a lobotomy?
No. First cousin to a re-boot.
That’s a free bottle in front of me. (Or a pre-frontal lobotomy)
Wow, Rich Hill out after 5
77 pitches? Wow. He must be thinking, well, if I get yanked with a no-hitter then I had no chance of staying in this game.
My espn2 live feed is running about 20 seconds behind the real game time.
Are you in Mexico too?
Colorado.
Actually – I’m in SEA – but usually PVR, where I’m usually a HALF-INNING behind reality.
I have MLB-TV on both computers (Mac and PC) and on Apple TV. All three are completely different. My PC is ahead of the others. All three video feeds are behind the audio/KNBR feeds
In the bay area, the TV is about 10 seconds behind the radio broadcast. A weird thing about Oakland Raiders TV – radio is that the radio is about 20 seconds behind the TV.
Hank Schulman 26min ago:
Pinkie dislocation not the worst possible injury. Can be playable per pain tolerance. Fortunate it was glove hand.
That’s what Bapah has been saying.
But you’re the Doc.
Get him some pain meds and put him out there. A 50% Crawford is still the best option we got.
Advil over Tylenol. Reduces swelling & makes you less loopy.
That’ll work.
Just a little Lido will work wonders.
Sit down!
On the radio, that HR was really cool: crack!… Miller: swung on, hit high and deep to left field [utter silence from the crowd] …. way back there… and adios pelota! The dead silence from the crowd while it was headed out was deafening. Aren’t there any Giants fans at the game tonight?
I’m not going to any of them this week. I won’t sit there a be humiliated.
smh
You live in LA now? Didn’t you use to live in Sac?
This is true. I work here
Come on, keep the faith! But it’s probably better for your safety to not be a Giants fan at Dodgers Stadium.
I’ve never had any trouble because I keep a relatively low profile.
It can be dangerous for sure, especially in the outer reaches of the parking lot after the game down where you walk to catch uber
What makes you think she’s a Giants’ fan?
Yes! A friend of mine!
Atta babe. Represent. But keep a low profile in Dodgers Stadium.
1-0 Giants
Time to get Strickland ready. smh https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/16e50f53ec098b3acd37a5ed5f0d977d68ccad716f79d159e74f3ea1699132a7.jpg
No wonder TO gave up.
Gave up?
Effin homer ump.
Ugh BCraw makes that play 10 times out of 10
20 times out of 10.
Nope. We need BC back ASAP
There’s only one Craw….
Yeah but if all African Americans played baseball Craw wouldn’t even be in the ML. :o) That’s for you, Slikk.
So he says. You have seen the commercial. Not sure if it’s true tho.
Human beings are bad at calling balls and strikes. The technology exists to fix the problem fix it.
It really hurts when it should end an inning….
What did pitch fx show? Looked like a strike from heeeeeere
Wasn’t even borderline.
didnt think so– Posey was walking off
Thank god for Mac in LF
Same. I heard “little flare” to left–and realized NOT ANGEL.
I wanted to weep with happiness.
Yeah Angel’s first instinct is to take one or two steps back before he realizes it’s a flare.
Alex says two of the Giants’ blown saves in September have included Pagan misreading a shallow fly ball. It would have been three on Saturday except Craw made a circus catch.
That’s a circus catch I won’t forget because it was in mid left field. Where the hell was Pagan on that play?
Having a G & T and smoking a cigar.
You’re an Outfield Crier
I’ve been the town crier on this for awhile: Our outfield is old! Outfield defense matters!
Town criers are annoying but often right.
Cueto is the man.
Pagan somehow plays that on a hop.
Mac represents well in the field.
COMPLETELY. I was shocked when Mac caught it.
Love me some Johnny Cueto– hope the lack of a bullpen wont cause him to leave SF after 2 years.
He’s a Giant for life.
Damn, I just jinxed it.
please no predictions man!
But I’m so good!!
You’re clearly not using your Outlook reminders correctly. Use the Anti Jinx Mode. It delays statements until after the fact.
Shhhhh… I’m working on the Venison Chronicles.
Or 2 years.
Double jinx back?
Bullpen has cost him a 20 win season– MadBum too
Casilla by himself cost Cueto about 4 wins
Cost us the pennant
Pleeze, Jeezus.
Didja see heem give the HP some discreet sheet after the 3rd out? Covered his mouth with his glove. A pro.
You see our guy Mac catch that pop up to left?…. Angel would have been doing one of those horsey side step dressage moves as it doinked in as Seager raced home
Hope williamson hits 4 HR but so far looking for the hat trick
The Dodgers are doing an impersonation of us …. 8 hits in five innings and no runs.
Lets jump on this guy
Might bounce off.
:o)
Seriously, how is Hill out of this game?
blister, or blister concern maybe
I loves me some Cueto.
I bet he was given the ump a piece of his mind regarding that one non strike call.
I like his style.
Hard to dislike Cueto. The guy’s got the guts of a burglar.
He plays with joy.
I think that about sums it up.
Speaking of jinx!
I love watching Hohnny play baseball. What a joy
Great minds.
Let’s get some payback on the Dodgers pen.
And then make t-shirts.
Trade them Casilla
Geneva Convention says no.
That’s a really loud wave right now. Sounds like there’s a waterslide in the park.
I believe it’s a cultureslide…straight down
Owes us a call
Good for him, though. The insecure ones toss guys for having the audacity to question them
Agreed
Never saw that before. I thought that was very cool.
How about we will skip the 9th inning and go straight to the 10th tonight. Like in hotels where there is no 13th floor. At this point it’s all in everyones head.
Great call! Let’s call it The Overlook, like in The Shining…
Hello, Tony…
Is this some form of twisted German logic? :o?
Yes and it totally works.
For those of us in the east coast it would save a lot of sleep ( or more likely sleepless nights) Goid suggestion– sort’ve like sudden death overtime. They give us a 1 run lead and they get three outs to beat it.
I don’t know how you guys do it on the East Coast night after night. That would kill me. With work and kids I am already never getting enough sleep during the week.
We hibernate in the off season
Definite improvement over Span/Pagan
It would at least be encouraging if he swung at a strike.
Have to break him in against weaker pitching. Getting a start against Hill won’t do his confidence any good. I would like to see him earn another start down the road.
Weaker pitching is what the minor leagues is for
He’s been buried up here on the end of the bench for 3 weeks… You knew it would be tough tonight.
Sit Pence for three weeks. Then throw him in a game.
It’s a game of timing and repetition.
We sat him for 8 weeks and he homered in his first game back.
I think you just have a Mac thing right now. This team is in a funk. Soan .130. Pagan .150… Panik whiffing….Mac isn’t the issue. He’s not
I don’t have a Mac thing. I just see no evidence– as some do here that he is or ever may be our savior
Wow they are baseball crazy in Cleveland for the 87-63 Indians!!!
A standing room only crowd of 13,623 at home tonight against the defending World Series champs and division rival!
smh
I didn’t realize their stadium was so small …..
I believe the RiverCats draw more than that.
Right Lefty
I remember when, three rings ago, we had exciting players come up from the minors like Pablo Sandoval, Travis Ishikawa, Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, Matt Duffy, etc.
Not to say all of them were that great but they certainly made a bigger impression than what I have been seeing the last couple years. You got me, Mac?
Those guys got to play. Mac may not be ready…but Bruce has a fear of youth that is growing exponentially
Yo Mateo. It’s not like these guys have had a chance to play like Posey, Bum, Craws (after a LONG whiile), Belt (DITTO), Panik (‘These guys are just not ready’), Duffy (last resort after McGIDP) etc. etc.
Both Belt and Crawford took plenty of time to adjust. But yes they got the playing time they needed. Although Belt was sent down several times.
Belt was on a yo-yo plan.
THat’s the worst AB I’ve ever seen from Panik.
He’s seriously pressing. But then again, who isn’t?
Seriously..
He’s been platooned fer gawd’s sakes. Only in the game because of Craws’ injury. Bochy’s treating him like the red-headed stepchild.
Big Hat has a magic touch with young players.
Mateo – what was that marvelous nickname you came up with?
Evil twin Boris Bochy?
BORIS!!! Gracias.
Why do I feel that Panik’s best years are behind him ……
Fair or not fair, at bats like that sour me on players this year.
But, there’s always next year. Plus, I have all these rings getting in my way when I type …..
We’re all in a funk…they are, Bruce is, we are
I know I’m late to the party on this one and it’s probably been discussed at length but Crawford is a dumbass. Still can’t believe he did that. I really hope he’s not done for the year…whatever is left of it.
Something’s just flat out wrong with Panik. He’s been looking lost up there all year. .312 to .244 tells me that the league has spotted a serious flaw in his zone.
Or he’s still hurt.
Could be but he was kind of lousy before he went on the DL.
His April and Aug were good. Sept has been horrid.
Willie McGee = ET
Cueto is a magician.
Anyone have a link to tonights game. I said I wasn’t going to watch but I can’t help myself.
It’s on ESPN2 nationally
http://kostatz.com/koskrew1.html
thanks guys.
Glad Casilla launched the Cards on a 4 game winning streak.
Dodgers will be happy to take right now so that they can get to the Giants pen in the 9th.
Remember when Adrianza was touted as being a stellar defender?
He’s up for his glove, it ain’t for his offense. Really annoying in a game like this.
Before his 2 errors tonight?
Oh my…….
Of course the one guy we’ve held onto far too long because he has a “glove”….
This Toles kid worries me the most in this lineup.
AD is gonna have cost Cueto a good ten pitches with his two misplays which is huge when you need a CG.
Any news on Craw? Was the finger popped back in?
I’m officially over Adrianza. Parts of four seasons now he’s played with the Giants. Never hits consistently. Supposedly a wizard with the glove but often overamped when he does play. Has had his chances but can’t stay healthy and/or can’t produce.
I’m putting him and Gillaspie on Slikk’s truck with Casilla and Span. They’re all taking their talents to South Beach.
That happened to me in August. Adios AD.
Oh, great…
This season has doom written all over it
Oh geez please say it ain’t so. Johnny’s limping?
Oh no…
Jesus effin Christ. The baseball gods are just friggin sadistic.
The Dodger fans are BOOING? Because he might be injured?
Scum.
It’s unreal, what a bunch of sick morons.
It effed up the sweet wave they had going.
There is no such thing as logic seeking when it comes to Dodgers fans…
I’m going to need to memory wipe this season.
And the hits just keep on coming.
Cueto has this happen every 5 starts or so.
Classy Dodger fans, booing an opposing player who might be hurt.
That’s just unbelievable. What a collection of human filth.
Front running bandwagon fans.
I cannot even watch.
Season!
Uncle!!
Invoke the mercy rule. One day they will write the history of the 2016 WS champion Giants led by Matt Cain with a Bumgarner like performance in the Post season
If AD makes that play, Cueto would’ve been in the windup still… I’m just gonna stop.
50% Cueto better than 100% bull pen.
Apparently not.
Damn. Not good.
I want to punch Adrianza
Bruce, he’s hurt….you leave him in tonight, but pull Bum last night…
I don’t understand this season at all.
Mandarin Chinese seems like child’s play compared to deciphering this second half.
I guess we’re going to find out.
Let’s not overreact here. It’s not the 9th inning.
Don’t worry, it won’t be a save situation.
But it will be!
Craw and Cueto in one game. Wow.
Bad day to have a last name beginning with C — maybe Casilla
It’s just one shitstorm after another.
TBH, I remember Giants fans cheering when Cueto got hurt, Game #1, NLDS in 2012.
We ended up losing that game.
Not true. I was in the park.
I was at the mercy of the broadcast, but, yeah, I remember it being discuss there, and also on Twitter.
Pfft. Whatever. You probably don’t remember all the people cheering in the streets in New Jersey after 9/11 either.
Good one there, cabbie!
It’s slight, but that’s an antalgic gait as he walks off the field.
What does that mean?
A gait to avoid pain while walking.
He needs a round of prednisone at the very least.
lol
It means “we’re f*^ked”
It means he’s anti-tailgate I think
It’s a sad Giants season. I really thought they were going to win 90 games easy. Just wow!! You can almost smell the disaster coming.
Smell it? — It’s been plated, garnished, and set on the table. Just waiting to see when we all have to take a nice big bite of it.
Bullpen is fine 6-8.
Can’t blame him for wanting to stay in. Not just because of what’s been happening lately with the pen but because he wants to finish what he started. But it looks like he came to the realization that he couldn’t pitch effectively enough to gut it out.
Overt? Seriously?
No, Okert. So kind of implicit and hidden.
Covert
The Covert Chronicles?
I do not like this matchup
I don’t like any matchup that involves our bullpen.
I don’t think a matchup currently exists that we’d all endorse right now.
I just have zero confidence in Okert
I knew he’d get him all along with a FB right down the middle
Take as loooong as you want Okert. Make those Dodgers fans wait
Maybe Bochy has lost his mind. It’s always the ones who care that are the last to realize it.
My god. This team is a mess.
Even the calls to the bullpen are messed up. Kontos probably tore an ACL when he stopped
I really hope Puig doesn’t put us out of our misery.
That’s the Giants season: One big groin pull.
Non Happy Ending Division
No rub and tug.
It’s funny that the starting pitching was probably the biggest concern going into this season and for the most part they’ve been pretty dang good this year (at least at the top).
Well they brought in 3 top starters.
They did but I still don’t think any of us were sure how Cueto and the Shark would perform.
Yes, and we were surprised that it was them. Especially Cueto
You got to give mad props Dave Roberts. Manager of the year by far in my book.
I hate him. Ex-good Giant. I wish an alligator would eat him.
D … you make me laugh.
Stay the pacman, pac, not this new dude: pumpkinkiller.
No, he’s just competent. Maddon’s way better. A lot of managers probably are.
Okert to Puig: “Don’t look at me.”
Like Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet.
Overt is the man.
Except it’s OKert
Are you saying Okert is OK?
Kovert
What are you looking at, PUIG!?
Here’s looking at you, Puig!
THAT was a nice sequence
Puig was too busy looking at Okert
sicko
ATTTA BOy! What a gutsy effort
Bochy has the magic touch!
Okert, My Kert.
I’d like to see Okert go another inning.
Told you Okert and his stiff mechanics would get it done.
Nice! Beck got them out of the inning.
Shooter! Loved him. R.I.P.
Nice
Bring back Mad Bum for the 3 inning save
Dodgers can’t hit left handed pitching. That is their doom. Keep the lefties coming.
Well, we have only one less lefty than LA has GMs!
OH you’re back. What happened with the other name?
He killed the pumpkin
Good.
Back with a vengeance.
Good.
Throw Belt into the mix. He’s a lefty ace from way back when.
So was Sparky Lyle is he available?
Is 6 enough?
It would be so nice if one of our guys in the bullpen could instill confidence in the Giants and their fans.
Gardner?
I walked away earlier and missed your Dx. Just caught it. Nice one. I haven’t heard antalgic in awhile.
It’s an easy telltale sign of compensation for pain.
Oh, I know.
I just haven’t heard it in several years. I’ve even been a lifelong practitioner of it myself.
That’s not to say I’m clumsy, but… I’m definitely injury prone
Bochy’s first good call in…hmm….somebody help me here.
I really think Okert will be one of our mainstay lefties…just gotta give him more innings
Osich, not so much
But at this time last year – it was Osich.
This time next year: it’s BOTH of them.
I can hope, right? 🙂
Even last year, i saw some things in Osich that I was not so sure about. But they kept going to him even though both were on the 40 man. I do hope Osich figures it out. We will need them both next year after Lopez walks
Javy retires you mean.
Okert slams the door.
Okert developing those balls of steel. Good for him.
Can we make this a 5-0 lead going into the 9th?
“There is no 9th”…to quote one of my favorite movies.
Well it’s a spoon in the movie but still.
Tell Beath Oven that.
That one’s from a movie too.
No
With this bullpen, it feels like there are 11 more innings left or so.
This blog is really funny tonight.
Give it an hour. Bob Wilkins will show up
Tonight’s creatured comment
I grew up watching that guy.
Together, we’re jaded.
Together we’re damn witty and hilarious. Or drunk/stoned. Whatever works.
I am definitely 4/5 of those things.
Together we’re Sergio Romo getting taken out by Bochy after a 32- hop grounder in the ninth so Casilla can “close”
Misery brings out the best humor.
Will Belt take ball four & be called out on strikes? Or strike out on ball four?
Alex reported on twitter tonight that Belt “entered the night batting .290/.385/.476 with RISP.”
Soft grounder to 1st!
D. All of the above is always the right answer
Just finally checking in. 1-0 again?! Damnit… getting the rye out.
Hate to break it to you, but Craw and Cueto both left with injuries.
Really? Sigh.
Yep. Craw dislocated a finger on his left hand sliding headfirst into third. Cueto caught a spike on the mound and tweaked something–groin, knee, ankle?–that just happened a few minutes ago.
GROIN. GROAN…
Good lord… of all the players on the team and all the things that could have happened…
I’m beginning to think this is not our year.
Beauty and I had that calm resigned exchange as Johnny Joyful walked off the mound injured
Certainly has the look, daily at this point, of not our year.
Crawford’s injury was moronic. He tried to take third on a shallow hit to LF with two outs and slid head first. It was the stupidest play I’ve ever seen him make and I still can’t believe he did that.
Conduct unbecoming a professional. But there will no repercussions for the careless, irresponsible act. Love Crawford but it’s on him and the coaches when you I unnecessarily invite injury. Kinda like Bochy inviting defeat and then acting stunned
Give it a rest.
Par for the course
We’re about 53 over par
Ok sir
Nothing more I’d rather see than Conor getting ready to PH
Lol
How about pagan instead.
I’d rather watch Okert hit than Conor. So I’ll take it
Anything to keep him away from third base. His 2 hoppers to Belt are not ideal.
Okert coming to the plate to bat. Whew, dodged a Conor bullet.
Ya, except he’ll be lurking in the later innings.
Doomass move.
I’m glad Okert is still pitching.
Can’t believe this.
Do any of the bullpen pitchers have roles anymore?
One’s a lamb, one’s a goat, one’s a dove…all of the sacrificial variety, of course.
Yes – Undecided
I say let Will Smith close. I’ve always enjoyed watching a lefty closer.
Did you see them all on their musical chairs in the bullpen when Cueto had to come out? They all looked like: “Oh no, not me!”
The George Kontos U-turn was a joke.
It was certainly a misunderstanding, But then, what hasn’t been?
Maybe that’s it! Bochy was calling for other guys all those times and Casilla came in by mistake. Bochy didn’t want to embarrass him, so…
Casilla is Spanish for Costanza!
Terrible strike call!
So Does Bochy bring in Casilla so we can know the final outcome?
Yes. He wants Casilla to regain his confidence and have success on the road so that he doesn’t get booed next appearance at home.
If Okert somehow reaches let Casilla pinch run for him
Utley Seager Turner. I say Okert immediately becomes a candidate to close if he gets out of this inning without allowing a baserunner
Hill, Turner, Blanton … who else is suspicious on that team?
He’ll get yanked when Turner comes up…
Gene Rayburn is managing
Match Game lol
Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers.
Im partial to Wink Martindale
Or not
Hey Matthew what was the name of the game show in the 1970s where at the end the contestant tried to start a car and if the car started they won the car!
Oh, man…..it’s gonna kill me…was it Let’s Make A Deal?
Hell no Matty i know that 1
Split second? We had something similar in Germany but I forgot that name ( and I found this one via google)
You never know who’s going to show that attitude.
Got my breathing machine sittin by my ready for the 9th inning shenanigans, again.
Is it hooked to alcohol?
That was last night
Utley tried to get hit on that one, too!
Now that we’re in the bullpen….I just want to know what can possibly go wrong
smh
Im starting the Bullpen IV morphine drip
Can we have the 9th inning fan IV please!
Nobody makes me more nervous catching fly balls than Pence.
Angel Pagan would like a word.
Well he just doesn’t get to them.
True, you did specify “catching.”
Beat me to it.
He said catching the ball
He literally looked like a fan that ran onto the field on that catch
Wait! What? One of our relievers is pitching to more than one batter!! Across 2 innings even!!! Has Boch lost his mind!?!?
Did anyone else notice Seager’s grip on the bat?
I didn’t. What did it tell you?
If you remember the discussion of Belt’s grip and the preferred knuckle alignment, his was exaggerated in the wrong direction. His proximal knuckles were nearly aligned, which is totally the wrong way to do it. You want the middle knuckles aligned to have opposing palms on the bat. He struck out, which I would have predicted, but can’t believe they let him get away with that grip.
Okert doing the mind meld on Bruce
Okert with a 53 pitch save!!
Pop up to Pablo to close it out
Carlos Ruiz can play Salvador Perez.
It’s only the 7th. This is the easy part.
Craw would’ve caught that.
Sorry.
Yep.
AD shouldn’t play there anymore.
Nope.
We all thought it.
I was not an Okert fan but he won me over with this outing. Well done.
Agreed. Maybe Bochy is doing the George Costanza. Just do the opposite.
He really does need to watch that episode and adhere to its glorious principle
Very nice job. Boch should just keep bringing lefties out.
Maybe Okert is the new Affeldt?
Good job, Okert. Props.
I’m thoroughly impressed. Okert is looking like the biggest find out of all September callups. What a gem
And notice how he pays attention to Buster.
didn’t notice him doing any shake-offs..
Lynyrd Skynyrd looks good tonight
Okert? Which Skynyrd member does he resemble? Ronnie Van Zant?
Yup!
Ha-ha, just looked up photos of both, they do look alike. I saw Skynyrd way back in the day, they were great.
KEEP THROWING LEFT HANDERS AT THE DODGERS. THEY CAN’T HIT LEFTIES!!!
STAY AWAY FROM THE CANS!! HE HATES THESE CANS!!!
THE PHONE BOOKS ARE HERE, THE PHONE BOOKS ARE HERE!!!!!
And this remote control… That’s all I need.
that was a funny movie, man
Very nice indeed
Ok there’s our closer Okert kid you’ve got the job when can you start
Okert for the Willie Mac Award
Okert for the SOS Award.
Okert is making everyone look bad.
We needed that against the Padres!
You mean everybody wasn’t celebrating when he came in?
Well, certainly not The Oracle.
I meant he was making the rest of the bullpen look bad. Not a team guy.
Yeah, after he pitched an inning and 2/3. But before that, most everyone was going through their thesuaruses to come up with new words to describe their newfound hatred for Bochy.
I was kinda hoping he’d yell at AGon – ‘Hey! Look at me, meat!!’
Bochy!! Dodgers can’t hit left handed pitching. Keep throwing left handers at them.
You bailed on Nathan faster than Angelina Jolie dropped Brad
I wish I had that opportunity for her to break up with me
I’ll take Brad if he’s at loose ends
Yeah I’m sure mr. Lefty will be okay with that huh
He’s no Angel
Easy
Apparently
Now you can.
I just know Bruce is sitting in that Dugout waiting to bring in casilla and Romo he can’t help himself.
Okert has really set the stage for a righty to come in for the ninth.
There is the 8th to go…
Who’s managing the G’Men tonight? I just saw a reliever allow a hit and be left in to pitch to the next guy! Did Boch turn things over to Wotus tonight? Boch would never allow such a thing!
Wotus has been distracting Bochy with his etch a sketch drawings.
We have the right guys due up this inning to add on. We need to
Nunez’ swing is violent
It’s called bat speed .
Really. Gee, thanks, Peter!
Well, he’s got a point. We haven’t been seeing much of that.
It was one of his typical posts. He’s anti social to such a gigantic degree
This team has been having such poor results that scoring a run here (or even a couple) isn’t even really insurance.
Somebody glue Span to the pine. Just ride it out with Gorkys
Anyone here comfortable?
And no hands were raised.
Stripey the cat is dozing off.
That cracked me up!
It’s not the 9th yet so yes.
Good win but at a very potentially high price
A productive out, got Gorkys to 2nd.
I really hope Buster’s power comes back next year.
warning track power
Pagan be a hero
yeah, it’s the humidity..sure
Busters body language was pure, doh!
Gorky Park is a keeper.
I like his game.
The new Blanco for sure
Someone needs to yell it into Bochy’s ear
That was some movie, and book.
Pagan will get him home. Dude is money.
Fist job, of the non-pornographic variety.
Pagan Punches It Home
On Blu-Ray?
Grainy 8MM
Oh dear.
Oh Deer.
Deer. Rob Deer.
Uh oh. Does this mean Pagan is going in for “defense?”
Ruh-roh:
Alex Pavlovic @AlexPavlovic 9m9 minutes ago
Giants announce a left groin strain for Cueto.
He’s a quick healer.
Jim Bowden
@JimBowden_ESPN
Bobby Evans confirmed with me that Johnny Cueto left game with a groin injury and is day to day #Giants
9:36 PM – 20 Sep 2016
As is Bobby Evans.
Giants need to start rallying around each other. Maybe these two injuries will wake them up.
Pagan coming in for defense late in the game. Brilliant. I say let Mac hit the righty.
1-0 game, might as well weaken the D
Pagan’s just a pinch hitter here, right? Please tell me I’ve guessed right.
You’re dreaming.
and… a lousy pinch hitter at that.
at least we get his defense
No!
“lousy”? No – LOUSY!