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Feast or Famine?
The G-Men have navigated a "feast or famine" stretch over the last seven days, finishing with a 3-4 record that culminated in a very cool 12-9 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. However, the week exposed deep inconsistencies in both pitching and hitting, but back-to-back wins to close out the series in Milwaukee provided something of a momentum spark for a team (and a coaching staff) trying to figure out how to dig out of the hole of being 15 games back of the team from LA and (at 25 and 38) barely hanging in there in 4th place in the NL West (especially after losing 2 out of 3 to the Rockies in Colorado). Today, we face the Cubs in Chicago to start a week where we will see the 30 and 33 Cubs 6 times over the next ten days. As of this blog going out today, the G-Men have hit 6 dingers (including another grand slam, this one by Chapman) and lead 18-3.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The 20-Hit Finale: In Thursday's 12-9 slugfest, every member of the starting lineup recorded a hit. Jung Hoo Lee spearheaded the attack going 4-for-5, while Matt Chapman and Bryce Eldridge added three hits apiece. It looks like Tony V’s best move has been to find a way for Bryce to play every day alongside Jung Hoo Lee (who is as hot as a piston).
Grand Slam History: Eric Haase broke Thursday's game open with a 7th-inning grand slam. Today’s slam marked the Giants' sixth grand slam in an 18-game span, the fastest accumulation of slams in franchise history. Let’s see one more at home, and then we will have something to write about.
Leadoff Spark: Casey Schmitt, continuing his transition into the leadoff role, set the tone on Thursday by hitting a home run on the first pitch of the game. I have loved Casey since he first came up last year. He looks and acts like he enjoys the game, and to see him performing like this is a joy (especially in his new left field position – talk about a true utility player!).
Rookie Milestones: On Wednesday, rookie outfielder Victor Bericoto supplied the entire offense by smashing his first major league home run to secure a 1-0 win.
Pitching Breakdown: Webb's Brilliance vs. High-Scoring Bleeds
Aside from one masterful pitching performance by Webb, the rotation and bullpen spent most of the week giving into the pressure of facing good line-ups (I know I’m including the Rockies in that observation, but the Rockies can hit at home for sure).
Logan Webb's Masterpiece: The highlight of the week belonged to Logan Webb on Wednesday. He carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning, finishing with 7 dominant, scoreless frames. Reliever Keaton Winn locked down a clutch 5-out save to preserve the 1-0 shutout.
High-Scoring Deficits: Outside of Webb's gem, Giants pitching surrendered an alarming 49 runs over the other six games of the week, highlighted by a brutal 16-2 loss in Monday's series opener against Milwaukee. Even in Thursday's victory, the bullpen nearly let a 12-3 lead slip away in the 9th inning before Caleb Kilian escaped with the save.
Let’s talk (or not) about Personnel
Our sluggish (25-38) season start is a direct byproduct of a stark divide between elite individual contributors and severe positional regression.
Players Performing to or Exceeding Expectations
Luis Arráez (2B): Arráez has been the absolute centerpiece of the offense, carrying a highly impressive .322 batting average and .364 OBP. He leads the team in hits (74) and has been an invaluable on-base machine at the top of the order.
Logan Webb (SP): The unquestioned ace of the staff continues to bear an immense workload for an injury-riddled rotation. Fresh off taking a no-hitter into the 7th inning against Milwaukee, Webb remains a reliable, elite anchor.
Rafael Devers (1B): Anchoring the middle of the order, Devers leads the club with 7 home runs and 30 RBIs. While his .242 average leaves room for growth, his run-producing metrics match up with his middle-of-the-order expectations. He is making Buster look good for the trade.
Rookie Call-ups (Bryce Eldridge & Jonah Cox): Promoted out of immediate organizational necessity, Eldridge has provided immediate life to the lineup, while Cox flashed elite potential by making his major league debut with a prompt base hit and dynamic baserunning.
Who and what are we worried about?
Willy Adames (SS): Expected to supply elite power and steady leadership on the left side of the infield, Adames has instead gotten off to a sluggish, highly inconsistent start that has suppressed the team's offensive efficiency. Come on Willy, say it ain’t so!
The Starting Rotation Depth: Beyond Webb, the rotation has been a massive weak spot due to underperformance and a lack of health. Pitchers tasked with eating innings have regularly allowed early-game deficits, leading to the Giants logging the second-fewest starting pitcher innings in baseball.
The Nationals and Cubs will be in the City Next Week
Projected Pitching Matchups vs. Washington Nationals
Game 1 (Mon, June 8): Ace Logan Webb is expected to take the mound for the Giants after a brief rest period, likely facing Nationals right-hander Miles Mikolas. Webb will look to build on his near no-hitter from this week, aiming to suppress a young Nationals lineup at home.
Game 2 (Tue, June 9): The Giants will likely send veteran left-hander Robbie Ray or young righty Landen Roupp to the mound. They are projected to square off against Washington's young depth, potentially facing a traditional start from left-hander Andrew Alvarez or right-hander Jake Irvin.
Game 3 (Wed, June 10): For the getaway day afternoon game, the back end of the Giants' rotation—featuring options like Trevor McDonald or a bullpen game utilizing Keaton Winn—will lock horns with Washington's rotation depth.
When the Cubs come to town
The Offense: The Cubs have been boom-or-bust, enduring a 10-game losing streak before putting together dramatic late-inning rallies, such as their four-run 9th-inning walk-off against the Athletics. When the Cubs outhit their opponents, they are nearly unbeatable, though their run production away from home has been inconsistent. A lot will depend on what happens in Chicago today and over the weekend.
The Rotation & Bullpen: The Cubs have a solid pitching staff. Pitchers like Edward Cabrera have shown flashes of utter dominance but struggle with inconsistency. The biggest weapon for Chicago is their relief corps, which boasts a sub-3.20 FIP over the past week, making it very difficult for opposing offenses to stage late-inning comebacks.
Here are the games available:
MON: 6/8: Nationals [6:45 – 2] –Nurses Day – The Czar is going to this game
TUES: 6/9: Nationals [6:45 -4]
WED: 6/10: Nationals [12:45 -4]
SAT: 6/13: Cubs [7:05 - 4] – Soccer Jersey Night
Let the torture commence.
Ciao, and GO GIANTS!
We use Mailchimp, so give permission for the blog to arrive in your mailbox if you want to receive the blog and participate in the fun. Past blogs can be found at www.beveragelaw.com at the Czar’s blog archive.
THE PROTOCOL: The firm has four seats in Section 118 (Premium Lower Boxes), Rows 25 and 26. These are awesome seats directly below the press box and 25 rows behind the home plate on the left side behind the screen. It is foul ball territory for left-handed batters, so bring your glove – I have collected 22 foul balls myself over 23 years and am looking for more. If we don’t use all the tickets ourselves (or clients and friends of the firm don't claim them by calling me and reserving a game), then my next step is to give the tickets TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO GETS BACK TO ME PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE SERIOUS. If you ask for the tickets and don't use them, you will be taken off the list unless there is a seriously good reason. There will be a waitlist.
When there are four seats available (we split up a lot of games) we will allocate the tickets two and two if the first people back just want two tickets. You can also go for four and might get them. I'm the Czar, my call.
Oh, and BTW, The Czar found the original Hinman & Carmichael brick from 2000 (after looking for it every year since 2000) and found H&C’s Gotham Club Founders Bat! If you are on the patio or in the Club, look for the symbols of baseball!
