Baseball Lifer

How bout that?!!! Just another tense extra inning win against the Phightns, nothing too special.

The Giants’ offense struggled for the most part. They wasted a runners-at-second-and-third, no-out rally in the top of the first inning; and then they wasted a leadoff double by Luis Gonzalez in the top of the fourth. They finally broke out an inning later with a three-spot, but the game would go extras again, and thanks to a three-run 11th, the Giants were able to win this one, 7-4.

Now, we got ourselves a winning streak!!!

GAMEBALL

Luis Gonzalez

had a helluva night, going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, the second of which knocking in a pair of runs, and giving the Giants the lead in the top of the fifth.

My buddy, Garry, and I both saw something in Gonzalez this spring. We saw that he played the game the right way, and that he was a great opposite field hitter. The opposite field double down the leftfield line has really become his trademark.

It really sucked that he didn’t make the team out of camp. When I interviewed him back on April 6—an interview I did not post, because I thought I did a crappy job—he was clearly crushed about it, and it just made me to want to see him on the Giants even more. It made want him be a big factor this season. That has happened, and as Carlos Ramirez pointed out on Postgame Live, Gonzalez has that same presence and impact that LaMonte Wade had last season, and Gonzalez could very well be in the running for National League Rookie of the Year this season if he keeps this up.

TIP OF THE CAP:

*Joc: Joc is carrying this team right now. He didn’t even start this game, but his impact was felt in his second at-bat, which was to lead off the 10th. He fouled off a few tough pitches to stay alive, and then on the ninth pitch he hit a hard ground ball to Rhys Hoskins on the lip of the outfield grass, but Jeryus Familia dropped the throw from Rhys Hoskins, as Familia was covering the bag. Then, Joc hit a two-run bomb into the second deck out in right to expand the Giants’ lead in the 11th.

*(I had a very hard time deciding the Gameball, but Joc was the runner-up, so he gets the first Tip of the Cap.)

Jakob Junis: For those of you who remeber, Jakob Junis started this four-hour, and 52-minute game, and even though he was a bit shaky, he held down the fort and did his job. Always appreciated.

Jake McGee: Awesome to finally see the Jake McGee we all know in love for the first time this season. McGee came into the game with the Giants up 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning with had the bases loaded with nobody out, but he induced 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Odubel Herrera, ands truck out Johan Camargo to end the inning. A run did score on the double play, but McGee really did save this game, and if he keeps pitching like this, as I keep saying, we’ll be just fine.

Tyler Rogers: Two innings for Rogers tonight. He wasn’t dominant, but any pitcher eating an extra inning always helps a bullpen

Wilmer: Great alert base-running to come in to score after Familia dropped the throw. Yes, Wilmer was the automatic runner. BARF!!!!!

Camilo Doval: This is where the automatic runner is really unfair. Doval got the first two men he faced in the bottom of the 10th, but after a bad luck base-hit up the middle off the bag at second, the automatic runner, Roman Quinn, scored. Thankfully, pitchers aren’t getting charged with earned runs when the automatic runners score, but this is a really shitty way to get hit with a blown save. Doval had great stuff, and he deserves a Tip of the Cap.

Donovan Walton: Doubled to the wall out in right-center with what proved to be the game-winning hit in the 11th.

Joey Bart: You know, I’ve been riding his ass hard the last few weeks, but during the game, a buddy of mine told me that he saw a lot of similarities between Joey Bart and myself. I realized that he and I are both flawed and emotional hot-headed talents.

When Gabe Kapler decided to walk Bryce Harper intentionally to load the bases and bring up the potential winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 11th, I said that Kap was either really stupid, or really ballsy. It turns out that it was Joey Bart who made the call when Kap came to the mound to talk to Jose Alvarez. Nicely done, young man.

Kap: For having the BALLS to make that move. Roman Quinn is hitting below the Mendoza Line, but there are major risks to moves like this, and the Giants pulled it off perfectly.

Jose Alvarez: Took over for Doval, after Doval “blew” the save in the 10th, and struck out Quinn on a nice low changeup to back up the intentional walk.

Pirates: Two in a row against the Trolley Dodgers. Keep up the good work!!!

JOKER:

The Phills

The Phightens’ 82-80 record last season gave them their first winning season in a decade, but now that they’re off to such a terrible start this season, and aren’t even the better team in their own state anymore, I can’t help but think that the Phillies will be the next team to tear things down and tank after this season.

Here’s the thing: despite how already disgraceful and insulting it is that teams tank—since all 30 teams should be trying to win the World Series every year—it seems that most of these rebuilds flat out fail, and teams then just go ahead and do it again. The Padres had a failed rebuild in the early-to-mid 2010’s; the Pirates had two-straight failed rebuilds before their three-straight playoff appearances from 2013 to 2015; and the Royals had three-straight failed rebuilds before their run from 2013 to 2015. Still, this is how a lot of teams like to do things. Plain and simply: this is a big fucking problem.

SMACK OF THE STICK:

John Brebbia: After getting the win Sunday, Brebbia just didn’t have it tonight. Just keep your head up; this happens.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

We got ourselves a winning streak now as we head into June. Over the last decade, June has generally been a month where the Giants have either been really great, or really awful. The Giants are playing better as they start to get healthy again, and there’s absolutely no reason why we won’t win 93-97 games if we indeed stay healthy.

Stephen