Games later this week (normal video and audio options) will be
• Tuesday, 6:45, TBD vs. Landen Roupp (3-1, 2.38)
• Wednesday, 6:45, TBD vs. Tyler Mahle (0-3, 7.23)
• Thursday, 12:45, TBD vs. Logan Webb (2-2, 5.40)
Roster Resource predicts the TBDs are Yamamoto, Ohtani, and Glasnow. Rain chances are pretty high for Tuesday.
The Giants had a go at a winning road trip, but fell quite flat at the end. A 4-5 instead of 5-4 trip makes a difference to fan sentiment! Heliot Ramos did come to life in Washington, going 5/13, including a double and two homers, plus 2 walks, scored thrice, and drove in 6. That’s Picture of the Post stuff, even without the two cool home run trots, and bat flips on walks. Honorable mention to Matt Chapman, 6/15, all singles, 2 runs scored and 4 driven in, plus throwing out a runner at the plate in that most nerve wracking 10th inning. One other guy gets an honorable mention, see below.
Tony Vitello has not figured out how to use his player bench, but he is getting all of the bullpen guys into action. Even Ryan Borucki, whose last two appearances were clean innings. But it isn’t too hard to guess that the bullpen might be due for some changes soon, as Joel Peguero and Sam Hentges have been out on rehab assignments.
Hentges has made 3 appearances as an “opener”, so as to face the top of the line ups, once at San Jose and twice with Sacramento. Three perfect innings: 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 runs, 2 whiffs. How much longer does he need to rehab? He’s a lefty, and would presumably take fellow lefty Ryan Borucki’s spot.
Peguero has made 4 appearances for the R’Cats, with his last but one being a 4 hit, 2 walk, 4 run nightmare. The other three were almost perfect: 1 walk, no hits, no runs. He throws fast, and you have to think he’ll be up soon.
The Giants pen has taken one casualty this year, namely Jose Butto, who had surgery for blood vessel/clot in his arm, and will likely miss the remainder of this season. Butto was replaced by Blade Tidwell, who has done well. Here are the latest bullpen appearances, innings, and WHIPs, sorted by the latter. They fall into two groups of four:
✽ Keaton Winn (10, 9.1, 0.64), Blade Tidwell (6, 8.0, 0.75), Caleb Kilian (10, 10.0, 0.80), Matt Gage (L, 10, 9.1, 0.96)
✽ Ryan Walker (9, 9.0, 1.56), Erik Miller (L, 8, 7.0, 1.57), JT Brubaker (9, 11.1, 1.59), Ryan Borucki (L, 8, 6.2, 1.65)
The only guys who could be optioned to the R’Cats are Walker, Miller, Winn, and Tidwell. Brubaker is on a guaranteed 1/$1.82M deal, and Hentges signed for 1/$1.4M. Gage, Kilian, and Borucki are earning unguaranteed MLB minimum. We will see what happens.
Caleb Kilian is showing exactly why he made the team. He threw the 11th and 12th on Saturday, no hits, 1 walk, 2 whiffs, and got his first MLB win – and very nearly a Picture of the Post. He’s masterful, and certainly deserves an honorable mention for PotP! You will recall the Giants traded him to the Cubs as part of the Kris Bryant deal, where he wasn’t developed very well. Is this the impact of Justin Meccage and Jesse Chavez on what was a great talent all along?
