SF Giants Ultimate ONE-AND-DONE 26-Man Roster

For today’s fun lockout experiment, I’m going to try to put together a 26-man roster of the best former San Francisco Giants who only played ONE YEAR with the Giants! Let me know in the comments section if I missed any obvious choices and if I agree, I will update the list with your correction. The rules are simple - the player must have appeared in only ONE season with the San Francisco Giants during his career. However, that particular season doesn’t have to be great - I am judging these players based on their entire careers. This does NOT include the New York era, BUT shout out to Tony Lazzeri and Rogers Hornsby, who are both Hall of Famers who spent just one season with the New York Giants. Here we go!

Starting Lineup

Duke Snider & Willie Mays

1. LF Andrew McCutchen: This 5-time All Star and former MVP and Gold Glover appeared in a Giants uniform 130 times in 2018, bringing some exciting moments such as a walk-off home run against the rival Dodgers. Unfortunately, the Giants were not contenders that year and he was shipped off to New York.

2. 3B Kris Bryant: While it’s still possible he could play again for the Giants, for now I will include Bryant. He his .262 with 7 home runs down the 2021 stretch for the Giants, helping them win a franchise record 107 games. As for his career, Bryant is already a 4-time All Star with an MVP and Rookie of the Year trophy on his shelf.

3. CF Duke Snider: The FIRST name to come to my mind for this experiment. The Hall of Fame outfielder was an 8-time All Star with the Dodgers but played in 91 games for the Giants in his farewell season, hitting just .210 with 4 home runs.

4. 1B Joe Carter: The great Joe Carter will start at first base for this team in order to make room for more outfielders. He’s a 5-time All-Star and 2-time World Series Champion who finished his career in the City By The Bay, hitting .295 with 7 home runs in 1998

5. DH Carlos Beltran: In 2011, the Giants were trying to repeat as World Champions and picked up Beltran at the trade deadline. Beltran hit .323 with 7 bombs, but the Giants fell apart otherwise and failed to make the playoffs. Beltran is a Rookie of the Year with 9 All Star Selections and 3 Gold Gloves.

6. RF Darryl Strawberry: He was a rookie of the year, 8 time All Star and 3 time World Series Champion. Darryl Strawberry had a polarizing yet amazing career and did play for the Giants in 1994, but struggled, hitting just .239 with 4 bombs.

7. C Gary Carter: The 11-time All Star and Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter had an amazing career, mostly with the Mets and Expos. However, he stopped by San Francisco in 1990, hitting .254 with 9 homers.

8. SS Miguel Tejada: Tejada played 16 years in the big leagues, accumulating 2,407 hits and 307 home runs. He made 6 All Star Teams and won an MVP in 2002. His time with the Giants occurred in 2011, when he hit .270 with 4 bombs. (Credit: Stoops)

9. 2B Dan Uggla: No list of one-and-done Giants could be complete with the famous - rather infamous - Dan Uggla, who was a massive slugger from the mid-2000’s to early 2010’s for the Marlins and Braves, constantly crushing over 30 homers per year. The Giants picked him up in 2014, hoping to enjoy some of that amazing power. Instead, he couldn’t manage a single hit with San Francisco, going 0 for 11 with 6 strikeouts. He also made multiple errors, booting the most routine of groundballs. He was so bad.. that he was good.

Jose Vizcaino & Barry Bonds

Starting Rotation

Orel Hershiser

1. Randy Johnson: The Big Unit, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, spent most of his years dominating batters with the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. However, he finished his career in a San Francisco Giants uniform, going 8-6 in 2009 while winning his 300th career game.

2. Warren Spahn: This 17-time All Star is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game and he did wear a Giants uniform. It was 1965, his final year in the big leagues (This is becoming a pattern). Spahn went 3-4 with a 3.39 ERA for San Francisco.

3. Steve Carlton: That’s three Hall of Fame lefties! This 10-time All Star won FOUR CY YOUNGS! In 1986, he wasn’t so fantastic for the Giants, however, going 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA.

4. Orel Hershiser: This all-time Dodgers pitcher ended up in the orange and black for one season in 1998, going 11-10 with a 4.41 ERA. He had an amazing career that I believe is Hall-of-Fame worthy.

5. LaTroy Hawkins: Amazingly, LaTroy Hawkins put together a 21-year career. Although he didn’t make an All Star Teams or win any major awards, that’s still impressive! He went 1-4 for the Giants in 2005.

Bullpen

Goose Gossage

• Rich “Goose” Goosage (Closer): Goose Gossage was one of the most intimidating closers in baseball history, finishing off his career with 310 saves and 9 All Star Selections. Of those 310 saves, just 4 came with San Francisco in 1989, when he made 31 appearances out of the bullpen for the Giants. He ended the year with a respectable 2.68 ERA with San Francisco.

• Dan Quisenberry (Setup): From around 1980 to 1985, Dan Quisenberry was one of the most dominant closers in baseball. He even made the top 5 in Cy Young voting 5 times, including two second place finishes. Unfortunately, his career went downhill after that and he ended up with the Giants during his last big league career, 1990. He was 0-1 with 13.5 ERA.

• Mike Stanton: Mike Stanton had an impressive 19 year career during which time he made a name for himself with the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. He saved 27 games for the 1993 Braves, a team that ended up winning 104 games to take the West over the Giants, who had won 103. He would go on to play for those Giants during the twighlight of his career in 2006. He had a decent year, going 4-2 with a 3.09 ERA and 8 saves.

• Jamey Wright: Jamey Wright was selected in the first round of the 1993 draft by the Colorado Rockies. He ended up pitching for 19 years in the big leagues as both a starter and reliever. He ended up throwing over 2,000 innings with a 4.81 ERA. He wasn’t too great in 2006 for the Giants, though. He made 34 appearances, starting 21 games and went 6-10 with a 5.19 ERA.

• Juan Berenguer: One of the most memorable relief pitchers of the 80’s was El Gasolino - Juan Berenguer, who could light up the radar gun before a time when nearly every relief pitcher could. He is most remembered as Minnesota Twin, helping them win a World Series in 1987. His time with the Giants came just prior - in 1986, when he was 2-3 with a 2.7 ERA.

Bench

• C A.J. Pierzynski: A.J. found a ton of success during his 19-year career, especially with the Chicago White Sox. He ended up with an impressive .280 career batting average and 180 home runs. However, his time in San Francisco was difficult as he seemed to butt heads with the front office and teammates. Also, fans didn’t appreciate his ability to consistently ground into double plays. Nevertheless, he had a great career and deserves to be on this roster as a San Francisco Giant one-and-done who had a fantastic career.

• 3B David Bell: David Bell had a fantastic 12 year career accumulating 123 home runs. He was a key player on the National League Champion 2002 Giants, hitting .261 with 20 home runs. (Credit: Michael Baucom)

• IF/2B Scooter Gennett: Gennett will always be remembered for one amazing day when he crushed 4 home runs in a single game in 2017, tying an MLB record. He smashed 27 home runs that year in total, but never really maintained such excellence. The Giants picked him up at the trade deadline in 2019, and he hit just .234 before being designated for assignment.

• OF Eric Davis: Many people like forgot that slugger Eric Davis wore a Giants uniform, hitting .205 with 4 bombs in his final big league season. The rest of his career was much more impressive as he hit .269 with 282 home runs and 3 Gold Gloves.

• OF Deion Sanders: Prime Time Deion Sanders was a huge pick up for the Giants in 1995, and he helped put a charge into the team with an RBI double in his debut. He ended up hitting .285 in his only year in the orange and black.

• OF Dusty Baker: It feels strange to put Dusty Baker on a list of one-and-done San Francisco Giants, but as far his playing career goes, that’s exactly what happened. The 2-time All Star and Gold Glover played for the Giants only in 1984, when he hit .292 with 3 homers. He’s certainly remembered more for his time as a Giants manager from 1993 to 2002.

• OF Kenny Lofton: Kenny Lofted had over 2,400 hits in his 17 year career along with 622 Stolen Bases and should’ve been more highly considered for the Hall of Fame in my opinion. He played with the Giants in 2002, hitting .267 but also contributing in the playoffs and World Series.

Honorable Mentions

• SS Jose Vizcaino: The Giants have been very steady at shortstop, with not many great one-and-dones that I could find. However, the always solid Jose Vizcaino, who spent 18 years in the big leagues, played 64 games for the Giants in 2006, his final season.

• C Damon Berryhill: I’ll always remember Damon Berryhill from watching the Chicago Cubs on WGN. He actually had a nice 10-year career mostly as a backup catcher. He also hit a game-winning three-run homer for the Braves in Game 1 of the ‘92 World Series. As a Giant, he hit .257 with 3 homers in his final big league career in 1997.

• RHP Mike Leake: Mike Leake was a Giant for part of 2015, when he came over in exchange for a young Adam Duvall, who would go onto do big things for the Reds and Braves. Leake didn’t do much in 2015, going 2-5 with a decent 4.07 ERA. However, he has had a solid 10 year career, compiling 105 wins and a Gold Glove.

• OF Adam Duvall: This was a young and talented kid with power who the Giants decided to ship off to Cincinnati in 2015 in exchange for Mike Leake, who pitched in San Francisco long enough to also make this roster. Duvall immediately impressed in Cincinnati by crushing 33 bombs in 2016 and being selected to the All Star Team along with an invitation to perform in the Home Run Derby. Just last season in 2021, he drove in over 100 runs and smashed 38 home runs for the Braves and Marlins. He now has 151 home runs - only 3 with the Giants.

SF Giants SWEEP Road Trip - Clinch Playoff Berth in San Francisco!!

After the Giants faced the top three teams in the National League (Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers), they traveled to Denver to play the Colorado Rockies (63-75). San Francisco then traveled to Chicago to battle the Cubs (64-76).

In game one against the Rockies, the Giants could have had a letdown after a tough series against the Dodgers. Still, on the game's third pitch, Darin Ruf hit a home run to put San Francisco up 1-0. After a Kris Bryant strikeout, Buster Posey put the Giants up 2-0 with his 17th homer of the season.

The runs kept coming, and so did the homers (4). San Francisco put a considerable number of runs (10) on the scoreboard. Thairo Estrada jacked two of his own as both went to the left field bleachers. Kevin Gausman pitched seven strong innings by striking out nine and allowing just three runs for his 13th victory of the season, keeping the Giants in first place.

"This group came ready to play today. Late flight last night, get in at 1:30 in the morning," manager Gabe Kapler said. "The whole crew has a very, very quick turnaround and tired eyes this morning. These guys got ramped up well, got prepared and ready to hit, obviously, from the first pitch."

In game two, the Giants went bigger. San Francisco scored 12 runs, and that is plenty for Logan Webb. Webb pitched seven innings allowing three earned runs and striking out six. It was Webb's ninth victory of the season compared to only three defeats. He had 13 straight starts of only allowing two runs or fewer. Webb mentioned his start:

"I was trying to stay away from the big inning and really not walk anybody," Webb said. "Because when you start walking these guys and give them free bases, that's when you get in trouble. Luckily, I was able to execute that. I kind of went with the game plan, and it worked out."

Interestingly, even though the Giants scored 12 runs, they only hit one home run. Mike Yastrzemski hit a solo shot, his 22nd of the year. He would join Steven Duggar in driving in three total runs. Those also getting RBI were Evan Longoria, Posey, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, Tommy La Stella, and even Webb got into the action with a double to left field.

The Giants have an NL league-leading 207 home runs; the former highest was 235 in 2001.

Game three was much closer. However, Wade and Longoria contributed two RBI in the ninth. The crucial hits put the Giants in the winning seat after either being tied or down the entire game. Anthony DeSclafani was dominant for four innings but struggled in the fifth. Elias Diaz led off with a double, and pitcher Jon Gray drove him in with a single. After both Raimel Tapia and Brendan Rodgers singled, DeSclafani left the game with the bases loaded. Jarlin Garcia was asked to get the Giants out of the jam.

He got Charlie Blackmon to ground into a fielder's choice, but he drove in another run. Then, Trevor Story doubled, and he scored Tapia. The threat ended when Garcia struck out Ryan McMahon. San Francisco bounced right back at the top of the sixth.

Belt led off with a single, and Wade followed with a single, bringing up Crawford. Crawford hit a home run to left field on the first pitch that barely got over the wall tying the game. Unfortunately, Diaz led off the bottom of the inning with a home run of his own off of Zack Littell to put the Rockies back up 4-3.

It was the top of the ninth that made all the difference for the Giants. Posey walked to lead off the inning, Estrada singled, moving pinch-runner Mauricio Dubon to second. Belt reached safely on a single infield, loading the bases with no outs bringing up late-game hero Lamonte Wade.

Wade would single and drive in both Dubon and Estrada and once again come through for the Giants. Longoria would double with two outs scoring in both Belt and Wade while extending the lead by three runs (7-4). Crawford talked about Wade's big hit.

"He's had so many big hits for us this year," Crawford said of Wade. "Down to our last strike a couple of times and then so many tiebreaker, go-ahead base hits for us. He's been a huge for us."

Jake McGee would close out the game and earn his 30th save on the season, and Tyler Rodgers would earn the victory his sixth. The Giants became the first team to win 90 games and sweep the Rockies in Colorado with the victory.

After sweeping the Rockies, San Francisco traveled to Ohio and took on the Chicago Cubs. The three-game set began on September 12th.

Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the fourth in the first game, but the Giants responded with six total runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth. San Francisco got on the board when Wade drove in Belt on a single. At the top of the seventh, Longoria hit his 11th and drove in Crawford for their first game lead. Belt with two outs would duplicate Longoria and go deep with a two-run home run of his own, and putting up the Giants 5-1.

Longoria would drive in his third RBI when he hit a sacrifice fly to right field and scoring Bryant. Jay Jackson would come into the ninth and close the door. Overall, San Francisco pitched well in a bullpen game. Eight pitchers entered the game, and Camilo Doval came away with the victory.

In game two, the Giants blasted the Cubs 15-4. Both La Stella and Belt hit three-run home runs. La Stella was laser-focused as he had three hits, including a double and five RBI, while scoring three times. The big innings for San Francisco came in the second and fifth, where they scored 11 total runs.

"I just want to make sure I'm getting something in the zone," La Stella said. "I think I was little more focused on that today."

Belt continued to hit the ball well. On top of his home run, he doubled for the second straight game and has hit 23 homers, including 12 in his last 28 contests. He also has 10 hits in his previous 21 plate appearances. Longoria added to the mix with three RBI, and Yastrzemski drove in two runs.

Kevin Gausman had another solid outing. He allowed just three runs on eight hits and struck out nine. Gausman now has 200 strikeouts on the season and won his fifth straight outing.

"I knew I was getting close," Gausman said. "Obviously a cool think to accomplish. something I've been trying to do for a long time." He also mentioned the success of the Giants. "We believe we're the best team in baseball right now, and we're a dangerous team."

Caleb Baragar came in and pitched three strong innings. After giving up two earned runs on a home run after being called back up from Sacramento, it was a good sign. He earned a save in his appearance, which was second.

In the third game, it was a much closer situation. After scoring 21 runs in two games against Chicago, the Giants were battling for most of the contest. In the end, San Francisco went on to win for their seventh straight victory.

Wilmer Flores flew out to Chicago for just one game before returning to San Francisco, and he made it count. Flores hit a home run and drove in three runs. He has been dealing with a strained left hamstring since September 1st.

"We're on a run here. Any little thing counts. I always want to play. If I have to fly in for one game, I'll do it again."

Flores matched his career-high 18th home run, and Logan Webb (10-3) won his matchup for his seventh straight. However, it wasn't his best outing. Webb allowed four earned runs in six innings while striking out five. Both Rodgers and Tony Watson earned holds, and McGee got his 31st save on the season.

As for Bryant's return to Chicago, he went for 4 for 12 with five runs. He just needs to stay away from colliding with Austin Slater in the outfield. However, manager Gabe Kapler said it was more due to the lack of communication from Slater.

"We definitely have to tighten up our communication," Kapler said. "That play didn't stop us from winning the game, but it may have stopped us from being at our best throughout that game."

The Giants are back home in a four-game set with the San Diego Padres and a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves before hitting the road again.

Edit: The San Francisco Giants won Game 1 of the series versus San Diego, officially clinching a playoff spot for 2021. This series will be recapped in further detail in next week’s Week in Review Article.

Transactions:

Per ESPN

September 12, 2021

Reinstated OF Austin Slater from the 7-day IL and 2B Wilmer Flores from the 10-day IL. Optioned RHP John Brebbia and LHP Caleb Baragar to Sacramento (Triple-A West).

September 11, 2021

Sent 2B Donovan Solano to Sacramento (Triple-A West) on a rehab assignment. Sent RHP Jake Jewell outright to Sacramento.

September 10, 2021

Placed LHP Jose Quintana on the paternity list. Recalled RHP Jay Jackson from Sacramento (Triple-A West).

September 7, 2021

Claimed RHP Jake Jewell off waivers from Los Angeles Dodgers and optioned him to Sacramento (Triple-A West).

September 6, 2021 Recalled RHP Kevin Castro from Sacramento (Triple-A West). Optioned RHP Jay Jackson to Sacramento.

SF Giants RECLAIM First Place - WEEK IN REVIEW

It was an ugly start for the San Francisco Giants this week. However, they made it all the sweeter when they reclaimed first place by Sunday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Giants arrived back in San Francisco after they lost two of three against Atlanta. The change of scenery didn't make much of a difference against the Milwaukee Brewers. A four-game series turned into three losses.

Corbin Burnes owned the San Francisco hitters in-game one with nine strikeouts, and just one earned run through six innings. Jose Alvarez got the start and allowed two runs in 1.2 innings, all earned. The Giants used seven pitchers, and their only RBI was a single by Brandon Crawford, which plated Brandon Belt.

Game two was worse as the Brewers scored six runs in just four innings. Johnny Cueto allowed ten hits, six earned runs, and walked two in 3.2 innings. In the sixth, Belt would get the Giants on the board with his 20th home run, and then Wilmer Flores would homer in the ninth. However, Brandon Woodruff went six solid innings and struck out while only giving up the one run to Belt's dinger.

Game three was devastating in multiple ways. First, the loss as the Brewers hammered the Giants for the third straight game (5-2). The Giants also matched their longest losing streak of the season while also losing control of first place. The team was on top of the NL West for a San Francisco-era best 108 days. They took control of first on May 30.

Gabe Kapler mentioned about the Giants losing control:

"We just have to try to go after it and get back into that position," San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler said.

Kevin Gausman gave the Giants a strong outing. He struck out seven over five innings and allowing two earned runs in the second inning. When Lorenzo Cain hit a one-out single with the bases loaded, scoring Avisail Garcia and Omar Narvaez. San Francisco tied the game in the fifth when Kris Bryant doubled to score Alex Dickerson. After an intentional walk to Belt, Buster Posey singled to right field, scoring Bryant. Unfortunately, the Giants would go on to lose the contest and continue their losing streak. Posey commented on the losing four in a row.

 "Any time you have a little losing streak, it's not fun," Posey said. "This group's shown an ability to bounce back throughout the year, and that's just what you have to believe you're going to do."

Game four gave the Giants a chance to bounce back and tie the Dodgers for first place as Los Angeles had the day off. It was precisely what San Francisco did, winning 5-1 with great pitching from their Ace Logan Webb.

Webb was magical, throwing seven complete innings and striking out ten while allowing just one earned run. Tyler Rodgers (5-1) got the victory as Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Eric Lauer was also dominant by allowing just one earned run in seven innings.

It was in the eighth inning that San Francisco took control against reliever Devin Williams. Second baseman Thairo Estrada hit a three-run homer after Darin Ruf doubled to left field, scoring Bryant. The four-run eight gave the Giants all the runs they needed, and Jake McGee came on to close out the ninth in a non-save appearance.

Devin Williams

Giants manager Gabe Kapler commented on the critical victory leading into the crucial three-game home series against the Dodgers.

"I think it was a much-needed victory for us," Kapler said. "It's a good boost of confidence going into the next series, but obviously, all of our attention and focus was on today's game."

Game one against the Los Angeles Dodgers was a wild one. In the third, the Giants took the lead when Austin Slater singled to left field and scored pitcher Anthony DeSclafani. The 1-0 lead remained until the top of the ninth when Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor singled to center field, scoring Josh Turner. The game remained tied after the ninth, and the contest went into extra innings.

Los Angeles scored first in the tenth as Trea Turner hit a sacrifice fly to center, which plated Walker Buehler. Crawford would tie the game in the bottom of the tenth when he hit a single to center field and scoring Posey. Crawford would come up big again in the top of the 11th. After a Corey Seager single putting runners on first and third. Will Smith hit a ground ball to Crawford, and he threw out Josh Turner at home. Jarlin Garcia would strike out the next two batters.

In the bottom of the 11th, after Ruf struck out and Belt intentionally walked, Bryant earned a seven-pitch walk and loading the bases. Dickerson then grounded out into a fielder's choice, and Mike Yastrzemski was thrown out at home. With two outs and the bases still loaded, Posey grounded the ball to second baseman Trea Turner. Still, Turner threw an errant ball to first base, pulling Smith off the bag and allowing Posey to reach safely, leading the Giants to victory.

DeSclafani was impressive as he allowed no runs through six innings pitched. McGee received the blown save (5), while Garcia got his sixth victory on the season.

The second game against Los Angeles was not nearly as close. The Giants turned to the bullpen to start the game, and from the start, Jay Jackson gave up three runs. San Francisco would use seven more pitchers in the 6-1 defeat.

Posey did drive in a run for his 43rd RBI. Still, Julio Urias was dominating for 5.2 innings allowing eight hits and striking out eight. The victory allowed a two-way tie for first place in the NL division with a rubber match on the line in game three.

The last game of the series would begin with another bullpen session for the Giants. Dominic Leone would start and face Cy Young contender Walker Buehler. Leone would only pitch the first inning, and the Giants would take advantage of an off-day from Buehler, and he admitted it after the game.

"The worst I've thrown in a long time," Buehler said.

In the first, Belt would homer for his 21st of the season. In the second, San Francisco would retake the lead after the Dodgers scored in the second. This time Steven Duggar would triple to right field and score Crawford and Yastrzemski. Ruf would hit a pinch-hit single and driving in Duggar, giving the Giants a 4-1 lead.

In the third, San Francisco would extend their three-run lead. Crawford doubled to right field, scoring LaMonte Wade. Then Curt Casali singled to left field, scoring Crawford giving San Francisco a 6-1 lead. It would remain until the ninth inning.

Steven Duggar reacts after hitting a triple Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers

McGee would take the mound, and Kris Bryant's untimely error allowed Austin Barnes to reach first safely. Albert Pujols would bat for Andrew Vasquez. Pujols would hit a home run to center field and pulling the Dodgers within two runs. It would be the last run allowed by the Giants.

McGee would get Trea Turner to pop out. Still, after Max Muncy got a lazy single that made it through the infield, Mookie Betts would strike out looking, and Justin Turner popped out to left-field for the final out.

Kapler talked about the back-to-back days of only bullpen pitching:

"Back-to-back bullpen days are tough," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. "That's no secret. Sort of a hallmark of this team is being able to handle challenging situations and being good at handling challenging situations."

The Giants also avoided a three straight series defeat this season. Belt mentioned the pressure during the game.

"It really felt like a playoff atmosphere out there," Belt said, "... It's crunch time."

Transactions:

Per ESPN

September 5, 2021

Optioned LHP Sammy Long to Sacramento (Triple-A West). Placed CF Austin Slater on the 7-day IL. Recalled RHP Camilo Doval and CF Steven Duggar from Sacramento.

September 4, 2021          

Recalled IF/OF Mauricio Dubón from Sacramento (Triple-A West). Placed OF Alex Dickerson on the 10-day IL.

September 3, 2021          

Reinstated INF Evan Longoria from the 10-day IL. Optioned INF/OF Mauricio Dubon to Sacramento (Triple-A West).

September 2, 2021          

Placed 2B Wilmer Flores on the 10-day IL Recalled SS Maurico Dubon from Sacramento (Triple-A West).

August 31, 2021               

Announced 3B coach Ron Wotus stepping away from full-time coaching at the conclusion of the 2021 season. Added LHP Jose Quintana to the active roster. Reinstated RHP Johnny Cueto from the 10-day IL. Optioned RHP John Brebbia and INF Jason Vosler to Sacramento (Triple-A West).

August 30, 2021               

Placed RHP Johnny Cueto on the 10-day IL. Recalled LHP Caleb Baragar, RHP John Brebbia and INF/OF Thairo Estrada from Sacramento (Triple-A West).

Mike is an avid San Francisco Giants fan since the late 1970s. In his first game, he saw live Jack Clark hit a home run. He has seen the Giants lose 100 games and also win three World Series rings. Great/Unfortunate memories have been watching Joe Morgan hit a homer to knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs. Seeing the Giants win 104 games and still not make the playoffs. Most painfully watch the Giants lose a 5-0 lead to the Angels in the seventh inning in Game 6. However, he saw Barry Bonds hit his 73rd and become the greatest hitter of all time.

Follow me @RFLRedZone.

SF Giants Sweep Mets But Falter in Atlanta - Claim Jose Quintana (Week In Review)

The San Francisco Giants took a two-game win streak into New York to face the Mets for three games, then onto Atlanta for another three games this week. How did they fare?

Game 1 against New York was anything but the battle the Giants faced against the Oakland Athletics. San Francisco jumped out to a 7-0 lead by the fourth inning, all off of Mets rookie Tylor Megill and all of them earned runs. They would add another run in the eighth to win (8-0).

Brandon Belt hit two of San Francisco's four home runs to push his career-best total to 19. Belt ended a 2-for-30 skid with two homers and a single in his first three plate appearances and added an RBI infield single in the eighth for his season-high fourth hit. The 33-year-old had never topped 18 homers in the big leagues.

Rookie Sammy Long pitched into the sixth inning, and the Giants trounced the slumping New York Mets 8-0 Tuesday night. Long (2-1) tossed a three-hitter over 5 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old hadn't pitched above low-Class A before this season, but the left-hander with a big-breaking curveball was sharp in his sixth big league start, striking out four and walking one.

LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski also connected in the first four innings. The Giants jumped to a 7-0 advantage against Megill (1-3).

Game 2 was a bit closer. It was a surprisingly messy performance from the Giants. They committed two errors. One by Kris Bryant, who sailed a throw from third base nearly into right field. While outfielders Austin Slater and Alex Dickerson bumped into each other and dropped a fly-ball. The error was directed toward Dickerson. Also, Belt dropped a foul ball. Giants manager Gabe Kapler commented:

"Tonight, it wasn't good enough. I think everybody knows that," San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler said. "That said, it's a win on the road against a really hungry team."

However, San Francisco induced five double plays. A timely hit from Brandon Crawford saved the major league-leading Giants. Crawford's two-run double in the seventh, which turned into the winning runs. Bryant homered in the fourth for their first run.

The Giants had to dodge a bullet in the ninth as the Mets loaded the bases with two outs. Still, Jake McGee got Pete Alonso to pop out to second to end the threat and earn his 29th save on the season after Tyler Rodgers earned his 24th hold.

Johnny Cueto got the start after being activated from the injured list for the first time since August 9 due to a right flexor strain. He gave up five hits and three walks with an unearned run while striking out two.

Game 3 became a sweep for the Giants. Bryant launched a two-run homer, and Darin Ruf broke the eighth-inning tie with an RBI single to right field. Bryant's home run was his 24th on the season and his sixth with San Francisco. He now has hit four of those six against the Mets beginning on August 16.

Ruf's RBI came when Yastrzemski singled against pitcher Seth Lugo to start the eight, and the pitch hit catcher Curt Casali. Ruf then hit his single through the right side of the infield to give the Giants the winning run (3-2). Rodgers would earn his 12th save. Bryant would comment on his new team.

"I can honestly say I've never really been on a team where we had a bullpen like this," Bryant said. "There's zero selfishness here."

San Francisco traveled to Atlanta and August 27 and would lose, ending their five-game winning streak. It was a disappointing defeat as the Giants had a two-run lead late in the game.

Buster Posey put the Giants on top in the first with a two-run homer scoring Slater. In the second, pitcher Kevin Gausman grounded into a fielder's choice to score Yastrzemski on a throwing error by Braves' catcher Travis d'Arnaud. Tommy La Stella would double and score Thairo Estrada on the play in the fourth, putting the Giants up by two runs (4-2).

The lead was lost in the seventh as Zach Littell gave up a three-run home run to Atlanta Braves right fielder Jorge Solar. The homer came after Ozzie Albies doubled in Joc Pederson.

The Giants almost made a comeback in the ninth. Wilmer Flores hit a home run. With two-outs, La Stella hit a deep drive to right field, where Pederson made the catch by first overrunning the ball but reaching back and making a jump into the wall to snare the ball in the heel of his glove. He was able to hold on as he crashed to the ground.

Game 2 against Atlanta was more successful as the Giants won 5-0 as Logan Webb pitched another gem. He threw seven strong innings to win his seventh consecutive decision. Webb has eight victories and only three defeats this season and has 13 straight starts in which he has not allowed more than two runs.

Braves manager Brian Snitker was impressed with Webb. He stated:

"That's a real sinker," Snitker said. "He’s got a good slider, change. He can elevate his fastball. He’s good. ... I’m very impressed with that guy.”

La Stella hit a homer in the first and added his second RBI when he hit a sacrifice fly to right in the third to score Webb, who earlier doubled to left field. Yastrzemski added a home run to center field in the seventh. Ruf singled to left to plate Posey in the eighth while Yastrzemski got his second RBI when he doubled to left to score Flores, putting the Giants up 5-0.

It was a crucial bounce-back game for San Francisco after heartbreakingly losing game one.

 Game 3 was an ugly contest against the Braves. Anthony DeSclafani gave up three runs all earned and two home runs in the fourth. DeSclafani came off the injured list after an ankle pain sidelined him since August 18. He retired the first six batters, but Jorge Soler hit a home run to lead off the fourth, and Austin Riley hit his 28th homer with Freddie Freeman at first base.

The Braves would continue to add precisely two runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth inning. All six runs were charged to Long. The Giants couldn’t plate anyone, which was the first time since over a month ago when San Francisco lost to the Dodgers 8-0 on July 28 at home. It was also the last time they lost by more than five runs.

Even though the Giants lost the series to Atlanta, it was the first series loss since San Francisco faced St. Louis on July 18. The Giants also didn’t lose any ground to the Dodgers in the standings as they still maintain a 2.5 game lead.

Transactions:

Per ESPN 

August 30, 2021

Claimed LHP Jose Quintana off waivers from Los Angeles Angels.

August 29, 2021

Reinstated 1B Brandon Belt from the bereavement list. Reinstated RHP Anthony DeSclafani from the 10-day IL. Optioned SS Thairo Estrada to Sacramento (Triple-A West). Designated RHP Tyler Chatwood for assignment. Signed 1B Wyatt Mathisen to a minor league contract.

August 27, 2021

Reinstated RHP Kevin Gausman from the 10-day IL. Optioned C Chadwick Tromp to Sacramento.

August 26, 2021

Placed INF Brandon Belt on the bereavement list. Placed INF Donovan Solano on the 10-day IL. Recalled C Chadwick Tromp and INF Thairo Estrada from Sacramento (Triple-A West).

August 25, 2021

Reinstated RHP Johnny Cueto from the 10-day IL.

August 24, 2021

Placed RHP Kevin Gausman on the 10-day IL. Reinstated INF Evan Longoria from the 10-day IL.

Mike is an avid San Francisco Giants fan since the late 1970’s. His first game he saw live Jack Clark hit a home run. He has seen the Giants lose 100 games and also win three World Series rings. Great/Unfortunate memories have been watching Joe Morgan hit a homer to knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs, seeing the Giants win 104 games and still not make the playoffs, and lose a 5-0 lead to the Angels in the seventh inning in Game 6, but see Barry Bonds hit his 73rd and become the greatest hitter of all-time.

Follow me @RFLRedZone.

SF Giants Starting Pitching a Problem? Week In Review...

It has been a roller-coaster of a week for the Giants. The offense is getting plenty of pop, but the starting pitching is faltering. One reason is that the schedule hasn't been too kind to them. First facing the New York Mets, who are faltering but still a .500 ball club. Then the Oakland Athletics (70-55) and have the seventh-best record in baseball.

The first game against the Mets was an exciting scoring affair as the Giants won 7-5, and Jake McGee earned his 26th save. Kris Bryant hit two home runs, and Brandon Crawford went four-for-four at the plate. Brandon Belt also got in the mix and hit a homer and was part of the back-to-back jacks with Bryant. Gausman was shaky, allowing five hits and three runs in earning his 12th victory.

According to manager Gabe Kapler:

"This was the best we've seen him in quite some time," Kapler said. "The fastball had a ton of life on it, and the velocity was up. The split was much better. His mechanics were good."

The second game against New York was more of a pitching duel which the Giants won 3-2 as Logan Webb got the victory pitching 7.1 innings and striking out eight. At the same time, Dominic Leone earned his first save. When he launched his second home run of the season, Tommy La Stella put the Giants up 2-0, and Evan Longoria also got his 10th homer in the seventh to put San Francisco up for good.

As for Webb, he continues his dominance over the last three months. He has struck out 65 hitters, including the eight against the Mets. Webb did respond after giving up the two-run homer to Pete Alonso in the eighth inning.

Pete Alonso

"I was just more mad with the pitch I threw. I knew we were going to close that out with the guys in our 'pen," Webb said. "So there was no worrying. I was super excited with how it went, just a little frustrated how it ended."

Gabe Kapler had nothing but good words about Webb.

"I don't think there's any denying that he's been among the league's best starters — not just ours, but the league's best starters — over the last couple months since he came off the IL," Kapler said. "He's gotten better and better and today was his most efficient outing to date. Efficiency is the thing that kind of gives you the hope that he can keep doing this."

Bryant was held out of the lineup due to tightness in his hamstring he felt during batting practice. He would be in the lineup against the Mets in the final game of the series.

The third game against the Mets was a hard pill to swallow. San Francisco took the lead in the third when LaMonte Wade doubled in Alex Dickerson. It was the only run in the game until New York tied in the ninth when Alonso was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and would later score by J.D. Davis' sacrifice fly to right field.

After both teams scored in the 11th, newly acquired Tyler Chatwood would allow three earned runs in the 12th, and the Giants would lose 6-2. The Giants had to use up nine pitchers as Anthony DeSclafani left after an inning and a third. It would not get better as the Giants traveled to take on the Athletics on August 20 in a three-game series.

In the first game, Athletics pitcher James Kaprielian kept the Giants at bay by allowing a run in five innings pitched. The run came via a homer by Mike Yastrzemski, who snapped a 3-for-26 slump with his 19th home run on the season. Alex Wood earned the loss after being unbeaten in 11 starts. He is now 10-4 after allowing two runs in five innings.

The second game against the two Bay Area clubs looked as though the Giants would earn their third straight defeat. Gausman struggled once again as he allowed two earned runs in 3.2 innings and five total runs. In seven starts since the break, Gausman has made it through six innings once.

San Francisco was down 5-2 going into the seventh inning. Their only runs were a Bryant homer that scored Darin Ruf. The Giants would pull closer in the seventh when both Belt and Ruf hit back-to-back home runs off of Andrew Chafin, pulling the Giants within one run.

It was in the ninth when the sparks began to fly. After Buster Posey struck out, Belt walked. Wade was sent in to bat for Ruf, blasted a homer to right field just by the foul pole, and put San Francisco in the winner seat 6-5. Wade now has 16 homers on the season. Kapler commented on the big moment for Wade.

 "One of the reasons I like LaMonte coming up in a big moment like that in a big pinch-hit spot, cold off the bench, is because of the way he leads off a game," Kapler said. "He leads off the game ready from pitch one. We know he's dangerous enough where can put the ball in the seats like he did."

The rubber match against Oakland became a pitching duel between Webb and Frankie Montas. In the Sixth, the A's took the lead by scoring the first run as Mark Canha singled to the right, driving in Tony Kemp, who previously doubled. However, the Giants would take the lead in the eighth. After Wilmer Flores and Ruf both grounded out, Austin Slater walked, bringing up pinch-hitter Donovan Solano. On the first pitch (sinker), Solano jacked a two-run homer to left field.

Kapler commented on the big moment for Solano.

"The power stroke hasn't shown up quite as much this year, but we know it's still in there, so certainly doesn't surprise any of us in the dugout that Donovan was able to jump on that pitch," manager Kapler said.

McGee earned his 28th save. The Giants have won eight consecutive series and haven't lost since their home set against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the end of July.

Transactions:

Per ESPN

August 22, 2021: Placed INF Evan Longoria on the 10-day IL. Returned RHP Reyes Moronta from rehab assignment and optioned to Sacramento (Triple-A East). Recalled LHP Sammy Long and RHP Jay Jackson from Sacramento. Placed RHP Anthony DeSclaflani on the 10-day IL, retroactive to August 19.

August 17, 2021: Selected the contract of RHP Tyler Chatwood from Sacramento (Triple-A West) and agreed to terms on a major league contract. Optioned RHP Jay Jackson to Sacramento. Placed RHP Tyler Beede on the 60-day IL.

HOT San Francisco Giants vs. MIAMI MARLINS - Series Preview 4/16/21

It's time for another series preview and this time the San Francisco Giants are headed east to take on the Miami Marlins. The Giants have been incredible so far in 2021, having won 3 out of the first 4 series including series victories against the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. The Giants are 8-4 this season, a .667 winning percentage. Unfortunately, before diving into the actual series, there is some bad news and that is that Johnny Cueto, who has been brilliant this season, has landed on the 10 Day Injured List with a lat strain. The Giants recalled right hander Camilo Doval and also put Lamonte Wade Jr on the IL with a left oblique strain and called up Steven Duggar. Alex Wood should be coming off the injured list for Sunday's game, so more roster moves are going to be happening.

Friday’s Lineups

Tonight's ballgame will feature Anthony DeSclafani, who has simply been dealing. He is 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA on the young 2021 season and will be taking on the team he made his debut with, the Miami Marlins, who are 5-7 this year but 1-5 at home. He'll be facing a lineup which has one name that has had success against him and that's Corey Dickerson, who is 4 for 13 with 2 home runs off Desclafani, and the only other hitter with significant experience is Starling Marte, who is 3 for 23 without an extra base hit.

Regardless of past experience, DeSclafani seems to be rolling right now and should be able to handle this lineup quite well. For the Marlins, it will be the lefty, Daniel Castano, who had a 3.03 ERA in 2020, starting 6 games out the 7 games he appeared in.

He was 19th round pick out of Baylor and will be making his 2021 debut. This is a 6'3" lefty with a fastball in the mid 90's and good stuff but making his debut, might be some butterflies and that's what the Giants will hope for; this guy generally has good control so don't expect a bunch of walks but he can be hittable and I'm looking for

the Giants to jump all over him, but when he's on, he can shut down a team as well. The Giants have no experience against him but I'm confident this team can string together some good hits and get on the board early. I got Desclafni continuing to roll and the Giants taking this one tonight; in other words, the edge for Game 1 definitely goes to the Giants.

Game 1 Edge: Giants

Probables for Saturday as of now look like Aaron Sanchez and the very good Sandy Alcantara. Sanchez has been very solid this year although he hasn't gotten a win yet. He gave up 2 runs in 5 against the Reds and has a 2.7 ERA so far this year. Only Corey Dickerson has double digit at bats against Sanchez and is 2 for 11 with 4 strikeouts. Sandy Alcantara has only started against the Giants a couple times so not a ton of experience against him either for San Francisco, but he really pitched well and generally seems to dominate the Giants, although Brandon

Belt is 3 for 5 with two doubles and should definitely be in the lineup against the right-hander. Both pitchers are 0-1 on the season and both seem deserving and ready to go out and get a win. Alcantara has thrown nothing but quality outings all season, however, and due to his success against the Giants in the past and the fact that I can see the Giants scoring a ton of runs tonight and maybe flatlining a little tomorrow, I am going to give the Marlins slight edge for this matchup.

Game 2 Edge: Marlins

The final game of the series should - as of now and this could change - feature Alex Wood making his San Francisco Giants debut. He has been looking good at the alternate camp throwing rehab games and gave up just 1 run in 3 Spring Training innings with 2 strikeouts. Unfortunately, we just haven't seen enough to really know what to expect on Sunday but this is a guy with 8 years of big league experience, a former All Star who knows how to pitch.

I expect he'll be able to handle this lineup pretty well and he has had success against some of these players like Starling Marte, who is 4 for 22 with zero home runs. Corey Dickerson is some one the Giants need to really be careful about all series long because he's also his Wood well, going 3 for 7 with a double.

The Marlins will go with Pablo Lopez, who has give up 3 home runs in his last 10 2/3rd innings. He pitched well against the Giants in 2019, giving up 1 run in 6+ innings, but hasn't faced them since. He was a bright spot for Miami last year but hasn't gotten off to the best start this year. The Giants need to not let this be his confidence-building start.

In reality, this game is the toughest to predict with Alex Wood, some one who hasn't really pitched great in a few years coming off the IL and making his debut this year and a young 25-year old very talented pitcher who has struggled with the long ball facing a team that has been crushing a lot of home runs this year. I can see it being a bullpen game and both teams have some solid relivers, but both bullpens - including the Giants as proven on Opening Day - can give up some runs.

I'm going to say Alex Wood has a nice debut for the Giants but Lopez also pitches well and this game ends up being decided late in the game where the Giants bullpen holds a small lead and the Giants take it. I'll give the Giants the series and the edge in Game 3.

Game 3 Edge: Giants

SF Giants Sign Curt Casali - Target Tomoyuku Sugano!

The San Francisco Giants have signed backup catcher Curt Casali who played for the Cincinnati Reds from 2018-2020 and has 37 career home runs in 831 at bats. He also accumulated 95 career walks and is an ideal backup catcher - he gets on base, provides some pop and is solid behind the plate. Casali will be the leading candidate to backup Buster Posey during the 2021 Season.

The Giants do have an array of excellent catchers including recent draft picks Joey Bart and Patrick Bailey. Bailey still has a lot of development to go through while Bart is likely to start the season in Triple A after an underwhelming rookie campaign in 2020. This leaves Posey, Casali and Chadwick Tromp, who was recently re-signed. Tromp, like Bart, has minor league options available and, therefore, is likely to begin the year in the minors as well.

This is an excellent signing by the Giants and Casali looks like a prime candidate to continue the Giants string of great backup catchers to Posey such as Nick Hundley and Stephen Vogt. Of course, Posey opted out of the 2020 season.

Meanwhile, the Giants are one of three teams that have shown interest in Japanese ace Tomoyuki Sugano, who had an outstanding 2020 going 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA and 131 strikeouts in just over 134 innings. He’s still only 31 years and and would be a huge asset to a team like the Giants who lack consistently effective starters in their rotation. The other two teams are the Blue Jays and Mets, although recent reports indicate that the Mets may be stepping out of the race.

The 5 Changes the SF Giants Must Make to Make a Playoff Push in 2020

You play the cards you’re dealt. If this was a typical 162-game season with a normal playoff bracket, I wouldn’t even dream of this San Francisco Giants team making the playoffs. It just wasn’t going to be a likely scenario. However, in a 60-game season with expanded playoffs, all of the sudden, every team can dream of October baseball. That includes the Orange & Black. However, after losing 5 of 6 games, the Giants need to make some definite changes if they are to make any kind of a push towards playoff baseball in 2020. Here are the five key changes that need to be made for the Giants to get into a playoff series in 2020.

#1 Joey Bart

Joey Bart needs to be promoted soon. Although Chadwick Tromp is 7 for 22 with 2 home runs which is actually close to what we'd expect from Bart, he's not playing every day and does not have the power or defensive abilities of Bart. In addition to Tromp, the Giants rotate in Tyler Heineman, who started out the season fairly hot but now is hitting .222 with no homers.

For sustained excellence, power, better defense and just to get our future starting catcher some big league reps while there's no minor league games, the Giants need Joey Bart in the lineup. Tromp has been great and maybe a perfect backup for Bart.

San Francisco Giants top prospect Joey Bart

#2 Clean Up The Defense

I'm not going to ever recommend benching a guy like Soloano, who's hitting damn near .500 and leads the league in batting average and sits near the top in RBI, but his defense has been questionable at best. The Giants may want to consider DHing him more often.

Other than that, the Giants simply need to keep their heads in the game and make the routine plays. The errors have been costly and allowing free runs is not a formula to get into playoff baseball, especially for a team that’s already not expected to make much noise this season.

#3 The Rotation

The Rotation has been, as expected, very unstable. Jeff Samardzija has practically been throwing batting practice and in 3 starts he has a 9.88 ERA. He was just placed on the injured list, however, and will likely not be seen again this year. Shaun Anderson is some one with experience starting and, although I like him in the bullpen, I would like to see the Giants try Anderson again in the rotation. With 9 K's in 6 innings this year, he has looked decent. Anderson is just one option. At the end of the day, the Giants brass need to figure something out in order to bring more stability to this rotation.

#4 Tough Decisions Must Be Made

Hunter Pence is 1 for 29 with zero extra base hits and zero RBI. If he's not going to produce at all, I don't see how he can stay on this team. The Giants demoted Jaylin Davis and Steven Duggar, two young players who both have more to offer and could use the developement. Joey Rickard, who hit .280 for the Giants last season in 50 at bats, is in camp. Even highly touted prospect Heliot Ramos is eager to get his big league career going. Pence obviously has a longer leash than your average player would but 1 for 29 is not gonna cut it, and that goes for any other veterans who are not contributing. Tough decisions will have to be made.

#5 Gabe Kapler & The Bullpen

The bullpen has been somewhat of a bright spot this year. I'm impressed with the performances of Connor Menez, Caleb Bareger and Wandy Peralta. Trevor Got has stepped up as the closer. Tyler Rogers, besides one terrible inning where he was probably kept in too long, has been fantastic.

However, inconsistency has started to creep in and the bullpen hasn't been as sharp. Some of this can be contributed to the manager. Throwing in a guy like Andrew Triggs in a high leverage situation to make his 2020 debut did not go well. It feels like whenever the bullpen implodes, a questionable decision was made. It happened with Dany Jimenez, who has since been DFA’d, on Opening Day when he was asked to make his big league debut on Opening Day in a close game ad Dodger Stadium against the strongest lineup in baseball.

However, all in all, the bullpen has been good enough - and hopefully there's some arms still in Sacramento that can step up when The Giants need them. Dereck Rodriguez, Jarlin Garcia, and Melvin Adon are names that come to mind. I like this bullpen and if used efficiently and properly, I think it could be a huge strength for the San Francisco Giants. But this can only be possible if management uses the bullpen correctly.