Game Thread: 10/5 NLWC Giants @ Mets

[calsnowskier]

I had to watch the game on DVR delay. I started it at 8:30, so Gonor was just about having his heroics when I watched the first pitch.

Holy shit. I mean, seriously. Holy shit.

 

[calsnowskier]

I am surprised no one has mentioned this yet...

The Giants scored in the 9th inning to take the lead. First time all season. In the first playoff game.

Is this really happening? Again?

Holy shit.

 

[calsnowskier]

I am glad that now we don't need to find a new nic for Gonor. He just decided to make it mean something different.

Well done, kid.

 

[calsnowskier]

So assuming Nunez is added to the roster for the Cubs, where does he play?

3B? And replace Cody Ishikawa? 2B? Panik's 9th inning AB and solid D still make him a positive player. LF? Pagan had a rough night, but Nunez hasn't played the OF for the Giants yet.

 

[tzill]

So assuming Nunez is added to the roster for the Cubs, where does he play?

3B? And replace Cody Ishikawa? 2B? Panik's 9th inning AB and solid D still make him a positive player. LF? Pagan had a rough night, but Nunez hasn't played the OF for the Giants yet.

I'd think he'll be brought back gingerly as a reserve IF/PH in Chicago. He'll be the starting 3b on Monday at AT&T.

Wonder who gets left off to open the space? We also need a space for Moore. IMO, two of the three in parentheses
will not make the NLDS roster:

C
Trevor Brown
Buster Posey

INF
(Ehire Adrianza)
Brandon Belt
Brandon Crawford
Conor Gillespie
Eduardo Nunez
Joe Panik
Kelby Tomlinson

OF
(Gregor Blanco)
Gorkys Hernandez
Angel Pagan
Jarrett Parker
Hunter Pence
Denard Span

SP
Madison K. Bumgarner
Johnny Cueto
Jeff Samardzija
Matt Moore

RP
Santiago Casilla
(George Kontos)
Derek Law
Javier Lopez
Steven Okert
Sergio Romo
Will Smith
Hunter Strickland

 

[VASFfan]

I'd think he'll be brought back gingerly as a reserve IF/PH in Chicago. He'll be the starting 3b on Monday at AT&T.

Wonder who gets left off to open the space? We also need a space for Moore. IMO, two of the three in parentheses
will not make the NLDS roster:

C
Trevor Brown
Buster Posey

INF
(Ehire Adrianza)
Brandon Belt
Brandon Crawford
Conor Gillespie
Eduardo Nunez
Joe Panik
Kelby Tomlinson

OF
(Gregor Blanco)
Gorkys Hernandez
Angel Pagan
Jarrett Parker
Hunter Pence
Denard Span

SP
Madison K. Bumgarner
Johnny Cueto
Jeff Samardzija
Matt Moore

RP
Santiago Casilla
(George Kontos)
Derek Law
Javier Lopez
Steven Okert
Sergio Romo
Will Smith
Hunter Strickland

While I agree that they won't carry 6 OF's, I'd be amazed if Blanco were the guy who gets dumped. After having served so faithfully for so long, it just doesn't seem like a Bochy or Sabes move to push him to the side. I would think Parker or maybe Hernandez would be a more likely candidate. But if after the dismal year he's had Blanco IS supplanted by the other guys, then that would be some kind of indicator of how far he's fallen in the eyes of the Giants. I think everyone here believes he's not back next year, but I still sorta think he will be. If he doesn't make the playoff roster, though, then that I think will prove me wrong.

Can't see Kontos being off the roster, so that makes Adrianza the next guy out.

 

[calsnowskier]

While I agree that they won't carry 6 OF's, I'd be amazed if Blanco were the guy who gets dumped. After having served so faithfully for so long, it just doesn't seem like a Bochy or Sabes move to push him to the side. I would think Parker or maybe Hernandez would be a more likely candidate. But if after the dismal year he's had Blanco IS supplanted by the other guys, then that would be some kind of indicator of how far he's fallen in the eyes of the Giants. I think everyone here believes he's not back next year, but I still sorta think he will be. If he doesn't make the playoff roster, though, then that I think will prove me wrong.

Can't see Kontos being off the roster, so that makes Adrianza the next guy out.

No way in hell Hernandez doesn't make the team. Dude has nothing short of nailz. He is better than Blanco at every facet of the game. Blanco was a great Giant, but everything comes to an end eventually.

As for Boch showing loyalty in the playoffs, where is Cain? Where is PV? Boch shows loyalty in the regular season to a fault. But in the playoffs, dude is downright cutthroat.

 

[VASFfan]

This is a confessional, one that I felt like I needed to make in a public forum such as this, full of other Giants fans. I've been a loyal Giants fan for 50 years now. Maybe after all the many years of often watching mediocre (or much worse) Giants baseball, I've gotten drunk and full of myself with all of the glory they've brought to us in the past few years. In any event, I was so disgusted by their generally rotten play in the 2nd half, I one night in frustration declared to my spousal unit that I hoped the Giants did NOT make the playoffs because they didn't deserve it, that they would only embarrass themselves and us Giants fans.

Sigh. And then that last week, esp. against the hated Dodgers, they turned it around and I was excited once again. And then last night...jeez. MadBum does it again. And Conor Gillaspie?!?! Hope is restored, all is right with the world again. I guess some might call me a hypocrite, having scorned the Giants and now reveling in their success, and maybe I am. I am certainly a bit chagrined with myself. But in the end, I AM a fan and I DO love the Giants. It's playoff time, and may they yet provide us all more thrills and bring more glory to themselves.

 

[VASFfan]

No way in hell Hernandez doesn't make the team. Dude has nothing short of nailz. He is better than Blanco at every facet of the game. Blanco was a great Giant, but everything comes to an end eventually.

As for Boch showing loyalty in the playoffs, where is Cain? Where is PV? Boch shows loyalty in the regular season to a fault. But in the playoffs, dude is downright cutthroat.

There's loyalty, and then there's stupidity. After the year(s) Cain has had, there's NO way that Bochy could put him on the roster. Who could he possibly drop instead??? So as far as Cain is concerned, I don't see it as a loyalty issue at all but mere practicality. If Cain had pitched halfway decently, I'd be willing to bet that Bochy would rationalize in his mind some way to justify having Cain on the roster.

As for Blanco...I don't dispute what you say, he HAS declined and precipitously so. I'm not sure that both Hernandez AND Parker merit a spot ahead of him but we'll see. I'll just be curious to see what the roster decision turns out to be. If sentiment and PAST performance counts for much, I'll be surprised if Blanco gets left off.

 

[calsnowskier]

This is a confessional, one that I felt like I needed to make in a public forum such as this, full of other Giants fans. I've been a loyal Giants fan for 50 years now. Maybe after all the many years of often watching mediocre (or much worse) Giants baseball, I've gotten drunk and full of myself with all of the glory they've brought to us in the past few years. In any event, I was so disgusted by their generally rotten play in the 2nd half, I one night in frustration declared to my spousal unit that I hoped the Giants did NOT make the playoffs because they didn't deserve it, that they would only embarrass themselves and us Giants fans.

Sigh. And then that last week, esp. against the hated Dodgers, they turned it around and I was excited once again. And then last night...jeez. MadBum does it again. And Conor Gillaspie?!?! Hope is restored, all is right with the world again. I guess some might call me a hypocrite, having scorned the Giants and now reveling in their success, and maybe I am. I am certainly a bit chagrined with myself. But in the end, I AM a fan and I DO love the Giants. It's playoff time, and may they yet provide us all more thrills and bring more glory to themselves.

I declared my "desire" for them not to make the playoffs publicly, in this forum. And the way they were playing, I stand behind that comment. But the way the have turned it around in the last 2 weeks is nothing short of amazing.

 

[LHG]

I declared my "desire" for them not to make the playoffs publicly, in this forum. And the way they were playing, I stand behind that comment. But the way the have turned it around in the last 2 weeks is nothing short of amazing.

There are have a few of us that had made that statement on this board or certainly thought it would happen. This roller coaster of a season has certainly made us puke verbally on the team.
Don't beat yourself up VASFfan, there's probably thousands of us fans who were ranting against the team in August and much of September. Doesn't make us any less fans of the team. Just don't go Tito on us.

 

[LHG]

I am surprised no one has mentioned this yet...

The Giants scored in the 9th inning to take the lead. First time all season. In the first playoff game.

Is this really happening? Again?

Holy shit.

I thought that but then thought "surely this team won a game in the 9th before. I must be wrong for thinking this is the first time all year!" Thanks for helping me know that I am not (completely) crazy.

I loved last night and look forward to the NLDS!

 

[LHG]

I'd think he'll be brought back gingerly as a reserve IF/PH in Chicago. He'll be the starting 3b on Monday at AT&T.

Wonder who gets left off to open the space? We also need a space for Moore. IMO, two of the three in parentheses
will not make the NLDS roster:

C
Trevor Brown
Buster Posey

INF
(Ehire Adrianza)
Brandon Belt
Brandon Crawford
Conor Gillespie
Eduardo Nunez
Joe Panik
Kelby Tomlinson

OF
(Gregor Blanco)
Gorkys Hernandez
Angel Pagan
Jarrett Parker
Hunter Pence
Denard Span

SP
Madison K. Bumgarner
Johnny Cueto
Jeff Samardzija
Matt Moore

RP
Santiago Casilla
(George Kontos)
Derek Law
Javier Lopez
Steven Okert
Sergio Romo
Will Smith
Hunter Strickland

I think that Tomlinson may be almost as endangered a roster spot as Adrianza, but considering Tomlinson got a bit more playing time down the stretch, he is more likely to get the spot over Adrianza.
As for Blanco, I would think that Parker loses a spot before Blanco. Parker has some pop but the Giants don't always put the guy with pop on the roster. Of course, it is the playoffs and Bochy may feel that pop is more important than speed and see that Blanco and Hernandez are redundant.
Lastly, I would guess that Kontos has a better chance than Okert to make it. Or does Bochy surprise us and bring in Osich and leave one or both of Kontos and Okert off the roster?

 

[VASFfan]

I think that Tomlinson may be almost as endangered a roster spot as Adrianza, but considering Tomlinson got a bit more playing time down the stretch, he is more likely to get the spot over Adrianza.
As for Blanco, I would think that Parker loses a spot before Blanco. Parker has some pop but the Giants don't always put the guy with pop on the roster. Of course, it is the playoffs and Bochy may feel that pop is more important than speed and see that Blanco and Hernandez are redundant.
Lastly, I would guess that Kontos has a better chance than Okert to make it. Or does Bochy surprise us and bring in Osich and leave one or both of Kontos and Okert off the roster?

Yeah, I can't see leaving Kontos off. (And frankly, I don't get the venom some have for Kontos but to each his or her own.) Osich or Okert? Pick your poison, I guess. Okert pitched well down the stretch but it seemed distinctly nonnormative for me, so I can't say that I trust it...but maybe he got some tip or something and has turned it around? And Osich, wasn't he a surefire addition to our pen at some point and now he can't seem to do anything right? Truth be told, I'm not sure I'm particularly confident in Lopez either but then Boch won't throw him overboard.

 

[SFGRTB]

I am surprised no one has mentioned this yet...

The Giants scored in the 9th inning to take the lead. First time all season. In the first playoff game.

Is this really happening? Again?

Holy shit.

This is actually false. The Giants were 0-62 WHEN TRAILING in the 9th. But they won some games in the 9th when tied. (sorry)

 

[dredinis21]

Interesting little tidbit from Bum, dude just handles stress differently then most.


Madison Bumgarner Had the Weirdest Reaction Ever to Game-Winning Home Run

 

[LHG]

Interesting little tidbit from Bum, dude just handles stress differently then most.


Madison Bumgarner Had the Weirdest Reaction Ever to Game-Winning Home Run

That just seems to be his personality. Watching the press ask him questions last night, he seems pretty no nonsense. And I loved that Twitter post that the author shared in the article.

 

[LHG]

Yeah, I can't see leaving Kontos off. (And frankly, I don't get the venom some have for Kontos but to each his or her own.) Osich or Okert? Pick your poison, I guess. Okert pitched well down the stretch but it seemed distinctly nonnormative for me, so I can't say that I trust it...but maybe he got some tip or something and has turned it around? And Osich, wasn't he a surefire addition to our pen at some point and now he can't seem to do anything right? Truth be told, I'm not sure I'm particularly confident in Lopez either but then Boch won't throw him overboard.

Here's how the lefties compare in the last month of the season:

Okert - 9 appearances, 8 innings, 0.875 WHIP, 1.13 ERA, 8:1 K:BB
Osich - 11 appearances, 6.7 innings, 1.050 WHIP, 6.75 ERA, 1:1 K:BB
Lopez - 12 appearances, 4.3 innings, 1.385 WHIP, 4.15 ERA, 2:1 K:BB
Smith - 13 appearances, 8.7 innings, 0.808 WHIP, 0.00 ERA, 14:5 K:BB

 

[VASFfan]

Here's how the lefties compare in the last month of the season:

Okert - 9 appearances, 8 innings, 0.875 WHIP, 1.13 ERA, 8:1 K:BB
Osich - 11 appearances, 6.7 innings, 1.050 WHIP, 6.75 ERA, 1:1 K:BB
Lopez - 12 appearances, 4.3 innings, 1.385 WHIP, 4.15 ERA, 2:1 K:BB
Smith - 13 appearances, 8.7 innings, 0.808 WHIP, 0.00 ERA, 14:5 K:BB

Interesting. So from a completely dispassionate, empirical, love-what-the-guy-did-for-us-in-the-past-but-this-is-today perspective, you'd have to pick Smith and Okert if the Giants went only with 2 lefties. Wouldn't you? Of course, I guess Bochy could say, well, that's all well and good but Lopez has experience that Okert just doesn't have.

 

[calsnowskier]

This is actually false. The Giants were 0-62 WHEN TRAILING in the 9th. But they won some games in the 9th when tied. (sorry)

I have seen (heard, read) the tidbit about not taking the lead IN THE NINTH) multiple times. I have not looked at all game logs myself to confirm, though.

Are you sure?