Game Thread: 4/17/18 Cueto @ Snakes

[LHG]

He has a 0.45 ERA and 1 win

Spincter failure. Keep him away from the Dodgers.

 

[1phlapdown]

Uh, Bumgarner?

My use of the word gut punch is in reference to those god awful games where we have the lead in the 9th and then all hell breaks loose.

I wonder how many pieces his 5th metacarpal was broken into?

 

[calsnowskier]

It isn’t time for the big changes (Duggar, Mac...), but it certainly FEELS like the time.

And this team does seem cursed. Longo finally breaks out of with a bunch of hits (many of them of the extra-base variety) and he imediately suffers a freak ankle twist.

Wtf?

 

[SFGRTB]

It isn’t time for the big changes (Duggar, Mac...), but it certainly FEELS like the time.

And this team does seem cursed. Longo finally breaks out of with a bunch of hits (many of them of the extra-base variety) and he imediately suffers a freak ankle twist.

Wtf?

That probably a fair way to put it. It feels like Mac should have been up yesterday, but it's a real tricky situation. This was the hill the Giants were going to die on, though, when they made their offseason moves.

 

[LHG]

It isn’t time for the big changes (Duggar, Mac...), but it certainly FEELS like the time.

And this team does seem cursed. Longo finally breaks out of with a bunch of hits (many of them of the extra-base variety) and he imediately suffers a freak ankle twist.

Wtf?

It feels like we are getting close to that time though. We've seen a half's month worth of games and the offensive production from the outfield is abysmal. It seems that the only hits McCutchen has gotten all month are two walk offs (okay, so he has 10 other hits). Pence seems close to retirement. Jackson is not too far behind him in terms of OPS.

Williamson, Slater and Shaw all look good at AAA. Yes, that doesn't mean much. Guys rake at that level and look downright Pence 18 like after promotion. But if the entire outfield continues on this course, something needs to changed in May. Of course, the team may be so bad that the FO does what they did last year - play the veterans for the trade deadline. This year, if the team continues to stink, I really hope that they get serious about selling off the pieces. Some contender will take McCutchen, regardless of his numbers, and even getting a C grade prospect would be better than just keeping him for the entire season and then letting him walk. Jackson is cheap enough to ship out somewhere. The harder trades would be all the long term contract guys. Pence would be pretty untradeable too, unless he is red hot, and then the Giants wouldn't ship him out like that.

 

[calsnowskier]

That probably a fair way to put it. It feels like Mac should have been up yesterday, but it's a real tricky situation. This was the hill the Giants were going to die on, though, when they made their offseason moves.

To be contrarian...

Is Pence really a part of that “hill”? He is most certainly retiring after this season and very few expected him to remain the starter all year. Most, I think, expected McParker or Shaw to take over LF. Even Slater and Duggar were possibilities for the job as well.

 

[LHG]

THERE WE GO. BELT SAVES US

Two things about that hit:

1. Belt finally figured out the shift

2. I wonder if that hit is a no-no in Brian Dozier's unwritten rule book.

 

[SFGRTB]

Two things about that hit:

1. Belt finally figured out the shift

2. I wonder if that hit is a no-no in Brian Dozier's unwritten rule book.

I was wondering about this. Odds that Belt gets targeted sometime in this series?

 

[LHG]

I was wondering about this. Odds that Belt gets targeted sometime in this series?

I was being a bit tongue in cheek on that point (well, both actually). I didn't think that was a purposeful swinging bunt. Looked like he tried to hold up but got a piece of the pitch. It would be pretty lame if they target him. Besides, any batter is looking to be the guy to break up a no hitter.

 

[calsnowskier]

Two things about that hit:

1. Belt finally figured out the shift

2. I wonder if that hit is a no-no in Brian Dozier's unwritten rule book.

The Snakes are partially to blame for that attitude. Remember Schilling’s no-no attempt back in ‘01(?)? 9th inning and the hitter drops a bunt to get baserunners. That is what they need. I love ya, Brenley, but STFU.

 

[SFGRTB]

I was being a bit tongue in cheek on that point (well, both actually). I didn't think that was a purposeful swinging bunt. Looked like he tried to hold up but got a piece of the pitch. It would be pretty lame if they target him. Besides, any batter is looking to be the guy to break up a no hitter.

Oh I know, but baseball players are very sensitive. Ya never know

 

[LHG]

The Snakes are partially to blame for that attitude. Remember Schilling’s no-no attempt back in ‘01(?)? 9th inning and the hitter drops a bunt to get baserunners. That is what they need. I love ya, Brenley, but STFU.

I was trying to remember which no-hitter got broken up by a bunt, which sent the other team into a unwritten rule violated frenzy.
Some of the more well known unwritten rules make a little sense but others are just ridiculous. If a player or team is really driven to win, they are going to do anything in their power to do so. Just keep it within the written rules.

 

[calsnowskier]

I was trying to remember which no-hitter got broken up by a bunt, which sent the other team into a unwritten rule violated frenzy.
Some of the more well known unwritten rules make a little sense but others are just ridiculous. If a player or team is really driven to win, they are going to do anything in their power to do so. Just keep it within the written rules.

The only “unwritten rules” that I agree with is Tom not show up your opponent. But that comes from common decency more than some baseball tradition. But even a lot of the “showing up” examples are just examples of winey losers rather than actual asshole play. Bautista’s bat toss in the playoffs a few years back was a HUGE moment. Was he not supposed to be excited?

If a batter wants to bunt for a base hit, more power to him. He is there to build HIS numbers and to help HIS team win. He isn’t there to make the pitcher look good.

If the winning team wants to steal a base, more power to them. The losing team is (should be) doing everything they can to win. Why can’t the winning team do everything they can do to prevent that? If the losing team doesn’t forfeit, the game I should still on.

Of course, hitting the batter with a pitched ball helps keep some of the asshole behavior at bay. One of the 10,000 reasons I HATE the DH. The pitcher never has to face the music for HIS assholeness.

 

[tzill]

Well fuck, TZ liked it anyway.

I admit. I did.