Game Thread: 8/17 Bucs @ Horse

[SFGRTB]

I'm not usually one to rag on Giants' management (god knows most of the other sports teams I root for take care of that more than enough), but idk this year there have definitely been some questionable moves. I'm not calling for the firing of Boch and Bobby or anything (in fact I still think they're the second best duo in baseball, behind Maddon/Epstien), but the record for both of these guys this season isn't great.

Start with this game. Cain completely melted down, probably should have been taken out after he walked the (backup) catcher with the bases-loaded. Boch was stubborn, probably wanted to give Cain a chance for a win . The other problem is, he had Peavy and Lopez warming up in the Pen. Bases-loaded, nobody out and you want to give the ball to our 2 worst pitchers in the Pen? We need a high-leverage guy in there. It thankfully worked, Lopez got out of the inning, but after Cain did all the damage himself. But this has been a common occurrence the last couple of seasons for Bochy, leaving starters in too long and honestly not all that great bullpen management. The one batter per pitcher "Bochy special" shortens the Pen and is almost a complete waste, though he's been better with that since June. Also, since acquiring Will Smith, Boch seems extremely adverse to using him (3.2 innings so far). I can't figure out why, but if Boch just doesn't think he's that good, then why did Bobby trade for him in the first place?

This leads to Bobby. It's still not a huge sample size, but it so far seems like him, and his scouts, were wrong on Shark in thinking they could figure him out. He's still reasonably priced and throws innings, so it's not a crippling move. Extremely small sample size with Moore, but I still think that move should be good just because of how cheap he is. Granted, losing Duffy may prove to be very bad. Smith? WTH? Who knows at this point. I'm honestly mostly fine with what Bobby has done because it's still a work in progress, but it's Bochy who I think is having a really bad year. He's still old-school to a fault a lot of times.

And it's still mostly the players fault right now anyway.

Rant over.

 

[SFGRTB]

Romo looked great. So did Strick.

I will give this to Bochy, he had Strickland (arguably the best pitcher in the Pen right now) pitch the 7th when the Pirates had their best hitters up, and Kontos pitch the 8th with the lower half of their order up. Showing flashes.

 

[SFGRTB]

Posey

 

[shrksfn9192]

Doing just enough to lose. PIT escaped with the last two games. Forget about even a .500 homestand.

Up 2 on STL and 3 on PIT.

 

[shrksfn9192]

Posey

Right now, it's just someone screwing up in a key spot when the game is on the line. Pathetic.

 

[shrksfn9192]

I'm not usually one to rag on Giants' management (god knows most of the other sports teams I root for take care of that more than enough), but idk this year there have definitely been some questionable moves. I'm not calling for the firing of Boch and Bobby or anything (in fact I still think they're the second best duo in baseball, behind Maddon/Epstien), but the record for both of these guys this season isn't great.

Start with this game. Cain completely melted down, probably should have been taken out after he walked the (backup) catcher with the bases-loaded. Boch was stubborn, probably wanted to give Cain a chance for a win . The other problem is, he had Peavy and Lopez warming up in the Pen. Bases-loaded, nobody out and you want to give the ball to our 2 worst pitchers in the Pen? We need a high-leverage guy in there. It thankfully worked, Lopez got out of the inning, but after Cain did all the damage himself. But this has been a common occurrence the last couple of seasons for Bochy, leaving starters in too long and honestly not all that great bullpen management. The one batter per pitcher "Bochy special" shortens the Pen and is almost a complete waste, though he's been better with that since June. Also, since acquiring Will Smith, Boch seems extremely adverse to using him (3.2 innings so far). I can't figure out why, but if Boch just doesn't think he's that good, then why did Bobby trade for him in the first place?

This leads to Bobby. It's still not a huge sample size, but it so far seems like him, and his scouts, were wrong on Shark in thinking they could figure him out. He's still reasonably priced and throws innings, so it's not a crippling move. Extremely small sample size with Moore, but I still think that move should be good just because of how cheap he is. Granted, losing Duffy may prove to be very bad. Smith? WTH? Who knows at this point. I'm honestly mostly fine with what Bobby has done because it's still a work in progress, but it's Bochy who I think is having a really bad year. He's still old-school to a fault a lot of times.

And it's still mostly the players fault right now anyway.

Rant over.

Evans was promoted to GM prior to the 2015 season, so the jury is still out on him with his lack of a track record in that position.

 

[Stokes1931]

I left for a meeting feeling pretty good, the Giants were up 4-0. I come back from the meeting to see we lost, again, because Cain couldn't get anyone out in the 5th. Godfather riff--"I give you a lead, and this is how you repay me."

Perhaps Cain has a strained somethingorother and gets DL'ed when Gearrin comes back. In the meantime, Noggin needs a shorter and tighter leash with Cain (and with ALL the pitchers except for Bum and Cueto, but even Cueto needs a shorter leash after his last several starts). This was an atrocious game. We were ahead 4-0. Trying to get Cain the win when he was in complete meltdown is terrible. Even non-baseball fans could see he was losing it/had lost it. Forget getting Cain the win. The TEAM needs a damn win. Screw the egos at this point. Do what needs to be done. This is now playoff baseball, or we will not see the playoffs. This is insanely maddening and disheartening.

"Bleep this bleeping game."- Crash

 

[LHG]

Guys, I'm almost to the point of going all Nolan on this team and writing off 2016 as a lost cause. I know, there's still a month and a half left on the season, and, deep down, I still hope that they pull this out, but this team is making it hard for me to feel positive about this season. I really hope we don't talk about 2016 as the epic collapse and that is it.

 

[LHG]

I was all ready to start a sarcastic, negative game day thread, predicting a 6-5 Giants' loss. Predicting wins hasn't been working as of late.

Why is it that the only time I get a score correctly predicted is when I'm trying some subtle reverse psychology?

 

[Stokes1931]

Why is it that the only time I get a score correctly predicted is when I'm trying some subtle reverse psychology?

Because the double reverse jinx is the toughest one to pull off in all of sports. Ask Colin.

 

[LHG]

Because the double reverse jinx is the toughest one to pull off in all of sports. Ask Colin.

Is that why he retired?

 

[shrksfn9192]

Guys, I'm almost to the point of going all Nolan on this team and writing off 2016 as a lost cause. I know, there's still a month and a half left on the season, and, deep down, I still hope that they pull this out, but this team is making it hard for me to feel positive about this season. I really hope we don't talk about 2016 as the epic collapse and that is it.

They just need to stay close in the division and WC races until the end and not fall out of contention in Sept. It's not going to be a work of art, but I think they can do it. Even with the disappointment if things don't work out, they will still have 3 WS titles in 7 seasons. I don't know who could have expected that about a decade ago.

 

[calsnowskier]

I don't even have the words to talk about what is going on with this team right now.

At the break, the team had a 6.5 game lead over the dogs. The dogs have gone 18-14 and now have a 1-game lead, likely to extend that to a 1.5 game lead.

That means they have made up 7.5 games while playing .563 ball in a little over a month.

The dogs have done what they needed to, granted, but they have NOT taken this division. The Giants gift wrapped it for for them.

Pitiful. Infuriating. Depressing.

 

[Stokes1931]

I don't even have the words to talk about what is going on with this team right now.

At the break, the team had a 6.5 game lead over the dogs. The dogs have gone 18-14 and now have a 1-game lead, likely to extend that to a 1.5 game lead.

That means they have made up 7.5 games while playing .563 ball in a little over a month.

The dogs have done what they needed to, granted, but they have NOT taken this division. The Giants gift wrapped it for for them.

Pitiful. Infuriating. Depressing.

Noggin: "Well, we're just not hitting the ball right now, moving the line. And the pitchers, you know, they're battling, giving it their all. Sometimes their location is not where they want it to be. We'll keep going out every day and playing the same old dismal baseball you all are becoming accustomed to seeing of late. But there's no urgency, really. There are a lot of games to be played. We just need to turn a corner. This is a talented ball club in a Grand Canyon-like rut right now."

We won't do anything different. We will wait too long to remove a struggling pitcher. We won't be patient at the plate. Lord only knows what will happen at 3B from game to game, either being aggressive and getting thrown out by 20 feet, or playing it cautious, when my grandmother could score on her worst day but we'd better hold her because the OF can't throw to 2B on three hops much less all the way home.

And the Dogs go to Philly and pummel the Philth for the 2nd straight day, a team that beat our fannies but good when we were there. And home sweet home? :smh:

But hey, Augusta is playing well!

 

[shrksfn9192]

I don't even have the words to talk about what is going on with this team right now.

At the break, the team had a 6.5 game lead over the dogs. The dogs have gone 18-14 and now have a 1-game lead, likely to extend that to a 1.5 game lead.

That means they have made up 7.5 games while playing .563 ball in a little over a month.

The dogs have done what they needed to, granted, but they have NOT taken this division. The Giants gift wrapped it for for them.

Pitiful. Infuriating. Depressing.

Don't have to win the division. Just get one of the WC spots. Everything looks like crap now, but we don't know how things will look one month from today. Last 5 weeks have been a painful grind, but this is still far from over with 42 games left. Just need to stay in it and start playing good baseball consistently.

 

[msgkings322]

I'm not usually one to rag on Giants' management (god knows most of the other sports teams I root for take care of that more than enough), but idk this year there have definitely been some questionable moves. I'm not calling for the firing of Boch and Bobby or anything (in fact I still think they're the second best duo in baseball, behind Maddon/Epstien), but the record for both of these guys this season isn't great.

Start with this game. Cain completely melted down, probably should have been taken out after he walked the (backup) catcher with the bases-loaded. Boch was stubborn, probably wanted to give Cain a chance for a win . The other problem is, he had Peavy and Lopez warming up in the Pen. Bases-loaded, nobody out and you want to give the ball to our 2 worst pitchers in the Pen? We need a high-leverage guy in there. It thankfully worked, Lopez got out of the inning, but after Cain did all the damage himself. But this has been a common occurrence the last couple of seasons for Bochy, leaving starters in too long and honestly not all that great bullpen management. The one batter per pitcher "Bochy special" shortens the Pen and is almost a complete waste, though he's been better with that since June. Also, since acquiring Will Smith, Boch seems extremely adverse to using him (3.2 innings so far). I can't figure out why, but if Boch just doesn't think he's that good, then why did Bobby trade for him in the first place?

This leads to Bobby. It's still not a huge sample size, but it so far seems like him, and his scouts, were wrong on Shark in thinking they could figure him out. He's still reasonably priced and throws innings, so it's not a crippling move. Extremely small sample size with Moore, but I still think that move should be good just because of how cheap he is. Granted, losing Duffy may prove to be very bad. Smith? WTH? Who knows at this point. I'm honestly mostly fine with what Bobby has done because it's still a work in progress, but it's Bochy who I think is having a really bad year. He's still old-school to a fault a lot of times.

And it's still mostly the players fault right now anyway.

Rant over.

This is solid but I would only add that when you are in a horrific slump like this, everything stops working. The same decisions that work just fine don't, the same players you can rely on to deliver most of the time don't, etc. It's just how it goes when the breaks turn against you. It's like when you are in a winning streak, winning 12 out of 14, everything works plus you get some breaks along the way. We have talent. We are good enough to pull out of this and go on a run like that. We may not, but we certainly can. And as fans all we can do is hope it happens.

 

[msgkings322]

Guys, I'm almost to the point of going all Nolan on this team and writing off 2016 as a lost cause. I know, there's still a month and a half left on the season, and, deep down, I still hope that they pull this out, but this team is making it hard for me to feel positive about this season. I really hope we don't talk about 2016 as the epic collapse and that is it.

Don't do it. Don't give in to the dark side. Not yet. It's a horrible slump but this team has the talent to win the division. Then like always they will be underdogs in the playoffs, and will need some even year luck to get past the Cubs. May happen, may not, but it's not like this team sucks. They just suck right now.

 

[shrksfn9192]

Don't do it. Don't give in to the dark side. Not yet. It's a horrible slump but this team has the talent to win the division. Then like always they will be underdogs in the playoffs, and will need some even year luck to get past the Cubs. May happen, may not, but it's not like this team sucks. They just suck right now.

Assuming that the Giants make the playoffs, it would be better to be given little or no chance to win the WS, rather than being favored to win it. It's bad right now, but it could be a lot different in Sept. if they are doing the little things right then and having more of the breaks go their way.

 

[Stokes1931]

I am waiting for someone to smash a water cooler or throw some bats. I know it won't help. But I hate seeing no emotional reaction to this terrible streak. I know these guys are pros, and they have to keep that, Ah shucks, we'll get 'em tomorrow" attitude. But I wanna see some team meetings, some sort of fire in the belly. Pence needs to preach (and hit!). Call Mark Grace and ask about the slump-buster. Anything.

 

[Stokes1931]

Just reviewed the game. Bases loaded in the 9th with no outs, and we score one run? Sigh. More of the same.