© Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
While the rest of the teams in the National League West are putting up massive offensive numbers, the Giants are instead a victim, tormented by an onslaught of hits from the reinvigorated Arizona Diamondbacks. After a 13-inning, 5-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday during which the Giants decimated their bullpen, they were set to take on a team which had lost five-straight games.
That proved to a recipe for annihilation. A Diamondbacks team meeting and mentality shift coupled with poor, and limited pitching options from the Giants have seen the team look like a college team playing summer exhibitions against a major league team. Today’s 10-4 loss was essentially an abbreviated version of last night’s game.
While the Diamondbacks put up 10, the San Diego Padres put up 19 (and 6 yesterday), the Los Angeles Dodgers tallied 10 yesterday, and the Colorado Rockies scored 8 yesterday, the Giants remain incapable of mounting any sort of consistent offense, while their usually steadfast pitching has fallen off a cliff. Their last time scoring more than four runs was May 18, and there is little sign the team is in for a boost any time soon.
Here are three thoughts from today’s game:
Yastrzemski gets his first run
The Giants will take runners and and runs in any way they can, and Mike Yastrzemski certainly feels the same way. The son of Carl Yastrzemski was called up today in place of Mac Williamson who, after striking out eight times in his last nine at-bats, and holding a .118 batting average, was designated for assignment.
Yastrzemski, a Vanderbilt University graduate, struck out on a high fastball in his first plate appearance, which was, as his wife, Paige Cahill Yastrzemski – who was interviewed mid-game by Amy Gutierrez – said, the same way he started off in the College Baseball World Series. After a hard-hit lineout, Yastrzemski reached base in the bottom of the seventh inning with a scary hit-by-pitch:
Yastrzemski gets on base for the first time in his career in the scariest of ways – dodged out of the way at the last second and looks like he just took it on the shoulder pic.twitter.com/yqE1UX8vAl
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) May 25, 2019
After three walks later in the inning, Yastrzemski was walked in for his first career run scored. It gave the Giants their second run of the game, and kept the inning alive with the bases loaded. It set up the hot-hitting Pablo Sandoval, who singled home two runs to cut the 10-2 deficit to 10-4.
Suarez hammered
Much like Drew Pomeranz was put to task yesterday (eight hits, five earned runs over 2 2/3 innings), Andy Suarez was incapable of shutting down the Diamondbacks lineup. He managed to pitch four innings – not exactly an accomplishment, but better than Pomeranz’s 2 2/3 innings yesterday – and was rocked. He allowed nine hits, nine runs (seven earned), three walks and a home run while striking out just two batters. His ERA has ballooned to 9.00.
On the bright side, Suarez did drive in the first run of the game with the bases loaded on what was counted as an infield “hit”:
Andy Suarez gets a bases-loaded infield single to put the Giants on the board pic.twitter.com/oBlbNTxovH
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) May 25, 2019
D-Rod returns
Aside from Pablo Sandoval’s two RBIs, Yastrzemski’s debut (who went 0-for-3, so not exactly a blistering start) Dereck Rodriguez was the other bright spot today. After being demoted to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats in mid May, he was called up for Trevor Gott, who was sent to the injured list today with a strained right forearm.
Rodriguez entered in the top of the sixth inning and hit his spots like he did last season. Through his two innings of work, he was shades of the old Rodriguez. He threw 14 strikes out of his 21 pitches and while all of his outs were put in play, he did not allow a single hit or run. His 5.05 ERA that saw him sent back to the minors dropped incrementally below the 5.00 mark to 4.81.