A Blockbuster Trade for Buster, Giants

 

Twas a Happy Father's Day for all fans of the San Francisco Giants, whether you're actually a father or not after the news broke of a blockbuster trade that sent All-Star slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox to the Bay Area. With more than a month before the MLB trade deadline and the Giants at 41-31 in a neck and neck battle for first place out west with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco took the field on Sunday for their rubber-match against their longtime foe trailing by only 1 game. But just 20-minutes before first pitch of a game that was nationally televised on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, Giants skipper Bob Melvin would be forced to call an audible as left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison who was slated to be his starting pitcher was pulled from the bullpen during his warmup session after learning that he would be one of the centerpieces of the trade for Devers. In addition to Harrison, the Giants also sent right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks and prospects Jose Bello (reliever) and James Tibbs III (outfielder) to Boston, the 13th overall pick in last July's Draft. 

For a team that has touted the best bullpen in the Bigs and a starting pitching staff that has been plenty solid, the Giants offense on the other hand hasn't necessarily delivered their end of the bargain, sitting at 24th in batting average and 20th in both doubles and home runs. Much to the displeasure of Giants fans who have expressed their frustration on social media (myself included). Buster Posey has heard those cries loud and clear and in his first year as President of Baseball Operations in San Francisco, has now answered them by making the type of trade that could change the landscape of the entire organization. The addition of Devers gives the Giants the superstar slugger they've tried so desperately to land over the last several off-seasons but have struck out. Despite signing shortstop Willy Adames this past December to the most lucrative contract in franchise history (7-years, $182 Million), they had whiffed on all the big fish they had attempted to catch prior, including Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper and Shohei Ohtani just to name a few. Landing Devers now will help alleviate some of that pain and will leapfrog Adames as the highest-paid Giant ever. After signing a 10-year extension with the Red Sox in 2023 worth $313.5 Million dollars, San Francisco will take on the remaining $250 Million-plus of Devers' contract. 

Hitting .272 on the year with 15 home runs belted and 58 RBI, Devers automatically becomes the most feared hitter in the lineup and will depart from his time in Boston with his last hit as a member of the Red Sox being a home run against the archrival Yankees just hours before the team decided to send him packing. With experience at both third base and DH, Dever figures to start at third base in the absence of Platinum Glove-winner Matt Chapman who is expected to miss several weeks with a hand injury, before Devers likely makes the switch to DH or first base. While the deal hasn't been received well by Red Sox Nation on social media, Devers' last few weeks in Boston didn't leave the best taste in the mouth of the Red Sox front-office after both sides failed to see eye to eye following the addition of All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman back in February which led to Devers' initial refusal to move from the hot corner to accommodate Bregman. While Devers would eventually bite the bullet to allow Bregman to play third, the damage was already done. Things only soured further after Devers was asked to move again from DH to first base following a season-ending injury suffered by Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas, which Devers again refused. In the hours after dealing Devers, Boston's front-office admitted they weren't shopping him around but were listening to offers when San Francisco came knocking. 

Turning the attention to Boston, both Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks have had their ups and downs in San Francisco and will welcome a clean slate in bean town. Following a dazzling Minor League career and being called up to the Majors in 2023 and becoming the second youngest Giants starter since Madison Bumgarner at the young age 22, Harrison had shown flashes in a Giants uniform but hadn't panned out to be one of the top young arms in their starting rotation like they had hoped. Failing to make the team's Opening Day roster in 2025, Harrison began the year in the Minors before being called up in May to mainly serve out of the bullpen. Meanwhile, Hicks who signed a 4-year, $44 Million dollar contract with the Giants in 2024, began his tenure with the Giants absolutely on fire having been converted from a reliever to a starting pitcher. However, his blazing hot start began to fizzle out once the season wore. Once the temperatures began to rise, so to did his ERA. Opening 2025 as a starter again, Hicks again got off to a hot start as a member of the starting rotation before being demoted back to the bullpen. Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey will try to work his magic to help turn both pitchers around and steer them in the right direction after having served on the Giants' coaching staff under the same title from 2020-23. 

As for the prospects, Tibbs may be the only part of the deal that will be tough to see go from a Giants standpoint given his potential and the Giants' luck or lack thereof in developing young sluggers from within their farm system, but even then this was a deal Buster had to make to help turn the tide. Tibbs, 22, is a power-hitting outfielder that was selected 13th overall by the Giants in last year's MLB Draft and could be MLB ready as early as next year. Elsewhere, Jose Bello is a 20-year old right-handed pitcher that was signed by the Giants out of the Dominican in 2023 as an international free-agent at the age of 17. Expected to be a reliever, Bello is still many years away from being Major League-ready according to his scouting report. 

As the summer months begin to heat up, the same could be said for Devers who is swinging a hot bat and will have a chance to stick it to his former team as San Francisco hosts Boston this coming weekend for a 3-game series at Oracle Park.  

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Giants Limp into All-Star Break with Up and Down First Half

Having reached the MLB's All-Star break, fans of the San Francisco Giants have seen a little bit of everything from their team in baseball's unofficial first half of the season. Currently sitting in a good spot at 49-41 on the year, 2.5 games out of first place in the National League West behind the rival Dodgers and Diamondbacks who are separated by mere percentage points, the Giants are hoping to benefit from a much needed break after leaking oil down the stretch, while trying to lick their wounds following a number of key injuries. With Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Conforto, Mitch Haniger, Thairo Estrada and Anthony DeSclafani, among others all having served time on the dreaded Injured List, the snake-bitten Giants have had to find contributions from a plethora of other players, including some rookies who have made the most of their time in the Majors and appear here to stay. 

Catcher Patrick Bailey, infielder Casey Schmitt, outfielder Luis Matos, and pitchers Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn all got the call to the Big Leagues to make their debuts in the first half, with Bailey and Schmitt producing right out of the gates for the Giants. While Schmitt has come down to earth a bit after a blazing hot start at the plate, Bailey on the other hand has relished in his role behind home, throwing guys out on the base paths at an alarming rate (38%) and also producing with his bat (.293 avg, 5 HR's and 26 RBIs in 40 games). Not long after Bailey made his MLB debut in May, San Francisco became one of the hottest teams in the league after stringing together their first 10-game winning-streak since 2004. Amid that winning streak, the Giants saw a few firsts, including their first time sweeping three straight series on the road since 1952, and just their fifth undefeated road trip of 6 or more games in franchise history. One of those sweeps came at Dodger Stadium which saw San Francisco clean house with their first 3-game sweep in L.A. since 2012, and a whopping 29 runs scored in the series, an SF-record for a 3-game series at Dodger Stadium. The second game of the series also saw the Giants pull off a 15-0 drubbing of the Dodgers, the team's worst home shutout loss since 1898. 

Having played as well as 11 games above .500 back on June 24 to pull within 1.5 games behind first place Arizona, the Giants have since hit a bit of a speedbump towards the end on their way to the All-Star break, dropping 7 of their last 11 games. Luckily, they managed to avoid hitting complete rock bottom by taking the final two of three games from the lowly Colorado Rockies in their last series before the All-Star festivities. In their last game, a 1-0 win at home, Giants ace Logan Webb twirled his first career complete-game shutout. Striking out the side in the ninth inning to end the game in dominant fashion, Webb tallied 10 K's and walked none as he hit a Major League-leading 126 innings pitched on the season. After a rocky start to the season, the 26-year old Webb has again begun to resemble the ace that Giants brass envision him being for years to come after signing a 5-year, $90 Million extension back in April. But as good as Webb has been over the last few weeks, dropping his ERA back down to 3.14, he did not make the National League All-Star team. However, a few fellow members of his pitching staff did. 

Representing for the Giants in Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game was fellow starting pitcher Alex Cobb (6-2 record, 2.91 ERA) and closer Camilo Doval (2.63 ERA) who is tied for the league lead with 26 saves. The pair helped contribute to the NL's first victory since 2012, each pitching a shutout inning, with Doval earning the win. Coincidentally, former Giants ace Matt Cain also earned the win in 2012 when the Senior Circuit last defeated the American League. 

Kicking off an 11-game, four-city road trip out of the All-Star break to begin the unofficial second half of the season, the Giants will try to get back to resembling the red-hot team that blazed through most of June as one of the best teams in baseball, before a daunting challenge in August when Gabe Kapler's squad faces five first place teams, including the D-Backs, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds. By then we should get a better gauge on what this Giants team, which is currently sitting in the third and final NL Wild Card spot, really has in them when they hit the dog days of summer. With injuries and inconsistencies hindering the Giants' starting pitching rotation outside of Webb and Cobb, look for them to possibly add a starting pitcher or two before the August 1 trade deadline as the team ramps up for a playoff push. 

MLB Draft - While teams begin lining up their chips for current Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani who may or may not be on the trading block but is a forgone conclusion to sign the most lucrative contract of all-time this offseason, other teams are hoping to find the next Ohtani in the MLB Draft. A year after selecting two-way talent Reggie Crawford out of UConn with the 30th overall pick in the 1st round of the 2022 MLB Draft, the Giants followed suit by taking another two-way player with the 16th overall pick in the first round of last week's Draft, this time from the High School ranks. Earning high praise for having one of the most solid draft classes overall, the Giants opted to select Virginia prep Bryce Eldridge who at 6ft, 7in. has dazzled both as a pitcher and at first base on his way to be named the 2022-23 Gatorade Virginia Baseball Player of the Year. Among others, the Giants also selected High School shortstop Walker Martin No. 52 overall who was also named 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year in Colorado, left-handed pitcher Joe Whitman taken at No. 69 overall out of Kent State, and Tennessee shortstop Maui Ahuna taken No. 117 overall. With Eldridge, Martin, Whitman and Ahuna all ranked in the Top 50 of MLB Pipeline's Draft rankings, San Francisco is the only team to make out with four players on the list. 

Noteworthy - Shortstop Brandon Crawford moved into 13th place on the Giants all-time franchise RBI list, surpassing future Hall of Fame catcher and former teammate Buster Posey with 730 RBI. 

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Where the San Francisco Giants Stand at the All-Star Break

In what's been a roller coaster season filled with plenty of ups and downs, the San Francisco Giants ride into the MLB All-Star break with a record of 48-43 overall, with 7-wins in their last 9 games. And if not for a disaster by the bullpen on Thursday night, they would easily be coming off a four-game sweep of the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Instead, they took three of four from the Brew Crew with three big wins in three completely different ways. After dropping the opener on Thursday night by a final of 3-2, the Giants staved off another loss in game two by rallying from behind to complete one of the franchise's most wild comebacks in recent memory. 

Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning and facing arguably the most dominant closer in all of baseball since 2018 in All-Star Josh Hader, the Giants completed their most improbable comeback with three home runs in the inning, including a walk-off blast. Igniting the rally was a no-doubter from rookie catcher Joey Bart to lead off the frame. Darin Ruf then parked one in the bleachers with one out to bring the Giants within a run, before an Austin Slater single, Yermin Mercedes hit by pitch and Thiaro Estrada single helped load the bases for one Mike Yastrzemski who did the rest. Sending the first pitch he saw deep into the night and over the wall in centerfield, Yaz hit the Giants' first walk-off grand slam since Bobby Bonds in 1973, ending a drought by the Giants that had seen every other MLB team record a walk-off grand slam in the last 15 seasons. It also marked the first time in MLB history that a team hit three home runs in an inning including a walk-off grand slam. Game three against Milwaukee saw a pitchers-duel between starters Alex Cobb and Eric Lauer, with the Giants pulling off the 2-1 victory thanks to a bases-loaded balk in the 8th inning by Brewers reliever and former Giant Jandel Gustave. And in the finale, the Giants' bats woke up in a 9-5 win behind homers from LaMonte Wade Jr. and Brandon Belt, backing another stellar outing from starting pitcher and All-Star snub Logan Webb. 

Despite coming off one of their better series victories of the season, it wasn't long ago that Gabe Kapler and company were dropping game after game against inferior competition. On the cusp of being 10 games above .500 as recent as June 22 before a blown save by Jake McGee in Atlanta, the Giants have been nowhere near that mark ever since. Following their series against the defending World Series champion Braves, the Giants proceeded to drop two of three at home to the lowly Reds, split a short two-game set with the Detroit Tigers, and were swept at home by the White Sox who entered the series four games under .500. But the struggles didn't stop there as San Francisco took to the road and dropped two of three to the last-place Diamondbacks before needing a ninth inning rally to avoid being swept in the desert. The Giants then dropped the first two of four in San Diego before a pair of inspiring outings from starters Carlos Rodon and Alex Wood helped the Giants get some of their mojo back. Returning to Oracle Park, the Giants took two of three from Arizona before their strong showing against Milwaukee, which leads us to where we are now. 

Currently tied with the Philadelphia Phillies in the loss column for the third and final NL Wild Card spot, San Francisco is slated to open the second half of the season in L.A. for a three-game tilt with the archrival Dodgers whom they swept in San Francisco when they last battled in mid-June. Both teams have taken completely different turns since they last saw one another, as the Dodgers sit in first place in the NL West with an NL-best record of 60-30 and only seem to be getting stronger. Meanwhile the Giants hope to pick up after the All-Star break right where they left off while getting a few guys back along the way. With pitcher Jakob Junis activated just in time on Sunday to shake off some rust before the All-Star break after being out since June 10 with a hamstring injury, the Giants swingman pitcher who contributed both out of the bullpen and in the starting rotation before his stint on the IL, was arguably the club's best pitcher at the time he got hurt. The team also received third baseman Evan Longoria back from the IL after being out since July 6 with an oblique injury, giving the Giants much needed help in the infield at a critical time as shortstop Brandon Crawford hits the IL for the second time in less than two weeks with an injured knee. One player the Giants will not be seeing return from IL this season is starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani who recently announced the will miss the remainder of the 2022 season due to right ankle surgery. 

As for the MLB All-Star Game itself, Giants fans will be able to cheer on outfielder Joc Pederson (17 HR, 42 RBI) and pitcher Carlos Rodon (8-5, 131 K's, 2.66 ERA) as both players were named to their second Mid-Summer Classic. One guy who won't partake in this year's All-Star festivities is Giants ace Logan Webb (9-3, 2.83 ERA) who was snubbed after registering a 1.37 ERA over his last seven starts. Another Giant who has earned noteworthy recognition this season is outfielder Luis Gonzalez. In what's been another one of GM Farhan Zaidi's great finds is Gonzalez who was claimed off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox late last season. Capitalizing on an injury in the outfield to the recently traded Steven Duggar, Gonzo has been a nice add to the Giants this season and although he recently returned to the club after a stint on the Injured-List and has seen some struggles with a back injury, he was named the Rookie of the Month in the National League for the month of May. 

With ten fewer wins than they had at this point last year during their magical and historic run to a franchise-record 107 regular season wins, hopefully the All-Star break won't put a stop to their recent red-hot streak. Instead, hopefully this last string of success will kickstart a new streak for a Giants team likely to kick the tires on a few trades at the deadline if all continues to go well. 

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SF Giants add former All-Stars in preparation of 2022 Season

A day after team owners and the MLB Players Association ended a 99-day lockout by striking a deal for a new collective bargaining agreement and agreeing to have a baseball season after all this year, the San Francisco Giants made their first splash of the off-season with the signing of former White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon. Agreeing to a 2-year, $33 Million dollar deal, the former first round pick of the White Sox who was selected third overall out of North Carolina State in the 2014 MLB Draft, joins a Giants ballclub looking to repeat as division champions after pulling off a major upset by fending off the high-powered and hated rival L.A. Dodgers in 2021. The deal for Rodon comes after the 29-year old southpaw enjoyed his best season in the Majors yet, winning a team-high 13 games for the AL Central-winning South Siders which also included his first All-Star nod. 

Perhaps the highlight of Rodon's season last year and the pinnacle of his big league career thus far, the former top prospect twirled the 20th no-hitter in White Sox franchise history in an 8-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on April 14. Rodon continued that early season dominance the rest of the way in 2021, finishing the season atop the leaderboard in earned run average with a minimum of 20 starts, pitching to the tune of a 2.37 ERA in 132.2 innings pitched which ranked best in the majors among starters. Unfortunately, Rodon would fall short of the 162 innings pitched threshold, preventing him from being recognized as the league's ERA leader. Durability and consistency are the two biggest question marks and concerns Rodon entering his Giants tenure, having only registered one season of 160+ innings pitched and just a single double-digit winning season to his name as Tommy John surgery and shoulder fatigue has plagued Rodon throughout his career. However, Giants GM Farhan Zaidi and skipper Gabe Kapler are hoping his success last year is just the start of Rodon turning a corner and putting his injury history behind him with more progress to be had. 

Other signings this offseason have included the likes of pitchers Alex Cobb, Jakob Junis and Carlos Martinez, as well as the re-signing of pitchers Anthony DeSclafani (3-years, $36 Million) and Alex Wood (2-years, $25 Million) as well as team captain Brandon Belt at first base. Cobb, who was drafted by Tampa Bay back in 2006, registered several solid seasons for the Rays, recording a sub-3 ERA in back to back seasons in 2013 (11-wins, 3-losses, 2.76 ERA) and 2014 (10-9, 2.87). After a handful of rough seasons in Baltimore with the lowly Orioles, the 34-year old right-hander got back on track in 2021 with the L.A. Angels where he went 8-3 with an ERA of 3.76. The Giants are hoping Cobb can continue to climb back to his former self, signing him to a 2-year, $20 Million dollar contract back on November 30. Righty Jakob Junis, formerly of the Kansas City Royals, is a swingman-type pitcher who has pitched both in the starting rotation and as a reliver, and will likely hear Kapler call his name from the bullpen after inking a one-year deal. The Giants also announced the signing of former Tigers lefty Matt Boyd (1-year, $5.2 Million plus incentives) who will be sidelined until midseason with an elbow injury that required surgery last September. Boyd is a distant relative of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller and further adds to the team's pitching depth. 

One of the more interesting signings is that of former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez. The former 2-time All-Star with the Redbirds saw a fall from grace after recording three consecutive stellar seasons as a starter from 2015 to 2017, before being thrusted into a role split between the starting rotation and as a reliver. Looking to rebound after back to back sub-par seasons out of the bullpen, Martinez lands with a Giants ballclub that has become a safe haven for second chances and a hotbed for players looking to make a rebound. In need of a bat to supply some thump in the outfield, the Giants kicked the tires on such big names as Nick Castellanos and potentially bringing back Kris Bryant, before ultimately deciding on a much cheaper approach by bringing in Joc Pederson. Agreeing to a 1-year, $6 Million dollar deal, the Palo Alto native returns home to the Bay Area where he hopes to visit McCovey Cove quite often with his bat as a left-handed power-hitter. Having played his first 6+ big league seasons in the division with the Dodgers before splitting 2021 with the Cubs and Braves, Pederson became just the ninth players in Major League history to win back to back World Series titles with different teams. Now he'll try to become the first to ever do so with three different ballclubs as he joins the hometown Giants who are coming off a 107-win season, their most in franchise history. 

Whether or not the Giants will have enough firepower to keep up with the Dodgers' ever-expanding cast of All-Stars which just added former MVP first baseman Freddie Freeman to the mix with a megadeal worth $162 Million over six-years, will be a tall task to say the least, but is a challenge Kapler and company will not shy away from. As for the notable departures, outfielder Alex Dickerson (Braves), infielder Donovan Solano (Reds) and outfielder/infielder Kris Bryant (Rockies) all inked deals to play elsewhere, as did reliever Reyes Moranta (Dodgers), while SP Johnny Cueto and RP Tony Watson remain free-agents. Meanwhile, the Giants prepare for life after former All-Star and MVP catcher Buster Posey who announced his retirement following the 2021 season. Opening Day is scheduled for April 7.

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Surprising Giants Win Season-Series over Rival Dodgers

The wonder boys of San Francisco have done it again, this time reclaiming sole possession of first place in the National League West after taking two of three from the archrival Los Angeles Dodgers and besting their hated foes to claim the season series: 10 games to 9. Let's face it, the Giants weren't even supposed to be here heading into the season, especially this late into the year, not to mention against the All-Star cast of talent that is the defending champion Dodgers. And yet, Gabe Kapler's ragtag Giants team has found a way to do it again, this time taking the rubber-match at San Francisco's Oracle Park, while handing Cy Young contender Walker Buehler his first career loss to the Giants in 10 career starts and his worst outing of the season in which he allowed a season-high six earned runs over a season-low three innings pitched. All while the Giants were forced to play their second consecutive bullpen game in as many days. 

As good as Buehler had been this season while boasting a record of 13-2 and an MLB-best earned run average of 2.05 entering Sunday's outing, he's been even better when facing the Giants. Prior to Sunday's game which was televised on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, Buehler had absolutely owned the Giants this season to the tune of a 0.79 ERA in 34 innings against them over five starts. With a perfect record of 7-0 against San Francisco in 12 career games, including 10 starts, Buehler has especially enjoyed pitching at Oracle Park where he's won all six of his starts there since being called up to the Majors in 2017. However, with first place on the line, the Giants were finally able to breakthrough against Buehler, attacking him early and often in the count. After a solo home run from Brandon Belt opened things up in the first inning, the recently recalled Steven Duggar who was called up from Triple-A Sacramento and plugged into the lineup just hours before first-pitch, delivered a 2-run triple before eventually scoring on a single from Darin Ruf. Brandon Crawford and Curt Casali continued the surge with an RBI double and RBI single, respectively, ending Buehler's night after only three innings pitched. The Dodgers were aided a run on a controversial ball-four call that drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth and got a pair of runs late in the 9th inning off of a pinch-hit homer from Albert Pujols, but were unable to complete the rally before falling by a final score of 6-4. 

Despite their struggles hitting with runners in scoring position in the first two games of the series (a combined 4-for-30), those struggles were nonexistent in the finale for the G-Men (4-for-10) when facing one of baseball's best. After surrendering sole possession of first-place in the NL West for the first time since April 25, the Giants reclaimed their throne with the thrilling victory in the series-finale to their epic season-long battle which could very well witness another chapter, but in postseason-form. Dating back to their days in New York, the Giants and Dodgers have never met in the postseason up to this point, and could very well see that come to an end this year if whichever team is forced to play in the one-game Wild Card playoff, is able to win their game and advance to the National League Division Series. As if the rivalry needed anymore drama added into the mix. Since dropping their first four games of the season to L.A., the Giants have gone on to win 10 of the last 15 versus Dave Roberts' Dodgers club. With just a 1-game lead in the division following a win from both teams on Labor Day, the Giants currently own the best record in all of baseball at 88-50 and will try to keep their distance over Los Angeles in the standings with only 24 games remaining in the regular season. 

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Giants cap off Wild Trade Deadline with Acquisition of All-Star Bryant

Major League Baseball had one of its crazier trade deadlines in recent memory on Friday, if not the craziest of all-time. By the 1pm cutoff time, 4pm if you're on the east coast, baseball fans who are less than three weeks removed from watching the MLB All-Star Game played in Denver, saw a record ten All-Stars who played in that Mid-Summer Classic, dealt by the time things were all said and done. With such names as sluggers Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers and Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs being dealt to the Bronx from their respectively clubs as the Yankees try to chase down the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox in the American League East, as well as Kyle Schwarber heading to Bean Town from our nation's capital, the list of notable names that changed clubhouses goes on and on. But perhaps the biggest blockbuster that caught everyone by surprise, was that of the Los Angeles Dodgers who pulled a Houdini move by snaking a pair of All-Star studs from the nose of the division rival Padres. 

By mid-day Thursday, it appeared that the Padres had gained a tremendous boost in their efforts to overthrow the Dodgers and first-place San Francisco Giants in the National League Western Division when reports swirled that they were close to finalizing a deal that would land them a 4-time Cy Young Award-winner in Max Scherzer. Instead, the pitcher-needy Friars were upended by the rival Dodgers who pulled off a sneak-attack by stealing Scherzer from their grasp, while also adding All-Star shortstop Trea Turner in the process. While the deal did cost a pair of L.A.'s top prospects in return, they added another unbelievable duo to their already star-studded roster, as well as prevent a pair of rivals from adding a dominant arm to their starting rotation, as the Giants were also rumored to be in on Scherzer. After landing All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the days leading up to Friday's deadline, the only additions the Padres had to show for on deadline day were a pair of underwhelming names in relief pitcher Daniel Hudson and outfielder Jake Marisnick who were acquired from the Nationals and Cubs, respectively. 

Just when it appeared that Farhan Zaidi -- general manger of the San Francisco Giants, was going to stay pat at the deadline, the team with the best record in all of baseball waited until the 11th hour before getting in on the action and acquiring Cubs All-Star third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant. Not long after news broke that the Cubbies were shipping two-time All-Star infielder Javy Baez to Queens to join the New York Mets, the north siders ended their fire sale by sending Bryant out west to the city by the bay to join the Giants. It was a nerve-racking hour or so for Giants fans as reports were unclear on who Zaidi had given up for what could very well be a rental player considering Bryant will be a free-agent at the end of the season, but when it was all said and done, San Francisco got the guy they wanted all along and didn't trade an arm and a leg to get him. In return for Bryant, a former NL MVP and four-time All-Star who says he grew up a fan of Barry Bonds and the Giants, San Francisco gave up a pair of Minor Leaguers in outfielder Alexander Canario and right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian, their No. 9 and No. 30 prospects, respectively, which was much more calming and somewhat of a relief to hear than their top prospect in catcher Joey Bart and first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. which was initially rumored. The Giants ended their deadline pursuit by bringing back lefty reliever Tony Watson from the Los Angeles Angels to bolster the bullpen. Watson spent three seasons with the Giants from 2018-20. 

As teams jockey for position in the home stretch of the MLB regular season in preparation of the Postseason, the Giants at 65-39, currently own a 3-game lead over the Dodgers in the division and a 6.5 game advantage over San Diego. The Giants are hopeful that the acquisition of Bryant will help them maintain a stranglehold in the division over both the Dodgers and Padres, two teams that were supposed to be lightyears ahead of the Giants heading into the season. Hitting .267 on the year with 18 home runs and 51 RBI, the Giants will welcome Bryant's versatility with open arms as he's played seven different positions in 2021, while also looking forward to his bat as he's enjoyed success at San Francisco's Oracle Park, boasting a .324 batting average, 5 HR, 3 doubles, a triple and 15 RBI in 17 career games. Speaking to fellow All-Star and now teammate Brandon Crawford, Bryant knew at the All-Star break that there was a possibility he could be dealt, and all that he asked of Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer was that he would be traded to a team contending for a playoff berth like San Francisco. It's safe to say the 29-year old Vegas-native got his wish, as the core three of Bryant, Rizzo and Baez from the curse-breaking 2016 World Series champion Cubs team are all gone. 

Other notable names that changed ballclubs at the deadline include: All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel who the Cubs shipped to the southside of town to join the White Sox and Eduardo Escobar who landed in Milwaukee after being the lone representative in the 2021 All-Star Game for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Like the Cubbies, the Nationals also cleaned house by shipping out a number of big names in addition to Turner and Scherzer, such as Kyle Schwarber who was sent from D.C. to the Red Sox, Yan Gomes and Josh Harison who joined the playoff hopeful Oakland Athletics and 5-time All-Star Jon Lester who joined Wild Card contenders St. Louis. The Minnesota Twins also dealt a pair of All-Stars in pitcher Jose Berrios who landed in Toronto with the Blue Jays and Nelson Cruz who was dealt a few days earlier to the reigning American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays. It's unlikely we'll ever witness a trade deadline quite like this one after seeing 32 different trades which included more than 80 players dealt in total.  

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Giants continue to Roll behind Crawford, Gausman

Now 61 games into the Major League Baseball regular season and the San Francisco Giants are still sitting pretty atop the National League Western Division, and quite frankly atop all of baseball as they currently own a league-best record of 38-23 and .623 winning percentage. Expected by most pundits around the game of baseball to have fizzled out by now after their red-hot start in April and May, the Giants have instead managed to turn things up a notch and have actually gotten better as the season has progressed. Even after suffering a walk-off loss on the road at the hands of the Texas Rangers in 11-innings on Wednesday, the Giants still claimed the season-series over the Rangers, three games to 1 and departed the lone star state with a split in a short two-game series, as the G-Men continue to embark on their 6-game road trip with a visit to the nation's capital for a four-game set against the Nats next on their itinerary. 

With a 2-game lead in the division over the archrival Dodgers and a 2.5-game lead over third place San Diego, the Giants have enjoyed their time at the top, but do not plan on relinquishing their position atop that mountain just yet. With a legitimate ace leading their pitching staff in Kevin Gausman, the 30-year old righty who is in his 9th year in the bigs, has proven that last year's surprising success wasn't a fluke as he's done himself one better in 2021. Named NL Pitcher of the Month for May, Gausman is a leading candidate to start the All-Star Game and has made a name for himself as a serious Cy Young contender. Sporting an ERA of 0.62 in 58 innings pitched, 75 strikeouts to just 11 walks and a record of 7-0 in his last 9 starts, the Giants ace ranks among the top 10 in all of baseball in ERA (2nd), Opponents slugging percentage (4th), WHIP (5th), home runs allowed per 9 innings (6th) and Opponents batting average (7th). Another Giant who is enjoying success this year and has made history is Giants longtime shortstop Brandon Crawford. 

The bay area native who grew up rooting for the Giants, now holds his place in Giants lore after passing Hall of Famer Travis Jackson for the most games played at shortstop in franchise history (1,326). On the night of his record-setting feat, Crawford cranked two home runs in San Francisco's 9-4 win over the Rangers on Tuesday, and has already matched his home run numbers from the past five seasons with a team-leading 14 HR on the year, and is currently on pace to surpass his career-high of 21 long balls hit back in 2015. With Crawford's help, the Giants have slugged the third most team home runs in Giants history through 60 games with 88, falling just one shy of their 2001 mark and five short of the 93 home runs in 2000. After being humbled by the Dodgers in their first meeting of the season which saw L.A. take a broom to the orange and black with a three-game sweep at Oracle Park, the G-Men virtually returned the favor by taking three of four and winning three straight at Dodger Stadium. Even more impressive, the Giants have managed to not only stay afloat, but remain at the top with a league-leading 16 players on the Injured List, three more than the next closest team (Seattle Mariners). Even if injuries were to get the best of skipper Gabe Kapler's team and they were unable to maintain a stranglehold on the division over the much more talented rosters of the Padres and Dodgers, there's no reason the Giants shouldn't contend for an NL Wild Card spot at the very least, which would again surpass the expectations of this ball club coming into Spring Training. 

That said, the question on the tip of everyone's tongue becomes whether or not Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi makes the team buyers at the trade deadline. 

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The Giants are Baseball's Best 1.5 Months in

A month and a half into the 2021 MLB season and it's the San Francisco Giants who own the best record in all of baseball at 22-14 entering May 12, much to the surprise of, well, everyone. Sitting atop the National League West and playing alongside the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers who continue to add and develop star talent, as well as the juggernaut San Diego Padres who won the offseason with several big name acquisitions, it's the Giants who have took the league by storm with their red-hot start. Closing in on their 29-31 record from 2020 when the Giants fell one win shy of clinching a playoff berth just a year ago in the pandemic-shortened season which would've been their first trip to the postseason since 2016, manager Gabe Kapler's team of outcasts appears to be a little more well-rounded this time around despite a veteran-heavy lineup. 

While the orange and black continue to take advantage of a slumping Dodgers team and a banged up Padres squad that has been riddled up and down the lineup with Covid issues, the argument can only go so far when crying fluke as SF stands above the rest with an MLB-best 14-4 record at home. Having flourished in large part thanks to an impressive pitching staff which has pitched brilliantly to the tune of a 3.34 team ERA which ranks 6th in all of baseball, starters Kevin Gausman (3-0, 1.97 ERA) and Anthony DeSclafani (2-1, 2.40 ERA) have helped lead the way for the Giants, as both are in the top-20 in lowest-ERA's among starting pitchers. Another surprise -- the club has also slugged their way into the top-5 in team home runs with 47 long balls. Among those suppling the power inside the lineup is none other than former MVP Buster Posey. The 6-time All-Star catcher has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence this season and is swinging a hot stick to this point in his return after missing all of the 2020 season due to the pandemic. Hitting .385 on the year, the now 34-year old Posey shares a team-lead with 8 home runs on the year, tied with teammate Brandon Belt (8), three behind the league-leader. Shortstop and fellow-Giant Brandon Crawford is not far behind with 7 HR's. 

Only the St. Louis Cardinals who share a 22-14 record atop the NL Central can boast about owning the best winning percentage (.611) in all of baseball. However, the Giants currently stand above the Redbirds as they own a +31 run differential compared to St. Louis' +28 entering Wednesday. After a short two-game sweep of the Texas Rangers which concluded on Tuesday at San Francisco's Oracle Park, the Giants will turn their attention to a pair of NL Central division foes when they embark on an 8-game road trip to face the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, before getting their first crack at the archrival Dodgers. Having already surpassed the expectations of many around the game of baseball, the question now turns to whether or not the Giants can sustain their surprisingly hot start as they begin to receive contributions from a number of other players including starting pitcher Logan Webb and the recently acquired Mike Tauchman in the outfield. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

San Francisco Giants Month in Review: September 2019 & Bochy's Goodbye

Entering the month of September which would be the final month of the 2019 MLB regular season, the San Francisco Giants would need a strong finish if they wanted to send their future Hall of Fame manager off with one final postseason run before his retirement. Still in the thick of things fighting for a shot at an NL Wild Card spot, things began to look rather gloomy the first two weeks into the month for Bruce Bochy's ballclub as they played baseball for 18 consecutive days before finally having a day off. And with several teams ranked ahead of them in that Wild Card chase, the Giants didn't exactly get off to the start they had hoped for. After dropping the finale at home to the division rival Padres which allowed San Diego to claim the series by taking three of four, the Giants took to the road to face two of the National League's best.

A four-game set against the Red Birds in St. Louis would serve as a punch in the gut as the Giants eventually dropped three of four, but lost much more than the series as lefty reliever Tony Watson was lost for the season following an injury he sustained while trying to make a tag at first base. X-rays later revealed he suffered a fractured wrist, confirming what the training staff had feared. Aside from the first home run of Mauricio Dubon's career in the series-opener and a four-hit game by Kevin Pillar which was his fourth of the season and eighth of his career in Game 3's 9-8 win for San Francisco, the Giants were left with little to cheer for following the series-finale in which the Cardinals ran away with by a final of 10-0. Turning their focus to the archrival Dodgers in what would be skipper Bruce Bochy's final series in L.A., the Giants would award their manager with a series victory by taking two of three and helping Boch improve his win total at Dodger Stadium to 107, the most ever by an opposing manager in what is now the third oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. To put Bochy's Tinseltown success into perspective, Hall of Famer Bobby Cox is the next closest manager with 68-wins at Dodger Stadium. Helping his manager get there was Dubon who logged the first three-hit game of his career as he hit a home run off of Clayton Kershaw and finished a triple shy of the cycle.

Making his 48th career start against the Giants, Kershaw who has virtually made a career out of dominating Bruce Bochy's ballclub, would fail to go more than 4-innings in what would ultimately be the shortest outing of his career against San Francisco. Like Dubon, it was another rookie in Game 2 that would answer the call as pitcher Tyler Beede again saved his best stuff for the hated Dodgers. After logging his first career win on the road against L.A. back in June, Beede not only duplicated that performance, but did himself one better by tossing five shutout innings before handing the ball off to the Giants bullpen who took it from there to complete the shutout. San Francisco's 1-0 win would mark the first time the Dodgers were held scoreless in a game since the month of May. Returning home to Oracle Park, the Giants welcomed in the Pittsburgh Pirates for a four-game set and were rudely awakened in the opener as the Giant bullpen who was without their closer in Will Smith due to back tightness, failed to hold a 2-run lead in the 9th inning and let a gem by Madison Bumgarner go to waste when the Bucs scored 4-runs to steal a victory. It would end a streak of 55 consecutive wins for the Giants when entering the 9th inning with a lead.

The bullpen would nearly blow their second game in a row and put a damper on a gem by Johnny Cueto who made his triumphant return to the mound after missing 13 months due to Tommy John surgery, but San Francisco managed to hold on for a 5-4 win. With 5 shutout frames in his first outing in over a year, Cueto continued his career dominance over Pittsburgh which boasts a record of 10-0 and an ERA of 1.68 in his last 14 starts against the Pirates, dating back to his days in the NL Central with the Cincinnati Reds. In that win, Shaun Anderson who was a closer during his collegiate career at the University of Florida, would record his first career big league save after making the move from the rotation to the bullpen. Sadly, the Pirates would find an answer for the rest of San Francisco's pitching rotation as they took three of four from the Giants who again found themselves in dire straits. Thankfully, they'd have a series against the lowly Miami Marlins ahead, the worst team in the National League. And with stellar outings all across the board from the Giants starting pitching staff, San Francisco would take two of three from the Marlins. While Beede and Cueto tossed shutouts in Games 1 and 3 of the series, it was Madison Bumgarner (7 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 3 K) who got the short end of the stick as he received a no-decision despite notching his 15th consecutive outing of allowing three earned runs or less.

With a rare visit to the granddaddy of them all -- Fenway Park, we would get to witness one of the cooler moments in baseball this season when Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski not only had the privilege of taking the field against a Boston Red Sox franchise his Hall of Fame grandfather became a household name with, but also logged a milestone against them. In Game 1 of a 3 game series, little Yaz slugged his 20th homer of the season some 36 years after his grandpa Carl Yastrzemski hit his last homer while playing all 23 of his big league seasons in Boston. Holding such Fenway Park records as the most games played (1,676), RBI's (1,063), runs (994) and doubles (382), while finishing second in home runs (237) behind only the great Ted Williams, both Carl and his grandson Mike would get to share a memorable moment when the two participated in the ceremonial first-pitch prior to Game 2. In a 15-inning marathon that saw Bruce Bochy set a franchise record with 13 pitchers used in Game 1, outfielder Alex Dickerson supplied the game-winning run with a sacrifice-fly to give the G-Men a 7-6 win, the franchise's first regular season victory at the 107-year old ballpark. And with another 11 pitchers used by Boston, the two teams combined to use 24 pitchers, tying an MLB record set by the Rockies & Dodgers on Sept. 15, 2015.

Another milestone would come one day later when the Giants ran away with an 11-3 win in Game 2 to give their skipper 2,000 career managerial wins, becoming just the 11th big league manager to reach the illustrious mark. Helping Bochy reach that milestone was backup catcher Stephen Vogt who tied a mark for the shortest home run hit this season (excluding inside-the-park) with a 2-run shot in the top of the first inning that traveled 311-feet, hitting Peske's pole out in right field. Coincidentally enough, Andrew Benintendi and Christian Vazquez are the two players tied with Vogt tied for the shortest homer this season, both of whom play for the Red Sox. Though the Giants would fail to pull off the sweep, they would leave Beantown with a series victory and a happy skipper as the team headed to Atlanta in what would be Bochy's final series on the road. Getting pummeled 6-0 in the opener, the Giants wouldn't fair much better in Game 2 as the Braves got the better half of Johnny Cueto who suffered the loss in Atlanta's 8-1 victory. Salvaging the series-finale behind six stellar innings from rookie Logan Webb, the Giants staved off a sweep and returned home with a 4-1 win before their final homestand of the season.

Hosting the Colorado Rockies for three games, the two teams would partake in a 15-inning slugfest that saw the two teams combine to hit 8 home runs, the most home runs ever hit in a single game in Oracle Park history. Oh, and that record for the most combined pitchers used in a single game that the Giants and Red Sox set just a week earlier, would also come to an end as the Giants and Rockies combined to use 25-pitchers, setting a new record. And when it was all said and done, it was Colorado who walked away with an 8-5 victory as Charlie Blackmon delivered the deciding blow with a 3-run homer in the 15th inning. Stuck in another tie game entering the 9th inning in Game 2, a Giants rookie would put an end to any thoughts of a second consecutive extra-inning affair when outfielder Jaylin Davis made his first career homer a game-winner as his solo shot to dead center helped the Giants walk-off with a 2-1 win. Part of the Sam Dyson trade that brought Davis over from the Minnesota Twins, the home run was a long time coming for someone who had hit 35 HR's in the Minors this season. The 2-1 win would also be the 29th 1-run win of the season for the Giants, the most 1-run wins in a single season for Bochy which looking back, probably isn't the healthiest thing for a 64-year old manager. Luckily for Boch, his team would save him from the stress of a close game the very next day as the Giants won the series finale by a final of 8-3 to take two of three from the Rox.

As if emotions weren't already at an all-time high this season as San Francisco prepared for Bruce Bochy's final series at the helm of the Giants, the final series of the season would come against the archrival Dodgers. Having already clinched the division as well as the number one seed in the National League, the Dodgers had little to play for aside from crashing the party of their bitter rival and a skipper that has enjoyed success against them. And with the Giants' playoff hopes already out the window, San Francisco would also have little to play for with the exception of sending their beloved manager off with one final series victory against L.A. Unfortunately, the Giants would fail to win their skipper one final game in the series as the Dodgers completed the three-game sweep. The Giants would have plenty of opportunities in Game 1, but failed to capitalize as they stranded a season-high 17 runners on base, their most since 2017. With a 9-2 loss in the opener, the Giants failed to muster a single run in Games 2 and 3 as L.A. put the finishing touches on their historic regular season with victories of 2-0 and 9-0, respectively. But with the games rendered meaningless, Giants fans packed the house during Game 162 as the franchise honored their skipper of 13 years by bidding him a farewell fit for the legend he is.

With video tributes all day long between innings from celebrities, friends, former players and teammates alike, to gifts being given, the day would be one big celebration, regardless of the outcome on the field as not a single fan had left the ballpark despite the 9-0 score. And the plethora of Giants players that came out from center field to surprise and congratulate Bochy on his big day was truly special. From players like Barry Bonds, Omar Vizquel and Pedro Feliz, whom Bochy managed during his earlier years with the Giants, to players on each of the World Series champion teams in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Perhaps the most surprising appearance was that of fan favorite and 2-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum who made his first Oracle Park appearance since 2015 to bid his former skipper a final farewell. And the stories shared by many of those players and Bochy himself made it just as emotional as it was beautiful as an era came to an end, fittingly as Bochy rode around the ballpark in a classic vehicle, waving goodbye to the fans. With Bochy receiving a key to the city from San Francisco Mayor London Breed, the Giants organization will now be in search for a new manager to give the reigns to for the first time in 14 years. Finishing his 25-year managerial career with an overall record of 2,003 wins and 2,029 losses, Bochy is one of only nine managers to win three or more championships and all eight before him are enshrined in Cooperstown.

Finishing the year in third place in the NL West at 77-85, their third consecutive losing season, San Francisco struggled at home as their 35-46 record at Oracle Park was the franchises worst since 1984 dating back to their days at Candlestick. In comparison, the Giants were a much better ballclub on the road as they finished with the fourth best road record in the National League at 42-39. And some of the team's best highlights on the season came from players both new and old. While the starting pitching staff enjoyed a solid bounce back year from Jeff Samardzija who enjoyed his best season yet in a Giants uniform, finishing with an 11-12 record an an ERA of 3.52, his lowest in a season since 2014 when he split time between the Cubs and Athletics. Another Giants hurler that continued to set and break records was ace Madison Bumgarner who amassed over 200 strikeouts for the fourth time of his career, tying him for second-most in the SF-era history with Tim Lincecum and Gaylord Perry. And with another two home runs hit this year for MadBum, he and battery mate Buster Posey became the latest pitcher-catcher duo to homer in the same game three times since 1900, a mark only three other battery mates have reached.

But perhaps the biggest surprise this year, was that of Kevin Pillar who quickly became the heart and soul of this Giants team after being acquired from the Blue Jays a week into the season. When he wasn't dazzling in the outfield with his superb defense, Pillar was setting career-highs in home runs (21), extra-base hits (61), RBI (88) and runs (83), while also leading the team in hits (157), HR (21), RBI (87), XBH (60), runs (82) and steals (14). The winner of this year's Willie McCovey Award, Pillar would also become the first player since 1920 to lead his team in HR, RBI and stolen bases after beginning the season with another club. Pillar would also be one of three Giants to hit 20+ home runs this year as he was joined by Evan Longoria (20) and Mike Yastrzemski (21), their first trio to hit 20+ homers in a season since 2006 when they had four (Barry Bonds, Ray Durham, Moises Alou and Pedro Feliz). With another season in the books and vacancies in a number of positions outside of manager, questionmarks surrounding free-agent to-be players like Pillar, Will Smith and Madison Bumgarner come into play. Expected to be another busy offseason for GM Farhan Zaidi, Giants fans will surely have their ears to the ground as they anticipate those questions and more to be answered.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

San Francisco Giants Month in Review: August 2019

After a spectacular July which helped catapult the Giants back into the National League wild card race following their MLB-best 19-6 record, the San Francisco ball club turned the calendar to August hoping to continue that success and push for a playoff spot. However, it was very evident in the first full week of the new month that duplicating that run would be easier said than done. Filled with a plethora of ups and downs, excitements and disappointments, the Giants would have as many losses in their first week of August as they had in all of July (6). And while facing such teams as the Phillies, Nationals, Diamondbacks and Cubs, all of whom are also vying for a wild card spot, the Giants could ill afford to hit the snooze button if they planned on keeping pace in the playoff hunt.

After dropping the third and final game in Philly to begin the month, the Giants wrapped up their 9-game road trip with a trio of games in the Mile High City against the Rockies. And after completing a rare four-game sweep at Coors Field during their recent meeting in July, the Rockies made sure their division rivals wouldn't leave town with another series victory as Colorado took two of three games behind the red-hot hitting of their All-Star shortstop Trevor Story who homered in each of the three games. Returning home to host the Washington Nationals in a pivotal 3-game series, the Giants went dormant and were swept after scoring a total of four runs in the series. Hoping to redeem themselves with another wild card hopeful team in town in the Phillies, Bruce Bochy's ballclub was able to bounce back and claim three of four from the Phils thanks to some fireworks on offense from the most unlikeliest of heroes. On a day the Giants celebrated the 30th anniversary of the 1989 World Series team and announced the retiring of No. 22 for Will Clark, another Will stepped up in a huge way and gave Giants fans a thrill.

With seven years in the big leagues and not a single plate appearance to his name, Giants All-Star closer Will Smith couldn't have picked a better time to log his first career hit, lacing a 2-run single to the opposite-field and giving his team a 9-6 lead that he would seal the following inning. Though they weren't as fortunate at the plate, relievers Jandel Gustave and Trevor Gott also logged their first career plate appearances earlier in the game as the Giants became the first team since September 21, 1934 to have three pitchers make their first career plate appearances in the same game. With a day off before their short two-game set against their cross-bay rivals in the Oakland Athletics, the Giants turned to their ace in the series-opener as Madison Bumgarner out-dueled Brett Anderson with seven stellar frames of 2-hit, 1-run baseball as the Giants won yet another game by one run with a 3-2 final. MadBum's stellar outing was his fifth in six games of at least seven innings. And though the A's would split the series with a win the following day, the Giants went into their final series in the desert under manager Bruce Bochy, liking their chances in a ballpark they've had plenty of success in this season. After opening the series with a dominant pitching performance from Dereck Rodriguez who was called back up to the Majors and placed back into the starting rotation, D-Rod had his best outing of the season, pitching seven shutout frames and allowing only four base runners on three hits and a walk as the Giants blanked the Diamondbacks, 7-0.

Game 2 of the series would feature one of the most wild back and forth affairs of the season for both teams as the Giants floundered a 7-2 lead in the 8th inning before the two teams exchanged punches in 11 nail-biting innings that eventually saw the Giants squeak away with a 10-9 victory. After the D-Backs erased a five-run lead in the bottom of the 8th inning, Kevin Pillar launched his second home run of the game with a 2-run shot in the 10th inning, but Arizona fought back with a pair of homers of their own to tie the game at 9-all. Stepping up to the plate in the 11th inning already with a pair of home runs, rookie Mike Yastrzemski crushed his third home run of the night to give the Giants a 10-9 lead that they would not relinquish. A game in which both teams combined to slug 12 home runs, Yaz led the way, becoming the first Giant with a three homer game since Jarrett Parker in 2015. Even more impressive, Yaz in his first big league season already has as many three home run games as his Hall of Fame grandfather Carl Yastrzemski who needed 2,294 games before logging his first and only.

Game 3 would witness the Major League debut of right-handed pitcher Logan Webb, the team's top pitching prospect and No. 5 prospect overall. Showing a bit of jitters early on, Webb who at the age of 22 became the youngest pitcher to start a game for the Giants since Madison Bumgarner debuted at the age of 20, eventually settled in and impressed with five solid frames of 1-run ball and striking out seven D-Backs hitters as he became the first Giants pitcher to record a win in his MLB debut in over 10 years (Ryan Sadowski vs Milwaukee). Aided by the second grand slam of Brandon Belt's career, the Giants won the game, 11-6. Heading into the series finale seeking their first four-game sweep of Arizona since 2016 and with ace Madison Bumgarner on the mound who entered the game unbeaten in his last 10 outings, the Giants would like their chances of pulling off the rare four-game sweep against the struggling Merrill Kelly. Instead, it was Kelly who out-pitched MadBum and stymied the Giants bats by giving up only one earned run as Arizona avoided the sweep with a 6-1 win. Making a stop in Chicago to take on the Cubs at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, the Giants would have another golden opportunity against a team they were chasing in the Wild Card race, but failed to seize the opportunity as the Giants were swept. Aside from an exciting back and forth melee in Game 2 which saw the Giants crank out four homers and the Cubs another three in a grueling 12-11 win for Chicago, San Francisco had little to show for as their inconsistent August continued with Jeff Samardzija suffering a tough-luck 1-0 loss in the series finale.

Returning to the bay area but playing across the bay in Oakland, the Giants would cash in on a huge 8-run 8th inning to claim Game 1 against the A's, 10-5, before playing in the more common 1-run game we've grown accustomed to seeing the Giants win as they returned to the other side of the bay with a 5-4 victory and short two-game sweep. Taking three of four from the A's to take claim of the Battle of the Bay series and the Bridge Trophy which was introduced for the first time just a season ago, Will Smith recorded the final three outs to become the first Giants left-hander to record 30 saves in a season and the eighth reliever to do so in franchise history. Playing host to the Diamondbacks for the final time this season, San Francisco came into the series finale against Arizona having split the first 18 meetings and would see the Giants debut of infield prospect Mauricio Dubon who was acquired from the Brewers at the trade deadline as part of the Drew Pomeranz deal. And though Dubon would record his first big league hit in his second at-bat, the Giants would go on to lose the game and lose the season series to Arizona, 10 games to 9 following the two-game sweep.

Closing out the month of August, the Giants would welcome the Padres for a four-game set and closeout their season series against their division foe. After falling in the opener, the Giants rallied in Game 2 behind a dominant Madison Bumgarner who pitched seven frames and gave up only one run on four hits and two walks while striking out nine Padre hitters. By earning the win, MadBum logged his 60th career victory at San Francisco's Oracle Park, tying former teammate Matt Cain for the most home wins since the stadium's inception in 2000. In the win, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski clubbed his 9th homer in the month of August which tied him with Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda for the second-most home runs hit in a single month by a Giants rookie. Only Willie Mays and Bobby Thomson have hit more (10) in a Giants uniform during their rookie campaign. Another pair of Giants hitters who turned things up at the plate as of late were Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt.

Longoria finished the month strong and placed among the N.L. RBI leaders since Aug. 10, having drove in 20 RBI's which tied him with Starlin Castro of the Marlins for second-place, trailing only the Cincinnati Reds' Aristides Aquino's 22 RBI's. As for Belt, the Giants veteran first baseman logged 14 RBI's in 14 games since Aug. 15, the second-most among N.L. first baseman behind only Pete Alonso of the Mets who knocked in 16 RBI's in 15 games. Unfortunately for the Giants, the hot-hitting of Belt & Longoria wouldn't be enough to fend off the Padres who eventually took three of four from the Giants. In the series-finale against San Diego whom Giants skipper Bruce Bochy began his managerial career with, the Giants unveiled a new, "Thank you, Boch" placard out in left field during a pregame ceremony. The sign along with an emotional reception for Pablo Sandoval who pinch-hit in the 7th inning before coming out to a thunderous ovation, made for an unforgettable day for Giants fans, despite the 8-4 loss. Following what could be his final appearance in a Giants uniform as he's set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery in the coming days, Sandoval will be a free-agent at the end of the season.

Finishing with an 11-16 record in August and falling to 66-70 on the season, the Giants have once again fallen on hard times as they've seen their Wild Card hopes slip to 7 games behind the Cubbies who currently hold the second Wild Card spot. Even worse than their sub-par record in August, were the injuries suffered by relievers Trevor Gott and Reyes Moronta. Gott was forced out of a game against Arizona after experiencing tightness in his forearm which was looked at and eventually came back as a grade 1 UCL sprain and flexor strain that is expected to sideline him for at least two weeks. Moronta, however, wasn't as lucky as the shoulder injury suffered against San Diego will put an end to his 2019 campaign. Finally, August also saw the end of Joe Panik's tenure with the Giants as the former first-round draft pick and All-Star second baseman was released by the Giants and signed by the hometown Mets. The Giants would also release second baseman Scooter Gennett as the failed experiment lasted less than a month after he was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline.

With another tough schedule ahead in the month of September with series on the road against the Cardinals, Dodgers, Red Sox and Braves, the Giants will definitely have their backs against the wall as they'll be forced to pull off another incredible run like the one they put together in July if they plan on making the postseason. Needing all the help they can get, Bruce Bochy and company will see the return of Johnny Cueto who hasn't pitched in the Majors since July of last year after needing Tommy John surgery. With starting pitching being an issue over the last month outside of Bumgarner and Samardzija, the thought along of having a healthy Cueto on the mound is one the Giants will welcome with open arms as they look to put together one final miracle for Bochy during his final month at the helm.


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San Francisco Giants Month in Review: July 2019

Following their first winning month of 2019 and closing the book on June having played their best ball of the season, the San Francisco Giants would see their winning ways continue into the month of July. And if a 14-13 win-loss record in June was any indication of things to come, Giants fans would be hard pressed to believe the streak that would follow, given their ability or lack thereof to win games early on in the season. However, a streak of 17 wins in 20 games which hadn't been done by a Giants team since 2001, would be just as surprising as it was impressive, especially considering they stood 12 games under .500 in late-June.

Kicking things off with a three-game set in San Diego at Petco Park, a stadium that has been none too kind to the Giants the last few seasons compared to years past, skipper Bruce Bochy would witness his club score double-digit runs at Petco for the first time in their last 52 visits as the Giants ran away with a 13-2 victory in the opener. Those hot bats would continue into Game 2 as San Francisco tallied another 10-runs in a 10-4 win, marking the team's third consecutive game with double-digit runs, a feat that hadn't been accomplished by a Giants team since August 23-25, 2010. And though the Giants saw their double-digit streak end in the series finale, they did manage to sweep the series with a 7-5 victory as Evan Longoria and Alex Dickerson teamed up to hit the Giants' first set of back-to-back homers this year. It would be a memorable series for Longo who clubbed home runs in all three games of the series, including two in Game 2, becoming only the third player to hit four HR's in a series at Petco Park since the yard opened in 2004.

Returning home to host the St. Louis Cardinals for three games before the All-Star break, Giants ace Madison Bumgarner would take the ball in Game 2. After tying his friend and former teammate Tim Lincecum for the 2nd most strikeouts in SF Giants history, MadBum would surpass his old pitching mate with a punchout in the first inning. But Bumgarner would see his night cut short after taking a line-drive off his left forearm just two batters into the game. And while he would stick around for two innings, the swelling eventually got the best of him, forcing him to leave the game. It wouldn't be anything the bullpen couldn't handle as the Giants went on to win the game and take the series the following day, two games to one. Winners of six of their last seven games, the Giants suddenly found themselves playing their best ball of the season entering the All-Star break and any fear of the their recent hot-streak fizzling out following the four days off would be put to rest rather quickly as they picked up right where they left off and struck for double-digit runs in their first game back. Hitting the road to face the Milwaukee Brewers, the Giants opened a thrilling series against the Brew Crew with a 10-7 win in extras, clubbing five homers for the first time since 2014, en route to the victory thanks to a grand slam by Buster Posey in the 10th inning. And though Milwaukee would avenge the loss with a walk-off win the following day, it was the Giants who got the last laugh as they escaped Miller Park with the series win by taking the rubber-match, 8-3.

Continuing their road trip in Colorado against the Rockies, the Giants would begin a double-header by exploding for 19-runs, the third most runs scored in San Francisco Giants history and the franchises most runs ever scored at Coors Field in its 26 year existence. Following the 19-run outburst, the Giants' 94 runs scored over their last 11 games marked the most runs scored in an 11-game span since the club moved to the Bay Area in 1958. Leading the way in the big win was shortstop Brandon Crawford who became the first shortstop in MLB history to have five hits and a career-high 8 RBI in a single game. Not to mention he became just the third Giant to ever record 8 RBI in a single game and first since 1961, joining some elite company and a pair of Hall of Famers in Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda. Setting the bar rather high with another game to be played just hours later, the Giants would only muster a measly 2-runs in Game 2, but still managed to sweep the double-header with a 2-1 triumph. With wins of 8-4 and 11-8 in the next two, the Giants completed the four-game sweep of the Rockies before returning home for a seven-game homestand. Out of the cellar and no longer in last place in the NL West, the Giants were unable to duplicate the same run production at home that they saw on the road, but still managed to claim three of four games against the visiting Mets to take the series, with all three wins coming in walk-off fashion.

Better late than Never - Reaching the .500 mark for the first time this season at 49-49 thanks to a season-best seven-game winning streak following Game 2, the Giants hadn't reached .500 for the first time this late in a season since August 6, 1982. And helping the Giants get there on offense was outfielder Mike Yastrzemski who put an exclamation point on the series with an opposite-field home run to help his team walk-off with a 3-2 win. The grandson of Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski who had 14 career walk-off RBI's, little Yaz became the first Giants rookie to hit a walk-off homer since Al Gallagher in 1970 and helped the Giants move into sole possession of 2nd place in the division. Next on the list would be the first-place Chicago Cubs who the Giants claimed the first two games against before falling in the series finale. After a come-from-behind win that saw the Giants rally in the 8th inning of the series-opener and improve over .500 for the first time since August 14, 2018, the Giants pulled off their fourth walk-off win in six games, this time a solo home run in the 13th inning off the bat of Pablo Sandoval who connected for his fourth career walk-off dinger.

Beginning a 9-game road trip against the Padres, Phillies and Rockies, including the final series in San Diego under manager Bruce Bochy, the Giants looked to finish the month strong. And while the Friars awarded their former skipper with several farewell gifts, the Giants awarded him with another series victory as they took two of three from their division rivals. With another extra-inning home run by Sandoval, this time in the 11th inning of the series-opener, the Giants collected their MLB-leading 11th win in extra-inning affairs and became the first team in the live-ball era to win six extra-inning games in a 10-game span. With an off-day before traveling east to face Bryce Harper and the Phillies, lots of uncertainty surrounded the Giants regarding the July 31 trade deadline and what direction they'd go in after showing new life with their red-hot July. After dropping the series-opener, the Giants came out on top, 5-1 on the day of the deadline. And instead of trading away their two most coveted assets in starter Madison Bumgarner and All-Star closer Will Smith, Giants brain trust Farhan Zaidi did make a number of moves, but none involving the two names that had garnered the most attention.

While hanging onto both Bumgarner and Smith in hopes of a chasing a Wild Card berth, the Giants dealt a number of other arms and jettisoned a few unwanted contracts while fetching several prospects Zaidi hopes can soon contribute in the big leagues. Sending right-handed reliever Sam Dyson to the first-place Minnesota Twins, San Francisco received a pair of pitchers and an outfielder in return (RHP Prelander Berroa, RHP Kai Wei Teng and OF Jaylin Davis). Washing their hands of Mark Melancon and his hefty contract, Zaidi sent the inconsistent ex-closer to Atlanta in exchange for righties Daniel Winkler and Tristan Beck. Freeing themselves of the $18 Million still owed to Melancon thru the 2020 season is enough to deem the deadline a success for Zaidi and the Giants, but perhaps the best return of the day by Zaidi was the score of Minor League infielder and Sacramento native Mauricio Dubon who the Giants fetched from the Milwaukee Brewers (No. 3 prospect) for two troubled relievers in lefty Drew Pomeranz and RHP Ray Black. Finishing off the busy day and his first trade deadline at the helm of the Giants, Zaidi acquired 2018 All-Star second baseman Scooter Gennett and cash considerations from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for a player to be named later or cash.

Another notable transaction that was made in the days leading up to the deadline was the dealing of Derek Holland who was sent to the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations. Spending only a season and a half in a Giants uniform, Holland had an up and down tenure with the club, but proved to be one a fan favorite and a good-energy guy for the Giants clubhouse as he even went out of his way to thank the organization and the fans before his departure.

Entering the dog days of August, the Giants who have now pulled within striking distance for a Wild Card spot and currently trail a handful of clubs by 2.5 games, are in prime position to either bolster or hurt their postseason hopes as they'll face a number of teams jockeying for position in the Wild Card race in the first few weeks. And after their MLB-best run of 19-wins and 6-losses in July, if Bruce Bochy's guys can continue their torrid streak into the month of August, we could be in store for some late season magic before bidding their skipper a final farewell.


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