Drew Gilbert - CF
Rafael Devers - 1B
Jung Hoo Lee - DH
Turner Hill - LF
Drew Cavanaugh - C
Nate Furman - 2B
Shay Whitcomb - 3B
Grant McCray - RF
Christian Koss - SS
Take a moment to sit with this lineup. Soak it in. Swish it around. Read it.
Who do you know? Who’s unfamiliar? Who sounds like a guy you heard about in a spy movie or detective novel?
If I told you in March that the Giants would roll out this lineup for a real game—not a Scottsdale split squad—you’d think one of two things:
1- The Giants won the National League West and the starters are still nursing their hangovers.
2- Something went wrong. Very very very wrong.
I won’t spoil which is the right answer. But this lineup, among the many forgettable ones of late, paints a picture of where the Giants are. They’re injured. They’re experimenting. And they’re not just young, they’re packing the lineup with summer interns.
Subtract Devers and Lee, and Monday’s hitters combined for 447 career games, roughly 64 per batter. Not even one half-season to go around.
The Opening Night lineup, subtracting Devers and Lee for comparison’s sake, combined for 4,844 career games.
The difference between the two lineups is about 27 seasons’ worth of games.
What does all that inexperience get you? One of cleanest wins of the year.
Up next: The Giants are one win away from that elusive series win. It’ll be Adrian Houser (4-7, 4.08 ERA), who’s been excellent of late, against former top prospect Brady Singer (5-11, 4.72 ERA). First pitch at 6:45 pm.