What's right is wrong
Padres 5, Giants 1
The blessed Giants teams of yesteryear could get away with it.
Travis Ishikawa. Brandon Belt. Aubrey Huff.
All of them played in the outfield when needed, hundreds of feet from where they truly belonged at first base. It didn’t matter. Those Giants teams could bend, even break, conventional wisdom and it never cost them much.
The same cannot be said about these Giants. These Giants tried playing a catcher in right field on Wednesday and lost because of it.
You’re right, the Giants probably lost because they tallied only three hits and didn’t draw a walk. Their impossibly thin margin for error, though, is not helped by trying to build a utility player on the fly.
Ty France sent a ball to right field that had an expected batting average of .080. In other words, only eight times out of 100 does France’s fly ball fall for a hit. Jesus Rodriguez sprinted a long way before the ball ticked off his glove as he tumbled to the ground.
Two runs scored as France zoomed all the way to third, meaning more Padres touched third base on one play than the Giants did all game.
Sure, those Even Year teams probably took their lumps with guys playing out of position. But as I recall, their seasons never felt on the brink in May.
Podcast: Kerry and I break down what’s led the Giants to this point, and what the roster shakeup means for Buster Posey, Tony Vitello, and all those expensive, underperforming veterans. Listen on Apple or Spotify or wherever you get your pods.
Up next: The Giants are off on Thursday. Tony V said he thinks his everyday guys are exhausted, which… well… OK. Same, I guess. The Pirates come to town on Friday and thankfully Paul Skenes will remain in the dugout for the series.
Connor, I love your postcards and work with Kerry, but let's look at this from another perspective. Although it didn't help, I don't think the Giants lost the game because Rodriquez didn't make the catch with two runners on in the seventh inning. The way I see it, the two runners shouldn't have been on in the first place. The inning should have been over before that batter ever got to the on deck circle. A lead off error and a walk put those runners on base. Rodriquez is one of the few bright spots on a dismal horizon. Let's not pin this on him. Otherwise, keep up the great work/coverage. -- Steve p.s. If the Giants want to see a role model for making the most of a roster that doesn't contain a ton of superstars, watch how the Cubs play. That is a team with chemistry and fire, better than the sum of its parts.
Why are so many super smart fans and veteran journalists, broadcasters failing to understand the basics? The Giants were in trouble when they won 3-series in a row. @gggiants says we’re only 7 games out a playoff spot. Says these issues wouldn’t be happening under Melvin and Williams. They did! @giantprospects doesn’t see a difference between the Giants vs WS or Rockies: same mediocre record. Rockies are losing but scoring more runs. White Socks are winning at the margins: watch their series win vs Padres.
Giants were in trouble from the start: 1 run in Yankees series. Last, near last: RD, runs scored, BB, HR, SB. 3: 4 game losing streaks by early May, never above .500; shutout losses. Making the postseason would truly be historic: maybe Posey captures lightning in the bottle. Eldridge might be the Giants’ only hope, SF Standard. No! Devers needs to be Devers: he’s showing signs he’s coming out of it. Chappy and Adames need to be the best leftside in baseball and multiple teams need to collapse in the WC standings at the same time the Giants need to stack wins, lots of them.
Kerry said the smartest comment talking about his wife, who is not a die hard sports fan he explained. Watching the Valkyries game, she understood the team had a chemistry and Identity. She saw it in Veronica Burton. She didn’t read it. Kerry didn’t have to tell her that. She saw it with her own eyes and the energy made her feel excited. Show this to Kerry. If I captured his wife incorrectly, I’ll apologize and make a correction.
I don’t know you but your writing made me think you worked in the industry. You didn’t have to tell me. Your writing shows it. You’re an elite marketing copywriter. I ramble.