The Giants exploded the top half of the tenth at Citi on Saturday to beat the Mets, go one game over .500 and become only the second team since 1900 to win three four-run comebacks in a row on the way to four straight road comeback wins.
That looks better on paper as these were wins against the struggling Pirates and sub-par Mets, and it’s only mid-May, but it’ll stand as a record, and it puts the G-men in second place in the NL West (27-26) with Logan Webb taking the mound in Queens tomorrow.
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Let’s go Giants!
SWEEP THE METS IN NEW YORK!
These Giants look good right now. Everybody is hitting, with Matt Chapman leading the way and Patrick Bailey showing improvement at the plate. Thairo Estrada, Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr. have picked up where they left off last season, and Mike Yastrzemski is healthy and hitting, too.
Nick Ahmed and Michael Conforto contributed until injuries put them on the IL.
Nick Ahmed is a much needed veteran replacement for Brandon Crawford at short, as Marco Luciano continues to struggle in the field, sometimes critically so. It’s bad. On the bright side, Brett Wisely had a great game today, going 3/4 as a back up shortstop in his first start.
Though we lost Jung Hoo Lee for the season, which was a real bummer because he was playing great ball, Luis Matos has stepped up to fill in defensively. The speedy Matos is good on the base paths as well. A healthy Yaz has been much better in right, with flashes of brilliance.
The Giants defense has improved immensely with the addition of Matt Chapman, who shines at third consistently and wins games in the field – his bare-handed grab of the slow roller with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, that he ripped to LaMonte to end the game on Friday night was exceptional and discussed last night by everyone in baseball.
Thairo Estrada continues to show improvement that is becoming excellence at second and LaMonte Wade Jr. has found a position at first, digging out these wicked picks. Wilmer ‘s consistent, Ahmed ‘s legit. Jorge Soler has been slow to start but shows moments of form.
Other than B-Craw, the Giants were terrible defensively the last couple of years and it’s a pleasure to watch Chapman and Nick Ahmed and Thairo and LaMonte play tight infield defense.
Bob Melvin (whom I promise I will not call “Bo-Mel” too much) is perfect for this group and I’m SO GLAD TO HAVE A REAL IN-GAME MANAGER.
Bo-Mel is my kind of manager: crisp with the leash and reading the actual game in front of him. I saw him pull Hjelle and knew.
His connection to Farhan and the 2012 A’s is a blessing. I saw that team. Filmed some of it: Here was their starting lineup back then and a brilliant walk off by Brandon Moss and a thrilling run scored by Yoenis Cespedes.
That Melvin has chosen to surround himself with a mix of his staff and former SF Giants talent is a testament to his stated desire for teamwork and for putting the name on the front of the jersey, first.
Hunter Pence, Pat Burrell, Ron Wotus and even Dusty Baker and Will Clark have been seen making appearances.
The Giants bullpen remains solid, competitive and, importantly, have held to allow these comebacks to be completed. Kudos to the ‘pen.
In fact, we’d have swept the Pirates but Tranquilo Camilo Doval had an implosion in Pittsburgh. It happens. I think sometimes it has to happen to a closer like Doval, so he can get the tool into focus – like Robocop adjusting his sight. Glad if it only happens in May. But otherwise Camilo looks in-form and he shook it off beautifully in New York today.
The extra of Patrick Bailey is that he has caught the current crop of rookie pitchers at the minor league level. It’s paying off.
Starting pitching after Logan Webb is a question mark. But Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks have performed well. Keaton Winn wasn’t okay but we’ll see what rehab does for him. The only glaring issue is Blake Snell. When exactly does he switch on?
I expect we’ll lose four of the next six at home because I believe the Yankees and Phils are better teams than us, but the Giants are significantly better at home and performing well in all aspects right now. It would be great to take at least one of these two series.
I’m going to the Sunday game when the Yankees come to town and it struck me:
Aaron Judge could smash the first ever right-handed splash hit.
Let’s Go Giants!
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