© Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Is it too early in the season to say the Giants have hit rock bottom? There’s always the possibility that things get worse, but the dreary spate of recent games played by this team – which won three World Series this decade (yes, this decade) – inspires a feeling of pure awe. From any perspective, the Giants have been playing non-competitive baseball. Over the past four games, the team has been outscored 45-11.
The second you start wondering, “How can it get worse?” your question has already been answered by some sadistic, hilarious deity who has chosen this specific point in time to torment the organization known as the San Francisco Giants. It’s typified by the moments of false hope, the thought of, “maybe today is the day they break out of this.” No, it’s not that day. Nor is there any sign that day is on the horizon.
Here is what Tuesday’s 11-3 gobsmacking loss to the Miami Marlins – the now 18-34, second-to-last in the majors, last in the National League, Miami Marlins – looked like, as broken down by the moments most punctuated by hope and hopelessness:
Joe Panik’s first-pitch home run
This is the classic, “They snapped out of it,” trick. A run is on the board before the graphics team can even finish its opening graphics display and all 30 of the fans at Marlins Park are confused and dismayed at the realization that their bottom-feeding team is already at a deficit to the (also bottom-feeding) Giants – a Giants team which has a striking inability to strike the ball with a bat, especially in the first inning.
https://twitter.com/SFGiants/status/1133511809539829761
This shot by Panik seemed to throw an early wrinkle into the game, at least, for a moment. It broke the trend of trailing early, which has so often translated into losing early for a team which, with this solo home run, now only has a 53-12 first-inning deficit this season. Whatever residue of serotonin this brief moment sparked for fans – who used to bask in that once-familiar sense of joy when watching this team – was quickly flushed out in the innings to follow.
Shark departs early, like most of the Giants’ starters
This tweet, by The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, is a concise and brutal summation of just how bad the Giants’ starting pitching has been this month, in which the team has gone 10-13:
https://twitter.com/extrabaggs/status/1133544657630224385
The last four Giants starters have been hit often and have rarely gone more than four innings. Here’s what their game lines look like:
Drew Pomeranz (May 24): 2.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER
Andy Suarez (May 25): 4 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 7 ER
Shaun Anderson (May 26): 5 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 4 ER
Jeff Samardzija (May 28): 4 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER
Mike Yastrzemski’s throwing error
This was the beginning of the end for the Giants. With two outs and an 0-2 count in the bottom of the fifth inning and just a 3-1 deficit, an out here would have left the game easily within touching distance, even for a team that struggles mightily to put runs on the board. Instead, what was called a throwing error on Yastrzemski, but what looks to also be a mistake on Buster Posey, was a clumsy mess that shifted the energy firmly in the Marlins’ favor.
https://twitter.com/hutchdiesel/status/1133547004741574656
On the very next play, that first wheel to come off was joined by another. The Marlins’ Jorge Alfaro scorched a 438-foot homer off Nick Vincent, and left the Giants reeling:
https://twitter.com/Marlins/status/1133538088498671616
Nick Vincent leaves hurt
Vincent, after a one-inning outing in which he allowed three runs (all earned) and which ballooned his ERA to 5.58, left with a neck injury after walking Marlins starter Tyler Richards. Vincent had a 2.25 ERA on May 10, before he was used as an opener on May 14. He’s given up at least one in each appearance since then, which amounts to 13 runs (all earned) over 6 2/3 innings. It’s unfortunate to see for a reliever who started off so well and will be looking for a contract in the summer.
https://twitter.com/KO_Crowley/status/1133540665969860610
Derek Holland gets no relief
Since receiving what is effectively a one-year, $7 million deal with a $500,000 bonus next year if he’s cut, Derek Holland has shown little sign he’s the pitcher he was last year. Tonight continued his nightmare season. In the bullpen this season, he’s allowed at least two earned runs in every other appearance. In order, he’s given up 7, 0, 4, 0, 3, 0, and now 2 earned runs in his appearances from the pen. Tonight’s was defined by this three-run home run by Garrett Cooper:
https://twitter.com/Marlins/status/1133543005242236928
Coonrod gets struck by a lightning bolt
Sam Coonrod made an almost picture-perfect MLB debut May 26, throwing a clean inning and striking out one batter in front of his family and with high-90s fastballs with movement and a nasty curveball. Today, he took one on the chin, allowing a 430-foot missile on a 96-mph fastball located up in the zone to his first batter in Rosel Herrera.
Yet, what is probably more important from the Giants’ perspective is that he recovered. He secured a groundout, allowed an infield single and gave up a walk before securing an inning-ending double play.
https://twitter.com/MLBBarrelAlert/status/1133549830599598087
Vogt hustles, and gets rewarded for it
Just as Stephen Vogt was rewarded for an effort, so too will you for reading through the end of this piece. In what was an otherwise abysmal game yet again for the Giants, Vogt came off the bench and demonstrated some leadership, running out what was a pretty standard ground all into the shift. But instead of trotting to first, the 34-year-old veteran got down the line like a prospect trying to make a name for himself.
Brandon Belt followed with a double into the corner, and Kevin Pillar then hit a sacrifice fly to score Vogt (who hauled home again) and move Belt to second. Brandon Crawford secured an infield single after that to drive in Belt, all thanks to some extra effort by Vogt. A 11-3 loss versus an 11-1 loss might not mean much, if anything, but Vogt’s effort showed that there is more that can be done to cut in to deficits and ease the bleeding.
https://twitter.com/hutchdiesel/status/1133553076470657024
