Bright Moments: Opening Weekend

 

• Joey Bart, opening the season with a home run and a game-saving putout at home (more on that later). 

• Heliot Ramos, just 22 and he don't mind flyin'.  How about a base hit and a run scored in his first major-league at-bat, a 2-for-3 day as the Giants win their opening series, and a standing O from the fans in left field. Welcome to the big leagues, young man. Now guys, let's keep him up here.

• Carlos Rodon, on a five-inning leash, striking out 12, allowing three hits and one run, which scored on a swinging-strike-three wild pitch. Entertaining, and mighty good, and deserving of the win he didn't get. 

• Logan Webb, unruffled as the Opening Day starter ("Of course," his demeanor on the mound seemed to state), pitching a whole lot like he did down the stretch last year and also deserving of the win he didn't get.

• Zack Littell, getting the ground-ball double play he needed in the seventh yesterday to preserve the lead and the win.

• Dominic Leone, rebounding from his horrific Friday to get a three-up three-down save yesterday. With this many relievers on the staff, no one is irreplaceable, and brother Leone did what it takes to pitch another week. 

• Darin Ruf's electric bang-bang unassisted double play at first base that killed Miami's last rally and made Tyler Rogers day a whole lot easier. 

• Austin Slater (more on him later) throwing out Jesus Sanchez trying to stretch a single into a double. 

• And the whole tenth inning on Friday, which looked for all the world as though the Giants were going to egregiously blow Webb's fine start and the home opener. John Brebbia, the last man out of the bullpen, replaces the shellshocked Camilo Doval to start the frame, and with the "phantom runner" lurking on second base immediately walks the leadoff man. Might as well chalk up a run right now, huh? Jesus Aguilar does his job perfectly, advancing the runner to third with a deep fly ball. Then Wilmer Flores, always "adventurous" anywhere in the field, makes a perfect throw home from third and Bart tags out that runner. Gabe Kapler makes the obligatory lefty-lefty switch, and the Giants are out of it without a scratch.

• But that ain't all. Bottom of the tenth, and Mauricio Dubon starting off on second. His baserunning mistakes are already  the stuff of legend, and, oh-my-laundry-- here's another! Or was it really a perfect 9-4-5 relay that got him trying to take third on Brandon Belt's fly ball to right?  Either way, Giants now have two out and nobody on. Then Darin Ruf draws a four-pitch walk. And Austin Slater-- doesn't he do this all the time?-- rips one all the way down the left-field line into the corner and here comes Ruf, motoring around with the winning run. Just like they drew it up on the whiteboard!

• And finally.... Austin Slater. Again. Why? Because we like you.  

 

The San Francisco Giants Open the 2022 Season!

 
Pitchers
 
Logan Webb, R, 25: Ready to break through as staff ace 
 
Alex Wood, L, 31:  Last back-to-back good seasons were 2017-2018  
 
Carlos Rodon, L, 29: Posted 2.76 ERA in AL as White Sox ace  
 
Anthony DeSclafani, R, 32:  Career year in '21; can he stay healthy in ’22?
 
Alex Cobb, R, 34:  Pitched well for Angels in limited duty a year ago
 
Camilo Doval, R, 24: Question is when, not whether, he becomes closer
 
Tyler Rogers, R, 31:  Gave tremendous effort in the 2021 division series
 
Jake McGee, L, 35: Saved 31 last year; was he fatigued late in the season? 
 
Dominic Leone, R, 30:  Another who’s revived a faltering career here
 
Zack Littell, R, 26:  Last year gives him something to build on
 
Jarlin Garcia, L, 29:  Fine K/W and WHIP for first lefty out of the ‘pen  
 
Jose Alvarez, L, 33:  Became fly-ball-out pitcher in Oracle Park

Tyler Beede, R, 29:  Former first-rounder at Last Chance Motel

Sam Long, L, 26:  Has left arm and relatively young age working for him

John Brebbia, R, 32:  15 pitchers?! Somebody's not getting enough work

Position Players

Brandon Crawford, ss, 35: Coming off MVP-worthy season 

Brandon Belt, 1b-dh, 34: You know he’ll hit, but will he stay healthy?

Wilmer Flores, if-dh, 30: Will likely play every day at 1B, 3B, or DH

Mike Yastrzemski, rf, 31: Will he platoon or regain full-time role?

Steven Duggar, cf, 28: Team’s best option in center as long as he hits

Joey Bart, c, 25:  High hopes riding on his success; good spring numbers

Thairo Estrada, if, 26: Could get platoon role at 2B if he hits like 2021

Joc Pederson, of-dh, 30: Can he regain great numbers against RHP?

Austin Slater, of-dh, 29: Giants’ most versatile outfielder will get his reps

Darin Ruf, 1b-of-dh, 35: Slugged .914 and DH rule may be made for him

Curt Casali, c, 33: Played regularly in '21 and pitchers loved him

Luke Williams, ut, 25: Hit well in spring, plays anywhere, and he’s young

Mauricio Dubon, if, 27: Running out of chances, facing stiff competition

Evan Longoria, 3b, 36 (IL): Opens final season of big contract on IL

LaMonte Wade jr, of, 28 (IL): Show-me season-- can he play full-time?  

Tommy LaStella, 2b-dh, 33 (IL): Chance for full-time job once healthy

 

Designated Hitless

 

As the new season approaches with its universal DH, we recommend everyone read this excellent article by the excellent Tim Kurkjian at ESPN:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33621715/a-little-less-magic-mlb-lose-forever-pitchers-stop-hitting

It's a look back at the highlights and lowlights of big-league pitchers at the bat, over 120-some years of baseball history. And we're constrained to mention, perhaps yet again, that we were in attendance at two of the greatest hitting days by any pitcher, both of which Mr Kurkjian recalls--  Atlanta's Tony Cloninger's two grand slams on July 3, 1966, against (all together now) our Giants, and Yankees' rookie Mel Stottlemyre going 5-for-5 and pitching a two-hit shutout against the Washington Senators at old D.C. Stadium, our first major-league game. 

As an aside we'll note that Cloninger's two blasts weren't the only home runs hit by pitchers that day at Candlestick: Ray Sadecki of the Giants, who gave up one of the grand slams, himself homered off Cloninger a couple of innings later.

The season starts in 4 days!   We'll see you soon.