[lex24]

Must have been the dreaded third time through the line-up (Nb I didn’t watch the game).

BC

Second time through. He was as perfect through 3. Then fell apart. Poor performance from the expected CY winner.  But he has Kate to console him…..

---

Verlander. Another WS failure.  0-6 with ERA of almost 6 coming in.  Can’t hold 5 run lead. Teams were 589-19 in post season history prior to tonight. Wheeler tomorrow.  All pressure on Astros.  Phillies are playing with house money. Plus the Dusty factor adds to the pressure on the Astros.

Castellanos saved the game for Philadelphia.  A below average OF makes the defensive play of the night - you just never know……

Castellanos was the Free Agent signing I most wanted the Giants to make after they signed Rodon. He didn't have as good of a season numbers wise as I would have expected, but he did end up .263/.305/.389, which - pathetically - would have produced the highest BA, OBP, and OPS of any qualified Giants player. Estrada was .260 BA, .302 OBP and led the qualified Giants with a .402 SLG.  Could the Giants have used another Thairo Estrada, given he was their most consistent performer, even though those numbers are terrible for a MLB team leader? Yes, they could have.

Speaking of qualified players, was listening to Michael Kay Show podcast about Yankees, Judge, deGrom, and Jeff Passan was on. They were talking about if the Mets would rather have Diaz or deGrom, and Passan went on to address how relievers aren't nearly as valuable as starting pitchers.  He used the Phillies as an example.  He said the teams that win have great starting pitching and position players who play every day, are the ones who win and that's what the Phillies have. So too did the Mets and Braves. They don't have a dominant closer. But they do have Nola and Wheeler, and they do have Harper, Hoskins, Bohm, Segura, Castellanos, and Realmuto, even Schwarber, who play EVERY DAY.

IOW, platooning does not work.  MAYBE pinch hitting situationally will work, like it did for the Giants in 2021, but did that really even work? They won 107 games, but lost to a team in DS that lost to a team in CS that had an every day lineup in the playoffs and won the WS, which is what matters most.  I mean would you rather have your 87 win team in the World Series up 1-0, or your 107 win team eliminated in the DS?

Maybe Farhan has done all he can on the cheap, ownership doesn't want to be irrelevant with the Dodgers and Padres in the division, and the rumors of Giants making some big signings this off season aren't just rumors but precursors. It would make sense. Maybe the fact he brought in a GM from the Astros who also play a set lineup as much as possible, is a tell.

Zaidi has as much as admitted that they can’t continue to platoon at the level they did in ‘22. I think Giant has it right - platoon at DH and one OF spot. ( Yaz/ Slater) at most one more position (2B - Crawford/Estrada after they sign Correa…). 

Didn’t want Castellanos. He can hit. But he’s one of the worst outfielders in baseball.  He’s a DH.  Only in OF cause of Harper’s injury.  Making his two game saving postseason catches even more remarkable.  I wanted Marte or Suzuki or Story.  I’ll get over it real fast if the Giants sign Correa or Turner or Swanson plus Nimmo/Reynolds (trade) and a starting pitcher.  

Pens are obviously crucial in today’s game. But they are, for the most part, a crapshoot. Relief pitchers are consistently inconsistent. I think a lot of it has to do with the wear and tear on their arms; since today most of them go out throw 95 to 100 every freaking day they have a limited shelf life.  Plus more and more if you guys learn a new pitch which turns your career around out of the pen – at least for a short period of time. Hell, even Josh Hader had two months this year where he was absolutely awful. Course Melvin still should’ve brought him in to face Harper but that’s another story.

[lex24]

Must have been the dreaded third time through the line-up (Nb I didn’t watch the game).

BC

Second time through. He was as perfect through 3. Then fell apart. Poor performance from the expected CY winner.  But he has Kate to console him…..

---

Verlander. Another WS failure.  0-6 with ERA of almost 6 coming in.  Can’t hold 5 run lead. Teams were 589-19 in post season history prior to tonight. Wheeler tomorrow.  All pressure on Astros.  Phillies are playing with house money. Plus the Dusty factor adds to the pressure on the Astros.

Castellanos saved the game for Philadelphia.  A below average OF makes the defensive play of the night - you just never know……

Castellanos was the Free Agent signing I most wanted the Giants to make after they signed Rodon. He didn't have as good of a season numbers wise as I would have expected, but he did end up .263/.305/.389, which - pathetically - would have produced the highest BA, OBP, and OPS of any qualified Giants player. Estrada was .260 BA, .302 OBP and led the qualified Giants with a .402 SLG.  Could the Giants have used another Thairo Estrada, given he was their most consistent performer, even though those numbers are terrible for a MLB team leader? Yes, they could have.

Speaking of qualified players, was listening to Michael Kay Show podcast about Yankees, Judge, deGrom, and Jeff Passan was on. They were talking about if the Mets would rather have Diaz or deGrom, and Passan went on to address how relievers aren't nearly as valuable as starting pitchers.  He used the Phillies as an example.  He said the teams that win have great starting pitching and position players who play every day, are the ones who win and that's what the Phillies have. So too did the Mets and Braves. They don't have a dominant closer. But they do have Nola and Wheeler, and they do have Harper, Hoskins, Bohm, Segura, Castellanos, and Realmuto, even Schwarber, who play EVERY DAY.

IOW, platooning does not work.  MAYBE pinch hitting situationally will work, like it did for the Giants in 2021, but did that really even work? They won 107 games, but lost to a team in DS that lost to a team in CS that had an every day lineup in the playoffs and won the WS, which is what matters most.  I mean would you rather have your 87 win team in the World Series up 1-0, or your 107 win team eliminated in the DS?

Maybe Farhan has done all he can on the cheap, ownership doesn't want to be irrelevant with the Dodgers and Padres in the division, and the rumors of Giants making some big signings this off season aren't just rumors but precursors. It would make sense. Maybe the fact he brought in a GM from the Astros who also play a set lineup as much as possible, is a tell.

Zaidi has as much as admitted that they can’t continue to platoon at the level they did in ‘22. I think Giant has it right - platoon at DH and one OF spot. ( Yaz/ Slater) at most one more position (2B - Crawford/Estrada after they sign Correa…). 

Didn’t want Castellanos. He can hit. But he’s one of the worst outfielders in baseball.  He’s a DH.  Only in OF cause of Harper’s injury.  Making his two game saving postseason catches even more remarkable.  I wanted Marte or Suzuki or Story.  I’ll get over it real fast if the Giants sign Correa or Turner or Swanson plus Nimmo/Reynolds (trade) and a starting pitcher.  

Pens are obviously crucial in today’s game. But they are, for the most part, a crapshoot. Relief pitchers are consistently inconsistent. I think a lot of it has to do with the wear and tear on their arms; since today most of them go out throw 95 to 100 every freaking day they have a limited shelf life.  Plus more and more if you guys learn a new pitch which turns your career around out of the pen – at least for a short period of time. Hell, even Josh Hader had two months this year where he was absolutely awful. Course Melvin still should’ve brought him in to face Harper but that’s another story.