Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski leaps for Ketel Marte’s sixth-inning drive. Yastrzemski caught it for the third out of the inning. Photo: Tony Avelar / Associated Press
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Just as we counted the Giants out last week after having lost 5 in a row and 7 of 8, including those 3 gut-wrenching 9th inning blown leads, the Giants turn it around and hammer out 6 straight wins (and counting) to get themselves right back in the wild card hunt at 14-16. Chad, Eric, and Willie get together to discuss each game of the week, Joey Bart’s MLB debut (finally! boy can he rake!), Yaz’s MVP consideration (he leads MLB in offensive WAR!) and sadly, the end to the reunion with Hunter Pence as he was designated for assignment after posting a miserable .096 average (5-52). We’re going to miss The Reverend.
This podcast is also available in video form below! Join us on Facebook Live (mostly) every Monday afternoon as we review the week in Giants’ baseball!
Shades of 2002: David Fletcher #22 congratulates Tommy La Stella #9 of the Los Angeles Angels after his game winning two-run homerun during the ninth inning of a game against the San Francisco Giants. Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Somehow the baseball season is still pushing forward, despite the Cardinals are now the “infected” team. In fact, although the Giants have played 16 games, which is more than a quarter of the way through the season, the Cards have only played 5 games….FIVE.
Willie Dills joined Chad this week to talk about what may be the most depressing week in regular season TortureCast history. Not only did the Giants drop 7 of 8, but they blew three consecutive save opportunities. The first was the worst: a 5-run lead in the 9th (first time since 1929 a lead this big was blown in the 9th), the next night it was a 3-run 9th inning lead, and last night it was a walk off 2-run HR by the Angels. All 3 were blown by Trevor Gott, who is officially out as closer. However, the defense helped put Gott in the situations in 2 of the 3 blown saves. Adding salt to the wound in between was a 15-3 blowout loss to the A’s. Sitting dead last in the NL West at 8-16, the Giants’ playoff hopes have dwindled to a microscopic level.
Hunter Pence shared this meme on social media after last night’s gaffe ended Johnny Cueto’s no-hit bid.
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Somehow the baseball season is still pushing forward, despite the Cardinals are now the “infected” team. In fact, although the Giants have played 16 games, which is more than a quarter of the way through the season, the Cards have only played 5 games….FIVE.
The Giants went 3-5 since our last recording, but the main hurdle was Colorado, where they lost three of four, despite having late inning leads in two of those losses. They’ve split so far in LA, but Donnie Barrels (aka Donovan Solano) leads the league in hitting, and Yaz leads the majors in wins above replacement. The veterans of Pence, Pablo, and Crawford have not played well at all, and their pitching staff has a 5th worst ERA at 5.05. Surprisingly, their batting average is fifth. At 7-9, the Giants are barely out of the expanded playoff picture, and if they can survive the last 4 games of this hellacious 10 game roadie, they may not be in horrible shape. Eric and Chad chat about all of this and more in a brief episode 202.
Chad’s view of the Padres vs. Giants game at Oracle Park on July 29, 2020. The backsides of the cutouts look like a bunch of ghosts staring at me. (Photo by Chad King)
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
You can also view the live video stream we broadcast on Facebook Live here!
————-
Although the Giants had an average week, it included a dramatic splash-hit walk off, another great comeback stalled by a bullpen that exploded, Chad got credentials to cover a game, and well, basically most of the Marlins have COVID-19 (and now the Cardinals, too), which is putting the MLB season in dire jeopardy due to the number of postponed games. Eric and Chad chat about all of this and more in a brief episode 201.
June 12, 2011 was episode #1. July 28, 2020 is episode #200. We celebrate the fact that we’re this stubborn to continue a podcast about one major league baseball team over nine years.
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
We broadcast this milestone episode live. Check out the full video above!
————-
Willie Dills Gregory and his two friends started this podcast on June 12, 2011. Nine years later, we’ve finally reached episode 200. However, that’s with the caveat that if you add all of the bonusodes, season previews and interviews, it’s really recording number 258. That said, it’s something to celebrate, especially as we recorded during the Giants’ home opener (which they sadly lost 5-3 to SD).
Chad, Eric and founder Willie Dills wax poetically over 90 minutes about the Marlins’ COVID outbreak, the expanded playoffs, and the first series the Giants split against the Dodgers. This episode, and all going forward, was streamed on Facebook Live.
Check out our ugly mugs as we get through this episode! Hopefully baseball sticks around long enough to make it to the playoffs. Thanks for coming along for the ride!
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 23: Johnny Cueto #47 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the game at Dodger Stadium on July 23, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
On paper, we knew the Giants probably wouldn’t make the playoffs, and the Dodgers may run away with the division. But, shortly before tonight’s season opener in Dodger Stadium, the league announced that the playoffs have been expanded to 16 teams total, adding 3 teams to each league. Eight teams EACH from the AL and NL. This is great news for the Giants. But, they still have to be in the top 8 of 15 teams in the NL, a pinnacle they haven’t reached since 2016. But, it’s 60 games, so a little streak here or there, and they could sneak in.
Tonight, the news even got better as Clayton Kershaw was scratched from the start with back issues and placed on the IL. Dustin May was called up as his replacement. Everything started to look a bit more rosey for the Giants. After they had a minimal 1-0 lead (after squandering opportunities to score much more), the Dodgers finally broke through with a 2-out rally to tie the game off Cueto in the 4th. Overall, Cueto looked good until giving up two consecutive singles, a walk, and another single to tie the game.
With expanded rosters, and a young corp to try and battle these monoliths of baseball, Gabe Kapler has an extreme challenge, but he has some depth in numbers (as do all teams, of course). He quickly brought in Drew Smyly and Rico Garcia in the 5th and 6th to toss zeros. But, everything unraveled in the 7th when Tyler Rogers, who only gave up two earned runs in 17.2 innings last year was tagged for three earned runs in 2/3 of an inning. He was also the victim of questionable defense, including his own. With runners on the corners and one out, there was a comebacker to Rogers. He appeared to have enough time to start the 1-6-3 double play, but opted to go for the runner stranded off third. Unfortunately, instead of just running him back to third (the runner from first was able to make it all the way to third, like you’re supposed to), a long pickle ensued, which also allowed the hitter to get to second. So, yes, they got the second out of the inning, but now TWO runners were in scoring position instead of the end of the inning. Enrique Hernandez quickly doubled the Dodgers’ run total with a two out, two run knock to right to put the Dodgers up 4-1, and that was the end of it. They tacked on four more runs throughout the night, and the Giants didn’t put up much of a fight, offensively. But, the game was still tied going to the bottom of the 7th.
Joe McCarthy and Dany Jimenez made their (forgettable) MLB debuts tonight. Let’s be honest, the Giants roster is full of unknowns, castaways, rookies and retreads. Much like when the GM in “Major League” tried to fill the roster with such players to tank the season, but the team has been boxed in by over-inflated “thank you” contracts, bad trades, and a lack of draft depth. If they don’t make the playoffs in this “easy” year, it may be a few more until they crack the top.
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
It’s true, the Giants’ pitchers and catchers are reporting in less in a week. A few mere days until we can claim that we smell the fresh cut grass and hear the crack of the bat echo through our collective skulls.
Until then, Eric and Chad talk about Barry Bonds’ #25 being retired in August, despite not being the Hall of Fame (a Giant requisite for a retired number), the clash between the MLB players’ association and MLB about the lack of free agent signings, Chad will be covering the Giants at Media Day on Friday, and Eric has been writing a metric ton on torturecast.com. Seriously. Go there. Read it. It’s good stuff!
Andrew McCutchen has joined the Giants via a trade last week. Last month, they acquired third baseman Evan Longoria via trade, and this week, they signed outfielder Austin Jackson.
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
In episode 132, Eric and Chad talk about the big signing for the Giants this off-season. We also talk potential lineup options, pitching rotation, and Hall of Fame results.
“Sorry, son, you better piss in a bottle, cuz we have a long way to go”
You can download the episode here, or stream it below!
Nope. Not yet. The Giants are making great strides, winning 3 series in a row, and opening with a win in their 4 game series with Chicago. However, they still find themselves 9 games back of Colorado and in a precarious hole. That said, if they had been .500 or worse, their season really would’ve been over by now, or close to it.
There is life. Not much, but it’s something to build upon.
Chad and Eric talk about where the Giants are more than a quarter of the way through the season, and what it’ll take to erase the Rockies’ lead, week by week. We revisit Eric’s excellent article on the history of playoff berths with a record similar to the Giants’, and although far from a lock, it’s encouraging to see that it’s been done multiple times.
The TortureCast 