San Francisco Giants Morning Minute: Samardzija Bounces Back, Bullpen Falls Flat

On this edition of the San Francisco Giants Morning Minute, we discuss a nice bounce-back start from Samardzija, the bullpen falling flat, and a mammoth home run.

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Good morning, San Francisco Giants’ fans, and welcome to another edition of the Giants Morning Minute. On Saturday night, the Giants fell in game two to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-5, evening the series at a game apiece. Jake Barrett got the win, his first career victory in the big leagues, while Hunter Strickland was hung with the loss. Brad Ziegler saved his 17th ballgame.

The Los Angeles Dodgers won again on Saturday, their third straight win, to cut into the National League West deficit a bit more. The Giants’ lead, which was at eight games earlier this week, is down to five.

Here’s what went on Saturday.

1 – Samardzija Bounces Back Well

Coming off a mostly porous month of June, Jeff Samardzija looked to get off to a much better start in July. He did so, for the most part, on Saturday, showing a lot of signs that the pitcher who dominated the first two months of the season.

He started off with two nearly perfect innings, striking out the side in order in the first, and allowing just a single that barely made its way up the first base line. The third and fourth innings became treacherous, as he allowed three runs and five hits before recording an out in the fourth, but he quickly settled in after getting a chance to catch his breath.

Chris Herrmann crushed a double off the center-field wall in the fourth, but the ball was within inches of the “home run line”, so Diamondbacks’ manager Chip Hale asked for a review. That period of time, plus a visit from pitching coach Dave Righetti, allowed Samardzija to settle down, and he retired 12 of the next 13 he faced.

All told, Samardzija left the game with those three runs allowed and looking at his ninth win of the season. He also didn’t allow a walk, the sixth time he’s done so in 17 starts, matching his total from 32 starts last season. But…

2 – The Bad Bullpen Shows Up Again

After a leadoff double in the eighth inning, Samardzija retired Paul Goldschmidt for the fourth time before giving way to the bullpen. Josh Osich was the first out, facing left-handed slugger Jake Lamb. Osich threw four pitches to Lamb, none of which were very close to the strike zone. Then it was Hunter Strickland. On his fourth pitch, Welington Castillo crushed a middle-middle fastball into the night, turning a two-run deficit into a one-run lead that would stand through the ninth.

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The home run was the killer, but the four-pitch walk that preceded it made it even more impactful. Lamb didn’t have to work to get on base. All he did was stand in the batter’s box as Osich threw pitches way inside, way outside, way outside, and up.

The Giants’ bullpen has not been very good this season (only the Cincinnati Reds’ abymsal bullpen has blown more saves), but the struggles of the left-handers have been incredibly frustrating. Javier Lopez has looked nothing like the one that enjoyed an incredible 2015, allowing a .278/.409/.417 slash-line to left-handers, and more walks (10) than strikeouts (seven) overall. Osich has been much better against lefties (.164/.233/.291), but his control issues have gotten worse since a great first month of the year. His 4.9 walks per nine innings rate and 1.55 strikeouts to walk rate are both second-worst on the staff, only better than Lopez.

Sergio Romo‘s return (whenever that may be) will be very welcome, but that doesn’t solve the problem against left-handers. Maybe Steven Okert, who has been called up twice this season, should get another shot. In Triple-A with Sacramento, Okert is holding lefties to a .196/.237/.250 slash-line, walking 2.3 batters per nine innings overall, and striking out 5.57 batter per every walk.

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that something needs to be done. One can only imagine that the team of Bobby Evans and Brian Sabean are wearing out the dial pads on their phones.

3 – Mac Williamson‘s Monster Home Run

One night after Jarrett Parker launched a mighty impressive, and mighty loud opposite field home run, his platoon mate, Mac Williamson, one-upped him with a majestic home run of his own.

In the fourth inning, after Brandon Crawford got the frame started with a solo blast, Williamson followed up on the very next pitch, crushing a center-cut fastball from Patrick Corbin. He got every bit of his 6’4″, 240-pound frame into the swing, and that baseball never stood a chance.

It soared through the air, colliding with the scoreboard in center field and leaving a sizable dent. Officially, the home run was listed as a 460-foot blast, but to the untrained eye, that seems like a lowball estimate. He hasn’t quite found good footing yet in the big leagues, but that power is playing.

Next: Giants Morning Minute: Bench Mob, and Belt's Glove

And that will do it for another edition of the Giants Morning Minute. Up next, the Giants and Diamondbacks play the rubber game in their three-game set. Albert Suarez and Robbie Ray will take the mound for the day game.

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