San Francisco Giants Morning Minute: Here We Are Again
On this edition of the San Francisco Giants Morning Minute, we discuss the Giants giving away yet another late-inning lead.
Good morning, San Francisco Giants’ fans, and welcome to another edition of the Giants Morning Minute. On Wednesday, the Giants lost again, falling 6-5 to the Colorado Rockies to lose the series. Jordan Lyles (4-4) was the winner, while Josh Osich (1-3) took the loss.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won to extend their division lead to five games. The St. Louis Cardinals lost, so the Giants miraculously keep their spot atop the wildcard race. The New York Mets won to move into a virtual tie with the Cardinals for the second wildcard spot.
So let’s suffer and re-live Wednesday together.
1 – Ugh
What’s really left to say at this point? The Giants entered the ninth with a lead, and looked well on their way to an all-important series victory over the Rockies. But during the last of the ninth, the Giants found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
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Constantly controversial closer Santiago Casilla had his fingerprints all over the ninth inning, but he had a good amount help in letting the Rockies roar back and come away with a win. It was Casilla that yielded a leadoff home run to Nolan Arenado to make it a one-run game. Two batters later, he hung a curveball (not the first time in the inning), leading to a single for Tom Murphy.
That was the end of Casilla’s night, as he was pulled for left-hander Josh Osich. Thoughts that things would turn out okay without Casilla on the mound were quickly washed away. Osich’s third pitch was a fastball that plunked Charlie Blackmon, moving the tying run into scoring position.
Joe Nathan, the 41-year-old with just one appearance for the Giants since his call-up, was brought in next. When Nick Hundley lofted a sky-high flyball, it looked like a surefire second out. Instead, Angel Pagan got a late break and it fell for a single to load the bases. When Nathan left a fastball center-cut to Cristhian Adames, that was all she wrote. The double brought home a pair and stuck another dagger in the Giants.
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Nathan was charged with the blown save, but it’s one where the stat could be shared. All parties involved played a part in the collapse.
It’s a familiar thing. They were so close to coming out of Coors Field with that win and instead they come away with bupkis. Something has to change in the late innings. It’s past time to move things around and shake things up. Maybe Hunter Strickland needs to be the go-to guy. Maybe it’s Will Smith. Maybe it’s Sergio Romo. Maybe it’s just one of those guys until the heir apparent, Derek Law, is back and healthy.
There’s really no easy answer to this multiple choice question. But something needs to be figured out soon.
Next: Giants Morning Minute: Backups Come Through For Shark
And that will do it for this edition of the Giants Morning Minute. Up next, the Giants have an off-day on Thursday before beginning a three-game series in Arizona with the Diamondbacks. Madison Bumgarner pitches against rookie Braden Shipley in game one.