San Francisco Giants Baseball (SF Giants Rumors)

SF Giants Rumors: Cain, Blanco, Sandoval, Scutaro, Etc.

Last night was the pitching duel that everyone expected with Matt Cain (after his rocky 1st inning) on the mound against Stephen Strasburg. Both guys did their job to give their team a chance to win, and the San Francisco Giants needed some ninth inning magic to tie the game.

Blanco Payback

Outfielder Gregor Blanco and the Giants were down to the last strike when Blanco hit a triple to score Andres Torres to tie the game 2-2.

Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com says (via Twitter) Blanco admitted he was fired up to face the Nationals because they never called him up from Triple-A in 2011. I’m sure last night’s game had to feel good for Blanco, and he got some payback.

Big Panda Power

Pablo Sandoval is the man that sent Giants fans home happy. The Kung Fu Panda hit a ball that probably hasn’t landed yet. It was a 2-run bomb in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Giants a walk-off win!

Baggarly pointed out (via Twitter) that Sandoval had an IV treatment prior to the game. He’s still battling flu symptoms. You sure couldn’t tell by watching him play 10 innings, and seeing him hit a game winning homer.

Follow Cain’s Lead

In another Baggarly tweet, he says Cain is the first Giants starting pitcher since May 12 to toss 7 innings and allowing 2 or less earned runs. Let’s hope the rest of the starters follow Cain’s lead.

Hitting Streak

Another game, and another hit for Marco Scutaro. Scutaro extended his hitting streak to 19 games, and had another multi-hit game! He’s now hitting .337, and prior to his hit streak, Scutaro was hitting .215.

Don’t forget to go to the SF Giants Rumors Facebook page to share your thoughts on all the latest Giants News/Rumors!

~Steven Robles

———-——–—-——-——––———————-—————————————————-

Want an email alert when there’s a new post? Click the “Contact Us” tab and request to be added to the email list. You can also follow on Twitter @SFGiants_Rumors, Google+ and SportStreet!

Technorati Tags: Andres Torres, Giants Hot Stove, Giants Trade Rumors, Gregor Blanco, Marco Scutaro, Matt Cain, MLB Rumors Giants, Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants News, SF Giants Rumors, SFG Rumors, Stephen Strasburg

SF Giants Rumors: Vogelsong’s Replacement, Scutaro’s Streak, Tonight’s Matchup, Etc.

Photo Courtesy of Jesse Montellano

Let’s put the 1-5 road-trip behind us, and just be glad it’s in the past. The San Francisco Giants kicked off a homestand last night with a big win over the Nationals. Ryan Vogelsong looked like he finally found his groove till he fractured his finger and dislocated his joint in the pinky finger (pitching hand). He’s scheduled to have surgery today, and is likely out for 6 weeks or more.

The Giants have an off day before Vogelsong’s spot in the rotation, so they don’t have to add another starter as of yet. However, I would think they would, so the rest of the staff can use that extra day of rest.

Chad Gaudin is in the running to fill that spot in the rotation, or the Giants can call up Mike Kickham and give him a shot to hold it down till Vogelsong returns. Kickham’s 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his last 4 starts.

Scutaro Streak

Infielder Marco Scutaro is in the midst of a 18-game hitting streak. At the start of his streak, he was hitting .215. Now he’s leading the team with a .333 average. Scutaro has racked up 36 hits during this streak, and there’s no sign of him slowing down! He’s coming off a multi-hit game, and has had 14 multi-hit games during this 18-game streak.

Tonight’s Pitching Matchup

The Nationals are sending pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg to the mound. He currently has a 2-5 record, but don’t let that record fool you. He also has a 2.99 ERA, and is coming off a 1-run performance in 8 innings pitched against the Padres. Matt Cain gets the ball for the Giants. Cain is 3-2 with a 5.43 ERA, and looks to keep the Giants on track at home.

Roster Update

Today the Giants sent Vogelsong and Santiago Casilla to the DL, and called up Brett Pill and Sandy Rosario.

Side Note

Bryce Harper sent out a tweet Sunday saying, “San Fran is one of my favorite places to play! Such an incredible ballpark and fan base! Ready to play there again! #baseball #blessed.”

Don’t forget to go to the SF Giants Rumors Facebook page to share your thoughts on all the latest Giants News/Rumors!

~Steven Robles

———-——–—-——-——––———————-—————————————————-

Want an email alert when there’s a new post? Click the “Contact Us” tab and request to be added to the email list. You can also follow on Twitter @SFGiants_Rumors, Google+ and SportStreet!

Technorati Tags: Brett Pill, Bryce Harper, Chad Gaudin, Giants Hot Stove, Giants Trade Rumors, Marco Scutaro, Matt Cain, Mike Kickham, MLB Rumors Giants, Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants, Sandy Rosario, Santiago Casilla, SF Giants News, SF Giants Rumors, SFG Rumors, Stephen Strasburg

Contest: Who Stole Barry Bonds’ 756 Plaque & Why? Funniest Answer Wins!

Technorati Tags: Giants Hot Stove, Giants Trade Rumors, MLB Rumors Giants, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants News, SF Giants Rumors, SFG Rumors

SF Giants Rumors: Magical Comeback, Pence The Magician, And Team Leaders

Last night was a good night if you’re a San Francisco Giants fan, but a sad night for the rest of the Bay Area (Warriors/Sharks). The night started just like it did in Toronto, the Giants found themselves in a deep hole. However, this night ended much differently. They found a way to erase a 6-run deficit to beat the Rockies. This is the Giants 10th straight win over the Rockies.

Technorati Tags: Brandon Belt, Giants Hot Stove, Giants Trade Rumors, Hunter Pence, MLB Rumors Giants, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants News, SF Giants Rumors, SFG Rumors

SF Giants Rumors: Vogelsong, Gaudin, Sabean, Wilson and Lineup

If you’re looking for some good San Francisco Giants talk. You should follow Marty Lurie. Today he sent out a tweet to get fans baseball juices flowing. Lurie said (via Twitter) it’s time to pull Ryan Vogelsong from the rotation. “He is killing the ‘pen & the affect on the rest of the staff is not worth another start.”

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle snowballs on top of that topic, and says (via Twitter) he doesn’t see any savior from the minors. If Vogelsong is skipped, Chad Gaudin will likely get the ball.

Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com says GM Brian Sabean told him that he’s heard Brian Wilson will showcase himself over the All-Star break or thereabouts. Sabean doesn’t know how Wilson is throwing, but does know that he’s working out like a fiend.

Tonight’s Lineup

CF Pagan

2B Scutaro

3B Sandoval

C Posey

RF Pence

1B Belt

LF Blanco

SS Crawford

P Cain

Don’t forget to go to the SF Giants Rumors Facebook page to share your thoughts on all the latest Giants News/Rumors!

~Steven Robles

———-——–—-——-——––———————-—————————————————-

Want an email alert when there’s a new post? Click the “Contact Us” tab and request to be added to the email list. You can also follow on Twitter @SFGiants_Rumors, Google+ and SportStreet!

Technorati Tags: Brian Sabean, Brian Wilson, Chad Gaudin, Giants Hot Stove, Giants Trade Rumors, MLB Rumors Giants, Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants News, SF Giants Rumors, SFG Rumors

Down on the Farm: Joe Panik

“A lot of us in the organization said he reminded us of Buster Posey,” said Richmond Flying Squirrels hitting coach, Ken Joyce. “In the sense that he has that same demeanor. He has that attitude in the way he goes about his business. He’s professional, came from a decent family, and a good school at St. John’s.”

That kind of summation of a player sounds like something Trent Baalke would say after another successful NFL Draft. Like the 49ers, the San Francisco Giants seem drawn to high character players who come from good families and take their opportunity to make a living as a professional athlete seriously.

Of course, this doesn’t always translate to success. In Posey’s case, it most certainly did. To make such a favorable comparison when discussing Joe Panik‘s approach to the game suggests that the Giants drafted a player who is ready to take the next step and understands the work necessary to excel at each level.

Twenty-two year-old Panik was drafted with the 29th pick of the 1st round in the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft from St. John’s University (Queens, NY). He ranked tenth among college baseball players with a .509 OBP and was a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, an honor given to the nation’s top shortstop. At the time, most pundits suggested that Panik’s game most likely translated best at second base at the major league level.

The scouting report on Panik is favorable, although most scouts saw his ceiling as a utility player and didn’t have him going in the 1st round. At 6’1, 190 lbs, Panik possesses an average frame with solid athleticism. He has great contact ability like Marco Scutaro, taking a simple and quiet swing consistently through the strike zone. He also uses the whole field well in his approach at the plate. His OBP numbers suggest a knack for pitch recognition. One of the biggest question marks surrounding Panik was whether or not he could adjust to high-end velocity and drive the ball with more authority at the upper levels rather than simply slapping it around the infield. With a lack of innate raw power, he projects more as a gap-to-gap hitter, again not unlike Scutaro.

Panik’s modest arm strength, solid throwing mechanics on the run, and quick transfer and unload times with plus accuracy are perhaps the biggest reasons for a position change from shortstop to second base. His fundamentals with the glove are solid, and his decent range makes him an ideal candidate for the right side of the infield.

Panik is an instinctual, grinder of a player with a high baseball IQ. He made his professional debut in 2011 at Class-A short season with Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in the Northwest League. He got off to a roaring start, leading the league with a .341 batting average, 49 runs scored, 54 RBIs, and a .401 OBP, earning the MVP award. An invitation to the Arizona Fall League provided Panik with his first opportunity to play second base regularly. He was rated the tenth best second base prospect according to MLB.com prior to the start of the 2012 season.

The Giants pushed Panik aggressively in 2012, and Panik hit .297, with 76 RBIs and 58 BB in the High-A California League (San Jose Giants). He posted third in the league with 159 hits, and after the All-Star break, he hit .324, including a .337 average with runners in scoring position. This earned Panik a promotion from High-A to Double-A, where the superior pitching in the Eastern League should pose a stiffer challenge to Panik. Double-A has a way of sorting out all the real prospects, so this is definitely the year to monitor Panik’s progress.

As of this posting, here are Panik’s stats batting in the 2-hole for Richmond:

.304 BA, .380 OBP, .788 OPS, 9 doubles, 2 triples, and 12 RBIs in 32 games.

Currently, he’s made 4 errors in those 32 games, sporting a .933 fielding percentage.

Panik’s thoughts on his progress so far: “I was pretty excited to come to the Eastern League, making the jump from High-A to Double-A. I was looking forward to it. So far, I’ve gotten off to a good start, and I’ve really gotten comfortable with the competition. Going forward, I’m very confident.”

If he can continue to make progress driving the ball to the outfield and he maintains his solid average and OBS, then Panik should find himself starting for Triple-A Fresno (Fresno Grizzlies) in 2014 with a possible September call-up that year. The third year in Scutaro’s deal was the deal-breaker in resigning him, but the front office seems content to write that off as an acceptable loss if he can remain productive for the first two years of the deal. A passing of the torch, so to speak, from Scutaro to Panik in 2015 appears to be the grand scheme in the end.

~Paul Ghiglieri

Note: Check out SF Giants Rumors Interview With Joe Panik, and click here for Panik and Joyce’s quotes.

———-——–—-——-——––———————-—————————————————-

You can follow SF Giants Rumors Facebook page for more Giants updates! Want an email alert when there’s a new post? Click the “Contact Us” tab and request to be added to the email list. You can also follow on Twitter @SFGiants_Rumors, Google+ and SportStreet!

Technorati Tags: Arizona Fall League, Buster Posey, Down On The Farm, Fresno Grizzlies, Giants Hot Stove, Giants Trade Rumors, Joe Panik, Marco Scutaro, MLB Rumors Giants, Richmond Flying Squirrels, Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, San Francisco Giants, San Jose Giants, SF Giants News, SF Giants Rumors, SFG Rumors

SF Giants Rumors: Melky Cabrera, It Wasn’t Muscle Melk

The San Francisco Giants finished a 7-3 homestand, and then were off to see Melky Cabrera and the Jays in Toronto. Manager Bruce Bochy presented Cabrera with his World Series ring in a private setting. Bochy said Melky wanted it that way, and Melky says Bochy wanted it that way. I think it’s safe to say that Melky didn’t want the presentation to be public with the way he left the team last year.

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle say (via Twitter) Melky didn’t address his Giants teammates when he was suspended because “somebody” said it would be a bad idea. However, Melky refused to say who the “somebody” was.

Melky isn’t putting up the kind of numbers he was last year for the Giants thus far. However, he did light the Giants up for four hits in last night’s game. To make matters worse, the Giants also lost the game 10-6.

Tonight’s Lineup

CF Pagan

2B Scutaro

3B Sandoval

DH Posey

RF Pence

1B Belt

LF Blanco

C Quiroz

SS Crawford

P Vogelsong

Don’t forget to go to the SF Giants Rumors Facebook page to share your thoughts on all the latest Giants News/Rumors!

~Steven Robles

———-——–—-——-——––———————-—————————————————-

Want an email alert when there’s a new post? Click the “Contact Us” tab and request to be added to the email list. You can also follow on Twitter @SFGiants_Rumors, Google+ and SportStreet!

Technorati Tags: Bruce Bochy, Giants Hot Stove, Giants Trade Rumors, Melky Cabrera, MLB Rumors Giants, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants News, SF Giants Rumors, SFG Rumors

SF Giants Blogs Around The Web: Rotation, Scouting Reports, Zito, Pence and Belt

Below is the links from last Friday’s feature of SF Giants Blogs Around The Web. We were unable to post since last week for multiple reasons, but still wanted to pass along the must read links!

An in-depth look at starting rotation’s woes from Paul Ghiglieri at MiracleAtCoogansBluff.com.

Humorous take from Grant Brisbee at McCoveyChronicles.com on Lost Scouting Reports given the HOF’s recent release of R.A. Dickey‘s scouting report.

Funny examination from Chris Quick at BayCityBall.com of Barry Zito‘s lone career base hit to right field.

A great case for signing Hunter Pence long term from DP over at DodgerHater.blogspot.com.

Scott Willis at The Crazy Crabbers on Brandon Belt discussing swing mechanics with Keith Law.

~Paul Ghiglieri

———-——–—-——-——––———————-—————————————————-

You can follow SF Giants Rumors Facebook page for more Giants updates! Want an email alert when there’s a new post? Click the “Contact Us” tab and request to be added to the email list. You can also follow on Twitter @SFGiants_Rumors, Google+ and SportStreet!

Technorati Tags: Barry Zito, Brandon Belt, Giants Hot Stove, Giants Trade Rumors, Hunter Pence, MLB Rumors Giants, R.A. Dickey, SF Giants News, SF Giants Rumors, SFG Rumors

SF Giants Rumors: Cliff Lee Could Be On The Giants Radar

Last night didn’t go as planned for the San Francisco Giants. Cliff Lee and the Phillies pumped the brakes on the Giants six game winning streak.

Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com says it’s worth the Giants’ time to pick up the phone and inquire about a possible trade for Lee. It’s not likely that the Phillies will be able to keep pace with the Braves and Nationals, so they could be interested in dumping Lee’s salary and picking up some prospects in addition.

Lee is making $25 million this year, and the next two years as well. He also has a club option for $27.5 million in 2016 ($12 million buyout).

In his career, Lee is 4-0 at AT&T Park with a 0.84 ERA (not counting the 2010 World Series). This proves that he would be a great asset to the Giants in their rotation. We are still a couple months away from the trading deadline, but it’s nice to know that Lee could be a possibility.

Don’t forget to go to the SF Giants Rumors Facebook page to share your thoughts on Lee as a possible acquisition at the trading deadline!

~Steven Robles

———-——–—-——-——––———————-—————————————————-

Want an email alert when there’s a new post? Click the “Contact Us” tab and request to be added to the email list. You can also follow on Twitter @SFGiants_Rumors, Google+ and SportStreet!

Technorati Tags: AT&T Park, Cliff Lee, Giants Hot Stove, Giants Trade Rumors, MLB Rumors Giants, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants News, SF Giants Rumors, SFG Rumors

SF Giants Rumors: Sweep LA, Roster Moves, Real Pence, Mays Birthday, Etc.

The hated Dodgers came to town this weekend, and looked to end the Giants winning streak. However, they weren’t able to leave San Francisco with any wins. The San Francisco Giants swept them right out of town, and are in the midst of a six game winning streak! They’ve also already swept a series from every team in the NL West!

Roster Moves

Prior to the start of the Dodgers series; the Giants sent pitcher Sandy Rosario and catcher Hector Sanchez to the minors. They called up outfielder Francisco Peguero and activated reliever Jeremy Affeldt from the DL.

Will The Real Pence, Please Stand Up

Funky Hunter Pence is going to face his former team (Phillies) tonight, and I’m sure that’s going to give him some added motivation. During the Giants six game winning streak, Pence has hit .320 with a homer and 6 RBI. Giants’ fans are seeing the real Pence, and not the struggling one after the trade last year.

Happy Birthday

“The Say Hey Kid”, Willie Mays turns 82 today. Happy Birthday to the living legend!

NL West Standings

Giants:     19-12

Rockies:   18-13

D-Backs:   16-16

Dodgers:    13-17

Padres:      13-18

Team Leaders

AVG: Sandoval (.331)

HR: Crawford & Pence (5)

RBI: Sandoval (24)

SB: Pence (5)

 W: Bumgarner, Zito & Casilla (3)

ERA: Bumgarner (1.55)

Saves: Romo (12)

 K: Lincecum (38)

Don’t forget to go to the SF Giants Rumors Facebook page to share your thoughts on all the latest Giants News/Rumors!

~Steven Robles

———-——–—-——-——––———————-—————————————————-

Want an email alert when there’s a new post? Click the “Contact Us” tab and request to be added to the email list. You can also follow on Twitter @SFGiants_Rumors, Google+ and SportStreet!

Technorati Tags: Francisco Peguero, Giants Hot Stove, Giants Trade Rumors, Hector Sanchez, Hunter Pence, Jeremy Affeldt, MLB Rumors Giants, NL West, San Francisco Giants, Sandy Rosario, SF Giants News, SF Giants Rumors, SFG Rumors, Willie Mays