SF Giants Minor Lines 9/6/17: Tied

Ground Attack City, baby! Somehow, someway, the AZL Giants found their ways to an improbably victory, setting up a winner take all Championship game tonight.

AZL Giants beat AZL Cubs, 6-5
tying their Best of 3 series, 1-1

It’s impossible to say at this point, who on the AZL pitching staff is healthy, is feeling well, is rested and ready to go. As they’ve slumped down the stretch virtually everybody the team has run out to the hill has Charlie Brown’d their way through rough appearances. And some, like Deiyerbert Bolivar, have disappeared entirely — presumably falling by the wayside with medical issues of some sort.

Still the choice of Marciano to save the season, did seem odd, and didn’t last very long. Marciano allowed a leadoff HR in the bottom of the first to put the Giants immediately behind and walked two of the next three hitters.

Longenhagen was mistaken, as it turned out (confused by the ol’ “multiple #61s” trick). It was Sidney Duprey who came on in relief in the bottom of the 1st. And Duprey, who might have been a better choice to start in the first place, provided sturdy relief, getting out of the first and retiring the first seven batters he faced to stabilize the game.

The Giants offense, meanwhile, was moribund it’s first time through the order. Though they did get runners on base twice, just nine batters came to the plate through the first three. In the 4th, though the tide would turn.

The Giants would end up getting four of their seven hits for the game in a 4-run rally in the 4th that put them ahead. A Nathanael Javier single tied the game and Kyle McPherson’s two-run grounder into CF put them up.

But following a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 5th, Sidney Duprey’s night came to a sudden end.

Yep, still not Alleman.

Regardless, Duprey’s blister opened the door for disaster. Weilly Yan took over for Duprey and preceded to walk all three of the batters he faced. Fortunately Yan did mix in a pick off amidst all the balls. But that still left the Giants in a bases loaded, one-out situation.

This time the Giants turned to Miguel Figueroa, another potential starter option for this game. Figueroa would end up having an excellent night, but it started with disaster.

Figueroa gathered himself and stranded Velasquez at 3b with a groundout and a K, and would pitch scoreless ball through the 8th, allowing just two more baserunners over the next three innings.

In the top of the 6th, the Cubs gift-wrapped a game-tying run as neatly as a Hallmark shop. The Giants only put two balls in play in the inning: a pop up to the pitcher’s mound and a ground ball to 2b. Which of those two, do you think was Jacob Gonzalez’ leadoff double?

Yup! It was the popup to the pitcher’s mound! Following that comedy of errors the Giants were the happy recipients of a HB (well, Rincones probably wasn’t that happy about that), a WP, an intentional walk (Smart Baseball by Keith Law is available at your local bookstore), and an unintentional walk. Nico Girrantano’s ground out to end the inning left them loaded, and they headed to the late innings, tied.

As it turned out, Gonzalez’ circus trick double to the pitcher was the last hit the Giants would manage in the game.

Figueroa meanwhile, would run into some trouble in the bottom of the 8th:

On to the 9th, tied 5-5. Kyle McPherson, the Giants’ 26th round pick out of JMU, worked a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to 2b. A groundout moved McPherson to third, and with two outs, Ismael Munguia came up with a chance to be the hero.

Challenge Accepted!

Speed don’t lie, man.

John Russell, who had a dominating pro debut with Salem-Keizer came on to face the top of the Cubs order in the 9th and immediately put himself in trouble by hitting the leadoff man. But the Cubs then chose not to play small ball and instead of bunting swung away. That ended up costing them when they got a two-out single later in the inning that just advanced the runner along. Russell wove through the danger thanks to two Ks and a line out to CF.

And with that, the Giants survived to face their Game 7.

If Dad is to be believed, there’s no mystery about who the Giants will send to the mound tonight:

Dad says Jake is taking the ball. Illness has hampered him the last few weeks, as he’s given up 21 runs and 6 HRs in 16.2 IP over his last five games. Let’s hope he’s feeling a little stronger tonight. Greenwalt likely has Seth Corry waiting behind him in relief. If last night is any indication, the hooks can come fast if trouble looms early on.

On to Game 3! The most exciting words in Arizona League baseball!