Giants vs. Braves, 5/20

I once compared Andrew Suárez to Dallas Keuchel. I rarely take big swings with young players and, really, I just assume all baseball players are going to be bad because baseball is a difficult sport that’s largely about failing with dignity.

For some reason, I did not do this with Andrew Suárez.I saw him as the pitching version of Matt Duffy — scrappy, seemingly over-matched, but smart enough and just talented enough to make adjustments and punch back.

Luckily, everyone working for the Giants and everyone else who watches the Giants are much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much smarter than I and could see the writing on the wall long before I even knew to look.

He didn’t make the team out of spring training because the Giants had a full rotation, he had a 6.06 ERA in 16.1 innings (including a .302 batting average against), and he had options. He has been especially bad to start the Triple-A season: a 6.33 ERA in 27 IP with a 21:10 K:BB. Amazingly, he has a 12.0 hits per 9 innings based on 36 allowed in those 27. He missed two weeks with a hamstring strain and has been really bad since his return.

It has not gone well for the boy who would be Dallas Keuchel. Tonight, he’ll be facing one of the best lineups in the National League, and the sixth-best team in all of baseball against left-handed pitching (113 wRC+). Good luck, kid.

Even if Suárez and the rest of the pitching staff can stymie the Braves’ lineup (lol no), the Giants’ lineup figures to be baffled by Mike Soroka anyway.

2B — Joe Panik
CF — Steven Duggar
C — Buster Posey
1B — Brandon Belt
3B — Pablo Sandoval
RF — Kevin Pillar
SS — Brandon Crawford
LF — Mac Williamson
SP — Andrew Suárez