San Francisco Giants top prospect Marco Luciano made his long anticipated MLB debut last night. Luciano received a standing ovation prior to his first at-bat, and again after he flew out to the right field wall on the first pitch he saw. Luciano also made a few nice plays at shortstop for the Giants. But after only two plate appearances, leading off the seventh inning with a two-run lead, SF Giants manager Gabe Kapler elected to pinch hit for Luciano. While the move may have been correct statistically, it took away from the entertainment value of the game, as so many Giants fans wanted to see Luciano.
Kapler's decision earlier in the game to pinch hit for Michael Conforto with Austin Slater, however, was a good move. The difference is that at that point the game was tied and the go-ahead run was on second base with one out. Slater hit another pinch-hit homer, giving the Giants a lead they would make stand up. Slater is the best pinch hitter in baseball, but this move does highlight the disappointing overall season Conforto has had, and the fact that his poor performance against lefties means he will sometimes not hit against them. Most of the SF Giants' offseason signings have been significant disappointments.
But all that matters is that the Giants beat the A's and swept this two-game series. The Giants' position as clear buyers had slipped following their ghastly six-game losing streak, but the SF Giants are in a much better position after two straight wins. They're only three games back in the NL West, and they are the top wild card team in the league. FanGraphs estimates the Giants' playoff odds to be roughly 65% with only four games remaining before Tuesday's trade deadline.
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick
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