SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: The Giants and Tigers face off in Detroit for a three-game series at Comerica Park…tonight’s game kicks off a string of 14 consecutive days with a game for the Giants, with their next off day coming on April 28, a day prior to their Mexico City series vs. San Diego.
LOGAN LOCKED IN: The Giants and RHP Logan Webb agreed to a five-year contract extension earlier today…the contract, worth $90 million, begins in 2024 and runs through 2028… Webb will earn $8 million in 2024, $12 million in 2025, $23 million in 2026, $23 million in 2027 and $24 million in 2028… the 26-year-old has been one of baseball’s best pitchers since his breakout season in 2021, finishing 2022 with 15 wins, 163 strikeouts and the National League’s seventh-best ERA (2.90)..since July 9 of the 2021 season, Webb ranks inside MLB’s top-20 with 22 wins (tied for seventh), 289 strikeouts (tied for 14th), a 2.92 ERA (18th) and 308.2 innings (second to only reigning Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara).
Most Innings Pitched in MLB Since July 9, 2021
Name Innings Pitched
Sandy Alcántara (MIA) 336.1
Logan Webb (SF) 308.2
Framber Valdez (HOU) 304.2
Name Innings Pitched
Aaron Nola (PHI) 299.2
Corbin Burnes (MIL) 298.2
Gerrit Cole (NYY) 296.1
ROSTER MOVES: In addition to Webb’s extension, the Giants placed OF Bryce Johnson on the 7-day Injured List (retroactive to April 13) with a concussion he suffered making a leaping catch against the wall on Wednesday…RHP Sean Hjelle (#64) was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento, his second recall of this season…additionally, C Austin Wynns cleared waivers and elected free agency and OF Austin Slater was placed on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento.
COULD GO EITHER WAY: LHP Sean Manaea has allowed the sixth-most home runs on the road since the start of 2022 (18)…Detroit hitters have just one homer here at Comerica Park in 2023 and 53 since the start of 2022, second fewest in the Majors in that span…the Tigers have struggled clearing the fence against lefties this year with two such homers and just 30 since Opening Day of 2022, also second fewest in MLB…C/ OF Eric Haase is the only current Tiger to take Manaea yard. JEKYLL & HYDE: In wins vs. losses, the Giants’ run-disparity has been dramatic as illustrated below:
Giants Offense In Wins vs. Losses Through 12 Games
In SF’s Five Wins
Runs Scored ………………………………..43
Runs Per Game……………………………8.6
Run Differential………………+28 (43-15)
Home Runs ………………………………….17
Hits…………………………………………….58
Batting Average ……………314 (58×185)
OPS………………………………………..1.047
In SF’s Seven Losses
Runs Scored ………………………………..15
Runs Per Game……………………………2.1
Run Differential………………-31 (15-46)
Home Runs ……………………………………4
Hits…………………………………………….45
Batting Average ……………198 (45×227)
OPS…………………………………………..560
HAVE MERCY: Despite only two starts in the three-game series, Dodgers IF Max Muncy had 11 RBI…Colorado’s OF Jeffrey Hammonds was the last to have 11 or more RBI in a three-game series vs. the Giants from May 12-14, 2000… Dodgers OF Frank Howard set the record with 12 RBI July 27-
29, 1962.
WATCH IT MOVE: Giants pitchers have leaned away from the four-seam fastball, relying more heavily on their high-velocity pitches with movement…San Francisco ranks first in lowest four-seam usage, and first in two-seam usage (Stats, LLC). MLB,
Lowest Four-Seam Fastball Usage – 2023 (Stats, LLC)
Team Percentage San Francisco Giants 12.1
Colorado Rockies 26.9
Kansas City Royals 27.9
Team Percentage New York Yankees 28.2
Boston Red Sox 29.1
ALL OR NOTHING: IF Thairo Estrada’s ninth-inning solo homer was the Giants’ 21st of 2023, which is the most in the first 12 games of a season in franchise history…over 20% of the Giants’ hits this season have left the yard, with the team’s 20.4% ranking third in MLB (Stats, LLC)…they trail only the Dodgers (26.3%) and the Rays (22.9%)…the Giants also lead MLB with 58.6% of their runs coming via the big fly (SIS)… despite high power numbers, SF also has 131 strikeouts in their first 12 games, which is the tied for third most in MLB history, trailing the 2020 Braves and Brewers (132).
Percent of Runs via the Home Run (SIS)
Team Percent HR/Runs
Giants 58.6% 34/58
Marlins 58.5% 24/41
Dodgers 54.4% 43/79
Team Percent HR/Runs
Padres 52.5% 31/59
Athletics 49.0% 25/51
HIT THE MIDDLE: The four, five and six hitters in the Giants lineup have dealt the brunt of their damage this season, batting .304 (42×138), which is second in the Majors behind Philadelphia (Stats, LLC)…Detroit starter LHP Joey Wentz has been burned most bt the middle third of the lineup…in his 39.2 career MLB innings, hitters 4-6 are batting .277 (13×47).
RUF IN THE DIAMOND: IF/OF Darin Ruf wasted no time reacclimating to the Giants’ lineup, narrowly missing a home run off LHP Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday…in 709 career plate appearances against lefties, Ruf is a .272 hitter with 39 home runs, 103 RBI and an .891 OPS…his 22 home runs vs. lefties while with SF were tied for third most in the National League during his previous Giants tenure.
TODAY’S STARTER – SEAN MANAEA LHP #52
2023 RECORD: 0-0, 4.50 ERA
WITH THE GIANTS: In his first season with Giants…signed two-year, $25 million contract with an opt-out after this season with San Francisco this offseason after spending 2022 with San Diego.
LAST OUTING: Following a short relief outing in his Giants debut, Manaea made his first start for the Giants on April 8 against Kansas City, the team that drafted him in the first round back in 2013…a late blown-lead by the bullpen cost him his first win as a Giant, but the lefty was strong nonetheless, striking out eight while allowing one run on three hits and a walk in 6.0 innings…a solo home run to IF Bobby Witt Jr. was his only blemish…the eight punchouts were Manaea’s most since June 2, 2022 at Milwaukee…per SIS, Manaea received at leats four outs and four swing-and-misses on all three of his pitches.
VS. DETROIT: He has faced Detroit five times during his career, the most recent coming on July 25, 2022 at Comerica Park…an error led to five unearned runs as the lefty surrendered a career-high nine runs total in a 3.1-inning defeat…prior to that outing Manaea had thrown at least 6.0 innings and allowed three or fewer runs in his first four career starts vs. Detroit…no Tigers hitter has more than five career at-bats vs. Manaea with C/OF Eric Hasse possessing the lone home run (a grand slam).
HOMESICK: Manaea’s career road ERA is nearly a whole run higher than at home…in 439.0 road innings, the southpaw is 26-29 with a 4.49 ERA, 406 strikeouts and a .746 OPS compared to his 3.65 career home ERA, 400 strikeouts and .692 OPS.
WHO BLINKS FIRST: Since the start of 2022 Manaea is tied for sixth most home runs (18) surrendered on the road…the Tigers have managed just one home run at Comerica Park this season, and 53 since the start of 2022, which is the second fewest in the Majors… Detroit also has only two home runs vs. lefties this season, and the second fewest big flies against southpaws since the start of last season (30).
MANAEA PITCH ARSENAL / STATCAST INFO (2023)
Pitch Type Usage Percentage Avg. Velo BAA SO
Sinker 38.9% 94.5 mph .273 4
Changeup 36.3% 85.8 mph .091 3
Slider 24.8% 84.8 mph .167 2
MANAEA VS. DETROIT TIGERS (CAREER)
Last Win: 4/15/21 vs. DET (w/OAK) Last Loss: 7/25/22 at DET (w/SD)
W-L ERA G/GS IP H ER BB SO
2022 0-1 10.80 1/1 3.1 8 4 1 4
Career 3-2 3.81 5/5 28.1 29 12 6 27
at SF — -.– — -.- — — — —
at DET 1-1 5.79 2/2 9.1 13 6 2 6
LAST SEASON: Was 8-9 with a 4.96 ERA (87 ER, 158.0 IP) in 30 games (28 starts)…he struck out 156, the second highest mark of his career, in his first National League season…allowed 29 home runs, a career-high…his 1.65 home runs per nine innings were the most among pitchers with at least 150.0 innings.
2023 SPRING TRAINING: Manaea worked out at Driveline in the offseason and saw an increase in velocity this spring, reaching 96 mph after averaging 91.2 mph in 2022…he was 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA, 14 strikeouts, a 0.96 WHIP and a .215 opposing batting average across 17.2 innings in five games (four starts).
APRIL FLOWERS: Manaea’s not been one for slow starts to a season…Including his one career March start, the first month of a campaign has been kind to the lefty…in 24 career March/ April games, Manaea has a 3.09 ERA, 134 strikeouts, and monthly bests 0.99 WHIP, .188 opposing batting average and 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings over 139.2 innings…Two of Manaea’s three career shutouts have been in April, including his
no-hitter vs. Boston on April 21, 2018.
CALIFORNIA LOVE: All eight seasons in the Majors have been with California teams, pitching for Oakland 2016-2021, and San Diego in 2022…despite the Giants being his third team, Gabe Kapler is Manaea’s second MLB manager as former Oakland skipper Bob Melvin also left for San Diego in 2022.
DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:
TIGERS SNAP SKID WITH 3-1 WIN: The Tigers ended their six-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Blue Jays last night at Rogers Centre. Spencer Turnbull started for Detroit and picked up the win, allowing a run on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Four
Detroit relievers combined for 4.0 scoreless frames to preserve the win. Offensively, Jake Rogers had a pair of hits, including a double, and
drove in a run, while Nick Maton went 2×5 with a double.
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF: Nick Maton put the finishing touches on a strong series against the Blue Jays, going 2×5 with a double in last night’s win. Over the three games against Toronto, Maton went 4×11 with a double, two home runs and four RBI. He has recorded an extra-base hit in three consecutive games, tying the longest streak of his career.
MESS WITH THE (TURN)BULL, YOU GET THE HORNS: Spencer Turnbull put together his best start of the young season last night in Toronto, earning the win after allowing a run on six hits with a walk and six strikeouts in 5.0 innings. The victory was Turnbull’s first since May 29, 2021 vs. New York (AL). Turnbull missed the second half of 2021 and all of 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
EXTRA, EXTRA: Miguel Cabrera hit a double in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s game against the Blue Jays. The two-bagger was the 610th of his career and his 1,134th career extra-base hit, tying him with Tris Speaker for 16th on the MLB all-time list.
MLB All-Time Extra-Base Hits List
Rank Player XBH
- Carl Yastrzemski 1,157
- Adrián Beltré 1,151
- Ty Cobb 1,138
- Miguel Cabrera 1,134
Tris Speaker 1,134
BULLPEN BITS: Alex Lange pitched a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout to earn his first save of the season. It marked the second save of his big league career (other, September 20, 2021 vs Chicago (AL))…Jason Foley worked a scoreless seventh inning last night to notch his third hold. Foley has not allowed a run in five-of-six appearances this season, posting a 1.50 ERA (6.0IP/1ER) with five strikeouts.
TIGERS AND GIANTS: The Tigers and Giants begin their only series of the season tonight at Comerica Park. Detroit and San Francisco split their four-game season series in 2022, including a 1-1 record at Comerica Park. The Giants hold a 12-10 edge in the all-time series with the two teams splitting 14 all-time meetings in Detroit.
INTERLEAGUE ACTION: The Tigers begin their interleague schedule tonight against the Giants. With the balanced schedule in 2023, Detroit will play 46 games against National League opponents, compared to 20 in previous season. The Tigers went 11-9 in interleague play last season, including a 5-5 record at Comerica Park.
TIGERS ON THE IL:
• RHP Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort, 15-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
• RHP Michael Lorenzen (left groin strain, 15-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
• RHP Matt Manning (right foot fracture, 15-day IL on April 8, retroactive to April 7)
• OF Austin Meadows (anxiety, 15-day IL on April 12)
• RHP Casey Mize (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on February 17)
• RHP Freddy Pacheco (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on March 27)
• LHP Tarik Skubal (left elbow strain, 60-day IL on March 14)
TONIGHT’S TIGERS STARTING PITCHER – Joey Wentz • 0-1, 5.06 ERA (5.1IP/3ER
• Wentz will make his third start of the season tonight in the series opener vs. San Francisco.
• Took the loss in his last start on Saturday against Boston, throwing 1.2 innings and allowing five runs on one hit with four walks and no strikeouts. • Will be making his first appearance against the Giants tonight…has made six starts in his career at Comerica Park, posting a 0-3 record with a 6.55 ERA (22.0IP/16ER) and 18 strikeouts.
• Saw his first Major League action in 2022, starting seven games and posting a 2-2 record with a 3.03 ERA (32.2IP/11ER) and 27 strikeouts…also appeared in 12 games, including 11 starts, with Triple A Toledo and went 2-2 with a 3.17 ERA (48.1IP/17ER) and 53 strikeouts.
• Pitched in the Arizona Fall League following the season and made three starts for Salt River, throwing 12.0 scoreless innings with two hits allowed, four walks and 14 strikeouts.
