SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: Winless in the first four games of their now five-game road trip, the Giants will try and get a win in the road trip and series finale here today in Miami…SF is looking to avoid being swept in a three-game series here for the first time since 2015…the last time SF went winless on a road trip of at least five games was last season when they went 0-7 from July 21-27, 2022 through Los Angeles-NL and Arizona
out of the All-Star Break.
ROSTER MOVES: RHP Tristan Beck has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and LHP Alex Wood has been placed on the 15-day IL with a left hamstring strain…Beck is on the MLB roster for the first time and is seeking his MLB debut.
BE A GOLDFISH: SF has started the season 5-11…the last time that happened was 2000 and the Giants went on to go 92-54 the rest of the way, won the NL West and eventually lost to the Mets in the NLDS (SIS).
MAYBE WE NEED SOME SUNBLOCK…: Since 2015, the Giants have gone 21-27 (.438) vs. the Marlins, which is the club’s second-lowest winning percentage against a National League opponent in that span…SF has only fared worse against the Cardinals (18-29, .383) in that stretch.
IS IT TRUE MOM? ‘FRAID SO…: Furthermore, the Giants are 8-17 (.320) in this ballpark since 2015…the .320 winning percentage is tied for SF’s second-worst in that span in any park they’ve played at least 20 games according to Stats, LLC.
HAVE TO WAKE UP BATS: The Giants struck out 12 times in yesterday’s loss to Miami, the club’s 10th double-digit strikeout game of the year…those 10 double-digit strikeout games are tied for most in the Majors with Kansas City and Milwaukee…unsurprisingly, SF has gone 2-8 in the 10 games… the Giants 177 strikeouts are most in MLB entering play today despite playing two fewer games than the next closest four
teams…the 177 strikeouts through 16 games are the most in Giants history (previous high was 152 in 2021) and tied for the most in MLB history with the 2018 Orioles.
KEEP BATS WARM…: SF scored two early first inning runs on OF Mike Yastrzemski’s 1st inning two-run homer yesterday but then was shut out the rest of the way…on this road trip, the Giants have posted an .887 OPS with six doubles, four homers, 12 RBI and a .310 batting average against opposing starters…against their bullpens, however, SF has slashed .121/.216/.167 for a .383 OPS with one extra-base hit (a homer) and four RBI…below is a breakdown of SF’s runs scored and OPS by inning on this road trip.
LEFT ON READ: The Giants face LHP Trevor Rogers this afternoon in the series finale…a breakdown of SF’s splits vs. lefties and righties is below.
Giants vs. Left/vs. Right Hitting Rankings in MLB
vs. Left-Handed Pitchers
Stat Total MLB Rank
AVG .209 24th
HR 3 T-21st
RBI 11 25th
OPS .555 29th
vs. Right-Handed Pitchers Stat Total MLB Rank
AVG .261 9th
HR 23 3rd
RBI 63 9th
OPS .840 2nd
MIAMI VICE: Two of the former Mets on the Giants have really played well here in the 305 during their careers…IF J.D. Davis has a 1.012 OPS here, fourth-best among active players with at least 100 plate appearances here in Miami…in terms of just OBP, Davis’ .449 OBP vs. Miami is best among active players with 100 PA…OF Michael Conforto’s .976 career OPS at loanDepot park is eighth-best.
Active Players, Highest Career OPS vs. Marlins (min. 100 PA) (Stats, LLC)
Name OPS
Hunter Renfroe (LAA) 1.079
Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL) 1.060
Kris Bryant (COL) 1.014
J.D. Davis (SF) 1.012
Name OPS
Juan Soto (SD) .996
Justin Turner (BOS) .982
Brandon Belt (TOR) .978
Michael Conforto (SF) .976
DEEEEEP CUTS: SF’s 26 homers are tied for fourth-best in the Majors entering play today behind the Rays (41), Dodgers (32) and Braves (27)…the Giants’ 26 homers through their first 16 games are tied for most in franchise history with the 2000 club…SF has been slightly homer-dependent this year with 59.4% (44 of 74) of their runs coming via the big fly according to Sports Info Solutions.
THINGS ARE MOVING…: OF Mitch Haniger (left oblique strain) began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento last night vs. Round Rock and went 1-for-3 with a homer while starting in left field and playing 4.0 innings in the field…OF Austin Slater continued his rehab assignment with the River Cats last night and went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI… in four rehab games, Slater is 4-for-10 with a double, homer,
six RBI and two walks…Slater has been exclusively DH’ing thus far.
JUST REMEMBER ON THE WAY HOME…: After today’s game, the Giants will zip back across the US of A and return home to Oracle Park to open up an eight-game homestand vs. the Mets (Thursday-Sunday) and Cardinals (Monday-Thursday)…SF went 2-4 on its first homestand of the year vs. Kansas City and Los Angeles-NL, going 1-2 vs. both opponents.
TODAY’S STARTER – ALEX COBB RHP #38
2023 RECORD: 0-1, 3.14 ERA
WITH THE GIANTS: Is in his 12th Major League season and his second with the Giants…he’s in his second year of a two-year contract (with a third-year team option) with the Giants that he signed on November 30, 2021.
LAST OUTING: Struggled in his last start on April 12 against the Dodgers…threw just 3.2 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts in the Giants 10-5 loss at Oracle Park…Cobb hasn’t made it past the 4th inning in two of his three starts.
VS. MIAMI: Has faced the Marlins six times in his career, dating back to 2011, posting a 3-3 record with a 2.65 ERA (11er, 37.1ip), 0.94 WHIP and a .176 opponents average against…four of his six starts are quality outings…he most recently started against Miami on August 5, 2020 and threw 5.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits with seven strikeouts…Cobb is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts at loanDepot park, but hasn’t pitched here since 2017.
WALK THIS WAY: Cobb has walked just two hitters through his first three starts of the season (14.1ip)…his 3.2% walk rate (two walks/63 batters faced) is sixth lowest walk rate in the National League (min. 10.0ip).
GET AHEAD: Through his first three starts, Cobb has thrown a first pitch strike 76.2% of the time, way up from last year (64.2%) and also way above his career average (61.0%).
LACK OF SUPPORT: Dating back to May of last season, Cobb has received two-or-less runs of support in 18 of his last 25 outings.
OPPONENTS AGAINST: Opponents are hitting .351 (13-for-37) off him with three extra-base hits with no one on base…however, he’s holding opponents to a .214 average (3-for-14) with runners in scoring position…last season, he allowed a .295 average with RISP.
AGE IS BUT A NUMBER: Only five Giants over the last 10 years have started a game at an older age than Cobb, who in his last start was 35 years, 182 days (Stats, LLC).
MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
MARLINS MINUTE – The Marlins today wrap up a six-game homestand with the final of three games vs. San Francisco after going 2-1 in the first leg vs. Arizona. The team will have an off-day tomorrow, and then begin their second road trip of the year with a three-game set in Cleveland this weekend from Apr. 21 – 23 before heading to Atlanta for a four-game set from Apr. 24 – 27.
YESTERDAY’S RECAP – Miami won their third consecutive series with a 4-2 win over San Francisco last night. RHP Edward Cabrera allowed a 2-run homer in the first inning but proceeded to toss a season-high 6.0 innings with 8 strikeouts. SS Jon Berti got Miami on the board in the third with a sacrifice fly that drove in C Jacob Stallings who went 1×3 with his third double of the season. An inning later, a 3-run home run by CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. put the Marlins ahead for good. The bullpen followed Cabrera with another shutdown night, holding the Giants to 1 hit in 3.0 innings, finished off by LHP A.J. Puk’s third save of the season.
KING AMONG GIANTS – Since the start of 2017, Miami has gone 17-8 in five home series against San Francisco, winning five of the last six series (2-2 split in 2022).
MAKE IT MIAMI – The Marlins have won 7 of their first 12 games at home, including three of the first four home series in 2023. Marks the first time since 2014 that the club has at least 7 wins through this many home games (2014 Marlins went 8-4 in first 12 home games of the season).
• A win today would secure the Marlins an 8-5 record through the team’s first 13 home games, which has happened just eight times (11, 1997; 9, 2014 and 2011; and 8, 2000 and 2003-05).
PEN TALES – Dating back to last Tuesday, Apr. 11 at Philadelphia, the Marlins bullpen ranks first in Major League Baseball with a 0.74 ERA (24.1/2) and 0.66 WHIP, least hits allowed (10), and is one of two teams to not allow a home run (also, TEX).
• RHP Dylan Floro has allowed just 3 baserunners (1 H and 2 BB) in 8 appearances (8.2 innings) with 9 strikeouts. Dating back to July 3 of last season, has posted a 1.43 ERA (44.1/7) with 50 strikeouts. 40 of 45 appearances have been scoreless.
• LHP Andrew Nardi has stranded 8 of 8 inherited runners this season and has not allowed a hit in his last 5 appearances (5.1 innings), with 7 strikeouts in this stretch.
• LHP A.J. Puk recorded the save for Miami on back-to-back nights to secure this series vs. SF. Has held opponents scoreless in his last 5 appearances with 5 strikeouts and 4 hits allowed.
GREAT WHEN LATE – The Marlins offense is batting .299 (56×187) in the seventh inning or later, the best mark in MLB through 18 games of the season. 23 of Miami’s 57 runs scored this year (40%) have come in these final three innings, including 7 of the club’s combined 18 home runs.
• Since April 11, Marlins hitters are slashing .347/.566/.946 in the seventh or later, also the best mark in MLB.
DANCING ON A THIN LINE – Through 18 games this season, Miami is 10-0 when limiting opponents to 4 runs or less and has gone 0-8 when allowing 5 or more runs.
TURNING THE TRENDING TIDE – The Marlins are 5-0 in one-run games in 2023, marking the second time in franchise history the Marlins have won their first five games decided by one run – also, 2008 (started 5-0 in one-run games).
• Miami played 64 games decided by one run in 2022, the most such games in the Majors last season. Miami’s 40 one-run losses were the most in a season in club history, the most since the 1975 Houston Astros (41), and just three shy of the single-season record for one-run losses during the Live Ball Era (since 1920) held by the 1968 White Sox (44).
CUBANO GIGANTE – OF/DH Jorge Soler has already collected 7 doubles and 5 home runs in his first 16 games of the year. His 12 extra-base hits are tied for most in the National League, with Atlanta’s Matt Olson.
• Continued his hot start with a 3×4 effort last night, just his third 3-hit game as a Marlin (also, Apr. 10, 2022 at SF and June 1, 2022 at COL).
• His pinch-hit HR Monday was the 28th pinch-hit HR in franchise history occurring in the seventh inning or later to give the Marlins the lead and the first since Curtis Granderson on Sept. 26, 2019 at Mets. Was just the seventh to occur with two outs, also: Cliff Floyd (July 20, 2000 vs. Atlanta-G2), Charles Johnson (May 13, 2001 at San Diego), Derrek Lee (June 21, 2001 at Atlanta), Joe Dillon (May 21, 2005 vs. Tampa Bay), Donnie Murphy (July 19, 2010 vs. Colorado) and Tyler Moore (May 14, 2017 vs. Atlanta).
• Soler’s 5 home runs through 15 games became the most by a Marlin since Marcell Ozuna in 2017 (also, 5). Only three players in club history have exceeded this mark through their first 15 G: Derrek Lee, 6 HR in 1998; Miguel Cabrera, 6 HR in 2004; and Mike Jacobs, 6 HR in 2008.
• Four of his five HRs this season have tied the game or given the Marlins the lead and owns 8 such homers as a Marlins (18 HR total).
• The Marlins are 4-0 when Soler homers.
GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS – 2B Luis Arraez has 27 hits in his first 17 games of the year (15 starts), with 9 multi-hit games (tied for third-most in MLB). Has the third-most hits in the NL and his .458 batting avg. (27×59) is tops in the Majors among all qualified hitters.
• Is tied for the most hits by a Marlins player through the first 17 games of the season in club history, tying Dee Strange-Gordon in 2015. His batting avg. ranks first in club history through 17 games (min. 50 plate appearances), edging out Hanley Ramirez’s .388 (26×81) mark in 2007.
• 2B Luis Arraez last week became the first player in Marlins history to hit for the cycle, coming in the 4,700th game in franchise history during the 30th anniversary. Was baseball’s first cycle since St. Louis’ Nolan Arenado last July 1 vs. Philadelphia (with Skip Schumaker serving as Cardinals bench coach). There had been 111 cycles in the Majors since the Marlins franchise began play in 1993.
WATCH HIM SOR-IANO – RHP George Soriano made his Major League debut on Sunday out of the Marlins bullpen, going 3.0 scoreless innings with just 1 hit allowed. Soriano was signed by Miami as an International free agent in 2015, making him the longest tenured Marlin across all levels of the organization.
• Joins a small group of Marlins pitchers who went at least 3.0 innings, allowed 2 hits or less, and did not allow a run in their Major League debuts; the last to accomplish the feat was LHP Trevor Rogers on Aug. 25, 2020. The other four: Josh Beckett on Sept. 4, 2001; Ricky Nolasco on Apr. 5, 2004; Adalberto Mendez on Aug. 23, 2010; and Brandon Leibrandt on Aug. 23, 2020.
SEEMS FAMILIAR – Starting with this series against the Giants, Miami is playing 10 games (3 vs. SF, 3 at CLE, 4 at ATL) against the three franchises they faced in the 1997 Postseason, en route to the club’s first World Series win. The Florida Marlins swept the San Francisco Giants, 3-0, in the NLDS and won 4 of 6 games against the NL East Division Champion Atlanta Braves before advancing to the Fall Classic where they won their first ring in an extra-inning extravaganza during Game 7 on October 26, 1997.
TODAY’S STARTER – #28 TREVOR ROGERS
• Trevor Rogers, 25, made 23 starts in his sophomore campaign coming off a runner-up ROTY season in 2021. Made two separate IL stints, including a season-ending lat strain in 2022.
• Recorded his 200th career strikeout against the first batter he faced on April 16, 2022. This made him the first left-hander in MLB history to strikeout 200 hitters in his first 34 games (all coming as starts) while maintaining a career ERA under 3.25. He is just the 12th pitcher to accomplish this feat (All 11 others were right-handed).
• Made 19 starts from the start of the season until July 25 when he was placed on the IL with low back spasms. Allowed three runs or more in 11 of those outings. Pitched to a 5.85 ERA, going 5-14 with 41 walks and 83 strikeouts.
• Held lefties to a .194 batting avg, .296 slugging pct., .584 OPS and just 1 home run (111 BF). Right handed batters hit .299 with a .520 slugging pct., .886 OPS and had 14 home runs (366 BF).
• Struck out a season-high nine batters vs. Texas on Sept. 12. Went 6.1 innings, also a season-high.
• Missed 31 games with low back spasms (July 26 to August 31).
• Has allowed 14 home runs in 106.2 IP in 2022 after allowing 6 in 133.0 IP in 2021.
