SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: SF is seeking its first win of the 2023 campaign in game two of this three-game series here in the Bronx…the Giants have won two of the seven games they have played in this Yankee Stadium…those wins came on July 23, 2016 (Santiago Casilla got the win) and September 22, 2013 (Javier Lopez earned the win).
ROSTER MOVES: OF Bryce Johnson (#58) had his contract selected to the Major League roster…RHP Luke Jackson was transferred to the 60-day IL…OF Brett Wisely was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento and C Gary Sánchez was signed to a minor league contract.
THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN ALL THAT OFTEN…:C/OF Blake Sabol and OF Brett Wisely both made their Major League debuts on Thursday for SF…since the club moved westward in 1958, the Giants only had five instances where multiple players made their Major League debuts on Opening Day…it was the first time that two position players made their MLB debuts on Opening Day for SF since 1992 when IF John Patterson and C Craig Colbert did so…the full list is below.
THAT’S STRIKEOUTS WITH A ‘K’: RHP Logan Webb fanned a career-best 12 batters on Opening Day, setting a franchise high by a Giants starting pitcher on Opening Day…furthermore, the 12 Opening Day strikeouts are tied for 10th-most all-time by any starter on Opening Day.
OTHER THINGS FROM OPENING DAY THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMMMM….: The Giants were held without a run on Opening Day for the seventh time in the SF-era (1958-pres.) and first time since losing to San Diego 2-0 on March 28, 2019 at Petco Park…the 16 strikeouts by SF pitching were the most
the club has put up in an opener in franchise history…the previous best mark was 13 strikeouts in a 13-inning Opening Day win over Houston on March 31, 1998…the previous best mark for a nine inning Opening Day game was 12 on April 2, 2017 at Arizona (also a loss).
MR. HOMEGROWN: IF Brandon Crawford began his 13th Major League season on Thursday with his Opening Day start…Crawford has played all 1,562 career games in a Giants uniform, third-most by an active player who has played their entire career with one team according to Stats, LLC…only Joey Votto (1,992 games with the Reds) and José Altuve (1,578 games with Houston) have more…for reference, the next closest active Giants player with the most games played for the team is OF Ausitn Slater (461).
A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX?: SF allowed the fewest homers in the Majors in 2022 after also doing so in 2021…according to Stats, LLC that has only happened three other times in the Wild Card-era (since 1995)…the Giants had 74 games in 2022 where they did not allow a home run, also most in MLB…on Opening Day, the Giants allowed two homers after allowing multiple homers in a game just 31 times all of last year, tied for
fewest in the Majors with Houston. Longest Streaks with Fewest HRs Allowed in MLB Since 1995 (Stats, LLC)
Team Streak Years
San Francisco Giants 3 2000-2002
San Francisco Giants 2 2021-pres.
Atlanta Braves 2 2009-2010
Atlanta Braves 2 1997-1998
OUTTA LEFT FIELD…: C/OF Blake Sabol kept the Giants Opening Day left fielder run in check with his start there on Thursday…since 1901, the Giants have had 66 different players start in left field on Opening Day, the most for any position by the Giants with the starting pitcher spot in second (58 different players) (Stats, LLC).
BRYCE AS NICE: OF Bryce Johnson was selected to the Major League roster earlier today and is coming off a very nice spring…the switch-hitting outfielder slashed .310/.423/.405 in 16 Cactus League games while scoring 13 runs and driving in eight…he was a perfect 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts and can play all over the outfield…in a brief cameo with SF in 2022, Johnson went 2-for-18 with two RBI in 11 games.
WE’LL HAVE THE COBB SALAD PLZ.: RHP Alex Cobb is coming off a strong first season in SF in 2022 that saw him post a 3.73 ERA in 28 starts (his xERA was 3.15)…over his final 21 starts last season, he posted a 3.05 ERA with a .318 BABIP compared to a 6.25 ERA and a .411 BABIP in his first six outings…his average fastball velo last year was 94.8 mph, a 2.1 mph increase from 2021…that increase was tied with Shohei Ohtani for the fifth-largest fastball velo increase last year (Sports Info Solutions)
TODAY’S STARTER – ALEX COBB RHP #38
WITH THE GIANTS: Enters his 12th Major League season and his second with the Giants…he’s entering his second year of a two-year contract with a third-year team option with the Giants that he signed on November 30, 2021.
OD ROSTER: Made his seventh career Opening Day roster and second with SF (also 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022).
2023 SPRING TRAINING: Over four spring starts, Cobb went 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA (6er, 13.0ip), 18 strikeouts and a 0.92 WHIP…on March 11 against the Dodgers, he took a 102 mph line drive off his left knee…his tests came back negative and he was diagnosed with a left knee contusion…he was able to make his next start on March 16 at Seattle where he tossed 5.0-scoreless innings, but his knee continued to bother him and he did not make another spring start as he experienced some residual swelling down his leg…on Monday, March 27, he threw 4.0 innings (52 pitches) in Scottsdale in a backfield game and came out feeling good.
LAST SEASON: Finished the 2022 season and his first with the Giants going 7-8 with a 3.73 ERA over 28 starts…it was Cobb’s first season in the National League after 10 seasons in the American League with Tampa Bay (2011-2017), Baltimore (2018-2020) and Los Angeles-AL (2021)…his 149.2 innings were more than each of the last three seasons…he posted a career high in strikeouts (151) and his 3.73 ERA was his best over a full season since 2017 (3.66)…his 28 starts matched the second-most of his career (also 2018) and one shy of his career-best 29 from 2017.
PUNCHOUTS: With 151 strikeouts last year, Cobb set a new career high that he previously set in 2014 with Tampa Bay (149)…his 9.08 K/9 was the best of his career over a full season and his 3.51 SO/ BB ratio is the best of his career excluding 2019 when he made only three starts due to injury…he had two double digit strikeouts games last season (4/12 vs. SD and 7/29 vs. CHC).
LICKETY SPLIT: Cobb used his splitter 42.5% of the time in 2022 which was second in all of MLB behind ATL’s Kirby Yates…Cobb had the highest splitter usage among starters… opponents were 66-for-270 (.244) with 62 strikeouts and a .226 xBA in at-bats ending with the splitter.
FASTER WITH AGE: Saw an uptick in velocity last year on all his pitches…his splitter averaged 89.6 mph which was 2.1 mph faster than at any point in his career…his sinker averaged 94.8 mph, 2.1 mph faster his second fastest velocity.
VS. NEW YORK-AL: Has made 19 starts against the Yankees over his career, going 7-5 with a 3.21 ERA and a .219 opponents average against…11 of his 19 outings have been quality starts…he most recently faced New York-AL on September 11, 2020 and suffered the loss as he allowed five runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings of work.
AT YANKEE STADIUM: Is 2-3 with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in eight career starts at Yankee Stadium.
NEW YORK YANKEES NOTES:
AT A GLANCE: The Yankees opened their 121st season in franchise history vs. the San Francisco Giants on Thursday at Yankee Stadium…the club continues their three-game series vs. the Giants today (1-0 so far)…is part of a season-opening six-game homestand, with three games vs. Philadelphia (Mon.-Wed.).
Are opening the season against a NL opponent for the second time in franchise history (also 2020 at Washington).
WHERE WE LEFT OFF: The Yankees shut out the Giants, 5-0, on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium…RHP Gerrit Cole (6.0IP, 3H, 0R, 2BB, 11K) made his fifth career Opening Day start and his fourth with the Yankees, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings to earn the win…set a franchise record for strikeouts by a Yankees pitcher on Opening Day…CF/RF Aaron Judge (2-for-4, 1R, 1HR, 2RBI) hit his first career Opening Day home run with a solo shot in the first inning and recorded an RBI single in the seventh inning…DH Gleyber Torres (1-for-3, 2R, 1HR, 2RBI, 1BB) hit his first career Opening Day home run with a two-run shot in the fourth inning…SS Anthony Volpe (0-for-2, 1BB, 1SB) made his Major League debut and walked in his first career plate appearance…2B DJ LeMahieu (1-for-4, 1RBI) hit an RBI single in the seventh inning…LHP Wandy Peralta (0.2IP, 1H, 2K), RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (0.1IP) and RHP Ron Marinaccio (2.0IP, 1BB, 3K) were all scoreless in relief.
ALL RISE: OF Aaron Judge drove in two of the Yankees’ 5R on Thursday, hitting his first career Opening Day home run in the first inning and an RBI single in the seventh inning…has hit safely in each of his seven career Opening Day games, batting .429 (12-for-28) with 7R, 4 doubles, 1HR, 4RBI and 3BB in those games.
Since the start of 2019, 67 of his 138HR have tied the game (14) or given the Yankees the lead (53).
Has an 11.15 AB/HR ratio at home (1,293AB/116HR), the second-best ratio in home games in Major League history (min. 300AB), trailing only Mark McGwire (10.56)…is the best mark by any player at the current Yankee Stadium (min. 100AB).
Has hit 221HR in 730 career Major League games, the most home runs through a player’s first career 730 games in Major League history (next: Ryan Howard with 220HR).
His next HR will tie Don Mattingly’s 222HR for the 11th-most home runs in Yankees history…will also tie Mattingly for the third-most HR by a Yankee who was drafted and signed by the club (Jorge Posada-275HR, Derek Jeter-260HR, Don Mattingly-222HR).
Has hit .302/.413/.618 (390-for-1,293) with 284R, 59 doubles, 1 triple, 116HR, 259RBI and 244BB in 365 career games in the Bronx…his 116HR at home are the most in Yankee Stadium history.
Signed a nine-year contract this offseason after hitting an AL-record 62HR in 2022…was named the team captain on 12/21/22, becoming the 16th player to receive the honor in franchise history, and just the second since 1996…joins Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Ron Guidry, Willie Randolph, Graig Nettles, Thurman Munson, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Roger Peckinpaugh, Rollie Zeider, Frank Chance, Hal Chase, Willie Keeler, Norman “Kid” Elberfeld and Clark Griffith.
THE SKIPPER, TOO: The 2023 season marks Manager Aaron Boone’s sixth season at the helm…in 2022, guided the team to a 99-63 record and sixth consecutive postseason berth…with the Yankees reaching the playoffs in each of his first five seasons as manager, he became the first manager in Baseball history to reach the postseason in each of his first five managerial seasons…is the third manager to make the playoffs in his first five seasons with the Yankees, joining Casey Stengel (first five from 1949-53) and Joe Torre (first 12 from 1996-2007).
His 428 career managerial wins rank eighth on the Yankees’ all-time list.
GLEYBER DAY: INF Gleyber Torres hit his first career Opening Day home run with a two-run shot in the fourth inning on Thursday…marked his 99th career home run.
WINNING WAYS: The Yankees went 99-63 (.611) in 2022, posting their 30th consecutive winning season (since 1993)… marks the second-longest such stretch in Major League history behind only the franchise’s streak of 39 straight winning seasons from 1926-64…is the third-longest streak of consecutive winning seasons all-time in the four major sports (MLB/NFL/ NBA/NHL), behind only their own 39-season stretch and 32 straight winning seasons by the Montreal Canadians (1952-83).
A BRONX TALE: The Yankees went 57-24 (.704) at Yankee Stadium in 2022, the best home record in the AL and tied for the best home record in the Majors (Los Angeles-NL: 57-24, .704)… marked their 31st straight winning season at home (since 1992)…according to Elias, is the Majors’ longest current streak and the longest streak by any team since a Major League-record 47-year streak for the Yankees from 1918-64…their 57 wins at home matched their most in a single season at the current Yankee Stadium (went 57-24 in 2009 and 2019).
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER: RHP CLARKE SCHMIDT (5-5, 3.12 ERA IN 2022)
RHP Clarke Schmidt will make his 2023 debut today vs. San Francisco…the 27-year-old will make the start on regular four days’ rest after making his final spring appearance on Monday vs. Tampa Bay (ND, 4.1IP, 3H, 2ER, 1BB, 7K)…went 1-2 with a 5.03 ERA (19.2IP, 16H, 11ER, 4BB, 25K, 2HR, 1HP) in six spring games (five starts)…in 2022, went 5-5 with two saves and a 3.12 ERA (57.2IP, 46H, 23R/20ER, 23BB, 56K, 5HR) in 29 appearances (three starts) over four stints with the Yankees…in three starts, went 0-2 with a 4.63 ERA (11.2IP, 13H, 6ER, 2BB, 14K, 0HR)… as a reliever, went 5-3 with two saves and a 2.74 ERA (46.0IP, 33H, 17R/14ER, 21BB, 42K, 5HR) in 26 games…tossed at least 2.0 innings in 13 of his relief appearances and at least 3.0 innings in five of those relief appearances…made his second career Opening Day roster in 2023 (also 2022)…was selected by the Yankees in the first round (16th overall) of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of South Carolina.
SPRING BREAK: In six games (five starts) this spring, went 1-2 with a 5.03 ERA (19.2IP, 16H, 11ER, 4BB, 25K, 2HR, 1HP)…made his last spring start on Monday vs. Tampa Bay (ND, 4.1IP, 3H, 2ER, 1BB, 7K)…in his fourth spring appearance (third start) on 3/16 vs. Pittsburgh, tossed 5.0
perfect innings with 7K…made his lone appearance in relief on 3/3 vs. Detroit (1.2IP, 3H, 4ER, 1BB, 2K, 1HR, 1HP).
VS. SAN FRANCISCO: Will be facing the San Francisco Giants for the first time in his career…marks his first career appearance against the NL
West…is 1-1 with a 4.02 ERA (15.2IP, 7ER) and 10K in five career Interleague games (two starts), including a 1-0 record with a 2.45 ERA (7.1IP, 2ER) and 4K in three relief appearances vs. the National League in 2022 (6/10 vs. Chicago-NL, 8/23 vs. New York-NL, 9/18 at Milwaukee).
HOME SWEET HOME: Has made 15 appearances (two starts) in his career at Yankee Stadium (13 in 2022, one in 2021, one in 2020)…has gone 2-2 with one save and a 3.45 ERA (31.1IP, 24H, 14R/12ER, 16BB, 30K, 3HR).
In 13 games (one start) at home in 2022, went 2-1 with one save and a 2.49 ERA (25.1IP, 16H, 8R/7ER, 12BB, 22K, 3HR)…allowed 1R-or-fewer in 12 of those appearances…tossed at least 2.0 innings in eight appearances and 3.0 innings in four of those games (all of which were scoreless).
FOR STARTERS: Will be making his sixth career start today…over his first five career Major League starts (three in 2022, one in 2021, one in
2020), is 0-3 with a 4.95 ERA (20.0IP, 24H, 14R/11ER, 7BB, 20K, 1HR)…went 0-2 with a 4.63 ERA (11.2IP, 6ER) and 14K in his three starts in 2022 (6/16 vs. Tampa Bay, 8/28 at Oakland, 9/3 at Tampa Bay).
2022: In 29 games (three starts) with the Yankees, went 5-5 with two saves and a 3.12 ERA (57.2IP, 46H, 23R/20ER, 23BB, 56K, 5HR) over four stints with the club (4/8-5/1, 5/13-6/22, 7/23-8/1, 8/22-10/5)…made his first career Opening Day roster.
In three starts, went 0-2 with a 4.63 ERA (11.2IP, 13H, 6ER, 2BB, 14K, 0HR).
As a reliever, went 5-3 with two saves and a 2.74 ERA (46.0IP, 33H, 17R/14ER, 21BB, 42K, 5HR) in 26 games…tossed at least 2.0 innings in 13 of his relief appearances and at least 3.0 innings in five of those relief appearances.
Recorded five relief appearances of at least 3.0 scoreless innings, tied for the most in the Majors (also Los Angeles-AL’s Jaime Barria, Texas’ Taylor Hearn and Chicago-NL’s Keegan Thompson)…was just the second Yankees pitcher since 2003 to record as many such relief appearances in a season (also Alfredo Aceves’ seven relief appearances in 2009).
Tossed at least 3.0 scoreless innings in four consecutive relief appearances from 7/24-9/8, tied with Mariano Rivera (4G from 4/19-28/96) and Joe Page (4G from 5/28-6/3/49) for the second-longest such streak in franchise history, trailing only Wilcy Moore (5G from 8/7-24/27).
Tossed 3.0 innings in both of his saves…joined Luis Cessa (two in 2018) as the only Yankees relievers to record multiple saves of at least 3.0IP in a season since 2003.
His 10 relief appearances of at least 2.0 scoreless innings were tied for 10th in the Majors.
Tossed at least 2.0 scoreless innings in six straight relief appearances from 7/24-9/14, tied for the second-longest streak by a Yankees reliever in franchise history, trailing only Mariano Rivera (8G from 4/19-5/12/96)…Bud Daley (6G from 7/25-8/11/62) and Wilcy Moore (6G from 8/6-24/27) also recorded six-game streaks.
Combined to make three postseason appearances, going 0-2 with a 11.57 ERA (2.1IP, 3ER)… made his first career postseason appearance in ALDS Game 2 vs. Cleveland…entered the game in the 10th inning and stranded his inherited runner after retiring all 3BF…took the loss in ALDS Game 3 at Cleveland after allowing a “walk-off” single to Oscar González in the ninth (0.1IP, 3H, 1ER, 1K)…also took the loss in ALCS Game 1 at Houston (1.0IP, 2H, 2ER, 2BB, 2HR).
Made eight starts with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre, going 2-1 with a 3.27 ERA (33.0IP, 26H, 13R/12ER, 9BB, 46K, 1HR).
CAREER NOTES: Over his first three seasons with the Yankees (2020-22), has gone 5-6 with two saves and a 3.71 ERA (70.1IP, 64H, 36R/29ER, 33BB, 69K, 6HR) in 34 career games (five starts).
Made his Major League debut in Game 2 on 9/4/20 at Baltimore after never having pitched professionally above Double-A in his career.
Did not pitch in 2017 while recovering from “Tommy John” surgery on his right elbow.
Was drafted by the Yankees in the first round (16th overall) of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of South Carolina…in three seasons at South Carolina (2015-17), produced a 15-9 record and 3.21 ERA (229.2IP, 82ER) in 45 games (36 starts).
