SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Giants open a four game set in Milwaukee tonight as they continue their two-city trip after taking two of three games in Minnesota earlier this week… despite yesterday’s loss, San Francisco has won of seven of its last nine games.
APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS: After going 11- 15 (.423) in April, the Giants have gone 13-9 (.591) over 22 games in May, which is the third-best winning percentage in the National League behind the Dodgers (15-7, .682) and Diamondbacks (13-8, .619).
OPENING ACT: LHP Scott Alexander will start the game for the Giants tonight…he’s 4-0 with a 4.42 ERA in 21 appearances out of the ‘pen and has allowed just one earned run over his last nine outings, posting a 1.08 ERA and a 0.48 WHIP…last season he served as the opener for San Francisco four times and held opponents scoreless in all four games (4.1ip)…it marks his first time opening this season and it’s the Giants fourth time using an opener this year…Brebbia opened each of the other three games with the Giants going 2-1 in those contests.
RISP MANAGEMENT: The Giants struggled with runners in scoring position yesterday going 2-for-16 and left a season-high 15 men on base…it marked the most men they have left on base in a game since leaving 17 runners on base on September 3, 2021 vs. Los Angeles-NL…according to SIS, yesterday marked the first time in 38 years that the Giants left 15 men on base and scored only 1 run in a 9-inning game…the last time it happened was against the Astros in 1985 with Joe Niekro beating Bill Laskey.
KEEP THE RUNS COMING: The Giants have not been shutout by the Brewers in their last 71 meetings, their longest active such streak against any opponent…the last time San Francisco went 70 straight games or longer without getting shutout against a single opponent was against the Diamondbacks between 2010 and 2014 (74 games straight) (Stats, LLC).
BE LIKE MIKE: OF Michael Conforto became one of four Giants players in the modern era (since 1901) to have at least 10 HR and 20 walks in his first 44 games with the team joining Moises Alou (11 HR, 28 BB in 2005), Barry Bonds (11 HR, 39 BB in 1993) and Willie Mays (10 HR, 24 BB in 1951) (Stats, LLC)…the homer was Conforto’s sixth in his last 13 games, tied for the third-most homers in MLB since May 10 behind NYY’s Aaron Judge (8)and CHC’s Christopher Morel (8)…in this run, Conforto is slashing .320/.364/.720 with 14 RBI.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING: According to Stats, LLC, San Francisco has hit at least three doubles in four straight games and looks to do so in five straight for just its fifth time in the modern era (most recently August 26-31, 2016; five times)…only two other teams this season have a four-game streak with at least three doubles: D-Backs (twice) and the Dodgers (once).
TOO MANY MISCUES: The Giants committed a season-high three errors yesterday and now have 35 overall this season, which ranks as the most in the Majors.
FEW RUNS ALLOWED: San Francisco’s pitching staff has allowed four earned runs or fewer in 10 straight games entering today, the second-longest active streak in MLB (see chart below)…during that 10-game stretch the Giants have posted a 7-3 record with the starting staff posting a 4.02 ERA…it marks the Giants’ longest such streak since April 9-20 of last season when they had 11 straight contests (Stats, LLC).
MLB, Longest Streaks w/ 4 ER Allowed or Fewer, 2023
Team Games Date
White Sox 11 5/13 – 5/24*
Pirates 11 4/13 – 4/23
Giants 10 5/14 – 5/24*
*indicates active streak
Team Games Date
Marlins 10 4/11 – 4/22
Twins 10 4/9 – 4/19
BULLIES: The Giants have won seven of their last nine-games, a stretch that comes after dropping six of their previous eight contests…this excellent stretch is in part due to SF’s bullpen, who’s sporting a 1.13 ERA, the third-best figure in the Majors, and holding opposing teams to a .180 average during the run… since May 15, the ‘pens 52 strikeouts are second-most of any bullpen in the Majors behind the Dodgers’ 53 while their 40.0 innings pitched are fifth-most.
Giants Bullpen, Last 9 games vs. Previous 8
Last Ninw # Ranking
Team Record 7-2 T-1st
ERA 1.13 3rd
Strikeouts 52 2nd
Innings 40.0 5th
Opposing Avg. .180 3rd
Saves 7 1st
Previous Eight # Ranking
Team Record 2-6 27th
ERA 5.67 26th
Strikeouts 19 T-27th
Innings 27.0 11th
Opposing Avg. .299 28th
Saves 1 T-16th
ALL ABOUT THAIRO: IF Thairo Estrada is the first Giants player since Barry Bonds in 1995 to have at least 55 hits, 30 runs scored and 10 stolen bases in the team’s first 50 games of a season…Bobby Bonds and Willie Mays are the only other Giants to do so over the past 100 years (Stats, LLC).
IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE: Overall, SF’s pitching staff has posted a 2.81 ERA since May 15, the second-best figure in the Majors behind the White Sox (1.58)…the Giants’ offense averaged 4.1 runs-per-game despite homering just five times over the nine-game span…after slugging an NL-leading 46 home runs in April, SF hitters have just 21 homers this month, tied for 19th in MLB.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS NOTES:
TONIGHT’S GAME: Is game 4 (2-1) of a 7-game homestand against Houston (2-1) and San Francisco (4g)…..following this homestand and an off day on Monday, the team takes a 7-game road trip to Toronto (3g) and Cincinnati (4g)…..their next homestand will cover 6 games vs. Baltimore (3g) and Oakland (3g) from June 6-11.
IN THE TRAINER’S ROOM: RHP Jason Alexander (right rotator cuff), LHP Aaron Ashby (left labrum), RHP JB Bukauskas (neck), RHP Matt Bush (right rotator cuff), LHP Eric Lauer (right shoulder), LHP Wade Miley (left lat), OF Garrett Mitchell (left shoulder), INF Luis Urías (left hamstring), 1B Luke Voit (neck), LHP Justin Wilson (left elbow) and RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) are on the injured list…..Alexander, Ashby, Mitchell, Urías, Wilson and Woodruff are on the 60-day IL.
IN THE STANDINGS (56 days): The Brewers have spent the following number of days alone or tied at each position in the NL Central standings: FIRST: 35, SECOND: 19, THIRD: 2, FOURTH: 0, FIFTH: 0…..the team is currently in first place, leading the second-place Pirates by 2.0 games.
SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Brewers are 8-8-0 in series play.
Game 1: 7-9, Game 2: 10-6, Game 3: 9-7, Game 4: 1-0
Sweep Wins (3): vs. NYM (3g, 4/3-4/5), at SEA (3g, 4/17-4/19), vs. KC (3g, 5/12-5/14)
Sweep Losses (1): at COL (3g, 5/2-5/4)
AT HOME: The Brewers are 15-9 at home, going 5-3-0 in series play…..are 5-1 over their last 6 games and have won their last 2 series…..the team went 46-35 at home last season, going 15-8-4 in series play.
ON THE ROAD: The Brewers are 12-13 on the road, going 3-5-0 in series play…..are 3-9 over their last 12 games and have dropped their last 4 series…..the team went 40-41 on the road last season, going 9-12-5 in series play.
LET’S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE: The Brewers have made nine replay challenges this season, going 5-4…..their last challenge (lost) came on May 21 at Tampa Bay as a hit by pitch (Randy Arozarena) stood.
TONIGHT’S STARTER: #49 – RHP JULIO TEHERAN (season debut)
TEHERAN AT A GLANCE: Julio Teheran, 32, is making his Brewers debut…..Teheran signed as a free agent today after opting out of his contract with San Diego on Monday….. his last Major League appearance came in a start with Detroit on 4/3/21 vs. Cleveland…..after pitching in the Atlantic League and Mexican League last season, Teheran signed with San Diego in December as a non-roster invitee…..he went 4-2 with a 5.63 ERA in 8 starts at Triple-A El Paso this season (40ip, 51h, 26r, 25er, 16bb, 45k, 7hr)…..he last pitched on 5/17 at Round Rock, earning a 10-4 win (5ip, 2h, 1r, 1er, 2bb, 4k, 1hbp, 71 pitches)…..name is pronounced “teh-RON.”
LAST SEASON: Teheran began his 2022 season with the Staten Island FerryHawks of the independent Atlantic League and went 1-1 with a 1.60 ERA in 6 starts…..he held opponents to a .198 batting average with 35 strikeouts in 33.2 innings…..he then pitched in the Mexican League for Toros de Tijuana (6gs) and Sultanes de Monterrey (1gs), going a combined 4-2 with a 4.41 ERA in 7 starts…..he had 35 strikeouts in 32.2 innings in the Mexican League.
CAREER: Is 78-77 with a 3.80 ERA in 240 games/236 starts (1396.1ip, 590er)…..is in his 12th Major League season with Atlanta (2011-19), Los Angeles-AL (2020), Detroit (2021) and Milwaukee (2023)…..the two-time All-Star (2014 and 2016) made 30+ starts in seven consecutive seasons from 2013-19…..he was the Braves’ Opening Day starter in six straight seasons from 2014-19.
CAREER AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD: Is 0-2 with a 3.26 ERA in 3 starts (19.1ip, 7er)…..last pitched in Milwaukee in 2015 with the Braves.
CAREER ON THE ROAD: Is 40-41 with a 3.95 ERA in 114 games/112 starts (665.1ip, 292er).
CAREER vs. GIANTS: Is 2-3 with a 3.99 ERA in 8 games/7 starts (47.1ip, 21er)…..he last faced the Giants with the Angels on 8/20/20 at Oracle Park, pitching in relief in the team’s 10-5 loss (5ip, 6h, 4r, 4er, 2bb, 2k, 1hr).
