SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: SF returns to action with their series-opener in Miami after a five-hour long weather delay, and eventual postponement in Detroit, spoiled yesterday’s finale…this series marks SF’s second vs. a National League team this season as 11 of the first 14 games came against American League foes…since 2015, the Giants have gone 21-25 (.457) vs. the Marlins, which is the club’s third-lowest winning percentage against a National League opponent in that span… SF has only fared worse against the Cardinals (18-29, .383) and Dodgers (65-81, .445) in that stretch.
LEFT ON READ: The Giants face a lefty starting pitcher for the fifth time in seven games…their .201 batting average against lefties ranks 27th in MLB, and their eight RBI is tied for 28th… San Francisco will likely load up on righties in their lineup, but Miami pitchers have the eighth lowest batting average against righties (.244).
Giants Hitting Rankings in MLB vs. Left-Handed Pitchers
Stat Total MLB Rank
AVG .201 27th
HR 3 T-20th
RBI 8 T-28th
OPS .541 30th
vs. Right-Handed Pitchers Stat Total MLB Rank
AVG .267 6th
HR 22 3rd
RBI 61 T-5th
OPS .863 2nd
REINFORCEMENTS: Two the Giants’ best right-handed bats are on the mend in OF Mitch Haniger and OF Austin Slater… Slater is 1-for-4 with a homer, three runs and two walks in two rehab games as the DH in Triple-A Sacramento…Haniger is doing all baseball activity…the plan as of last Friday was for him to start a rehab assignment at some point this week.
JUST DINGERS?: IF J.D. Davis homered for a second consecutive game Saturday and he’s now homered in back-to-back games twice in 2023 (also April 5-6)…his seven RBI over his last three games are the most he’s had in a three-game span in his career…in 67 career games in April, Davis is hitting .337 with 10 homers and a monthly-high .989 OPS. If history repeats itself, Davis should be due for another big series…Davis’ .453 on-base percentage is best and his 1.020 OPS is third best among active players with at least 100 plate appearances vs. the Marlins (Stats, LLC)…teammate OF Michael Conforto is not far behind, ranking seventh with a .976 career OPS vs. Miami.
Active Players, Highest Career OPS vs. Marlins (Stats, LLC)
Name OPS
Hunter Renfroe (LAA) 1.079
Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL) 1.060
J.D. Davis (SF) 1.020
Name OPS
Kris Bryant (COL) 1.014
Juan Soto (SD) .996
Justin Turner (BOS) .982
DEEEEEP CUTS: With two more home runs on Saturday, the Giants have now hit 25 home runs so far this season, which is fourth most in MLB behind Tampa Bay (36), Los Angeles-NL (27) and New York-AL (26)…the Giants’ 25 homers through their first 14 games are most in franchise history…the most homers through the first 15 games in SF history is 23 (in 2001, 2000 and 1958), which this club has already surpassed…SF has been slightly homer-dependent this year with 60.9% (42 of 69) of their runs coming via the big fly (SIS).
NO PANIC AT THE DISCO: RHP Anthony DeSclafani has opened 2023 without a walk while striking out 16 through his first three starts (19.0 innings)…the only other Giants starter in the SF-era (1958-pres.) to achieve that feat was RHP Tim Hudson, who had zero walks and 16 strikeouts in 2014.
STARTING STRONG: Despite posting a 1-5 record so far this season, Giants starters have a 3.11 ERA overall in the year, tied for third-best in MLB…they have also struck out 75, walked a Major-League low 14 batters and posted a 1.15 WHIP, which is fifth-best in MLB…on the other hand, SF’s bullpen has posted a 6.08 ERA (36er, 53.1ip) through its first 14 games, 28th of 30 MLB teams entering play today…the bullpen’s 10 home runs surrendered is tied for third in MLB with Oakland, Miami and Philadelphia.
Team ERA – Starters
Team ERA
- Minnesota Twins 2.58
- Tampa Bay Rays 2.59
T-3. SF Giants 3.11
Team ERA
T-3. Chicago Cubs 3.11
- Houston Astros 3.30
- Milwaukee Brewers 3.43
BRING THE HEAT: IF Thairo Estrada has crushed fastballs this season…he is batting .458 (11×24) against fastballs, which is third best in MLB among players with at least 20 at-bats (Stats, LLC)…in 2022, Estrada hit .280 vs. fastballs (70×250)… Miami’s starter today, LHP Jesús Luzardo, has heavily relied on his four-seam fastball…per SIS, Luzardo’s fastball had a .198 opposing batting average, .396 slugging percentage, and a 39% hard-hit rate in 2022, and thus far in 2023, his four-seamer has both a .200 opposing batting average and slugging percentage with a 35% hard-hit rate.
SAW IT ON THE WEBB: RHP Logan Webb, who signed a five-year, $90 million extension with SF on Friday, gets the start today looking for his first win of 2023…Webb has lost all three starts this year, which marks the second time in his career that he’s lost three consecutive starts (also Aug. 18-30, 2022)… in three starts vs. Miami Webb is 1-0 with a 2.55 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts across 17.2 innings…IF/OF Garrett Hampson is a career .292 hitter in 24 at-bats vs. Webb with a homer and 10 strikeouts…IF Yuli Gurriel has three hits in five at-bats with a homer and a double.
Most Innings Pitched in National League Since July 9, 2021
Name Innings Pitched
Sandy Alcántara (MIA) 342.1
Logan Webb (SF) 308.2
Aaron Nola (PHI) 305.2
Name Innings Pitched
Corbin Burnes (MIL) 298.2
Adam Wainwright (STL) 292.1
Zac Gallen (ARI) 288.2
SABOL SAYS: C/OF Blake Sabol slugged his second homer of the season in Saturday’s loss to Detroit…Sabol, who started the game in left field, has now homered as an outfielder and catcher this season…the last Giant to homer as both a catcher and an outfielder in the same season was John Rabb in 1984… Rabb actually hit one as a catcher, one as a left fielder and one as a first baseman.
TODAY’S STARTER – LOGAN WEBB RHP #62
2023 RECORD: 0-3, 4.76 ERA
WITH THE GIANTS: Is in the midst of his fifth season with SF…made his fourth career Opening Day roster and his second consecutive Opening Day start with his outing on March 30 at the Yankees… signed a five-year, $90 million extension on Friday that keeps him in a Giants uniform through 2028…the contract bought out his final two arbitration years and first three years of free agency.
LAST TIME OUT: Saddled with his third consecutive loss after allowing four runs (one earned) in 6.0 innings in SF’s 9-1 loss to the Dodgers on Monday at Oracle Park…he allowed a leadoff homer to Mookie Betts and later in the game a three-run homer to Max Muncy…entering the start Webb had allowed the fewest homers at home in the Majors (six) since 2021 among starters who’d made at least 20 starts at home in that span…he struck out six and walked one in the 94-pitch effort.
VS. MIAMI: With yesterday’s rain out, Webb will now make his fourth career start against Miami this evening in the 305…in his three starts against the Marlins, Webb is 1-0 with a 2.55 ERA (5er, 17.2ip) with 17 strikeouts and six walks…his only career start in Miami came last June 4 where he allowed four runs on four hits in 4.2 innings.
LOGAN’S WEBB: Over the last 2+ seasons as Webb has come into his own, the Giants as a team are 39-22 (.639) in games that he has started since 2021…however, SF has lost each of Webb’s starts this season and 7-of-his-last-11 dating to August 18, 2022.
THE AIR UP THERE…: Webb has allowed multiple homers in two of his three outings this season after doing so just one time all of 2022…last season, Webb’s 0.51 HR/9ip was the fourth-lowest in the Majors behind José Quintana (0.43), Framber Valdez (0.49) and Martín Pérez (0.50)…Webb allowed 11 homers in 192.1 innings in 2022 and has allowed four in 17.0 so far in 2023.
THAT’S STRIKEOUTS WITH A K: The righty has whiffed 22 batters in 17.0 innings so far in 2023 (11.6 K/9ip)…for reference, Webb’s highest K/9 of his career came in his breakout 2021 season where he averaged 9.6 strikeouts per 9.0 innings.
GOOD VIBES ONLY: Webb’s 12 punchouts set the franchise record for most strikeouts on Opening Day, surpassing the 11-strikeout effort from Madison Bumgarner on April 2, 2017 at Arizona…the 12 strikeouts on Opening Day were also tied for 10th-most by any pitcher in MLB history on Opening Day… it was Webb’s fourth career 10+ strikeout game.
MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
MARLINS MINUTE
The Marlins today continue a six-game homestand, their second ‘stand of the year, with the first of three games vs. San Francisco after going 2-1 in the first leg vs. Arizona. Later this week, will travel to Cleveland for three games from Apr. 21 – 23 and on the first of two trips to Atlanta for a four-game set from Apr. 24 – 27.
SUNDAY RECAP
Miami dropped the series finale and were shutout for the first time this season 0-5 by Arizona. RHP Sandy Alcantara took his second consecutive loss for the first time since May 1 – 6 of last year, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) over 6.0 innings while striking out a season-high 9 batters. RHP George Soriano made his Major League debut and tossed 3.0 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts. The Marlins offense had just 4 hits, 1 for extra bases – a double by DH Jorge Soler in the seventh inning.
SEEMS FAMILIAR
Starting with tonight’s game against the Giants, Miami will play their next 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.
FUN IN THE 305
The Miami Marlins last hosted the San Francisco Giants at loanDepot park from June 2 – 5, 2022 when the teams split the series 2-2.
• Since the start of the 2017 season, Miami has gone 15-8 in five home series against San Francisco, winning four consecutive before last year’s split.
NOBODY MESSES WITH THE JESUS
LHP Jesus Luzardo owns a 2.80 ERA (90.0/28) with 99 strikeouts and a 1.01 WHIP dating back to Aug. 1, 2022 when he returned from injury. 11 of his 15 starts have been quality starts (at least 6.0 IP and 3 ER or fewer).
• In his last 4 starts at home (since Sept. 21, 2022), is 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA, allowing just 2 runs (1 home run) on 14 hits in 25.1 innings with 38 strikeouts and 7 walks for a 0.83 WHIP.
GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS
2B Luis Arraez has 24 hits in his first 15 games of the year (13 starts), with 8 multi-hit games. Is the second-most hits in the NL and his .471 batting avg. (24×51) is tops in the Majors among all qualified hitters. His 1.173 OPS is the second-best mark in the National League behind only Philadelphia’s Brandon Marsh’s 1.196 OPS.
• Also ranks tied for second in MLB with a 1.2 WAR according to Baseball Reference.
• Before his 0x4 effort yesterday, Arraez became just one of two players in the Wild-Card Era (since 1995) to post a batting average above .500 through 14 games and 45 plate appearances, joining SF’s Barry Bonds who hit .500 (19×38) through 14 games in 2004.
CYCLE TIME
2B Luis Arraez last week became the first player in Marlins history to hit for the cyle, 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.
• Doubled in the first inning, tripled in the sixth inning, homered in the seventh inning and singled in the eighth inning. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, during the Expansion Era, was just the seventh cycle to be completed in the same order, also: Eddie Rosario (9/19/21 w/ATL at SF), Jake Cronenworth (7/16/21 w/SD at WAS), Freddie Freeman (6/15/16 w/ATL vs. CIN), Daryle Ward (5/26/04 w/PIT at STL), Keith Hernandez (7/4/85 w/NYM at ATL) and Mike Phillips (6/25/76 w/NYM at CHC).
• Is the first player to hit for a cycle in the month of April since Minnesota’s Jorge Polanco on April 5, 2019 at Citizens Bank Park, and the 20th to accomplish the feat within his team’s first 12 games of a season.
• Became the sixth Venezuelan-born player to hit for a cycle, joining Eduardo Escobar (6/6/22 w/NYM at SD), Pablo Sandoval (9/15/11 w/SF at COL), Carlos Gonzalez (7/31/10 w/COL vs. CHC), Carlos Guillen (8/1/06 w/DET at TB), and Cesar Tovar (9/19/72 w/MIN vs. TEX).
WATCH HIM SOR-IANO
RHP George Soriano made his Major League debut yesterday 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.
IF YOU LIKE PIÑA COLADAS
1B Yuli Gurriel has hit safely in six of his seven starts this year and is hitting .300 (9×30) including two multi-hit efforts. His seven-game hitting-streak is tied for the longest this season by a Marlin (also Arraez, 4/7-4/15).
• Gurriel sits at 95 career home runs.
CUBANO GIGANTE
OF/DH Jorge Soler has already collected 6 doubles and 4 home runs in his first 14 games of the year. His 10 extra-base hits are tied for second-most behind Atlanta’s Matt Olson (11) in the National League in 2023.
• Soler is averaging a 96.2 mph exit velocity in 2023, now ranking eighth among NL batters.
• Three of his four HR this season have tied the game or given the Marlins the lead and owns 7 such homers as a Marlins (17 HR total).
MORE FROM FOUR
OF Bryan De La Cruz has made 4 starts this season from the cleanup spot in the lineup, going 9×15 (.600) with 1 home run, 6 RBI, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.
TODAY’S STARTER – #44 JESUS LAZARDO
• Jesus Luzardo, 25, made 18 starts to match his career-high in 2022. Missed 71 games from May 10 to August 1 with a left forearm strain.
• Luzardo is starting his fourth game of the season – leading Marlins starters in wins & ERA.
• On his second start of the season, Luzardo went deep in the game, tossing seven innings while allowing one run, tying his career high in innings for the fifth time.
• In 12 starts after returning on Aug. 1, went 2-4 with a 3.03 ERA, allowing 24 runs in 71.1 innings. Pitched 6.0+ innings in 9 of 12 outings. Allowed 2 runs or less in 9 of those outings.
• Opposing batters hit 1×36 (2B) in 0-2 counts vs. Luzardo in 2022. Struck out 21 of 36 batters (58%) in that situation.
• On Tuesday, April 12, 2022, he set a career-high with 12 strikeouts in just 5.0 innings of work at Angel Stadium in his first start of the season. Became the first pitcher in franchise history to strike out 12 batters in a start that lasted no more than 5.0 innings.
• In his final four starts of 2022 (Sept. 16 – Oct. 3), posted a 1.85 ERA (24.2 IP/5 ER) with 45 strikeouts, including 6.0 scoreless innings and a career-high matching 12 K’s in his last outing against Atlanta.
• Pitched at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, located in Parkland, Fla., approx. an hour and a half north of loanDepot park.
• Became a Florida Special Olympics ambassador in 2022 by promoting and supporting all champions at the Miami Race for Inclusion at Bayfront Park.
