Splash Considerations Ep. 32: Home is Where the Hatred Is (feat. Julian McWilliams)

WEBVTT
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Welcome to another episode of Splash Considerations.
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My name is Justice Delos Santos, San Francisco Giants B reporter for the Bay Area News Group, San Jose Mercury News, East Bay Times, whatever you want to call us, as long as you read, as long as you subscribe.
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And speaking of subscribe, subscribe to the YouTube channel, follow us on Apple, follow us on Spotify.
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A lot of things in this world cost a lot of money, but subscribing and following those things remain free 99 and just a moment of your time.
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And I'm joined now by a national baseball reporter for CBS Sports.
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He might live in Boston, but he's the king of Harlem.
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Julian McWilliams, how are we doing?
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I'm good, man.
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I like that intro.
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I appreciate it.
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Appreciate it.
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We had the upsell.
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I got the I got the Colson Whitehead is somewhere in here.
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I told you I had that lobby your way.
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So we gotta pay some respect when the King of Harlem is in attendance.
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I appreciate that, man.
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I'm glad to be here.
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I appreciate it.
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For sure, for sure.
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So obviously, we were in Boston this past, well, I was in Boston.
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You were obviously always in Boston uh this past weekend for the homecoming of Raphael Devers.
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It didn't go the Giants' way, they get swept.
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It depending on your perspective or not, Rafi got a got his lick back in a way.
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He did hit a homer in his first game back, but I think the one thing that we were both very curious about going into this series is what was the reception gonna be, because Devers obviously accomplished a lot during his time in Boston, the 2018 World Series, three all-stars, two silver sluggers, but it also ended pretty badly.
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He was also willing to play a position in San Francisco that he didn't want to play in Boston.
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So just we talked about this off camera, but kind of walk me through what you expected going into this weekend as somebody that covered Rafi for the Boston Globe and still covers the Red Sox now, as well as you know your reaction to how things actually kind of played out here.
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Yeah, I I I feel like he came here and um when he first got to Boston, and I'll get to your question, but he was sort of like the joyful carita smiling kid who's just hit, right?
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And he was it was a time where he just that's literally what he did was he just had to hit, and then all of a sudden it became the priority of him having to be the guy in a number of ways, be it off the field with the media, and that never really sat well with Rafi.
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Um there was a time where I mean we can get into get into it later.
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I'll I'll just answer your question.
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But for his reception, uh I expected it to be mixed, honestly.
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And it seemed to veer toward more uh it being more booze than anything.
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Uh, but at the same time, I I don't feel like those boos came from a place of vitriol.
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Uh, I I do believe they're heart of hearts.
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Red Sox fans do love Raphael Devers.
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I mean, they won a championship with him.
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Um, he was their best, uh, he has the most home runs amongst any third baseman that has ever played the position.
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He can't, he's been with the team, the organization since he was 16 years old.
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And when the booze first came, I was like, dang, and it's first at bat.
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But then you started hearing the other people that came out and were like they were like popping out a little bit.
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Come on, guys, like let's let's settle down here a little bit.
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Like, this isn't Alex Verdugo we're talking about, like, this is Rafael Devers, a guy who is still one of the more unique and talented hitters in all of baseball, and was at his peak when he was with us, and we did have more good memories than bad memories.
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And I think once the dust settles, Justice, and once we get past this initial introduction of him back into Boston in a Giants uniform or whatever uniform he ends up being in, he's gonna end up a Red Sox Hall of Famer, he's gonna be celebrated, he's gonna get his flowers.
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And during the the the thing that was concerned me the most, where I was like, uh, this would be cringe because I knew he was gonna get a tribute video.
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I I knew that.
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But I was like, are they gonna boo during his tribute video?
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And they didn't.
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They had enough respect to at least give him a little bit more cheers than they did in his at-bat and respect him for the time that he had here because for the most part it was productive.
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Yeah, that was the when they played the tribute video, which one this is a side note.
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As much as I hate like Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium, like turning the volume up.
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I think Fenway, I maybe it's just where we are in the press box.
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I think they need to turn the acoustic up.
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Turn it up, right?
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Like I can barely hear what's happening.
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You can't hear the music.
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You can't hear I say they have the word, they have the bummiest speakers in all of baseball.
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Like a Rollis Chapman's, like, his his walkout like is dope.
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Like, I'm forgetting the name of the song is, but like it's an iconic song, and I'm like, my ear, but like I can barely hear it.
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Whereas like Dodgers, like Dodger Stadium and Fenway Park, their acoustics team needs to meet together and they gotta find like where's a happy balance of and you could throw a Yankee Stadium.
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You know I think you mentioned Yankee Stadium too.
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Yeah, it's too much.
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Yankee Stadium has now become Dodger Stadium because Judge wanted to sound like Dodger Stadium because you feel like Dud Dodgers, and it's it's too much, it's blaring in your ears.
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But then you go to Fenway and it's like you can barely hear anything.
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You can't hear anything.
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Walkout songs, you can't hear nothing.
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It's like, yo, what do y'all do with y'all speakers?
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When I went to the Chris Brown concert, I'm like, yo, these speakers gonna sound like that.
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Are these speakers?
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No, they're not.
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So clearly they have they have the the depth to be able to the the means to be able to do so, but uh yeah, the speakers are trash, bro.
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Sound like a 1992 Honda Accord.
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I want to say, I will say this.
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I will say this.
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I think the the consistent favorite part of all three of the games that I had there covering there was Sweet Caroline in the bottom of the body.
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So I want to say I want to say this.
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I want to say this, because the Giants for the the longest time, yeah.
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I don't think is that a is that some disdain?
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Do you not like Sweet Caroline?
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Oh no, no, it doesn't wait.
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No more, no more no more.
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This is a hard disagree, hard disagree.
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I could not disagree more.
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Who must I be having stopping having fun with?
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I'm done with it.
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Like Drake said, I'm I man, I am done with it.
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Like the first time I heard it, I was like, this is cool, but after every single look, that that like you you realize who the gentrifiers are when they when they when they I don't even know if I'm using the right word, yeah, or the yuppies.
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I I don't know, I don't know what I like because obviously Fenway's not gentrified.
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I mean it's finway finway is very, very uh yeah.
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It's old school, yeah.
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It's very old school Boston, but you do realize the out-of-towners and the uh sort of the people that come out that are not fans when they're singing Sweet Caroline where your team just got ran off and they're down at nine-nothing in the eighth inning.
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Like it comes on no matter what, and so I feel like there needs to be a time and and place for like the Yankees, they got rid of um uh uh it's up to you, New York, when they lose.
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Like for you, New York, New York.
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They were doing it when they when they won, when they won or lost, and so now they just preserve for their when they win because it's like why are we playing this in a loss?
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And so with Sweet Caroline, it's like why are we playing this when y'all team just gave up a top of the eighth inning?
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Soul crushing Homer 10 runs, but they're playing the Giants, so I guess it's okay, but I'm just sick of the song, dude.
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I can't do it.
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I mean, I will say for the longest time, what the Giants used to do is when they were losing, I think it was going into the eighth, bottom of the eighth.
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When they were losing, they played Don't Stop Believing.
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When they were winning, they would play lights.
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And you can only imagine in a season like this one, if if they were still doing that, it would be a lot of Don't Stop Believing, which would get really annoying really fast to that point.
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So I guess I was talking about this with Alex Pavlovich, like I kind of want to go back to like you know, having that as opposed to the sing-along inning where it's like songs with like no connection to the city.
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There's gotta be like some there's gotta be some way the Giants can bring like back a consistent song into the rotation.
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Anyhow, we're we we weer way off topic from the the Raphael Devers of the World.
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Um I I'm kind of curious about your uh opinion on you know when he held court on that Friday.
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And you know, a lot of the questions were pretty standard fair.
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They asked him what do you think it's like to be back.
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He said he didn't know what the reception was gonna be.
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Um talked about playing first base.
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I think it was it was funny.
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The pretty much every question that he answered uh required an interpretation from team interpreter Erwin Aguerro's, but the one that didn't, because it was just one word, which was do you have any regrets?
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And he said, No.
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Um regret, you know, how he handled the Bregman thing, the Tristan Cassis thing, all of it.
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No.
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So what was your kind of reaction to him just you know not having any regrets that and he did say, you know, it's been a year, I've you know, I've matured, yada yada, yada.
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That's what I was gonna that's what I was gonna point to.
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Uh I'm not sure if I would say I would have regret.
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I I just look, I I I spoke to somebody who who's really, really close to Rafi.
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Well, and and um and he says, dude, I love the guy, like he's great, but like he is one of the most stubborn people you'll ever meet.
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He said, Rafi, if the sky is blue, you know the sky's blue.
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Hey, the sky's blue out right now, like you know, in Vallejo, in San Diego, San Francisco's you want to get that valleo in.
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You want to sneak back in Boston, it might it's it might be a little bit gray.
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He says, but if you're saying it's blue, and you know it's blue, Rafi might say, nah, it's red.
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Like, that's just who he is, in terms of you can't really tell him like once he has his mind made up, he has his mind made up.
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And for the most part, for the last two years, a year and a half, so he's stuck with that.
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Like, the thing, the thing that I that I that I do, I will say, uh that, and I'll answer your question because I'm veering off, that I do appreciate about Rafi is that he says everything that he means, and he's and he means everything that he says, right?
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And like he he he says it in and it might rub people the wrong way.
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Like, I remember there was a time where, and you know, I don't know what how your PR staff is, but sometimes our PR staff when in Boston while I was covering the team would sort of PR it up a little bit more, his his answers, and just kind of you know make sure, uh even out the edges a little bit more and sand down the edges to make sure it's not as curt and as sharp as he means it to be.
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And Rafi knows perfect English.
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Um, Greg Levinsky, the guy that you were sitting next to, who's filming for MIB.com, used to be the ball boy for, I believe, double A Portland in Maine, because I believe he's from Maine.
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And he's known Rafi since he was like 17, 18 years old.
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And he's like, dude, he's not speaking English, like he knows perfect English.
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Like, this is like it was bizarre to him that Rafi wasn't speaking.
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Rafi knows perfect English.
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So I remember there was this one time when Rafi said something, and the PR staff was trying to PR it up a little bit more.
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Rafi stopped him midway and was like, no, like bah bah bah bah bah bah say it like this.
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This you're not saying what I said.
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This is what I said.
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And so the guy was like, Oh, okay, and like actually said what he said at that time.
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So he's not he's not a dumb guy when it comes to what like what he what he wants to say, what he means, what he what he he really means what he wants to say.
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So I go back to his comment of like, yeah, sure, he's not gonna say he has any regrets, but that little window that he gave us of we mature, we grow up, things happen, we move on, that's not something that Rafi would have said last year.
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I'm telling you, it was it got to a point where it was dividing the clubhouse, it was dividing the front office, dividing the coaching staff, the team was losing games, and Rafi still was not coming off of the fact of I'm not gonna play first base.
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Y'all told me to throw away my glove.
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So I I I do see in that vein, him realizing and probably him coming back and being on the opposite side, probably was like, dang, like this this place actually meant something to me because it did.
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Yeah, and you can kind of tell, and it was like a really awkward, like when they did the tribute video and like they panned to him, like it was kind of awkward.
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Like, I think he was in the in that moment, like internalized.
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It seemed like for him it was relief that it wasn't the boo or the or or or because and then you saw the smile of him come out that you I haven't seen in a while that smile that he was sort of known for, and it seemed like a genuine, genuine smile of relief and happiness of like okay, this place doesn't hate me as much as I probably thought they would have.
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Because if this place is so it can be can be a little bit like even when Mookie came back, Mookie did nothing wrong.
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Mookie got traded.
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Mookie didn't say, you know, trade me.
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Like Rafael Devers came out and said the front office, hey, to trade me.
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Mookie, it wasn't like I wasn't gonna play first base.
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Mookie just got traded.
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Mookie wanted his fair value, uh for market value, it's fair market value, wanted to go to free agency, didn't have to go to free agency because of COVID, and ended up signing extension with the Dodgers, but otherwise he would have gone to free agency for sure.
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Um, but even when he came back, he was like, I didn't know what the reception was going to be.
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And it's like, why, Mookie?
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You won an MVP in a World Series with this team.
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Like, you were one of the best players of this generation, you were the best player of this generation, hands down.
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Like, like, what do you mean?
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You weren't you weren't you weren't sure what the ovation was gonna be.
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Clearly, it was gonna be all love, like, so that's how, but this place can get in your mind like that.
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And for Rafi, the way he left, it was like I'm sure the days leading up to him, he's like, dang, bro, I don't know what it's gonna be.
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And in the grand scheme of things, it ended up being all right.
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Yeah, and I'm sure, you know, I remember watching.
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The booze for me, I'm sorry to cut you off.
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Let me know.
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The booze for me came from a place of like of like their son being like pow pow pow.
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How could you?
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But I still love you though.
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Like it didn't, it wasn't like it wasn't like when Jose Altuve comes here.
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Like that different type of boo.
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Like that guy's been for the cheating skin, he's been getting and it's weird because it's like dog, you're the manager of the team was was in on it too.
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That's neither here nor there.
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Like, but like, but when Jose Altuve comes here, it is bad.
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And it it wouldn't, it and I'm sure Rafi's like, dang, it's gonna be that, but it wasn't that.
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Yeah, I mean, it's funny, like in the days leading up to it, I was thinking of some of the more memorable, like quote unquote home, and I say air quote quote unquote homecoming.
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It's really you're going back to a place that's not gonna welcome you.
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And I thought about LeBron going back to Cleveland, KD going back to NFC.
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And like it was not gonna be that.
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I I knew it wasn't gonna be that, but it was kind of like like to your point, it kind of seems like we wish it ended better.
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Like, there's like there's a lot of hurt going on that still like needs to mend, but in time, like 10-15 years from now, like I don't think it's gonna be booze when Rafael Davis go back to the show.
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No, and also they've won since he's left, too.
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Yeah, well, so that leads into you know another question is that at the time of the trade, you know, it was the Father's Day trade of 2025, the Giants were, I think they entered that day 10 games above 500.
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I think the the Red Sox were kind of in a nebulous position, and both teams have kind of gone in complete opposite directions since that trade.
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And obviously, this is a Giants podcast.
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We've talked a lot about what's happened since that year, but from the Red Sox perspective, despite losing you know, are dependent arguably their best hitter at the time, and pretty much getting nothing of the guys they got back from that trade, because Hicks is gone, Harrison is gone, Tibbs is gone, they got Jose Bayo still.
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What's allowed the Red Sox to still be the team they are, be in position to win a to capture a wild card spot, despite again losing their best hitter and pretty much getting nothing, at least directly out of the trade?
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I know you got Caleb Durbin and Monasterio out of it as well.
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Yeah, I I feel like they've gotten a lot of production one from their pitching staff.
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Like, keep in mind, Gary Crochet's been out the entire season, and when he comes back, it's gonna be in the bullpen.
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They've Craig Brazil's done a really good job.
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One thing I'll give him one thing I will give him credit for is developing their pitching development team and and going out and getting the right guys, be it Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez, uh you know, goes down the list, goes on uh Jake Bennett for a while.
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You know, you never really heard of him.
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Uh Peyton Tole, uh, you know, that that that seems like a guy that could be a number one or number two someday.
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Like they've gotten so such good production from their pitching staff, Eric Miller.
00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:03.599
Uh they went out and got him and traded, like, put his foot down and traded Marcella Meyer for him.
00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:05.440
Like we'll get into that in a second.
00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:11.279
They've done a really, really good job at pinpointing pitching talent and being able to get the most out of their pitchers.
00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:13.519
They've done a tremendous job with that.
00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:35.519
And then I just feel like they've gotten a lot of production from their not their their others, they're guys that are your second-tier uh platoon uh uh bench players, be it Andrew Monasterio, Nick Sogard, Anthony Siegler.
00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:43.200
Like these guys are playing out of their minds, and I don't know how uh how sustainable it is.
00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:49.839
Wilson Contreras obviously has been uh been uh one of the better players in the big leagues this year.
00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:53.759
He's always been a really good player, but this year he seemed to take it to a new level.
00:18:54.000 --> 00:19:05.920
Um, Caleb Durbin has come on, so like they're doing Sidon Rafaela, William Brayu, like those three guys, William Brayu, Sidon Rafaela, Wilson Contreras are the linchpins to the team.
00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:22.160
And Sedan and Williar have both taken step forward, forward at the plate where they've been able to find their floors, especially Sedan Rafaela, like not having the high highs and low lows, where the low lows are suddenly just sinking a team because you're so bad.
00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:28.240
No, he's been able to maintain his floor even when he's not feeling well at the plate, and that's that's a sign of maturation for me.
00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:35.680
William Braves' been able to slug at a at an elite level uh that we haven't seen from him uh since he's been called up.
00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:42.079
Wilson Contreras has been able to slug and be sort of that leader of a team while playing uh gold glove first base.
00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:49.759
Like that matters, but then you got the pitching staff coupled with the guys that are playing completely out of their minds.
00:19:50.240 --> 00:20:04.400
This is the reason why this team's in the position that they're in, and they're doing it in ways that are against the training methodology, which I'm right, which I've written about, and story's gonna come out soon on like on like the drive line thing.
00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:17.119
They're not doing that, they're bunting, they're hitting ball balls uh uh behind runners with they're hitting the balls behind to the right side of the field with runners on baits to get the man over, sacrifice flies.
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:24.160
Like it is just just such productive baseball, stealing bases, their defense is a lot better.
00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:31.839
Um top to bottom, they just they just been just proven themselves to just be a really, really solid ball club.
00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:37.680
And when you do all the little things right, that amounts to these winning streaks and heaters that they've been on.
00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:46.400
Not maybe not the 16 in a row, but the four wins in a row, the five wins, the six wins, you know, then maybe a loser series here, but then you win the next two.
00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:48.799
Like, that's a sustainable club.
00:20:48.960 --> 00:21:09.279
I don't know how sustainable it would be in the postseason when you ultimately need superstars, I feel like, to to ultimately hold up that that trophy, but it certainly worked for them in the regular season, and more power to them because they got rid of Cora, they got rid of their entire coaching staff, and Craig Brezzo's made bold moves in each of the last two years.
00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:14.559
Got rid of Rafael Devers, got rid of Alex Cora, and both times they've been able to respond.
00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:17.200
So you gotta give credit where credit's due.
00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:18.799
You mentioned four wins in a row.
00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:36.240
The Giants have still yet to win uh four wins a row, which if they're gonna you know try to hold off on losing 100, they might need to do that at some point, which that kind of leads into the next question I wanted to ask in regards to Rafi, because I don't know if you saw the injury updates that happened yesterday with the Giants, but Willie Adamas hit the injured list.
00:21:36.319 --> 00:21:44.640
You know, he had that play at the plate on Sunday where he collided with the with Connor Wong, uh Victor Barracotto, he had that weird play with the fan interference.
00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:49.440
He had to like he was trying to like avoid getting hit by the ball and kind of turned his knee in a weird way.
00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:51.920
JT Brewbaker hit the injured list too.
00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:59.759
They made 10 total roster moves yesterday, and and I say this with with all due respect to the members of.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.119
Of last night's starting lineup.
00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:02.880
Last night's lineup did look like a spring training lineup.
00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:05.119
It looked like a Sacramento River Cats lineup.
00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:15.119
So when you kind of think of that big three that the Giants have of Willie Damas, Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers, Devers is the only one that's currently healthy.
00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:20.799
He's now like really the elder statesman of that team, especially with those guys currently on the injured list.
00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:31.039
How do you think, you know, based off your experience with Devers and kind of seeing his comments on Friday as well, how do you think Devers is going to maybe handle this?
00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:36.720
You know, what it is a very unique challenge of being around a lot of young guys trying to gather their bearings.
00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:41.759
And if you're not playing for the playoffs at this point, at least you're playing for the pride of not losing 100.
00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:51.119
How do you think he's equipped to handle, you know, this very current situation with the Giants, a position that they did not envision themselves being in when they broke camp in spring training?
00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:51.839
Yeah.
00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:58.720
The one thing you can say about Devers is that he might come to camp out of shape.
00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:02.240
He might have his little nicks here and there.
00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:13.440
Uh, but the one thing about Rafi is that Rafi plays, he posts from from from the from when he was like rarely did he go on the injury list.
00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:16.000
And a lot of times when he was like got injured, it was his fault.
00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:19.279
Like hamstrings, that's probably because he's not in shape, right?
00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:20.960
Like falling over his body.
00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:26.720
It's like, yeah, it's probably cut in and hurting his shoulders, probably because you fell over because you're not you're not equipped, you're not in shape.
00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:28.799
But like I saw Rafi two years ago.
00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:34.480
I mean, when I say he was on like this, he came into the season, he had like a little shoulder issue that kept him out.
00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:37.680
Um probably the same shoulders that probably he's having out there.
00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:51.200
So at some point, uh little shoulder like issue that kept him out of spring beginning spring training, and then he sort of played through it throughout the year, and then he went to Colorado, he hurt his other shoulder, and at that time he said like 290, dude.
00:23:51.279 --> 00:24:04.079
Like he was like it was he was on track to have like his greatest season as a as a Red Sox, like 28 home runs, and then he went into this skid where he was playing on two bad shoulders, but he refused to hit the injury list.
00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:08.000
And the Red Sox, their chances of making the playoffs were low, right?
00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:18.799
But like, no, Rafi was gonna post, and I think he learned that from Xander Bogartz, who is another guy who's very, very close to him, who plays through everything.
00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:22.799
And so the one thing you can expect him to do is to show up.
00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:27.279
Um, I don't think he's gonna be a leader of the younger guys, I think you're gonna need somebody else for that.
00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:33.519
But the one thing he he will do, he will post, he will play um until the end of the season.
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:48.559
It'll be game 162, it'll be meaningless, but Raphael wanted to be in the lineup, and and I do genuinely believe he he loves the game of baseball, but to what to to what extent does he love it to have himself ready physically?
00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:49.599
I don't know.
00:24:49.839 --> 00:25:01.519
But in terms of playing the game, not practice, not not not the game, we're not talking about practice, like that, like he's not like you're not we're not talking about practice or Ralphio Derrick, we're talking about the game, right?
00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:07.279
When it turns a 705 or 710, when the lights come on, ultimately he's ready.
00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:11.440
And whatever injuries he's has, a lot of them are because of him.
00:25:11.680 --> 00:25:14.400
But the one thing you can't say about him is that he's not gonna post.
00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:24.160
So in this time, I expect him to play through the end of the season, be there, you know, for a guy to maybe be if his teammates are asking questions.
00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:29.759
Look, he's not a bad teammate, you know, he didn't suddenly become a bad like people in Boston.
00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:36.640
I'm just speaking for Boston, didn't necessarily see him as a bad teammate until this whole thing came up.
00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:41.839
But before that, they you couldn't say anything bad about Raphael Devers.
00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:45.279
I remember getting scalded by teammates about some of the things I've written about Rafael.
00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:47.279
Like, how could you say that about Rafi?
00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:50.079
I'm like, dude, it's not coming from me.
00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:52.640
Like, check with your man's up there.
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:54.319
Like, that's who it's coming from.
00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:56.319
You want to get mad at somebody, get mad at them.
00:25:56.400 --> 00:25:59.920
I'm just I'm just relaying the message of how people perceive him in the front office.
00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:06.559
But in terms of his teammates, both prior to that, like it was all love for Rafi.
00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:16.559
And I can't say it's like that in in San Francisco, but in Boston, they rolled for Rafi until it was like, nah, I can't, I can't do this anymore, bro.
00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:21.599
Like, you took us to a certain place where it's like, yeah, and now we're true, we're too far into the deep end.
00:26:21.920 --> 00:26:23.200
What you're doing is now is wrong.
00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:38.640
So I expect there to him to be able to be there and be a sounding board for some of the younger guys that are there and and post and try to get to what numbers he might ideally try to get to, because right now, I mean, he finishes below 700, 700 800 OPS.
00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:41.039
It's like, dang, Rafi, like, are you really cooked?
00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:42.160
I don't know.
00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:49.039
Yeah, you mentioned the injuries element of it, and he's played through a couple different things, you know, since he arrived in San Francisco.
00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:55.440
It kind of actually limited him as far as when he was able to make his debut at first base last year, but he still he played 163 last year.
00:26:55.519 --> 00:26:57.759
That doesn't happen by accident.
00:26:57.920 --> 00:27:01.839
But someone that we've yet to see in a Giants uniform also played for the Boston Red Sox.
00:27:02.079 --> 00:27:05.680
He did not get his homecoming uh this past weekend was Marcel Mayer.
00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:15.680
Um he is currently dealing with a right foot bone bruise that's a from a previous injury that's different from the left forearm injury that he's recovering from.
00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:18.079
When we see him, it's still TBD.
00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:21.759
Uh bone bruises are not something uh to play with.
00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:37.759
But you know, of all the trades that the Giants made at the deadline, it's argu it's very safe to say that this was probably the most shocking just as far as the return, uh, in the sense that you know Meyer is obviously a guy that used to be a top 100 prospect, one of the Boston Red Sox best prospects.
00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:45.599
Obviously, things did not pan out the way either side would have wanted, and now he's pretty much getting a fresh start here in San Francisco.
00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:51.759
And from your vantage point, you know, why did things in Boston not really materialize for Meyer?
00:27:52.000 --> 00:28:04.559
And were you kind of shocked that they were willing to move off him for again when you just considered you know years of service time and positional value, you know, three and a half years of a reliever for versus five and a half years of a middle infielder?
00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:11.279
Yeah, it didn't work out because he just couldn't, he couldn't stay one, he couldn't stay healthy.
00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:18.559
Uh Marcel's never played a hundred games at any level, be it the minors or big leagues.
00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:23.599
And we're talking about a guy that's what you said he's 24, 23, 24, 23, 23 years old.
00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:36.720
Like when he when he walks, like it kind of looks like an like an like a guy that's had some a little bit of tread on his tires um in the big leagues, and he he hasn't.
00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:52.400
And and secondly, you know, I I when I've spoken to some people, they they feel like he's a guy that's uh otherworldly talented, but I mean you look at the bat speed, like he has one of the more beautiful left-handed swings that you'll see.
00:28:52.559 --> 00:29:04.160
Uh the pace in which he plays, like, it's sort of Machado-esque in terms of how he plays, except he he's like really, really athl like he's Marcel is actually really, really fast.
00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:13.279
Um, but like in terms of like the pacing of the game in which he plays, like, people could probably perceive it to be lackadaisical, but like that's kind of just the way he plays.
00:29:13.599 --> 00:29:17.599
But otherworldly talented, but very, very streaky hitter.
00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:28.559
He's gonna swing and miss a lot on breaking balls, and ultimately, I feel like they didn't feel like they were gonna get as much production as him as if as they initially thought they would.
00:29:28.799 --> 00:29:34.319
Um, it was it was important for him to play 100 games this year, just to to himself, and he wasn't able to do it.
00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:38.960
He I think he stopped right at 70 games, and he was okay at shortstop.
00:29:39.119 --> 00:29:48.720
Um, he wasn't like a guy that you would look at and be like, okay, like he's someone that that that we can sort of build around at this position.
00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:58.240
And you then you look down at the minor leagues and you're saying, okay, Franken Arius is Frank and Arius is here, um, one of the best prospects on baseball, a true shortstop.
00:29:58.480 --> 00:30:01.920
Uh there's gonna be a lockout next year.
00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:08.079
He's probably not gonna be on the 40 man because we're gonna try to develop him as much as possible.
00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:16.160
So now we're looking into 2028, and possibly by that point, he would be ready.
00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:17.920
So then what do you do with Marcelo?
00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:19.759
Marcelo's kind of like the odd man out.
00:30:19.839 --> 00:30:20.799
That's just the way I see it.
00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:28.799
I could be wrong, but like just doing the math is like you have a guy down there, triple A, who you believe is is gonna be the stuff, the shit.
00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:32.880
And then Marcelo Meyer is has proven himself not to be healthy on the field.
00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:45.839
You need a relief help, and I and I I think Craig Breslo has learned uh be it feeling his job was on the line or what, that you can't hoard prospects.
00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:51.680
That this whole thing of saying these guys of being the big three of Christian Campbell, I remember reading that.
00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:56.799
The big three, that's what they call them, the big three Christian Campbell, Marcelo Meyer, Roman Anthony.
00:30:57.119 --> 00:31:09.440
And I remember I was talking to a scout who worked for the Red Sox, and he's like, dude, like that just goes to show you how young this front office is or how how how oblivious they are to how these things work.
00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:18.960
He says, one of the guys is gonna be a bust, one of the guys is gonna be just okay, possibly, and then one of the guys is gonna be good.
00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:27.920
You usually go one for three on these things, that's just how it works out, and in true form, one of the guys might be a bust.
00:31:28.079 --> 00:31:30.079
I hope he's not, Christian Campbell.
00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:39.759
One of the guys might just be okay, Marcelo Meyer, and one of the guys I think is actually gonna be good when he gets back on the field is Roman Anthony.
00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:43.519
And Craig Bresla, I believe, realized that.
00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:50.160
Like, oh, yeah, prospects are sort of this, our suspects until proven otherwise.
00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:58.000
And we have a chance, a window in the American League to be able to go out there and win this year because it's not that good of a league.
00:31:58.079 --> 00:32:06.319
Like you put the Red Sox in the National League or the Yankees in the National League, their record might be a little bit different than what it is now.
00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:12.720
And they might be the teams that are fighting and clawing to try to get in the playoff spot, a la the Miami Marlins, or a team like that.
00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:16.000
Like they're that's that they might be like around a 500 team.
00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:23.599
But the fact that you're looking at this situation is saying the American League is wide open, everybody's using the same models with players.
00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:33.599
Why don't we zag when everybody's zigging and go with a different formula to just go out there and get the best guy available and give our team a chance to win?
00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:42.160
Because years aren't because you rarely see that teams bunched together the way they are, and the amount of poor baseball that we've seen this year, it's wide open.
00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:43.839
Go who would you who who you need to get.
00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:49.440
Marcelo Meyer was not going to be a part of that conversation, particularly how their middle infielders are playing this year.
00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:56.000
Yeah, it's fascinating when you think about you know getting value from you know where he kind of was at that point of his career.
00:32:56.079 --> 00:33:03.119
And it's funny, it's interesting when you look at the composition of the Red Sox, it kind of feels very similar to kind of the brand of baseball the Giants envisioned playing.
00:33:03.200 --> 00:33:08.160
It seems like it's really predicated on pitching and defense, and they probably hit a lot more than some of those championship teams.
00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:14.640
But that was the one thing that stuck out you know this past weekend at Fenway is like they can they can pitch when you get to that bullpen, it's pretty nails.
00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:23.440
And like Raphael in particular, I'm like, this dude's flying around center field, so it's been pretty incredible to watch, man.
00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:36.880
Yeah, so it's kind of fascinating to see that dichotomy of you know where I guess kind of Meyer getting you know kind of squeezed out, and it's kind of you know, despite him having that top prospects out, it's just like uh like where kind of are you in this in this arc?
00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:45.680
But if we're gonna stick on the the subject of prospects, Julian, before I let you get out of here, I'm gonna give you I'm gonna I'm gonna let you ISO right here.
00:33:45.839 --> 00:33:47.039
I'm I'm giving you the triangle.
00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:50.079
I don't if you can see it on the video, I'm holding up the triangle.
00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:51.599
I'm letting you ISO for this next one.
00:33:51.680 --> 00:33:54.480
I'm gonna dish you to rock, everybody clear out.
00:33:54.799 --> 00:33:57.119
Because there's a certain prospect in the Giants farm system.
00:33:57.200 --> 00:34:00.480
I I I know you know very well.
00:34:00.960 --> 00:34:04.720
Yeah, I just want Scott Bandora, and it's not because you know you've covered him.
00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:06.240
Maybe you cover him, I don't know.
00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:11.679
I never covered Scott Borah, but it's like my little brother, but it's because the connection runs a little deeper than that.
00:34:11.840 --> 00:34:18.639
So, Julian, before I let you get out of here, Scott Bandora's been tearing up with Triple A Sacramento tell the people what they should know.
00:34:19.119 --> 00:34:20.960
Look, man, I'm so proud of Scott.
00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:26.880
Like, I feel like like I text his dad, I was like, dude, people when when and if he gets called up, I I just might like cry.
00:34:27.199 --> 00:34:42.719
Because Scott was, I I remember texting Scott when he was when he just got um what was it, cut in the Cape Cod League, and his dad was like, dang, he's really down on himself.
00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:44.239
Can you text him?
00:34:44.639 --> 00:35:02.719
And so I had been covering baseball for a couple years, and I noticed I was like, okay, like this guy didn't go to a big school, this guy didn't play in the Cape Cod League, this guy didn't play here, this guy didn't play there, but like they're all in the they're all in the big leagues, right?
00:35:02.800 --> 00:35:15.119
And and so it changed my perspective of like of like you don't need to be the best, always have the the the the shiniest leagues that you're playing in to make it to where you want to make it.
00:35:15.199 --> 00:35:22.079
And so ultimately what I told Scott, I remember I was I was I pulled over a text and I was like, dude, forget the Cape Cod League.
00:35:22.239 --> 00:35:26.800
Like it's just that's it means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
00:35:26.960 --> 00:35:56.079
The goal is for you to get drafted and to make it and and have a chance to make the big leagues, and so the fact that he's here now, like it's been incredible to watch because and I think all players who are young, old, have kids, need to look at him because development is not linear, um, and in his case, he was a small kid.
00:35:56.559 --> 00:36:15.280
Scott was 5'1, 5'2, maybe when he was like 12 years old, playing in the Lily World Series, like and was Monet Davis's catcher, like a small, small, small kid, but you saw the fact that he was a good ball player, he competed, he's able to hold his own, and that matters.
00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:34.960
He played multiple sports, played soccer, uh uh basketball through high school, like training those other competitive, competitive natures, those those competitive instincts and those competitive and getting those different athletic muscles involved that are involved in being a complete athlete that ultimately made him a really good baseball player.
00:36:35.119 --> 00:36:42.159
And to see him go from like playing at Princeton, under-recruited, but he figured, hey, I'm gonna run work in front office.
00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:46.960
I remember telling Scott, Scott was mean, Scott was me and Scott was texting me.
00:36:47.039 --> 00:36:49.920
He says, Dad said, hey you want to work in front office after his freshman year.
00:36:50.079 --> 00:36:52.320
And I was like, okay, come with me to winter meetings.
00:36:52.400 --> 00:37:04.400
And he I got him on the phone with Gabe Kappler at the time because Scott wanted to work in front office, and so baseball was always like, Yeah, that's what I want to do, but like I have these other skill sets.
00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:07.679
Obviously, he went to Princeton, he could, he's a very, very bright kid.
00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:26.079
But to see him go there and then, okay, well, maybe it's not the front office, maybe it's actually being a baseball player and to go to single A, struggle, come back, figure it out, go to high A, struggle, come back, figure it out, go to double A, struggle, come back, figure it out.
00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:28.719
Go to triple A and then just goes off.
00:37:29.119 --> 00:37:47.760
And just seeing the constant development and the way his brain calibrates to competition and to raising his game year after year after year to meet the to to meet the markers of where he wants to be, it's been incredible.
00:37:48.079 --> 00:37:57.440
And Scott is a guy that I always say like has we talking about floors, has a very, very sustainable to high floor.
00:37:57.599 --> 00:38:10.320
He's not gonna strike out much, he's gonna put the ball in play, he's gonna steal bags, he's gonna notice his trends and and from pitchers and stuff like that, and what to pick up and what to look for and what which counts.
00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:12.400
Like he's a bright, bright kid.
00:38:12.480 --> 00:38:14.480
He's always one step of step ahead.
00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:17.280
And so the thing, I don't know how he would be as a big leader.
00:38:17.360 --> 00:38:19.119
You can't predict that.
00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:23.039
A lot of things have to go right for you to be a good big big league.
00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:24.800
I've learned that in my years covering the game.
00:38:24.960 --> 00:38:29.920
Like, dude, this kid could be whatever, but like in the minors, but if he gets to the big leagues, it might not work out.
00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:31.119
That's fine.
00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:42.320
But the thing, one thing I tell you about him is that if he does get there, I would bet that he would give I'll give him a chance more than anybody, and probably my bias.
00:38:42.559 --> 00:38:48.960
I I'll give it that to figure something out and to to have a career for himself.
00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:53.920
I don't know, but I'll uh but I'll I would give him a chance to be able to do that.
00:38:54.079 --> 00:39:01.360
And just but to to see him at the level he's at, and I don't know if it's gonna happen this year, you know, lockouts this year, but that's not what it is, that's not his goal.
00:39:01.440 --> 00:39:04.639
His goal is not to you can't play GM, you just gotta go out there and play.
00:39:04.719 --> 00:39:10.079
And I've I talked to Scott probably two to three times a week uh about that via text.
00:39:10.320 --> 00:39:13.679
Um and yeah, I'm just I'm just so happy for him and his family.
00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:17.119
They're just and his dad, like they're they're community people.
00:39:17.199 --> 00:39:24.480
Like, look up his dad, Steve Bendora, what he's done in South Philly, uh, and and like the big leagues is is the ice icing on the cake.
00:39:24.559 --> 00:39:45.679
And if if it can happen for that family, for the amount of of stuff that they've poured into communities and continue to pour into communities, like that would be huge for not just Scott and his family, but Philadelphia and all of youth baseball across the country because he wasn't the showcase kid, he didn't go to the tournaments.
00:39:45.920 --> 00:39:54.079
He you know, he he didn't have to go, he wasn't the perfect, he wasn't the Blaze Jordans, the all these kids, these YouTube kids, like that wasn't him.
00:39:54.320 --> 00:40:01.920
Like it came from a real he just played baseball and went to really good schools, and it just happened to work out.
00:40:02.079 --> 00:40:08.559
So I I I I really I really hope and pray that this that this happens for him, and I think it will at some point.
00:40:08.800 --> 00:40:10.079
He just has to be patient.
00:40:10.239 --> 00:40:12.239
Uh, he's doing really well in triple A.
00:40:12.639 --> 00:40:14.880
But this is a sign to all kids.
00:40:15.039 --> 00:40:17.599
My son wants to play baseball, my daughter wants to play softball.
00:40:17.760 --> 00:40:21.360
I'm gonna look at Scott Bandora and what he's been able to do.
00:40:21.519 --> 00:40:23.760
Don't look at the Garrett Coles of the world.
00:40:23.840 --> 00:40:27.280
Those guys are those guys were there from the from the jump.
00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:29.119
Look, look at these guys.
00:40:29.440 --> 00:40:33.840
And he's proven himself to be what he is right now, and I'm very, very happy for him.
00:40:34.079 --> 00:40:38.639
Julian, I can feel the love that you have for Scott Bandora, and I appreciate the love of you coming on the show.
00:40:38.719 --> 00:40:40.320
Julian, where can we find your work?
00:40:40.719 --> 00:40:44.559
Man, you can find me at by Julian Mac on Twitter.
00:40:44.719 --> 00:40:51.679
Uh, I believe it's the same on uh yeah, it's the same on Instagram, and then you can find my work on CBSports.com.
00:40:52.400 --> 00:40:54.719
Find them on cbs.com, find them on Twitter.
00:40:54.960 --> 00:40:57.199
Julian, last question, really quick before I let you go.
00:40:57.360 --> 00:41:02.159
You used to cover the A's in previous life when they were still the Oakland A's.
00:41:02.480 --> 00:41:02.719
Uh-huh.
00:41:02.960 --> 00:41:04.639
You gave Vallejo a shout-out already.
00:41:04.719 --> 00:41:06.239
What do you miss about the bae?
00:41:07.199 --> 00:41:08.320
Man, the people.
00:41:08.559 --> 00:41:24.719
Like I like just being with you this past weekend, it reminded me of uh just the the welcome the culture, the the welcomingness, I don't even know that's a word, but like how welcome you feel.
00:41:25.039 --> 00:41:52.800
How it if it if it feels like the Bay Area feels like down south, but in California, where where people invite you in, feed you, love you, hug on you, tell you when you're wrong, and then you know, and joke on you, but at the end of the day, it's just like all love, and and I and I really always just love that about the bay, like Marcus Thompson, like that's a guy like who I love and adore.
00:41:52.880 --> 00:42:00.719
Like, he I still talk to him probably once a week, a mentor of mine, and he helped me so much, but he was also really, really hard on me.
00:42:00.800 --> 00:42:05.920
But you always felt it came from a loving place, so yeah, yeah.
00:42:06.000 --> 00:42:14.400
The love and probably probably the uh the Mexican food too, because bro, I I wasn't gonna say it, I wasn't gonna say it.
00:42:14.480 --> 00:42:16.320
I that was not what I was doing.
00:42:16.400 --> 00:42:23.280
Taco El Gordo, I love in in uh on Hesperian Boulevard in uh San Lorenzo or San Leandro.
00:42:23.599 --> 00:42:24.559
I love you, man.
00:42:24.639 --> 00:42:25.440
I miss it.
00:42:26.000 --> 00:42:30.320
I know I know you're Harlem until you die, but in my opinion, you've got the honorary Bay Area status.
00:42:30.480 --> 00:42:33.360
Julian, I appreciate you coming on the show and I'll catch you around.
00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:34.559
No doubt.
00:42:39.119 --> 00:42:47.280
Thank you once again to Julian for taking some time out of his very busy day again as the national baseball reporter over there at CBS Sports.
00:42:47.360 --> 00:42:51.119
Go follow him on Twitter, go read his work again over at CBS.
00:42:51.199 --> 00:42:56.480
And before getting out of here, just wanted to run through uh the entirety of the Giants road trip again.
00:42:56.639 --> 00:43:02.480
They, in addition to getting swept by the Boston Red Sox, they also lost uh two of three to the Cleveland Guardians.
00:43:02.559 --> 00:43:06.320
They have still yet to win a series since the trade deadline.
00:43:06.400 --> 00:43:26.400
Uh, there was also a lot of roster moves that were made uh on Monday in what was a 5-0 win uh against the Cincinnati Reds, but I'm going to save that uh and a larger discussion about you know where the team kind of stands uh for next week's podcast uh with William Adamas and Victor Barracotto uh and JT Brewbaker, as I mentioned, all going on the injured list.
00:43:26.559 --> 00:43:29.360
But game one in Cleveland, Carson Wisenhunt uh was roughed up.
00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:32.400
He allowed a career high seven runs over four innings.
00:43:32.559 --> 00:43:39.840
I think Joe Addell himself had a career high six RBIs, but we did see a very impressive performance from Trent Harris out of the bullpen.
00:43:40.079 --> 00:43:41.760
Two scoreless innings, five strikeouts.
00:43:41.840 --> 00:43:45.679
Bryce Eldridge hit his 14th homer of the season as well.
00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:50.239
Uh game two, it was a very rare type of win, which was a one nothing win.
00:43:50.400 --> 00:43:57.920
And we just saw some absolutely nails pitching performances up and down with this Giants team, beginning with Matt Wilkinson, who made his Giants debut.
00:43:58.000 --> 00:43:59.280
He threw two scoreless innings.
00:43:59.440 --> 00:44:08.000
That Was followed by five innings of bulk relief from Adrian Hauser, who, as a quick note, he's actually going to start uh today if you're listening, that being Tuesday.
00:44:08.079 --> 00:44:14.000
Uh, but he'll get uh another start, just his second since being put in the bullpen back in late June.
00:44:14.079 --> 00:44:20.400
And it'll be interesting to see uh if he can continue the success that he's maintained over these last two months.
00:44:20.480 --> 00:44:35.679
Uh, but to really lock in that win uh on Wednesday against the Guardians, we just saw an absolutely gutsy six out save from Dylan Smith uh to secure again what has been the only win, or what was the only win rather uh of that road trip.
00:44:35.840 --> 00:44:37.760
Thursday was the rubber match against the Guardians.
00:44:37.840 --> 00:44:42.079
The Giants lost five to two as another really mixed bag outing from Landon Roop.
00:44:42.239 --> 00:44:44.800
Five and third innings, four runs, three earned runs.
00:44:44.960 --> 00:44:49.920
And it was the sixth time that he's walked at least four batters uh in a single start this year.
00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:52.239
It was the 11th time he's walked at least three.
00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:57.920
We've talked about some of the walk issues uh with Roop, and they continued to persist in that outing against the Guardians.
00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:06.239
Willie Adamas did return to the lineup and not only returned to the lineup, but he hit not only his 20th homer of the season, but the 200th homer of his career.
00:45:06.320 --> 00:45:19.599
And as I mentioned, Willie actually uh did hit the injured list yesterday, yesterday being Monday, not with the back element, but with the left elbow sprain from uh the aforementioned sliding into Connor Wong during that game on Sunday.
00:45:19.679 --> 00:45:27.119
Uh game one in Boston, that was a six to four loss in what was Rafael Dever's first game back at Fenway Park in more than a year.
00:45:27.280 --> 00:45:32.239
Uh Logan Webb endured his shortest start of the season, that being two and two-thirds innings.
00:45:32.320 --> 00:45:45.280
He allowed five runs, all of them coming with two outs in the bottom of the third inning and the last three batters that he faced, just to give you an idea of how the wheels really came off here, which was a walk, a hit by pitch, and another walk.
00:45:45.360 --> 00:45:47.840
And it's just kind of one of those nights for Logan.
00:45:47.920 --> 00:45:55.519
And it was a very, you know, odd night considering that going into that start, he'd only allowed two earned runs over his first three uh in the month of August.
00:45:55.599 --> 00:45:59.360
And you were kind of looking at a potential, you know, second NL pitcher of the month.
00:45:59.440 --> 00:46:06.239
But you know, given how his last outing against the Red Sox uh went down, probably not going to be in the cards to repeat with that award.
00:46:06.320 --> 00:46:07.920
Uh the bullpen did keep them in the game.
00:46:08.079 --> 00:46:14.320
Also saw uh a two-run homer from Drew Gilder, Rafael Devers Homered in his second at bat back in Fenway as well.
00:46:14.400 --> 00:46:20.000
There was definitely, uh, as I mentioned, no shortage uh of boos for Devers over the course of the weekend.
00:46:20.159 --> 00:46:22.719
He came to the plate 13 times and he was booed 13 times.
00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:24.800
Again, that shouldn't really come as a surprise.
00:46:24.880 --> 00:46:33.039
And again, based off the conversation with Julian, I would imagine as time goes on, those boos and their victory all kind of uh dissipate uh over time.
00:46:33.119 --> 00:46:35.039
But that is for another day.
00:46:35.119 --> 00:46:37.599
Uh game two in Boston, that was a 3-2 loss.
00:46:37.679 --> 00:46:53.599
It was the 11th walk-off loss that the Giants have endured this season, and it was quite easily the toughest loss of the trip just because of how well the Giants as a whole pitched uh leading up into blowing what was a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning.
00:46:53.760 --> 00:46:59.840
We saw five and two-thirds, really strong innings from Blade Tidwell on a raucous Saturday night at Fenway Park.
00:46:59.920 --> 00:47:12.000
He was easily, you know, not just Tidwell's best pitching performance of the year so far, but again, to do it in that environment is just very, very encouraging for you know what he's able to do going forward.
00:47:12.159 --> 00:47:17.599
And he actually did mention that he hasn't been in an environment like that since probably Omaha when he was still in college.
00:47:17.679 --> 00:47:27.519
And from them and from there, we saw a couple of very strong innings of relief from Carson Seymour, although he did allow the first two batters that he faced in the bottom of the eighth inning to reach base.
00:47:27.679 --> 00:47:29.599
That's when the Giants call in Dylan Smith.
00:47:29.760 --> 00:47:34.639
Uh, Smith allows a single just over the outstretched glove of Williad Damas to load the bases.
00:47:34.800 --> 00:47:37.119
So Giants are clinging to a 2-0 lead.
00:47:37.280 --> 00:47:47.679
Dylan Smith finds himself with the bases loaded, no outs going against the heart of the Boston Red Sox order, uh, that being Wilson Contreras, William Abreu, and Adley Rutschman.
00:47:47.840 --> 00:47:53.599
And he's not only able to not limit or quote unquote limit the damage, he didn't allow a run at all.
00:47:53.679 --> 00:47:59.840
It was just an absolutely nails, gutsy relief appearance from Dylan Smith.
00:47:59.920 --> 00:48:01.679
Uh, he did go back out for the ninth inning.
00:48:01.760 --> 00:48:11.280
He did walk the first batter that he faced on in a pretty uncompetitive at-bat that prompts manager Tony Vitello to go get Sam Henches and then the Red Sox.
00:48:11.519 --> 00:48:16.159
Uh, through a series of of plays here and there, they're able to get the walk-off win.
00:48:16.239 --> 00:48:29.440
And it was actually a very interesting way that the game ended because it was bases loaded, I believe one out, and I think it was William Brew who hits, you know, pretty hard grounder to Bryce Eldridge.
00:48:29.599 --> 00:48:38.320
Eldritch dives, knocks it down, spins, probably had a little more time than he thinks, but he fires a throw that was about 20 feet short.
00:48:38.480 --> 00:48:47.599
So catcher Andrew Kisner has to kind of go back and just to make sure he keeps the ball in front of him, has to have to lean back, knock it down.
00:48:47.840 --> 00:48:51.039
But in doing so, he takes his foot off of the base.
00:48:51.199 --> 00:48:54.159
Uh the runner coming home is deemed safe.
00:48:54.320 --> 00:48:55.199
The Red Sox win.
00:48:55.280 --> 00:48:56.239
The Giants challenge it.
00:48:56.320 --> 00:49:09.519
So you kind of have this really weird scene where the Red Sox have spilled onto the field, they're celebrating, but then you have the Giants kind of on the other side of the field, just kind of waiting, hoping that the replay review uh overturns the play.
00:49:09.599 --> 00:49:13.920
But Kisner himself said he didn't think that the play uh was going to get overturned.
00:49:14.000 --> 00:49:16.400
Uh and then game three, a five-four loss.
00:49:16.480 --> 00:49:22.480
Uh, this was uh Matt Wilkinson getting his first kind of real start here, and he ends up with a pretty rough line.
00:49:22.559 --> 00:49:28.800
It was three and two thirds innings, four runs, but he could have gotten out of it if he had a little more luck.
00:49:29.199 --> 00:49:38.639
That is to say, he could have had allowed just the four runs over, or rather, four or two runs rather over four innings.
00:49:38.719 --> 00:49:45.360
Uh basically what happened is in the bottom of the fourth inning, Connor Wong hits this towering fly ball to left field.
00:49:45.519 --> 00:49:49.920
Victor Barracotto feels the wall, scales the wall.
00:49:50.079 --> 00:49:56.639
He appeared to make what would have been an inning-ending catch, but you could kind of hear the clang off the monster from the press box.
00:49:56.800 --> 00:49:58.159
So the Red Sox review it.
00:49:58.239 --> 00:50:02.159
Instead of an inning-ending flyout, it gets overturned into an RBI double.
00:50:02.400 --> 00:50:09.679
Wilkinson is taken out of the game, and from there, the Red Sox uh score what would end up being five and answered runs.
00:50:09.760 --> 00:50:18.239
Uh, Christian Coss did have uh a little league homer, but a Rawlis Chapman uh and the rest of the Red Sox bullpen, you know, held it down and swept the Giants.
00:50:18.400 --> 00:50:22.719
So again, the Giants are still looking for their first series win since the trade deadline.
00:50:22.800 --> 00:50:32.400
It was the first time, interestingly enough, you know, every series uh leading up to the Red Sox series, the Giants had lost in the exact same way, which was losing two out of three.
00:50:32.480 --> 00:50:42.480
So the Red Sox series was the first series since the deadline where uh they kind of broke away from that quote unquote formula where they were swept uh opposed to just you know losing two out of three.
00:50:42.639 --> 00:50:48.880
But uh as I mentioned, they're off to a promising start by uh winning against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.
00:50:48.960 --> 00:50:49.920
It was a five to nothing win.
00:50:50.000 --> 00:50:51.039
Rafael Devers Homer.
00:50:51.280 --> 00:50:52.719
Again, there was a slew of roster moves.
00:50:52.800 --> 00:50:57.599
Uh Carson Wisenhunt exited that game with what was described as left elbow pain.
00:50:57.679 --> 00:51:09.119
So we'll get into more of you know what happened on Monday as well as the rest of the week uh in the next podcast, but just wanted to briefly touch on that and briefly touch on the entirety of the road trip as a whole.
00:51:09.199 --> 00:51:13.039
But again, thank you to Julian McWilliams for hopping on for the first portion of the show.
00:51:13.119 --> 00:51:14.719
My name is Justice El Santos.
00:51:14.800 --> 00:51:20.000
This is the Splash Considerations podcast, and we will catch you in the next one.