Another tough day for the Giants as they fell behind early, and had silent bats for most of the game.  But hey, Marco Luciano nearly saved the impression with the game in the ninth!  If only Jon Miller hadn’t given him the patented Home-Run-Off-The-Bat voice, when it wasn’t.  The ball hit the wall for a double, and Luciano’s second hard hit ball in as many games.  Oh well, it’s spring for Jon as well.

Impressions

Marco Luciano – 1-1, 1 R, 1 2B – Came up in the ninth inning, and hit a ball off the top of the wall, as Jon Miller made me think he hit a home run.  It ended up a double.  He would score on Bailey’s sacrifice fly.

How can we not start here?  Luciano has gotten his you-know-what handed to him all spring.  This was easily his best hit ball of the spring, and just his third hit, but his first extra-base hit.  Jon noted the sound of the ball, a comment we keep hearing about Luciano.  Will he continue to turn it around the rest of the spring?  He’ll likely only get these one-time at-bats late in games the rest of the way.

Jose Alvarez – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO – The first batter struck out swinging at a changeup low.  The second batter struck out swinging at a slider down and away.  The third batter struck out looking on an inside fastball.

In an ugly game, Alvarez came in strong.  Alvarez was signed in early March, and has only gotten into two games, and yet five of the six batters he’s faced have been outs.  The 31-year old suddenly is making big noise in an already crowded bullpen situation for the Giants.

Caleb Baragar – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO – He struck out the first batter he faced looking with a pitch inside.  The next batter grounded out to first base.  He finished off the inning with a strikeout looking.

Baragar followed up a guy trying to push him off the roster with his own nice inning.  Baragar missed a couple of weeks for undisclosed reasons, but has looked good in his three games on the mound, with four strikeouts in three innings, with two walks and no hits.  He’s looking like he’ll be headed back to Sacramento for the start of the season, though, just due to the competition.

Rico Garcia – 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO – Came in in the top of the second with two out and runners on first and second.  The first batter he faced hit a single to center, scoring a run and putting runners on the corners.  During the next at-bat, the runners pulled off a successful double steal, with one stealing home.  The next batter singled to right to score another run.  Garcia got a pop out to the next batter.  He finally got a strikeout swinging to end the inning.

Starter Aaron Sanchez struggled, but Rico gave him little help.  In the battle for relief spots where you’ll be counted on to come in with runners on, this was about as bad as it got.  The double steal wasn’t on him, but it was just another bit of fuel to the fire.  

LaMonte Wade Jr – 0-3, 1 BB, 3 SO – He struck out swinging his first time up.  He did the same thing his second time up.  In his third at-bat, he struck out swinging again.  His fourth time up, he took a walk.

Though Wade picked up a walk to salvage things, three swinging strikeouts to start off the game was not great.  Wade’s best shot to make the opening day roster was to prove himself as a good center field option on a team with no clearcut center fielders ready to take the spot.  But he’s struggled as Duggar has had a solid comeback spring, Austin Slater has impressed in the field and been playing center, and Mauricio Dubón has been stealing headlines with his strength and walks.

Top Prospects

Will Wilson – 0-1, 1 K – He struck out swinging in his first at-bat.  He was pinch-hit for in the 5th before his second at-bat.

There’s a small mystery here.  Wilson was lifted a bit earlier than starters usually are (often they’ll get that 5th-6th inning at-bat and then be lifted).  There was no apparent injury reason, and no news was reported.  It could be that the team saw the Giants order going down quickly and wanted Vosler to get an extra shot, but that’s only speculation.

Patrick Bailey – 0-0, 1 SF – In his first at-bat, he hit a sacrifice fly ball out to right for a sacrifice fly.

Others

Joe McCarthy – 0-4, 2 SO – In his first at-bat, he grounded out sharply to first.  His second time up, he flew out to foul ground down the left field line.  His third time up, he struck out looking.  In his fourth at-bat, he struck out swinging.

Chadwick Tromp – 0-3 – His first time up, he lined out to center field..  He grounded out to shortstop his second time up.  His third at-bat, Tromp grounded out to shortstop.  Defensively, a double steal was executed against him with runners on the corners.

Jarlin Garcia – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO – The first batter up singled to right.  Garcia walked the next batter.  He then struck out the third batter swinging, and got a fly ball to right for the second out.  He finished off the inning with another strikeout swinging.

Jason Vosler – 1-2, 1 BB, 1 SO – His first time up, he struck out swinging.  His second time up, he walked on a full count.  Vosler singled to center his third time up.

Yunior Marte – 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 1 HBP – Came on in the 6th with two out and runners on the corners.  The first batter Marte faced, he hit with a pitch to load the bases.  He walked the next batter, walking in a run.  After the next batter ran the count full, he grounded out to shortstop, ending the inning.

Jason Krizan – 1-1 – He lined a single to left his first time up.