Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the San Francisco Giants' double-header losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. The Giants' seven-game winning streak was snapped in Game 1, and then they lost in Game 2 as well. Clayton Kershaw was dominant after his defense bailed him out in the first inning, and Logan Webb had a lot of bad luck in his outing, with several soft-hit balls finding holes. In Game 2, the Giants caught a break with Walker Buehler being placed on the injured list, but the Giants couldn't get anything going against the Dodgers' bullpen. Kevin Gausman made the start for San Francisco, and he pitched pretty well but had no run support. Gausman has emerged as perhaps the Giants' most likely trade candidate. His contract expires after the season, and his strikeout and walk numbers are those of a dominant pitcher. Any contending team should be eyeing Gausman as a pitcher of interest for their team down the stretch and into the postseason. After the game, when reporters asked Gausman about the possibility of being traded, he said that he didn't want to leave this team, but he understands it's part of the business. He said that even if he was traded, it would have no bearing on where he signs after the year, and that he would like to come back to the Giants because he "really like[s] this team." Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about last night's postponement of the Giants-Dodgers game. The teams decided not to play in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake. Mookie Betts apparently was a big reason that the Dodgers decided not to play. Betts told his teammates that he wasn't going to play no matter what, and other Dodgers leaders like Clayton Kershaw said Betts' powerful message resonated with the team and they decided that the best way they could stand with their respected teammate was to decide not to play as well. It's less clear how Giants players felt about postponing the game, but manager Gabe Kapler and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi were crystal clear that they stood by the decision to postpone the game in protest of police brutality and systemic racism. The Giants will play a double header today, with each game being only seven innings. It will be the first time the Giants experience the new seven-inning double header rule, which is in place this season in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. On today's show, Ben also takes some more questions from listeners left over from last week's mailbag. He discusses a hypothetical trade involving the Giants and Indians. He talks about whether the Giants should target relief pitching at the upcoming trading deadline. And he talks about all the new rule changes this year and which, if any, are likely to stick. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get $10 off your first order. Manscaped Go to Manscaped.com and use code LOCKED to get 20% Off and Free Shipping. Manscaped is #1 in men’s below the belt grooming and offers precision-engineered tools for your family jewels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the Giants' dramatic and exciting walk-off win against the Dodgers. Donovan Solano crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning that sealed the win for the Giants. Earlier in the game Brandon Belt hit a game-tying three-run home run in the bottom of the 1st, and he hit a game-tying solo shot in the bottom of the 9th against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. They also came back from a 10th-inning deficit. The Giants can seemingly do no wrong right now, as the win was their seventh straight and it came against a Dodgers team that came into the game with a 22-8 record. With the loss they're now 4-4 against the Giants this year, and 18-5 against everybody else. If the season ended today, the Giants would face the Dodgers in LA for a best-of-three postseason series. Not everything was sunshine and roses in this win. Johnny Cueto struggled through four innings, allowing six earned runs. Giants rookie catcher Joey Bart had an awful game, both at the plate and behind it. He could not get on the same page as Cueto and relief pitch Jarlin García. His difficulties with García were very costly, and he eventually got crossed up, which caused the ball to trickle away and the baserunner on second to advance to third, then the runner scored on Bart's errant throw into left field. If the Giants had not come back in the bottom of the frame, Bart's defensive issues would have been the story of the game. Other Giants who made huge contributions included Even Longoria, who had four hits and a walk (as did Belt) and Brandon Crawford, who had three hits. Mauricio Dubón also hit a game-tying single with two outs in the 10th. The much-maligned bullpen also pitched very well and kept the Giants in the game after Cueto departed. Freshly Join almost ONE AND A HALF MILLION Satisfied Customers and skip the shopping, prepping, cooking, and clean up.  Freshly is offering our listeners FORTY DOLLARS OFF FOR THEIR FIRST TWO ORDERS at freshly.com/lockedon. Manscaped Go to Manscaped.com and use code LOCKED to get 20% Off and Free Shipping. Manscaped is #1 in men’s below the belt grooming and offers precision-engineered tools for your family jewels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick answers questions from fans about the San Francisco Giants' plans for the trading deadline, what they'll do with Mike Yastrzemski long term, Kapler's decision to use Trevor Gott in a one-run game on Monday, and much more. Most questions were understandably about the upcoming trading deadline, which is next Monday, August 31st. Just like last year, the Giants find themselves playing great and in playoff contention as the deadline approaches. Contrary to popular opinion among fans, the Giants navigated last year's deadline beautifully. Ben believes the Giants will take a similar approach this year, balancing the present and the future. They won't sacrifice much in the way of future value for purely present value, but they will look to upgrade the 2020 team while acquiring pieces for the future. It remains unclear how the unique circumstances will affect trade activity. The season could be cancelled at any minute due to the virus; there will only be one month left in the season after the deadline; and the postseason now includes more teams and has a different structure. Nevertheless, Giants president of baseball operations likes to be active with his roster, and he has a strong history in trades, so next week's deadline should be exciting for Giants fans. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get $10 off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the Giants' sweep of the Diamondbacks over the weekend. The Giants' win on Sunday was their sixth straight, and they are now just two games under .500 and in one of the eight National Leauge playoff positions. The postseason was expanded to 16 teams in this pandemic-shortened season, and the Giants may be poised to take advantage. Despite people writing them off from day one, the Giants have performed much better than most expected. The offense and the starting pitcher has been a real strength. If it weren't for some extremely unlikely 9th-inning collapses, the Giants would be a winning team, perhaps even as good as 17-13. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler deserve much of the credit. Zaidi has built a roster that is flexible and able to generate consistent favorable matchups. Kapler and his coaching staff have gotten the most out of their position player mix. Zaidi also built a starting staff that has exceeded expectations despite the highly criticized loss of Madison Bumgarner in free agency. Bumgarner has not pitched well for the D-backs and is on the injured list. In his place, free agent signings Kevin Gausman, Tyler Anderson (who was claimed off waivers, non-tendered, then signed), Trevor Cahill, and Drew Smyly have pitched very well. Logan Webb has taken a step forward and pitched beautifully on Friday. Anderson threw a complete-game on Saturday. Cahill was excellent on Sunday. All the while, Mike Yastrzemski has continued to play like an MVP. He homered on his 30th birthday yesterday, and made a sensational, run-saving catch in a tie game on Saturday. And the youth is coming. Joey Bart continued to play well over the weekend, and the Giants have a stable of young prospects waiting to come up in the coming years ahead. Despite all the criticism this team has taken under Zaidi and now Kapler, fans and media alike are finally seeing the new positive direction of this team. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the San Francisco Giants' 10-5 thumping of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Joey Bart's debut. Bart was a calming presence behind the plate, and he seemed to frame pitches well and made some nice blocks. He also collected his first major-league hit, a ringing double down the left field line that was hit 109.5 mph. It was the fastest extra-base hit for the Giants all season. As exciting as it was for Bart to make his debut, some of his teammates stole the show. The Giants continued to pound left-handed hitters with a right-handed-heavy lineup penciled in by manager Gabe Kapler, and put together by president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and general manager Scott Harris. Those three, along with the new hitting coaches, deserve a lot of the credit for the Giants' offensive resurgence this season. Wilmer Flores, signed by Zaidi and Harris in the offseason to the first multi-year deal handed out under the new regime, continued to stay red hot with a two-run home run in the first inning. It was a down and in mid-90s fastball and Flores hit it out to left-center. Austin Slater also stayed hot, collecting two hits including a leadoff double in the first inning. Brandon Crawford hit his 100th career home run in this game, and opposite field shot against right-hander Julio Teheran. Believe it or not, Crawford has now been an above-average hitter on the season by FanGraphs' wRC+. Kevin Gausman started on the mound for the Giants. He wasn't as dominant as he's been at times, allowing nine hits and four runs in 5.1 innings, but he did continue to show swing and miss stuff and collected eight strikeouts. Kapler let him pitch through the Angels' order a third time, and Gausman allowed four hits including a home run that turn through the order. It was another example of a starting pitcher performing worse the deeper he pitches in a game, even when he was strong the first two times through. The Giants' bullpen made things too interesting in the seventh inning. Shaun Anderson again threw up and in to Mike Trout, which caused the Angels dugout to erupt in anger. Both benches were warned by the umpires, and Trout ended up tripling to left field later in the at-bat. Anderson then walked two more batters, and Wandy Peralta was summoned and walked in a run. He ended up getting out of it and throwing a 1-2-3 8th, but Anderson and Peralta made things too interesting in the 7th. Jarlin Garcia pitched a clean inning to wrap things up in the 9th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about Joey Bart being promoted to the Giants. Bart, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft, is considered by many to be the top prospect in the Giants' minor league system and one of the top 15 prospects in all of baseball. Many fans were hoping to see Bart earlier this season, but the wait is finally over. Bart, a catcher with prodigious power who also plays strong defense, is in the lineup tonight. He joins a group that has been hitting well for the most part all season, and an offense that has been red hot against the Angels. The Giants won last night's game, 7-2. Johnny Cueto was on the mound last night, and once against he put the Giants in position to win. He held the Angels to zero runs over the first five innings, but he did end up surrendering two earned runs in the 6th. Gabe Kapler allowed Cueto to face Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon the third time through the order, something they talked about on the mound during a mound visit in the frame. Cueto threw 112 pitches on the night and said after the game that he and Kapler share mutual respect for one another. The offense led the Giants to victory just as much as Cueto. Austin Slater stayed red hot out of the leadoff spot against left-handed pitching. He crushed a long home run and also singled and walked. After the game, he credited the new hitting coaches for his and the team's success at the plate. Wilmer Flores got the start at first base, and he crushed a three-run home run that put the Giants ahead in the early innings. Flores, signed to a cheap two-year deal with a third year club option in the winter, has been a consistent offense performer for the Giants this year, especially against left-handed pitching. The Giants' platoon-heavy offense has worked so far, and now Bart adds to a mix that has been surprisingly effective all year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the San Francisco Giants' much-needed win over the Angels on Tuesday afternoon. Coming into this game, the Giants had lost their last three games in which they had a 9th-inning lead. They blew a five-run 9th-inning lead on Friday, a three-run 9th-inning lead on Saturday, and a one-run 9th-inning lead on Monday. So the Giants hoped for a nice, easy win on Tuesday, and that's exactly what they got. Mike Yastrzemski hit a leadoff home run and made a game-altering catch that saved two runs. He's looked like a National League MVP frontrunner all season. He may not have the star power to hold off the likes of Fernando Tatis Jr. or Mookie Betts, but Yaz's MVP-like season should be recognized. He enters Monday leading the majors in FanGraphs WAR. Trevor Cahill started the game for the Giants. It was Cahill's second appearance with the Giants. His first start came on the road against the Astros, and he pitched okay but struggled with command and walked four in two innings. This time around, Cahill was sharp. He went four strong innings, allowing just one run and striking out four. Cahill joins a Giants rotation that is surprisingly decent. Kevin Gausman, Johnny Cueto, Logan Webb, Tyler Anderson, and Cahill give the Giants a chance every night. Drew Smyly should help, too, whenever he's able to come back from his index finger strain. The only Giants starter who has struggled mightily is Jeff Samardzija, who's on the IL with a shoulder injury. Giants veterans helped fuel the offense in this 8-2 win. Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run homer on a neck-high fastball, Brandon Crawford pitched in with a couple of doubles, and Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria also got in on the action. The Giants led 8-1 going into the bottom of the 9th, which still didn't feel totally comfortable given how their last three 9th-inning leads had gone. Shaun Anderson was brought in after Caleb Baragar, Sam Selman, Wandy Peralta, and Jarlin Garicia pitched clean innings in support of Cahill. Anderson, however, threw two pitches near the head of Mike Trout. It was immediately questioned whether the throws were on purpose, after Longoria was drilled in the back by a fastball earlier in the game. If intentional, Anderson should be punished and reprimanded. However, it's entirely possible that the up-and-in pitches were unintentional. Manager Gabe Kapler said after the game, "We don't throw at people. It's not who we are." Anderson ended up walking Trout and allowing a run, but ultimately he got the final three outs of the game. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the San Francisco Giants' devastating loss to the Angels. Once again, the Giants had a 9th-inning lead. Once again, Gabe Kapler elected to use Trevor Gott. And once again, Gott gave up a big home run that stunned the Giants. It was the third straight game in which the Giants lost after having a lead in the 9th inning. On Friday they blew a five-run 9th-inning lead; on Saturday they blew a three-run 9th-inning lead; and yesterday, it was a one-run 9th-inning lead. All three times, Trevor Gott was on the mound. Kapler's decision to use Gott on Monday was deservedly criticized. On the one hand, he was showing faith and confidence in a struggling reliever. On the other, he entrusted a one-run lead to someone who was likely struggling with confidence and the ability to get hitters out. Gott has now allowed 11 earned runs and five home runs over his last 1.1 innings pitched. On the bright side, the Giants keep having late leads. Once again, the offense was strong as it tallied six runs. Mike Yastrzemski continued his MVP-like season with a big two-out, two-strike, two-run double in the 6th inning that gave the Giants a 6-5 lead. Earlier in the game Brandon Belt hit a two-run home run in the first inning. Tyler Anderson started for the Giants and pitched better than his final line. He struck out eight batters in five innings and issued just one walk, but he did allow a home run to Mike Trout and ultimately allowed five earned runs in those five innings. Regardless, the Giants' rotation has been pretty good as of late, and the offense has been solid all season. The Giants' bullpen has been extremely bad and has cost them numerous victories. If Gott hadn't blown leads in his last three appearances, the Giants would be 11-13. The Giants have had leads in 11 of their 16 losses. They could easily be a .500 team or even better. Instead, they're 8-16 and could be done and buried in pandemic-shortened 60-game season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the San Francisco Giants' historic collapses on Friday and Saturday against the Oakland Athletics. On Friday, the Giants took a 7-2 lead into the 9th inning. Trevor Gott, who has become the team's closer over the season's first month, starting the inning. He got an out against the first batter he faced, Matt Chapman, but things quickly went down hill from there. After allowing a home run and a walk, Robbie Grossman hit a ground ball to first baseman Wilmer Flores. The ground ball took Flores' momentum towards the first base bag. He fielded it cleanly and took a step or two towards first base, where he could have easily recorded the second out of the inning. Instead, he inexplicably decided to throw towards second base, where Brandon Crawford caught the ball but took his foot off the base and tried to tag the runner. No out was recorded on the play. Instead of two outs and a runner on second with a 7-3 lead, it was two on, one out, and a 7-3 lead. Gott then hit Khris Davis, which brought up Stephen Piscotty representing the tying run with just one out. Piscotty then proceeded to hit a game-tying grand slam on a hanging curveball. Gott got into more trouble, but Tyler Rogers got out of it. The Giants then proceeded to lose by a run in the 10th inning. It was the first time since the 1920s that the Giants blew a five-plus run 9th-inning lead. The next day, the Giants took a 6-3 lead into the 9th and Trevor Gott was summoned once again. Gott allowed a home run to the first batter he faced, but then settled down and recorded the first out. The next batter, Tony Kemp, hit a soft line drive out to right field, and Hunter Pence completely misjudged it. He ran in a couple steps, then veered back and to his right before the ball landed safely over his head. It was a ball that should have been caught. Gott then got the next batter on a line out. Matt Olson then came up representing the tying run. Left-handed pitcher Sam Selman, who has been very good this year, was loose in the 'pen and seemed like a solid option to replace Gott against the lefty Olson. But manager Gabe Kapler elected to leave Gott in the game, and he walked Olson to bring up the go-ahead run in Mark Canha. In a full count, Canha hit a go-ahead three-run homer. The Giants did not score in the bottom of the 9th and lost the game, 7-6. It was the first time in franchise history that the Giants lost back-to-back games in which they had three-plus run 9th-inning leads. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick answers listeners' questions about the San Francisco Giants. The first question asked and answered is about Joey Bart, and why he hasn't been called up by Farhan Zaidi and the Giants. Ben discusses Zaidi's recent interview with the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea, in which Zaidi stated plainly that they do not think Bart is ready for the major leagues. When Zaidi was with the Dodgers, they were extremely deliberate with when they promoted prospects like Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger. Both, notably, had much more upper minors experience than Bart, who has just 80-something plate appearances above A-ball. Also discussed is a question about who the most likely Giants are to be dealt at this year's trading deadline, and Donovan Solano's trade value. Ben answers that veterans on one-year deals, such as Kevin Gausman and Drew Smyly, are the most likely to be traded by Aug. 31. Jeff Samardzija, whose contract expires after this season as well, is another candidate, although he'll have to prove he can be healthy and effective if any teams are going to be interested. In terms of Solano's trade value, Ben notes that the 32-year-old who's under team control through 2021 does have some trade value, but teams are unlikely to give up a premium return for an overperforming veteran with a track record of mediocrity. Other topics discussed include the Giants' questionable defensive lineups at times, like Steven Duggar in a corner with Mike Yastrzemski in center, and whether Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford will make it through the life of their contracts, which expire after the 2021 season. cbdMD Our friends at cbdMD have an amazing duo that can help you relax, regroup, and recharge when life gets chaotic. And to make it even easier cbdMD is offering all our listeners 25% OFF your next order when you use the promo code LOCKED ON MLB at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the San Francisco Giants' 5-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday in Houston, and discusses the team's performance to date as we reach the shortened season's 1/3 mark. Trevor Cahill made his Giants debut and his stuff was good, but he struggled with command in the second inning in which he walked three and threw a lot of pitches. It became a bullpen game, and Dereck Rodriguez made his season debut and pitched decently as well. His velocity was up from where it's been the last couple of years, but he still sat in the low-90s, which is only average. Lefty Caleb Baragar allowed four consecutive singles in the fourth inning, including a three-run home run by Martin Maldonado. Baragar's numbers on the season have been awful, and really the bullpen as a whole has been awful. Ben discusses all aspects of the Giants on today's show. Mike Yastrzemski, Donovan Solano, and Austin Slater have been huge bright spots, and several players like Wilmer Flores, Alex Dickerson, Darin Ruf, Chadwick Tromp, and Tyler Heineman have been decent, but the Giants have gotten poor production out of several younger players and multiple veterans. Mauricio Dubón, Jaylin Davis, Joe McCarthy, and Steven Duggar have done little to nothing. Veterans Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Pablo Sandoval, and Hunter Pence have been well below replacement level on the whole. At some point, the Giants will need to move on from their struggling veterans. Longoria's defense has been an asset, but Crawford's has continued to deteriorate as he moves late into his career. Crawford does not have an extra-base hit this season. The starting pitching has been decent. Johnny Cueto, Kevin Gausman, Logan Webb, Drew Smyly, and Trevor Cahill could form a solid starting five. Jeff Samardzija is dealing with a shoulder injury and is results were terrible when he pitched this year. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. cbdMD Our friends at cbdMD have an amazing duo that can help you relax, regroup, and recharge when life gets chaotic. And to make it even easier cbdMD is offering all our listeners 25% OFF your next order when you use the promo code LOCKED ON MLB at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the San Francisco Giants' 7-6 road win in 10 innings against the Houston Astros. Hunter Pence hit a huge three-run home run in the 7th inning that brought the Giants to within one run, and the Giants scored a run in the 9th to tie the game. The game went extra innings, and the Giants scored a run under the new rules with a runner on second to start the inning. In the bottom of the frame, with a runner on second to start the inning, Tyler Rogers induced a weak ground out, and then struck out two consecutive batters with the tying run on third base. It was a huge moment of redemption for Rogers, and his manager who put him in that spot, after Rogers gave up a late lead against the Dodgers just a few games ago. Gabe Kapler was heavily criticized by fans and media alike for the decision to pull starting pitcher Kevin Gausman in favor of Rogers, perhaps unfairly. Rogers showed why Kapler has shown confidence in him with his performance last night, his first career save. Tyler Anderson got the start for the Giants, and he pitched better than his final line would suggest. He allowed a cheap home run to Alex Bregman that found its way into the Crawford boxes in left. Wilmer Flores homered, Evan Longoria turned a great double play with the bases loaded and no outs, stepping on third and throwing home and getting an out there as well. Pence was hitting for Alex Dickerson with a left-handed pitcher on the mound, so Kapler deserves credit for sticking with his struggling veteran in that spot. Austin Slater had two big hits, both against right-handed pitchers. He's continued to make the case that he should be playing everyday, and sure enough, he's in the lineup and batting third today against right-handed pitcher Zack Greinke. cbdMD Our friends at cbdMD have an amazing duo that can help you relax, regroup, and recharge when life gets chaotic. And to make it even easier cbdMD is offering all our listeners 25% OFF your next order when you use the promo code LOCKED ON MLB at checkout. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick talks about the San Francisco Giants' 6-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Monday night. Logan Webb was on the mound for the Giants, and he pitched much better than his final line would suggest. As has been a recurring theme this season, the Giants' defense collapsed in the third inning and cost Webb several runs that probably should not have scored. With one out and nobody on base, Jose Altuve hit a ground ball single that Donovan Solano probably should have handled. The next batter, Josh Reddick, hit what should have been a ground ball out, but catcher Chadwick Tromp was called for catcher's interference, the fourth one for the Giants this year. After a walk loaded the bases, Michael Brantley hit a bloop ground rule double, then with the infield in Solano fielded a ground ball and threw home, but his throw hit Alex Bregman in the back and the Giants did not record an out. Later in the inning, the Giants failed to turn a double play on a ground ball to Mauricio Dubón. By the time the inning was over, it was 5-0 Astros and the game was all but over. Lance McCullers Jr. started for the Astros and was dominant over seven innings. Finally, in the 8th, the Giants got on the board with an Austin Slater solo home run against a right-handed pitcher. Slater has been playing great as of late, including against righties, and he's making a case to be an everyday player. He's now tied for 18th in all of baseball among position players with 0.8 FanGraphs WAR. The Giants staged a rally in the top of the 9th, which included big hits by Solano and Brandon Crawford. Solano had two doubles in the game, and he currently ranks fourth among position players in fWAR. Solano's excellence with the bat cannot be overstated and is a continuation of what he did last year. His projections now call for him to hit .310/.342/.419, which is an above-average line and one that's dramatically better than his projections entering the season. Ultimately, the Giants stranded the tying run on base as pinch-hitter Evan Longoria flew out to end the game. It was notable that Pablo Sandoval did not start against a right-handed pitcher, and was not selected to pinch hit in a big spot against a righty. If neither of those roles belong to him, he doesn't appear to have one on this team. cbdMD Our friends at cbdMD have an amazing duo that can help you relax, regroup, and recharge when life gets chaotic. And to make it even easier cbdMD is offering all our listeners 25% OFF your next order when you use the promo code LOCKED ON MLB at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's Locked On Giants podcast, host Ben Kaspick discusses the San Francisco Giants' weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, in which the Giants lose two out of three. There was more controversy surrounding manager Gabe Kapler, as he made a couple of decisions regarding his starting pitchers that were heavily criticized in the media. On Sunday, Kapler elected to remove starting pitcher Kevin Gausman from the game in the 7th inning after he allowed a one-out single to Cody Bellinger. Up to that point, Gausman had shut down the Dodgers with a lethal combination of a high-90s fastball and a devastating splitter. Gausman had only thrown 80 pitches, and said after the game that he had "more in the tank." However, it's easy to justify Kapler's decision. Gausman had allowed consecutive line drives to Mookie Betts (who lined out) and Bellinger (who singled). Also, the numbers could not be clearer that outcomes for pitchers get worse the deeper they pitch in games. In Gausman's career, his numbers get sharply worse each time through the batting order. Last season, starting pitchers got sharply worse against the Dodgers each time through the batting order. However, Kapler's decision to use Tyler Rogers for the second straight game, after he had thrown two innings the previous night, was questionable. It makes more sense in the context that the Giants do not have a lot of right-handed relievers they can trust right now. Rogers surrendered a single and a three-run home run that gave the Dodgers a lead they would not relinquish. The previous night, Johnny Cueto carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Hunter Pence lost a ball in the twilight that went down as a triple. Cueto later issued a couple of walks in the inning, but also got two weakly hit outs. He was visited by trainers because he was hobbling a bit when going a after a popup. He clearly indicated to the trainers that he was fine to pitch, and he was allowed to face an additional hitter. Justin Turner hit a three-run home run that made the score 5-4 Giants. Kapler was heavily criticized for leaving Cueto in the game. This decision, and the one to pull Gausman, were pretty much opposite calls, and both were perfectly defensible, especially given that the score was close in the Gausman scenario and not close in the Cueto scenario. At the end of the day, the players play the game and not everything should be blamed on the manager. Also in Saturday's game the Giants hit three home runs against Clayton Kershaw, including two by Austin Slater and one by Mike Yastrzemski—another one against a left-handed pitcher. The Giants now head to Houston to play the Astros, who have surprisingly struggled so far this year. They're just 6-9 on the young season and have lost five in a row. They were involved in a benches-clearing incident yesterday with the Oakland A's, and suspensions could be handed down to their players in this series as close contact is strictly prohibited this season because of the coronavirus pandemic. cbdMD Our friends at cbdMD have an amazing duo that can help you relax, regroup, and recharge when life gets chaotic. And to make it even easier cbdMD is offering all our listeners 25% OFF your next order when you use the promo code LOCKED ON MLB at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices