Less than a month into the regular season, the Giants lead the Majors in flaps surrounding baseball’s unwritten rules.
On Friday night at Nationals Park, the Giants drew the ire of veteran shortstop Alcides Escobar, who took exception at Thairo Estrada’s decision to steal second base when he wasn’t being held on with San Francisco leading, 7-1, in the ninth inning. After Estrada was thrown out at home for the final out of the inning, Escobar made his displeasure known afterward, screaming at the Giants’ dugout along with outfielder Victor Robles.
“They did some things that we felt like was uncalled for,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “But you guys can ask Gabe Kapler about that.”
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Kapler’s response?
“We scored seven runs in an inning,” Kapler said. “They have Josh Bell and Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz in the middle of their lineup. We know they're capable of scoring seven runs in an inning as well. This is the way that we think makes the most sense to attack series.
“It's definitely not about running up the score. We felt like we're respecting our opponents, and we're going to respect our opponents at every turn. This is about using every tool at our disposal to compete.”
The Giants have made it known that they won’t take their foot off the gas regardless of the score, as they’re intent on continuing to put pressure on their opponents’ pitching staffs and forcing them to burn as many arms as possible. Still, their relentless approach has irked opponents, who feel they’re flouting the sport’s unofficial code of conduct.
“I don’t think it’s surprising,” Austin Slater said. “I think there’s some old-school unwritten rules, whatever you want to call them. The way I see it is [the Nationals] have two of the best hitters in the league coming up in the next inning. Soto gets on and then Cruz hits a homer, all of a sudden, it’s a four-run game and we have to warm someone up in the bullpen. So the game can change very quickly. For us, it’s a strategy thing.”
The Padres were also left fuming during the Giants’ 13-2 win on April 12, when Steven Duggar stole a base and Mauricio Dubón laid down a bunt single with a nine-run lead. San Diego’s dugout visibly barked at Dubón, who drew a death stare from former Giants third baseman and current Padres third base coach Matt Williams. (It’s worth noting that the Padres were also embroiled in an unwritten rules controversy two years ago when Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a grand slam on a 3-0 count with his team leading by seven runs in Texas.)
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“I’m not trying to disrespect anybody,” Dubón said afterward. “We’re just trying to win a series. That means carrying on rallies so we can burn arms. That’s it.”
The Giants have yet to face repercussions for refusing to let up, though they’ve stressed that they won’t get upset if an opponent turns the tables on them at some point in the future. In the meantime, they’re not going to apologize for simply continuing to play the game.
“I think it’s part of the old-school unwritten rules ... that people are still holding on to,” Slater said. “I think those days are gone. You have to play until the last out.”
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CHAMP JOINS THE GIANTS
The Giants’ decision to sign Joc Pederson to a one-year, $6 million deal is looking like one of the savvier moves of the offseason given the Bay Area native’s scorching start to the season. But he’s not the only member of his family to join the Giants organization this year. Pederson’s older brother, Champ, announced on Instagram that he’s also been hired by his hometown team. Champ, who was born with Down syndrome, previously worked for the Warriors and is expected to split time between the Giants clubhouse -- where he already has a locker next to Joc -- and the front office.
“He’s really pumped up,” Joc said.
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QUOTABLE
"He does swing very, very hard. Kind of reminds me of myself." -- Logan Webb on Joc Pederson
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TRIVIA
Which pitcher did Brandon Crawford take deep for his first career home run?
A. Randy Wolf
B. Yovani Gallardo
C. Shaun Marcum
D. LaTroy Hawkins
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Here are some recent Giants stories you might have missed over the last week:
- The Giants are dealing with their first COVID-19 cases of the year, with outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and reliever Zack Littell testing positive for the virus.
- Thirty-three years ago, Kevin Mitchell made a stunning bare-handed catch down the left-field line in St. Louis. Manny Randhawa looked back at the memorable play.
- Amy G and I discussed the unwritten rules controversies and the Giants' next-man-up mentality in the latest episode of Nothin' but a "G" Thang:
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FARM REPORT
Here's a roundup of notable performances from Giants prospects over the last week:
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Outfielder Heliot Ramos, who is ranked as the Giants’ No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has continued to swing the bat well at Triple-A Sacramento, where he went 3-for-4 with a home run in the River Cats’ 12-1 win over Oklahoma City on Saturday.
Kapler said the Giants considered giving Ramos a longer look on their roster following the injury to Steven Duggar last week, but they ultimately felt the 22-year-old from Puerto Rico might be better served by being eased into the Majors against pockets of left-handed pitching. With the Giants facing primarily right-handed starters right now, they decided to add another left-handed bat -- Luis González -- instead of Ramos.
“I’m not saying that he can’t handle extended stretches of right-handed pitching," Kapler said. "We don’t know that yet. But could it be better to introduce him a little bit more thoughtfully? I think that can be beneficial.”
- Right-hander Mason Black, a 2021 third-round Draft pick, has enjoyed a strong start since making his professional debut with Low-A San Jose earlier this month. He’s recorded a 3.86 ERA with 18 strikeouts over 11 2/3 innings in his first three starts and topped out at 98 mph against Visalia on Friday, when he punched out eight over four innings of one-run ball.
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Right-hander Tristan Beck was promoted to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday after logging a 2.57 ERA with 19 strikeouts over 14 innings in three starts with Double-A Richmond. Beck, a 25-year-old right-hander who was acquired from the Braves in exchange for Mark Melancon at the 2019 Trade Deadline, was limited to only 12 appearances last year due to injury, but he has the potential to move quickly now that he's healthy.
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THIS WEEK IN GIANTS HISTORY
April 27, 1926: A 17-year-old Mel Ott made his first appearance for the New York Giants, pinch-hitting for pitcher Jimmy Ring in the seventh inning of a 9-8 win over the Phillies. Ott, a future Hall of Famer, didn’t play regularly with the Giants until 1927.
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TRIVIA ANSWER
C. Shaun Marcum, who surrendered a grand slam to Crawford in the latter's Major League debut on May 27, 2011, at Milwaukee.
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