Curveballs and Changeups

The A's and Giants gained more representation on the All Star rosters today: Brent Rooker joined rookie starter Jacob Wilson, while Giants pitchers Logan Webb, Robby Ray and Randy Rodriguez were all added to the NL All Star rosters. Now, the two teams will go after the rubber match after splitting the first two in West Sacramento. Lefty Jacob Lopez goes for the A's and Hayden Birdsong for the Giants.

An embarrassing three-game sweep to the lowly Florida Marlins calls into question how serious the Giants are. I have a little fun & read off some of the frustrations from #sfgiants fans.

The A's try to improve on a hopeful June but have to face the best team in the MLB. Plus, some observations about the "groundbreaking" event in Las Vegas. And more Jenny Cavnar bloopers!

A recap of Sunday's bizarre series finale that ended with the Giants breaking out their bats. I make the case that the Devers Effect was in full effect. Willy Adames showed he is more relaxed with Devers in the lineup. Also, some roster reconstruction analysis.

The Giants got that new shipment of bats I asked for -- from Boston! Buster Posey's bold move to bring elite hitter Rafael Devers to SF instantly remakes the Giants' lineup, shakes up the baseball world and gives the Giants a boost to their playoff hopes.

The A's have won 6 of their last 10 and a lot can be attributed to their pitching staff. But, can they keep it up when they return home, which has been torture on their pitchers? Plus, a hard look at A's PBP TV broadcaster Jenny Cavnar in my new segment, "Harmon the Critic."

If you were one of 53,000 Candlestick Park fans there for a Giants/Dodgers doubleheader, it was one of the most memorable moments in the SF/LA rivalry. Robinson flicking his nose to get under the skin of LA's closer Steve Howe, just weeks off a stint in a rehab stint for cocaine addiction. That story, plus a quick take on the first place tie the two rivals find themselves in.

Jerar Encarnacion makes his long awaited return to the Giants after a two month recovery from a broken hand. The news came with the shock that outfielder Luis Matos was sent to Sacramento, meaning LaMonte Wade Jr. stays with SF, to the chagrin of impatient fans. Also, I offer a scouting report for the series with San Diego, and some old school pitchers weigh in on MLB's misuse of pitchers.

Hitting remains impotent for the SF Giants as they get swept by the Detroit Tigers. What's at the heart of their miseries? They don't hit with count leverage. They pass up on "cookies," fastballs down the middle. They've stopped stealing bases. They don't score early or often. So, maybe a shipment of new bats will help.

Mark Kotsay continues to worship at the altar of the 100 pitch count limit, and it cost him again when he lifted Luis Severino after 98 pitches. The A's bullpen proceeded to blow another game en route to their 9th straight loss. Did the press ask Kotsay why he took Severino out, though he'd given up just 2 runs and 0 walks over 6 innings? No. Did they ask Severino if he could have gone another inning? No.

All the Giants had to do was wait til A's Manager Mark Kotsay made the call to the bullpen Sunday. After getting stifled by lefty starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs for 6 2/3 innings, the Giants went to work against the A's relievers and pulled off another late inning win, thanks to big contributions from struggling LaMonte Wade Jr., Patrick Bailey and Heliot Ramos.

A's Manager Mark Kotsay's decision to walk Mike Yastrzemski to load the bases in the bottom of the 10th inning backfired when closer Mason Miller walked the major league's top RBI guy Wilmer Flores for a 1-0 Giants win over the A's.

Wilmer Flores had gone 18 games without a home run, stuck on 7 since April 21. And then the A's Effed around with him and Found out. A breakdown of his grand slam, and how the Giants worked A's starting pitcher JP Sears to load the bases. Also, a look at the mastery of Logan Webb, who held Sacramento to 5 hits over 8 innings.

Some bitterness lingers over the fact that the Giants and A's "rivalry" continues in a new "I-80" format. But, this series is actually important for both teams, which are looking to rebound from recent skids. Plus, a trivia question about two players with the same name who played for SF and Oakland.

The Giants' losing streak is now at four; the hitters are in a crisis. Only Heliot Ramos seems to know what he's doing at the plate. Pitchers have got to be growing frustrated by going unrewarded with stellar performances. My trivia question goes back to the 2010 World Series championship series with echoes of similar hitting woes.

The Giants are coming off a key series win over the Chicago Cubs after facing down some pivotal moments. Now, they face the hot Minnesota Twins, winners of their last five. I've break down the matchups, I've got a trivia question related to the Giants and Twins and return to my popular Did You Know segment.

Sacramento A's Manager Mark Kotsay has a chance to be a revolutionary. He could buck the trend. He could throw out the conventional wisdom that 100 pitch counts are sacred. He could ask his starting pitchers to step up and take on a greater workload. It's needed because the bullpen may be on the verge of wearing down. Plus, another Trivia Question!