Nick Hundley hits walk-off 2-run single

The Giants finish the month 15-14, over .500 mark, which is good for their confidence as they continue to paddle a boat made leaky by injuries.

from mlb.com
Nick Hundley hits walk-off 2-run single:

UP NEXT Giants rookie Andrew Suarez will receive his second career big league start in Tuesday's 7:15 p.m. PT encounter against the Padres and right-hander Tyson Ross. Suarez showed promise in his April 11 Major League debut against Arizona, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings but striking out seven while walking none.

Chris Haft has covered the Giants since 2005, and for MLB.com since 2007. 

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This is the most telling statistic in the story:

The decision lifted the Giants over .500 (15-14) for the first time since the end of the 2016 season.

D.J. Snelten continues to do well and it's good to see Andrew Suarez get another opportunity tonight.

There are so many guys that fall in the category "What are you going to do with...." that it's hard to keep track of sometimes.

• Sam Dyson and now Cory Gearin in the bullpen. Josh Osich when he gets off the DL for that matter. 
• Hunter Pence .172 almost a negative OPS+. 
• Brandon Crawford .189 and falling by the day. Same near negative OPS+
• Negative OPS+ is pitchers as hitters territory. 

Hanson has filled in well at 2B, sam with Slater, but I still would like to see Panik and Williamson back ASAP, especially Williamson. His injury has eerie similarities to Jarret Parker running into the wall and never really coming back the same.

I think I could get comfortable with a  starting staff of Bum, Cueto, Shark, Stratton and Blach with Suarez and Beede knocking on the door. If Will Smith can get back to speed quickly and Snelten can keep performing well in spots, the bullpen could solidify although the need Gearrin back and Moronta to stay steady on the RH side of the ledger.

Keep paddling boys. help is on the way. (I hope)

6-9, dudes! - McCovey Chronicles

Let's do the math.
6-9 = .400 ball.

• .400 ball = 65-97 final record
• 65-97 record = zero improvement over last year. 
• Zero Improvement over last year = UNACCEPTABLE!!

from McCovey Chronicles:
Chroncast #76: 6-9, dudes! - McCovey Chronicles:

Yes, the Belt Wars get some play in this week’s episode, which is admittedly not the most topical discussion to have, but still feels pretty relevant to the first 3 weeks of the regular season. But rather than watch pitches go by, we take a swing at other topics including: did the Giants make a mistake sticking with Beede over Suarez? Is Mac Williamson simply too good to be on the Giants? Is the definitive Josh Osich the one we’re seeing now? We also tackle your Twitter questions.

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• OK, Longoria and McCutcheon aren't going anywhere. 
• OK, Pence goes down to AAA, Williamson goes to AAAA or LF, whatever. 
• Whoever authorized keeping Beede over Suarez needs their head examined. 
• Whoever still sees something in Osich also needs their head examined. 

Belt is the least of the Giants many problems right now, although he has Joey Votto-itis minus the production. Swing the bat once in a while, you're not Ted Williams and the Moneyball - OBA love fest is over, replaced by exit velo and launch angle.

You get neither with the bat on your shoulders.

Oh, and fire Hensley Meulens, please.

Giants reliever Josh Osich thriving since his call-up - SFGate

 The health concerns perhaps demonstrate why Stephen Okert may have placed higher on most prospect lists. From a pure "stuff" standpoint, it's probably a wash. If this kid can stay healthy, he has a chance to replace Affeldt down the road. What is it they say about drafting pitchers?

"You need to take two, because one will break."

The Giants may need both of these guys to replace Affeldt and Lopez relatively soon.

from sfgate.com
http://m.sfgate.com/giants/ostler/article/Giants-reliever-Osich-thriving-since-his-call-up-6374261.php

It's funny, because the man doesn't look fragile. Six-two, a solid 220 pounds. And he throws 98 mph, which, contrasted with much of the rest of the Giants' pitching staff, looks like 128 mph.

And effective? Small sample size, as they say, but the Giants called up Osich from the minors Friday, and in four relief appearances, he has faced 13 batters and allowed no hits. In the Giants' 4-1 loss to the Mets on Wednesday, Osich pitched the eighth inning and 1-2-3'd the heart of the Mets' batting order on routine grounders.

---

He runs down the list of the bad stuff, dating back to college at Oregon State.

"Ulnar-nerve surgery, 2009, 2010 Tommy John (surgery), 2011 tore sub-scap(ula) muscle in shoulder, 2012 impingement, 2013 I had a radial-nerve injury, 2014 another impingement."

Sent from my iPhone

Scout.com: SF Giants Prospect Profile: LHP Josh Osich

Scout.com: SF Giants Prospect Profile: LHP Josh Osich:
Position: Pitcher
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 235
Born: 9/3/1988

Background

Osich was beginning to hit an upswing in his career in 2009 with Oregon State. Used almost solely out of the bullpen, he posted a 2.05 ERA and held opponents to a .170 batting average against.

However, Tommy John Surgery kept him out for the 2010 season.

Osich rebounded in 2011, throwing a no-hitter against UCLA in which he struck out 13 batters. However, elbow soreness caused him to fall in the draft, where the Giants took him in the sixth round (207th overall).

Scouting report

Injury is perhaps the only reason Osich was not a first round pick in 2011.

Heading into the draft, he was projected to be a first round sandwich pick, and ESPN’s Keith Law had him rated as the #49 draft-eligible prospect.

However, his elbow soreness, coupled with his previous Tommy John surgery, caused teams to stay away.

While Osich started during his fifth-year senior season at Oregon State, he spent the majority of his college career as a reliever. That also might be the best route for his professional career to go to help preserve his elbow. Osich sits in the high 90s with his fastball.

Future outlook

At this point in his career, it appears that Osich will continue his path to the big leagues through the bullpen. He began the season in the bullpen for single-A San Jose, and has not yet given up a run in 7 2/3 innings, recording 10 strikeouts with two walks. However, he is currently on the disabled list with an elbow strain -- something that will likely always be a concern for him in his career.

If he can manage to stay healthy, he has the raw ability to have success at the big league level. Osich has a strong fastball-changeup combo, and has a good grasp of the strike zone.

His situation reminds us of Mike Gonzalez, a talented left-handed reliever with elbow trouble. Like Gonzalez, if Osich can stay healthy, he has the ability to have a successful major league career.

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