Last week I attended a game in San Jose in which they trounced Visalia 7-2 on the back of a strong pitching performance by Henry Sosa and four home runs by the San Jose offense. It was the last game before the California League’s All Star break. I went to the game hoping to see Pablo Sandoval, Matt Downs, Ryan Rohlinger, and Henry Sosa. I got to see Pablo and Matt, but Ryan had the day off. Henry was the scheduled starter. Some reactions:
SP Henry Sosa:
Statistically, his performance was the best of the year. He went 6 innings, allowing four hits, no walks and garnered nine strikeouts. The no walks were particularly impressive, as that has been and will continue to be his biggest obstacle to the major leagues. The stuff was fantastic. There were no radar guns in the stadium, and I couldn’t identify the pitches from my seat (I sat pretty far up the first base line), but with my eyes and ears, he was easily the hardest thrower in the game. He also offered two different offspeed pitches (a change and a slider?) that had the Visalia batters absolutely flummoxed. Eric Byrnes was the beer batter, and he struck Eric out twice, both times looking, the first time with a fastball. He started the game pumping only fastballs, but the Visalia batters seemed to get a good read on them, sending a couple of shots to the outfield, including one for a double. After he gave up his lone run of the night, Henry settled down and started mixing in the offspeed pitches, and his opponents had no chance. He mixed his pitches well, throwing them in all counts. I couldn’t keep track as my pen had run out of ink, but I would say 2/3 of his pitches were fastballs.
The only hiccup in the game was in the fourth inning. He had been coasting with a quick second and third inning, but the first batter of the fourth shot a double into the outfield. This seemed to unsettle Henry, as his next pitches were all high, including one that sailed over Pablo’s head to the backstop. The Oaks’ hitters took notice, and began waiting for the high fastball. They landed good wood on a couple, but unfortunately for Visalia, they were caught. Henry got out of the inning with a favorable call by the first base umpire, a call that I thought he had missed. He finished the last two innings strong and I thought he had enough left in the tank to go another couple of batters.
Overall, I was very impressed by Henry’s performance. His pitches were sharp for the most part, and when he hit his spots, even a major leaguer like Eric Bynes had problems making contact. Henry has definite potential to be a #2 SP or even an ace if he can polish up that slider and changeup. The break in his composure was the only negative, but hopefully that mental aspect of the game will be toughened as he moves up the minor leagues. You might see him as a late-season call up next year.
2B Matt Downs:
Matt’s approach to the plate told me that he was too advanced to the league. Anything that was off the plate, he let go, and anything that was close, he made contact with. I saw him swing and miss only once in the game. Physically, he’s nothing to write home about. What his average tools and good plate discipline tells me is that there is a very fine line for Matt to succeed. If he can continue to recognize advanced pitching– know when to lay off and when to swing– then he will do well. but if he misjudges a pitch (which he did once, resulting in a weak grounder to second) then he’s an easy out.
I sticking with my wait and see attitude toward Matt. He’s one of my favorite prospects, but I want to see if he can maintain his discerning eye at the upper levels where the fastball velocities are higher and the breaking balls are better. Right now, I would rank him near the end of my top 20 list, a C/C+ ranking.
DH Pablo Sandoval:
I had hoped to see Pablo catch, but alas it was not to be as Elio Sarmiento took up that charge. The first thing noticed about Pablo (not his size, though that is the most common response when people see Pablo) was his attitude on the field. He was very loose before the game, taking practice swings with Ryan Rohlinger and posing afterwards. He was also very receptive to the fans, acknowledging them, when they called his name, making a face when a couple of regulars said something to him in Spanish.
In the batter’s box, Pablo was all business. In his three at-bats, he swung at five pitches and took one, which resulted in two deep flyouts and a double to the wall. Very aggressive. Aggressive is good, but there’s a fine line between an aggressive hitter and a slop-hacker. I will say, though, that all of the pitches he swung at, he made solid contact.
My enthusiasm for Pablo was tempered somewhat. I still like him as a top 10 prospect in the system– maybe top 15– but I think it’ll be a while before he’s polished enough to be a regular in the majors. My guess is September callups in 2009 and 2010, regular at-bats in 2012. Luckily, he still only 21, so he has time.
Other reactions to the game:
-Everyone in the park was surprised when Tyler Graham went yard, especially the Giants dugout. Some light-hearted ribbing went on when Tyler came back to the bench.
- Andy D’Alessio’s HR was an absolute blast. The HR’s by Schoop, Downs, and Graham homers had some drama to it, as the outfielders converged at the wall, but for Andy’s shot, the CF didn’t even move.
-Dan Griffin’s motion on the mound resembled a giraffe that had come to a sudden stop. Quite comical, and for that day, quite effective.
-Juan Trinidad’s pitches were drastically slower than any other pitchers’. They seemed to float in the air.
-A couple of season ticket holders were talking about how this is the best Giants team they had ever seen. There is certainly some merit to the statement. In the first half, the Giants finished 43-27, good for a .614 winning percentage. The 2005 San Jose Giants team might give them a run for their money though. That team went 85-55 for a .605 winning percentage. The team boasted an offense of Clay Timpner, Nate Schierholtz, Eddy Martinez-Esteve, Travis Ishikawa, John Bowker and Kevin Frandsen. That team scored 813 runs and allowed 583.
Some pictures!
Henry Sosa. Check out that long stride.
Pablo batting from the left side, after connecting with a double.
Matt Downs before he hits his home run.
Posted by James 