Talking MLB Playoffs With #MLBbro Ellis Burks

Talking MLB Playoffs With #MLBbro Ellis Burks

by | Oct 15, 2021 | THE LEAD OFF

#MLBbro Ellis Burks had a stellar 18-year MLB career in which he swatted 352 homers and had a career batting average of .291.

He also knows a thing or two about rivalries having played for the Boston Red Sox and the San Francisco Giants. Burks joins Mark Gray on “The Pushback” to talk 2021 MLB Playoffs.

 

LaMonte Wade Jr. Tantalized On Both Sides Of The Cowhide

LaMonte Wade Jr. Tantalized On Both Sides Of The Cowhide

by | Oct 13, 2021 | THE LEAD OFF

A debate ensued with the San Francisco Giants about which outfielder would play in Game of the NLDS as LaMonte Wades’ struggles were louder than his play.

Reports indicated that it came down to Wade Jr. and fellow outfielder Steven Duggar, who made plays while starting Game 3. But Wade got the start, and it paid off. 

Wade Jr. got his first postseason hit as he turned on an inside pitch which dropped in front of fellow MLBbro Mookie Betts for a single to right-center in the top of the second. 

This hit broke an unwanted playoff slump for the young sensation who was 2-34 at the plate and hitless in seven NLDS at bats. 

After building his confidence at the plate, Wade Jr put on his PF Flyers, turned on the jets, and produced a game-saving catch with men on base, while crashing into the wall to end the third inning.

The top of the fourth saw Wade get showered with boos as he once again steps to the plate with Bryant on base, but he grounded out to second to end the inning.

With runners in scoring position, he has eight game-tying or go-ahead hits in the ninth inning or better, which is the most in the MLB this season; hence the later the game, the more efficient he hits.

A double switch ended Wades’ night early as he was replaced in the bottom of the fourth. The Dodgers went on to route the Giants 7-2 to force a winner take all Game 5:

Hitting is magnetic, and since Wade has found his stroke look for him to continue turning those negative plate appearances into a positive Thursday night in front of a ruckus crowd back at Oracle park.

First pitch of the NLDS is slated for 9:07 p.m. EST on TBS.

Lamonte Wade Jr.’s Glove Understands The Assignment | His Dynamic D Helps Giants Take 2-1 NLDS Lead

Lamonte Wade Jr.’s Glove Understands The Assignment | His Dynamic D Helps Giants Take 2-1 NLDS Lead

by | Oct 12, 2021 | THE THREE SPOT

“Late Night” LaMonte Wade Jr.’s struggles continued Monday night  against vaunted LA Dodgers hurler Max Scherzer.

Wade Jr. went 0-3 with two strikeouts and he’s mired in a 2-for-34 rut. 

The struggles at the plate are prevalent for Wade Jr, but his defensive prowess is on another level as he made play after play while roaming left field.

He caught numerous pop-flys throughout his duration, but none was more impressive than the one he shagged on the warning track to open the bottom of the sixth.

Wades’ defense is only one of the reasons he was able to help his team gain one step closer to advances to the National League Championship Series as he was one of two current Giants to have faced Scherzer, as mentioned earlier.

Wade’s knowledge of the newly acquired Dodger pitcher led to the lone run of the game by Evan Longoria who went yard in the top of the fifth. 

Wade Jr. said he remembers Scherzer very well in their match-up when he pitched for the Washington Nationals. He emphasized how he challenged him with heater after heater in his at-bats.

Per KNBR.com, Wade said, “Now that I think about it, he was attacking the whole time with the heater.”

He recounted the 12 pitch at-bat as the first pitch was 94 mph, then 89, 93, and 94 mph with a cuter and a curveball to keep him honest at the plate, which like Monday, led to another pop-out.

From the performance, which ultimately bled into Tuesday morning, it was evident that the Giants did their due diligence in preparing for the Cy Young winner as they’re one win away from advancing to the next round.

And speaking of putting the work in, a video surfaced of manager Gabe Kapler witnessing the power of Wade Jr. as he launched long ball after long ball into the stratosphere Sunday night ahead of game three inside Dodger Stadium.

There is a reason that Kapler keeps inserting Wade into the starting lineup. He knows that bad times don’t last, and hopefully, LaMonte will show why he received the moniker “Late Night” sooner rather than later.

Look for Wade to shake away from the dismal slump in Game 4 on Tuesday night, with first pitch slated for 9:07 p.m. EST on TBS.

Lamonte Wade Jr. Is No Longer A Maybe | He’s An Impact MLBbro

Lamonte Wade Jr. Is No Longer A Maybe | He’s An Impact MLBbro

by | Aug 30, 2021 | THE THREE SPOT

LaMonte Wade Jr. is having a time to remember in his first full major league season.

The  San Francisco Giants outfielder has played in a career-high 78 games already and has over 200 plate appearances for the first time.

Wade Jr. had just 95 at bats in 46 games in his first two pro seasons with Minnesota.

Wade is early in his MLB career as he’s in his third season. This season he has shown that he has what it takes to be successful in this league.

Our MLBbro has played a significant part in the success of the Giants.

 

 

It is safe to say that he has made quite the first impression with the Giants.

Now if you ask Giants fans who Wade is, they’ll be quick to tell you about the rising star.

The  27-year-old is hitting .245 with 17 home runs and 43 RBI. Both are career-highs for Wade.

This is his best season statistically so far and he continues to show signs of improvement.

Wade has dealt with a few injuries throughout the season that caused him to miss some games.

But he hasn’t let those injuries slow him down at all.

Last year, Wade was a member of the Minnesota Twins, who lost in the Wild Card round to the Houston Astros.

Now, Wade has a chance to be a part of a team who can win one of the toughest  divisions in MLB.

Lamont Wade Jr. Is On Hammer Time For First Place Giants

At the plate, Wade has shown that he’s more than a singles and double type of guy. He can hit it out of the park with no problem.

He is fourth on the team in home runs and fourth in triples with two. Wade has made the most of his time with the Giants since early in the season.

Our MLBbro came through clutch in a game on August 21st.

The Giants were battling their division rivals, the Oakland Athletics, and Wade was called upon to pinch hit.

And what did our brother do?

Hit a go-ahead two-run homer to help the Giants secure a 6-5 victory. And that was his first pinch-hit home run of his career too, can’t get much better than that.

Wade’s teammates has nothing but respect for him.

“It’s not easy to come off the bench after you’ve been sitting there for three-and-a-half hours and put a good swing on a ball like that,”  Giants veteran Brandon Belt told mlb.com.

“But it’s something that we as a team have been able to do really well this year. It’s especially hard for a young player like LaMonte, but he’s shown up at-bat after at-bat, late in the game. He’s been huge for us.”

Wade is the type of player that can make an impact whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.

As the Giants continue to make a push towards the playoffs and fend off the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West, Wade will continue to display his abilities on the field and let the league know that he is a force to be reckoned with.