Start #3: Loss (0-2) 6 innings 8 hits 5 runs 1 walk 6 strikeouts
This game started at 7:18 pm and was effectively over by 7:28 pm. The Phillies jumped all over Tim Lincecum with 5 hits and 4 runs in the first inning. With Roy Halliday going for Philly...well, you know how that is going to turn out. Oh sure, we scored a little ( it ended 5-2) but if you really thought we had a chance after Tim's start, then you are way more confident of our "new" offense than I am.
That makes three straight BAD first innings for Tim; a total of seven runs...which I believe equals the total for ALL of his first inning runs allowed last season. His velocity seemed to hover in the unimpressive 88-91 mph range. His control seemed better; almost too good, though. He got ahead of many batters but then would always seem to leave a gift right over the plate. The 0-2 crap to Victorino in the first and the offering to Halladay are prime examples. Is it time to panic yet? (and I don't mean the second baseman.)
Good things: It was a pretty short game.
Bad things: Besides Tim, the worst thing going on with this team is the defense. Another one tonight (like 15 in 10 games!) , which keeps us easily on top in the league. Are we just having an unlucky stretch? Huff in left is a ticking bomb.
5 comments:
Huff made all his plays. Pagan was the guy who misplayed the ball in the first and made a poor throw as well. When Tim pitches you can usually expect weak fly balls and you can live with a guy like Huff in LF and a weaker RF (Cabrera) than Nate. Alas, Tim isn't doing his part. Not that the fielding lapses don't concern me, but I'm putting it down to all the new bodies still learning to play together.
Tim isn't hitting the corners. Everything is a ball or over the center of the plate. The Phils were ready for it--they knew what was coming. He's had stretches like this before and always figured it out, he'll do it again.
Giants gave themselves some chances against Halladay--10 baserunners. A hit with men on (esp. in the 1st) would have been nice to see. Buster had some good swings, so did Pablo. Even Pagan showed life. Melky has cooled off. He looks like a guy who goes 8 for 10 then 0 for 15. But he worked a walk. Crawford hit a nice ball and Belt got a walk and a hit.
You have to love the MadBum deal. Yeah, I'm focusing on the positive. Great deal for the team to avoid all the arb years and cover one FA year with options for two more. And it is a big payday ($35M) for such a young 'un. Great move by the Brian Trust.
Did they end up giving an error to Crawford for that over the shoulder attempt on a pop into short left? That was a good example of Huff NOT making the play. His range is so limited, which may not directly cause errors but it causes great strain on everybody else.
Well, Pat the Bat would not have made that play, and the Giants won the World Series with him in LF. (No error as far as I could tell was scored.) Sure, he's not ideal, but he's the least of our worries. He can manage it OK out there. If Tim were being Tim, we would not be talking about Huff. He needs to hit, of course, and if he does we can live with his D.
I think its nine first inning runs already, as opposed to 8 all last year. A key at bat was the called strike 3 against Belt to quash a giants rally. That pitch was a ball all game. Early in the game I thought the ump was squeezing Halladay. I thought a rare advantage to the giants. But as the game went on, he started giving Halladay a wide strike zone. Kruk and Kuip chaled some of that up to his working the umps. I don't know what went on with the speed gun, because Halladay was only hitting 91 also. Tim is working on the anti-20 million dollar contract. He should have taken the long term deal when it was offered.
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