The Giants did what they needed to do which was sweep the lowly Diamondbacks and move within two games of the Dodgers ahead of the big weekend series. Both clubs have 16 games remaining with six head-to-head matches. I'm sure it will be a thoroughly nerve-wracking three weeks! Once again the team got contributions from the whole lineup--all the starters got on base at least once, eight different guys got hits, and five different guys scored runs. Since the Break the Giants have the highest-scoring offense in the NL and the fourth-best in baseball. I think we all knew this team could hit and it was just a matter of time before they found their mojo again. We watched some pretty feeble displays from the hitters for a long stretch (like June and July) so it's great to see them whacking the ball all over the Park. The Dodgers aren't the D-Backs and will present a much tougher challenge so it will be fun to see how the club responds.
Ol' Boch had the quick hook today for Jake Peavy who struck out eight in 5-2/3 but allowed six hits and a run on 92 pitches. It was 3-1 at the time and the right move. I particularly liked that Juan Perez came in on the double-switch and stroked an RBI double and later scored! Teamwork, baby. Peavy was a little peeved when he was pulled, you could see him shaking his head and saying "unbelievable" but after that weird rain-delay start in Detroit and yielding a double and a triple in the 6th it was perfectly believable the skipper would go to the 'pen. Peavy is a crackup to watch with all the muttering and twitchy mannerisms. With that horrid beard he looks like someone you would run away from on a dark street. Another good effort today, though. He's certainly filled in quite well for Matt Cain.
It will be Madison Bumgarner tomorrow night against Hyun-Jin Ryu in the biggest game of the season. They'll keep getting bigger after that regardless of the result.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
11 comments:
The Dodgers for all the marbles. Can't ask for anything better. We're wearing sunglasses. Hit it.
I'm trying hard to keep my optimism in check but it's not easy. Maybe we're peaking too soon. Maybe Panik was just a flash in the pan. Maybe getting Belt and Morse back will screw up the chemistry.
16 games left is peaking at exactly the right time. Six against the Dodgers in the next 14 days, like Shankbone sez, can't ask for anything better. (And don't forget the half-pack of cigarettes.)
We're in Section 113 for Sunday's game. Can't wait! Go Giants!
Duck the Fodgers!
Right on! That's Kershaw and Petit. Should be epic.
The good news is that Panik is not wildly crazy in terms of making contact, his contact rate over his last 17 games is still about the same as it was for the season, both AAA and MLB, in fact a bit low at 88% contact rate. 6 walks vs. 9 K's is still pretty good.
Both are signs of a hitter capable of finishing the season half the time with a .300 average. So he could cool down some, but the skill set is there.
I could ask for something better: us leading by 2 games instead of 2 games behind. :^)
Not peaking too soon, this reminds me a lot of the run we had in 2010, plus most of them were here in 2012 when we were backs to the wall ultimate winners.
Belt is not going to screw up any chemistry. He's an upgrade over Ishikawa once he's back to normal, but at worse, off the bench, better than what most teams would have on the bench, even if he's rusty.
And Morse is one of the guys wearing sunglasses, he'll be cool.
This is very much like the baseball the team was playing in April and May. And, if anything, the pitching is better, as Bumgarner was struggling early but aces now, plus Peavy is doing way better than Cain was doing, and Petit has been on fire. Vogie is hitting a down period now, but he started off poorly, as well, and is pitching better now. Only Hudson is doing worse, hoping to see him step up in this series against our hated rivals.
And apparently, Peavy's mutterings are actually about himself, not others, according to what I read recently, umpires had to learn that about his behavior.
I wonder if that unnerves any hitters? Reminds me of The Mad Hungarian, didn't he used to mutter at the mound? Plus Mark the Bird Fidyrich?
GO Madison!
B-Crawwwwwwwwww!!!!!
Ishiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!
A whole lot of heroes tonight, eh? I have to give a wink and a nod to Joaquin Arias for a huge performance both with the bat and the glove. He is a key guy coming off the bench and it is great to see him finding his stroke.
Yeah, Arias has been amazing lately, oppo of what he was doing the rest of the season, rewarding the Giants patience. He has been a good part of this resurgence, perfect time to find his stroke, this is playoff time now, do or die, if the team hopes to make the playoffs for real.
Blanco too, I should add, the two of them were on many hate lists not that long ago. Now they are giving rest to others as well as helping the offense.
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