Giants win a squeaker, 3 - 2.
Madison Bumgarner on the hill. Maddy had not given up as many as 2 runs in his last 6 starts. The Brewers are a team of sluggers, though, and managed to chalk up 2 runs on only 4 hits.
Quite the contrast to the Giants, who managed to run up only 3 runs on 12 hits, and left 12 men in scoring position for the game. They also drew 4 walks. On a percentage efficiency basis, you might say the Brewers prevailed, but fortunately for the Giants, you win based on run totals. So it was a 3 - 2 victory. Much of the game did not seem nearly that close. The Giants kept banging out hits, and you kind of knew that they would start piling up runs like they did last night, except that really didn't happen much.
Buster Posey was on base 4 times, all singles. His bat is heating up. He scored once, as did Joe Panik and Angel Pagan. Angel also had a hit and an rbi to mark his return from rehabbing an injured hamstring. Gregor Blanco got himself on the hits board with 2 (and he needed them) and might have had a chance at another had he not been prematurely rung up on a ball that he foul tipped. You could hear the tip on tv, but apparently the umpire couldn't, and you can't appeal that call.
Madbum picked up his 8th victory in 113 pitches in 8 innings. Maddy gave up the 2 runs, 4 hits, one of which was a home run to Jonathan Lukroy. He struck out 8 and walked 1, and got 1 hit, a single. Santiago Casilla picked up a save. He blew through the first 2 batters, until Ryan Braun gave him a battle that ended in a strikeout on the 11th pitch.
The Giants pick up their 4th win in a row and their 5th out of their last 6. Pretty good for a team that has seemingly been struggling and dealing with bad news. Here is some more. Belt left the game, but is probably OK. A lot of discussion lately about the bullpen, so I thought I would look up some stats. Going back to a little before the beginning of June, at the start of the Atlanta series, the bullpen has thrown 41 innings and given up 15 runs. That is a 3.29 era. Not lights out, but not too bad. In that time period, the Giants have won 8 and lost 6. 3 of those losses were due to the team falling behind while the starter was on the mound, 3 were the fault of the pen. 2 were Casilla and 1 was a combo of Law and Casilla. Casilla looked good tonight, though.
Johnny C on the mound tomorrow afternoon, then a day off before taking on the Tampa Bay Rays.
6 comments:
But bullpens pitch at the end of games and in high leverage situations. So for 41 IP/15 RA we can say it ain't too bad but it ain't too good, neither. This is why I like big leads. They are a cushion against flukes, cheap hits, bad calls, and bad breaks. But I don't think this team is wired that way. They seem to prefer the nail-biter!
The only number that matters, of course, is the number of wins. Right now the Giants are tied for second-most. That I like. The Cubs have the most, obviously, and the fewest losses. Their average score is 5.4 to 2.9 and that +2.5 run difference is by far the best, almost twice as good as the next best team (Boston at +1.3). The Giants are 4.4 to 3.9, a whole run "worse" on both ends! Crazy. But I like this team and I like the way they are hanging tough in spite of the endless parade of injuries and the uncertainty in the 'pen. Interesting note: the Giants are 16-7 in one-run games (Cubs are 8-8). Not sure it means anything other than the Giants play a lot of one-run games! So I reckon they better be good at winning them.
Well last night was more like it, ridiculously close and another win. With MadBum and Cueto starting the Giants are about 24-5, no shit. I'm hoping that JohnnyC will feel the competition and deal another beauty today. BTW I'm on the coast with the wifey but I should get to see the game and Vlog later today, but don't expect the usual "studio" setting.
Today is Tim Lincecum's birthday. I guess people expect me to be into his return but I'm not feeling it. Our team has so much character and so many challenges that I have no interest in any thing else. His era with me is over, he may still have more to achieve, but that will be some Angel fans thrill. I don't think I will be missing much, sadly. I wish him well tho, in the AL.
You're right, Mark, the bullpen has been not too bad, but not too good either. But here is another way to look at it:
In the last 14 games (back through the start of the Atlanta series), the Giants are 8 - 6. That's good, but not too good, either.
Of the 6 losses, 3 were bullpen losses, 3 were starter losses. That, again, is not too good, but not so much that you can blame the Giants' woes on the bullpen (then again, there are probably quite a few teams that would like to be able to describe being in first place after going 8 - 6 as "woes"). So that are 8 games where the bullpen did not blow the lead (or 7, if you count that game where they did blow the lead, but won anyway). Again, not bad, although not where you are raving about the bullpen, either.
I like to look at these numbers to get some insight that, sometimes, gets a little deeper than the reaction to last nights' game. Sometimes it doesn't provide much insight and sometimes it merely confirms whatever the prevalent feeling is.
The Giants are currently .606 at 40 - 26, the third best record in the National League, behind the Nats and the Cubs. The Cubs started out ridiculously hot, they went 24 - 6 to start the season. On May 10, they were rained out of a game vs Toronto. Since then, they are 20 - 13 (.606). The Giants in that time are 23 - 8, .742. So, yeah, the Cubs have this ridiculous run difference but have been outplayed by the Giants for the last month plus while the national press is drooling all over them.
Yikes! I have a Vlog in the can and ready to post but not good enough wifi to do it. I will get it up ASAP. Sorry.
Good stuff too!
It is pretty hard to sustain a .700 win percentage (that would be a 113-49 record!) but they don't have to since they had that awesome start. FanGraphs projects a 103-59 record for the Cubs, that's playing .600 the rest of the way. Playing .600 ball for a season is pretty tough. They project the Giants to win 95 games. Wow--that's optimistic. But I can get behind that!
Cubs are good, make no mistake. They are absolutely loaded with talent. And I don't mind the national press falling over themselves about it. I think Epstein & Co. deserve lots of credit for re-making the franchise with good drafts, good trades, and good signings. I respect their current success. Of course we are only 40% into the season but they are building on what they created last season--97 wins is nothing to sneeze at.
Ultimately we know "the ring" is the only measure anyone cares about, but unless you win consistently in the regular season you will never get a shot at a Series title. I don't think it diminishes the Giants to notice another club doing well. We all know Sabes, Evans, Boch and the rest of the crew are awesome. The Giants are poised to be steady winners for a while, I think. 649-552 since 2009, .540 ball, that's an enviable record even without the three titles. I kind of like that the Giants are respected within the game but 'under-the-radar' outside of it. Let the other guys (Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, BoSox) get all the press, doesn't bother me.
Post a Comment