In this short 2 game series, we held Kansas City to 3 runs in 23 innings. That's decent pitching and defense. Unfortunately, we could only win 1 of those games. Boo.
Madison Bumgarner on the hill. He was far from dominant but seemed to be finding a way to get it done and held Kansas City scoreless though most of his 7 innings. He had several rough innings, though, and KC pushed a run across in the 5th. It was enough. Madison lasted 7, gave up 7 hits, walked 1 and struck out 4. For the Royals, Jason Vargas was on the hill. He spent most of the last couple years dealing with Tommy John surgery. He was only throwing his 3rd start in 2017, but has only given up 1 run in his previous 2 (13 2/3 IP). After 7 tonight, his ERA is 0.44. The Giants got 4 hits only.
Gosh, I feel like I typed this before.......not very long ago.......is my mind going? Oh wait, here's why. Last time Madison was on the mound, the Giants scored 1 run and lost. The time before that, the Giants scored 1 run, and lost. Tonight, they exceeded their previous crappiness, scored none and lost 1 - 0. That sucks. Our lineup featured Aaron Hill in left and Gorkys Hernandez in center. They were hitless. Should there be a tag that supercedes "anemia offensivia?" "Offensivia horribilis?" After a day off tomorrow, they show up in Colorado, where they need to score closer to 1 run an inning, not 1 run every other game.
4 comments:
I like "offensiva horribilis." That's good.
It WAS horrible. That was another goddamn winnable game!
But I'm forcing myself to see the glass half full, to look on the bright side, to count the positives, etc. So, in that spirit, the Giants have some seriously excellent pitching and defense. Over the long haul that's going to pay off.
But I do have to say I was shocked and dismayed by MadBum's failure to cover first on the crucial scoring play. What the fuck? It just seemed really out of character for him.
Also, I really hate when batters throw the bat on swings. (Buster did it AGAIN.) I think they should be called out for that. I know they want to have a loose grip, but that's nuts.
It was games like this one and the others that Bumgarner has pitched that leads me to repeat my assertion that good pitching is marvelous, but unless it is spectacular it won't win many games by itself. A team must have enough offensive power to score consistently. As with most things in life, balance is necessary. My hopes for a Cy Young for Bumgarner are fading fast and so far it is mostly not his fault.
Balance in all things, indeed.
I'm just looking for positives! This team reminds me of 2009, where the pitching was deadly but they couldn't hit for shit. This team will hit, I feel. Not great, but enough. I get a cagey-vet-grind-it-out kind of team vibe. Not flashy, dull really, but over a six month haul of attritional trench warfare they'll emerge, battered and bruised, as a top team. They will win ugly and will lose ugly, but it'll be effective enough by the end. Kind of like last year!
That's my line and I'm stickin' to it.
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