Giants get back to .500 with some good pitching and timely hitting, a tried-and-true formula. This year's variation on that formula involves getting better matchups and we saw that tonight. Righty Austin Slater led off against southpaw Kyle Freeland and hit a homer, and struggling righty Joey Bart got an RBI double in the 5th off the same lefty. With the game at 2-2 in the 7th, lefty pinch-hitter Alex Dickerson launched a homer off righty reliever Jairo Diaz and lefty pinch-hitter Brandon Belt added a booming two-run double in the same frame and that set up the win. Tony Watson and Sam Coonrod got the last six outs. Drew Smyly started and was effective for 5-1/3, with Trevor Cahill, Jarlin Garcia, and Tyler Rogers bridging the gap. The Giants are 27-27 with six games remaining. They are averaging about five runs on both sides of the ball, scoring 272 and allowing 269 in the 54 games. They are 17-10 at home and of course they are 10-17 away.
A couple of nine-run games would be nice, don't you think? No starter announced for tonight's 6:45 contest but maybe Logan Webb could go on four days rest (he pitched Friday). Trevor Cahill faced only three batters last night so you'd think he could deliver some "bulk innings" in relief. We'll see.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. FNG OF Luis Basabe had to leave the game in the 3rd when he tweaked his hamstring. FNG IF Daniel Robertson had to play in left field, and he got his first ever OF assist when he threw out Garrett Hampson in the 7th trying to stretch a single into a double. I like both of these players and hope they are part of the mix next spring.
2 comments:
Robertson's play in the outfield for an assist was one of the nicest play's I have seen from an outfielder on the giants in a long time. I do not mean the difficulty of the play, but I mean the precise execution of how he made the play. He handled it like a skilled infielder, and positioned himself perfectly to make the throw and gun down the runner. There was a play last year when Pillar made a diving catch running in from center to right center, got up and threw the tagging runner out at third. That was more in the type of play one may have called one of his superman plays. But this play by Robertson, probably would not have been made as nicely by most left fielders. It was nice to see him charge the ball, position himself perfectly, and make the perfect throw. Brings back memories of the Say Hey Kid. Although left field is certain not center field. Of interest. I find it odd that Alex Dickerson has such a poor throwing arm. I wonder if their is a way to change the way he throws. Kruk and Kuip keep mentioning how strong his hands are. Perhaps he could find a way that utilized a throwing motion that takes advantage of his hand strength, because he arm speed or range of motion does not seem to help him. Bonds I think utilized this skill for throwing, as he also had some issues with his throwing range of motion. He seemed to use a quick release, a lot of hand and wrist action, and accuracy to make up for his relative weak throwing arm. It often amazed me how throwing arm, and power hitting seem to have no relationship. A guy like Ichiro could have a great throwing arm, and yet Barry Bonds one of the greatest power hitters of all time did not.
Yeah I have thought about that, too. Throwing ability seems unrelated to hitting. You'd think a guy as strong as Bonds could throw a ball into the water from his spot in LF! But he was "ordinary" at that skill. I suppose Ichiro was able to unlock some bio-mechanical advantage, like arm angle, or "degrees of freedom" in the arc of the arm motion, or a whip effect. Something he could do with his particular body shape. I wonder if Tim Lincecum could throw a ball and nail a runner from the outfield!
I like Robertson. We have not seen much of him but he looks really polished.
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