Boxscore
On their eighth attempt the San Francisco Giants get their 70th win. With the shitty post-season math out there the losing streak seemed like it would never end. Tonight a patchwork lineup and Jake Peavy led the team to victory. Peavy got burned in the 6th again to spoil a strong start. After an impressive whiff of Carlos Gonzalez with a man on and one out he gave up a two-strike homer to Nolan Arenado to cut a 5-1 lead to 5-3. It wasn't a fat pitch, but it was on the black, and it seems like any strike the Giants throw that guy he crushes. The lads bounced back right away though and made it 7-3 and that's how it ended. Jake Peavy, amazingly, was a hitting star with two booming doubles, scoring on the first one and driving in a run with the second. Angel Pagan also had a good night with a homer--his first in over a year--and a double. Nick Noonan, playing first base for the first time ever, had an RBI double and walked with the bases loaded for another RBI. FNG Alejandro De Aza, starting in left field, had two hits and a run scored. Gregor Blanco had two hits including a solo homer and Matt Duffy had three hits and two runs batted in.
Andrew Susac was sent home to have his hand looked at and Hector Sanchez started behind the plate. He hurt himself running out a bunt and had to be replaced by Buster Posey. It's 40-man roster time and the Giants are down to one catcher. I've no idea who the Giants plan to bring up to fill the spot. Juan Perez warmed up Hunter Strickland in the bullpen--maybe he'll don the gear at some point in this crazy season!
Just keep winning, Giants.
--M.C.
Showing posts with label Sanchez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sanchez. Show all posts
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
2-1/2 Back
The Giants win big in San Diego behind another suffocating start from Chris Heston who went 7-1/3 and allowed only one hit. Josh Osich was tagged with all the runs in the 9-3 win, the young lefty has looked terrific in his cup of coffee, he's sure got a live arm, but I imagine he'll get the axe when Jeremy Affeldt returns this weekend. Another body will have to be hacked from the roster when Nori Aoki is activated--that's supposed to happen Friday. Meanwhile the Giants send Matt Cain out tomorrow afternoon for the rubber match. Tonight they battered their erstwhile nemesis, Odrisamer Despaigne, with seven hits and six runs including a big bomb apiece from Hunter Pence and Brandon Crawford. Hector Sanchez, god bless him, delivered a grand slam is his first start off reliever Dale Thayer to make it a laugher. If we can get some solid play from the backup backstop while Andrew Susac is out that would be a big help. Buster Posey sat out tonight--the Giants need their superstar to be rested and healthy for the stretch run.
The Dodgers lost in Atlanta and the Giants closed the gap to 2-1/2 games with their 50th win. They have the 11th-best record in baseball.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
The Dodgers lost in Atlanta and the Giants closed the gap to 2-1/2 games with their 50th win. They have the 11th-best record in baseball.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Fourteener
Hunter Pence had EIGHT trips to the plate last night. Now that's entertainment! What a slog, man, but what a great win, too. Fantastic effort from the 'pen. And having rubber-armed Tim Lincecum sitting around doing nothing is quite a luxury. First career save--cool, eh? Just another wonderful tidbit on his remarkable resume. I'm really happy to see George Kontos making a contribution. With things the way they are, every arm counts. And Hector Sanchez caught all fourteen fookin' innings! That's huge. You think the Giants want Buster squatting for almost six hours? No way. You'd think he'd rake four hits if he did? Maybe, but his bat is much too valuable for him to take the daily beating behind the plate. No, Hanchez is the sacrificial lamb. Yes, his hitting has been woeful, but he's chewing up innings so Buster can be fresher when it's his turn. And he did get two hits and a walk last night, so maybe things are trending upward*.
Speaking of sacrificing your body for the team, it's time for the Giants and Matt Cain to come clean. He's apparently been pitching with "loose bodies" in his elbow for four years. He pulled off a perfect game, an All-Star win, and a World Series title with those floaters, but you can only dance naked in the cactus garden for so long before you get needles in your pecker. Lots of athletes play through pain and injuries--I get it. I'm sure Cain and the team think that with a little R & R he can grit his way through another dozen starts and deliver something like the latter half of last season. At some point he's going to need surgery. It's not ligament damage. We aren't talking Tommy John, most likely just arthroscopy meaning a faster recovery. As I said before I'm surprised he didn't get that done this past off-season. But we don't really know the whole story and Matty channels Gary Cooper when it comes to self-analysis so it's up to the Giants to deliver some straight talk. The bottom line is that we could be looking at a Cain-less stretch run, or a stretch run with a guy with no. 18 on his back who looks like Cain but can't get the big outs. Baggs runs down some of the starting pitchers that the Giants might take a look at. Bartolo Colon's name has come up as well. Imagine if he did this in orange-and-black.
Madison Bumgarner today, 4:05 Pacific.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
*"That's one thing the kid can do is hit, but we've got to get that back," Bochy said. "He's just coming off the ball." (via Baggs)
Speaking of sacrificing your body for the team, it's time for the Giants and Matt Cain to come clean. He's apparently been pitching with "loose bodies" in his elbow for four years. He pulled off a perfect game, an All-Star win, and a World Series title with those floaters, but you can only dance naked in the cactus garden for so long before you get needles in your pecker. Lots of athletes play through pain and injuries--I get it. I'm sure Cain and the team think that with a little R & R he can grit his way through another dozen starts and deliver something like the latter half of last season. At some point he's going to need surgery. It's not ligament damage. We aren't talking Tommy John, most likely just arthroscopy meaning a faster recovery. As I said before I'm surprised he didn't get that done this past off-season. But we don't really know the whole story and Matty channels Gary Cooper when it comes to self-analysis so it's up to the Giants to deliver some straight talk. The bottom line is that we could be looking at a Cain-less stretch run, or a stretch run with a guy with no. 18 on his back who looks like Cain but can't get the big outs. Baggs runs down some of the starting pitchers that the Giants might take a look at. Bartolo Colon's name has come up as well. Imagine if he did this in orange-and-black.
Madison Bumgarner today, 4:05 Pacific.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
*"That's one thing the kid can do is hit, but we've got to get that back," Bochy said. "He's just coming off the ball." (via Baggs)
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Lacking in LA
But for a bit of better luck, Matt Cain would have gotten a couple of outs in the 6th inning instead of loading the bases. Michael Morse could not get to a popup from Yasiel Puig, and Hector Sanchez could not hold on to a foul pop from Hanley Ramirez. Neither were hit hard, but that's baseball. The Dodgers tied it up and eventually got the win. Morse hasn't been a liability this season, and we all know about his reputation. Sanchez has hurt the team with his mistakes, but has also shown he can make big plays. Sometimes the cookie crumbles, right? Just when I was raving about the fielders they don't get it done. Dee Gordon ran wild--he's doing that to everyone these days--and was the game's MVP.
Cain had thrown five scoreless despite what seemed to be some shaky command, and when he walked Gordon to start the 6th it felt like a harbinger of doom. The game was all Dodgers after that. The Giants found a chink in Zack Greinke's armor early, but he dominated late and gave his team a chance to come back and take the lead. Which they did in the 7th off Jeremy Affeldt and Jean Machi, a rare letdown by the bullpen. Brian Wilson loaded the bases in the 8th with two outs, but overpowered Hunter Pence to end the threat and the Giants chances, especially when LA tacked on two more against Juan Gutierrez.
Matt the Knife walked four and only 53 of his 92 pitches (58%) were for strikes. Krukow was going on about "arm slot" at first, then went into "he's getting under it" and "he's got push on that ball," ultimately making the point that the just-healed finger cut was responsible for screwing up Cain's grip on the fastball. Whatever it was, it wasn't enough to match Greinke, who has now made twenty consecutive starts without giving up more than two runs.
The Dodgers bring out Clayton Kershaw tomorrow and the Giants counter with Tim Hudson, their best pitcher this season. Should be a great game.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Cain had thrown five scoreless despite what seemed to be some shaky command, and when he walked Gordon to start the 6th it felt like a harbinger of doom. The game was all Dodgers after that. The Giants found a chink in Zack Greinke's armor early, but he dominated late and gave his team a chance to come back and take the lead. Which they did in the 7th off Jeremy Affeldt and Jean Machi, a rare letdown by the bullpen. Brian Wilson loaded the bases in the 8th with two outs, but overpowered Hunter Pence to end the threat and the Giants chances, especially when LA tacked on two more against Juan Gutierrez.
Matt the Knife walked four and only 53 of his 92 pitches (58%) were for strikes. Krukow was going on about "arm slot" at first, then went into "he's getting under it" and "he's got push on that ball," ultimately making the point that the just-healed finger cut was responsible for screwing up Cain's grip on the fastball. Whatever it was, it wasn't enough to match Greinke, who has now made twenty consecutive starts without giving up more than two runs.
The Dodgers bring out Clayton Kershaw tomorrow and the Giants counter with Tim Hudson, their best pitcher this season. Should be a great game.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Giants Slug Past Rockies
Matt Cain gave up seven runs in six-plus today and the Giants won the game. That Cain fellow isn't known for his luck--I suppose this is his seasonal allotment. "Not getting a loss" isn't much in the way of luck, but that's baseball. The Giants score 12 runs in their seven previous games, and then score 12 runs today. That's baseball, too.
Balls were flying out of the yard in Coorsian fashion all afternoon. A brace apiece of big, booming bombs from Michael Morse and Hector Sanchez won the day for the Giants. The Giants hit six--one each from Brandon Hicks and Brandon Belt were also part of the barrage. The Rockies hit half as many, Troy Tulowitzki and Charlie Blackmon connecting off Cain, and the last-gasp Justin Morneau bomb in the 11th off Sergio Romo.
Hector Sanchez was the hero. The grand slam that broke the tie and set up the win came on a ten-pitch at-bat. He fought off some tough ones and kept his eye on the prize and finally delivered. He also gave Buster Posey a break--that was a 4-1/2 hour slog today. Greg Papa and the CSN crew were raving about Sanchez' work with Affeldt on the mound in relief of Cain in the 7th, blocking those scuds with a runner on third and preserving the tie. I didn't get to see it, but I'm happy to hear it. No reason to think Hector can't keep improving his game. He's young and still unpolished but he needs to be in the majors and mentored by guys like Bruce Bochy, Buster Posey, and Billy Hayes. He's on a steep learning curve but I like what I see as far as focus and demeanor on field. So, good on you Hector! Way to bounce back.
The Giants get a cathartic win and avoid getting swept. They are off on Thursday and send Tim Hudson out on Friday night when the Cleveland Indians come to San Francisco. I'll put up a review tomorrow of Down to the Last Pitch, Tim Wendel's new book about the 1991 World Series.
--M.C.
p.s. I don't have to call him 'Hanchez' any more, he's the only 'Sanchez' on the 40-man roster! And Jean Machi threw five pitches and got the win, his fourth, which ties him for the league lead.
Balls were flying out of the yard in Coorsian fashion all afternoon. A brace apiece of big, booming bombs from Michael Morse and Hector Sanchez won the day for the Giants. The Giants hit six--one each from Brandon Hicks and Brandon Belt were also part of the barrage. The Rockies hit half as many, Troy Tulowitzki and Charlie Blackmon connecting off Cain, and the last-gasp Justin Morneau bomb in the 11th off Sergio Romo.
Hector Sanchez was the hero. The grand slam that broke the tie and set up the win came on a ten-pitch at-bat. He fought off some tough ones and kept his eye on the prize and finally delivered. He also gave Buster Posey a break--that was a 4-1/2 hour slog today. Greg Papa and the CSN crew were raving about Sanchez' work with Affeldt on the mound in relief of Cain in the 7th, blocking those scuds with a runner on third and preserving the tie. I didn't get to see it, but I'm happy to hear it. No reason to think Hector can't keep improving his game. He's young and still unpolished but he needs to be in the majors and mentored by guys like Bruce Bochy, Buster Posey, and Billy Hayes. He's on a steep learning curve but I like what I see as far as focus and demeanor on field. So, good on you Hector! Way to bounce back.
The Giants get a cathartic win and avoid getting swept. They are off on Thursday and send Tim Hudson out on Friday night when the Cleveland Indians come to San Francisco. I'll put up a review tomorrow of Down to the Last Pitch, Tim Wendel's new book about the 1991 World Series.
--M.C.
p.s. I don't have to call him 'Hanchez' any more, he's the only 'Sanchez' on the 40-man roster! And Jean Machi threw five pitches and got the win, his fourth, which ties him for the league lead.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Hanchez-ed
Because I wasn't going with 'Cained.' The young backstop had a rough night. Passed ball in the 1st that led to a run, whiff swinging in the 2nd, whiff looking in the 4th, two on and nobody out double play grounder in the 7th, flailing whiff with the tying run on second to end it. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, am I right? Matt Cain looked very sharp in his best start so far here in the first month of the season. That's eight straight one-run games for the Giants, the longest such streak for the franchise since 1910. They are 4-4. The Giants got a leadoff double from Angel Pagan but couldn't score him and that turned out to be a big play. Brandon Belt's homer in the 9th was all they could muster after that. Berkeley's own Tyson Ross was overpowering and made the once-mighty Giants lineup look feeble, much like Hyun-jin Ryu did the day before. I like the old Giants offense better, you know, the one from two weeks ago. You figure the games will be low-scoring in San Francisco and San Diego, but I've had enough. C'mon Giants, get some goddamn hits and score some goddamn runs.
Matt Cain pitched very well, and that is never bad. The Giants lost a very well-pitched Matt Cain game. It's that old, familiar weltschmerz. There ought to be some comfort in familiarity, but I'm not finding it.
Tim Hudson tomorrow at 5:40 p.m.
--M.C.
Matt Cain pitched very well, and that is never bad. The Giants lost a very well-pitched Matt Cain game. It's that old, familiar weltschmerz. There ought to be some comfort in familiarity, but I'm not finding it.
Tim Hudson tomorrow at 5:40 p.m.
--M.C.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Little Things Go Giants Way
Reader Romano sent me an email yesterday saying today's Yusmeiro Petit vs. Andy Pettitte matchup would feature "small" ball. Certainly a lot of little things worked out in the Giants favor, but all the scoring was the result of extra-base hits. Rookie Ehire Adrianza tied things up with a solo shot (his first big-league bomb) in the 6th after Mark Reynolds had hit a solo homer in the 3rd. It stayed 1-1 until the 8th when two doubles--one by Pablo Sandoval and one by Tony Abreu--gave the Giants a 2-1 lead. It looked for all the world that Santiago Casilla would give it back in the bottom of the inning, but a baserunning mistake by Zoilo Almonte saved a run, and a fine throw by Juan Perez to nail Robinson Cano at the plate saved another. In all, Casilla gave up three hits, but two putouts by Hector Sanchez kept the Yanks from scoring. Almonte, with no outs, broke for home on a grounder to Nick Noonan at third and was out by 20 feet. Cano, who had doubled, stayed at second base on the play. He then tried to score with two outs on a single to left. He was clearly out on the bang-bang play to end the inning. It was a nice piece of teamwork from the two youngsters.
Petit pitched another fine game, strengthening his bid to be the fifth man in 2014. After a walk and a bloop hit with one out in the bottom of the 7th, Javier Lopez was summoned in relief. Both runners moved up on a passed ball, but Lopez got two strikeouts to save the day and was rewarded with the win after the Giants scored in the top of the 8th. (I sure hope the Giants keep that guy around.) Pettitte only allowed two hits in his seven-plus, but was charged with both runs and got tagged with the loss. New York is now four back in the Wild Card with six to play, and stand a good chance of missing the post-season for only the second time in 19 years.
The San Francisco squad comes home for their final six, facing West winners Los Angeles on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and fellow also-rans San Diego for the weekend. "Pass the Padres" is my new rallying cry.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Petit pitched another fine game, strengthening his bid to be the fifth man in 2014. After a walk and a bloop hit with one out in the bottom of the 7th, Javier Lopez was summoned in relief. Both runners moved up on a passed ball, but Lopez got two strikeouts to save the day and was rewarded with the win after the Giants scored in the top of the 8th. (I sure hope the Giants keep that guy around.) Pettitte only allowed two hits in his seven-plus, but was charged with both runs and got tagged with the loss. New York is now four back in the Wild Card with six to play, and stand a good chance of missing the post-season for only the second time in 19 years.
The San Francisco squad comes home for their final six, facing West winners Los Angeles on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and fellow also-rans San Diego for the weekend. "Pass the Padres" is my new rallying cry.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Almost Perfect
Baseball nobody Yusmeiro Petit threw the game of his life tonight and became only the twelfth pitcher in major-league history to lose a perfect game on the 27th batter. The well-traveled Venezuelan was dropped from the Giants 40-man roster twice this season before crafting his one-hitter. Among his many stops on the journeyman trail was Oaxaca, Mexico. The smiling, beardless picture of me you see when you click M.C. is from Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos in the city and state of Oaxaca, home of the Guerreros. I still have the O.G. jersey I'm sporting in the pic. The fateful hit came off the bat of Eric Chavez on a 3-2 pitch--I wonder how many of the eleven previous guys got two strikes on the batter before losing him. Chavez has been in the bigs for 16 seasons and has always been a tough out. The Diamondbacks are his third team. He spent his first 13 years with Oakland, their longest-tenured player next to Rickey Henderson (14 years). He almost had to hang up his cleats due to back injuries but managed to get healthy and get a second chance with the Yankees. He spent only two seasons in the minors before his call-up at age 20. Petit was a bit of a phenom himself, reaching The Show at age 21, but lost his job in the majors by age 24. He had to get cut by two clubs in two seasons before the Giants resurrected him last year.
Hunter Pence looked like he might have had a chance for a spectacular play on that stroke off the bat of Chavez, but it fell just short of his reach, and that's saying something. Hunter "Plastic Man" Pence gets to most balls, so you know it was a clean hit. It was, alas, a great night of baseball. The Giants won the game, in a large part, because Pence (who scored all three runs) and catcher Hector Sanchez got three hits each. And Juan Cruz made a great catch in left after being inserted for defense. Yusmeiro Petit came oh-so-close to baseball immortality, and it is a shame he lost it on the last batter. A damn shame. But it was one hell of an effort.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Matt Cain--he of perfect game fame--is listed as tomorrow's starter.
Hunter Pence looked like he might have had a chance for a spectacular play on that stroke off the bat of Chavez, but it fell just short of his reach, and that's saying something. Hunter "Plastic Man" Pence gets to most balls, so you know it was a clean hit. It was, alas, a great night of baseball. The Giants won the game, in a large part, because Pence (who scored all three runs) and catcher Hector Sanchez got three hits each. And Juan Cruz made a great catch in left after being inserted for defense. Yusmeiro Petit came oh-so-close to baseball immortality, and it is a shame he lost it on the last batter. A damn shame. But it was one hell of an effort.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Matt Cain--he of perfect game fame--is listed as tomorrow's starter.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Giants Take the Freebie
Sometimes the other team hands the win back, and last night was one of those. Here's that 9th-inning sequence: strike out, single, line out, walk, hit by pitch, walk. Marco Scutaro, who scored the tying run in the 8th, got the bases-loaded free pass in the 9th for the walk-off win. The Giants were 0-10 with runners in scoring position, but managed a 3-2 win over the Red Sox nonetheless, mostly because Ryan Vogelsong pitched a hell of a game (Game Score 61). The team will certainly exercise his $6.5M option for next season. Brandon Belt rapped out three hits, including the one that led to Scutaro's run in the 8th (sac fly from Buster Posey). Roger Kieschnick had three hits as well, one that drove in Joaquin Arias (who had tripled) in the 5th with the Giants first run, and one that got the rally started in the 9th (he scored the game-winner). Without the Boston bullpen meltdown, those performances would likely have gone for naught, and we'd be scratching our heads again in bewilderment over the team's lousy play. Instead, we get a game that looks like the kind of game the Giants won routinely the last few seasons.
This team is really hard to watch. It's the same cast from before, but this time the show stinks. I've said it before and I'll say it again--I want to see lots more from the rookies and I want to see the innings-eaters take smaller bites. Rest, rest, rest for big guns Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner who will be counted on for a lot in 2014. (Alas, I don't know what to think about Tim Lincecum, but he ought to be in the same conversation.) Buster Posey could use some bench time as well. He was hitting .322/.397/.543 on June 30th, and is now hitting .303/.374/.481 and has two extra-base hits in August (both doubles). Sit the man down and get more reps for Hector Sanchez and whoever the hell else in the organization that can play catcher. Don't get me wrong, an .855 OPS is damn good, especially from a backstop. But the Giants need Buster much too much next year to wear him out playing every day in a wasted season.
Chad Gaudin was sent to the DL for carpal tunnel issues. I wonder if that will end his season, or at least keep him out of the starting rotation in September. With the rosters expanding, I hope guys like Mike Kickham and Eric Surkamp get a few starts apiece. One of those guys could be a regular next year. The website says Barry Zito will get the start tonight.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
This team is really hard to watch. It's the same cast from before, but this time the show stinks. I've said it before and I'll say it again--I want to see lots more from the rookies and I want to see the innings-eaters take smaller bites. Rest, rest, rest for big guns Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner who will be counted on for a lot in 2014. (Alas, I don't know what to think about Tim Lincecum, but he ought to be in the same conversation.) Buster Posey could use some bench time as well. He was hitting .322/.397/.543 on June 30th, and is now hitting .303/.374/.481 and has two extra-base hits in August (both doubles). Sit the man down and get more reps for Hector Sanchez and whoever the hell else in the organization that can play catcher. Don't get me wrong, an .855 OPS is damn good, especially from a backstop. But the Giants need Buster much too much next year to wear him out playing every day in a wasted season.
Chad Gaudin was sent to the DL for carpal tunnel issues. I wonder if that will end his season, or at least keep him out of the starting rotation in September. With the rosters expanding, I hope guys like Mike Kickham and Eric Surkamp get a few starts apiece. One of those guys could be a regular next year. The website says Barry Zito will get the start tonight.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Something to Celebrate!!
I got home just in time to see the last inning and Hector Sanchez' big fly. Wow, that was incredible. They fell just short of a comeback hit last night, so it feels good to see them get the big hit today. Roger Kieschnick has been striking out a whole lot, so I was happy to see him get on base in front of Sanchez via the walk, his second of the game. Maybe as he gets more confident with his batting eye and strike zone judgment he will start flashing the power he was known for in the minors. Speaking of flashing power, you have to love Brandon Belt's recent surge. He has looked more like the hitter we think he can be and that's good news for next season. And speaking of Brandons, the leaping catch by Brandon Crawford to rob Bryce Harper of a hit and get the first out in the bottom of the 9th was beautiful. That was great anticipation and execution, something we get used to seeing from him. Sanchez, Belt, and Crawford are all on the same clock: under team control for 2014, arbitration-eligible for 2015-2017, and free agency in 2018. Young, cheap players with lots of upside. That's the magic formula, right? Maybe one of the young arms like Eric Surkamp can start to contribute as well. Chad Gaudin gets the ball tomorrow night in Miami.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Friday, November 16, 2012
25 for 16: The Scrubs
Every team's got 'em. Even World Champs have guys on the bench you'd rather not see out there. This post-season the Giants filled out their 25-man roster with three players who were really only placeholders. We'll start with Xavier Nady, former Cal star and late-season pickup. The X-Man has had a long career (11 years) and been reasonably productive over his 3199 plate appearances. B-R rates his career line (.270/.324/.432) at a 100 OPS+. The Salinas native has been mostly a platoon player these last few years and is likely, at 34, near the end. Nady played in four of the LDS games and went 0-6 with a walk and three strikeouts. He was on the field (in left) at the end of Games One, Two, Three, and Five. He had four putouts in his short stints, including two in the critical final innings of Game Three. I'm still amazed that the Giants won that game, and they closed it out with X in left instead of Gregor Blanco and Joaquin Arias at short instead of Brandon Crawford. They used five pitchers in that game and 12 position players (everyone except Hector Sanchez). The Reds used Xavier Paul as a pinch-hitter, and that might be the only time in MLB history with two Xaviers in one game! Like I said, I'm still amazed the Giants won that game. One has to wonder why Dusty Baker yanked Homer Bailey after seven innings (88 pitches, 1 hit, 10 K). Seems like that sort of thing happens with ol' Johnnie B in command. Makes you appreciate Bruce Bochy, who has a knack for pulling the right strings.
Next up is Aubrey Huff, 2010 hero. The Giants brought him back after his huge contributions to their first championship but he never regained his form. Like Nady, Huff is at that point in his career where it may not be worth continuing. Two rings in three years is not a bad way to go out, eh? Aubrey was strictly a pinch-hitter in the 2012 playoffs, making ten plate appearances and getting one hit, one walk, and striking out twice. His hit in Game Two of the LCS was a pop fly behind third base that Blanco would have caught but Matt Holliday could not get to. He scored on a hit by Ryan Theriot. I thought Bochy might use him at DH in Detroit, but Sanchez got the call in Game Three of the Series (0-3, 3K) and, of course, The Riot was the man in Game Four.
The last man is one of my favorites, Guillermo Mota, he of the Easter Island face. I love watching him pitch! WillyMo got in big trouble for PEDs after being a valuable mop-up man for the Giants since they acquired him in 2010. He turns 40 in July and has pitched in the big leagues (743 games, always in relief) since he was 25. He made three appearances in 2012, Games One and Two in the LDS and Game Four of the LCS. He was ineffective, yielding five runs and four hits in his 1-2/3 IP. It was a far cry from his 2-1/3 innings of shutout ball in the 2010 Series against Texas. I suppose it is the end of the line for the big Dominican, but he can go out, like the rest of the scrubs, with a shiny ring on his finger.
That's it! I've covered all 25 guys. Hope you enjoyed the look back at our team. Great news about Buster Posey getting the MVP. And I think signing Jeremy Affeldt for three years was a smart move. He's a valuable guy and the Giants know it. I will be sporting my brand new 2012 World Series Champions cap and T-shirt today at work. I get to look forward to a week off (after today) for Thanksgiving, which is my favorite holiday. Lots of much-needed relaxing and basking in the glow of our favorite team's great season.
Cheers, mates!
--M.C.
Next up is Aubrey Huff, 2010 hero. The Giants brought him back after his huge contributions to their first championship but he never regained his form. Like Nady, Huff is at that point in his career where it may not be worth continuing. Two rings in three years is not a bad way to go out, eh? Aubrey was strictly a pinch-hitter in the 2012 playoffs, making ten plate appearances and getting one hit, one walk, and striking out twice. His hit in Game Two of the LCS was a pop fly behind third base that Blanco would have caught but Matt Holliday could not get to. He scored on a hit by Ryan Theriot. I thought Bochy might use him at DH in Detroit, but Sanchez got the call in Game Three of the Series (0-3, 3K) and, of course, The Riot was the man in Game Four.
The last man is one of my favorites, Guillermo Mota, he of the Easter Island face. I love watching him pitch! WillyMo got in big trouble for PEDs after being a valuable mop-up man for the Giants since they acquired him in 2010. He turns 40 in July and has pitched in the big leagues (743 games, always in relief) since he was 25. He made three appearances in 2012, Games One and Two in the LDS and Game Four of the LCS. He was ineffective, yielding five runs and four hits in his 1-2/3 IP. It was a far cry from his 2-1/3 innings of shutout ball in the 2010 Series against Texas. I suppose it is the end of the line for the big Dominican, but he can go out, like the rest of the scrubs, with a shiny ring on his finger.
That's it! I've covered all 25 guys. Hope you enjoyed the look back at our team. Great news about Buster Posey getting the MVP. And I think signing Jeremy Affeldt for three years was a smart move. He's a valuable guy and the Giants know it. I will be sporting my brand new 2012 World Series Champions cap and T-shirt today at work. I get to look forward to a week off (after today) for Thanksgiving, which is my favorite holiday. Lots of much-needed relaxing and basking in the glow of our favorite team's great season.
Cheers, mates!
--M.C.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
25 for 16: Super-Subs
Joaquin Arias made a name for himself all season long by filling in for Pablo Sandoval at third base and spelling rookie Brandon Crawford at shortstop. Both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference rate his contributions as worth 1.0 WAR. The former Rangers utility man made one of the biggest plays of the year when he completed Matt Cain's perfect game with a long throw from "deep third" (as Kuip called it) to get the ball to first and nail down the final out. B-R lists his closet comp ('similar batters through age 27') as Freddy Sanchez! In the playoffs he had his biggest day in Game Four at Cincinnati, roping two doubles and scoring two runs after a 4th inning double-switch with B-Craw (and Tim Lincecum). He saw action as a pinch-hitter in Game One (9th inning single and run scored), at short at the end of Game Three, and again at short in Game Four of the LCS. Otherwise he was Pablo's final inning defensive replacement at third base (eight games including the final seven). He handled all his chances (four putouts, one assist) flawlessly. The versatile right-hander from Santo Domingo is arb-eligible for the first time. I expect he'll be back in the same role in 2013.
Ryan Theriot carved out a spot for himself in all-time Giants lore by starting what proved to be the winning rally in Game Four of the World Series and scoring the go-ahead and ultimately winning run. His wild, car-wreck slide and ecstatic celebratory howl will forever be etched in our collective memories. The former Cubs shortstop was a 3rd-round pick from LSU but escaped from Chicago in a trade with the Dodgers in 2010 and then struck baseball gold via another trade with the 2011 world champion Cardinals. He signed with the Giants as a free agent this spring and I called him "Freddy Sanchez insurance." Sure enough, he was the everyday second baseman until the arrival of Marco Scutaro. Theriot was 0-2 as a pinch-hitter in the LDS, but worked a walk in Game One of the LCS in the same role. His other big moment was as a replacement in Game Two for Scutaro after the infamous Matt Holliday rolling tackle finally forced Marco to the bench. Ryan drove in two in the 8th with a line-drive single to make it a 7-1 lead and seal the deal for Ryan Vogelsong and the Giants. He had another pinch-hit RBI single in the 8th inning in Game Six as well. His final pinch-hitting opportunity came in Game Two of the Series but Drew Smyly struck him out. In Game Four he was the DH for the only time in his career, and delivered his biggest hit ever in his final at-bat. Phil Coke had struck out the previous seven batters he had faced before that single. The class clown of the Giants clubhouse was now the hero. (Good story by Baggs here.)
--M.C.
Ryan Theriot carved out a spot for himself in all-time Giants lore by starting what proved to be the winning rally in Game Four of the World Series and scoring the go-ahead and ultimately winning run. His wild, car-wreck slide and ecstatic celebratory howl will forever be etched in our collective memories. The former Cubs shortstop was a 3rd-round pick from LSU but escaped from Chicago in a trade with the Dodgers in 2010 and then struck baseball gold via another trade with the 2011 world champion Cardinals. He signed with the Giants as a free agent this spring and I called him "Freddy Sanchez insurance." Sure enough, he was the everyday second baseman until the arrival of Marco Scutaro. Theriot was 0-2 as a pinch-hitter in the LDS, but worked a walk in Game One of the LCS in the same role. His other big moment was as a replacement in Game Two for Scutaro after the infamous Matt Holliday rolling tackle finally forced Marco to the bench. Ryan drove in two in the 8th with a line-drive single to make it a 7-1 lead and seal the deal for Ryan Vogelsong and the Giants. He had another pinch-hit RBI single in the 8th inning in Game Six as well. His final pinch-hitting opportunity came in Game Two of the Series but Drew Smyly struck him out. In Game Four he was the DH for the only time in his career, and delivered his biggest hit ever in his final at-bat. Phil Coke had struck out the previous seven batters he had faced before that single. The class clown of the Giants clubhouse was now the hero. (Good story by Baggs here.)
--M.C.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Survival!
The Giants found a way to win tonight. They worked some road magic and kept the Reds champagne on ice. I am still not sure what happened, but Scott Rolen couldn't cleanly handle a ground ball from Joaquin Arias and Buster Posey crossed the plate with the go-ahead run in the 10th and the LDS heads to Game Four. It was a crazy ending to an agonizing game. Once again Cincinnati's starter overwhelmed the Giants lineup, this time Homer Bailey didn't give up a hit until the 6th (Marco Scutaro) and struck out ten in his seven innings. Sean Marshall and Aroldis Chapman mowed down the next six with three strikeouts, and even losing pitcher Jonathan Broxton struck out the side! It was an impressive display of offensive futility by the good guys, but it somehow worked out. Ryan Vogelsong was headed for a meltdown in the 1st but got a little help from Brandon Phillips who tried to take third after a stealing second on a ball that got away from Buster. He was thrown out and it turned out to be a big play. Two hits, a walk, and a run later and the Reds had 1-0 lead. That was it, though, as Vogie settled down and put up four zeroes, giving him the best start so far in the series for the Giants. They tied it up without a hit in the 3rd when Gregor Blanco was hit by a pitch to open the inning. He scored after a walk to Brandon Crawford, a sacrifice bunt by Vogie, and a sacrifice fly by Angel Pagan. It went to extras 1-1 mostly due to some fine bullpen work. Jeremy Affeldt threw an impressive 6th and 7th, Santiago Casilla got three outs in the 8th while scaring the crap out of us, and Sergio Romo got three harmless fly balls in the 9th to preserve the tie. It was a game more reminiscent of the 2009-2011 torture teams and not the run-scoring crew that blew away the rest of the West in 2012.
But the 10th! Craziness was everywhere. Buster and Hunter Pence opened the inning with singles, but that's not the whole story. Pence tweaked his calf on a swing and limped around for a while before getting back in the box. We were told later it was just a cramp, but at the time it looked like he might have to come out. The Giants had already used everyone except Hector Sanchez. Boch pinch-hit with Aubrey Huff in the 6th in Vogie's spot, used righties Xavier Nady and Ryan Theriot against the lefty Marshall (that's when Arias entered the game as well), so the only bat left was the backup catcher. Pence then singled on a ball I thought was a double play off the bat. He had tried to bunt earlier but looked bad so perhaps Bochy said "ah hell, swing away." It paid off, but he was obviously gimpy going down the line and had little chance of scoring on anything but a home run. Brandon Belt was not asked to sacrifice, a little surprising given the situation, and unfortunately whiffed. Nady followed with another whiff, and it looked like the decision not to bunt would fuel second-guessing for an entire off-season. In the post-game interview, Boch said he had not asked Belt to bunt all year, liked the lefty matchup against Broxton, and didn't like the lack of speed on the bases. I don't usually quibble with the manager's decisions these days, he's proved to me over the years that he's smart and knows his guys. Hey, it all worked out, so no grumbling allowed. Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan let a ball get past him and the runners moved up 90 feet, then Arias hit a chopper to third that Rolen could get on the first grab and it was enough for him to beat it out and bring in the run. Sergio Romo was the next batter. Dusty Baker elected not to walk Arias after the passed ball and force Boch to use his last hitter. Romo struck out comically--he looks like a bearded Little Leaguer when he holds a bat--but that was another great move that paid off. Sergio had it going on in the bottom of the 10th and retired the final three easily to nail down the win.
The Giants got three hits. They struck out 16 times. Their starter threw 30 pitches in the 1st inning and immediately put the team behind. They were 0-5 with runners in scoring position. They used Xavier Nady in left field.
And they won the game.
The Giants live to fight on. Another game. This time I'll miss it. The 1:00 p.m. start time (PDT) stinks--I'll be working and out in the field. I might catch the tail end on my way home. Here's hoping they keep finding a way to win.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
But the 10th! Craziness was everywhere. Buster and Hunter Pence opened the inning with singles, but that's not the whole story. Pence tweaked his calf on a swing and limped around for a while before getting back in the box. We were told later it was just a cramp, but at the time it looked like he might have to come out. The Giants had already used everyone except Hector Sanchez. Boch pinch-hit with Aubrey Huff in the 6th in Vogie's spot, used righties Xavier Nady and Ryan Theriot against the lefty Marshall (that's when Arias entered the game as well), so the only bat left was the backup catcher. Pence then singled on a ball I thought was a double play off the bat. He had tried to bunt earlier but looked bad so perhaps Bochy said "ah hell, swing away." It paid off, but he was obviously gimpy going down the line and had little chance of scoring on anything but a home run. Brandon Belt was not asked to sacrifice, a little surprising given the situation, and unfortunately whiffed. Nady followed with another whiff, and it looked like the decision not to bunt would fuel second-guessing for an entire off-season. In the post-game interview, Boch said he had not asked Belt to bunt all year, liked the lefty matchup against Broxton, and didn't like the lack of speed on the bases. I don't usually quibble with the manager's decisions these days, he's proved to me over the years that he's smart and knows his guys. Hey, it all worked out, so no grumbling allowed. Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan let a ball get past him and the runners moved up 90 feet, then Arias hit a chopper to third that Rolen could get on the first grab and it was enough for him to beat it out and bring in the run. Sergio Romo was the next batter. Dusty Baker elected not to walk Arias after the passed ball and force Boch to use his last hitter. Romo struck out comically--he looks like a bearded Little Leaguer when he holds a bat--but that was another great move that paid off. Sergio had it going on in the bottom of the 10th and retired the final three easily to nail down the win.
The Giants got three hits. They struck out 16 times. Their starter threw 30 pitches in the 1st inning and immediately put the team behind. They were 0-5 with runners in scoring position. They used Xavier Nady in left field.
And they won the game.
The Giants live to fight on. Another game. This time I'll miss it. The 1:00 p.m. start time (PDT) stinks--I'll be working and out in the field. I might catch the tail end on my way home. Here's hoping they keep finding a way to win.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Battery Batters 'Backs
Barry Zito pitched another fine game, this time in the hitter-friendly confines of Chase Field. He has his ups and he has his downs, but he's stifled the team's two nearest rivals in his last two starts. Methinks he wants to make the post-season roster! The best problem in the world to have is too many guys contributing to wins. Speaking of contributions, rookie backstop Hector Sanchez made two spectacular throws to nab runners attempting to steal second. In the 9th pinch-runner Tyler Graham was nailed on a no-doubter to snuff out a no-out, one-on threat. The bunt seemed like the obvious play there, but Gibson perhaps figured the young catcher was vulnerable to a steal attempt. Clearly he hadn't paid attention the first time, when Sanchez cut down Paul Goldschmidt in the 4th. The new wunderkind is apprenticing at the feet of the master, and learning his lessons well. What a luxury to have two excellent defenders behind the plate! And speaking of the master, what else does Buster Posey have to do to be the favorite for the NL MVP? His two-run opposite-field homer in the 5th was the difference in the game, and came right after Justin Upton had tied it with a solo shot. The man is unreal. Another excellent win: pitching, defense, speed, and power were all featured tonight. The Giants even up the season series with Arizona at seven wins apiece with four more to play. The Magic Number falls to ten with 17 games remaining.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Last Man Standing
Giants win a war of attrition in San Diego to stay on top. It took 11 players and 7 pitchers! The only position player not used was Hector Sanchez. This 13-man staff is a little weird, but with the 'pen being a bit unsettled I can understand it. Nice to see Santiago Casilla throw well, they are going to need him. Man of the Match Award again goes to Joaquin Arias for three hits (including a homer) and three runs batted in. The biggest play of the night, though, was FNG Hunter Pence's double to drive in Buster Posey (who had doubled) in the 9th to make it 8-5. That turned out to be the difference as Jeremy Affeldt gave up two runs with two outs in the bottom half to make it a nail-biter. Clay Hensley had to bail him out. Affeldt has been very good lately, but he apparently lost his mojo after a close call on what he thought was a game-ending strikeout. Can't let that happen, lad, those "late-and-close" situations call for a cool head. Pence has a career .818 OPS and is sporting a .217/.263/.348 line in his 17 games with the orange-and-black. Time for him to give us a big lift. Buster can't do all the heavy lifting. Posey is a legit MVP candidate--how often to you see catchers hit like that? Vogie goes for the sweep today.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Tidbits
Giants might well see Jonathan Sanchez again this year. He is now a Rockie. And for you nostalgia buffs, here is something worth reading.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
It's all about the pitching
Baseball-Reference measures pitching using ERA+, which compares the league average ERA to a team or individual ERA. Thus, an ERA+ of 120 roughly means that the league is 20% worse (gives up 20% more earned runs per nine innings) than the pitcher or staff. FanGraphs uses ERA-, which flips the fraction over and compares an individual or team ERA to the league average. Thus, an ERA- of 80 would indicate a pitcher or staff that is 20% better (allows 20% fewer earned runs per nine) than the league. In both cases, a score of 100 would indicate unity, or league average. Both stats claim to have a park factor in the final result that adjusts for, say, playing in Fenway vs. Petco. Both are handy thumbnails for evaluating pitchers and pitching staffs.
I made a graph of the Giants team ERA+ and ERA- for the seasons 2009-2012. I treated the interim numbers for 2012 the same as the full-season numbers, just to get a quick snapshot of how the current guys compare. Madison Bumgarner actually made his debut in 2009, throwing ten innings over four games (one start). Tim Lincecum was the star of that squad, and both Matt Cain and Barry Zito had 33 starts apiece. Brian Wilson, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, and Brad Penny were also on that staff. In 2010, The Bumbino had 18 starts and supplanted Barry-Z on the post-season roster. Santiago Casilla, Guillermo Mota, and Javier Lopez joined the fun. Last year Ryan Vogelsong emerged and Jonathan Sanchez pitched his last game as a Giant. Take a look:
As a team, the Giants ERA+ for 2009-20012 goes 120, 117, 110, and 97. That's 1st, 1st, 3rd, and 10th in the NL. Their ERA- goes 86, 85, 86, and 93, good for 2nd, 1st, 2nd, and 5th. I don't know why B-R rates the Giants so poorly compared to FanGraphs, but I suspect it has to do with the mysterious "park factors." Regardless, it is clear the staff is not as elite as it once was. We all know the culprit, of course, but Tim Lincecum gets some help from his bullpen, too. The loss of both Willie and WillyMo certainly hurt. The Giants are blessed with excellent starters and a talented relief corps. But team-wide they are much more prone to giving up runs than in the previous three seasons. Another way to look at this is to just take raw "runs allowed" numbers and compare them to the league average "runs allowed." The RA/lgRA ratio should be 1.00 for a "league average" team, eh?
I made a graph of the Giants team ERA+ and ERA- for the seasons 2009-2012. I treated the interim numbers for 2012 the same as the full-season numbers, just to get a quick snapshot of how the current guys compare. Madison Bumgarner actually made his debut in 2009, throwing ten innings over four games (one start). Tim Lincecum was the star of that squad, and both Matt Cain and Barry Zito had 33 starts apiece. Brian Wilson, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, and Brad Penny were also on that staff. In 2010, The Bumbino had 18 starts and supplanted Barry-Z on the post-season roster. Santiago Casilla, Guillermo Mota, and Javier Lopez joined the fun. Last year Ryan Vogelsong emerged and Jonathan Sanchez pitched his last game as a Giant. Take a look:
As a team, the Giants ERA+ for 2009-20012 goes 120, 117, 110, and 97. That's 1st, 1st, 3rd, and 10th in the NL. Their ERA- goes 86, 85, 86, and 93, good for 2nd, 1st, 2nd, and 5th. I don't know why B-R rates the Giants so poorly compared to FanGraphs, but I suspect it has to do with the mysterious "park factors." Regardless, it is clear the staff is not as elite as it once was. We all know the culprit, of course, but Tim Lincecum gets some help from his bullpen, too. The loss of both Willie and WillyMo certainly hurt. The Giants are blessed with excellent starters and a talented relief corps. But team-wide they are much more prone to giving up runs than in the previous three seasons. Another way to look at this is to just take raw "runs allowed" numbers and compare them to the league average "runs allowed." The RA/lgRA ratio should be 1.00 for a "league average" team, eh?
2009: 611 RA, NL average 727; RA/lgRA 0.84
2010: 583 RA, NL average 705; RA/lgRA 0.83
2011: 578 RA, NL average 673; RA/lgRA 0.86
2012: 346 RA, NL average 368; RA/lgRA 0.94
No surprises, really. We know the staff is giving up more runs this year. The question is, will this trend toward average-ness continue? And will that hurt the team's chances? If the answer to the second question is "yes" (and I think it is) then we have to hope the answer to the first question is "no" (and I think it is). The Giants will find a fresh arm or two for the 'pen, and the laggards and slackers will pick it up. This I believe. Random events (injuries, for example) can derail the best-laid plans, so we'll just ignore them, OK?
The Second Half is upon us! I feared the Baseball Gods would punish Giants fans for stuffing the ASG ballot box, instead they blessed us for it. Let us hope they continue to bless the rest of the season. Perform your ablutions and make your sacrifices, my friends, the dark forces must be propitiated!
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
At the Break
In 2009, the Giants were 49-39 (.557) at the All-Star Break, but slumped a bit in the second half (39-35, .527) to finish in 3rd place, seven out, with an 88-74 record (.543). In 2010, they were two games worse at 47-41 (.534), but turned on the jets after that (45-29, .608) on the way to an NL West title (92-70, .568). They went 11-4 (.714) in the post-season to grab the crown. Last year there were 92 games before the Break, and the Giants racked up 52 wins against only 40 losses (.565). Unfortunately they stumbled badly the rest of the way (34-36, .486) and finished in second place, eight games out (86-76, .531). At 46-40 so far this season, they are tied with the Mets and the Cardinals for the sixth-best record in the NL. The Nationals, Pirates, Reds, Braves, and Dodgers are better, and the latter two by a mere half game. In the AL, only the Yankees, Rangers, Angels, and White Sox are playing above the Giants .535 pace. You have to think that a cumulative regular-season record of 312-260 (.545) since that breakout year in 2009 is pretty damn good, and ought to be the envy of many franchises. The club has not had a run like this since those 1997-2004 teams that averaged 92 wins per year and made four playoff appearances and won a pennant. Overall, including a 12-16 post-season record, they played .567 ball, which edges out the current club's .550 overall percentage.
Historical perspective is good in baseball. You have to take the long view in this game, because daily and weekly results can drive you mad. The Giants rode a streak of 36 scoreless innings to the top of the division only to blow it all with a wretched 2-7 stretch immediately after that. A 17-11 June with only 96 runs allowed loses a little luster when the team gives up 48 in the the first week of July. So let's get back to the long view. If they are indeed a .550 team, then we should expect 42 more wins which would only net them 88 overall. It might be enough to win the West, but it is not exactly promising. If they can play .600 ball the rest of the way, that would mean 46 more wins and 92 overall. I like that. 92-70 worked out well for San Francisco in 2010, and it would likely be enough to grab a playoff spot in 2012. Either way it doesn't look like the current .535 is going to cut it. Even if you think the Dodgers are pretenders and the Diamondbacks won't right the ship in time, the Giants will still have to separate themselves from the pack, and the only way to do that is to win lots more games. Ninety wins is usually a good target, that's 44 more, or a .579 pace the rest of the way. There are 17 games left in July, 29 in August, 27 in September, and three in October. Of the remaining 76 games, 39 are at home. The Giants are 26-16 (.619) at AT&T Park and 20-24 (.455) on the road. Those 37 away games loom large, especially since they finish the season with three in San Diego and three in LA. Let's shoot for 20-17 (.541) and 24-15 (.615) at the very least, shall we?
No matter how you slice it, it is going to be a close call, unless of course Tim Lincecum suddenly reverts back to The Franchise and runs out a dozen killer starts. I think he will find himself, but it won't be like flipping a switch. When you are in a deep hole you don't get out in one leap. It takes a lot of scrabbling first. So the rest of the team will have to do as well as they are already doing, and some other guys are going to have to improve. I pick Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez, the highly-paid lefty specialists who are pitching like generic relievers so far. Gregor Blanco and Angel Pagan could stand to get their collective mojo back, and a bench guy like Nate Schierholtz could step it up, too. The Giants are last in the NL in pinch-hits with 15, for example. They need someone who can come in late and contribute with the stick. And the recurring power shortage (51 HR, tied with LA for last in the league, and 215 XBH, next-to-last with LA at 207) needs to be addressed. Perhaps the All-Star third baseman can get his big bat going again. With Freddy Sanchez out for the year, Ryan Theriot becomes hugely important. I really wish Bochy would not bat him second as his .632 OPS will not cut it there. That's too many PAs for a weak bat, I don't care how good he is at the hit-and-run or "moving the runner over" or any other dink-ball bullshit. Melky Cabrera can do everything The Riot can do and do it a hell of a lot better, so I say move M.C. to that spot and everyone else up one more notch. How about Buster Posey or Pablo Sandoval guaranteed an at-bat in the first inning of every game? Doesn't that sound good? Get the best hitters up sooner and more often and the team will score more. But I think that's a vain hope. Ol' Boch does a hell of a job with the pitching staff and with player attitude and morale, the two things a manager has to do properly. We are lucky to have him. But lineup construction is a weak point (how about Brandon Belt, .358 OBP, hitting second?), and even though the improvement may be marginal, this team needs every run they can squeeze out.
The 2012 Giants are in a good spot. They can legitimately call themselves contenders. They've managed to survive a historic collapse by their most valuable player. As long as the starters remain healthy and productive they will stay in the thick of it. Some shoring up of the bullpen may be inevitable, but I think we should be confident that The Brian Trust can find another arm, as that's their forte. A little lineup help would be good, too, but that's tricky. Mostly, they'll have to rely on the guys they have. Perhaps youngsters like The Brandons and Hector Sanchez will chip in a little more down the stretch. Mostly, though, the team needs Timmy. Even with a wide-open division, with no clearly dominant team, the Giants can't afford to throw away starts. The two other teams in the race have been hurt with key injuries (Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Daniel Hudson, Stephen Drew, Joe Saunders) and have some guys under-performing (Justin Upton, James Loney), and that's been a boon to the Giants. We all know how hard it is to win when your guys are on the DL.
Ever since Atlee Hammaker gave up a grand slam to Fred Lynn in the 1983 All-Star Game, I get the heebee-jeebees when a Giants pitcher gets the ball. I shouldn't, I know, but I do. That was another one of those deeply scarring events. I'm obviously happy for Matt Cain, and he is certainly deserving of the starting honor. Not only that, he's NOT Atlee, and will do just fine against the AL. Need proof? Check this out. And there have been successful Giants All-Star pitchers since then (Jason Schmidt and Brian Wilson come to mind, and Timmy survived his start, if I remember). Mets fans have a beef about R.A. Dickey, to be sure, but they owe Tony LaRussa their wrath, not the Giants. I'm convinced he picked Cain because everyone expected him to pick Dickey, and we know how Tony loves to be contrary. Let's hope the NL wins eh?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Historical perspective is good in baseball. You have to take the long view in this game, because daily and weekly results can drive you mad. The Giants rode a streak of 36 scoreless innings to the top of the division only to blow it all with a wretched 2-7 stretch immediately after that. A 17-11 June with only 96 runs allowed loses a little luster when the team gives up 48 in the the first week of July. So let's get back to the long view. If they are indeed a .550 team, then we should expect 42 more wins which would only net them 88 overall. It might be enough to win the West, but it is not exactly promising. If they can play .600 ball the rest of the way, that would mean 46 more wins and 92 overall. I like that. 92-70 worked out well for San Francisco in 2010, and it would likely be enough to grab a playoff spot in 2012. Either way it doesn't look like the current .535 is going to cut it. Even if you think the Dodgers are pretenders and the Diamondbacks won't right the ship in time, the Giants will still have to separate themselves from the pack, and the only way to do that is to win lots more games. Ninety wins is usually a good target, that's 44 more, or a .579 pace the rest of the way. There are 17 games left in July, 29 in August, 27 in September, and three in October. Of the remaining 76 games, 39 are at home. The Giants are 26-16 (.619) at AT&T Park and 20-24 (.455) on the road. Those 37 away games loom large, especially since they finish the season with three in San Diego and three in LA. Let's shoot for 20-17 (.541) and 24-15 (.615) at the very least, shall we?
No matter how you slice it, it is going to be a close call, unless of course Tim Lincecum suddenly reverts back to The Franchise and runs out a dozen killer starts. I think he will find himself, but it won't be like flipping a switch. When you are in a deep hole you don't get out in one leap. It takes a lot of scrabbling first. So the rest of the team will have to do as well as they are already doing, and some other guys are going to have to improve. I pick Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez, the highly-paid lefty specialists who are pitching like generic relievers so far. Gregor Blanco and Angel Pagan could stand to get their collective mojo back, and a bench guy like Nate Schierholtz could step it up, too. The Giants are last in the NL in pinch-hits with 15, for example. They need someone who can come in late and contribute with the stick. And the recurring power shortage (51 HR, tied with LA for last in the league, and 215 XBH, next-to-last with LA at 207) needs to be addressed. Perhaps the All-Star third baseman can get his big bat going again. With Freddy Sanchez out for the year, Ryan Theriot becomes hugely important. I really wish Bochy would not bat him second as his .632 OPS will not cut it there. That's too many PAs for a weak bat, I don't care how good he is at the hit-and-run or "moving the runner over" or any other dink-ball bullshit. Melky Cabrera can do everything The Riot can do and do it a hell of a lot better, so I say move M.C. to that spot and everyone else up one more notch. How about Buster Posey or Pablo Sandoval guaranteed an at-bat in the first inning of every game? Doesn't that sound good? Get the best hitters up sooner and more often and the team will score more. But I think that's a vain hope. Ol' Boch does a hell of a job with the pitching staff and with player attitude and morale, the two things a manager has to do properly. We are lucky to have him. But lineup construction is a weak point (how about Brandon Belt, .358 OBP, hitting second?), and even though the improvement may be marginal, this team needs every run they can squeeze out.
The 2012 Giants are in a good spot. They can legitimately call themselves contenders. They've managed to survive a historic collapse by their most valuable player. As long as the starters remain healthy and productive they will stay in the thick of it. Some shoring up of the bullpen may be inevitable, but I think we should be confident that The Brian Trust can find another arm, as that's their forte. A little lineup help would be good, too, but that's tricky. Mostly, they'll have to rely on the guys they have. Perhaps youngsters like The Brandons and Hector Sanchez will chip in a little more down the stretch. Mostly, though, the team needs Timmy. Even with a wide-open division, with no clearly dominant team, the Giants can't afford to throw away starts. The two other teams in the race have been hurt with key injuries (Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Daniel Hudson, Stephen Drew, Joe Saunders) and have some guys under-performing (Justin Upton, James Loney), and that's been a boon to the Giants. We all know how hard it is to win when your guys are on the DL.
Ever since Atlee Hammaker gave up a grand slam to Fred Lynn in the 1983 All-Star Game, I get the heebee-jeebees when a Giants pitcher gets the ball. I shouldn't, I know, but I do. That was another one of those deeply scarring events. I'm obviously happy for Matt Cain, and he is certainly deserving of the starting honor. Not only that, he's NOT Atlee, and will do just fine against the AL. Need proof? Check this out. And there have been successful Giants All-Star pitchers since then (Jason Schmidt and Brian Wilson come to mind, and Timmy survived his start, if I remember). Mets fans have a beef about R.A. Dickey, to be sure, but they owe Tony LaRussa their wrath, not the Giants. I'm convinced he picked Cain because everyone expected him to pick Dickey, and we know how Tony loves to be contrary. Let's hope the NL wins eh?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
M.C.C.
That's a Melky Cabrera century, folks. In cricket, when a batsman scores 100 runs in an innings, they call it a "century." I've appropriated the term for our very own Milk Man, who banged out three more last night to reach and pass the 100 mark. He now has 101 hits in 66 games played (69 for the team). With 93 games remaining, he has an excellent chance of cracking 200, a "double century." Melky has 294 PA so far--last year he had 706 in 155 games. Assuming he stays healthy and plays in, say, 90 more games, and averages 4.5 PA/G, that's 405 more plate appearances. He "only" hit .305 last season and got 201 hits. He's hitting .369 right now! Let's say he gets 350 more AB and hits .300 the rest of the way, that's still 105 hits. The SF record for hits in a season is 208 by Willie Mays in 1958, the team's first season on the west coast. Rich Aurilia had 206 in 2001 had Bobby Bonds 200 in 1970. El Hombre Leche has a shot at a club record--that's damn impressive.
I liked the trade when it happened. I understood the risk of letting a guy like Jonathan Sanchez go--lefties who miss bats like he does are rare animals. But the Brian Trust thought he'd peaked out, were worried about his injuries, and felt that the emergence of both Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Vogelsong made him expendable. They were right. JS has been hurt and only managed 36-1/3 IP this season. He's also averaging more walks per nine (6.9) than strikeouts (6.2). His 2010 season was truly great, and he will forever have a place in my heart for being part of that magical run. But Sabes and Co. made a smart move to bolster the outfield and pulled off one of their best trades ever. I did not expect Cabrera to lead the league in anything, but I figured at age 27 and coming off an excellent season he was the right guy at the right time and would be a good ballplayer. Yeah, I think he's all that. He's a free agent after this year--if he keeps on doing what he's doing the Giants will find it hard not to throw a big wad o'dough his way.
--M.C.
p.s. Seems like good news re Jerome Williams.
I liked the trade when it happened. I understood the risk of letting a guy like Jonathan Sanchez go--lefties who miss bats like he does are rare animals. But the Brian Trust thought he'd peaked out, were worried about his injuries, and felt that the emergence of both Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Vogelsong made him expendable. They were right. JS has been hurt and only managed 36-1/3 IP this season. He's also averaging more walks per nine (6.9) than strikeouts (6.2). His 2010 season was truly great, and he will forever have a place in my heart for being part of that magical run. But Sabes and Co. made a smart move to bolster the outfield and pulled off one of their best trades ever. I did not expect Cabrera to lead the league in anything, but I figured at age 27 and coming off an excellent season he was the right guy at the right time and would be a good ballplayer. Yeah, I think he's all that. He's a free agent after this year--if he keeps on doing what he's doing the Giants will find it hard not to throw a big wad o'dough his way.
--M.C.
p.s. Seems like good news re Jerome Williams.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Hector is heroic in walk-off win
The last time the Giants hit a home run was May 1st, Tuesday night against Miami. Pablo Sandoval did the honors, and it was the only run the team could manage for Matt Cain who was tagged with a loss despite a solid eight innings and a Game Score of 65. The Giants could have used a late dinger today, but that's not how this Panda-less lineup rolls. They did get some runs on the board for Matty, but Santiago Casilla could not close it out in the 9th despite two outs and two strikes. Angel Pagan, still looking shaky in center, was two feet too late to squeeze the last out and the fly ball hit by former Giant and pinch-hitter supreme Travis Ishikawa wound up tying the game instead of ending it. It was a deflating moment. Cain was once again denied a win even though he struck out ten guys in his seven innings of work (Game Score 66). It was a win, though, and it really doesn't matter who the "W" is assigned to, as long as it gets added to the team total. The whole concept of an insurance run or, like I said earlier, a late-game jack, is off the table with this bunch. They score runs like insurance companies pay claims--with great reluctance. One-run games may suit the purist, but there's just too little wiggle room for my taste. Every event is magnified (like Conor Gillaspie's failure to field Corey Hart's smash and the aforementioned poor route by Pagan) and the outcome can turn in an instant. You've got to have a little padding, you can't expect the pitchers to do all the work and put up zeroes every time. Giants have scored 108 runs in 28 games (3.86) and allowed 105 (3.75). That's how you play .500 ball, my friends. Kudos nonetheless to Hector Sanchez for the clutch hit in the 11th and to Buster Posey for leading things off with his only hit of the day. Team 3-10 RISP, things just might be looking up.
Now the club gets to go to LA where the hottest team in the league has won ten of twelve. This would be a good time in this young season for the lads to step up and play great ball. An emotional win at home ought to give them a little mo' against the Dodgers who blew a save in the 9th in Chicago today with a 3-2 lead and are going to extras. Go, Cubs! Finish them off!
--M.C.
p.s. 4-3 Cubs in 11; LA 18-10, SF 14-14
p.p.s. Rory Paap at Bay City Ball does some research focusing on Matt Cain getting Cain'd. Check it out.
Now the club gets to go to LA where the hottest team in the league has won ten of twelve. This would be a good time in this young season for the lads to step up and play great ball. An emotional win at home ought to give them a little mo' against the Dodgers who blew a save in the 9th in Chicago today with a 3-2 lead and are going to extras. Go, Cubs! Finish them off!
--M.C.
p.s. 4-3 Cubs in 11; LA 18-10, SF 14-14
p.p.s. Rory Paap at Bay City Ball does some research focusing on Matt Cain getting Cain'd. Check it out.
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