Todd Wellemeyer is the beneficiary. The Giants are carrying 13 pitchers and 12 position players. I would have thought that 13 pitchers was one too many, as the Giants starters chew up a lot of innings. Perhaps it is The Jeremy Affeldt Effect. He has not been as effective this season and Ol' Boch has had to scramble to get late outs, using a revolving cast of characters as opposed to sticking his Main Man out there and watching the pins fall.
Bautista struck out an impressive 44 guys in 33-2/3 IP, but walked too many (25) and and gave up too many hits (25, with 4 HR) to stick with the team. He also had 7 wild pitches. Relievers come and go, and their performances vary so much from year to year, it is hard to get attached to them. It is different when they are our guys, products of the system, or make their ML-debuts with the Giants. That being said, I had a strange fondness for the odd-looking, weird delivery-journeyman from Santo Domingo. Vaya con dios, amigo.
--M.C.
UPDATE 1633: DFA'd actually, not waived. Sorry.
UPDATE 1645: Oh, The Sweet Irony Department: Freddy Sanchez is having a great game. Let yer bat do the talkin', lad, let yer bat do the talkin'.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
2/3 of the way
Ubaldo Jimenez is having a great season, and as they say in Krukovia, "sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other guy." His Uberness cooled off the Giants hot bats and his teammates responded by chasing young Madison Bumgarner out of the game in the 5th inning. It was kind of like discovering someone had let air out of your bicycle tires when you were psyched up to go on a nice, long ride. Hey, at least they didn't slash 'em.
108 games is 2/3 of a baseball season. We've played 6/9 of the 162 games, six innings worth of this nine inning game. The Giants are in damn good shape, only a game off the pace in the West, and possessing the second-best record in the league. The Giants are currently averaging 4.44 runs scored per game for the season, just a hair above the league average (4.40). The Giants give up an average of 3.62 runs per game, second only to the Padres at 3.52 rpg. After a lackluster May and June (27-28), the Giants took July by the throat and throttled the league to the tune of 20-8, scoring 149 runs (5.32/game) and only allowing 102 (3.64/game). That's the kind of thing they'll need to keep doing in August and September.
The Atlanta Braves were 9-14 in April, but had their big month in May, going 20-8, and followed that with a hot June (17-11). They've cooled off since then, 15-13 in July and August, and only 9-10 since the Break. They hit a little better than the Giants (4.58 rpg) but don't quite pitch as well (3.83 rpg). This is looking like a great match-up, and dare I say it--a playoff preview? We can only hope. Their impressive youngster, Jair Jurrjens, has missed time due to injury, but looks like he's getting back on track. He gets the call tonight against The Franchise.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
UPDATE 1116: Congratulations to Alex Rodriguez for hitting his 600th home run. Jim Thome is the next closest with 577, but he's 40 in August, so 600 could be tough. A-Rod is one of the all-time greats. At 34, and slowing down, it will be a reach for him to pass Barry Bonds (my all-time favorite player), but not out of the realm of possibility. He will certainly hit 700, which is awesome. Unlike most people, I don't view records as sacrosanct, and I'm happy to see them broken. After all, why record what happens if you don't want people to strive to surpass those marks? That's the whole point of records--setting the bar for the next guy. I hope I live long enough and watch enough baseball so that every record gets broken. I don't believe there was a Golden Age of Baseball. I'm not nostalgic, and you'll never hear me crowing about "the good ol' days." I'm very happy to be in the present, and can't wait to embrace the future of the greatest game on earth. And to the whiners, spoilsports, and wannabe moral high-roaders: bugger off, ya wankers.
108 games is 2/3 of a baseball season. We've played 6/9 of the 162 games, six innings worth of this nine inning game. The Giants are in damn good shape, only a game off the pace in the West, and possessing the second-best record in the league. The Giants are currently averaging 4.44 runs scored per game for the season, just a hair above the league average (4.40). The Giants give up an average of 3.62 runs per game, second only to the Padres at 3.52 rpg. After a lackluster May and June (27-28), the Giants took July by the throat and throttled the league to the tune of 20-8, scoring 149 runs (5.32/game) and only allowing 102 (3.64/game). That's the kind of thing they'll need to keep doing in August and September.
The Atlanta Braves were 9-14 in April, but had their big month in May, going 20-8, and followed that with a hot June (17-11). They've cooled off since then, 15-13 in July and August, and only 9-10 since the Break. They hit a little better than the Giants (4.58 rpg) but don't quite pitch as well (3.83 rpg). This is looking like a great match-up, and dare I say it--a playoff preview? We can only hope. Their impressive youngster, Jair Jurrjens, has missed time due to injury, but looks like he's getting back on track. He gets the call tonight against The Franchise.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
UPDATE 1116: Congratulations to Alex Rodriguez for hitting his 600th home run. Jim Thome is the next closest with 577, but he's 40 in August, so 600 could be tough. A-Rod is one of the all-time greats. At 34, and slowing down, it will be a reach for him to pass Barry Bonds (my all-time favorite player), but not out of the realm of possibility. He will certainly hit 700, which is awesome. Unlike most people, I don't view records as sacrosanct, and I'm happy to see them broken. After all, why record what happens if you don't want people to strive to surpass those marks? That's the whole point of records--setting the bar for the next guy. I hope I live long enough and watch enough baseball so that every record gets broken. I don't believe there was a Golden Age of Baseball. I'm not nostalgic, and you'll never hear me crowing about "the good ol' days." I'm very happy to be in the present, and can't wait to embrace the future of the greatest game on earth. And to the whiners, spoilsports, and wannabe moral high-roaders: bugger off, ya wankers.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Giant thunder
The storm that rolled into Denver tonight was from San Francisco. The Giants, serving notice with clinical ruthlessness, exploited the pitching mismatch in Coors Field, first by dispatching the hapless Aaron Cook, then by blowing away the high-flying Rockies offense. A brilliant Jonathan Sanchez matched a 46-year-old club record held by Juan Marichal with SEVEN CONSECUTIVE STRIKEOUTS. It was a sterling display by the white-hot Giants, their 21st win in 26 games since leaving Denver on the Fourth of July. The trip to Milwaukee on the 5th proved to be the turning point in the season, as the Giants suddenly discovered an offense to complement the outstanding pitching. I was ready to call this post I always wanted a team that scored six runs per game when that pesky Freddy Sanchez hit a damn home run and made it 7-0!! I was whining and hollering and complaining (as I am wont to do) about Freddy Sanchez' .262/.320/.317 batting (can you still call that batting?) line, and the little shit walloped one into the left-field bleachers. Rock on, brother, just hit lower in the lineup, willya? Seriously, it is time to move Pablo Sandoval into the venerated two-hole. Sweet pick to end the 7th inning for F.S., his glove is impressive, but Jaysus-Mary-Joseph the lads' 70 OPS+ means he's 30% worse than the average NLer.
The Missing Bat--that sounds like some slugging Australopithecene--the blog nerds like me have been looking for is not in Tanzania or on the waiver wire. No. He is, perhaps, that Other Fellow with the Golden Spikes Award. Pat the Bat had another big night, proving me wrong again. It's a wonder anyone at all reads my tripe.
Bengie Molina traded, Giants catch fire. Coincidence? You decide. If Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez are my Holy Trinity, then Buster Posey is The Second Coming.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. TEN big ones!! I love Andres Torres--doesn't everybody?
The Missing Bat--that sounds like some slugging Australopithecene--the blog nerds like me have been looking for is not in Tanzania or on the waiver wire. No. He is, perhaps, that Other Fellow with the Golden Spikes Award. Pat the Bat had another big night, proving me wrong again. It's a wonder anyone at all reads my tripe.
Bengie Molina traded, Giants catch fire. Coincidence? You decide. If Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez are my Holy Trinity, then Buster Posey is The Second Coming.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. TEN big ones!! I love Andres Torres--doesn't everybody?
Road trip!
The 2000 Giants were 38-38 at the end of June. They then won 8 in a row on their way to a 19-8 July. They continued playing great baseball in August (19-10) and September (20-9) and wound up with the best record overall (97-65) and won the West by 11 games.
The 2010 Giants were 40-37 at the end of June. They then caught fire in July, racking up an ML-best 20-8 record to surge past the Rockies and Dodgers into 2nd place. I don't think it will take 97 wins to beat the Padres, but it may take another month of .700 ball to dislodge them from the top spot. What is interesting about 2000 is that there were three teams with better than .500 records: LA was 2nd at 86-76, AZ 3rd at 85-77, and CO 4th at 82-80. Even lowly SD won 76 games. This year's NL West just might have four .500+ clubs as well, but the separation among the top finishers will likely be a handful of games. Baseball Prospectus runs projections and computes updated post-season odds all season long. Right now the number-crunchers pick the Padres to finish 1st at 94-68 and the Giants to finish 2nd at 90-72. Our probability of winning the division stands at 21% and the Wild card 23%, for a 44% chance of making the post-season. There are actually three different simulations using different inputs, the best shows the Giants finishing 92-70, a game behind SD, with a 68% chance of making the playoffs. A 30-26 record the rest of the way would see the Giants finish 91-71. 30-26 is only .536 ball, something the Giants, barring injuries or other Terrible Acts of God, should be able to pull off.
Colorado and Atlanta should be a stiff test for the lads. Winning on the road was a problem earlier in the season, but they seem to have solved that little issue. Jonathan Sanchez takes the ball tonight.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
The 2010 Giants were 40-37 at the end of June. They then caught fire in July, racking up an ML-best 20-8 record to surge past the Rockies and Dodgers into 2nd place. I don't think it will take 97 wins to beat the Padres, but it may take another month of .700 ball to dislodge them from the top spot. What is interesting about 2000 is that there were three teams with better than .500 records: LA was 2nd at 86-76, AZ 3rd at 85-77, and CO 4th at 82-80. Even lowly SD won 76 games. This year's NL West just might have four .500+ clubs as well, but the separation among the top finishers will likely be a handful of games. Baseball Prospectus runs projections and computes updated post-season odds all season long. Right now the number-crunchers pick the Padres to finish 1st at 94-68 and the Giants to finish 2nd at 90-72. Our probability of winning the division stands at 21% and the Wild card 23%, for a 44% chance of making the post-season. There are actually three different simulations using different inputs, the best shows the Giants finishing 92-70, a game behind SD, with a 68% chance of making the playoffs. A 30-26 record the rest of the way would see the Giants finish 91-71. 30-26 is only .536 ball, something the Giants, barring injuries or other Terrible Acts of God, should be able to pull off.
Colorado and Atlanta should be a stiff test for the lads. Winning on the road was a problem earlier in the season, but they seem to have solved that little issue. Jonathan Sanchez takes the ball tonight.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Did the Giants do enough at the deadline?
I mentioned in a comment yesterday that the Yankees, possessors of the best offense in baseball, felt the need to go out and get two hitters at the deadline. They were rumored to be interested in Adam Dunn, but wound up with Lance Berkman and Austin Kearns instead. Here's quote from River Avenue Blues, the excellent Yankees blog:
But--and there's always a but--the Giants still need help on offense. Think about it: the best team and most successful franchise in the HISTORY OF THE SPORT made an effort to improve their offense (as well as their bullpen). What do they know that the Giants don't? The Yankees have an enviable track record of winning. They are doing something right. I think that something is the ceaseless quest for upgrading at every roster spot.
Here's a few thought from outstanding Giants blogger El Lefty Malo:
Here's a few more thoughts, this time from the smart and insightful Triples Alley:
--M.C.
*Fucking New Guy
While the team has sat in first place since mid-June, there are always opportunities to improve.Wow. That is the mind-set over there in Yankees-land. First place ain't enough. You have to improve. I guess that's why they ran out of fingers and toes (for all their rings) in the Bronx. The Padres knew they had a weak offense, and went out and got Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tejada. Ludwick is a smart move. The jury is out on Tejada, he'll probably hurt them defensively, and it remains to be seen if he can contribute the power they are looking for, but it is at least an effort at improving. The Dodgers made a flurry of moves, but until they start hitting as a team they are going to flounder. Ted Lilly won't help if they only score 2 runs per game--look at Clayton Kershaw. (I sure hope their offense doesn't get back on track.) The Giants had an obvious bullpen problem, and they got two guys who look like they can help. In fact, FNG* Javier Lopez got a big out in the 8th yesterday, just what the doctor ordered.
But--and there's always a but--the Giants still need help on offense. Think about it: the best team and most successful franchise in the HISTORY OF THE SPORT made an effort to improve their offense (as well as their bullpen). What do they know that the Giants don't? The Yankees have an enviable track record of winning. They are doing something right. I think that something is the ceaseless quest for upgrading at every roster spot.
Here's a few thought from outstanding Giants blogger El Lefty Malo:
The best can also afford like no other team to make themselves better, but the point is, just because the offense finally seems perfectly adequate doesn't mean the Giants shouldn't keep trying to improve it . . . I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, I'm just saying there are plenty of scenarios in which the Giants' league-best offensive output in July falls off in August and September. Why not make a move or two to prevent those scenarios from happening?Wow. That's hardcore. But I tell you what, I'm with him. Even if we are in the post-season this year, I'll be hollering about how we don't have enough goddamn hitting. I've been hollering about it all year long so I won't quit now. You come to RMC for consistency, dammit, and I aims to please.IfWhen the Giants win the World Series, I'll still argue they need another bat.
Here's a few more thoughts, this time from the smart and insightful Triples Alley:
Let’s face it- most of the hitters we have on the roster really just aren’t very good. But we’re getting some brilliant production from two unlikely players- Aubrey Huff and Andres Torres, both of whom should receive MVP consideration at the end of the year. There’s a possibility that both players have reached new standards of performance, but…there’s also a possibility that we’ve caught lightning in a bottle. Now is the time to go for broke rather than rebuild or stand pat; now is the time to make a move that ensures our chances of making the playoffs. This means that we should not sit and twiddle our thumbs, hoping for Pablo Sandoval to figure things out and hit like he did last year. Huff, Torres and Posey cannot carry the offense by themselves, although they’re doing an awfully good job at it. We need a bat, and we need one now. It doesn’t have to be an elite hitter a la Adam Dunn, although that would be nice. No, a simple above average hitter would do the trick.To be fair to Triples Alley, he spent most of a paragraph getting really excited about the 2010 Giants before throwing out his "but". He, like me and the aforementioned Mr. Malo, is a fan. We loves us some Giants. And we are excited about this club, especially as it looks more and more like we will be one of the best teams in the league. So I'll leave it to you, dear readers. Did the Giants do enough at the trade deadline?
--M.C.
*Fucking New Guy
Sunday, August 1, 2010
7-2/3: zip, zilch, nada
Matt Cain threw an outstanding ballgame (Game Score 77), and with a little bit o' bloomin' luck might have finished the 8th. As it was, newcomer Javier Lopez got an easy out and the Giants went to the dugout up 2-0 and smelling a sweep. Brian Wilson came out for the 9th after a two-game hiatus due to back spasms and collected the save. The Giants swept the Dodgers on national TV to complete a terrific weekend of baseball.
Cain threw a season-high 124 pitches to 27 batters to get those 23 outs. He allowed only 4 hits, all singles, and had 1 walk against 7 strikeouts. He was able to throw all of his pitches for strikes and that kept the Dodgers guessing. Matt got 22 called strikes, 17 swinging strikes, 20 foul strikes, and 19 in-play strikes, and induced 10 ground balls to only 5 fly balls. He also helped himself out by picking off Matt Kemp in the 2nd. Once again he was matched up with the other team's ace and once again he and the team responded.
It was a great win for the club, and a personal milestone for Cain as he finally logs a "W" vs. LA. The Giants are tied with the Padres with 61 wins, the most in the NL. The Giants have scored 0, 1, or 2 runs for Cain in 55 of his 159 starts, and he's 7-38 in those games. (Here's a more detailed breakdown if you want to see some freaky numbers.) Assigning wins to pitchers, when a win is so clearly a team stat, seems a silly custom to me, but that's how it is. The GIANTS got a great performance by their 25-year-old veteran and turned that into a win.
--M.C.
Here's some notes on Cain and the Dodgers:
9 Sep 2007: Giants beat LA 4-2, Cain ND despite 7 IP and 2 ER
21 Sep 2008: Giants beat LA 1-0 in 11, Cain ND despite 6 shutout IP
27 Sep 2008: Giants lose 2-1, Cain L despite 7 IP and 2 ER
15 Apr 2009: Giants lose 5-4, Cain ND despite 6 IP and 2 ER
In six starts in 2008, Matt had a 2.79 ERA vs. LA but was 0-3.
They haven't all been stinkers.
Cain threw a season-high 124 pitches to 27 batters to get those 23 outs. He allowed only 4 hits, all singles, and had 1 walk against 7 strikeouts. He was able to throw all of his pitches for strikes and that kept the Dodgers guessing. Matt got 22 called strikes, 17 swinging strikes, 20 foul strikes, and 19 in-play strikes, and induced 10 ground balls to only 5 fly balls. He also helped himself out by picking off Matt Kemp in the 2nd. Once again he was matched up with the other team's ace and once again he and the team responded.
It was a great win for the club, and a personal milestone for Cain as he finally logs a "W" vs. LA. The Giants are tied with the Padres with 61 wins, the most in the NL. The Giants have scored 0, 1, or 2 runs for Cain in 55 of his 159 starts, and he's 7-38 in those games. (Here's a more detailed breakdown if you want to see some freaky numbers.) Assigning wins to pitchers, when a win is so clearly a team stat, seems a silly custom to me, but that's how it is. The GIANTS got a great performance by their 25-year-old veteran and turned that into a win.
--M.C.
Here's some notes on Cain and the Dodgers:
9 Sep 2007: Giants beat LA 4-2, Cain ND despite 7 IP and 2 ER
21 Sep 2008: Giants beat LA 1-0 in 11, Cain ND despite 6 shutout IP
27 Sep 2008: Giants lose 2-1, Cain L despite 7 IP and 2 ER
15 Apr 2009: Giants lose 5-4, Cain ND despite 6 IP and 2 ER
In six starts in 2008, Matt had a 2.79 ERA vs. LA but was 0-3.
They haven't all been stinkers.
Pat the Bat
I was skeptical when we picked up Pat Burrell, but then, I'm the skeptical sort. Burrell proved me wrong with a ridiculous month, pounding out 22 hits in 65 AB with 8 BB and 8 XBH for a .338/.405/.615 line in June (22 games, 19 starts). July wasn't so kind, as Pat the Bat only managed 10 hits in 53 AB (10 BB, 3 XBH) for an ugly .189/.313/.283 line. None of that mattered yesterday of course, as the 1998 Golden Spikes winner smacked a game-winning home run off Jonathan Broxton to reward Zito and the Giants with a dramatic win over the Dodgers. Overall, Burrell has an .828 OPS (.271/.362/.466) for the Giants, and that's a 117 OPS+, which you may remember from yesterday is Ryan Ludwick's lifetime mark.
Barry Zito has gone 7 innings or more and given up three or fewer runs 11 times in 22 starts. He has 16 quality starts overall. He's worth 2.1 WAR so far, just below his 2009 (2.2) total, and equaling his 2006 season in Oakland. The hideous 2007 (1.7) and 2008 (1.4) shall not be discussed. He's turned his game around, and the team is better for it. Keep it going, Barry!
Matt Cain looks for his first career win tonight against LA in his 15th start. In 81-1/3 IP, the Dodgers have 97 hits and 40 walks. That's not going to work if we are looking for a sweep. Let's hope we get another good start this weekend and finish those fuckers off.
--M.C.
Barry Zito has gone 7 innings or more and given up three or fewer runs 11 times in 22 starts. He has 16 quality starts overall. He's worth 2.1 WAR so far, just below his 2009 (2.2) total, and equaling his 2006 season in Oakland. The hideous 2007 (1.7) and 2008 (1.4) shall not be discussed. He's turned his game around, and the team is better for it. Keep it going, Barry!
Matt Cain looks for his first career win tonight against LA in his 15th start. In 81-1/3 IP, the Dodgers have 97 hits and 40 walks. That's not going to work if we are looking for a sweep. Let's hope we get another good start this weekend and finish those fuckers off.
--M.C.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)