The Giants were toast against their bête noire Mat Latos. Latoast? No matter. It wasn't pretty. Now I know how Reds fans felt on Friday night. For the second straight game the home squad gets a run in the 9th to prevent a shutout, but that's it. Barry Zito had a can't-throw-a-strike stretch, and it cost the game. He got 18 outs, otherwise, and was as effective as a guy can be with 11 baserunners (6 walks, 5 hits). But it was all Latos this afternoon, and despite a few hard-hit balls he shut the lineup down with ease (Game Score 86). The big news for Giants fans was the 2-1/3 perfect innings thrown by Brad Penny to finish the game. You never know who the surprise will be in the bullpen, and Brian Sabean has a way of finding diamonds in the relief market rough. We all know Big Brad from his short but excellent 2009 stint with the club, back when he was a starter. Unfortunately he's been released by two other teams since then, so it is hard to say what he has left. But it's an intriguing move, and he just may have the stuff to help out in the 'pen. George Kontos did not inspire in his brief outing in relief of Zito, immediately giving up what proved to be the winning run, so it can't hurt to try out another guy. Let's hope they can hit Bronson Arroyo tomorrow.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
I hate being reminded that Matt Cain is human
After his perfect game, Matt Cain rolled out a rather pedestrian effort, clocking only a 43 on the Game Score meter. After The Perfect 36, Matt Cain got walloped for 11 hits and five runs (yikes, a 38!). Two of the hits were homers, one by pitcher and Giants-killer Mike Leake. The Reds got the drama over quickly, leadoff hitter Zack Cozart hitting the first pitch of the game over the left-centerfield wall. You have to figure Cincinnati wanted no part of history--the hapless Dodgers were overwhelmed, being the simpering blue weenies that they are. But Baker's Boys showed some stick tonight and made an ace look ordinary. You may remember Leake from last season when he did this (Game Score 81) and this (Game Score 58) against the Giants. In 2010, when he was a rookie, he gave up 11 runs in only 4-2/3 IP to the eventual World Series Champions, but since then he's been Freakey Leakey (23-1/3 IP, only 3 runs). Tonight was his first career complete game. The Mets helped out the cause by giving the LAtriners a good whipping, so it wasn't an entirely lost evening.
Matty me boy, you set such a high bar, and the rest of the ro' took it as a challenge and they raised the stakes on you. No worries, lad, everyone knows you're grand. Pablo Sandoval stroked one in the 9th to avoid the shutout--you take what you can get in this game, eh?
The Reds are good. And they've got Mat Latos going tomorrow who is always tough and has, shall we say, a bit of history with San Francisco. Should be fun.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Matty me boy, you set such a high bar, and the rest of the ro' took it as a challenge and they raised the stakes on you. No worries, lad, everyone knows you're grand. Pablo Sandoval stroked one in the 9th to avoid the shutout--you take what you can get in this game, eh?
The Reds are good. And they've got Mat Latos going tomorrow who is always tough and has, shall we say, a bit of history with San Francisco. Should be fun.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
The Perfect 36
And I ain't talkin' about Carol Doda! I know we watched a lotta channel 2 (KTVU) back in the day with Gary "Tan Man" Park, may he requiescat in pacem, but did you remember its sister station was channel 36 (KICU)? Mostly they covered the A's, and had the endless sitcom/movie lineup suitable for housewives, stoners, and students. And who will ever forget that SF icon and her enormous breasts, pouting and exhaling "perfect 36" on seemingly every commercial break? Ms. Doda was more like a 44, so I suppose that means the Giants will give up a run in the ninth today after adding another eight to the streak. And speaking of The Streak™, remember that 18-game stretch in 2010 where the Giants allowed three or fewer runs? That was something historic. And speaking of historic, how about those four straight team shutouts? It is hard to believe that was only the first shutout for Madison Bumgarner. We've seen him pitch so well in the short time he's been in the majors, you would have thought he'd racked up a couple by now. Matt Cain has six and Tim Lincecum has five. He was overdue. And it was a ONE-HITTER! That ball was hit right back up the middle and The Bumbino made a stab at it and that was that. A near no-hitter by the lefty lad from Hickory, against an excellent hitting club, I gotta say that's pretty damn cool.
The Giants benefited once again from poor fielding. That hilarious sequence in the bottom of the first that resulted in two runs bears re-watching as many times as you can. When Buster Posey scoots home from first on a single, you know it's epic. Angel Pagan got thrown out at third on the play, but it was close. Only a great throw by pitcher Johnny Cueto cut him down. Pagan scored later in the game on a backspin liner from Pablo Sandoval that sailed over the head of poor Todd Frazier (normally a third baseman). He took a step in and was toast. You could see him mouth "oh, fuck" on the slo-mo replay. Giants outfielders catch everything, you notice that? After Gregor Blanco's booming triple to score MadBum he flashed the "shark fin" and that wonderful smile. He doesn't have the effusiveness and loveability of Andres Torres (who does?), but he's got everything else. What a pickup by the club. And keep smiling, that's some seriously photogenic shit, man. Melky Cabrera got a new nickname ("Lechero") from Duane Kuiper on the rap for his two-hit, two-walk, two-run night. His Melkiness is awesome.
Matt Cain tonight. No pressure, dude. Just a perfect 36 from the other guys, 30 by the rest of the ro'. Nothin' you can't handle, eh?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Another highlight: AmyG said "snot rocket" on the post-game interview!
The Giants benefited once again from poor fielding. That hilarious sequence in the bottom of the first that resulted in two runs bears re-watching as many times as you can. When Buster Posey scoots home from first on a single, you know it's epic. Angel Pagan got thrown out at third on the play, but it was close. Only a great throw by pitcher Johnny Cueto cut him down. Pagan scored later in the game on a backspin liner from Pablo Sandoval that sailed over the head of poor Todd Frazier (normally a third baseman). He took a step in and was toast. You could see him mouth "oh, fuck" on the slo-mo replay. Giants outfielders catch everything, you notice that? After Gregor Blanco's booming triple to score MadBum he flashed the "shark fin" and that wonderful smile. He doesn't have the effusiveness and loveability of Andres Torres (who does?), but he's got everything else. What a pickup by the club. And keep smiling, that's some seriously photogenic shit, man. Melky Cabrera got a new nickname ("Lechero") from Duane Kuiper on the rap for his two-hit, two-walk, two-run night. His Melkiness is awesome.
Matt Cain tonight. No pressure, dude. Just a perfect 36 from the other guys, 30 by the rest of the ro'. Nothin' you can't handle, eh?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Another highlight: AmyG said "snot rocket" on the post-game interview!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
First Place Tim
Start #16 WIN !!! ( 3-8 ) 7 innings 4 hits ZERO runs 2 walks 8 strikeouts
If 27 straight batters retired is a perfect game, wouldn't that make 27 straight scoreless innings a PERFECT SERIES ??!!?? Hell yeah!! Does it get any better than this??? I think not. Let's go over some of the details of today's excellent 3-0 victory and all the associated joy, shall we?
1) We are in FIRST PLACE. The season is effectively reset and the ridiculous dogger wonder start is a thing of the past. The doggers are obviously crippled and Arizona lost their ace ( Daniel Hudson ) for the year, so the race is looking very Giants friendly at the moment.
2) Tim Lincecum may very well have refound his "freak." Today was his best start of the season ( game score 75 ) and his second consecutive quality start. The only extra base hit was by Chad Billingsley and
he was stranded at third, which, by the way, was the only smog sucker to get that far all series long. Tim seemed to have all his pitches working. He certainly had movement; sometimes too much. Hector Sanchez, catching Lincecum for the second straight game, took a beating trying to block some crazy pitches in the dirt. Tim unleashed two more more wild pitches, which gives him 9 for the season. One of them lead to a collision at the plate with Timmeh taking the hit but getting a generous call. I sure wish he would quit doing that.
3) We are in FIRST PLACE.
4) Our starters are quietly doing one of those crazy things again. That makes one earned run allowed in the last 31 innings. They all (even Beezy sometimes) seem ready to rip off a brilliant performance. When Tim gets back up to full speed, which may well be right now, our rotation takes on intimidating proprotions.
5) Making history is way cool. Today is not as sweet as Matt's perfection, of course, but doing this beautiful thing, THREE CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUTS OVER THE doggers, is as gratifying as it gets. I mean it warms my heart. We put up with a lot of crap, you know, all that "torture" and Tim's tough spell. We deserved this. I will sleep well tonight.
Oh, and, of course, 6)
If 27 straight batters retired is a perfect game, wouldn't that make 27 straight scoreless innings a PERFECT SERIES ??!!?? Hell yeah!! Does it get any better than this??? I think not. Let's go over some of the details of today's excellent 3-0 victory and all the associated joy, shall we?
1) We are in FIRST PLACE. The season is effectively reset and the ridiculous dogger wonder start is a thing of the past. The doggers are obviously crippled and Arizona lost their ace ( Daniel Hudson ) for the year, so the race is looking very Giants friendly at the moment.
2) Tim Lincecum may very well have refound his "freak." Today was his best start of the season ( game score 75 ) and his second consecutive quality start. The only extra base hit was by Chad Billingsley and
he was stranded at third, which, by the way, was the only smog sucker to get that far all series long. Tim seemed to have all his pitches working. He certainly had movement; sometimes too much. Hector Sanchez, catching Lincecum for the second straight game, took a beating trying to block some crazy pitches in the dirt. Tim unleashed two more more wild pitches, which gives him 9 for the season. One of them lead to a collision at the plate with Timmeh taking the hit but getting a generous call. I sure wish he would quit doing that.
3) We are in FIRST PLACE.
4) Our starters are quietly doing one of those crazy things again. That makes one earned run allowed in the last 31 innings. They all (even Beezy sometimes) seem ready to rip off a brilliant performance. When Tim gets back up to full speed, which may well be right now, our rotation takes on intimidating proprotions.
5) Making history is way cool. Today is not as sweet as Matt's perfection, of course, but doing this beautiful thing, THREE CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUTS OVER THE doggers, is as gratifying as it gets. I mean it warms my heart. We put up with a lot of crap, you know, all that "torture" and Tim's tough spell. We deserved this. I will sleep well tonight.
Oh, and, of course, 6)
WE ARE IN FIRST PLACE !!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
10-zip
That's 18 scoreless innings in San Francisco for the first-place Dodgers. Ten runs in two nights for the Good Guys, zero for the Evil Ones. Melky Cabrera stroked a home run to left-center against the still-almost-unbeatable Clayton Kershaw in the 4th to open the scoring, and the Giants scratched out another with stolen base by Angel Pagan and single from Pablo Sandoval. The 2-0 lead would be the final score as Ryan Vogelsong once again pitched seven strong and relievers Jeremy Affeldt and Santiago Casilla got the final six outs without too much drama. The running game giveth and it taketh away--Ryan Theriot got a little too excited and tried to score from third on an infield squibber in the 5th. The play is in front of the runner there, I don't get the "go on contact" mentality. Make the damn pitcher or catcher field the ball and throw to first, that might make an opening to go home. Or stay at third, fer chrissakes, and give the next guy a chance to drive you in. It turned out that the blown scoring chance didn't change the outcome. Kershaw was tough (8K in 6 IP) like always, and would not give up the big hit and kept it a nail-biter.
Not much more we can say about Vogie that we haven't already said. He pitched another great game, this one with the biggest stakes of the season so far, especially when you consider he was matched up with their no. 1 and the reigning Cy Young Award winner. The Voge-ster gives up his share of hits and walks, but he makes big pitches when he needs them, and he keeps the ball in the yard. The Dodgers got mostly ground ball hits and couldn't muster a killer blow. And you have to love Buster Posey nailing Dee Gordon (NL leader in SB and CS) trying to steal in the 5th inning: "I'm not havin' it!" I bitch and moan about stolen bases a lot, and it's not like I don't like them, it's just that I hate that CS in the box score. Nothing kills rallies like outs on the bases. (It was that classic "run" situation, leadoff hitter on first with two outs.) I note, however, that Pagan is 14 for 16 on the basepaths, Gregor Blanco is 13 for 16, and Melky Cabrera is 10 for 14 (the team is 59 for 78, or 77%). I like to see guys be 4 for 5 when they run--that's the break-even for my taste. If you are going to steal, make it count. And get extra-base hits while you're at it, that's even more my taste. But I'm quibbling. It was great win and the Giants flashed both power and dash to up end the Mighty Clayton.
Giants are once again in position to sweep a series. This time it is Tim Lincecum who has to follow a couple of dandy opening acts. Hey Timmy Jim, this is why they call you "Big Time."
--M.C.
Not much more we can say about Vogie that we haven't already said. He pitched another great game, this one with the biggest stakes of the season so far, especially when you consider he was matched up with their no. 1 and the reigning Cy Young Award winner. The Voge-ster gives up his share of hits and walks, but he makes big pitches when he needs them, and he keeps the ball in the yard. The Dodgers got mostly ground ball hits and couldn't muster a killer blow. And you have to love Buster Posey nailing Dee Gordon (NL leader in SB and CS) trying to steal in the 5th inning: "I'm not havin' it!" I bitch and moan about stolen bases a lot, and it's not like I don't like them, it's just that I hate that CS in the box score. Nothing kills rallies like outs on the bases. (It was that classic "run" situation, leadoff hitter on first with two outs.) I note, however, that Pagan is 14 for 16 on the basepaths, Gregor Blanco is 13 for 16, and Melky Cabrera is 10 for 14 (the team is 59 for 78, or 77%). I like to see guys be 4 for 5 when they run--that's the break-even for my taste. If you are going to steal, make it count. And get extra-base hits while you're at it, that's even more my taste. But I'm quibbling. It was great win and the Giants flashed both power and dash to up end the Mighty Clayton.
Giants are once again in position to sweep a series. This time it is Tim Lincecum who has to follow a couple of dandy opening acts. Hey Timmy Jim, this is why they call you "Big Time."
--M.C.
Studly Barry-Z
Barry Zito did not allow a hard-hit ball in his seven shutout innings. He was "missing the sweet spot" as Kruk said. The Dodgers would hit the ball off the handle or the end of the bat and everything was a ground ball, a soft liner, or a pop fly. It was classic LA-style with lots of dinks and dunks, only this time there was no Ron Cey crushing a three-run homer. My formative years as a fan (1973-1981, high school and college) match perfectly the Penguin's peak seasons. Every time I saw a Dodger game in those days that little fuck would blast another ball over the fence and crush my dreams. The Giants were always the scrappy underdogs, while LA won four pennants in that stretch and ruled the West. Our only consolation as fans was that stupid Joe Morgan game. I never want to see highlights of that game again. The Giants should have won the division that year (1982), and having to settle for the consolation prize of "keeping the Dodgers out" was fulfilling for about fifteen minutes. I digress, but I still have that traumatized kid inside of me. When the Men in Blue roll into town, I fear the worst. I got scars, man.
I was a little nervous last night with Zito taking the hill. You never know what you will get with that guy, but last night he mixed it up and mesmerized 'em and threw a great game. It helped that the LA lineup was a little ugly. Their leadoff man, Dee Gordon, is really fast but has a .281 OBP. You have to figure that doesn't help them much. Juan Rivera, Juan Uribe, and Tony Gwynn all sport an OPS of less than .700 (the league average is .715). Are you surprised by their 4.08 rpg, just a tick ahead of the Giants 4.07 mark? Without Matt Kemp they are hurting. Andre Ethier hits .325 vs. righties but only .243 vs. lefties. This team, right now, is ripe for the taking. Unfortunately the Giants have to face Clayton Kershaw AGAIN. That will be a tough matchup for Ryan Vogelsong, but he's been as consistent as anyone in the league, so if the Giants can score at all it should give them a fair chance, especially at home.
And speaking of scoring, everyone in the Giants lineup not named Brandon either scored two runs or had two hits. Melky Cabrera did both, and Pablo Sandoval looked much, much better with three hits (two doubles) and three RBI. I should note that the Diamondbacks won their fourth straight and are only three behind the Giants. It just may be turning into a three-team race. They will start their über-prospect Trevor Bauer sometime this week. The UCLA phenom was the 3rd overall pick in 2011 and has been touted as the Second Coming of Stephen Strasburg.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
I was a little nervous last night with Zito taking the hill. You never know what you will get with that guy, but last night he mixed it up and mesmerized 'em and threw a great game. It helped that the LA lineup was a little ugly. Their leadoff man, Dee Gordon, is really fast but has a .281 OBP. You have to figure that doesn't help them much. Juan Rivera, Juan Uribe, and Tony Gwynn all sport an OPS of less than .700 (the league average is .715). Are you surprised by their 4.08 rpg, just a tick ahead of the Giants 4.07 mark? Without Matt Kemp they are hurting. Andre Ethier hits .325 vs. righties but only .243 vs. lefties. This team, right now, is ripe for the taking. Unfortunately the Giants have to face Clayton Kershaw AGAIN. That will be a tough matchup for Ryan Vogelsong, but he's been as consistent as anyone in the league, so if the Giants can score at all it should give them a fair chance, especially at home.
And speaking of scoring, everyone in the Giants lineup not named Brandon either scored two runs or had two hits. Melky Cabrera did both, and Pablo Sandoval looked much, much better with three hits (two doubles) and three RBI. I should note that the Diamondbacks won their fourth straight and are only three behind the Giants. It just may be turning into a three-team race. They will start their über-prospect Trevor Bauer sometime this week. The UCLA phenom was the 3rd overall pick in 2011 and has been touted as the Second Coming of Stephen Strasburg.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Luck runs out
The Giants were lucky to be up 2-1 in the 9th. Matt Cain, after a long battle with Seth Smith in the 6th, gave up a rope down the right field line that would have scored two, only it was ruled foul. The replay seemed to show the A's got hosed on the call. Smith then fouled out to left field and the Giants clung to the lead. After Matty worked a brisk 7th inning, Jeremy Affeldt did his best to give it away in the 8th with a lead off double by pinch hitter Brandon Hicks that missed being a home run by inches. He then dodged a bullet by getting a nice 4-6-3 double play from Josh Reddick. Santiago Casilla, unfortunately, had none of the magic dust of his predecessors. The A's roped two singles in between two strikeouts, and rookie catcher Derek Norris worked a full count, fouled off the next pitch, then blasted his first big-league home run to win the game. It was a no-doubter. Casilla poured in a fastball and the kid jumped all over it. That's back-to-back poor outings for the Giants closer. The A's deserved to win today, that's hard for me to say but it is true. Their rookie starter, A.J. Griffin, gave up a two-run homer to Buster Posey in the 1st, then mowed everyone down after that, at one point retiring 13 in a row. Lefty Sean Doolittle got three strikeouts in his 1-2/3, and righty Jim Miller stranded two runners in the 8th and worked a perfect ninth. The home team got revenge for their closer blowing it in the 9th on Friday. The visitors never got anything going after Buster's homer and looked pretty feeble for most of the day. The guys on the telecast mentioned that the Giants have never swept an away series against the A's. Three games, three 9th-inning comebacks. That was the last interleague game, by the way. No more designated hitter for the rest of the regular season.
--M.C.
p.s. Dodgers lose in Anaheim. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Big showdown tomorrow night!
--M.C.
p.s. Dodgers lose in Anaheim. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Big showdown tomorrow night!
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