Last night's game was amazing. It had a 3 run comeback, multiple lead changes, and extra innings. Through all of that, one guy emerged as the star.
Nate Schierholtz.
I seriously believe that this guy is the Giants' MVP so far. At least as far as position players go. Nobody else on this team has contributed offensively, defensively, and on the basepaths. OK well maybe Burris or Ford run a little better than he does, but that's about all that they do so far.
Hell, Schierholtz even leads the team in homers since Pablo went down. Sure he's only got 3 over that time but when the team leader has 5 and he hasn't played in over a month that is huge for an offense.
Look, I know that Bochy likes to let veterans play and try to get hot. But he also showed last season that he isn't afraid to replace an underperforming veteran with an up and comer when he replaced Rowand with Torres. The time has finally come for Boch to give Nate the starting role in right field. Ross has played well enough to play left and of course Torres is the guy in center. Burrell is not much more than a bench guy at this point and he may even need to be an emergency first baseman. I know I would feel more comfortable with him there than I would with Burriss over there.
Nate has been getting the majority of starts in right but now it's time for him to be there permanently.
In other news;
Brandon Crawford has hit just enough to convince me that he is an upgrade at this point over Miguel Tejada. I am sure that Crawford can hit .217 and play a whole lot better in the field than Tejada can. I floated the idea on Twitter during the game and I want to get it out there here.
I think the Giants should release Tejada when Pablo Sandoval comes off the DL.
I'm pretty sure there is zero to no chance of that happening, but I can hope. Besides, the way the Giants players are getting injured maybe Tejada will go on the DL. It has to happen sometime in his career.
Maybe I should have read Andrew Baggerly's blog before I wrote mine. You can read it here.
Showing posts with label Pat Burrell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pat Burrell. Show all posts
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Giants fall to Kershaw again
The San Francisco Giants have no answer for Clayton Kershaw. He has a 23 2/3 scoreless inning streak against them and they just looked clueless against him tonight.
It's tough to be positive when your team is sitting at 4-6. But Lincecum and Cain are pitching great, Sanchez is throwing solid, The bullpen (aside from Wilson) is pitching okl, Burrell has 4 homers, and Pablo Sandoval is hitting well.
However more seems to be going bad. The aforementioned Wilson, ZIto and Bumgarner, the Giants' defense, and just about everybody on the Giants' offense.
The fact of the matter is that it's early, If there was one thing that last season taught us is that there are going to be rough stretches to the season. The season is long and the rough spots don't mean that they won't make the playoffs. The defense will come around, the offense will come around, and Zito and Bumgarner will even get some wins.
All of these struggles are magnified because they are at the beginning of the season. But every team goes through stretches like this. We just need to keep watching the games, cheering on our team, and basking in our World Series championship glory!
And cheer up! Timmy is pitching tomorrow!
It's tough to be positive when your team is sitting at 4-6. But Lincecum and Cain are pitching great, Sanchez is throwing solid, The bullpen (aside from Wilson) is pitching okl, Burrell has 4 homers, and Pablo Sandoval is hitting well.
However more seems to be going bad. The aforementioned Wilson, ZIto and Bumgarner, the Giants' defense, and just about everybody on the Giants' offense.
The fact of the matter is that it's early, If there was one thing that last season taught us is that there are going to be rough stretches to the season. The season is long and the rough spots don't mean that they won't make the playoffs. The defense will come around, the offense will come around, and Zito and Bumgarner will even get some wins.
All of these struggles are magnified because they are at the beginning of the season. But every team goes through stretches like this. We just need to keep watching the games, cheering on our team, and basking in our World Series championship glory!
And cheer up! Timmy is pitching tomorrow!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Belt Dilemma
Yesterday's post on the Bay Areas Sport's Guy's blog got me thinking.
If Brandon Belt breaks camp with the big club. Who is the most likely to be the odd man out?
As BASG points out: It's really down to four guys. Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand, Nate Schierholtz, and Travis Ishikawa.
Now let's face it, my man crush on Nate aside, none of these guys is gonna be the Giants' MVP this season. Most likely, barring injury to a starter, they would all be coming off the bench if Belt is on the team. There is no way the Giants are going to bring him up to sit on the bench. So first off, the Giants have to be sure he will outperform any of these guys.
Also as BASG pointed out, two of these guys would most likely be gone.
Aaron Rowand is easily the fan's favorite to be let go. But can the Giants management admit it's mistake with him in such an expensive fashion? The Giants already showed they are willing to put the needs of the team in front of the dollars on the contract when they sat Barry Zito during last year's World Series run. So I don't think pride is an issue with them. The real question is does Rowand contribute anything to this team? (Being a gamer doesn't count because all of these guys can be considered gamers.) I have heard talk of the Giants trying to boost his trade value this spring by having him play left field but his .207 BA this spring have caused that experiment to be a total failure.
Pat Burrell doesn't really belong on this list. The only reason he is on here is because his $1 million salary makes more fiscal sense to eat than Rowand's millions and millions ($13.6 million according to Cot's baseball contracts). However, it is likely that the Giants don't make the world series last season, or probably even the playoffs for that matter without some timely homers down the stretch from Pat "the Bat". Besides, who would the Giants fall back on if Belt struggles in the show? Aaron Rowand?
Travis Ishikawa is the most likely guy to not make the club out of this bunch whether Belt gets called up or not. The Giants have a lot of options to play first and his .219 spring may be signalling that Ishi could benefit from a change of scenery. I would hope the Giants could trade him rather than release him since his glove is so good and he does have some power potential (really only some like 15 or so HRs if he were to start). But his inability to put it together up until this point and his horrid spring make a DFA his most likely option.
Last, but not least. Nate Schierholtz. In the past, I have made no bones about my thoughts on Nate's potential. He is easily the best defender out of the bunch (probably second best on the team behind Torres) and he has shown flashes of competence at the plate. This spring, he is third behind Posey and Huff with a .342 spring batting average and he had 3 hits in yesterday's win over the White Sox. Impressive for a guy who is battling for his job. He did have some clutch hits and plays down the stretch last season too. plus, I think a right fielder is more valuable as a late inning defensive replacement than a first basemen. Especially when you consider the drop in offensive production from Ross to Nate would not be as big as from Huff to Ishikawa.
If I was a betting man, I would bet on Rowand and Ishi being gone if Belt makes the club. But the Giants do have the option of letting Belt start the season in AAA to decide if they are going to keep Rowand around a little longer. I don't think that will be a popular decision but if it buys time for a trade, then it may be a good option. If it doesn't and they have to release Rowand, then it will be a mistake. Ishi is pretty much a goner after spring training even if Belt starts the season in Fresno.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Busy week for the Giants
It's been a week since my last post and the Giants have been busy.
They kicked off with the Miguel Tejada signing, they resigned Pat Burrell to an incentive-laden deal, resigned Mike Fontenot, and parted ways with Chris Ray and Eugenio Velez.
At this point, the Giants are just about where they ended last season talent-wise. Maybe at a slight downgrade when you compare Tejada to Uribe. I can't argue too much with the Giants basically standing pat especially since they won it all last season with this same bunch of rag-tag castoffs.
But the rest of the division won't be standing pat. The Dodgers picked up Jon Garland to help with their rotation that was a huge liability last season and there are rumors that they may be able to swing a Loney for Fielder deal (although ESPN is now reporting that may no longer be the case) and of course they stole Juan Uribe.
I do have to applaud Brian Sabean for not jumping in on the ridiculousness that is the Jayson Werth contract. The Nationals made what many sources are saying is the worst free agent deal on the market and maybe kicked off insanity in the free-agent market. As long as he doesn't pay $150 million to sign Carl Crawford for 10 years we will be OK.
Based on the crazy happenings in the free agent market, I don't expect any big-name signings by the Giants. Not that I did before that, but there was at least that stray, crazy thought.
Stay tuned as the Giants try to get more athletic and have a bigger left-handed presence in the lineup at the winter meetings this week.
They kicked off with the Miguel Tejada signing, they resigned Pat Burrell to an incentive-laden deal, resigned Mike Fontenot, and parted ways with Chris Ray and Eugenio Velez.
At this point, the Giants are just about where they ended last season talent-wise. Maybe at a slight downgrade when you compare Tejada to Uribe. I can't argue too much with the Giants basically standing pat especially since they won it all last season with this same bunch of rag-tag castoffs.
But the rest of the division won't be standing pat. The Dodgers picked up Jon Garland to help with their rotation that was a huge liability last season and there are rumors that they may be able to swing a Loney for Fielder deal (although ESPN is now reporting that may no longer be the case) and of course they stole Juan Uribe.
I do have to applaud Brian Sabean for not jumping in on the ridiculousness that is the Jayson Werth contract. The Nationals made what many sources are saying is the worst free agent deal on the market and maybe kicked off insanity in the free-agent market. As long as he doesn't pay $150 million to sign Carl Crawford for 10 years we will be OK.
Based on the crazy happenings in the free agent market, I don't expect any big-name signings by the Giants. Not that I did before that, but there was at least that stray, crazy thought.
Stay tuned as the Giants try to get more athletic and have a bigger left-handed presence in the lineup at the winter meetings this week.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Freakshow
GIANTS 3 - DIAMONDBACKS 1
Tim Lincecum struck out 11 Diamondbacks last night en route to his 16th victory of the season. The San Francisco Giants magic number has bee reduced to three!
After the Giants announced that they would be flip flopping their rotation some more this weekend. It was up to the anchor of that staff to go out and pitch. Lincecum went out and proved all the flip flopping was a good idea.
Despite the 11 strikeouts, Lincecum wasn't dominant. He walked four Diamondback batters and allowed 6 hits, one of which was Stephen Drew's homerun to lead off the game. That would be the only run he would allow to score. It ran his record to 16-10 which gives him one more win than he had last year in his second Cy Young season. It's hard to believe but for all his struggles Lincecum is still probably going to win his 3rd straight strikeout title and is tied for fourth in the NL in wins.
Pat Burrell has to be one of the best early season waiver wire claims of all-time. I, and many other fans, thought it would be nice to see a bay area boy come home and get some ABs off the bench. But this guy played his way into the starting lineup since day 1. I honestly don't know where the Giants would be without him. There have been at least 3 games this season where the only runs the Giants would score would be on Pat Burrell homeruns but it would be enough to win the game. Including Lincecum's last 2 starts.
San Diego's win last night ensures the Giants have to beat the Pads at least once in San Francisco to win the division. It will sure be nice watching the Giants celebrate at home against the Padres. Hopefully there are some good shots of Mat Latos crying while the Giants are celebrating.
Tim Lincecum struck out 11 Diamondbacks last night en route to his 16th victory of the season. The San Francisco Giants magic number has bee reduced to three!
After the Giants announced that they would be flip flopping their rotation some more this weekend. It was up to the anchor of that staff to go out and pitch. Lincecum went out and proved all the flip flopping was a good idea.
Despite the 11 strikeouts, Lincecum wasn't dominant. He walked four Diamondback batters and allowed 6 hits, one of which was Stephen Drew's homerun to lead off the game. That would be the only run he would allow to score. It ran his record to 16-10 which gives him one more win than he had last year in his second Cy Young season. It's hard to believe but for all his struggles Lincecum is still probably going to win his 3rd straight strikeout title and is tied for fourth in the NL in wins.
Pat Burrell has to be one of the best early season waiver wire claims of all-time. I, and many other fans, thought it would be nice to see a bay area boy come home and get some ABs off the bench. But this guy played his way into the starting lineup since day 1. I honestly don't know where the Giants would be without him. There have been at least 3 games this season where the only runs the Giants would score would be on Pat Burrell homeruns but it would be enough to win the game. Including Lincecum's last 2 starts.
San Diego's win last night ensures the Giants have to beat the Pads at least once in San Francisco to win the division. It will sure be nice watching the Giants celebrate at home against the Padres. Hopefully there are some good shots of Mat Latos crying while the Giants are celebrating.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Giants do just enough to beat the Rockies
GIANTS 2 - ROCKIES 1
The San Francisco Giants offense is like that guy at work who does just enough to get by. You all know that guy, the one who gets to work at 8:01 and leaves at 4:55. The guy who never volunteers for anything and then just barely gets things done when they are assigned to him. But then he loves to take all the credit when the boss is looking. Heck you might even be that guy (or girl)!
The Giants offense is definitely that guy.
After scoring 13 runs last night, the Giants were held to 3 hits and 2 runs. Both of which came on Pat "The Bat" Burrell's 2 run homerun in the seventh. Other than that, the Giants were looking as if they were just going to roll over and lose 1-0. Hell, the Giants didn't even get their first hit until the 5th inning.
But they did just barely outhit the Rockies 3-2 and they just barely outscored the Rockies 2-1 so they did just do enough to get by.
The reason the offense was able to just get by was because of the continued pitching dominance. Tim Lincecum showed why he is the reigning 2-time Cy Young award winner by going 8 strong innings and striking out 9. He allowed one run, 2 hits, and didn't allow a hit until the 6th inning.
The Freak's amazing performance extended the Giants string of pitching dominance. They have now gone 18 straight games allowing 2 runs or less and 22 straight allowing 4 runs or less. A string of 2 runs or less has not reached that many games since the 1917 Chicago White Sox strung together 20 straight. For the record, 1917 was in the dead ball era!
Brian Wilson came in in the 9th to close out a great game and preserve what has to be the most amazing string of pitching performances by any single staff in history.
I would love to see the offense score more runs and really work to get noticed. but with pitching like the Giants have right now, they don't need that much offense.
The fans need it though.
*Update*
I love how Burrell just put his head down and walked to first after he hit his homer which was an absolute bomb. Watch it here.
The Giants offense is definitely that guy.
After scoring 13 runs last night, the Giants were held to 3 hits and 2 runs. Both of which came on Pat "The Bat" Burrell's 2 run homerun in the seventh. Other than that, the Giants were looking as if they were just going to roll over and lose 1-0. Hell, the Giants didn't even get their first hit until the 5th inning.
But they did just barely outhit the Rockies 3-2 and they just barely outscored the Rockies 2-1 so they did just do enough to get by.
The reason the offense was able to just get by was because of the continued pitching dominance. Tim Lincecum showed why he is the reigning 2-time Cy Young award winner by going 8 strong innings and striking out 9. He allowed one run, 2 hits, and didn't allow a hit until the 6th inning.
The Freak's amazing performance extended the Giants string of pitching dominance. They have now gone 18 straight games allowing 2 runs or less and 22 straight allowing 4 runs or less. A string of 2 runs or less has not reached that many games since the 1917 Chicago White Sox strung together 20 straight. For the record, 1917 was in the dead ball era!
Brian Wilson came in in the 9th to close out a great game and preserve what has to be the most amazing string of pitching performances by any single staff in history.
I would love to see the offense score more runs and really work to get noticed. but with pitching like the Giants have right now, they don't need that much offense.
The fans need it though.
*Update*
I love how Burrell just put his head down and walked to first after he hit his homer which was an absolute bomb. Watch it here.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Giants clobber the Padres!
GIANTS 7 - PADRES 3
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| Look at all those Giants fans in the stands! |
The Giants launched four homeruns to whip up on the once-again reeling Padres. After the useless Dodgers gave all of Giants nation indigestion by letting the Padres sweep them and making it appear the Padres had righted their ship.
This game was absolutely huge for the Giants mentally. They hadn't scored more than 2 runs in a game against the Padres since a 7-6 win waaaay back on May 18. it took 13 innings for them to score those 7 runs. Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, Buster Posey, and Pat Burrell each went deep in consecutive innings which is something that the Giants hadn't done since 2007 against the Braves.
While reveling in all the offensive glory, I almost forgot to give credit to Matt Cain who did nothing but shut the Padres down on three hits going into the 9th inning. If it wasn't for giving up homers to Venable and Ludwick, we would be talking about Cain's dominant performance. But it will be sufficient to say that he did exactly what the Giants needed him to do at exactly the right time. He is still, at least in my book, the Giants' best starting pitcher this season.
While reveling in all the offensive glory, I almost forgot to give credit to Matt Cain who did nothing but shut the Padres down on three hits going into the 9th inning. If it wasn't for giving up homers to Venable and Ludwick, we would be talking about Cain's dominant performance. But it will be sufficient to say that he did exactly what the Giants needed him to do at exactly the right time. He is still, at least in my book, the Giants' best starting pitcher this season.
The final and most emberassing statistic for the Padres had to be the attendance figures for the game. You figure a team has to sell out a home game against the second place team who are only two games back with 20 games left in the season. Right? Even the Oakland A's could sell all their tickets for a game like that right?
Well, you would be wrong. Even with the 10,000 or so Giants fans who made the trek to San Diego for the game. The Padres only managed to draw 28,456 people to fill their 42,000 seats. That has gotta be depressing for a home team.
Tonight Jonathan Sanchez faces Clayton Richard in a battle of lefties. Ol' Dirty will be gunning for his third straight quality start while the Giants offense will try to figure out Richard who is 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA against the Giants this season. But just like the Padres record against the Giants this season, the numbers need to do a little evening out.
Gotta give credit to the Crazycrabbers for giving me the idea but here is my ode to the Padres:
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Cain gets roughed up in the city of brotherly love
PHILLIES 8 - GIANTS 2
It was almost a carbon copy of the game the night before. The Giants jumped out to an early lead, the starter was shutting the Phillies down, the Phillies tied the game, in the next inning they put the game away, and Pat Burrell homered.
All the Sabean and Bochy detractors are getting ready to start dancing in the streets especially after two of Sabean's trade pickups contributed to the losses the last couple of nights, with Mike Fontenot's errors and Chris Ray's Ray's inability to get batters out. At least Ray won't be able to give up any more runs now that he is on the DL. But at least we got Affeldt back so he can give up a couple of runs for him!
The Giants this season are 67-54 which is a huge improvement over last season right?
Well it is an improvement but considering the Giants were 66-55 at this point last season, you realize that maybe things aren't that much better. Last season around this time, the Giants went into a slide that cost them the playoffs and this season's version of the Giants look poised to do the same.
Nothing looks right for the Giants. The offense couldn't take advantage of the Phillis weakest link in Joe Blanton. To show what a difference an offense makes, Blanton's ERA coming into last nights game was actually higher than Todd Wellemeyer's 5.69 to 5.68. Wellemeyer was DFA and Blanton looks to be a factor on the Phillies all the way to the playoffs.
However, if you want to pin the recent losses on the offense then one would have to assume the Giants pitching staff has been doing it's job. Well, when you consider that in the last 3 games that the Giants have lost after they won that 11 inning affair vs the Padres on Saturday, the Giants pitchers have given up 8, 9, and 8 runs, you realize that the rotation isn't doing it's job.
But cheer up Giants faithful, the Phillie favorite Aaron Rowand will be making an appearance in the starting lineup today so Huff can get a day off and Posey can rest his legs at first base!
It was almost a carbon copy of the game the night before. The Giants jumped out to an early lead, the starter was shutting the Phillies down, the Phillies tied the game, in the next inning they put the game away, and Pat Burrell homered.All the Sabean and Bochy detractors are getting ready to start dancing in the streets especially after two of Sabean's trade pickups contributed to the losses the last couple of nights, with Mike Fontenot's errors and Chris Ray's Ray's inability to get batters out. At least Ray won't be able to give up any more runs now that he is on the DL. But at least we got Affeldt back so he can give up a couple of runs for him!
The Giants this season are 67-54 which is a huge improvement over last season right?
Well it is an improvement but considering the Giants were 66-55 at this point last season, you realize that maybe things aren't that much better. Last season around this time, the Giants went into a slide that cost them the playoffs and this season's version of the Giants look poised to do the same.
Nothing looks right for the Giants. The offense couldn't take advantage of the Phillis weakest link in Joe Blanton. To show what a difference an offense makes, Blanton's ERA coming into last nights game was actually higher than Todd Wellemeyer's 5.69 to 5.68. Wellemeyer was DFA and Blanton looks to be a factor on the Phillies all the way to the playoffs.
However, if you want to pin the recent losses on the offense then one would have to assume the Giants pitching staff has been doing it's job. Well, when you consider that in the last 3 games that the Giants have lost after they won that 11 inning affair vs the Padres on Saturday, the Giants pitchers have given up 8, 9, and 8 runs, you realize that the rotation isn't doing it's job.
But cheer up Giants faithful, the Phillie favorite Aaron Rowand will be making an appearance in the starting lineup today so Huff can get a day off and Posey can rest his legs at first base!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Burrell and Guillen homer. Giants still lose.
Things sure started out good for the Giants. They scored two runs in the first off of Phillies starter Roy Oswalt in an innings which was highlighted by former Phillie Pat Burrell hitting a homerun.
Barry Zito battled through the first four innings and held a 2-0 lead into the 5th and then it all unraveled for him when he gave up 2 runs in the 5th and 2 in the 6th.
The only other highlight came in the 7th when the newest Giant, Jose Guillen, hit his first homerun as a Giant. At this point it was still a game because Guillen's homerun made the score 4-3 Phillies. But then Chris Ray, who had been pretty reliable since coming over in the Bengie Molina trade, came in and gave up 4 ERs without recording a single out to make a manageable deficit become unmanageable.
Much is being made about the Giants' alleged lack of success against teams with winning records. But this is where the Giants season goes back to their atrocious record against the Padres. the Giants are 31-41 against teams with winning records. If the Giants had been able to win say 3 more games against the Padres so far this season and have a record of 5-6 against them, their record against winning teams becomes slightly better at 34-37. They are still not world beaters but they are at least closer to .500 which is what you want to be against the good clubs.
Hopefully tonight's matchup of Matt Cain and Joe Blanton starts the Giants on the right path. It's a winable game considering Blanton's 5.69 ERA. The Giants need a win tonight to reclaim a tie in the wild-card standings.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
"The Bat" the Giants needed
GIANTS 8 - CUBS 7
Pat Burrell is having an amazing season.
At the beginning of this season he was the Tampa Bay Rays DH, he was hitting .202, and just came off a season in which he hit .221 which was, even for a guy who doesn't hit for that high of an average anyway, a pretty low average.
A lot of people are think that he is rejuvenated because he has returned to the bay area and is playing for the team he rooted for growing up, but I think it's something more tangible than that.
He is playing the field.
In Tampa Bay he was a DH. Which is the equivalent of pinch-hitting 4 times a night. In his career Pat is 10 for 50 (.200) as a PH. As a DH, he has a career average of .209. He obviously wasn't comfortable in that role as a number of players aren't. Especially ones who have gone through their careers as an everyday player.
It is widely accepted that the Giants were in search of a bat at the trading deadline. What everybody was overlooking, was the fact that they already had "THE BAT" on the team. He came over and did well in his first few weeks with the Giants but as soon as he went a little cold, Burrell was banished to the bench by the great field general who goes by the name of Bochy.
It's no coincidence that Pat's hot streak has coincided with his playing every day. Here's to hoping that Boch doesn't try to give him a "rest" any time soon.
Burrell's 5 RBI's were definitely the big storyline of the game, well except for maybe Andres Torres' pinch hit single to win the game in the 9th, but there is another encouraging storyline that emerged from today's game.
Pablo!
Pablo had a triple and a booming homerun into McCovey Cove. The hits extended his hitting streak to 6 games the last three of which were all multi-hit games. It also brought his Average for the month of August to .349. Pablo is capable of having an extended hot streak and carrying this team.
One of the biggest differences in Pablo from last season to this season has been his BABIP. Last season it was .350, This season, .299. I believe the explanation for the difference is the fact that he has not been hitting the ball hard at all this season. That has changed over the last week or two. His career BABIP, including this season, is .332 so he has a way to go for his numbers to improve to his average and while he is doing it watch out National League!
Hopefully Pablo can make some of the more "sky is falling!" Giants fans realize that the All-Star game voting campaign was not a waste of time.
Pat Burrell is having an amazing season.
At the beginning of this season he was the Tampa Bay Rays DH, he was hitting .202, and just came off a season in which he hit .221 which was, even for a guy who doesn't hit for that high of an average anyway, a pretty low average.
A lot of people are think that he is rejuvenated because he has returned to the bay area and is playing for the team he rooted for growing up, but I think it's something more tangible than that.
He is playing the field.
In Tampa Bay he was a DH. Which is the equivalent of pinch-hitting 4 times a night. In his career Pat is 10 for 50 (.200) as a PH. As a DH, he has a career average of .209. He obviously wasn't comfortable in that role as a number of players aren't. Especially ones who have gone through their careers as an everyday player.
It is widely accepted that the Giants were in search of a bat at the trading deadline. What everybody was overlooking, was the fact that they already had "THE BAT" on the team. He came over and did well in his first few weeks with the Giants but as soon as he went a little cold, Burrell was banished to the bench by the great field general who goes by the name of Bochy.
It's no coincidence that Pat's hot streak has coincided with his playing every day. Here's to hoping that Boch doesn't try to give him a "rest" any time soon.
Burrell's 5 RBI's were definitely the big storyline of the game, well except for maybe Andres Torres' pinch hit single to win the game in the 9th, but there is another encouraging storyline that emerged from today's game.
Pablo!
Pablo had a triple and a booming homerun into McCovey Cove. The hits extended his hitting streak to 6 games the last three of which were all multi-hit games. It also brought his Average for the month of August to .349. Pablo is capable of having an extended hot streak and carrying this team. One of the biggest differences in Pablo from last season to this season has been his BABIP. Last season it was .350, This season, .299. I believe the explanation for the difference is the fact that he has not been hitting the ball hard at all this season. That has changed over the last week or two. His career BABIP, including this season, is .332 so he has a way to go for his numbers to improve to his average and while he is doing it watch out National League!
Hopefully Pablo can make some of the more "sky is falling!" Giants fans realize that the All-Star game voting campaign was not a waste of time.
Giants win with the help of the Ex-Phillie show
GIANTS 5 - CUBS 4
You see the Giants offense put up 3 runs in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs and you start to think good things are going to happen.
But, keeping in line with the torture theme of the 2010 Giants, they had to make it interesting.
The Cubs actually managed to tie the game twice before 2 ex-Philadelphia Phillies decided to step up and show San Francisco that they can hit HRs somewhere other than the bandbox that the Phillies play in.
Aaron Rowand, the man who makes Giants fans blood boil every time his name is inserted in the starting lineup, hit a solo homer in the 6th to put the Giants up 4-3. After Zito gave up a game tying homerun to Tyler Colvin in the 7th inning, Pat "The Bat" Burrell came up in the 8th inning and put the Giants ahead for good with a solo homer.
Pat Burrell is the latest in the long line of players who have taken their turn carrying this club. From Pablo Sandoval, you probably forgot just how hot he was in April, to Juan Uribe, Aubrey Huff, Freddy Sanchez, Buster Posey, and now Pat The Bat. This is the biggest difference between last year's Giants and this year's Giants. Last season it was all pretty much Pablo Sandoval and this year it has been pretty much a different guy every night. Hell, even Aaron Rowand and Edgar Renteria have come through in the clutch a few times this season.
Oh and don't look now but Pablo Sandoval has hit in 5 consecutive games and has a .421 average during those contests. That's all I'm saying about him.
Lastly, the Giants made a trade.
No, not an exciting trade but a trade that was necessary all the same thanks to the frailness of Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria.
In keeping with their tradition of saving on airfare costs by trading for a guy on the current visiting team, ala Freddy Sanchez last season, the Giants made a deal for Cubs utilityman Mike Fontenot. All they gave up for him was an unspectacular A baller named Evan Crawford. Bay City Ball has a pretty good breakdown of the deal but the Giants basically got a utilityman for a prospect who is, at best, a veeery long way away from the majors if he ever gets there.
One last note:
John Bowker is 12 for 24 since joining the Pirates AAA club. I can't remember where I read it, probably on Twitter, but this lead another Giants Blogger to dub him a "AAA Hall of Famer". lol.
Link of the day:
I gotta give credit to the Dodgerhater as the source for this link, but it seems that Mike Fontenot has sort of a claim to fame. As the guy who was rumored to be romantically involved with Transformers hottie Megan Fox. Who knows maybe those were Megan's panties. Follow the link to get a chuckle.
You see the Giants offense put up 3 runs in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs and you start to think good things are going to happen.
But, keeping in line with the torture theme of the 2010 Giants, they had to make it interesting.
The Cubs actually managed to tie the game twice before 2 ex-Philadelphia Phillies decided to step up and show San Francisco that they can hit HRs somewhere other than the bandbox that the Phillies play in.
Aaron Rowand, the man who makes Giants fans blood boil every time his name is inserted in the starting lineup, hit a solo homer in the 6th to put the Giants up 4-3. After Zito gave up a game tying homerun to Tyler Colvin in the 7th inning, Pat "The Bat" Burrell came up in the 8th inning and put the Giants ahead for good with a solo homer.
Pat Burrell is the latest in the long line of players who have taken their turn carrying this club. From Pablo Sandoval, you probably forgot just how hot he was in April, to Juan Uribe, Aubrey Huff, Freddy Sanchez, Buster Posey, and now Pat The Bat. This is the biggest difference between last year's Giants and this year's Giants. Last season it was all pretty much Pablo Sandoval and this year it has been pretty much a different guy every night. Hell, even Aaron Rowand and Edgar Renteria have come through in the clutch a few times this season.
Oh and don't look now but Pablo Sandoval has hit in 5 consecutive games and has a .421 average during those contests. That's all I'm saying about him.
Lastly, the Giants made a trade.
No, not an exciting trade but a trade that was necessary all the same thanks to the frailness of Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria.
In keeping with their tradition of saving on airfare costs by trading for a guy on the current visiting team, ala Freddy Sanchez last season, the Giants made a deal for Cubs utilityman Mike Fontenot. All they gave up for him was an unspectacular A baller named Evan Crawford. Bay City Ball has a pretty good breakdown of the deal but the Giants basically got a utilityman for a prospect who is, at best, a veeery long way away from the majors if he ever gets there.
One last note:
John Bowker is 12 for 24 since joining the Pirates AAA club. I can't remember where I read it, probably on Twitter, but this lead another Giants Blogger to dub him a "AAA Hall of Famer". lol.
Link of the day:
I gotta give credit to the Dodgerhater as the source for this link, but it seems that Mike Fontenot has sort of a claim to fame. As the guy who was rumored to be romantically involved with Transformers hottie Megan Fox. Who knows maybe those were Megan's panties. Follow the link to get a chuckle.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Giants ready to sweep! Get 2 new relievers.
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeTimes are changing for the Giants.
Over the last 3 years the Giants Couldn't beat the Dodgers. Hell, earlier in the season they couldn't beat the Dodgers.
All that is changing.
Last week the Giants took 2 out of 3 from the Bums and yesterday they clinched the series win with their 2nd win in a row over the Dodgers. This team is almost a completely different team than the one that played the Dodgers earlier in the season. That team didn't have Torres starting, Freddy Sanchez was on the DL, Buster Posey was playing in AAA, and Pat Burrell was DHing for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Burrell and Posey were the big contributers offensively. Barry Zito and Denny Bautista, and Guillermo Mota had combined for 8 innings of one run ball. But it was looking like one of those early season Giants games. Where the starter would give up 1 run and the anemic Giants offense wouldn't be able to muster any runs.
Then Hong Chih Kuo hit Buster Posey.
Buster was the third batter the Dodgers hit yesterday. The Giants reacted calmly. Instead of getting their pitcher and manager ejected from the game they sent Pat the bat Burrell up to the plate to face Jonathan Broxton who had come in to relieve Kuo. After a pretty good battle Burrell deposited a 3-2 pitch into the left field seats for a 2-1 lead that Mota was able to protect in the 9th.
Turnaround complete.
As for the trade deadline:
The Giants failed to acquire a bat of any kind. Around the 7th inning of yesterday's game people were questioning that since it appeared the Giants were preparing to be shut out again. We all know what happened but it was almost like fate slapping Brian Sabean in the face for not getting a hitter. The Giants think they can win as constructed and they have shown over the last month that their is no reason to doubt them.
What the Giants did do was get two middle relievers. Javier Lopez from the Pirates and Ramon Ramirez from the Red Sox.
The Giants might overpaid a little bit for Lopez giving up both Joe Martinez and John Bowker. Then again they might not have not have because despite stellar minor league numbers neither have been very successful at the major league level.
The Giants gave up AA pitching prospect Daniel Turpin for Ramirez. I don't know too much about Turpin other than he was 5-5 with a 4.09 ERA this season.
The bullpen has been a concern for this team and appears to be the weakest link right now. Lopez seems to be a lefty specialist and Ramirez seems to be more of a rightly guy. So it seems like we picked up a couple of situational guys and will be overflowing with lefties once Runzler and Affeldt get back.
At this point it seems like the trade deadline ranks as about a C-. The Giants filled a need with a couple of marginal guys and they may have overpaid while doing it. As a matter of fact the only way they don't overpay for this deal is if Bowker turns into Armando Rios instead of Garrett Jones.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
No runs? No Problem!
GIANTS 1 - METS 0
Well the Giants offense has started the second half in a slumber having scored a lousy 3 runs in the first 2 games.
They are 2-0 in those games!
It also marks the first time this season that the Giants have won a game 1-0. Which is pretty amazing when you consider the Giants pitching staff. Up until last night, the Giants were 0-8 in games which they had scored 1 run.
Normally I would be lamenting the fact that The Giants offense has gone back into a deep slumber but not tonight. I guess I'm OK with the offense when the Staff has a 0.00 ERA!
Zito was Lincecum-esque. He actually was even more dominating than Lincecum was the night before by racking up 10 k's and allowing only 2 hits, one of which was a bloop double by Carlos Beltran in the 7th, in 8 innings pitched. I guess he really was pissed after his last outing.
The Giants did manufacture the run that they did get however.
In the fourth inning, Aubrey Huff drew a one out walk, Buster Posey followed with a double, and Pat Burrell brought Huff home with a grounder to second that brought a throw home which Catcher Rod Barajas just couldn't hold on to.
This sequence of events prompted the always quotable Huff to remark: " I don't think I've been pumped up to score a run in the fifth inning, ever. It was a nice atmosphere at the yard tonight. It kind of felt like a playoff-game atmosphere."
He also added:
"Not that I would know what it feels like"
Man I love that guy.
Links of the day:
I got two today.
First off Bengie Molina Hit a grand slam against the Boston Red Sox last night. To top that feat, he also managed to hit for the cycle. This made a bit of history as Molina was the first catcher ever to hit for the cycle and hit a grand slam in the same game. Molina is hot BTW. This was the second night in a row that he slammed a HR!
How did he celebrate after he walked around the bases for the ever elusive triple to complete his cycle?
He came out of the game with a strained hamstring.
Congratulations big money!
The second link was actually pointed out in a blog post by El Lefty Malo who was able to find a little nugget of sense in the Dontrelle Willis signing. It shows his stats against left handed batters this season. Situational lefty anyone?
Well the Giants offense has started the second half in a slumber having scored a lousy 3 runs in the first 2 games.
They are 2-0 in those games!
It also marks the first time this season that the Giants have won a game 1-0. Which is pretty amazing when you consider the Giants pitching staff. Up until last night, the Giants were 0-8 in games which they had scored 1 run.
Normally I would be lamenting the fact that The Giants offense has gone back into a deep slumber but not tonight. I guess I'm OK with the offense when the Staff has a 0.00 ERA!
Zito was Lincecum-esque. He actually was even more dominating than Lincecum was the night before by racking up 10 k's and allowing only 2 hits, one of which was a bloop double by Carlos Beltran in the 7th, in 8 innings pitched. I guess he really was pissed after his last outing.
The Giants did manufacture the run that they did get however.
In the fourth inning, Aubrey Huff drew a one out walk, Buster Posey followed with a double, and Pat Burrell brought Huff home with a grounder to second that brought a throw home which Catcher Rod Barajas just couldn't hold on to.
This sequence of events prompted the always quotable Huff to remark: " I don't think I've been pumped up to score a run in the fifth inning, ever. It was a nice atmosphere at the yard tonight. It kind of felt like a playoff-game atmosphere."
He also added:
"Not that I would know what it feels like"
Man I love that guy.
Links of the day:
I got two today.
How did he celebrate after he walked around the bases for the ever elusive triple to complete his cycle?
He came out of the game with a strained hamstring.
Congratulations big money!
The second link was actually pointed out in a blog post by El Lefty Malo who was able to find a little nugget of sense in the Dontrelle Willis signing. It shows his stats against left handed batters this season. Situational lefty anyone?
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Should the Giants be buyers or sellers?
ROCKIES 6 - GIANTS 3
The Giants have lost their 7th game in a row. They are now in 4th place, 6.5 games back of the first place Padres. They have not scored more than 3 runs in 7 straight games.
Will a bat really help this team or should they be going for prospects?
I have heard some folks out there say that this season is lost and that the Giants should just blow it up and get prospects for their bigger pieces. Namely Huff, Uribe, and Burrell. This sounds good in theory because you would have to believe that the Giants are not going to win another game this season.
Well the fact is they are going to win another game this season. They have played pretty good baseball and despite losing 7 in a row they are still a game over .500.
If you trade for prospects that means that you don't think that the Giants will be able to win next year. Which also happens to be the last season that the Giants rotation will probably have Cain, Lincecum, Sanchez, and Bumgarner all together. With pay raises and pending salary arbitration the Giants starting 5 alone has the potential to command contracts approaching $100 million alone in 2012.
If you think the Giants can afford that, then you are crazy.
They would be lucky to get some prospects that are going to be ready next season no matter how good they ultimately turn out to be. While Huff and Uribe are good players they will still not garner a whole lot of major league ready talent. So you trade away two of your potential team leader for next season (potential because neither of them are signed past this season) and decide that you are shooting for 2012.
A trade for a bat, Prince Fielder for instance, would instantly give this lineup some sort of presence. The batters in front of him would all get more pitches to hit and the guys behind him would be batting with runners on more often. the team would be a totally different animal. They would be able to take advantage of the current group of young pitchers that they have and Fielder has a contract that is valid through next season.
Plus McDonald's in the bay area would start to do a ton more business:
Nate, Bowker watch:
Nate came in to run for Burrell in the 6th. He had an assist in the outfield and went 0 for 1.
Nate pinch running for Burrell in the 6th makes you wonder about Bochy. At that point it's only 4-3 and you decide that you are going to pinch run for your cleanup hitter? So either Bochy has no sense as a manager, He has little faith in Pat Burrell, Burrell is hurt, or he suddenly has a lot of faith in Nate Schierholtz. I'll let you decide.
John Bowker went 0 for 5 in a Grizzlies 4-3 loss to Sacramento. The Grizzlies are in a bit of a slump themselves having lost 4 games in a row.
The Giants have lost their 7th game in a row. They are now in 4th place, 6.5 games back of the first place Padres. They have not scored more than 3 runs in 7 straight games.
Will a bat really help this team or should they be going for prospects?
I have heard some folks out there say that this season is lost and that the Giants should just blow it up and get prospects for their bigger pieces. Namely Huff, Uribe, and Burrell. This sounds good in theory because you would have to believe that the Giants are not going to win another game this season.
Well the fact is they are going to win another game this season. They have played pretty good baseball and despite losing 7 in a row they are still a game over .500.
If you trade for prospects that means that you don't think that the Giants will be able to win next year. Which also happens to be the last season that the Giants rotation will probably have Cain, Lincecum, Sanchez, and Bumgarner all together. With pay raises and pending salary arbitration the Giants starting 5 alone has the potential to command contracts approaching $100 million alone in 2012.
If you think the Giants can afford that, then you are crazy.
They would be lucky to get some prospects that are going to be ready next season no matter how good they ultimately turn out to be. While Huff and Uribe are good players they will still not garner a whole lot of major league ready talent. So you trade away two of your potential team leader for next season (potential because neither of them are signed past this season) and decide that you are shooting for 2012.
A trade for a bat, Prince Fielder for instance, would instantly give this lineup some sort of presence. The batters in front of him would all get more pitches to hit and the guys behind him would be batting with runners on more often. the team would be a totally different animal. They would be able to take advantage of the current group of young pitchers that they have and Fielder has a contract that is valid through next season.
Plus McDonald's in the bay area would start to do a ton more business:
Nate, Bowker watch:
Nate came in to run for Burrell in the 6th. He had an assist in the outfield and went 0 for 1.
Nate pinch running for Burrell in the 6th makes you wonder about Bochy. At that point it's only 4-3 and you decide that you are going to pinch run for your cleanup hitter? So either Bochy has no sense as a manager, He has little faith in Pat Burrell, Burrell is hurt, or he suddenly has a lot of faith in Nate Schierholtz. I'll let you decide.
John Bowker went 0 for 5 in a Grizzlies 4-3 loss to Sacramento. The Grizzlies are in a bit of a slump themselves having lost 4 games in a row.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Cain Fails
ASTROS 7 - GIANTS 5
It's tough to figure out what to make of this series.
It's tough to figure out what to make of this series. The Giants lost 2 out of three to the worst team in the National League. Their offense looked lost at times, but last night they managed to scrape together 5 runs. Matt Cain had his shortest outing of the season allowing 7 runs in 2 2/3 innings.
Are the Giants a team that isn't very good? Did the law of averages finally catch up to them? Is the Giants pitching staff in trouble?
The Giants at this point in the season are just pretty good. They aren't a great team. Sure they have great starting pitching but beyond that they are mediocre at best. The offense is at times terrible and at times pretty good. There are a few guys in the bullpen who are somewhat reliable and there are a couple of guys who have just been disasters. Brian Wilson has been pretty much lights out closing games, but lately the Giants have had trouble getting the lead to Wilson in the first place.
The law of averages did catch up to the Giants a little bit here. On Monday the Giants won their 9th game in a row against the Astros dating back to last season. The Astros had to beat the Giants sometime. Sure, it would have been nice for a season sweep of the Astros but those are rare and 7-2 against a team over an entire season would fall under the category of domination.
The pitching staff will be fine. Again, it's a little bit of the law of averages here. Barry Zito has been pretty much lights out against the Astros in his career so a rough outing against them was inevitable. Cain had been lights out against everybody recently so he was due for a little correction too. Plus he may just have trouble against Houston or trouble pitching in Houston. In his fist start of the season, Cain gave up 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings which, up until last night was his second worst outing of the season. He had a no decision in that game and the Giants eventually won 10-4
So you can see how tough it is to gauge much from this series because it does not necessarily reflect how the Giants may be playing but it was just something that was going to happen sooner or later.
Some notes from the game:
Aaron Rowand was 3 for 3 so he will be starting for the next week I am sure. He could have been 0 for 10 last night however and would have still started tomorrow against Tim Wakefield whom he owns an impressive .647 average against. Overall against Wakefield he is 11 for 17 with 4 home runs and a double. As bad as Rowand has been lately those kind of career numbers against a guy demand that he plays against him.
Edgar Renteria had 2 more hits last night. If this guy keeps hitting like this all season then the Giants will be extremely happy. Hopefully he can make us forget last year. Also hopefully it doesn't earn him a 2 year contract extension.
Pat Burrell hit another homer.
Bruce Bochy has stated that Buster Posey will catch at least once a week. This is good news and it probably mean that he will be catching Joe Martinez. Or, hopefully, Madison Bumgarner but at this point it seems pretty likely that J.Mart will get the start on Saturday. Madbum is scheduled to start tonight in Fresno so if he doesn't pitch tonight it may be a good indication on who starts Saturday.
Nate watch:
Nate wasted away a little more on the bench. Rowand's 3 for 3 day almost guaranteed he won't get another start for at least a week unless someone gets hurt.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Giants dominance of Astros ends for a game
Astros 6 - Giants 3
It's one of those things that had to happen sometime. The Giants finally lost to the Astros after 10 consecutive wins against them. Barry Zito also lost to the Astros for the first time this season after having gone 2-0 and having given up only 3 earned runs to them in 13 innings this season.
The loss could just be that law of averages catching up to them. It could also point to something bigger.
After a streak of 12 games in which they scored 3 runs or more in every game, the Giants have now endured a stretch where they scored 3 runs or less in 5 of their last 7 games. The offense that appeared to be clicking now seems to be struggling once again. The Giants did manage 4 extra base hits a night after they didn't have any. They did miss a ton of scoring opportunities which seems to be the story of this team this season.
Andrew Baggerly of the San Jose Mercury news had some interesting insights to Posey and Molina.
On Posey he said that Buster's wrist has been bothering him. Buster said that it's been something that has bothered him all season. Bochy insisted that there was nothing to read into Posey's absence and that he would catch against Joe Martinez on Saturday.
"Sometimes it's good to get a couple days," Bochy said. "He's just getting a little break right now."
I find that statement strange since Bochy is the same guy who kept insisting earlier this season that Pablo Sandoval didn't need a day off because he was 23 years old and should be able to handle playing every day. Posey, who is also 23, however gets what amounts to 3 days off in a row after Monday's off day.
Bochy knows these guys better than I do so it's tough to say what it was that led to the way that they were each handled but it does seem strange.
On Molina, Baggerley said that he was getting the same feeling of frustration from Giants management that he was getting right before Aaron Rowand's banishment to the bench. There was also some talk of an elbow injury with him, which could explain a lot of his problems throwing out baserunners this season although he did throw one out last night, I would not be surprised one bit to see Bengie spend an extended period of time on the bench.
Some good news is that Edgar Renteria is batting .333 since he has returned to the lineup. It's only been 9 ABs but he has been hitting at a .326 clip all season besides his multiple trips to the DL. How he fits into an already overcrowded infield is a nice problem to have. But given that Bochy is trying to achieve a "sense of oneness." I think he will get his share of ABs.
Nate watch:
Nate popped out with runners on first and second base in the 8th inning. At this point, Nate must stand in the on deck circle before each at-bat and think that it doesn't matter what he does because he won't start the next day. Burrell, who wasn't supposed to start every day has and he started out OK but he is now 4 for his last 19 which works out to a whopping .235 average. One of those 4 hits was a HR though.
It's one of those things that had to happen sometime. The Giants finally lost to the Astros after 10 consecutive wins against them. Barry Zito also lost to the Astros for the first time this season after having gone 2-0 and having given up only 3 earned runs to them in 13 innings this season.
The loss could just be that law of averages catching up to them. It could also point to something bigger.
After a streak of 12 games in which they scored 3 runs or more in every game, the Giants have now endured a stretch where they scored 3 runs or less in 5 of their last 7 games. The offense that appeared to be clicking now seems to be struggling once again. The Giants did manage 4 extra base hits a night after they didn't have any. They did miss a ton of scoring opportunities which seems to be the story of this team this season.
Andrew Baggerly of the San Jose Mercury news had some interesting insights to Posey and Molina.
On Posey he said that Buster's wrist has been bothering him. Buster said that it's been something that has bothered him all season. Bochy insisted that there was nothing to read into Posey's absence and that he would catch against Joe Martinez on Saturday.
"Sometimes it's good to get a couple days," Bochy said. "He's just getting a little break right now."
I find that statement strange since Bochy is the same guy who kept insisting earlier this season that Pablo Sandoval didn't need a day off because he was 23 years old and should be able to handle playing every day. Posey, who is also 23, however gets what amounts to 3 days off in a row after Monday's off day.
Bochy knows these guys better than I do so it's tough to say what it was that led to the way that they were each handled but it does seem strange.
On Molina, Baggerley said that he was getting the same feeling of frustration from Giants management that he was getting right before Aaron Rowand's banishment to the bench. There was also some talk of an elbow injury with him, which could explain a lot of his problems throwing out baserunners this season although he did throw one out last night, I would not be surprised one bit to see Bengie spend an extended period of time on the bench.
Some good news is that Edgar Renteria is batting .333 since he has returned to the lineup. It's only been 9 ABs but he has been hitting at a .326 clip all season besides his multiple trips to the DL. How he fits into an already overcrowded infield is a nice problem to have. But given that Bochy is trying to achieve a "sense of oneness." I think he will get his share of ABs.
Nate watch:
Nate popped out with runners on first and second base in the 8th inning. At this point, Nate must stand in the on deck circle before each at-bat and think that it doesn't matter what he does because he won't start the next day. Burrell, who wasn't supposed to start every day has and he started out OK but he is now 4 for his last 19 which works out to a whopping .235 average. One of those 4 hits was a HR though.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Giants muscle up! Are they better than last year?
Giants 9 - Blue Jays 6
If you told me before today's game started that the Blue Jays were going to score 6 runs I would have told you that the Giants were going to lose. However Aubrey Huff, Freddy Sanchez, and Pat Burrell each hit homeruns to make up for a shaky start by Jonathan Sanchez on the way to the Giants scoring 9 runs in their 9-6 victory in Toronto.
This Giants team is tough to figure out. In the previous 4 games they had been held to 2 runs or less 3 out of the last 4 games. One of those games they were shut out and another they only scored one run. This stretch prompted everyone to wonder if the offensive explosion that the Giants flashed on the last homestand was a fluke.
This made me wonder if the Giants are a better team than they were last year?
It's still tough to tell even after the Giants scored 9 runs today. It brought their season record on the road to 14-18 which isn't as bad as their 36-45 record on the road last season but it's not much better. They have slightly increased their runs per game from 4.1 last season to 4.3, their team ERA is down to 3.31 from 3.35, and their team batting average has gone from .257 up to .263. All this has translated to a record right now of 38-30, last year they were 37-31 after 68 games so they are exactly 1 game better this year at this time than they were last year.
The Giants brass really will need to make a splash at the trading deadline to significantly change this team over the rest of the season. There aren't that many big names out there. Right now we have David Dejesus, Lance Berkman, Miguel Tejada, Derrek Lee, Carlos Lee, and Paul Konerko. Kelly Johnson is possibly available too but it's tough to see Arizona dealing him within the division.
So what options do the Giants have out of those guys? Berkman and the two Lees are all batting in the low .200s. I don't think the Giants can afford anymore automatic outs since they already have Rowand and Molina. Tejada is batting a decent .271 and Dejesus is batting .331 but these two have combined for 9 home runs total and pop is what the Giants need right now.
Nate Watch:
Nate got in the game and did not get an AB. Rowand on the other hand got 5 ABs collecting a hit in one of them. He is batting a robust .220
If you told me before today's game started that the Blue Jays were going to score 6 runs I would have told you that the Giants were going to lose. However Aubrey Huff, Freddy Sanchez, and Pat Burrell each hit homeruns to make up for a shaky start by Jonathan Sanchez on the way to the Giants scoring 9 runs in their 9-6 victory in Toronto.
This Giants team is tough to figure out. In the previous 4 games they had been held to 2 runs or less 3 out of the last 4 games. One of those games they were shut out and another they only scored one run. This stretch prompted everyone to wonder if the offensive explosion that the Giants flashed on the last homestand was a fluke.
This made me wonder if the Giants are a better team than they were last year?
It's still tough to tell even after the Giants scored 9 runs today. It brought their season record on the road to 14-18 which isn't as bad as their 36-45 record on the road last season but it's not much better. They have slightly increased their runs per game from 4.1 last season to 4.3, their team ERA is down to 3.31 from 3.35, and their team batting average has gone from .257 up to .263. All this has translated to a record right now of 38-30, last year they were 37-31 after 68 games so they are exactly 1 game better this year at this time than they were last year.
The Giants brass really will need to make a splash at the trading deadline to significantly change this team over the rest of the season. There aren't that many big names out there. Right now we have David Dejesus, Lance Berkman, Miguel Tejada, Derrek Lee, Carlos Lee, and Paul Konerko. Kelly Johnson is possibly available too but it's tough to see Arizona dealing him within the division.
So what options do the Giants have out of those guys? Berkman and the two Lees are all batting in the low .200s. I don't think the Giants can afford anymore automatic outs since they already have Rowand and Molina. Tejada is batting a decent .271 and Dejesus is batting .331 but these two have combined for 9 home runs total and pop is what the Giants need right now. This leaves Paul Konerko as the guy the Giants MUST get. I know I sound like a broken record but this guy is hitting .294/.396/.974 with 17 HRs. he is the best option on the market. Sure, his arrival will finally send Bengie Molina to the bench, but the Giants need this kind of power in the lineup rather than hoping that Pat Burrell can provide it. With him you have a potential lineup of:
Torres CF, Sanchez 2B, Huff LF, Konerko 1B, Uribe SS, Sandoval 3B, Posey C, Schierholtz RF. However more likely we would see a linup along the lines of: Torres CF, Sanchez 2B, Huff RF, Konerko 1B, Sandoval 3B, Uribe SS, Posey C, Burrell LF. Either way I like it a lot better than what we are throwing out there right now.
Nate Watch:
Nate got in the game and did not get an AB. Rowand on the other hand got 5 ABs collecting a hit in one of them. He is batting a robust .220
Monday, June 14, 2010
4 in a row!
It sure has been a while since the Giants have blown someone out like this. Now I know it's the last place Orioles and we are supposed to do this but it still feels good. Besides, a good team beats the bad teams. If we lost to the Orioles tonight then our status as a good team would be in serious jeopardy. But, a convincing win, a four game winning streak, and multiple offensive successes have a way of keeping you in the conversation. Good game all around by the Giants.
Pat Burrell is looking more and more like a steal every day. Now, I really don;t think he's going to continue to hit .375 but he does add some power to this team which all of the sudden looks a lot more powerful than it did a few weeks ago with Huff, Burrell, and Uribe in the lineup and hitting with power. I do expect Burrell to go into somewhat of a cold spell at some point considering he is a career .254 hitter. But until then, let's hope it's not at a crucial time.
Andres Torres is the find of the year for the Giants. By now everyone knows his story. Didn't play baseball til he was 19, bounced around the minors, and has been one of the top players for the Giants this season after playing in his first full season last year at age 32. I just can't shake the feeling that we have been down this same road with Marvin Benard. (take a look at what the guy who sponsors his page says for a laugh) But, like with Benard, let's just ride this out as long as we can and hope the Giants don't reward this guy with some outrageous contract that will kill the team for years to come.
On The Farm:
Grizzlies win again on the strength of a John Bowker 3-run homer.This guy drives me crazy. If he even hit half as well as he hits in Fresno he still would be up with the club. I guess Sabean was right when he said the pitchers in AAA are no good. Tyler Graham, Brock Bond, and Brett Pill kept rolling, can you believe this Graham guy is still hitting over .400? although he has ZERO HRs, each of them chipping in with hits of their own.
I still say we have enough prospects to acquire Paul Konerko and keep Madbum, Posey, Lincecum, and Cain. However the Sox have been playing decent ball this week so maybe they are rethinking their "open for business" status.
Nate came in in the 8th and lined out to the second baseman who threw the ball away while trying to double off Uribe. After the Giants scored 10 runs I can't bitch about Nate not playing.
Almost forgot about DeRosa. Watch this video: Dishin with DeRosa and draw your own conclusions.
Fan of the night:
photo courtesy of: fire-sabean.com
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The return of the Freak!
Giants 6 A's 2
So you were scared that Tim Lincecum lost his stuff?
Shame on you!
Tim Lincecum put on a really good performance last night. Now it wasn't the dominating stuff we are used to seeing from Timmy, but it was close. Timmy pitched 8 innings, gave up 2 runs on 7 hits, and had 7 k's. But his most telling statistic of the night..... 1 BB. That's right after walking 22 batters in his last 5 starts, Timmy only issued 1 free pass. Now, I'll admit, it didn't start off all that promising. Timmy uncorked 2 wild pitches in the first inning with Kevin Kouzmanoff on base. Those led to an early 1-0 lead for the A's.
Based on their last series in Oakland that would have seemed to be enough for the A's to get the win. But these aren't the same Giants. To start the Giants scoring, the newest Giants, Pat Burrell hit a 2 run HR, his first as a Giant, in the third inning. At that point the Giants had already scored more runs than they did all of last series. But the Offense didn't stop there. Buster Posey added a hit and an RBI, Freddy Sanchez had 2 hits and scored a run, Bengie Molina hit a 2 run HR, and Aaron Rowand ..... well Aaron Rowand got a walk to offset his 0 for 3 with 2 K's.
All around it was one of the better games the Giants played this season. They managed to do all of this without Aubrey Huff, who got a routine day off.
Tonight, Barry Zito goes for his team leading 7th win and hopefully pops his cherry against his former team. Ben Sheets will be chuckin the leather tonight for the A's. He's 2-5 with a 4.96 ERA on the season.
Hopefully the Giants keep their hittin' shoes on!
On the farm:
Matt Yourkin improved to 4-1 on the season, Tyler Graham went 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs and raised his season average to .421! Eugenio Velez had 2 hits, John Bowker chipped in with a double, and Brock Bond reached base in his 15th consecutive game. The Grizzlies beat Tacoma 8-2 and increased their lead in the PCL to 12.5 games!
In San Jose, the Giants beat Bakersfield 4-0 and righty Craig Westcott ran his record to 4-0. Brandon Belt went 1 for 3 and kept his average at .380. Charles Culberson hit his 8th Homer of the season and drove in 3 runs, accounting for most of the Giants' offense.
Nate watch:
Nate had 1 AB and struck out. His season average is .277. Aaron Rowand's is .223. But Bochy would rather play the "hot hand"
So you were scared that Tim Lincecum lost his stuff?
Shame on you!
Tim Lincecum put on a really good performance last night. Now it wasn't the dominating stuff we are used to seeing from Timmy, but it was close. Timmy pitched 8 innings, gave up 2 runs on 7 hits, and had 7 k's. But his most telling statistic of the night..... 1 BB. That's right after walking 22 batters in his last 5 starts, Timmy only issued 1 free pass. Now, I'll admit, it didn't start off all that promising. Timmy uncorked 2 wild pitches in the first inning with Kevin Kouzmanoff on base. Those led to an early 1-0 lead for the A's.
Based on their last series in Oakland that would have seemed to be enough for the A's to get the win. But these aren't the same Giants. To start the Giants scoring, the newest Giants, Pat Burrell hit a 2 run HR, his first as a Giant, in the third inning. At that point the Giants had already scored more runs than they did all of last series. But the Offense didn't stop there. Buster Posey added a hit and an RBI, Freddy Sanchez had 2 hits and scored a run, Bengie Molina hit a 2 run HR, and Aaron Rowand ..... well Aaron Rowand got a walk to offset his 0 for 3 with 2 K's.
All around it was one of the better games the Giants played this season. They managed to do all of this without Aubrey Huff, who got a routine day off.
Tonight, Barry Zito goes for his team leading 7th win and hopefully pops his cherry against his former team. Ben Sheets will be chuckin the leather tonight for the A's. He's 2-5 with a 4.96 ERA on the season.
Hopefully the Giants keep their hittin' shoes on!
On the farm:
Matt Yourkin improved to 4-1 on the season, Tyler Graham went 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs and raised his season average to .421! Eugenio Velez had 2 hits, John Bowker chipped in with a double, and Brock Bond reached base in his 15th consecutive game. The Grizzlies beat Tacoma 8-2 and increased their lead in the PCL to 12.5 games!
In San Jose, the Giants beat Bakersfield 4-0 and righty Craig Westcott ran his record to 4-0. Brandon Belt went 1 for 3 and kept his average at .380. Charles Culberson hit his 8th Homer of the season and drove in 3 runs, accounting for most of the Giants' offense.
Nate watch:
Nate had 1 AB and struck out. His season average is .277. Aaron Rowand's is .223. But Bochy would rather play the "hot hand"
Sunday, June 6, 2010
So close yet so far
Freddy Sanchez was unable to get the ball in a spot where it was uncatchable for one of the few times this season. In fact, it was only because of a tremendous play by Lastings Milledge that the ball didn't fall in for a hit. But the Giants ultimately fell to the Pirates 6-3 behind yet another shaky road start from Todd Wellemeyer.
Bruce Bochy raised some eyebrows before the game when he filled out his lineup card and he had Pablo Sandoval hitting 8th. I guess he was sending a message to his young, free swinging, slugger. Which I have no problem with, but at the same time he lets Bengie Molina, who is in an even bigger slump, continue to hit cleanup!?!?! I'm just going to leave it at that.
Buster Posey got yet another hit and also got some time behind the plate. Why not let Buster bat third? Not sure but I bet it has to do with how he handles the pitching staff.
Pat the Bat began his Giants career as a bench player by starting in left field. He went 1 for 4 which is consistent with his career .250 average!
A few words about everyone's favorite Panda: Don't worry. He is 23 years old. He will work it out. I really believe that his current struggles are more from a mental standpoint than any physical issues. He just needs to mature as a hitter and hone those incredible skills he has.
On the farm:
The Grizzlies defeated the Sacramento River Cats 4-3. Bret Pill hit his 7th homerun of the season and knocked in 3 runs. Tyler Graham went 3 for 3 with a walk and raised his season average to .385. John Bowker and Mark Derosa each went 0 for 4. No word on how Derosa's wrist is feeling.
The Nate report:
Nate finally got a plate appearance. He walked as part of the near rally in the 9th inning. Once again, he illustrated his value to the club by getting on base at a time when they needed baserunners.
Bruce Bochy raised some eyebrows before the game when he filled out his lineup card and he had Pablo Sandoval hitting 8th. I guess he was sending a message to his young, free swinging, slugger. Which I have no problem with, but at the same time he lets Bengie Molina, who is in an even bigger slump, continue to hit cleanup!?!?! I'm just going to leave it at that.
Buster Posey got yet another hit and also got some time behind the plate. Why not let Buster bat third? Not sure but I bet it has to do with how he handles the pitching staff.
Pat the Bat began his Giants career as a bench player by starting in left field. He went 1 for 4 which is consistent with his career .250 average!
A few words about everyone's favorite Panda: Don't worry. He is 23 years old. He will work it out. I really believe that his current struggles are more from a mental standpoint than any physical issues. He just needs to mature as a hitter and hone those incredible skills he has.
On the farm:
The Grizzlies defeated the Sacramento River Cats 4-3. Bret Pill hit his 7th homerun of the season and knocked in 3 runs. Tyler Graham went 3 for 3 with a walk and raised his season average to .385. John Bowker and Mark Derosa each went 0 for 4. No word on how Derosa's wrist is feeling.
The Nate report:
Nate finally got a plate appearance. He walked as part of the near rally in the 9th inning. Once again, he illustrated his value to the club by getting on base at a time when they needed baserunners.
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