Kuzul

The San Francisco Giants have been known for their pitching for a long time. But this year, the staff has regressed a bit.

All five pitchers have gone through rough patches this year, some longer than others. Even Matt Cain, he of the perfect game, 15-5 record and 2.86 ERA, has had his struggles. Madison Bumgarner has too, and Tim Lincecum has had a rough year overall.

However, despite all of that, the Giants are still 10 games ahead of the second-place Dodgers in the NL West and 25 games over .500. And, their pitching rotation is still dangerous. But what would make it more dangerous?

Arranging the postseason rotation the right way.

Here is my blueprint for what the Giants’ playoff rotation should look like.

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June 13 was a perfect night for Matt Cain and the San Francisco Giants.

Cain tossed the first perfect game in team history, retiring all 27 Houston Astros hitters in order and striking out 14 of them. Giants fans went ballistic when first baseman Brandon Belt caught the final out, and it marked yet another special moment in Giants history.

However, there haven’t been any special moments for Cain since the perfect game.

When Cain threw his perfect game, he was viewed by just about everyone as the ace of the Giants’ pitching staff. Tim Lincecum was struggling, and Cain, who had never received much attention, suddenly was the recipient of lots of attention.

And he’s still been getting lots of attention. However, it hasn’t been good attention.

Since throwing the 22nd perfect game in league history, Cain has struggled. He hasn’t pitched into the ninth inning or shut out the opponent in his last eight starts, and he is just 2-2 in those starts (1-2 in his last seven starts). In his last seven starts, the Giants are 2-5.

Cain only allowed two earned runs in five innings Wednesday against the Mets, but those stats don’t show how he performed. Gregor Blanco saved a run with a spectacular catch in the fourth inning, and Cain got away with some mistakes when runners were on base.

In the start before that, Cain shut down the Dodgers for 4.2 innings. Then, he started to make some mistakes. He left pitches over the plate consistently, and the Dodgers scored two runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth. Cain wasn’t charged with a loss, but he deserved one (the Giants eventually lost in extra innings).

Even though he still has decent numbers (Cain is 10-4 with a 2.82 ERA), Giants fans have a reason to be concerned. Cain has always been known for his consistency, and while he has been somewhat consistent since his perfecto, Giants fans haven’t seen the dominant performance we’ve been looking for from Cain (after the perfect game).

Cain doesn’t let many runners on base (he has a team-leading 1.00 WHIP), but he has struggled to pitch out of jams. He did a good job getting out of jams against the Mets on Tuesday, but in other previous starts, he struggled with that.

When Tim Lincecum was struggling mightily in the first half, Cain dominated to make up for Lincecum’s struggles. However, Lincecum has done well since the All-Star break, and Cain has been the one struggling.

Luckily, the rest of the pitching staff has picked him up nicely.

Ryan Vogelsong led the league in ERA before his start Friday night against the Rockies. Vogelsong doesn’t lead the league anymore, but he still does boast a 2.38 ERA and a 9-5 record. His streak of 16 consecutive quality starts ended against the Rockies (he allowed four earned runs in 6.1 innings pitched), but he continued his streak of 21 starts with six-plus innings pitched.

Vogelsong has a true feel-good story and better statistics than Cain, yet people still think of Cain as the team’s ace. Vogelsong knows how to force weak contact, get out of jams and pitch under pressure, which is why he’s been so good. Cain has struggled to do some of that, and he’s made more mistakes than Vogelsong.

Right now, Vogelsong is the team’s ace. Cain is still a good pitcher, but fans should be worried about him. Usually, I’m ecstatic when Cain starts, because I know he will turn in a good performance. However, I don’t have that feeling right now.

He has shown signs of anger and frustration after bad innings and seems to have lost his confidence. Lincecum’s struggles were much worse, but Cain’s have been similar. His next start will be against the Cardinals, who have scored the second-most runs in baseball. That definitely won’t help his confidence.

It may take a little while before we see the dominant performance we’ve been looking for. Cain has been missing his spots, and opponents have been taking advantage of his struggles. If Cain can deliver against the Cardinals, I wouldn’t be worried anymore.

However, if his recent struggles continue, it could spell doom for the Giants down the stretch.   

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The San Francisco Giants finally made a trade, just like we all knew they would.

No, they didn’t bring in Hunter Pence. No, Shin-Soo Choo isn’t coming to San Francisco. And no, Brandon League won’t be wearing a Giants uniform today.

However, Marco Scutaro will be. The AP reports that Scutaro has been traded to the Giants (h/t Fox News).

Scutaro is a versatile infielder who will likely fill in at third in Pablo Sandoval‘s absence. He has solid stats this year and will definitely help San Francisco’s slumping offense.

Here are three reasons why this trade makes the Giants the team to beat.

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The Rays are in the playoff hunt, and they’re looking to make some moves to improve their playoff chances. Luckily for them, they made one.

Tampa Bay traded for D-Backs third baseman Ryan Roberts, who will provide depth to the infield. Roberts blasted 19 home runs last year in a breakout season, and while he isn’t doing too well this year, he is an upgrade over Brooks Conrad and Sean Rodriguez at third base.

Roberts is hitting .250 with six homers and 34 RBI this year. He has a solid .306 OBP, and has only struck out 45 times in 252 at-bats. Roberts has hit a lot of singles this year, but he definitely has some much-needed power. Tampa Bay’s offense needs a spark, and Roberts could provide that.

As for the D-Backs, they received Tyler Bortnick. Bortnick is a Double-A second baseman who is hitting .253 this year. Bortnick isn’t having a good year, although he is fast and hit .306 last year. Arizona probably could’ve asked for more, but the D-Backs want to build a great team around their young stars.

The D-Backs are currently just six games back of the first-place San Francisco Giants, but they seem to be in “sell” mode. Instead of giving Roberts a chance to bounce back and help the D-Backs in the second half, they traded him for an infielder who probably won’t be ready to play this year.

As for the Rays, they acquired a much-needed piece to improve their infield. The Rays are just 2.5 games out of the Wild Card race, despite lots of uncertainly at second base, third base and shortstop. Carlos Pena is Tampa Bay’s everyday first baseman, while Sean Rodriguez, Brooks Conrad, Elliott Johnson and Jeff Keppinger fill in the other infield spots.

Conrad, Rodriguez and Johnson haven’t been great, and Roberts is definitely an upgrade. Tampa Bay already has a good outfield and pitching staff, and with the one area they really needed to upgrade out of the way, the Rays can focus on other minor moves to improve the bullpen and add depth to the rotation.

However, it looks like the biggest move (if the Rays don’t move James Shields) is out of the way. Roberts is ready to break out in the second half, and since the Rays are definitely within striking distance, I wouldn’t be surprised if Roberts ends up being a key contributor to the Rays in a playoff run. 

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have been a great team this year. With just one simple move, they got a lot better.

According to multiple sources, Pittsburgh acquired Houston Astros‘ lefty Wandy Rodriguez. Rodriguez is 7-9 with a 3.79 ERA this year, but opponents don’t hit well against him. Rodriguez has only walked 32 batters this year, although he has only retired 89 batters on strikes.

Pittsburgh has a good rotation, but it is inexperienced. Rodriguez adds depth to the rotation while also adding a pitcher who throws strikes and knows how to force weak contact. With James McDonald already in the rotation, Pittsburgh’s rotation just improved a lot.

In the deal, Houston received prospects Robbie Grossman, Colton Cain and Rudy Owen. Owen and Cain are pitchers, while Grossman is an outfielder. After selling their stars for a few consecutive years (and getting rid of Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Carlos Lee, Rodriguez and others in the process), Houston has stockpiled their farm system in hopes of future success.

Pittsburgh has a whole different perspective about the trade, though. The Pirates are contending for the first time in a while, and they are looking to add pitchers. A.J Burnett has always been inconsistent, and Kevin Correia and Erik Bedard have struggled to find a home. Rodriguez will add a lot to the rotation, and he will definitely be able to help if the Pirates make the playoffs.

If the Pirates don’t make the playoffs, he could help them next year. Rodriguez is signed through 2013 and would be in a Pirates uniform again next year (unless Pittsburgh traded him).

With a great bullpen, a solid offense (consisting of the game’s best hitter) and a much, much better rotation, the Pirates will definitely contend. Last year, the Pirates came out of the gates strong, but faded away in August eventually missing out on a playoff berth. This year’s team is more experienced, and they are ready to win now.

Thanks to Rodriguez, it should be easier for the Pirates to win.

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When the Washington Nationals needed a win most, John Lannan delivered.

Washington had been outscored by nine runs in a three-game losing streak which featured a game where the Nats blew a nine-run lead. Lannan allowed two runs in the first inning, and it looked like the Nats would lose their fourth straight game.

Then, Lannan recovered. The longtime National didn’t allow another run, and pitched seven innings, recording his first win of the season. Thanks to some late run support and some good pitching by Lannan, Washington triumphed 5-2 and took a 2.5 game lead in the NL East.

In the first inning, Lannan made some mistakes. He left a few pitches too far over the plate, and that’s how the Braves took the lead. Lannan made a few more mistakes, and he allowed five hits on the night. However, Lannan no-hit the Braves through the last 4.1 innings, and he started to strike hitters out.

Lannan got ahead of the count and was able to get hitters out by placing his fastball on the corners and jamming hitters. He struck out two hitters in the seventh inning, even though he only retired three batters on strikes during the game.

In his career, Lannan averages 4.71 strikeouts per nine innings. He has a 1.42 career WHIP, which is also a problem. Lannan allows a lot of hits, and he also walks a lot of batters. Opponents have a career .340 OBP against him, which has been a major factor in his career 4.00 ERA.

However, manager Davey Johnson and GM Mike Rizzo were probably impressed by Lannan’s performance. The former ace went 6-8 with a 4.60 ERA in Triple-A Syracuse this year, which isn’t very encouraging. However, thanks to Lannan’s performance today, the Nats will be confident that they don’t need to trade for a starting pitcher.

And that’s not the case at all.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Nationals are one of the frontrunners in the Ryan Dempster sweepstakes. If the Nationals traded for Ryan Dempster and shut down Stephen Strasburg (which it looks like they will do), they would have Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman, Ross Detwiler, Dempster and Edwin Jackson in their rotation.

If they didn’t trade for Dempster, they would have the inconsistent Lannan instead of the league-leading, and very consistent, Dempster.

Washington is in the middle of a heated playoff race, and they seem to be good enough to make a deep playoff run. However, if the team shuts down Strasburg, they would have three inconsistent starters in their rotation, and two would have to pitch in the playoffs.

Lannan had a great start, and he came through with lots of pressure on him to bring the Nationals a key win. However, he is nothing more than a middle-to-back-of-the-rotation starter, and Washington can’t have someone who allows opponents to hit .272 pitching in a playoff race.

Unless Lannan can show the ability to pitch well at the start of a game, keep the ball away from the middle of the plate and miss bats consistently, he won’t be a guy Nationals fans will want in their playoff rotation. If the Nationals’ front office were convinced by this start, they may avoid unloading the farm to trade for a pitcher, and they would keep Lannan in the rotation.

With Lannan in the rotation bad things may happen for the Nationals. Including losing early in the playoffs, or missing them altogether. 

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When Brian Wilson got hurt in April, Bruce Bochy had a big decision to make.

Would he choose Sergio Romo, the star reliever whom righties can’t hit? Would he choose Javier Lopez, the left-handed submariner whom lefties can’t hit? Or would he choose Santiago Casilla, the hard-throwing righty who can be very erratic.

Surprisingly, Bochy chose Casilla. It seemed to be the right move, as Casilla converted 20 of his first 21 save opportunities.

Then, the wheels came off.

In just eight short appearances, Casilla blew five saves, as his ERA went from 1.32 to 3.34. In four of those eight outings, Casilla allowed two or more runs, and he cost the Giants a win in two of those games. Bochy even said recently that the Giants will rethink the closer situation (h/t Will Brinson of NBCBayArea.com).

However, San Francisco doesn’t have that many other options. Romo has balky knees and elbow problems, and he can’t close on a day-to-day basis. Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt are usually used to face lefties in the seventh or eighth inning, although both could close if needed.

George Kontos and Brad Penny have done a nice job in San Francisco, and both should see some save opportunities coming soon. However, Penny has allowed some home runs and struggled recently, and Kontos is young and inexperienced.

So, what could the Giants do about it?

Trade for a closer.

Huston Street, Jonathan Broxton, Brett Myers and Francisco Rodriguez are all available, and, according to a report from SBNation, the Giants are interested in Broxton. The Royals closer is 22-for-26 on save opportunities, has a 2.34 ERA this year and hasn’t allowed a home run in his last 20.2 IP.

However, Broxton is inconsistent. He strikes out tons of batters, but he also gives up a lot of hits. Last year, Broxton had a 5.68 ERA, and the year before he had a 4.01 ERA.

Broxton could end up being just like Casilla in the second half, and that’s a chance the Giants don’t want to take.

According to Andy Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com, the Giants scouted the Cubs and Royals farm systems. The Giants don’t want to give away top-notch prospects, since they already parted with star pitching prospect Zach Wheeler last year.

However, if the price is right, they could go after Street.

Street is 15-for-15 on save opportunities with a 1.03 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. Just like Broxton, he has the ability to miss bats. However, Street has also been lights-out this year, and if the Giants traded for him, they would have arguably the best closer and the best setup man in baseball.

They would have to part with some prospects, but one solution is trading a catcher. The Padres have a young catching prospect in Yasmani Grandal, and he is hitting .288 with five home runs (in the majors). However, they could use Giants catcher Tommy Joseph in a trade if the Giants were willing to trade him.

If the Padres won’t take Joseph, San Francisco could find some other prospects. They have a lot of outfielders, and they have Gary Brown. Even though San Francisco probably won’t trade him, he could be used as bait.

No matter whom the Giants trade, they will have to get a closer. Casilla can’t pitch in high-pressure situations, Romo can’t close every day, and no one else seems to be ready to take over at closer yet.

It’s very hard to win in the playoffs without a closer who can handle the pressure, and Street can handle it.

Street can close when the pressure is on, and he has pitched in the playoffs. Broxton has pitched in the playoffs, too, but he has a 4.40 career ERA in the postseason.

And, even though it seems that the Giants have a good bullpen, closing out games is different. No one on the team (except for Romo) has what it takes to close.

Broxton and Street do, and they could really help the Giants.

Or they could hurt the Giants on other teams.

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Some Giants fans, including me, were upset with Bruce Bochy’s decision to have Barry Zito pitch before Ryan Vogelsong to open up San Francisco’s series against the Braves.

Then, Barry Zito pitched a gem.

Zito went seven innings and allowed just three hits while shutting out the red-hot Atlanta Braves. San Francisco gave him nine runs of support, so the Giants probably would have won if Vogelsong pitched. However, Zito’s gem is a great sign for Giants fans.

After watching Zito lose three straight starts in June (he allowed 17 ER in 14.1 IP during that span), most Giants fans expected another lackluster season from Zito. But he bounced back very nicely, delivering three solid performances before the All-Star break.

And then, he delivered one great performance after the All-Star break.

Even though Zito got into some jams, he did a great job overall. He was hitting his spots and getting ahead of the count with his fastball to set up his curveball and other off-speed pitches. Zito only struck out four hitters, but he hit the corners and jammed a lot of hitters.

As a result, he picked up his eighth win of the season and lowered his ERA from 4.01 to 3.75.

Zito has been an on-and-off pitcher during his entire career. Usually, he dominates right out of the gate and starts the season off with great stats. Then, he goes on a slump and pitches terribly in the second half, hurting the Giants’ playoff chances.

Giants fans are hoping that Zito doesn’t do that in the second half. If he pitches like he did today, I doubt he will. 

Atlanta came into the game riding a seven-game winning streak. Against the Mets, they scored seven, eight and six runs. However, an offense consisting of Michael Bourn, Martin Prado, Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman couldn’t manage a single run off Zito, George Kontos and Clay Hensley.

Like I said, Zito has been inconsistent. However, he has turned in some great performances this year, and I expect those to continue. I think Zito will be inconsistent in the second half, but I also think Zito will turn in some great performances and finish with solid stats.

Barry Zito will be an interesting guy to watch. He has been very inconsistent and inaccurate, but today, he was effectively hitting his spots and mixing up his pitches. As long as Zito can hit his spots, he will have success in the second half.

So, in conclusion, Zito’s performance shows you what he could do in the second half. What he will do is something I can’t answer until the season comes to an end. 

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Stephen Strasburg’s innings limit has been one of the hotter topics in baseball, and it’s clear that the Washington Nationals will have a tough decision to make.

However, it seems like the Nationals are already preparing to move on without Strasburg.

According to MLB.com, Washington has interest in Ryan Dempster and Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez. The Nationals have John Lannan in the minors, but they would definitely benefit from trading for Dempster.

The consistent ace is 5-3 with a league-leading 1.86 ERA this year. A lot of teams will be pursuing Dempster, since Chicago is looking to stockpile prospects for future success. Washington has a great farm system, so they could definitely make a trade.

If the Nationals did trade for Dempster, they would probably have Strasburg, Dempster, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and Edwin Jackson in their rotation. After Strasburg leaves, Ross Detwiler would join the rotation.

Washington would have to give up a lot, but it would definitely be worth it. Dempster is a great pitcher who could really help the Nationals. Even if the Nationals decided to keep Strasburg in the rotation, Dempster would still help the team and just make the best pitching staff in baseball even better.

The team’s four best pitchers would wreak havoc on the league and greatly enhance Washington’s chances of winning a championship. Just imagine a playoff rotation of Dempster, Gonzalez, Strasburg and Zimmerman (if Strasburg pitches). All have ERA’s under 3, and all have a WHIP under 1.12.

If the Nationals didn’t trade for Dempster, they would probably call up John Lannan to pitch in September. Lannan has had a nice career in Washington, but he is 6-8 with a 4.60 ERA with Triple-A Syracuse. Dempster is definitely better than Lannan, and he would definitely help the Nationals a lot.

Washington is known for having a young, well-rounded team. They have the lowest team ERA in baseball, even though two inconsistent pitchers, Edwin Jackson and Ross Detwiler, reside in their rotation. Just imagine how much better the rotation would be with Dempster, even if Strasburg gets shut down or skipped.

Dempster would welcome a trade to just about any contender, and, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, he would likely be happy with a trade to Washington. Dempster is in the last year of his contract, but Washington could re-sign him and have he, Strasburg, Zimmerman and Gonzalez dominate hitters for a couple more years.

It will take a lot, but the Nationals would definitely benefit from trading a few prospects for Dempster. Washington would undoubtedly have the best rotation in baseball during the month of August, and they would still have a great rotation without Strasburg in September. If the Nats re-signed Dempster, they’d have the best rotation for a few more years.

And it’s always good to have the best rotation. The Nationals may have the best rotation right now, but in September, their pitching will take a major hit. If Strasburg is shut down and Dempster isn’t brought in to Washington, imagine how Jackson and Detwiler would pitch in the playoffs.

I’m sure Nationals fans don’t want to imagine that. So that’s why the Nats need to bring in Dempster. 

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The Washington Nationals have been and will be an interesting team to watch.

After years of building up young talent and sending them into the farm system, Washington’s young dream team has finally been assembled. Players like Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper were all drafted by Washington, and they are all making a splash.

And it wasn’t just the draft. Washington signed Jayson Werth in the 2010 offseason and traded for Gio Gonzalez in the 2011 offseason.

Now, the Nationals lead the NL East by 2.5 games, and they’re ready to fight to the finish in a tight NL East race that everyone will be talking about.

Here are the Nationals’ four biggest second-half storylines.

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