Tag: San Francisco Bay Area

Tim Lincecum: Why the San Francisco Giants Ace Will Win His 3rd Cy Young in 2011

Tim Lincecum has already etched his name in Giants history. His is the stuff of legend, and he’s only in his fifth major league season.

The Giants right-hander won back-to-back National League Cy Young awards in his first two seasons, becoming the only pitcher in major league history to accomplish that feat.

He led all of baseball in strikeouts in each of his first three full big-league seasons.

As well, he was unhittable in the 2010 postseason, including in Game 5 of the World Series, when he shut down the offensive juggernaut of the Texas Rangers and led San Francisco to its first World Series title in 56 years.

What more can this young man accomplish?

A third Cy Young award, perhaps?

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San Francisco Giants: Aaron Rowand Making Case for Continued Starting Role

Aaron Rowand has been a certified pariah since his first season in San Francisco.

His performance at the plate has not endeared him to the fans or management, and it showed with his reduced role in the latter half of the 2010 season.

Rowand was limited to 91 at bats after the All-Star break as the Giants outfield became overloaded. Between Pat Burrell, Cody Ross, Andres Torres and others, there simply was not room in the outfield.

It looked to be more of the same this season, that is, until Ross and Torres went down with injuries. An opportunity opened up, and Rowand has capitalized on it.

He is hitting .314 going into Saturday night’s game against the Diamondbacks, and an early-season start is not anything new for Rowand.

In April last season, he hit .304 before going on the disabled list after being hit in the head by the Dodgers‘ Vicente Padilla.

Rowand was not the same player after that.

If he continues to play at this pace, the question has to be raised: Does Rowand remain a starter when Torres and Ross return?

Bruce Bochy has done a masterful job of mixing and matching and, with no disrespect to the other players, Rowand has to play if he keeps up his strong play.

Pat Burrell has provided power, but has not been there otherwise. His .162 average entering Saturday is the lowest of any everyday player, but his team-leading four home runs have kept him in the lineup.

The bigger question is, who is sent to Fresno and/or designated for assignment when Ross returns?

Rowand was on the short list, but he now has value, and the Giants will not eat a large contract. Nate Schierholtz could be the unfortunate odd man out without another person hitting the disabled list.

The veteran center fielder still has much to prove, but if he does not have a significant break in playing time, Rowand could be a key piece in the Giants’ quest to repeat as champions.

Zack Farmer is a freelance sports reporter for the San Francisco Examiner and Patch.com.

Follow me on Twitter: @FarmboySports

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Matt Cain: Five Reasons the Giants’ Number Two is MLB’s Most Underrated Pitcher

When the San Francisco Giants called up Matt Cain in August of 2005, he made his debut as the second youngest pitcher in the major leagues.  Now in his seventh season as a big leaguer, Cain is a seasoned veteran with a laundry list of accomplishments to his credit.  He finished last year’s World Championship season with a 13-11 record with a 3.14 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 177 strikeouts, 61 walks, 223 innings pitched and four complete games (including two shutouts).  

In May alone, he pitched into the sixth inning or later in each of his six starts while giving up nine earned runs on 23 hits with 35 strike outs and 18 walks with an 1.81 ERA.  He was instrumental in the Giants’ regular season success last year and even more so in their postseason World Series run.  Despite his track record of success, he is rarely included in the list of current upper echelon pitchers, and there are five main reasons why. 

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San Francisco Giants Move to Florida? My Chat with the Man Who Prevented It

The San Francisco Giants had a bad year in 1992.  The club finished 72-90, fifth place in the National League West, and were on the verge of being sold to a group of investors in Tampa, who had plans for moving the team to St. Petersburg.

It appeared that the rich history of baseball in the city by the bay was about to come to an end.  But then another group, led by Peter Magowan, a lifelong Giants fan dating back to the team’s New York days, swooped in and saved the day.

Magowan and his group bought the team in January 1993, and the rest is history.  The club signed free agent Barry Bonds to a $43 million deal, and new manager Dusty Baker led the club to a 103-victory season.  Though the Giants missed the playoffs that season, the team had been reborn after teetering on the brink of relocation.

Last June, I had the good fortune of sitting next to Peter Magowan at AT&T Park as the Giants took on the Boston Red Sox in interleague play.  Though the game could have been better (the Giants lost) the conversation was great.

I first thanked Peter for keeping the club in San Francisco, and for the beautiful new ballpark—the construction of which he was the chief catalyst for.

He was very down-to-earth, gracious, and enthusiastic when it came to talking baseball.  We talked about the 2010 Giants (at that time barely over .500, who knew where things would eventually lead), as well as the ballpark itself.

Some interesting tid-bits:

Magowan and the Giants were initially considering another location for the stadium, near San Francisco International Airport.

Also interesting, was the Giants were considering having the ballpark face a different direction on China Basin.  Instead of having home plate face the bay, with McCovey Cove as the backdrop beyond the right field arcade, the Giants were considering having home plate face downtown, with the bay behind the stadium.

I think we all can agree that the right choices were made as to location and direction for AT&T Park.

Peter Magowan not only saved baseball in San Francisco, but is a very nice guy to chat with.  Here’s to you, Mr. Magowan, and those who joined you in keeping the Giants in San Francisco.  We wouldn’t be celebrating a World Series title without your dedication to the franchise.

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Chicks, and the San Francisco Giants, Dig the Long Ball

Last night was my first night at the yard in 2011. I failed at going to the park in 2010, only attending five Giants games in one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory, three of which were in Washington, D.C. against the Nationals.

But last night I was at the yard, and I saw something (two things, actually) that reminded me of something that the Giants didn’t have until last year: power. 

Let’s look at the last few years: (NL rank) [MLB rank]

2007: 131 HRs (14) [25]. The last year with Barry Bonds.

2008: 94 HRs (16) [30]. The only team with under 100 homers.

2009: 122 HRs (15) [29]. The number one team had twice as many (New York Yankees, 244).

2010: 162 HRs (6) [11] The same amount as Texas, who was “the best offensive team” in 2010.

You lose Barry Bonds, you lose a lot of power. But even before then, Giants fans were always clamoring for someone else to hit home runs around Barry Bonds. There was no more Moises Alou or Jeff Kent to back him up. And then he left. 

The Giants sure fell in love with the long ball last year though, and they really stressed that they couldn’t rely on it this year to win games. The first few wins of this homestand didn’t need the home runs, but instead were all about “keeping the line moving” and getting runs home. None of them were walk-off home runs, but walk-off hits. 

Last night the Giants fans were treated to two home runs that got them back in the game, and then ahead. I’ll admit, I was already taking a lot of flak from all the Dodger fans that I was with when Barajas hit his homer, and was not expecting back-to-back jacks from Pablo Sandoval and Mike Fontenot in the slightest. 

But then the Panda hit one high and deep to left-center and (from our seats, at least) it barely cleared the wall, giving an Ian Kinsler-esque bounce that went the right way. And then Mike Fontenot, who hit one home run in 2010, stepped up to the plate. He looked like a bat boy when getting his high-fives, AFTER he took Ted Lilly way over the Willie Mays Wall in right.

That was not a cheapie. And it put the Giants ahead. Late in the game, that back end looked very strong, once again. Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson. Game over. 

Homers get it done. If the Giants can sprinkle in a few game-winning hits to go with their bevy of homers like last year, they’ll win more games. I don’t think they’ll live and die by the home run as much, which also leads to less pressing to hit home runs, and a higher overall average and OBP. 

I love when the Giants win, especially when they beat the Bums. Homers by unexpected people just make it more fun.

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San Francisco Giants: Giants’ Sweet Torture Continues in Extra-Inning Affair

Aaron Rowand hits game-winning single in the bottom of the 12th inning and goes 2-for-3 in Giants’ 5-4 win.

Looks like things have not changed much since last year.

The San Francisco Giants continued their victorious but torturous ways, as a sellout crowd at AT&T Park witnessed one of the greatest, yet weirdest games baseball fans will ever see.

The game featured two dramatic ninth-inning rallies with two outs and nobody on, a strike zone the size of a golf ball at one time and an SUV at another, an unlikely hero two home openers in a row, and an extra-inning dogfight where the Giants stranded a runner at third with nobody out in the bottom of the 11th inning.

If you thought that was weird, the St. Louis Cardinals moved their left fielder and put five men in the infield in that bottom of the 11th inning—and it worked when Aaron Rowand lined a smash right to third base, which was manned by left fielder Allen Craig.

The Giants achieved their 5-4 victory and broke the 4-4 tie in the bottom of the 12th inning when Rowand roped a game-winning single off the left-center field wall with the bases loaded. Coincidentally, it was just last year on the Giants’ 2010 home opener when Rowand hit an RBI infield hit in the 13th inning to beat the Braves 5-4.

“This one was a lot easier than the last one trying to leg it out,” Rowand said.

The 12th-inning rally began off Cardinals lefty Brian Tallet (0-1) when Miguel Tejada hit a one-out single to left. With two outs, Andres Torres reached on a catching error by first baseman Albert Pujols.

Cardinals manger Tony La Russa elected to walk Freddy Sanchez to load the bases for an unlikely hero. Rowand promptly silenced the naysayers by coming through in the clutch for the second home opener in a row.

“It was a lefty in that situation, so I hope they got to me,” Rowand said.

The ecstasy at AT&T Park by the end of the 12th inning was nothing of the sort back in the top of the ninth inning. With the Giants up 3-2 and Brian Wilson looking for his first save of the year, Wilson lost the 12-pitch marathon battle with Ryan Theriot, as he singled in the tying and lead runs with the bases loaded. The inning started with two quick outs.

Wilson was angry, as he walked off the mound in the top of the ninth inning. He seemed to disagree with home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman’s strike zone and began shouting at him while he was leaving the field.

“I was a little pissed,” Wilson said. “Emotions are flying. It’s opening day. Oh well, that’s what happens.”

It appeared that the Giants’ opening day party, which included their championship flag being hoisted and set atop a pole forever at AT&T Park, was ruined by the Cardinals’ ninth-inning rally. However, the Giants returned the favor and started a two-out rally of their own, which concluded with a game-tying single to right by Pablo Sandoval.

It appeared the first baseman Pujols was out of position when Sandoval hit his hard ground ball to the right side, as he broke toward the bag as the pitch was being thrown by closer Ryan Franklin. Nonetheless, the Giants enjoyed every minute of it.

“The game was an emotional roller coaster, a great game,” said Bruce Bochy, Giants manager. “These guys fought hard. It was quite a ball game for a home opener.”

Lost in all the hoopla was a fine starting pitching performance by Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez. Although he threw a lot of pitches early, he battled through a first-inning jam and allowed just one run while striking out seven in five innings of work.

The Cardinals scored first on a Tyler Greene single in the top of the second inning. The Giants would tie the game on a third-inning home run by Miguel Tejada, his first as a Giant.

The Giants grabbed the lead on a Freddy Sanchez double in the second inning. They would tack on another run in the sixth inning on Pat Burrell’s third home run of the year, making the score 3-1.

For the most part, the Giants kept Pujols in check. The Cardinals slugger went just 1-for-6, with an RBI single in the eighth inning that cut the Giants’ lead to 3-2. Pujols’ average fell to .179 for the year.

Dan Runzler (1-0) pitched a perfect 12th inning to earn the win in relief. He was one of eight pitchers used by the Giants in the game.

Although the torture called Giants baseball continued, like last year, torture still never felt so good for the fans in San Francisco.


My Thoughts

This was just a great baseball game.

The Giants did something that all good teams need to do to be successful. That is to not quit, even when all seems lost.

When the Giants blew their 3-2 lead in the ninth inning, many teams might have felt so deflated and just rolled over—not the Giants. They roared back with a two-out rally. Rowand (2-for-3) got things started with a two-out single, and would eventually come in to score on Sandoval’s game-tying single.

Another instance where the Giants showed resiliency was after the bottom of the 11th inning. After Torres doubled and advanced on a wild pitch with nobody out, the Giants suffered a crushing blow. Victory was within reach, but the Giants stumbled.

Freddy Sanchez struck out, and then, Aaron Rowand hit a hard, low liner that the left fielder dove for and trapped at third base. La Russa moved the left fielder to third base, and it actually worked, as Torres was nailed in a rundown on the play. Mark DeRosa then struck out on some questionable pitches for the third out of the inning.

Again, the Giants could have rolled over and let the failure get into their heads. Fortunately for the Giants, this did not happen, as Runzler came out and pitched a scoreless top of the 12th, setting up the Giants’ walk-off win at the bottom of the inning.

Another thing to note: Bruce Dreckman’s strike zone was awful today. The one thing players ask for in a home plate umpire is consistency, no matter if his strike zone is high, low or wide. It seemed that early in the game, Dreckman’s zone was very tight when Sanchez was on the mound. Later on, his strike zone widened, especially during DeRosa’s 11th-inning at bat.

If the Giants are going to do this torture bit on their fans again, it should be another fun season in the wacky world of San Francisco Giants baseball.


Tidbits

The Giants are now 3-4 and have won three home openers in a row. With home runs from Burrell and Tejada, they now lead the National League in home runs with nine (tied with the Reds and Brewers).

Rowand got his second-straight walk-off hit in a Giants home opener.

Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday says he may play this weekend after having his appendix removed just five days ago.

Pujols has hit into five double plays in seven games so far this year.

Tomorrow, Matt Cain will look for his second win of the year against the Cardinals’ Jaime Garcia. The game will start at 7:05 p.m. to accommodate the Giants’ ring ceremony.

 

 

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W: D. Runzler (1-1)

L: B. Tallet (0-1)

 

Vinnie Cestone is a Baseball/San Francisco Giants Featured Columnist for The Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand or from official interview materials from Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

Stats and other information came from ESPN.com and MLB.com.

This article was featured on the blog Talking Giants Baseball.

Follow me on twitter @vintalkingiants.

Questions or comments? E-mail my blog mailbag at vc4re@yahoo.com. Your questions may be answered on my blog.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Barry Bonds and Steroids Deprived MLB Fans of More Than We Realize

Barry Bonds awaits his fate in a federal courthouse in San Francisco for allegedly lying about knowingly using steroids.

Whatever the outcome of that case, one thing is for certain: Bonds deprived us of more than we know as baseball fans.  It’s not just the asterisks that we attach to the records Bonds broke; it’s more than that.  It’s what he didn’t allow us to see: a great player who achieved so much through natural ability and dedication to his craft, who then got older and slowed down.

That’s right.  We didn’t get to see Barry decline, and that’s not fair to the game of baseball or its fans.

One of the biggest reasons baseball is America’s pastime—the game of our forefathers, and now our game—is because we can identify with those who compete on the diamond.  We see ourselves in so many of our heroes on the baseball field, both in their triumphs and defeats.  We see men who toil in the minor leagues for years and years before finally getting their shot on the big stage under the bright lights.  We see those who have such a beautiful, natural gift for the game, that it’s simply a joy to watch them display that day-in and day-out.

That’s why we see movies like “The Rookie” (where a middle-aged high school baseball coach gets a chance in the big leagues in his 40s) and “The Natural” (where Robert Redford plays Roy Hobbs, “the greatest there ever was”).

We see tragedy, as when Lou Gehrig caught “a bad break”, being diagnosed with ALS (thereafter named “Lou Gherig’s disease”), forcing him into early retirement and, rapidly, into an early exit from this life.  We see triumph, like when hobbled pinch-hitter Kirk Gibson of the Dodgers limped to home plate in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series to face the toughest closer in the game, Dennis Eckersley, and homered to win it for Los Angeles, propelling the underdog Dodgers to a world championship over the heavily-favored Athletics.

These moments remind us of our own challenges, fears, failures, courage, and triumphs.  We gain strength by seeing a man hit a round ball with a round bat, while other men chase that ball down.  Baseball mimics life, and beautifully at that.  That’s why we’re so addicted to it.  It gives us something to remind us of who we are and what we can achieve.

One of the most important lessons we learn from baseball is that nothing lasts forever.  It’s true in the game, and it’s true in life.  Our heroes of the diamond are great ballplayers for 10, maybe even 15 years, but then they start to fade and their skills begin to erode right before our eyes.  Willie Mays may have said it best, from the perspective of one of the greatest of all-time: “Growing old is just a helpless hurt.”  The 41-year-old Mays said that after he had fallen in the outfield during the 1973 World Series, when he was a member of the New York Mets.  It was clear that diminishing skills and an aging body were even catching up with the Say Hey Kid.

Willie Mays is just one of many great players in baseball history that were among the best in the game during their primes, but whose ability faded with the passage of time, helping us see that we should make the most of what we have in life, and more than that, the most of what we have to give.  More recently, we’ve seen some of the greatest players of our own generation hang up the spikes after coming to the realization that they just don’t have enough anymore.

Chief among them: Ken Griffey, Jr.  Junior Griffey was perhaps the greatest player of the 1990s, and were it not for numerous injuries that plagued him later in his career, he would have very likely passed Hank Aaron on the all-time home run list.  Griffey finished with 630 home runs, and was a 12-time all-star and 10-time Gold Glove award winner.  But in the last few seasons of his career, he changed physically, visibly gaining weight, as well as on the field, becoming a designated hitter rather than patrolling his usual center field territory with the Seattle Mariners.  It was rumored last season, before he retired, that he fell asleep in the clubhouse during a Mariners game.

But Griffey’s limitations were, in a way, refreshing to witness.  It was clear that time had caught up with the former superstar, and the myriad injuries that hindered him during his career showed that he is, indeed, human.  By 2009, it was clear that Griffey was in decline.  In 117 games for the Mariners that season, he hit just .214 with 57 RBI.  The Kid retired in 2010 after a storied big league career, leaving a legacy as one of the most beloved stars in baseball history—in Seattle and around the baseball world.

And then there’s Barry Bonds.

From 1986, when Bonds broke into the big leagues, through 1998 (the year before he allegedly began using steroids), he was an eight-time all-star, three-time National League MVP, seven-time Silver Slugger award-winner, and eight-time Gold Glove award winner.

Those are first ballot Hall of Fame numbers.

Then in 1999 things began to change.  Bonds body went through extraordinary changes.  He bulked up immensely, and his head, hands and feet appeared to have grown as well.  Before 1999, the most home runs Bonds had ever hit in a single season was 46 in 1993.  In 2000 he hit 49.  Then in 2001, he hit 73.  In that season, he only had 49 singles.  47% of his hits were homers, and 69% of hits were extra-base hits.  These numbers were mind-boggling, especially for a man who was now 37 years old.

How does a ballplayer who never hit more than 46 homers in a season in his 20s hit 73 when he was almost 40?  Well, we all know the story.

And it’s a sad one.  Baseball is a game for the common man, and it should be played by the common man—not one who has added artificial strength to excel past his peers in the sport.

In a strange way, we want to—no, we need to—see our heroes decline.  It shows us truth, and it shows us integrity and grace from those like Willie Mays and Ken Griffey, Jr., who played with what they naturally had.  They thrilled us with their natural abilities while in their prime, and we watched in sadness but with great respect and admiration when they struggled through their decline.

Outside of San Francisco, and perhaps even somewhere inside as well, there was no respect or admiration for what Bonds did.

He may have hit a lot of home runs.  But he did not give us what we wanted to see.

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‘The Splendid Splinter’ and the 50 Best Nicknames in MLB History

Nicknames and baseball go together like peanut butter and jelly. 

There are literally thousands of different nicknames that baseball players have acquired though their careers, and we all have our favorites. 

Making a list of the top 50 nicknames is difficult, because there are some great players and nicknames that have to be left off the list.  So I guess I’m apologizing in advance if I left your favorite off the list.

Here are the top 50 nicknames in MLB history:

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Brandon Belt’s Homer Cannot Overcome San Francisco Giants Errors in Loss

Some things went right on Friday night. Others went wrong.

The Giants were able to muster more than one run and hold a lead only to have errors and questionable pitching moves undo them in the sixth inning.

Some questions were answered, but others have been raised.

 

Brandon Belt has arrived

Brandon Belt hit his first career home run against Chad Billingsley. On top of that, his three-run homer gave the Giants a 3-1 lead.

He took two very good pitches from Billingsley to work the count to 2-0.

Belt has showed maturity beyond his years and, despite only being two games in, Belt looks like the real deal.

 

Where is the defense?

The Giants defense has handed their starting pitchers two losses in two nights. Five errors in two games is not the way any successful team should play.

This is not the type of team that can afford to give runs away.

What concerns me is whether this is becoming a trend or is just early-season jitters.

 

Pablo’s bat comes alive

During his first at-bat of the night, Pablo Sandoval swung at three curveballs in the dirt, resulting in a strikeout.

Sandoval finished the night 2-for-4 and had better control of his at-bats.

 

Jonathan Sanchez remains nasty

There were some questions about Jonathan Sanchez and how he could rebound from his final two playoff appearances.

Would he be tired? Could he keep his control both mentally and physically?

Well, Sanchez had control of all of his pitches Friday night and kept the Dodgers‘ batters off balance.

In his 5.2 innings, he struck out eight while allowing four runs—two earned. His three walks were spread throughout his start.

He seemed poised and confident in his first start of the season.

 

Other notes

Miguel Tejada got his first hit as a Giant, but it came as a bunt single that nobody could have predicted.

This is not a good sign. He has not had very good at-bats and it has resulted in his 1-for-8 start.

The bullpen has not been very impressive. Guillermo Mota and Santiago Casilla have allowed runs to score on their watch.

But, once again, it is still very early.

 

Follow me on Twitter: @FarmboySports

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


San Francisco Giants: Clayton Kershaw, Errors Too Much in Opener at L.A.

The Giants did not expect to start their trek to a repeat title like this.

The Giants hit a road block on Thursday’s opening day at Dodger Stadium, kicking the ball around in the sixth inning.

Miguel Tejada botched a throw to second with a runner at first with one out, followed by a rare Posey throwing error with the bases loaded. Just nanoseconds before, Posey made a great save on a pitch by Lincecum in the dirt.

The Dodgers drew first blood in the game on the error.

As Posey threw the ball, the runner at third, Matt Kemp, appeared to already be back on the base.

“I thought he was off the base,” Posey said after the game. “I would not have thrown it if I thought he wasn’t.”

To complicate matters further for the Giants, Clayton Kershaw was dominant for the Dodgers. In seven shutout innings of work, Kershaw held the Giants to four hits and one walk, including nine strikeouts.

Cleanup hitter Buster Posey was one of the few to get something going against Kershaw, finishing the night one for four, but with two strikeouts.

“He did a good job of moving the ball around and mixing up some off-speed pitches,” Posey said of Kershaw.

The Giants seemed to struggle in all facets of the game in their three-error debacle—except for pitching. Tim Lincecum was nearly as fantastic as Kershaw, but earned a tough loss, pitching seven strong innings of unearned one-run ball.

The Dodgers tacked on another run in the eighth inning on a James Loney RBI double.

The Giants avoided embarrassment by scoring in the ninth off Jonathan Broxton. Burrell lined a screamer over the left field wall, reminiscent to his game-winning home run off Jonathan Broxton last July.

Brandon Belt had a game to remember. In his first at bat, he accomplished an important milestone—his first major league hit, an infield single.

Belt had impressive at-bats throughout his 1-for-3 night, including a walk off Clayton Kershaw.

Although he made the last out of the game on a soft line drive to Uribe, Belt battled Broxton till the end.

Starter Tim Lincecum shrugged the loss off as best he could.

“Games like this are going to happen,” Lincecum said. “Hopefully, we’ll get them tomorrow.”

One noticeable improvement was the defensive play of Pablo Sandoval. During the sloppy sixth inning, Sandoval shined, as he saved two runs with a diving play on a line drive to his left. Runners were on second and third at the time.

The good news for the Giants? Tomorrow is a new month.

WP: Clayton Kershaw (1-0), LP: Tim Lincecum (0-1), Broxton (S, 1)

HR: Pat Burrell (1, 9th inning off Broxton)

My Thoughts

Aside from the errors in the sixth inning, the Giants cannot expect to win many games by scoring two runs. Clayton Kershaw is a great pitcher, but some questionable at-bats hindered their chance at mounting a rally.

An at-bat of note was Andres Torres’ eighth inning plate appearance. Hong-Chih Kuo threw six straight balls to start the eighth inning, but Torres swung at what appeared to be ball three.

Torres would go on to have a good, long at-bat and line out to Andre Ethier in right field, but Torres probably should have taken a strike there with Kuo struggling with his control. If he takes the 2-0 pitch, the count might be 3-0 (the pitch was borderline) and who knows what happens?

Although Belt did not get the ball out of the infield, his approach was good. In the fifth inning, Belt somehow laid off Kershaw’s two-strike off-speed pitches and worked out a walk. Even his last at-bat off Broxton was a two-strike battle, although it was a line drive out to third base.

A questionable defensive miscue came from Buster Posey in the defensive nightmare sixth inning.

After Posey made an amazing block to keep the runner at third, there was no reason to throw the ball. The runner at third, Kemp, was standing on the base as Posey fired an errant throw to third.

The bottom line is the Giants did not get it done offensively or defensively. Scoring one run will not win many ball games.

Regardless of the errors, the Giants gave up few enough runs to win. Every team makes mistakes, but the good teams make up for those errors and pick up their teammates who caused the blunders.

The Giants have to do what they did last year to win. That is to catch the balls they could get to, get timely hits, and have fun.

The Giants will try to rebound tomorrow against the Dodgers at 7:10 p.m. from Dodger Stadium. Jonathan Sanchez will make his 2011 debut against Chad Billingsley.

 

 

 

 

Follow me on twitter @vintalkingiants

This article was featured on the blog Talking Giants Baseball

Questions or comments? E-mail my blog mailbag at vc4re@yahoo.com. Your questions may be answered on my blog.

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