Game 46: Another walk-off win, Giants sweep A's with 5-4 win in 12

A rant:  Jeremy Affeldt and Bruce Bochy must have a very special relationship.  How else can you explain Jonathan Sanchez's removal from a game where he only had one truly stressful inning and only went to 6.  1 out, nobody on, B6 inning -- there's no reason to PH for a guy that's only thrown 100 and has only given up 1 run.

Let your pitchers go 7 innings, McFly; unless you've got a guy on third.  Seriously, if you're clinging to a 1 run lead, is Sanchez or Affeldt the guy you go with?  No to mention the fact that Sanchez has been hitting doubles lately.

Negatives over, now let's talk about how sweet it is to sweep the A's again.  Oh, and BTW, your Colorado Rockies dropped all 3 to Milwaukee.  For those keeping track, your boys in black are now 3.5 up.

Not to say that I'm counting my chicks before their eggs have hatched, but I do like the little bit of pulling away.  The Giants MO has been to streak at home and stumble on the road.  But, a .500 record on the road ain't so bad when you've got 9 consecutive wins at home (three sweeps against the best teams of late to sweep: LA, Colorado, and Oaktown).

All kidding aside, the A's outfielders have been awfully impressive this series.  Too bad they can't hit, but they are a fantastic defensive team, and they'll be a force to reckon with should they make it to the playoffs.

Their starters were nasty too.  Couldn't say as much about their bullpen, if the Giants were a better offensive team, they would've scored a lot more than they did.  You give up 4 runs to SF, that's like giving up 8 to Philly or the Yankees.

just sayin

box

Game 42: Cody Ross comes through, Giants win 8-5

8 runs, only 1 extra base hit.  But that Extra Base hit was a big one.

Giants were winnig the whole time, Cainer was cruising, Bochy got cute in the 8th, and things went haywire.

Weezy is getting raked over the coals for coughing up a 3 run lead in 2 batters, and yeah, Juan Uribe's double with 2 outs in the B8 was Uribe beating Weezy, but Loney's following single was a brain fart and a half by Aubrey Huff. 

A squeaky bouncer towards first base, Huff ran past it like Fred was going to get it.  But it was quite obviously a first base play and just out of Fred's reach.  If Huffy stifled it, even if he didn't get the out @ first, he would have still kept Uribe from scoring.

Luckily, Code-Man went yard with 2 on in the T9, and Weezy walks away with his 4th win in his last 4 appearances. 

DeRo hurt his wrist without even swinging.  I've been bitching about DeRo, but you hate to see him get hurt again.  Nevertheless, at least Burriss gets a crack at the big team again.

Rowand also left.  A little more disconcerting, though, is that Weezy seems to have strained his ab or oblique again.  Still, he gutted out the last three outs while trying not to hold his side.  Extra Baggs sez that he was just rusty.

box

Opening Freaking Day

This Whole Barry Zito Thing

Z's been threatened with a trade or all-out pay-off and release according to Bruce Jenkins and his source: some guy "close to the team".

Finally, a little bit of drama out of camp.

There's two things going on here:

1. Zito is under performing for any contract, let alone his big one
2. The Giants are uncomfortable paying dozens of millions to a guy that can't even make their post season roster

If there is anyone in the organization that would be disgruntled with Z's performance to the extent that they want him off the team, it'd be the coaching staff: most natoably Rags and Boche.  The coaching staff's job security is tied to player performance and team winning percentage, they have very little to say about the dollars and cents.

Meanwhile, the men in the front office (Sabes and Neukom) would be very unlikely to cut a guy to whom they'll still owe $60 million dollars over the next three years.  After all, good or bad, you don't want to loose a guy into the free agent market and pay him so that he can perform for another team.

Still, this threat smacks of front office motivational techniques.  I'd have a hard time believing that Rags or Boche would leak information like this knowing full well that Z's temperamental and their best back up plan is Jeff Suppan (I mean come on, Jeff Suppan?).  This would be something that the coaching staff would bring up the third week of March, if at all before the season.

Meanwhile, a feigned sigh, shrug, and finger wag might be the only thing Brian Sabean can do to light a fire under Z.  Let's be honest "a source close to the team," whoever that is, is operating as a mouthpiece for Sabes and Neukom.  Nobody in the front office would piss in front of the press without the GM signing and initialing three pieces of paper to OK it.