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.

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Game 35: Lincecum gets a no decision because Mark DeRosa Sucks, but Giants win 1-0

Lincecum gets a no decision because Mark DeRosa sucks (0 for 3, GDP, 5 LOB)

But, my man Rossi stays clutch-- he so is, walk off win.

Timmy looked no-no good.

Weezy has 3 of their 4 wins on the homestand (haha)

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Upcoming: 3 vs Arizona

Giants are hot suddenly.  A sweep vs Colorado will do that to you.  Unfortunately, 3 of their top 4 batting averages are on the DL and the 4th is a pitcher, but they've been piecing it together.  Let's not forget that if their pitching keeps it close, they just need to string together 4 or 5 hits in a 7 batter inning once a game to win.

When everyone is expected to hit .275, and everyone starts off hitting .220, you know that the hits will come in a bunch.

Giants took 2 out of 3 from the D-Backs in April, and the one that they dropped shouldn't have been dropped.

This week they send a pumped up Freak, a steady Cainer, and a temperamental pitcher to the mound.  I <3 it when the top three start a series.

2 our of 3 is not necessary but expected.  A sweep would officially make it a hard core win streak, which they could continue into this next weekend Chicago, and then only need to pull a .500 record when going to Colorado and LA before coming home next next weekend.

Rossi might be starting to hit (I hope), I think Buster's almost out of his slump.  He's really hitting the ball on the screws.  I'd like to see him go deep and get a couple extra base hits on top of that to avoid a double dip slump which comes sometimes when you quite bust through a slump (Miggy's in like a quadruple dip slump aka the career-ender).

Anyways, 2 out 0f 3, but if Sanchie pulls it together, a nice little streak maybe?

Game 29: Giants finally score, right the ship a little bit, with extra innings, 7-6 win

I almost entitled this one Giants finally score, try to lose, but finally win in 10.

But I can't be that sardonic, too early in the season.  I can, however, throw my hands int he air and say, "Finally."

I got in the car just as the four run rally started in the 3rd.  Ross walked and then three consecutive hits, including Vogelsong, until Miggy ends the consecutive hit streak (of course). But at least he moved the runners up -- soft grounder to third, Miller called it, "just as good as a bunt."

Burriss in for Sanchez, got a couple of hits, scored a run.  Nate the Great hit a ding dong, and Huffy may have snapped his slump today with the game-winning home run.

Only listened to part of the game, didn't have the energy for full on torture tonight.  Just as well, Mets threw a knuckle baller up there, RA Dickey.

Talk of Jose Reyes in a trade.  Wheeler and Thomas Neal as bait?  Hmmm, food for thought, but the front office tends to be stingy at times like these.

Game 28: Three hits? That's all we got was 3 god damn hits? Schnide is a skid, Giants drop 3 out of 4 in DC, lose 2-0

Didn't watch the game again.  Thought I might be the jinx.  I'm not.


OK, Cody Ross is officially on the list.  Miggy's there too (error #5)

Giants desperately need a 3rd baseman -- Miguel Tejada needs to be DFA or traded.

Tired of this garbage.

One month review: Outfielders

There are only 3 left fielders with more errors than Pat Burrell (2), and none of them play in the National League.  But  Burrell is the only outfielder on the Giants with an error .

Defensively, the Giants outfielders are great (especially now that Huff is back in the infield [phew!])

Batting: Burrell is living up to his rep all home run and strikeout: but all of his ding dongs are solo shots.  So he's gota low RBI total, also means he's probably striking out with guys on.  He started in the .100's but lately has climbed back up to the mid-.200's, plus he's leading the club in bases on balls.

Torres went down early and that hurt, but Aaron Rowand has really stepped up.  When it counts, he gets on base. 

Cody Ross is off the DL and totally underwhelming.  Totally!  But let's not forget that he's not a NL MVP, he's an NLCS MVP -- over the course of 6 games in October he was good, but going into post, he was average.  In fact, there was talk of leaving him off the team in favor of De Jesus.

He's at 33 A Bs and still under.200, if he doesn't turn it around like by the end of this Washington series, I'd hook him inf avor of Nate the Great, who seems awfully comfy these days.

Darren Ford's up, and with DeRo on the DL, Panda on the DL, he might stay up a while.  Gothis first ML Hit today.

Burrell:
My calls: .265/35/95, 550 AB, < 120 Ks (batting 5th)
Actuals: .247/5/8, 10 runs, 10 BB ; .348 OBP (primarily bats 6th)

Torres
My calls: .280 and with several doubles and triples ; .280/12/60, 25 SB, 90 R, 2 Errors (batting 1st)
Actuals: .286/0/0, 1 SB, 0 errors, 8 games ; DL (bats 1st) ;

Rowand
Actuals: .294/1/8, 1 SB, 23 games out of 26 ; .333  OBP (batting 1st)

Cody Ross
My Calls: 270 BA with 15 HRs, 60 runs, and 15 SBs ;
Actuals: .182/0/1, 0 SB, 9 games out of 26; primarily bats 7th

Nate Schierholtz
Actuals: .278/1/3, .444 SLG, 21 games, 36 AB

Game 25: Frustration mounting as Giants drop a quality Lincecum start 3-0

5 hits off the bats of 4 guys.  Cody Ross hit into a double play.  Miggy played a shoddy shortstop.  Not a game goes by lately that Giants don't disappoint.  0 for 3 with RISP.

Panda Bear beat out another double play with some quick digging down to first base.

Jason Marquis looked like a damn all-star.

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Games19/20/21: Giants overmatched by Braves in 3 game home series; swept

Easter weekend, didn't get a chance to check in very often.

Friday's game, Maddy let it get out of hand early and once again the Giants had no ideas against Tommy Hanson.  Bumgarner gives up 4 in less than 3, walks 2 in the process.  The Giants mounted no ressure against the back end of the Braves' bullpen.  Giants lost 4-1.

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Saturday's game, I only heard the first few innings on the radio, but Timmy went 3-1 to maybe every batter I heard him face.  Sometimes, either because of some umps or because of his stuff, Timmy's pitches don't hit their mark.  I think the book on him is take pitches and hope that he doesn't get the calls.  Still, he went 6.1 and left with only 3 runs on the board (Lopez let a couple other score).

Huddy was as good as he always is, pitched 8.2 strong and it only took him 113 pitches to get that far.  Cody Ross got a batting average with a 2 for 4 day and an RBI.  Pat the Bat went 3 for 4 and scored both runs that the Boys posted.  Giants lost 5-2

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Sunday's game was a good one until the Giants lost.  Sanchie gave up 2 early, but Buster tied it up with a ding dong in 4th.  Then it got weird.

In the top of the 7th, Affeltd gave a 3 run jerk to Heyward (who woke up this series going 7 for 12), but the Giants rallied for 4 (the go ahead 2 off of a Rowand double) to go up 6-5.

In the top of 8, Romo threw a snapper that didn't snap to Uggla and the Braves tied it up with one swing.

Weezy came in for the 9th to hold the tie, but in the 10th, loaded the bases quickly.  Still, he got through 2 guys, and, though throwing 3 straight balls to Nate McClouth, got him to 3-2.  but McClouth punched a fast ball up the middle and that's all she wrote.

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Postivies: only 2 double plays, both vs Huddy (which you'd expect), also Panda Bear's still hitting well and Pat the Bat seems to be climbing out of the Bingo batting average territory (in fact, he's at .270).

The Giants are 0-4 without Brandon Belt

Upcoming: 3 vs Atlanta

The 2010 NLDS's first rematch will happen in San Francisco as the Braves head west for a 3 game weekend series.

Last year, the Braves were the team I afeared going into October.  For good reason.  Aside from the help of a subpar defenseman in the middle of the diamond, that series could have been vastly different than what we ended up with.

The Braves haven't been exactly setting the world on fire out of the gate, which I sort of expected considering that Bobby Cox is not at the helm.  Cox was outstanding at not only evaluating talent, but figuring out how it fit in to whatever he was doing.  His lineups and his in-game management probably gave the Braves an extra 10-15 wins every year.

This year, so far, they're 8-11, 4-6 away from home.  Their catcher, McCann, is still their best hitter: which means they are having issues.  But their best pitcher just got off the DL and he's going tonight, which means the Giants won't have to face him this weekend.

Game 1, the Giants skip over DL'd pitcher Z's spot in the ro-ro and go right to Bumgarner against Tommy Hanson.  Hanson hasn't given up more than 3 runs in any start, but he still will come in with a 1-3 record: and that one win was his last start.  Historically, against the Giants, he's been very good. 

Conversely, Maddy has been scuffling a bit lately.  However, in his last start, the D-Backs tuched him up early, but when the Giants came back and took the lead, Maddy suddlenly pitched very good.  PErhaps he's shaking the April butterflies.  Either way, the Giants will have to score early and give Maddy a bit of breath.  I'd like to see Code-Man get a batting average (he's 0 for 4) and I hope Panda Bear's back.

Game 2 may have the makings of a very good game.  Lincecum vs Tim Hudson.  Hudson has always pitched well against the Giants, but Timmy is -- well you know.  The key will be to make Huddy throw a lot of pitches, work the count, get as much as you can, and se eif you can get him out by the 5th or 6th.  Timmy will just have to pitch well.  Considering that the Braves are hitting in the .230's as a team: that shouldn't be difficult.

This should be the game that Bochy rests some guys in lieu of a fella or two who can work a count.  Schierholtz would be a good option, and Fontenot always gives good at bats, even if they don't always end well.

Game 3 will be Brandon Beachy against Jonathan Sanchez, this week coined as the moody artists of the Giants by Brian Murphy.


Sanchez has been great, and last year was wonderful against the Braves.  And while Beachy is another one of those high-losses vs low-ERA guys, the Giants have a knack for turning those guys' ERAs inside out (see D-Backs series). 

So, for this upcoming series, and mini-homestand, the Giants should get 2 out of 3.  I'd expect Sanchie to win his game, and more than likely Timmy.  That makes Maddy's game (game 1) the gravy game.

Ross at clean up?

Dammit, Ross is a fine player who had a fine post season and can play a good right field, but he's not Barry Bonds for God sakes!  Why can't we just have a normal clean up hitter that can go yard when there are guys on base?  Buster was doing a fine job, even Burrell would be ok (thought I like him hitting 6th.  Let's not go kookoo bananas over Cody Ross just because the guy hit three home runs 6 months ago!

Game 18: Cainer gets shellacked; Giants drop game 3 vs Rocks 10-2

I watched the first couple innings yesterday, saw Buster get his first RBI (he had all 2).  Then I watched as far as Cainer all but collapsing the 2nd, an inning which saw Wiggington go yard for a 3 run shot, and still didn't end, though no one else scored.

Cainer didn't have it.  He's kind of spotty at Coors Field.  And the Rocks were getitng over hteir shellshock from the furst two games.  I'd have preferred a sweep, of course.  Because a 2-1 series win means the Giants are  three back of Colorado in the standings.  A sweep would've meant only one back.

Of course, i forgot that Jorge de la Rosa is freaking Sandy Koufax against the Giants.

Oh well, to early to care about standings, and truly I was hoping for a 4-2 road trip, but expecting 3-3.

For the record, it was 4-2.

So, here we are, 18 games in with a 10-8 record.  If they 10-4 over their next 14, they'll be on pace for 100 wins and should be #1 in the MLB.

But, again, too early.

Belt officially got demoted.  He's got a good head on his shoulders, he'll be fine and he'll be back.

Oh yeah, an Cody Ross came back -- which I like -- he batted clean up, which made me go all, huh?

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Belt-age

Cody Ross coming back.  The team will actually be much better because of it (although Schierholtz last night, I dunno) --

Brandon: we'll see you later.  You'll be better off too.

Tighten that Belt

So Belt has been given a small sample size now, and he's grinding.

5 for 35 over the first 10 games.  His OPS is under .500 and he's struck out almost 1/4 of his ABs (8x)

This is a significatnly dismal line.  I think that Cody Ross is still, I dunno, about a week away.  Maybe another 10 games at the most -- so this gives Belt a little time to prove his meddle.

But, the truth is, if he's still under .200 (and really, if he's under about .240) when Ross comes back, I think the smart move is to move Belt down to Fresno for a little while and let him get his numbers back up.

The concerning thing is not so much the lack of hits because sometimes the hits aren't coming.  We've all gone through a 5 for 35 spell (well, those of us who've played professional baseball ...... I've never played pro ball).  But in the first series v the Dodgers, Belt was working counts, seeing a lot of pitches and putting the ball in play.

These last 6 games, he's completely befuddled.  He's buckling on curve balls, he's swinging early on off speed stuff.  He's grinding, legitimately grinding.  Almost lunging to get the ball in play.

I think Belt needs to be patient.  And though he's faced quality pitching -- the back end of every pitching staff he's gone up against has been lackluster.  He should be at least working the bullpens, but he's not.  Not against SD, not againts the Cards, and last night he was flumoxed.

It seems unfair to demand production from a young kid in his first 10 games, but the truth is if he's not producing after all the sunshine that we the fans and they the team management has been blowing up his ass, then he's going to be down in the dumps and emtionally unstable for who knows how long.

A demotion to AAA might do the same thing, but if he can go down for 20 or 30 games, learn how to judge a curveball, and get a gawdy avg, then he might come back up in June ready to kick ass again.

Player Preview -- The Outfielders

My second nugget breaking down the team before the season begins.  Previously, it was the Infielders, now it is the Outfielders

(read more below the fold)

Player Preview -- The Infielders

stolen from here

God the Hot Stove League is so short when you play into November -- here we are, less than 2 1/2 days from the start of the regular season.

The Giants depth is in the outfield, but their run scorers are in the infield.  It also might house their weakest cogs defensively.

(break down below the fold)

Pre-Season Picks

OK, time to put up or shut up. 

By Friday night, all but one team in MLB will have kicked off their road to heartbreak.

Thusfar, I've been sniffing around the Spring Training blogs and reports -- The Giants look good, save for a somewhat unnerving oblique strain to B Wheezy and a not-quite-alarming leg injury to Cody Ross.

Let's not forget that Wheez is stronger at the end than he is at the beginning, so maybe the extra week(s?) off will save us from a couple blown stinkers.

And, as much as I like the Rodeo Clown, Cody was strong for all of 10 games last year -- and they weren't before the leaves fell.

Besides, Schierholtz has been strong enough, and I think it's time to give the ol' boy a couple weeks to start the year and see exactly what we got (finally).

So, now without further ado, my division picks (after the fold)