Game 41: Unreasonable, Giants lose 5-3

The Giants were swept in their 2 game set @ Colorado.

It is unreasonable to expect their pitchers to go out every start and protect a 3-run offensive output.  Even the best pitchers need a spell.  When your lead is always no more than 2 or 3, even one runner on base creates a high-stress situation.  Eventually, that will wear on a guy.

Whereas a pitcher with 2 Cy Young awards (Timmy) or perhaps a pitcher that is regularly deified for his professional ethic and for carrying a subpar staff for the few years before it became sublime (Cain) probably can deal with such games with a plum.  Those pitchers that are more emotionally fragile due to temperament (Sanchez), immaturity or inexperience (Bumgarner and maybe Vogelsong), or consistent scrutiny and criticism (Zito) are more apt to eventually collapse like a house of cards.

Without run support, this fantastic pitching staff is liable to fail and leave or fail and never recover.

On freaking notice:

• Mark DeRosa (DFA today)
• Miguel Tejada (DFA today)
• Mike Fontenot (cannot be a regular starter)
• Power outage (Pablo Sandoval still has the team lead in HR's, despite missing the last 3 weeks w/ injury)
• Dan Runzler (AAA if he has options)
• Jeremy Affeldt (less of a role, please)

Game 38: Maddy gets dicked around again, Affeldt is done, Giants lose by a bunch, 11-4

The game started promising, but the Giants are the only team that can get to the 7th batter in the lineup in the first inning and still only score one run.

Maddy gave up 3 in the 2nd, but I don't think it was his fault.  I thought he was squeezed on a 3-2 pitch to pitcher Ryan Dempster.  After that, a few consecutive hits led to 2 more runs.

The true disappointment is with Jeremy Affeldt.  Listen, I like Affeldt, he's a nice guy, but I think he's done. 

In fact, I idolize the guy for game 6 against the Phillies.  I do.  But, he is notorius for letting inherited runners score, his curve ball goes up, and when he pitches against a decent hitter, he gets rocked.

Affeldt and Runzler: I'm ready to pull the plug on them.  Their lines today (combined)

1.1IP 7H 7R 7ER 1K

Take their work out and we're in extra innings right now.

It's nice to have other lefties, but when Casilla comes back, I think we've seen the last of Runzler.  So now, the Giants are in desperate need of another leftie, otherwise they're tetheredto Affeldt, good guy though he may be.

Which brings me to another stupid point:

Bochy: you start a lefty, the Cubs lineup is geared towards facing a lefty, and then, 2 our of your 3 relievers are lefties? 

Why not throw your aresenal of right handed arms at the Cubbies?  Make Quade go to his bench or suffer a bad match up?  I mean I just look at Maddy facing righty after righty after righty -- give them a RHP for eff's sake.

Anyway, Vogelsong tomorrow.  First Saturday Night Game @ Wrigley since Andre Dawson was on the team.  hopefully it throws the northsiders off.

Game 4:Two big innings blow the game/series, Giants lose 7-5

Zito is always so effin' unstable in the first inning of every start.
And, come on -- isn't it time to pull the plug on Dan Runzler?  That Marc Kroon had a like 1.8 ERA.
Also, not sure Huff is working out in right.

Giants lose the series 1-3.  Got two in San Diego, who just took 2 out of 3 from St. Louis.  Of course, they dropped the last one, and that might slow them a bit.  I'd really like to take both games in San Diego.  With Bumgarner and Timmy pitching, it should be possible.