Game 43: Maddy notches a win (finally), Giants sweep set @ LA, win 3-1

WAtched the game early on, then caught the dots on mlb.com in the last inning.

Maddy looked good.  Giants went up 1-0 on a Fontenot double after a Posey lead off double int he 2nd (it should be noted that Poset hit a lead off double, and 2 outs later Fontenot hit his RBI double).

After that I knew Maddy had the game and only cast glances towards the game and score.

Weezy made it interesting by comign in with 2 outs, one on, and walked the next 2 guys.  But, you know, while it makes me uncomforatable, I don't see these things as warning signs.  Mattingly, Dodgers skipper, threw two lefties @ Weezy (which he walked) and Weeze got the 3rd out on righty Jamie Carroll.  He akways does that.

Of course, Carroll hit a laser to right that Schierholtz only caught because he was playing shallow, but still.

Quietly, Miguel Tejada is pulling his average up.  Perhaps he's turning, but he's still on my list.

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Upcoming: 2 @ LA

2 game sets are a pain in the ass.  They're like built-in splits (the last set at Colorado, however, should not be overlooked as an exception).

So, on Monday morning, I would have called a 2-2 week for the Giants.  Now, after having been swept in Denver., that means that have to go up against Kershaw and Billingsley in LA and beat them both.  Oh BTW, Giants team BA is under .240.  Oh BTW, their teams leaders in homeruns are the back up left fielder and the third baseman that's been on the DL for 3 weeks.  Oh BTW, after the Dodgers, they've face quality pitching staffs (Oakland, Florida) and 23 games in 24 days vs the NL Central and the Rockies again.

So, the goal has to be taking two in LA.  And a maybe 14 wins over those next 23 games, just to hopefully stay relevant.

Kershaw is a pain in the ass, but everyone else seems to hit him, so WTF?  Billingsley usually puts in 5 untouchable innings and then he breaks down.  The Giants have to grind counts.  They [u][b][i]HAVE TO GET TO THE BULLPEN[/u][/i][/b].

Cainer should get you 7 strong, and Bumgarner is on the precipice of win #1 (gotta come some time).  Posey wants to hit for power (he's still hitting clean-up which is a mystery to me), and Torres came back on a terror.

No RBI's is their problem right now.  The lineup is top heavy with OBP and Avg, and when you get to the black hole that is the 7-8-9 hitters, you're lucky if you got one in before someone hits into a double play.

So, freeking, frustrating,

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 23: God Damn Fucking Hell!

God damn fucking hell!

2-0 (and it was almost 1-0).

Madison Bumgarner finally almost gets back on the horse, and the Giants go for 0 for 6 with runner in scoring position, hit into 2 double plays -- including one to end the game with 2 on and one out (TEJADAAAAAAA!!!!!)

This always freaking happens in Pittsburgh.  0 for 17 with RISP.  OH FOR EFFIN SEVENTEEN!  OH FOR SEVENTEEN!

I am so god damn frustrated.  TOMORROW!  Tomorrow they have to win (with Ryan Voglesong on the mound by the damn way).

Rowand's coming back down to Earth.  So is Sanchez.

Looks like Buster's going to be hitting around .275 this year too, which might be his Sophomore slump. 
Huffy goes 1 for 4.  Need him to start hitting.  He's under .220.

Fact is they went against a guy that has a 10 ERA and made him look like Cy damn Young.

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Maddy Bummy

Just found out that Boche is starting Vogelsong over Bumgarner tomorrow.

Bochy!  Not a fan of that stinkin' idea.  The Pirates have almost-terrible hitting and their pitcher will be a guy who gives up 6 runs in 5 innings.  What better way to build up the kid than to put him up against these guys?  And ont he road, where he doesn't have the pressure of Dingus McClingus from San Francisco shouting that he's a disdappointment to his family and the entire Bay Area (just a r-tard from Pitt who doesn't know who the hell he is anyway).

Come on Boche!  Give him one more!

[edit @ 4:01]

nevermind

Looks like Vogelsong will start Thursday, which puts Timmy @ Friday in DC,

Upcoming: 3 @ Pittsburgh

The Giants need to get off of the hump.

Sounds like the perfect time for 3 games against Pittsburgh.

Of course, SF is notorious for dropping series in Pittsburgh.  Pittsburgh can finish a season 2-160, those 2 wins would be against the Giants in Pittsburgh.

Timmy and Cainer are pitching games 1 and 3 and are going up against the Pirates best pitchers, Charlie Morton and Jeff Karstens repetitively.  These are Pitt's only 2-game winners and they both have ERAs under 4.  Morton's got a lifetime ERA close to 6, so he's due to start climbing upwards.  And Karstens has a lifetime around 5, so the same can be said for him.

The key will be to get them out early.  If Huffy can start hitting, then some of Panda Bear's, Buster's, and PAt the Bat's ding dongs might be worth more than one run.


Maddy's pitching in the 2nd game.  There's no better person ffor him to face in his funk than James McDonald, who is 0-2 with an ERA somewhere around Pluto.  Maddy needs to pitch with the lead, it seems to be where he finds strength.  Hopefully the Giants can give him a big first inning and let him cruise. 

Because Vogelsong is now in the ro-ro, he's probably not available to go relief.  This series will be important to keep the bullpen fresh.  Hopefully Bumgarner can go 6 with very little drama.

My expectation is a sweep.  But I'll settle for 2 out of 3, with one of those 2 being a Maddy Bumgarnny winny.

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.

Game 15: Poor defense coughs up lead, cool Giants' bats give D-Backs win in extras; 6-5

It's tough to win when you can only get 6 hits in 12 innings, and your starting pitcher gives up 8 hits and 4 runs in less than 7, but a Buster Posey game-tying blast and a Panda Bear following him directly with the go ahead gave the Giants ample opportunity to win.

Unfortunately, Miguel Tejada's spotty defense led to an extended 8th inning, and the D-Backs tied it up and then won in 12.

Miggy is not impressing me.  The guy's got a decent cluthc potential, but a lot of times that clutch is making up for runs or baserunners that he gives up.  Even in cases where defense extends the inning but doesn't lead to runs-scored: the extra pitches that a pitcher has to throw gives the other team that much more exposure to the pitcher.

Giants finish with 2 out of 3 from the D-Backs, their 3rd series win in a row.  Tonight they head into Denver to play 3 vs the Rocks.  This'll be where mettle is tested.

In other news: Zito'son the DL.  Vogelsong will take his place in the ro-ro.

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Upcoming: 3 @ Arizona

The Giants first non-Opening Day-related road trip will whisk them away to the magical land that they occupied not 3 weeks ago: Phoenix, Arizona.

The Giants will send Cain, Zito, and Bumgarner agaist Daniel Hudson, Joe Saunders, and Barry Enright.  Combined those 3 D-Back pitchers are 0-4, but Hudson is sporting an ERA just above 3 (the other 2 are at an eRA of 6)

Cainer should be able to handle the Zonas, even with their "best" pitcher on the mound. 

I worry about guys that have high ERAs after 2 starts because you know that they're due for a reaosnable start.

Saunders gives up baserunners, whereas Enright is a bit more stingy in that department.  I see another bullpen game in Z's future, but I see Maddy pitching a little more comfortably against a sub-par team.

Saunders will let the Giants hit, and I hope that it'll wake up Belt in that game in particular.  The Giants are going to have at least one 6, 7, or 8-run game, and I think that middle game will be the horse race.  It should also be the gravy game.

Game 3 moight be lower scoring, but I'd like to see Maddy take a 4-1 win in his pocket and go 7.

The way Panda Bear and Fred have been hitting, and with the hopes of an andres Torres return by Saturday, plus the Giants on an upswing, nothing would be better than taking a 3 game sweep into Colorado next week.  That would also put them 3 games over .500.

Road Trip Preview

Now that the season has "officially" begun, and now that there will be very few occasions for pre-game ceremonies or Sammy Hagar-worthy National Anthems, we can look at the Giants first legitimate road trip.

In-division road trips are never anything to scoff at, even if one of the locations is Phoenix versus the hapless D-Backs. 

Their first destination, Phoenix, will be a decent test for the back end of the ro-ro.  Whilst we all have enormous confidence in Cainer, Z and Bummy have been less-than-adequate in their first two starts.  And the Diamondbacks love to take all of nothing swings.  Cut down on the location mistakes, give 6 and let your lively bullpen arms blow hard cheese past the yuckadoos from Zona, the Giants should still take 2 out of 3.

The Rockies are another story.  Whereas the Dodgers came out of the gate looking to show everyone that they are actually a quality team, especially now that they're Manny-free; the Rockies have no need to prove their worth.  With a best-in-MLB 10-2 start, a 6 game winning streak, and home field advantage on their side, the Rocks are laying claim to the NL West throne.

Even with their best pitcher out for a bit, their hitting has pretty much cashed them in versus all opponents.  Tulo's got 7 dingers, this Herrerra kid's hitting .458 and the team has scored 68 runs in 12 games.

The only condolence is that their current 7-1 streak (6-0 in the last 6) comprises itself on 2 4-game series vs the Mets and the Pirates.  But, all 8 games were on the road.

The Giants will send Timmy, Sanchie, and Cainer against the Colorados, so we'll be praying for 2 ou of 3, and I foresee Cain pitching the rubber match.

Offensively, the boys are waking up, and the trip to the hot air and the thin air ought to spark Belt.  If he scuffles ont his trip, he's definitely headed back to AAA.

Giants Pregame: 4-11-11 vs Dodgers

Game 1 of the first Dodgers @ SF series will be the Giants gravy game in the series.

Gravy Game: A game where the edge might be nudged against your team for various reasons, so if you lose, well, that might be int he cards.  But if you win: that's gravy.

Clayton Kershaw looked like damn Doc Gooden (pre-crack) on opening day vs the Giants.  His next start vs the rockies showed that he's fallible, at least on the road, as he took the loss giving up 3 runs in 6 IP (off of 2 homers).  But he still got 8 Ks.

The Giants, to win tonight, need a few things working for them:

1. Madison Bumgarner has to rebound off of a sloppy first start on Tuesday vs the Padres.  Kershaw is not going to give up a lot of runs, at least you can't expect him to, so Maddy's got to get rid of walks and he's got to play crisply.  I think he was a little nervous off of his first start -- Padres' home opener, 1st start of the season -- hopefully now his eyes are not so wide, and hopefully the lack of pageantry will keep him calm.
2. Double freaking Plays are absolutely killing the Giants.  9 double plays in 9 games is something that needs to be addressed and quickly. 
3. The Giants have left 73 runners on base in 9 games, which averages out to about 8.5 runners per game.  Their walk-off win on Saturday night, they left 17 runners on base.  In games as tight as they have been playing, situational hitting is so very important.  Some of their main guys are taking a bit to get going (Huff, Posey, Burrell has double play-itis, and Belt should be producing more).  They need more RBI's.
4. Brian Wilson -- he's not been right since coming off the DL.  It's time for him to step up again and be the crazy, unhittable bastard that we and he know he can be.

Upcoming: 3 vs LA @ SF

Goal: 2 out of 3

Game 2 of the series is Timmy vs Billingsley which should slide in Lincecum's favor.  That means the other 2 are the rubber matches.

Game 1 offers Maddy a chance to get back on the horse after a less-than-stellar 1st start vs the Padres.  He's going against Giant-killer Clayton Kershaw, though, so Maddy's got to pitch for a 2-1 win.  I'd call this one the gravy game (meaning if they can take game 1, so much the better, but if they drop it, games 2 and 3 are easier to win anyway).

Game 3 will be Sanchez vs Lilly.  Considering that the home team tends to have a major advantage in the rivalry, and Sanchez is nails at home: this should be the Giants' game to win.

If they can score the runs.

Double plays kill rallies and the Giants have been shooting their rallies in the head regularly.  Torres still out indefinitely, but Posey and Burrell should be back in.  These guys are due.

Fred Sanchez, Miggy, and Panda Bear have been lighting it up.  Hopefully they can get a bit more help throughout.

A bit of a screwjie

I was in the car listening to much of the 3 innings that Maddy pitched --Jon Miller intoned that he was getting squeezed whereas umpire Marvin Hudson was calling a little more liberally for Aaron Harang's outside-black pitches.

pffft Aaron Harang

Big ups to Guillermo "My name means Weed" Mota and Ramon Ramirez.  There is absolutely no excuse for not scoring at least 3 runs v Harang, and these guys combined to pitch well enough to get wins.

Burrell is getting a bit frustrating.  Might be a good idea to sit him in the big parks or when a good bull pen kicks in.

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.

Player Preview -- The Pitchers

My final posting that will preview the ol' ballclub (the previous two being The Infielders and The Outfielders) visits the strength of the team: The Pitchers

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