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 37: B-Teamers complete sweep of D-Backs, 3-2

Giants are defintiely on a roll.  2 sweeps, a 6-0 home stand and the boys are looking good.

Hitting: they're scraping by with just enough, but that's how they do it.  A line-up with Whiteside, Schierholtz, DeRo and Miggy popped just enough hits to let Torres and Huffy come in.

Truth is Schierholtz is looking good, 3 for 4 with a double and a RBI.  Plus, Parra hit a ball that bounced off the bricks in right field, Schierholtz played it perfectly and gunned a strike to second base to cut Parra down.

Big question time:  How about an OF of Torres, Ross, and Schierholtz?  (Burrell and Rowand off the bench)

Who plays left?  Ross?  Seems reasonable.  At least until Schierholtz starts to sputter.

Bochy sat Weezy for the save, let Lopez get it.  And Cainer pitched very well, even doffed his hat.

Game 36: Finally! Tejada shows life, Giants win in comeback fashion 4-3

Miggy hit a quick-hopping ground ball into left field to start the Giants scoring in the bottom of the 4th: Posey scored and D-Back's pitcher Armando Gallaraga's shutout was broken, the score was 3-1.  In his next at bat, Miggy smacked a single-and-a-half that he stretched into a double.  Tagged up on a deep fliy to right, and scored on Andres Torres's ground rule double to give the Giants the lead 4-3.

Which they kept.

Sanchie took a few innings to get going, but eventually calmed down and was rewarded with the win after 6 strong.  He could've probably went 7, but Miggy's double pushed Bochy to pinch hit for him.

Weezy closed out his 12th save of the season, he gave up a lead off double, and walked a guy, but got out of it via K, ground ball to first base, and a very quick footed play from Andres Torres in deep left center that stole a double and got the final out.

Giants have won 5 in a row.  That's a damn streak.  And if they win this afternoon, it'll be a hot damn streak.

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Games 32, 33, and 34: Giants sweep Rockies, suddenly back in it

I admit it, by Friday I had lost a little hope.  and, as I was unable to watch the game, I kept checking the score from my cellphone and I saw

COL 2 - 0 SF B7

And I said to myself -- welp, another one bites the dust.

But some late game heroics, spurred on by the Giants' faithful, and the Giants won Friday night.

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Saturday, I missed too: not much reason except that it was Mother's Day Eve and I had to go to the store, besdies that I needed a weekend  because I get really amped up when the Giants lose early and I sort of need to ease into it.

Fontenot's kicking butt, and a nice bit of situational hitting gave the Giants the walk off win.  Situational hitting is what the Giants are in desperate need of, Rowand had been the only one lighting the way, but he's coming back down to Earth.  Luckily little Mikey's picking it up.

We need Torres back.  I appreciate what Rowand has been doing, but he can't keep it up.  In fact, history suggests he's one or two diving catches from a 30 game holiday on the inactive list.

Still, the boys amped it up, and the crowd is giving back.

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I listened to most of Mother's Day's game ont he radio while doing manly chores for the very pregnant woman in my life.

Vogelsong had it on, and Cody Ross looks to be coming out of the dregs.  Just int eh nick of time.  Rossi gave them an RBI single to break the scoreless tie (against Giant-killer Jorge De la Rosa), and then went big donk donk roll a rock that put them up 3-0.

I thought Vogelsong was going to scratch no-no, but he fouled one off his leg or something in his 5th inning AB, and I had a feelign that'd break it up when he went out for the 6th.

And it did, but who cares -- the guy looked great.  Got a little tired there at the end, but the energized bullpen picked them up.

Suddenly, out of the 22 of 31 road game block, the Giants are only a gam out of 1st place.  And are 5-1 vs the Rocks.

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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

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.

Game 9: Throw away game allows Cards to get out of SF with one win, 6-1

Giants started their B-teamers (Fontenot, Schierholtz, Whiteside). 

Still a bit concerned that Torres is hurt, didn't check the status update since the game started, but it's not thought to be a tear only a strain of the Achilles tendon.  Not sure how much time that means.

Zito cruised with no support until the 7th.  I think 6 innings should be his cap, I'm sure I'm not the only one who is going to say this in the next 5 days.

Dodgers in town tomorrow, Giants are 4-5.  2 out of 3 (as revenge) has to be the goal, and a win tomorrow makes the Giants 5-5 after 10 games.  I'd be ok with that.

Good points, Bad points

Without beating a dead horse, and after digesting a bit, here's some of my major points of discussion from Game 1.

• Lincecum pitched well.  And it was nice to see him take a piece of Uribe with him.  Listen, 1 unearned run, 5 h, 3 BB and 5 k's in 7 is a decent game.  He was humping the ball into 94-95 territory, and he is notoriously terrible in adrenaline games.  Except Game 5 on 11/1 and now we can add 2011 opening day.
• Tejada -- o'fer with an error -- not going to cut it bro, you best pick it up.
• Burrell ding dong was nice, but he fouled out with a runner on in one pitch with a runne ron int he 6th.  Would like to see him execise patience, but nothing breaks a 5 month-long slump like going yard.
• I heard today from John Shea on Twitter:
  

  Stat o' the night: Dodgers threw 135 pitches, 29 to Belt. That's 21 percent to one guy. Great plate discipline by the kid.

  
  Absolutely flabbergasted.  Belt's got much need discipline in an unruly lineup and he's got poise in the field.  BTW, this was his first game in a very hostile environment.
• Andres Torres, epic 12 pitch AB.  Apparently he swung at a pitch after Kuo threw 6 balls in a row.  Lead off man's got to be more patient, but Torres is an aggressive guy -- game 1, we'll cut him slack
• Same goes for Posey.  The error was not mental, you take chances and you get burned sometimes.  Seemed like he had nerves
• In fact, nerves is the word of the night.  2 first timers for opening day, and everyone but Burrell is new to title defense.  Tonight things should be more calm
  ('course, Sanchez is tossing, so maybe not)

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)