Well, there goes the Jonathan Sanchez deal.
With Barry Zito reverting to form, the Giants may want to hold onto their other enigmatic left hander.
I don't think the Giants were seriously considering trading Sanchez because the Giants are likely not sold on Zito actually finishing out the season in the rotation.
Boss Bochy's comments in the SF Chron after Saturday's 11-3 loss seemed a bit forced when asked if it was just a "blip" in Zito's resurrection : "That's how I'm looking at it. Hopefully that's how he looks at it and how everybody in here looks at it."
Bochy is all too familiar with Zito's long-standing struggle with his own deficiencies, so has to brace for the worst every time Zito takes the mound.
For Zito to succeed, all the pieces must converge: psychological, physical, luck. His fortunes rest on a fine line straddling between a curve that has a sharp break and one that doesn't, a fastball that hits a precise location and one that is two inches off. His change up loses all effectiveness if he can't get the other two pitches over.
And when he loses confidence with his pitches, Zito gets ruluctant, falls out of the strike zone, walks people, setting up the inevitable big blow. It's been a long-standing pattern, broken up only by a rare sunny three-game patch that broke through the clouds.
That's why it's been so hard to invest emotions in Zito: there's no way you can rely on a pitcher who can't rely on his own stuff.
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Trade notions
Who knows how the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes end up? He's got many suitors, so it may not be all that fruitful to put all eggs in that carryall. For the life of me, though, I don't know why the Red Sox or Tigers even put feelers out for him: they don't need another bat; they need pitching.
Still, let's presume that Beltran goes elsewhere. Any other options? Sure.
The Tigers are looking for pitching, they have a surplus of outfielders: how about left-handed slugger Brandon Boesch, the former Cal outfielder, for Ryan Vogelsong? Boesch is having a breakout year (.297 BA 12 HR), though he is hot and cold: .318 in April, .186 in May, .380 in June, .268 in July.
I've resisted throwing Vogelsong out there as trade bait because he's been so essential to what the Giants are doing. But it could be that, as "found money," Vogelsong represents the best opportunity for the Giants to cash in and get the bat they really need with him.
The problem is if you get rid of Vogelsong, you're putting your fate in the hands of two beguiling lefties. So, I'm right back to where I started with Vogelsong: he's too central to the Giants' hopes.
The Twins are still considering offloading Michael Cuddyer because of the $5.5 million remaining on his contract. The Giants could step in and take his contract off their hands. His price may be going up, though, with the July he's having (.378, 3HR, 14 RBI). Overall, he's .296, 13 HR, 44 RBI.
The Royals are looking to go younger/get cheaper, and appear to be offering Melky Cabrera, who is having his best year: .293, 11 HR, 52 RBI. Surprisingly, he's only 26, which means he may be just coming into his own after loitering around as a prospect for all these years.
On the rumors that the Giants continue to hold interest in Pudge Rodriguez: Doesn't it say something that the Washington Nationals are so willing to let go of him? His decline has been so apparent that he couldn't even stick with the Houston Astros.
So, the Giants still harbor fond memories of Pudge's throw to nail the fleet Darren Ford. But have they considered that Pudge's strong arm won't mean a thing if their pitching staff continues to ignore base runners?
Let's just hope that Jim Riggleman's talent evaluation is better than a recommendation of a declining catcher who can't get more than a hit in five at bats, and who has never known how to take a walk. Let Pudge search for his 3,000th hit elsewhere.
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Where did Miguel Tejada's newfound power come from? A blast into the deepest part of the Padres cavernous park? Over the 405 foot mark in left center field?
Granted, the last three home runs he's hit were in wipe outs (in 13-7 and 15-3 wins and the 11-3 loss), and he continues to disappoint in clutch situations. But his bat is perking up. In fact, he's been one of the steadiest bats in the lineup over the last two weeks -- when he's in there.
He's hitting .361 in July (13-for-36) with two home runs and six RBI. He's had at least one hit in nine of his last 10 starts, and multiple hits in four of those games. Dating back to his three-hit game on June 28, he has hit .346 (17-for-49) with three home runs and three doubles, a .591 slugging percentage.
Do you know who's leading the Giants in hitting among those qualified for the batting title? Miguel Tejada. At .243. But, hey, remember how long he was living in the slums of the 2-teens?
It's OK, fans. You can start to root for Tejada, or rather, enjoy the unexpected. The way to appreciate Tejada is to keep expectations to a minimum and count your blessings when he delivers.
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The Giants are actually in need of a win today. After opening up with a pair of wins, it would be hard to swallow a split of a four-game series with the lowly Padres, especially with Matt Cain on the bump.
They've got to get through the voluble Mat Latos, who has had an up and down year. He's 5-10 with a 4.04 ERA, but is coming off a nice performance against the Dodgers (7 IP, 1 ER).
The key to him, it seems, has always been to appeal to his psychotic side. Get under his skin. Maybe a drag bunt by Andres Torres. Or, someone -- Mike Fontenot? -- can lean into a pitch. Something to get him off his game.
It would also be nice to head into the Dodgers series with a little momentum. Though the Dodgers lost Saturday to Arizona, they are still playing good ball, having won the previous five games.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Giants are clicking; are they making their move?
Is this when the Giants make their move?
Winners of six of seven, 14 games over .500, 4 1/2 games ahead of the fast-sinking Arizona Diamondbacks. They appear poised to separate from the rest of the pack.
They may be, though I have to remind myself that the Giants don't take the easy route to any destination. Why would they start now? It's early. Too much baseball left, too many cold spells yet to endure.
Yet, things are clicking, feeling right.
It does feel right when Andres Torres sparks the team at the top of the lineup. Friday night was textbook: He reached base four times, spraying hits to all fields for two RBI, scoring three times, including once on the back end of a double steal attempt and once on a wild pitch.
And, if Torres doesn't make that running catch, crashing into the center field wall to save at least two runs in the fourth inning, the game's complexion would have been altered considerably and we're all talking about Tim Lincecum's shaky outing and how Aubrey Huff reverted to the rollover groundout machine that we've come to know and dread.
*********************************************************************************
I detail Torres' day below. First, a word on the end to Pablo Sandoval's 22-game hitting streak. The Padres' decision to intentionally walk him in the seventh -- after already walking him unintentionally in the fifth -- was right at the border of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Padres Manager Bud Black elected to walk him with one out in the seventh, the Giants leading, 5-1, and Torres on second. Black could make the case that he was still playing to win, and the best move was to take the bat out of Sandoval's hands. His managing decisions shouldn't be predicated on what an opponent was trying to accomplish individually.
And yet, it seemed superfluous. Down by four, in a rut where the Padres had scored a total of four runs in the last five games and in the midst of a six-game (now seven) losing streak, Black, down deep, couldn't possibly expect one more run would make much of a difference the way his team was playing.
He should have let Pablo hit, especially so late in a game where there wasn't much hope his offense would come around, whether four or five runs down.
But maybe that's the Giants fan in me speaking here. I don't know if I'd have been too concerned about a 22-game hitting streak of, say, a Matt Kemp, if I saw an opportunity to pass on him and go after Juan Uribe.
As it was, Pablo, who also had a sacrifice fly in the first inning, had only two other chances at getting that hit: He grounded out easily to second in the third, and, in the ninth, he swung at the first pitch he saw, a sharp breaking curve, and tapped easily out.
**********************************************************************************
Lincecum, indeed, was a bit shaky throughout (exhibit 1A: he threw three wild pitches), but he made some good pitches to minimize trouble -- and had some help behind him.
In the first, with runners on first and third, he had to deal with Orlando Hudson, who had a .409 lifetime batting average against him. Hudson took the count full, but Lincecum got him swinging on a beautiful slider at his shoetops to end the threat.
The only other real threat he faced was in the fourth, when he walked light hitting (.203 BA, .252 OBP) Alberto Gonzales (for a second time!), wild pitched him around to third, and conceded the run on a groundout. But after two outs, he doubled his pitch output by giving up a single to Cameron Maybin (he's a better off-field hitter than the Giants give him credit; they keep going away from him and he keeps hitting away) and walking Anthony Rizzo.
On Lincecum's 34th pitch of the inning, catcher Kyle Phillips launched a drive to the center field wall for what would have been a sure double and two runs in. But Torres delivered with yet another of his dazzling over the shoulder catches before banging hard into the wall.
To be fair, Lincecum shut the Padres down with some of his split-finger magic. He finished strong with a one-to-three sixth, striking out Hudson on a slider that nailed the inside corner and another slider that Maybin swung right through.
**********************************************************************************
Torres set the tone from the first inning, working the count full to open the game, then, on the ninth pitch, drilling a changeup into center field for a leadoff single.
Here's how things were clicking: on an 0-2 pitch to Mike Fontenot, with Torres on the move, Fontenot slapped a perfectly placed base hit just over shortstop. Torres, temporarily deeked into sliding, did what a heads up player does: he immediately looked up to third base coach Tim Flannery, who waved him around to third.
He scored on Pablo Sandoval's line drive to left field, a rare Giants' sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
Torres added an RBI double in the fifth, just as TV man Jon Miller was bracing us for the worst: in RBI situations this year, Torres had been pretty bad (11-for-49, a .224 batting average).
Again, he and Fontenot worked together to create havoc on the basepaths: Torres stole second, and then Fontenot, again on two strikes, ripped a single into center field. Torres misread the hit, so was held up at third.
That's when the fun began: With Sandoval up and one out, Fontenot broke for second. As soon as Padres catcher Kyle Phillips let loose his throw, Torres broke for home and scored without a throw. Fontenot was out, but had done his job.
Torres had a hand in both runs in the sixth, driving in Aaron Rowand (who'd doubled in a pinch hit role) with a slicing double into the left-center field gap, and scoring moments later on a wild pitch.
*******************************************************************************
Kudos to Hector Sanchez for drawing a nice walk in his major league debut as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. The 21-year old catcher, just called up Friday to replace the injured Pat Burrell on the roster, took the count full with a couple nice takes before spitting on a fastball in the dirt to reach base.
We'll get a lengthier look at him Saturday when he gets the nod to catch Barry Zito. But at first sight, he looks like he's comfortable in his skin, relaxed at the plate.
Winners of six of seven, 14 games over .500, 4 1/2 games ahead of the fast-sinking Arizona Diamondbacks. They appear poised to separate from the rest of the pack.
They may be, though I have to remind myself that the Giants don't take the easy route to any destination. Why would they start now? It's early. Too much baseball left, too many cold spells yet to endure.
Yet, things are clicking, feeling right.
It does feel right when Andres Torres sparks the team at the top of the lineup. Friday night was textbook: He reached base four times, spraying hits to all fields for two RBI, scoring three times, including once on the back end of a double steal attempt and once on a wild pitch.
And, if Torres doesn't make that running catch, crashing into the center field wall to save at least two runs in the fourth inning, the game's complexion would have been altered considerably and we're all talking about Tim Lincecum's shaky outing and how Aubrey Huff reverted to the rollover groundout machine that we've come to know and dread.
*********************************************************************************
I detail Torres' day below. First, a word on the end to Pablo Sandoval's 22-game hitting streak. The Padres' decision to intentionally walk him in the seventh -- after already walking him unintentionally in the fifth -- was right at the border of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Padres Manager Bud Black elected to walk him with one out in the seventh, the Giants leading, 5-1, and Torres on second. Black could make the case that he was still playing to win, and the best move was to take the bat out of Sandoval's hands. His managing decisions shouldn't be predicated on what an opponent was trying to accomplish individually.
And yet, it seemed superfluous. Down by four, in a rut where the Padres had scored a total of four runs in the last five games and in the midst of a six-game (now seven) losing streak, Black, down deep, couldn't possibly expect one more run would make much of a difference the way his team was playing.
He should have let Pablo hit, especially so late in a game where there wasn't much hope his offense would come around, whether four or five runs down.
But maybe that's the Giants fan in me speaking here. I don't know if I'd have been too concerned about a 22-game hitting streak of, say, a Matt Kemp, if I saw an opportunity to pass on him and go after Juan Uribe.
As it was, Pablo, who also had a sacrifice fly in the first inning, had only two other chances at getting that hit: He grounded out easily to second in the third, and, in the ninth, he swung at the first pitch he saw, a sharp breaking curve, and tapped easily out.
**********************************************************************************
Lincecum, indeed, was a bit shaky throughout (exhibit 1A: he threw three wild pitches), but he made some good pitches to minimize trouble -- and had some help behind him.
In the first, with runners on first and third, he had to deal with Orlando Hudson, who had a .409 lifetime batting average against him. Hudson took the count full, but Lincecum got him swinging on a beautiful slider at his shoetops to end the threat.
The only other real threat he faced was in the fourth, when he walked light hitting (.203 BA, .252 OBP) Alberto Gonzales (for a second time!), wild pitched him around to third, and conceded the run on a groundout. But after two outs, he doubled his pitch output by giving up a single to Cameron Maybin (he's a better off-field hitter than the Giants give him credit; they keep going away from him and he keeps hitting away) and walking Anthony Rizzo.
On Lincecum's 34th pitch of the inning, catcher Kyle Phillips launched a drive to the center field wall for what would have been a sure double and two runs in. But Torres delivered with yet another of his dazzling over the shoulder catches before banging hard into the wall.
To be fair, Lincecum shut the Padres down with some of his split-finger magic. He finished strong with a one-to-three sixth, striking out Hudson on a slider that nailed the inside corner and another slider that Maybin swung right through.
**********************************************************************************
Torres set the tone from the first inning, working the count full to open the game, then, on the ninth pitch, drilling a changeup into center field for a leadoff single.
Here's how things were clicking: on an 0-2 pitch to Mike Fontenot, with Torres on the move, Fontenot slapped a perfectly placed base hit just over shortstop. Torres, temporarily deeked into sliding, did what a heads up player does: he immediately looked up to third base coach Tim Flannery, who waved him around to third.
He scored on Pablo Sandoval's line drive to left field, a rare Giants' sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
Torres added an RBI double in the fifth, just as TV man Jon Miller was bracing us for the worst: in RBI situations this year, Torres had been pretty bad (11-for-49, a .224 batting average).
Again, he and Fontenot worked together to create havoc on the basepaths: Torres stole second, and then Fontenot, again on two strikes, ripped a single into center field. Torres misread the hit, so was held up at third.
That's when the fun began: With Sandoval up and one out, Fontenot broke for second. As soon as Padres catcher Kyle Phillips let loose his throw, Torres broke for home and scored without a throw. Fontenot was out, but had done his job.
Torres had a hand in both runs in the sixth, driving in Aaron Rowand (who'd doubled in a pinch hit role) with a slicing double into the left-center field gap, and scoring moments later on a wild pitch.
*******************************************************************************
Kudos to Hector Sanchez for drawing a nice walk in his major league debut as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. The 21-year old catcher, just called up Friday to replace the injured Pat Burrell on the roster, took the count full with a couple nice takes before spitting on a fastball in the dirt to reach base.
We'll get a lengthier look at him Saturday when he gets the nod to catch Barry Zito. But at first sight, he looks like he's comfortable in his skin, relaxed at the plate.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Huff responds to doubters and one Padre taunt
With all eyes on him, most peering through skeptical lenses, Aubrey Huff did the most difficult thing in sports: he hit a home run. With the game on the line in the ninth inning. With no balls and two strikes. Against one of the top closers in the game. Who. Doesn't. Give. 'Em. Up.
It wasn't the ultimately decisive blow in the Giants' 6-2 win over the Padres Thursday, but none of the craziness of the five-run 12th would have happened without Huff's game-tying drive.
Against all odds, he answered his critics -- including me. I'd spelled out the numbers showing that Huff's difficulties stretch back to last year: he's hit .246 since last August 5 with only 15 HR and 65 RBI, which was an indicator that the stress of high expectations may be too much for the veteran first baseman.
He hadn't had a home run in 34 games, dating back to the June 2 three-HR game against St. Louis. He'd hit .206 since June 23. Huff was basically a rollover groundout machine. Pressure was mounting for Huff to straighten out his act soon, calls for bringing Brandon Belt back up from Fresno began to get louder, but the Giants' party line was to hope Huff would come out fresh after a nice three-day rest.
Huff's first three at bats had the scent of his first-half struggles: a standard grounder to second (more sharply hit than most, but a 4-3 in your scorebook nonetheless), a broken bat line drive caught by a diving Chris Denorfia in right field (just another example of the bad luck he's hit in), and an ugly strikeout in the seventh, Huff chasing a curve in the dirt, finishing 0-for-3 and continuing his frustrations against Aaron Harang (1-for-13 lifetime).
Huff fell behind Heath Bell two strikes -- looking for all the world poised to take an 0-for-4, perhaps preparing to take another round of flak for the same ol' same ol. But there he was, fighting off a pair of two-strike pitches before Bell tried to get him on a breaking pitch low. It stayed up, and Huff jolted it out of a ballpark that usually swallows long flies live.
Huff's in-game rebound was not unlike the main characteristic of the Giants: they can look ugly all game, but suddenly piece together a couple timely hits to pull out late-game victories, as they have all season.
It was the first home run Bell gave up since April of 2010, when, yes, the Giants went deep on him. It was a Juan Uribe home run on a hanging slider (I remember it vividly; I remember thinking why would a guy with a 97 MPH fastball allow Uribe, a great mistake hitter, to speed up his bat with a slider?). That one tied up the game in the ninth, too, 2-2, though the Padres won it the next inning, 3-2.
Those were different times, when the Padres could do no wrong against the Giants and appeared poised to run away with the division title.
It wasn't the ultimately decisive blow in the Giants' 6-2 win over the Padres Thursday, but none of the craziness of the five-run 12th would have happened without Huff's game-tying drive.
Against all odds, he answered his critics -- including me. I'd spelled out the numbers showing that Huff's difficulties stretch back to last year: he's hit .246 since last August 5 with only 15 HR and 65 RBI, which was an indicator that the stress of high expectations may be too much for the veteran first baseman.
He hadn't had a home run in 34 games, dating back to the June 2 three-HR game against St. Louis. He'd hit .206 since June 23. Huff was basically a rollover groundout machine. Pressure was mounting for Huff to straighten out his act soon, calls for bringing Brandon Belt back up from Fresno began to get louder, but the Giants' party line was to hope Huff would come out fresh after a nice three-day rest.
Huff's first three at bats had the scent of his first-half struggles: a standard grounder to second (more sharply hit than most, but a 4-3 in your scorebook nonetheless), a broken bat line drive caught by a diving Chris Denorfia in right field (just another example of the bad luck he's hit in), and an ugly strikeout in the seventh, Huff chasing a curve in the dirt, finishing 0-for-3 and continuing his frustrations against Aaron Harang (1-for-13 lifetime).
Perhaps Huff needed a spark from the outside. Last week, it was reliever Chad Qualls spiking the ball and yelling at Andres Torres after tagging him at home plate. Torres responded the next day with a big game. Thursday night, Mat Latos looked like he was taunting Huff after he ran out of room chasing a foul pop that landed near the Padres' dugout.
An inning later, Huff went deep. Not sure you can draw a cause-and-effect line between the two incidents, but it didn't hurt to maybe have Huff going up to the plate a little angry.
Huff fell behind Heath Bell two strikes -- looking for all the world poised to take an 0-for-4, perhaps preparing to take another round of flak for the same ol' same ol. But there he was, fighting off a pair of two-strike pitches before Bell tried to get him on a breaking pitch low. It stayed up, and Huff jolted it out of a ballpark that usually swallows long flies live.
Huff's in-game rebound was not unlike the main characteristic of the Giants: they can look ugly all game, but suddenly piece together a couple timely hits to pull out late-game victories, as they have all season.
It was the first home run Bell gave up since April of 2010, when, yes, the Giants went deep on him. It was a Juan Uribe home run on a hanging slider (I remember it vividly; I remember thinking why would a guy with a 97 MPH fastball allow Uribe, a great mistake hitter, to speed up his bat with a slider?). That one tied up the game in the ninth, too, 2-2, though the Padres won it the next inning, 3-2.
Those were different times, when the Padres could do no wrong against the Giants and appeared poised to run away with the division title.
Huff's home run provided a truly emotional moment for the Giants, and by the reaction in the dugout, it went beyond the drama of a game-tying ninth inning home run. Huff is a leader in that clubhouse and dugout, and his teammates are just waiting to jump on his back as they seek to repeat as champions. That was a cathartic home run.
Though they would ultimately win in the 12th on a bizarre five-run rally, and Santiago Casilla was awarded the victory, there is no doubt that Huff was The Man in that clubhouse in the victorious aftermath.
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Just a thought on Pablo Sandoval, who extended his hitting streak to 22 (if you want to count the All-Star game, it's 23). Forget what Tim McCarver said in the All-Star game telecast (maybe the worst ever in the history of the game) about Sandoval getting as many hits on bad balls as good pitches. That was old Conventional Wisdom. Last year's news.
This year, and particularly the last 10 or 15 games, Sandoval has become as disciplined a hitter on the Giants. He has learned to lay off pitchers pitches, build the count to favor him. The irony is this: pitchers still try to get him to bite outside of the strike zone, and are falling behind in the count as a result. Hence, Sandoval is getting great count leverage, getting good pitches to hit on 2-0 or 3-1 counts.
The other part of his discipline is in his swing: he is not overswinging. He's driving pitches where they're thrown, as exhibited in his off-field two-run single in the 12th (and the single he pulled in the first inning off a curve).
It is a joy to watch him play again, but it is even more satisfying than in that first big year of his in 2009 because of the new mental skills he gained from the long road he traveled to get his swing back.
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Watching Brandon Crawford making plays on defense is akin to watching Sandoval hitting. He made three brilliant plays on defense that went under the radar if only because he made them seem so easy.
The first was his back hand grab on a tricky hop and throw deep from the 5 1/2 hole to nab Chase Headley; the second was a grab and throw to third to nail Cameron Maybin trying to advance on ground ball to the left side in the second inning. Maybin's got great speed, and it took a real deft transfer from glove to throwing hand and quick release to get him. And, in the fourth, he took a slow chopper and quickly threw to second to narrowly force out Maybin on a play that many shortstops would have simply gone to first on. It got the speedier Maybin off the basepaths and kept a double play in order.
The first was his back hand grab on a tricky hop and throw deep from the 5 1/2 hole to nab Chase Headley; the second was a grab and throw to third to nail Cameron Maybin trying to advance on ground ball to the left side in the second inning. Maybin's got great speed, and it took a real deft transfer from glove to throwing hand and quick release to get him. And, in the fourth, he took a slow chopper and quickly threw to second to narrowly force out Maybin on a play that many shortstops would have simply gone to first on. It got the speedier Maybin off the basepaths and kept a double play in order.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Huff's return to form no sure thing
The San Francisco Giants are ready to announce, any day now, the acquisition of a big, middle-of-the-order bat, someone they believe will be key to take them through the stretch drive.
And he would cost them nothing.
That would be Aubrey Huff.
But as mid-season trades are no sure thing, neither is the return to form of a key cog to last year's World Championship run.
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Was he a key cog? Let's look at the numbers.
Huff's season-long slide -- after the first week of the season, he's never been above .246 -- has hit bottom in July. He's hitting .171 this month (6-for-35 with no home runs, three RBI). Since June 23, he's hitting .206 (13-for-63) with no HR, 8 RBI. He hasn't hit a HR since his three-HR game against St. Louis on June 2.
Here's a comparison between Huff's pre-All-Star numbers this year and last year:
2011:
8 HR, 44 RBI, .236 AVG, .290 OBP, .361 SLG.
2010
17 HR, 54 RBI, .295 AVG, .383 OBP, .546 SLG
Huff continued his torrid pace for the first 20 games after the All-Star break last year, hitting .383 (28-for-73) with 6 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI and a .464 OBP.
But Huff nosedived for the rest of the year, hitting .246 the rest of the way (47-for-191) with 6 HR and 21 RBI. So, his tailspin actually dates back to August 5 of last year. Since then, over essentially a full season, Huff has hit .239 (126-for-526) with 14 HR and 65 RBI -- middling numbers at best for someone who is supposed to be a middle-of-the-order threat.
Huff was instrumental in lifting the Giants into believing they could make a run last year -- and was unquestionably the heart of that team, red thong and all. He was one of my favorites, and I still have hope that he will straighten out his swing, starting with an opposite field stroke. I'd sacrifice home run power if he were to simply focus on driving in runs with alley-to-alley extra base power.
But, it appears that when the burdens and pressures of championship ball were right before him, he has wilted. His slide last year coincided with the Giants' earnest run for the title, and continues to this day as the team plays under the glare of national scrutiny.
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Huff told the SF Chron's Henry Schulman in today's nicely written wrap up of the first half that he remembers coming back with great second halves in previous years.
He was probably thinking of 2008, when he had an absolutely dominant second half with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. That's when he went .332 (83-for-250) with 14 HR and 49 RBI. But the truth is, he hit the All-Star break already in stride. His comeback began on May 25 after hitting a nadir of .240. He'd already mounted a 55-for-169 (.325) spurt going into the All-Star break.
So, there's little analogy between 2008 and now, starting with the fact that a) Huff is now three years older and b) he was free to play then without the pressures of pursuing anything other than personal achievements.
Unfortunately, Huff's struggles are more analogous to his 2009 numbers. But even in that sad sack season, he went into the All-Star break with better numbers (11 HR, 56 RBI, .259 AVG). From there, he plummeted in performance, hitting .214 the rest of the way (46-for-215) with only 4 HR and 29 RBI -- most of those numbers with the Detroit Tigers, who had acquired him for a pennant drive.
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Let the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes begin. And if Huff shows no sign of a comeback within the first week to 10 days, the Giants might want to consider jump starting the Brandon Belt era.
And he would cost them nothing.
That would be Aubrey Huff.
But as mid-season trades are no sure thing, neither is the return to form of a key cog to last year's World Championship run.
**********************************************************************************
Was he a key cog? Let's look at the numbers.
Huff's season-long slide -- after the first week of the season, he's never been above .246 -- has hit bottom in July. He's hitting .171 this month (6-for-35 with no home runs, three RBI). Since June 23, he's hitting .206 (13-for-63) with no HR, 8 RBI. He hasn't hit a HR since his three-HR game against St. Louis on June 2.
Here's a comparison between Huff's pre-All-Star numbers this year and last year:
2011:
8 HR, 44 RBI, .236 AVG, .290 OBP, .361 SLG.
2010
17 HR, 54 RBI, .295 AVG, .383 OBP, .546 SLG
Huff continued his torrid pace for the first 20 games after the All-Star break last year, hitting .383 (28-for-73) with 6 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI and a .464 OBP.
But Huff nosedived for the rest of the year, hitting .246 the rest of the way (47-for-191) with 6 HR and 21 RBI. So, his tailspin actually dates back to August 5 of last year. Since then, over essentially a full season, Huff has hit .239 (126-for-526) with 14 HR and 65 RBI -- middling numbers at best for someone who is supposed to be a middle-of-the-order threat.
Huff was instrumental in lifting the Giants into believing they could make a run last year -- and was unquestionably the heart of that team, red thong and all. He was one of my favorites, and I still have hope that he will straighten out his swing, starting with an opposite field stroke. I'd sacrifice home run power if he were to simply focus on driving in runs with alley-to-alley extra base power.
But, it appears that when the burdens and pressures of championship ball were right before him, he has wilted. His slide last year coincided with the Giants' earnest run for the title, and continues to this day as the team plays under the glare of national scrutiny.
**********************************************************************************
Huff told the SF Chron's Henry Schulman in today's nicely written wrap up of the first half that he remembers coming back with great second halves in previous years.
He was probably thinking of 2008, when he had an absolutely dominant second half with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. That's when he went .332 (83-for-250) with 14 HR and 49 RBI. But the truth is, he hit the All-Star break already in stride. His comeback began on May 25 after hitting a nadir of .240. He'd already mounted a 55-for-169 (.325) spurt going into the All-Star break.
So, there's little analogy between 2008 and now, starting with the fact that a) Huff is now three years older and b) he was free to play then without the pressures of pursuing anything other than personal achievements.
Unfortunately, Huff's struggles are more analogous to his 2009 numbers. But even in that sad sack season, he went into the All-Star break with better numbers (11 HR, 56 RBI, .259 AVG). From there, he plummeted in performance, hitting .214 the rest of the way (46-for-215) with only 4 HR and 29 RBI -- most of those numbers with the Detroit Tigers, who had acquired him for a pennant drive.
**********************************************************************************
Let the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes begin. And if Huff shows no sign of a comeback within the first week to 10 days, the Giants might want to consider jump starting the Brandon Belt era.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Well done, Wilson!
Fox Sports generally flubbed its broadcast of Tuesday's MLB All-Star game, but one bright spot was that they had the cajones to hand the microphone over to Brian Wilson.
The Giants' closer was brilliant as a pitchman for the game, from the "well-played" five-finger salute in a slow-mo tip of his cap in player introductions to his lineup commentary:
"Carlos Beltran, the guy's a phenomenal hitter, a switch hitter. There's talks of him coming over to the Giants. More than welcome," he said in a refreshingly hilarious case of tampering. "Come on over, pal."
He went on to urge the Atlanta Braves to lock up their catcher Brian McCann.
"The guy's an absolute beast. Atlanta, I think you need to sign him to a long-term deal. Just sayin.' "
And on the N.L.'s starter, Roy Halladay: "This guy's a Cyborg. Location like a robot. He's filthy. Our chances of winning have just gone up seven-fold because that guy's toeing the rubber."
After the game, he engaged reporters on his Beltran comments: "I just don't want to be the guy that's traded (for him), though. Okay? Let's make sure that doesn't happen."
In his post-game interview with Eric Karros, Wilson playfully described how he would have screwed up a sliding entrance that his bullpen mate, San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell executed.
"He nailed it ... If I were to do that, I don't know it I'd make it. I think I'd slip, ankle flip, next thing you know I can't pitch, and just a debacle. But he nailed it."
He then said to the well-coifed Karros, "I must say. You have immaculate hair right now. Let's get a shot of that."
Fox didn't pick up on it, but Wilson was wearing a pair of shoes that were a great extension from last year's controversy. Instead of the garish red cleats of yesteryear, he wore a pair of cleats that had a 50-50 mix of black and red, but with photos of him in action superimposed on the instep of both shoes.
Oh, and he finished the game nicely, too. Having entered the ninth inning with runners at second and third, the tying run in the on-deck circle -- which is why he qualified for the save -- Wilson got a one-pitch fly out from Michael Cuddyer, who must have convinced himself to swing early so he didn't have to deal with Wilson's variety of moving fastballs* (see below); and then, pushing things just a bit, went to a full count on Paul Konerko before inducing a ground out on a cut fastball to end the game.
Well done, Maestro.
**********************************************************************************
It was a bit disappointing that Boss Bochy allowed default starting third baseman Scott Rolen stay in the game for six innings -- long enough to strike out twice. Which meant that the Giants' Pablo Sandoval would only get two and a half innings in the Mid-Season Classic.
No matter. Pablo exploited his moment in the glare, blasting a fastball low and away into the left field bullpen on a bounce for a ground rule double, driving in the N.L.'s fifth and final run. It was nice to see a Giants hitter showcased on the national stage.
I thought it was a bit indulgent for Tim McCarver to, after the fact, pounce on the hit as an example of Sandoval getting as many bad ball hits as hits on pitches in the strike zone. I think that's old conventional wisdom. Didn't McCarver notice how Pablo had laid off two straight bad pitches -- pitches he would have gone after last year -- to get the count into a hitter's 3-1 count?
And I kept waiting for Joe Buck, Fox's quickly diminishing on-air talent, to make mention of Sandoval's 21-game hitting streak. He never did. Strangely, he said that Sandoval had hit in 25 of the 26 games he'd been in since returning from his injury, but no kudos on the N.L.'s longest current hitting streak.
If Sandoval's streak gets to 55 -- the doorstep of Joe DiMaggio's record -- we will all know that it's actually 56, counting the All-Star game.
**********************************************************************************
You have to wonder how long Buck will continue on as the voice of America for major league baseball. His voice has weakened considerably -- it sounds like Fox is even using some kind of vocal enhancer to camouflage the chalkboard-scratching quality.
It's almost as if his biology is overtaking him. His father, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck's voice was unbearable: a deep baritone that had no inflection, and thus flat during what should have been emotional, exciting moments.
Whatever the case is, the strain in Joe Buck's voice is affecting his ability to call a good game. It limits what he can say and how much. But the monotone drone is deadly, making a lackluster All-Star game that much less bearable to watch.
*******************************************************************************************
Even worse than Buck's performance was the shameless and utterly vacant plug of Justin Timberlake's new Fox show, whatever it is. They sent poor ex-major leaguer Mark Grace out to the pool beyond the right field fence to do an excruciating "interview" with Timberlake about something I had no interest in, so I muted the sound after enduring a few moments of blather.
I believe it had to be part of Grace's plea bargain with the overly zealous Arizona prosecutors for his DUI earlier this year.
*******************************************************************************************
*Checking Cuddyer's history against Wilson: just a few weeks ago in the three game series between the Giants and Twins, Cuddyer, in his only at bat against Wilson, had an RBI double in the ninth inning of the series finale. It narrowed the Giants' lead to 2-1 before Wilson was able to get the final out for the save.
But Cuddyer's approach on that at bat was to take a strike on the first pitch before attacking the second pitch for a drive into left center field. I imagine Cuddyer's thinking may have been that he thought that Wilson might go for a quick strike thinking that Cuddyer would take that first pitch again. So Cuddyer would ambush the first pitch.
Only problem was that it was a cutter, it moved just a bit more than Cuddyer was expecting and he hit a lazy pop fly to right.
The Giants' closer was brilliant as a pitchman for the game, from the "well-played" five-finger salute in a slow-mo tip of his cap in player introductions to his lineup commentary:
"Carlos Beltran, the guy's a phenomenal hitter, a switch hitter. There's talks of him coming over to the Giants. More than welcome," he said in a refreshingly hilarious case of tampering. "Come on over, pal."
He went on to urge the Atlanta Braves to lock up their catcher Brian McCann.
"The guy's an absolute beast. Atlanta, I think you need to sign him to a long-term deal. Just sayin.' "
And on the N.L.'s starter, Roy Halladay: "This guy's a Cyborg. Location like a robot. He's filthy. Our chances of winning have just gone up seven-fold because that guy's toeing the rubber."
After the game, he engaged reporters on his Beltran comments: "I just don't want to be the guy that's traded (for him), though. Okay? Let's make sure that doesn't happen."
In his post-game interview with Eric Karros, Wilson playfully described how he would have screwed up a sliding entrance that his bullpen mate, San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell executed.
"He nailed it ... If I were to do that, I don't know it I'd make it. I think I'd slip, ankle flip, next thing you know I can't pitch, and just a debacle. But he nailed it."
He then said to the well-coifed Karros, "I must say. You have immaculate hair right now. Let's get a shot of that."
Fox didn't pick up on it, but Wilson was wearing a pair of shoes that were a great extension from last year's controversy. Instead of the garish red cleats of yesteryear, he wore a pair of cleats that had a 50-50 mix of black and red, but with photos of him in action superimposed on the instep of both shoes.
Oh, and he finished the game nicely, too. Having entered the ninth inning with runners at second and third, the tying run in the on-deck circle -- which is why he qualified for the save -- Wilson got a one-pitch fly out from Michael Cuddyer, who must have convinced himself to swing early so he didn't have to deal with Wilson's variety of moving fastballs* (see below); and then, pushing things just a bit, went to a full count on Paul Konerko before inducing a ground out on a cut fastball to end the game.
Well done, Maestro.
**********************************************************************************
It was a bit disappointing that Boss Bochy allowed default starting third baseman Scott Rolen stay in the game for six innings -- long enough to strike out twice. Which meant that the Giants' Pablo Sandoval would only get two and a half innings in the Mid-Season Classic.
No matter. Pablo exploited his moment in the glare, blasting a fastball low and away into the left field bullpen on a bounce for a ground rule double, driving in the N.L.'s fifth and final run. It was nice to see a Giants hitter showcased on the national stage.
I thought it was a bit indulgent for Tim McCarver to, after the fact, pounce on the hit as an example of Sandoval getting as many bad ball hits as hits on pitches in the strike zone. I think that's old conventional wisdom. Didn't McCarver notice how Pablo had laid off two straight bad pitches -- pitches he would have gone after last year -- to get the count into a hitter's 3-1 count?
And I kept waiting for Joe Buck, Fox's quickly diminishing on-air talent, to make mention of Sandoval's 21-game hitting streak. He never did. Strangely, he said that Sandoval had hit in 25 of the 26 games he'd been in since returning from his injury, but no kudos on the N.L.'s longest current hitting streak.
If Sandoval's streak gets to 55 -- the doorstep of Joe DiMaggio's record -- we will all know that it's actually 56, counting the All-Star game.
**********************************************************************************
You have to wonder how long Buck will continue on as the voice of America for major league baseball. His voice has weakened considerably -- it sounds like Fox is even using some kind of vocal enhancer to camouflage the chalkboard-scratching quality.
It's almost as if his biology is overtaking him. His father, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck's voice was unbearable: a deep baritone that had no inflection, and thus flat during what should have been emotional, exciting moments.
Whatever the case is, the strain in Joe Buck's voice is affecting his ability to call a good game. It limits what he can say and how much. But the monotone drone is deadly, making a lackluster All-Star game that much less bearable to watch.
*******************************************************************************************
Even worse than Buck's performance was the shameless and utterly vacant plug of Justin Timberlake's new Fox show, whatever it is. They sent poor ex-major leaguer Mark Grace out to the pool beyond the right field fence to do an excruciating "interview" with Timberlake about something I had no interest in, so I muted the sound after enduring a few moments of blather.
I believe it had to be part of Grace's plea bargain with the overly zealous Arizona prosecutors for his DUI earlier this year.
*******************************************************************************************
*Checking Cuddyer's history against Wilson: just a few weeks ago in the three game series between the Giants and Twins, Cuddyer, in his only at bat against Wilson, had an RBI double in the ninth inning of the series finale. It narrowed the Giants' lead to 2-1 before Wilson was able to get the final out for the save.
But Cuddyer's approach on that at bat was to take a strike on the first pitch before attacking the second pitch for a drive into left center field. I imagine Cuddyer's thinking may have been that he thought that Wilson might go for a quick strike thinking that Cuddyer would take that first pitch again. So Cuddyer would ambush the first pitch.
Only problem was that it was a cutter, it moved just a bit more than Cuddyer was expecting and he hit a lazy pop fly to right.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Rowand's hustle play epitomized heart of Giants
Aaron Rowand lumbers around the bases like a linebacker going for a tackle; it's strange because he roams center field like a cornerback.
But he showed his outfield/cornerback speed on the basepaths in the seventh inning Saturday on Miguel Tejada's sharp single to right field, racing from first to third. He challenged the powerful arm of Carlos Beltran, whose throw on the fly arrived a fraction of a second late.
The look on Rowand's face when he ducked under that tag, dirt flying, helmet ajar, black eye smeared, was one of a gambler who'd just won a high stakes hand. It epitomized the heart of the Giants, who came back with a 3-1 win over the New York Mets after suffering a disheartening loss a night earlier.
It was the kind of aggressive, gutsy play that a team like the Giants must make to win, but, more important, captures the desire and spirit of a World Championship team that is still hungry. The Giants' offense may be on the moribund side but it is not out of apathy or self-satisfaction.
You can rewind the tape on the 10 walk-off wins if you have any doubt about the heart of this team.
Rowand would eventually score a critical insurance run on another hustle play: Pablo Sandoval beating out the relay of a potential double play ground ball -- one of the many offsprings of all that hard work he put into his health and fitness over the winter.
That was the theme of the Giants all night: adding a step with drive, hustling for the last few inches, reaching, striving for a victory like it was something new and special to them.
There was Pat Burrell doing the limbo under a tag between first and second in the first inning, as the speedy Nate Schierholtz raced to first for an infield single to drive in the first run. Then, there was Aubrey Huff, the next batter, huffing and puffing up the line to beat out a throw to avoid a double play and drive in the second run of the first inning -- what proved to be the decisive run of the game.
For a team that doesn't boast much speed, the Giants used their legs to win this one.
**********************************************************************************
The quirky pattern that developed in Tim Lincecum's outing -- in all six of his innings, he allowed a runner after retiring the first two -- was only truly remarkable by how he handled it.
Outside of the first inning, when he gave up a pair of doubles after two were out, the latter driving in the only run, Lincecum put on a clinic on how to snuff out smoldering problems.
2nd inning: After walking Ruben Tejada with two outs, he retired pitcher Chris Capuano on three pitches, a pop out. Ok, not the biggest challenge.
3rd inning: After walking Beltran with two outs, he had to face David Murphy, who'd doubled in Beltran in the first inning with two outs. On a 1-1 count, Lincecum broke Murphy's bat on a diving split finger, getting an easy ground out to first.
4th inning: After walking Josh Thole with two outs, he got Tejada to fly easily to right field on the first pitch.
5th inning: After giving up a double to Justin Turner, Lincecum lost a 10-pitch battle to Beltran with a walk. Lincecum then put away Murphy, a .305 hitter with this sequence: a 94 MPH fastball at the knees, an 84 MPH splitter fouled at the plate, a 93 MPH fastball wasted high, a 94 MPH fastball in on the hands just fouled off, and then a masterful 84 MPH split finger fastball for the big punch out.
6th inning: After another two-out double, this one by Josh Thole that hit the left field chalk line, Lincecum fell behind Tejada 2-0. He got back in the count with a two-seam 92 MPH fastball, then a slider low fouled at the plate, a 94 MPH fastball fouled back, a 93 MPH fastball up for a full count, then the coup de grace: an 84 MPH split tailing away for strikeout number six.
Lincecum added 29 pitches after giving up the two-out base runners, which meant he could go only six innings. But, it was a gritty performance that matched the hustle of his mates.
**********************************************************************************
Here's hoping Placido Polanco's injury holds up, to open up a spot on the National League All-Star roster. If so, Boss Bochy can do the right thing and name Pablo Sandoval as his replacement.
Not only is Pablo one of the hottest hitters in the game now (a 20-game hitting streak, hitting .324 over that span), but he's one of the most marketable. It would serve the game well to have him on the roster, his smiling face, the energy he brings to the game nothing but an asset. Remember, the nation didn't get much of a glimpse of him in last year's postseason. This would be his first real national unveiling.
Extra: Pablo has hit safely in 24 of the 25 games since his return from his six-week stay on the disabled list, and dating back to before the injury, he's hit safely in 28 of 30.
But he showed his outfield/cornerback speed on the basepaths in the seventh inning Saturday on Miguel Tejada's sharp single to right field, racing from first to third. He challenged the powerful arm of Carlos Beltran, whose throw on the fly arrived a fraction of a second late.
The look on Rowand's face when he ducked under that tag, dirt flying, helmet ajar, black eye smeared, was one of a gambler who'd just won a high stakes hand. It epitomized the heart of the Giants, who came back with a 3-1 win over the New York Mets after suffering a disheartening loss a night earlier.
It was the kind of aggressive, gutsy play that a team like the Giants must make to win, but, more important, captures the desire and spirit of a World Championship team that is still hungry. The Giants' offense may be on the moribund side but it is not out of apathy or self-satisfaction.
You can rewind the tape on the 10 walk-off wins if you have any doubt about the heart of this team.
Rowand would eventually score a critical insurance run on another hustle play: Pablo Sandoval beating out the relay of a potential double play ground ball -- one of the many offsprings of all that hard work he put into his health and fitness over the winter.
That was the theme of the Giants all night: adding a step with drive, hustling for the last few inches, reaching, striving for a victory like it was something new and special to them.
There was Pat Burrell doing the limbo under a tag between first and second in the first inning, as the speedy Nate Schierholtz raced to first for an infield single to drive in the first run. Then, there was Aubrey Huff, the next batter, huffing and puffing up the line to beat out a throw to avoid a double play and drive in the second run of the first inning -- what proved to be the decisive run of the game.
For a team that doesn't boast much speed, the Giants used their legs to win this one.
**********************************************************************************
The quirky pattern that developed in Tim Lincecum's outing -- in all six of his innings, he allowed a runner after retiring the first two -- was only truly remarkable by how he handled it.
Outside of the first inning, when he gave up a pair of doubles after two were out, the latter driving in the only run, Lincecum put on a clinic on how to snuff out smoldering problems.
2nd inning: After walking Ruben Tejada with two outs, he retired pitcher Chris Capuano on three pitches, a pop out. Ok, not the biggest challenge.
3rd inning: After walking Beltran with two outs, he had to face David Murphy, who'd doubled in Beltran in the first inning with two outs. On a 1-1 count, Lincecum broke Murphy's bat on a diving split finger, getting an easy ground out to first.
4th inning: After walking Josh Thole with two outs, he got Tejada to fly easily to right field on the first pitch.
5th inning: After giving up a double to Justin Turner, Lincecum lost a 10-pitch battle to Beltran with a walk. Lincecum then put away Murphy, a .305 hitter with this sequence: a 94 MPH fastball at the knees, an 84 MPH splitter fouled at the plate, a 93 MPH fastball wasted high, a 94 MPH fastball in on the hands just fouled off, and then a masterful 84 MPH split finger fastball for the big punch out.
6th inning: After another two-out double, this one by Josh Thole that hit the left field chalk line, Lincecum fell behind Tejada 2-0. He got back in the count with a two-seam 92 MPH fastball, then a slider low fouled at the plate, a 94 MPH fastball fouled back, a 93 MPH fastball up for a full count, then the coup de grace: an 84 MPH split tailing away for strikeout number six.
Lincecum added 29 pitches after giving up the two-out base runners, which meant he could go only six innings. But, it was a gritty performance that matched the hustle of his mates.
**********************************************************************************
Here's hoping Placido Polanco's injury holds up, to open up a spot on the National League All-Star roster. If so, Boss Bochy can do the right thing and name Pablo Sandoval as his replacement.
Not only is Pablo one of the hottest hitters in the game now (a 20-game hitting streak, hitting .324 over that span), but he's one of the most marketable. It would serve the game well to have him on the roster, his smiling face, the energy he brings to the game nothing but an asset. Remember, the nation didn't get much of a glimpse of him in last year's postseason. This would be his first real national unveiling.
Extra: Pablo has hit safely in 24 of the 25 games since his return from his six-week stay on the disabled list, and dating back to before the injury, he's hit safely in 28 of 30.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Is Brian Wilson losing it? His fastball, I mean
Part of me hopes that the National League All-Star team builds such a large lead or gets so far behind the A.L. that Brian Wilson won't have to close the mid-season classic.
I'd rather keep the meltdowns -- on and off the field -- in the family.
More disconcerting than than his attack on the water cooler last week was his inability to put Scott "Giant Killer" Hairston away in the ninth inning in the Giants' 5-2 loss Friday night to the Mets.
Wilson had gone ahead of Hairston, one ball and two strikes, on a 93 MPH fastball and a 94 MPH two seamer that caught the edge of the plate. He then began to toy with Hairston, fiddle around with him -- the kind of action of a guy who's not all that confident in his stuff. Hairston fouled off another and took two out of the strike zone to run the count full.
In years past, Wilson would have reared back and blown a 97 MPH fastball by Hairston. He'd only given up a pair of singles to Hairston in seven at bats, and struck him out three times. But Wilson hasn't touched 97, much less 96 or 95 much lately.
He's gotten by on guile mostly this year, having developed a pretty varied and exotic repertoire. He mastered the cut fastball last year. And Wilson added a two-seam fastball this year, the kind that tails back in to a right hander, and can be used as a back-door pitch, or as a sinker in on the hands.
The problem is when it tails right back into the middle of the plate, which is what his two-seamer did on the payoff pitch to Hairston, who launched it into the black sky for what proved to be the game-winning home run.
I'm not sure if he's added the extra pitches out of necessity or if tinkering around with shiny new toys is Wilson's thing. But one thing is clear: he is not the dominant closer he was just a year ago. He cannot come into the game and blow hitters away anymore. His stuff is really no more dazzling or difficult than Ramon Ramirez'. Hell, Guilllermo Mota gets it up there as fast as Wilson these days.
It may be that Wilson is tired. He was in his third straight game. But, he'd done fine in four straight games last month, from June 22-25, with three saves. But that might have caught up with him. It was five days later that he gave up the game-winning home run to Aramis Ramirez -- the first home run he'd given up on the year after 37 appearances.
Now, he's given up two home runs -- both game-winners -- in the last five games. Last year, he gave up a total of three home runs.
In this five-game, five-inning stretch that dates back to the June 30 blown save to the Cubs, he has yielded nine hits, five runs, four if which were earned, two home runs, one walk and four strikeouts. He's had two blown saves, one loss and one save in that five-game stretch (and one win, but that was only because the Giants came back to win after he'd blown it).
He would have had another loss Wednesday night, if not for Pablo Sandoval's spectacular diving play to end the ninth on a bullet shot down the third base line with runners at first and third in a 5-5 tie.
Wilson's ERA has risen from 2.43 to 3.00 -- not exactly the numbers you want to parade around to the nation juxtaposed against images of belting a water cooler with a bat, fierce beard or not.
It's a worse stretch than he had all last year.
The worst I could find from 2010 was that he gave up three earned runs in three innings in a three-game stretch in May, and three earned runs in two innings in a two-game stretch in late July.
Speculation is mounting that Wilson might be hiding an injury -- remember, he was sidelined with an oblique out of spring training. But, the bottom line is that the fastball has lost its zip, hitters are getting better swings off him, and his bearded tirades might start growing old fast if he doesn't get back to more consistently solid outings.
Beat writers expressed disappointment that Wilson didn't man up and confess to his wayward ways. It's understandable. Wilson may say things that he would regret later. Better to cool off. Too bad he can't take the entire All-Star break off to rejuvenate for the second half.
I'd rather keep the meltdowns -- on and off the field -- in the family.
More disconcerting than than his attack on the water cooler last week was his inability to put Scott "Giant Killer" Hairston away in the ninth inning in the Giants' 5-2 loss Friday night to the Mets.
Wilson had gone ahead of Hairston, one ball and two strikes, on a 93 MPH fastball and a 94 MPH two seamer that caught the edge of the plate. He then began to toy with Hairston, fiddle around with him -- the kind of action of a guy who's not all that confident in his stuff. Hairston fouled off another and took two out of the strike zone to run the count full.
In years past, Wilson would have reared back and blown a 97 MPH fastball by Hairston. He'd only given up a pair of singles to Hairston in seven at bats, and struck him out three times. But Wilson hasn't touched 97, much less 96 or 95 much lately.
He's gotten by on guile mostly this year, having developed a pretty varied and exotic repertoire. He mastered the cut fastball last year. And Wilson added a two-seam fastball this year, the kind that tails back in to a right hander, and can be used as a back-door pitch, or as a sinker in on the hands.
The problem is when it tails right back into the middle of the plate, which is what his two-seamer did on the payoff pitch to Hairston, who launched it into the black sky for what proved to be the game-winning home run.
I'm not sure if he's added the extra pitches out of necessity or if tinkering around with shiny new toys is Wilson's thing. But one thing is clear: he is not the dominant closer he was just a year ago. He cannot come into the game and blow hitters away anymore. His stuff is really no more dazzling or difficult than Ramon Ramirez'. Hell, Guilllermo Mota gets it up there as fast as Wilson these days.
It may be that Wilson is tired. He was in his third straight game. But, he'd done fine in four straight games last month, from June 22-25, with three saves. But that might have caught up with him. It was five days later that he gave up the game-winning home run to Aramis Ramirez -- the first home run he'd given up on the year after 37 appearances.
Now, he's given up two home runs -- both game-winners -- in the last five games. Last year, he gave up a total of three home runs.
In this five-game, five-inning stretch that dates back to the June 30 blown save to the Cubs, he has yielded nine hits, five runs, four if which were earned, two home runs, one walk and four strikeouts. He's had two blown saves, one loss and one save in that five-game stretch (and one win, but that was only because the Giants came back to win after he'd blown it).
He would have had another loss Wednesday night, if not for Pablo Sandoval's spectacular diving play to end the ninth on a bullet shot down the third base line with runners at first and third in a 5-5 tie.
Wilson's ERA has risen from 2.43 to 3.00 -- not exactly the numbers you want to parade around to the nation juxtaposed against images of belting a water cooler with a bat, fierce beard or not.
It's a worse stretch than he had all last year.
The worst I could find from 2010 was that he gave up three earned runs in three innings in a three-game stretch in May, and three earned runs in two innings in a two-game stretch in late July.
Speculation is mounting that Wilson might be hiding an injury -- remember, he was sidelined with an oblique out of spring training. But, the bottom line is that the fastball has lost its zip, hitters are getting better swings off him, and his bearded tirades might start growing old fast if he doesn't get back to more consistently solid outings.
Beat writers expressed disappointment that Wilson didn't man up and confess to his wayward ways. It's understandable. Wilson may say things that he would regret later. Better to cool off. Too bad he can't take the entire All-Star break off to rejuvenate for the second half.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Zito: the steady alternative to flighty Sanchez
Jonathan Who?
It has come to this. Barry Zito has stepped in as the mature, steady and collected alternative to the unpredictable, flighty and erratic junior left hander, Jonathan Sanchez.
Yes, the same pitcher whom most fans have wished would JUST GO AWAY AND TAKE HIS MILLIONS WITH HIM now commands a new thought: CAN THIS BE REAL?
Can Barry Zito have won a third straight start, perhaps the best of them all, with eight innings of four-hit ball while walking not a single batter and striking out a season-high seven? The winner of a taut, crisply played 2-1 win over the pesky Padres?
It is in the books; you can look it up.
It may be time for fans to start rethinking Zito as the real deal, not some ersatz plug-in for the starter-in-waiting Sanchez.
Zito was asked afterward what was working: "I had command of everything," he said. "I had command of my curve and changeup, mixing it up with a decent fastball."
If you've watched him closely, Zito is not smiling much these days. Not for a lack of humor or goodwill. But he has the zoned-in look of a man with purpose, the dark glare of vendetta in his eyes.
TV color man Mike Krukow made a good point about Zito's time in the minor leagues.
"He had time to get himself right," Krukow said. "He took time getting his mechanical flaw out of his system. And now he has full command of knee-high location. Before, it was common to see him lose that changeup up to right-handers."
Now, he has such great consistency with his off-speed stuff, Krukow said. He's got late movement and finish to his delivery. As Bip Roberts added in the post-game CSNBA show, "it's tough to differentiate between the fastball, curve and changeup" because of the similar finish to his delivery on each pitch.
**********************************************************************************
Zito had faced the indignity of Giants' management stretching out his rehab way past the time he'd recovered from his foot injury. He'd weathered a similar, justifiable, slap in the face last fall, kept off the active post-season roster, left standing idly by as his teammates celebrated their world championship run.
He undoubtedly heard the loud and abrasive complaints from the fan base as the date of his return neared: Release him. Trade him. Stick him in the back of the bullpen and let him out only as a mop up man.
Meanwhile, he was down, first in San Jose, then in Fresno, apparently working on his mechanics, sharpening his delivery, steeling his resolve.
Because, since his return, Zito has been a different pitcher than the one whose injury was quietly cheered by the fans (and, possibly even by Giants management, who loved the convenience of putting him in storage while they figured out what to do with him).
Baseball fate works in peculiar and beguiling ways.
Just as Zito was preparing to return to San Francisco, Sanchez' performances became consistently errant, his wildness canceling out his hit-and-miss stuff; his vacant, spacey mental drift on the field baffling.
Zito had pitched well in his rehab, including a two-hit shutout in his final start. But that was against a bunch of minor leaguers. He had to prove himself in the big leagues, and did quite well winning his first two starts, including a gutsy performance in Detroit in which he pitched on three days rest, waited out a three-hour rain delay, and turned in six shutout innings in what turned out to be a 15-3 win.
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But it didn't seem all too real to Giants fans. They had to see it in person, see what he could do in front of the exacting throngs who were all too ready to be justified in their skepticism.
He'd retired the Padres' first nine hitters, and been handed a 1-0 lead on Eli Whiteside's solo home run in the bottom of the third.
But it wasn't until the fourth inning, when Zito got into and out of a jam that the fans might have started to appreciate what the 33-year old lefty was up to.
The inning started with a single and stolen base, and then an infield single to put runners at first and third. Zito then got a break when Jason Bartlett was called out on a stolen base attempt though replays showed he'd hit the bag before the tag (and continued on to spike second baseman Bill Hall, who had to leave the game).
Instead of second and third and no outs, the Padres had a runner on third with one out. But Zito still had to pitch through the heart of the order to get out of the jam. Chase Headley, one of the hottest hitters in the National League, got ahead of the count 3 and 1, but Zito somehow got in on his hands and induced an infield pop out.
Zito jumped ahead of cleanup hitter Ryan Ludwick, 0-and-2, with two beautiful rainbow curves, one fouled, one admired.
That's when the crowd seemed to awaken to Zito's performance. Typically, with two strikes and two outs, the home crowd rises and roars anticipating a strikeout. In this moment, a smattering of fans began hesitantly to cheer, as if not fully prepared to believe Zito had a strikeout in him. The hesitance also may have come from the deep skepticism still bracing most fans.
But, the roar got louder as Zito peered in for the sign. And fans erupted in applause, no doubt a bit stunned, when Zito blew an 84 MPH eye-high fastball past Ludwick to end the inning and strand Chris Denorfia at third.
Zito got through another jam in the fifth, after a one-out double by former Giant farmhand, Jesus Guzman. First, Pablo Sandoval made a dazzling, diving stop deep in the hole to rob Orlando Hudson of a hit and keep Jesus Guzman from scoring. And, then, on a payoff pitch to No. 8 hitter, Rob Johnson, Zito nailed a changeup on the outside corner for a strikeout to close down the threat.
The Giants picked up an insurance run on a clutch two-strike off-field single by the veteran outfielder, Pat Burrell, just in time for Zito to give it right back in the seventh on a home run to Ryan Ludwick. But he bounced back by striking out Cameron Maybin on a 73 MPH curve and inducing Guzman to ground out.
He closed out his performance with a 1-2-3 eighth, 108 pitches in the books, and fans cheering him while pinching themselves.
It has come to this. Barry Zito has stepped in as the mature, steady and collected alternative to the unpredictable, flighty and erratic junior left hander, Jonathan Sanchez.
Yes, the same pitcher whom most fans have wished would JUST GO AWAY AND TAKE HIS MILLIONS WITH HIM now commands a new thought: CAN THIS BE REAL?
Can Barry Zito have won a third straight start, perhaps the best of them all, with eight innings of four-hit ball while walking not a single batter and striking out a season-high seven? The winner of a taut, crisply played 2-1 win over the pesky Padres?
It is in the books; you can look it up.
It may be time for fans to start rethinking Zito as the real deal, not some ersatz plug-in for the starter-in-waiting Sanchez.
Zito was asked afterward what was working: "I had command of everything," he said. "I had command of my curve and changeup, mixing it up with a decent fastball."
If you've watched him closely, Zito is not smiling much these days. Not for a lack of humor or goodwill. But he has the zoned-in look of a man with purpose, the dark glare of vendetta in his eyes.
TV color man Mike Krukow made a good point about Zito's time in the minor leagues.
"He had time to get himself right," Krukow said. "He took time getting his mechanical flaw out of his system. And now he has full command of knee-high location. Before, it was common to see him lose that changeup up to right-handers."
Now, he has such great consistency with his off-speed stuff, Krukow said. He's got late movement and finish to his delivery. As Bip Roberts added in the post-game CSNBA show, "it's tough to differentiate between the fastball, curve and changeup" because of the similar finish to his delivery on each pitch.
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Zito had faced the indignity of Giants' management stretching out his rehab way past the time he'd recovered from his foot injury. He'd weathered a similar, justifiable, slap in the face last fall, kept off the active post-season roster, left standing idly by as his teammates celebrated their world championship run.
He undoubtedly heard the loud and abrasive complaints from the fan base as the date of his return neared: Release him. Trade him. Stick him in the back of the bullpen and let him out only as a mop up man.
Meanwhile, he was down, first in San Jose, then in Fresno, apparently working on his mechanics, sharpening his delivery, steeling his resolve.
Because, since his return, Zito has been a different pitcher than the one whose injury was quietly cheered by the fans (and, possibly even by Giants management, who loved the convenience of putting him in storage while they figured out what to do with him).
Baseball fate works in peculiar and beguiling ways.
Just as Zito was preparing to return to San Francisco, Sanchez' performances became consistently errant, his wildness canceling out his hit-and-miss stuff; his vacant, spacey mental drift on the field baffling.
Zito had pitched well in his rehab, including a two-hit shutout in his final start. But that was against a bunch of minor leaguers. He had to prove himself in the big leagues, and did quite well winning his first two starts, including a gutsy performance in Detroit in which he pitched on three days rest, waited out a three-hour rain delay, and turned in six shutout innings in what turned out to be a 15-3 win.
**********************************************************************************
But it didn't seem all too real to Giants fans. They had to see it in person, see what he could do in front of the exacting throngs who were all too ready to be justified in their skepticism.
He'd retired the Padres' first nine hitters, and been handed a 1-0 lead on Eli Whiteside's solo home run in the bottom of the third.
But it wasn't until the fourth inning, when Zito got into and out of a jam that the fans might have started to appreciate what the 33-year old lefty was up to.
The inning started with a single and stolen base, and then an infield single to put runners at first and third. Zito then got a break when Jason Bartlett was called out on a stolen base attempt though replays showed he'd hit the bag before the tag (and continued on to spike second baseman Bill Hall, who had to leave the game).
Instead of second and third and no outs, the Padres had a runner on third with one out. But Zito still had to pitch through the heart of the order to get out of the jam. Chase Headley, one of the hottest hitters in the National League, got ahead of the count 3 and 1, but Zito somehow got in on his hands and induced an infield pop out.
Zito jumped ahead of cleanup hitter Ryan Ludwick, 0-and-2, with two beautiful rainbow curves, one fouled, one admired.
That's when the crowd seemed to awaken to Zito's performance. Typically, with two strikes and two outs, the home crowd rises and roars anticipating a strikeout. In this moment, a smattering of fans began hesitantly to cheer, as if not fully prepared to believe Zito had a strikeout in him. The hesitance also may have come from the deep skepticism still bracing most fans.
But, the roar got louder as Zito peered in for the sign. And fans erupted in applause, no doubt a bit stunned, when Zito blew an 84 MPH eye-high fastball past Ludwick to end the inning and strand Chris Denorfia at third.
Zito got through another jam in the fifth, after a one-out double by former Giant farmhand, Jesus Guzman. First, Pablo Sandoval made a dazzling, diving stop deep in the hole to rob Orlando Hudson of a hit and keep Jesus Guzman from scoring. And, then, on a payoff pitch to No. 8 hitter, Rob Johnson, Zito nailed a changeup on the outside corner for a strikeout to close down the threat.
The Giants picked up an insurance run on a clutch two-strike off-field single by the veteran outfielder, Pat Burrell, just in time for Zito to give it right back in the seventh on a home run to Ryan Ludwick. But he bounced back by striking out Cameron Maybin on a 73 MPH curve and inducing Guzman to ground out.
He closed out his performance with a 1-2-3 eighth, 108 pitches in the books, and fans cheering him while pinching themselves.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A game that should be remembered for a long time
You come from behind late, win in extra innings, on a walkoff home run no less, shaking off a three-game losing streak, and, as a bonus, you gain a game on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the standings: It was the ultimate gut check win that the Giants needed desperately, a game that should be remembered for a long time.
The Giants' 6-5 win over the pesky San Diego Padres was a jolt to what had been sagging spirits after three straight tough losses and the feeling that something was amiss in San Francisco. You had to begin to wonder, the way things were going, if the Giants could survive long enough to make the July 31 trade deadline meaningful.
Instead, they turn in their 10th walkoff win of the year, one of the grittiest of them all. They hadn't led in this game until Nate Schierholtz lofted his 14th inning drive into the arcade just over the high right field wall.
The Giants played like they absolutely had to win the game: the fire in Andres Torres' eyes, the steely cool of Nate the Great, the absolute confidence behind Pablo Sandoval's power shot two-run game-tying double and, an inning later, the determination and grit behind his dramatic diving play to save the game.
It was the game that put Sandoval into the realm of the superstar. Sandoval has returned to his level of play of 2009, but with the edge of a veteran who's endured failure, been humbled, but become a sharper and more disciplined ballplayer. Once again, you look forward to seeing him taking his at bats, but you also have come to rely on his leadership as other veterans continue to struggle.
You want consistent? Pablo's got a 17-game hitting streak, and has hit in 21 of the 22 games he's played in since his return from surgery. He's playing every day, through pain (Tuesday, it looked like he tweaked is surgically repaired hand on a swing; he's pounded hard foul balls into his lower legs for three straight games now, and he ruined at least one pair of pants when blood from a spiking seeped through).
He's hit .306 since his return (28 for 95), and is at a .326 clip (24 for 74) during his hit streak.
The win solidified Nate Schierholtz as one of the top clutch players in the game. His two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth came when the Giants situation appeared pretty grim, down 4-1, maybe wondering if they were headed to a fourth straight loss. His double in the 12th gave them a chance to win it (though it went for naught), and his home run in the 14th was storybook.
Schierholtz' is a simmering talent, seething with restrained confidence symbolized by his cool, even trot around the base paths.
But the Padres, not the World Champion Giants, had been the team playing solid, fundamental baseball through the first two-and-a-half games of this series, doing everything right: moving runners around with productive outs, running wild on the bases, getting key two-out RBI, snuffing out Giants' rallies with dominant relief.
Maybe the low moment for the Giants came in that sixth inning, immediately after Torres' sensational catch. After two outs, the Padres started a rally on an Orlando Hudson base hit (after Madison Bumgarner was squeezed on one what should have been a strikeout, one of at least a half dozen calls that could easily have been corner strikes). Hudson stole second, moved to third on a throwing error by catcher Chris Stewart (one of two errant throws from the typically sure-armed kid), and scored when Bumgarner gave up an RBI hit to No. 8 hitter Rob Johnson.
It was almost as if Bumgarner, still fuming over umpire Jeff Kellogg's calls, had forgotten that the pitcher was on deck when he fed a fat slider to the light-hitting Johnson. My question at that point was: where was Dave Righetti to a) calm him down and b) remind him to either pitch around Johnson, or to walk him intentionally?
Bumgarner's lapse had wiped out what momentum that Nate had created with his fourth-inning home run, and the offense went dark over the next two innings, trailing -- shall I say haunted? -- by the same 5-3 score they'd lost to the previous two nights.
Torres and Brandon Crawford brought life back to the Giants with base hits in the eighth inning -- Crawford's off the tough set up man, Mike Adams, setting up Sandoval's game-tying blow, a mammoth blast to center field that one-hopped the fence in the deepest part of the park. Thankfully it didn't bounce over the wall for a ground rule double -- that would have frozen Crawford at third. As it was, Pablo, the potential winning run, was stranded at second, and the game would seep into extra innings.
Schierholtz had put the Giants in the position to win in the 12th with a leadoff double but was stranded at third when pinch hitter Cody Ross struck out on an eye-high fastball (after taking a thigh high fastball down the middle) and Pat Burrell popped out.
If Schierholtz didn't hit it out in the 14th, no telling how long this game would have gone. The Giants were out of bench players, and were ready to send Javier Lopez up to hit fourth in the 14th.
I'm sure Lopez was only slightly disappointed he didn't get to hit. But the win he received for his two perfect innings, emblematic of the entire relief corps (eight shutout innings, 13 strikeouts), would have to suffice.
The Giants' 6-5 win over the pesky San Diego Padres was a jolt to what had been sagging spirits after three straight tough losses and the feeling that something was amiss in San Francisco. You had to begin to wonder, the way things were going, if the Giants could survive long enough to make the July 31 trade deadline meaningful.
Instead, they turn in their 10th walkoff win of the year, one of the grittiest of them all. They hadn't led in this game until Nate Schierholtz lofted his 14th inning drive into the arcade just over the high right field wall.
The Giants played like they absolutely had to win the game: the fire in Andres Torres' eyes, the steely cool of Nate the Great, the absolute confidence behind Pablo Sandoval's power shot two-run game-tying double and, an inning later, the determination and grit behind his dramatic diving play to save the game.
It was the game that put Sandoval into the realm of the superstar. Sandoval has returned to his level of play of 2009, but with the edge of a veteran who's endured failure, been humbled, but become a sharper and more disciplined ballplayer. Once again, you look forward to seeing him taking his at bats, but you also have come to rely on his leadership as other veterans continue to struggle.
You want consistent? Pablo's got a 17-game hitting streak, and has hit in 21 of the 22 games he's played in since his return from surgery. He's playing every day, through pain (Tuesday, it looked like he tweaked is surgically repaired hand on a swing; he's pounded hard foul balls into his lower legs for three straight games now, and he ruined at least one pair of pants when blood from a spiking seeped through).
He's hit .306 since his return (28 for 95), and is at a .326 clip (24 for 74) during his hit streak.
The win solidified Nate Schierholtz as one of the top clutch players in the game. His two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth came when the Giants situation appeared pretty grim, down 4-1, maybe wondering if they were headed to a fourth straight loss. His double in the 12th gave them a chance to win it (though it went for naught), and his home run in the 14th was storybook.
Schierholtz' is a simmering talent, seething with restrained confidence symbolized by his cool, even trot around the base paths.
And the win gave a glimpse of a renewed Torres, who in addition to his three hits -- including his signature doubles -- made a stunning catch in deep center field in the sixth inning. As he raced with his back to home plate toward the warning track, he raised his glove directly over his head and grabbed the soaring fly ball by the tip of his webbing; you could see that he couldn't actually see the ball as he caught it: it was almost a feel catch, if you can imagine that.
But the Padres, not the World Champion Giants, had been the team playing solid, fundamental baseball through the first two-and-a-half games of this series, doing everything right: moving runners around with productive outs, running wild on the bases, getting key two-out RBI, snuffing out Giants' rallies with dominant relief.
Maybe the low moment for the Giants came in that sixth inning, immediately after Torres' sensational catch. After two outs, the Padres started a rally on an Orlando Hudson base hit (after Madison Bumgarner was squeezed on one what should have been a strikeout, one of at least a half dozen calls that could easily have been corner strikes). Hudson stole second, moved to third on a throwing error by catcher Chris Stewart (one of two errant throws from the typically sure-armed kid), and scored when Bumgarner gave up an RBI hit to No. 8 hitter Rob Johnson.
It was almost as if Bumgarner, still fuming over umpire Jeff Kellogg's calls, had forgotten that the pitcher was on deck when he fed a fat slider to the light-hitting Johnson. My question at that point was: where was Dave Righetti to a) calm him down and b) remind him to either pitch around Johnson, or to walk him intentionally?
Bumgarner's lapse had wiped out what momentum that Nate had created with his fourth-inning home run, and the offense went dark over the next two innings, trailing -- shall I say haunted? -- by the same 5-3 score they'd lost to the previous two nights.
Torres and Brandon Crawford brought life back to the Giants with base hits in the eighth inning -- Crawford's off the tough set up man, Mike Adams, setting up Sandoval's game-tying blow, a mammoth blast to center field that one-hopped the fence in the deepest part of the park. Thankfully it didn't bounce over the wall for a ground rule double -- that would have frozen Crawford at third. As it was, Pablo, the potential winning run, was stranded at second, and the game would seep into extra innings.
Schierholtz had put the Giants in the position to win in the 12th with a leadoff double but was stranded at third when pinch hitter Cody Ross struck out on an eye-high fastball (after taking a thigh high fastball down the middle) and Pat Burrell popped out.
There were Crawford and Sandoval setting up another promising rally in the 13th -- Crawford may be on the verge of establishing himself as a late-game pressure guy -- but it fizzled when Huff and Burriss struck out.
If Schierholtz didn't hit it out in the 14th, no telling how long this game would have gone. The Giants were out of bench players, and were ready to send Javier Lopez up to hit fourth in the 14th.
I'm sure Lopez was only slightly disappointed he didn't get to hit. But the win he received for his two perfect innings, emblematic of the entire relief corps (eight shutout innings, 13 strikeouts), would have to suffice.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Torres' mixed day; and remembering Morganna
The endearing, spirit-lifting qualities of Andres Torres were back Tuesday. But so were the hesitance and deer-in-the-headlights aspects of his declining play.
Unfortunately, the latter were magnified in the Giants' 5-3 loss to the San Diego Padres -- San Francisco's third loss in a row.
Torres provided the spark at the outset with a line drive single to lead off the first inning, and scored all the way from first on a Brandon Crawford single that banged off the glove of Padres first baseman Anthony Rizzo. He'd stopped at third, but was waved furiously home by Tim Flannery when second baseman Orlando Hudson accidentally flung the ball backwards as he picked it up.
It's that kind of exciting jolt at the top of the lineup that Torres had provided last year, an all-too seldom lift this year.
Torres' 16-pitch walk in the seventh inning, in which he fouled off 11 two-strike pitches, was another classic leadoff hitter's performance: intent on making contact, fighting off tough pitches, doing what he can to get on base. He even stole second base.
But after moving over to third on Brandon Crawford's groundout -- the second out in the inning -- Torres did the inexcusable: he was thrown out at the plate with their best hitter, Pablo Sandoval, up representing the tying run in a 5-3 game.
Torres tried to score on a pitch that got away from catcher Nick Hundley, but a) the pitch hadn't gotten that far away from him and b) Torres hesitated before taking off. That moment's hesitation cost him.
He should have listened to his first instincts and stayed put. The count would have been full. Pablo had fought back from an 0-2 count, and the Padres appeared to be pitching him carefully. He may have had a chance to swing the bat, but at worst, Pablo would have walked, giving Aubrey Huff, who had a two-hit night, a shot.
Instead, Sandoval would have to hit leadoff the eighth, not ideal for your number three guy.
Torres' shot at redemption came in the ninth with runners at second and third. After base hits by Miguel Tejada and pinch hitter Pat Burrell, Boss Bochy pulled Bill Hall from the on-deck circle, and replaced him with Chris Stewart for the sacrifice bunt, which he executed perfectly.
Bochy's hands were tied: he had the injured Cody Ross on the bench ready to pinch hit, but with runners at first and second, he didn't want to risk Ross, idled with a hamstring strain, hitting into a double play. And Bochy apparently has lost all faith in Hall, who should have been in line to start second base when Manny Burriss couldn't go, but was bypassed by Tejada, who'd never played an inning at second.
But all Stewart's bunt did was to leave the fate of the game in the hands of Torres and Crawford. Torres had been at bat for more than eight minutes in the seventh inning, but was gone in less than one in the ninth, a three-pitch see-ya, the last a fastball in his eyes that Torres couldn't hold up on. (Crawford flied out to end the game, leaving the tying runner planted at second).
The game looked sped up once again to Torres, who has battled troubles with an attention deficit disorder. It is agonizing to watch him go back to the bench with such confusion and pain in his expression.
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Matt Cain has been so good, especially so with runners in scoring position, and in shutting down the opposition after his team scores.
Not on this night.
Both times the Giants scored, Cain coughed up runs. After the Giants took a 2-0 lead in the first, Cain gave those two runs right back: after he yielded a single to Ryan Ludwick and a double to Hudson, he retired Cameron Maybin on a grounder, but provided the perfect location -- fastball away -- for Maybin to turn in one of those move-'em-in-move-'em-over productive outs.
The second run came on a chopper over the mound that Crawford muffed, though Hudson would have easily scored. Though Cain's statistics show hitters went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, Cain still allowed them to score.
He did turn in a shutdown inning in the fifth after the Giants had taken a 3-2 lead, and appeared to be on his way to getting out of a jam in the sixth. With Chase Headley at second, Cain struck out Ryan Ludwick (who was 6-for-12 lifetime against Cain) on a biting slider in the dirt for the second out. Cain appeared to pitch around Hudson to get to Maybin.
Which would have been fine. Maybin can be pitched to. But Cain hung a flat curve -- another hanging two-strike curve to add to the Giants' growing collection of questionable pitches -- where a Little League All-Star could hit it, and Maybin drove both runs in with a triple, scoring moments later when Rizzo pounded a single to left.
So much for pitching well with runners in scoring position.
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Here's hoping that Bochy does not start Tim Lincecum in the All-Star game. For one, there would be too much scrutiny placed on the long-haired wonder; his 6-7 mark perfect fodder for those who want to accuse Bochy of favoritism.
It would extend the controversy over octogenarian Manager Jack McKeon's comments, and put Lincecum in a position of having to pitch against the perception that he was undeserving. The way he's pitching right now, I'm not sure I want him subjected to the national snide comment machine.
Lincecum's fastball never got over 92 MPH on Monday -- more often they stayed around 90-91 -- and his secondary pitches did not have the crisp bite he needs. It could be that he was fatigued from the trip home from Detroit, but he can blame himself: he turned down the chance to fly ahead of his teammates to get settled in early. Next time Giants management needs to require he fly home early.
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The Giants need to lighten up and provide TV entertainment next time a fan runs onto the field.
Tuesday night, CSNBA viewers got a good view of the third base fans, and some shots of Giants players watching as security chased down a fan who'd gotten onto the field. Apparently, he tapped left fielder Aaron Rowand on the shoulder before taking flight.
But we never saw it because of the condescending practice that all television stations have of averting cameras from such a spectacle. Supposedly, it's to discourage would-be copy-cats. But, it's also a part of the heavy security conscious, post-911 world we live in (you know, the era that ushered in Blackwater, color-coded alerts, and enforced patriotism of the newly established God Bless America seventh-inning stretch).
It wasn't always thus. In the 70s, when streaking was a national fad, we'd see bare-bottomed fools race across fields, faking out overweight security guards in hilarious keystone cops scenes.
Remember Morganna? The buxom blonde would somehow get onto the field -- did security avert its eyes? -- make it all the way to the mound, and give the pitcher a kiss. Nolan Ryan was once a "victim."
Today, if a modern-day Morganna were to run onto the field and kiss Tim Lincecum on the mound, we would never see it.
Unfortunately, the latter were magnified in the Giants' 5-3 loss to the San Diego Padres -- San Francisco's third loss in a row.
Torres provided the spark at the outset with a line drive single to lead off the first inning, and scored all the way from first on a Brandon Crawford single that banged off the glove of Padres first baseman Anthony Rizzo. He'd stopped at third, but was waved furiously home by Tim Flannery when second baseman Orlando Hudson accidentally flung the ball backwards as he picked it up.
It's that kind of exciting jolt at the top of the lineup that Torres had provided last year, an all-too seldom lift this year.
Torres' 16-pitch walk in the seventh inning, in which he fouled off 11 two-strike pitches, was another classic leadoff hitter's performance: intent on making contact, fighting off tough pitches, doing what he can to get on base. He even stole second base.
But after moving over to third on Brandon Crawford's groundout -- the second out in the inning -- Torres did the inexcusable: he was thrown out at the plate with their best hitter, Pablo Sandoval, up representing the tying run in a 5-3 game.
Torres tried to score on a pitch that got away from catcher Nick Hundley, but a) the pitch hadn't gotten that far away from him and b) Torres hesitated before taking off. That moment's hesitation cost him.
He should have listened to his first instincts and stayed put. The count would have been full. Pablo had fought back from an 0-2 count, and the Padres appeared to be pitching him carefully. He may have had a chance to swing the bat, but at worst, Pablo would have walked, giving Aubrey Huff, who had a two-hit night, a shot.
Instead, Sandoval would have to hit leadoff the eighth, not ideal for your number three guy.
Torres' shot at redemption came in the ninth with runners at second and third. After base hits by Miguel Tejada and pinch hitter Pat Burrell, Boss Bochy pulled Bill Hall from the on-deck circle, and replaced him with Chris Stewart for the sacrifice bunt, which he executed perfectly.
Bochy's hands were tied: he had the injured Cody Ross on the bench ready to pinch hit, but with runners at first and second, he didn't want to risk Ross, idled with a hamstring strain, hitting into a double play. And Bochy apparently has lost all faith in Hall, who should have been in line to start second base when Manny Burriss couldn't go, but was bypassed by Tejada, who'd never played an inning at second.
But all Stewart's bunt did was to leave the fate of the game in the hands of Torres and Crawford. Torres had been at bat for more than eight minutes in the seventh inning, but was gone in less than one in the ninth, a three-pitch see-ya, the last a fastball in his eyes that Torres couldn't hold up on. (Crawford flied out to end the game, leaving the tying runner planted at second).
The game looked sped up once again to Torres, who has battled troubles with an attention deficit disorder. It is agonizing to watch him go back to the bench with such confusion and pain in his expression.
**********************************************************************************
Matt Cain has been so good, especially so with runners in scoring position, and in shutting down the opposition after his team scores.
Not on this night.
Both times the Giants scored, Cain coughed up runs. After the Giants took a 2-0 lead in the first, Cain gave those two runs right back: after he yielded a single to Ryan Ludwick and a double to Hudson, he retired Cameron Maybin on a grounder, but provided the perfect location -- fastball away -- for Maybin to turn in one of those move-'em-in-move-'em-over productive outs.
The second run came on a chopper over the mound that Crawford muffed, though Hudson would have easily scored. Though Cain's statistics show hitters went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, Cain still allowed them to score.
He did turn in a shutdown inning in the fifth after the Giants had taken a 3-2 lead, and appeared to be on his way to getting out of a jam in the sixth. With Chase Headley at second, Cain struck out Ryan Ludwick (who was 6-for-12 lifetime against Cain) on a biting slider in the dirt for the second out. Cain appeared to pitch around Hudson to get to Maybin.
Which would have been fine. Maybin can be pitched to. But Cain hung a flat curve -- another hanging two-strike curve to add to the Giants' growing collection of questionable pitches -- where a Little League All-Star could hit it, and Maybin drove both runs in with a triple, scoring moments later when Rizzo pounded a single to left.
So much for pitching well with runners in scoring position.
**********************************************************************************
Here's hoping that Bochy does not start Tim Lincecum in the All-Star game. For one, there would be too much scrutiny placed on the long-haired wonder; his 6-7 mark perfect fodder for those who want to accuse Bochy of favoritism.
It would extend the controversy over octogenarian Manager Jack McKeon's comments, and put Lincecum in a position of having to pitch against the perception that he was undeserving. The way he's pitching right now, I'm not sure I want him subjected to the national snide comment machine.
Lincecum's fastball never got over 92 MPH on Monday -- more often they stayed around 90-91 -- and his secondary pitches did not have the crisp bite he needs. It could be that he was fatigued from the trip home from Detroit, but he can blame himself: he turned down the chance to fly ahead of his teammates to get settled in early. Next time Giants management needs to require he fly home early.
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The Giants need to lighten up and provide TV entertainment next time a fan runs onto the field.
Tuesday night, CSNBA viewers got a good view of the third base fans, and some shots of Giants players watching as security chased down a fan who'd gotten onto the field. Apparently, he tapped left fielder Aaron Rowand on the shoulder before taking flight.
But we never saw it because of the condescending practice that all television stations have of averting cameras from such a spectacle. Supposedly, it's to discourage would-be copy-cats. But, it's also a part of the heavy security conscious, post-911 world we live in (you know, the era that ushered in Blackwater, color-coded alerts, and enforced patriotism of the newly established God Bless America seventh-inning stretch).
It wasn't always thus. In the 70s, when streaking was a national fad, we'd see bare-bottomed fools race across fields, faking out overweight security guards in hilarious keystone cops scenes.
Remember Morganna? The buxom blonde would somehow get onto the field -- did security avert its eyes? -- make it all the way to the mound, and give the pitcher a kiss. Nolan Ryan was once a "victim."
Today, if a modern-day Morganna were to run onto the field and kiss Tim Lincecum on the mound, we would never see it.
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