Giants to Rely on In-House Options for Infield Depth

Good. I'm sick of this. Yes, Mike Fontenot has a terrible arm for a shortstop. Yes, Emmanuel Burriss has little durability, a weak bat, and his defense at shortstop is mediocre at best. And Mark DeRosa, of course, doesn't profile well at shortstop, not to mention the impact his wrist injury probably had on his power.

But who cares? I think I can live with a backup shortstop with a weak arm. People love to bring up age: and guess what? Miguel Tejada is going to be turning 37 next year. Does that mean that, suddenly, after playing 150+ games in 11 of the past 12 seasons, he will incur a plethora of injuries that will limit him to 60 games this year? There's no evidence to support that. He's been consistently durable throughout his career.

And in the event that Tejada becomes injured to the point where the Giants might actually need a backup shortstop to start more than 12 games, the Giants can go out and execute a trade for a shortstop, or pick one of these free agent shortstops up (it's possible that many of them won't receive contracts). In reality though, these backup shortstop options (Orlando Cabrera?! Bobby Crosby?!) are really not going to be much better than Mike Fontenot.

Please do me a favor, and stop throwing names out there like Bobby Crosby, who has managed to compile -1.3 WAR in 167 games over the past two seasons. He's just Burriss with less speed, and a little more pop in his bat.

Rowand for Fukudome

According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Giants and Cubs discussed an Aaron Rowand - Kosuke Fukudome swap. While it's a long shot at this point, it would certainly benefit the Giants.

Propelled by a career-low .263 BABIP, Rowand put up his worst season in 2010, posting a slash line of .230/.281/.378; While he's due to regress to a more respectable line in 2011, he doesn't have the one thing Fukudome has -- an exceptional walk rate.

In spite of a career-low .287 BABIP, Fukudome put up a respectable line of .263/.371/.439; That's the kind of plate discipline the Giants need. Guys who get on base 37% of the time -- and keep in mind that it was an off-year for Fukudome -- are rare.

In addition, Fukudome's contract is nicer. He's got one year and $13.5MM left on his contract, whereas Rowand has another two years at $12MM/year. The extra $1.5MM is absolutely worth it, considering that it would free up that spot in the payroll a year in advance.

Also, Fukudome gives the Giants a more powerful lefty bat off the bench; power which Travis Ishikawa, Nate Schierholtz, and Mike Fontenot fail to supply.

It's probably not going to happen, but I'd be happy if it did.

Edgar Renteria Feels Disrespected

ESPN reports...

"That offer from the Giants was a lack of respect. A total disrespect," Renteria told ESPNdeportes.com Thursday from Colombia.

Yes, the offer lacked respect. Edgar Renteria is the reigning World Series MVP, and deservedly so. The $1MM offer was significantly lower than the $8.5MM option that the Giants declined several weeks ago. So yes, it's disrespectful. What it doesn't lack though, is common sense. Sure, the Giants could offer him $2MM or maybe even $3MM and there's a good chance he'd play well enough to be worth that much. But the Giants pretty much have a full roster already; they already signed Mike Fontenot to a one-year deal; and Renteria's health issues, his age, and his lack of versatility -- he's never played anywhere other than short -- make the $1MM offer a wise decision.

I can understand that people are angry that Rent isn't getting more respect. But baseball's a business, and in this case, it's probably wiser to buy low or not buy at all.

Giants Have Interest in Renteria....Seriously?

According to John Shea, there's mutual interest between the San Francisco Giants and their World Series hero Edgar Renteria.

Let's see here...the Giants have Mike Fontenot on a one-year deal. He can play short and second. They have Freddy Sanchez as their starting second baseman. They have Pablo Sandoval starting at third, and Miguel Tejada starting at short (he can also play third). Then they have Mark DeRosa at the utility role. He can play both middle infield positions that Renteria would supposedly play (shortstop, where he's lived his entire career, and second base, a position to which he recently said he's willing to switch). Then, of course, there's the younger guys, who to be honest, probably aren't the best options: Emmanuel Burriss and Ryan Rohlinger.

So to review...at short we have Tejada, Fontenot, and DeRosa. Do the Giants really need a fourth shortstop? And if so, are Burriss and Rohlinger truly incapable of being viable fourth shortstop options?

Then we have Sanchez, Fontenot, and DeRosa at second. Do the Giants really need a fourth second baseman? And if so, are Burriss and Rohlinger truly incapable of being viable fourth second baseman options?

The Giants don't really need another middle infielder. On top of that, it's simply a waste of money to sign Renteria again. Renteria has constantly battled injuries, he's not that fast anymore, his defense is quite mediocre, he's old, he can't hit for power, he can't hit for a high average, and he'd likely cost more than Burriss and Rohlinger combined. Plus, Burriss gives the Giants speed off of the bench.

So...I truly believe that Renteria will NOT man a Giants uniform next season. And if he does...well, I can't even begin to understand what is wrong with the Giants management.

Non-Tenders: Velez and Ray; Fontenot Signed to a One-Year Deal

Eugenio Velez and Chris Ray have not been offered contracts. Mike Fontenot was signed to a one-year deal worth just over $1MM, and all the other arbitration-eligible Giants (Cody Ross, Andres Torres, Santiago Casilla, Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, and Jonathan Sanchez) have been tendered contracts. It's all here.

Fontenot's deal will not have incentives, and I can't really see it hurting the Giants at all. He'll provide them with a veteran middle-infield bat, and the fact that he's left-handed obviously presents value -- keep in mind that Freddy Sanchez has had some trouble against right-handed pitching...Fontenot doesn't particularly shine in any categories -- not a top defender, doesn't have great speed, not much power, doesn't hit for a high average -- but as a backup middle infielder, he'll be fine.

With the Giants in 2010, he produced -0.3 WAR, played mediocre defense, and didn't hit for much power at all (.282/.329/.310). I've always been bothered by hitters whose SLG is higher than their OBP, and Fontenot was one of those guys with the Giants. It's not like his .329 OBP is dazzling either, so it doesn't really justify the fact that it's higher than his SLG. Anyway, I'm sure he's a better player than this. He's not an impact bat, but he'll play average defense, and he'll give the Giants a back-up left-handed middle-infield bat -- useful, if you consider that the Giants' starting middle infielders will be right-handed hitters Miguel Tejada and Freddy Sanchez.

Ray and Velez could potentially be signed to minor-league deals, but we'll see. Their time as San Francisco Giants is likely over.

More Offseason Talk....

Andrew Baggarly, San Jose Mercury News beat-writer notes:

A lot of folks might assume the Giants are no longer interested in trading for Jason Bartlett, or to a lesser extent, J.J. Hardy and Marco Scutaro. Don’t be so sure of that yet. Remember, the front office has threatened Sandoval with a demotion to Triple-A Fresno to start the year if he doesn’t make progress in his conditioning this offseason. You can’t make a threat like that without having alternatives on the roster, and considering how important defense will be to their pitching-centric club, Tejada is a better fit at third base, anyway.

Well, it's not the case. As recently noted by none other than Andrew Baggarly, the Giants aren't in on Bartlett. He says, "Now I'm hearing Giants are out on a Jason Bartlett trade. They had $5-7 million budgeted for a starting SS and spent it on Tejada." So we're back to square one. The Giants will need shortstop depth. I just don't think Emmanuel Burriss is a decent backup shortstop. And Brandon Crawford just isn't ready...


I suppose it's a good thing that Tejada was acquired to be a starting shortstop (rather than a backup plan at third base), in that it actually somewhat justified his $6.5MM contract. But this means the Giants are still lacking depth at short, and not seeking to fix that with a Hardy, Scutaro, or a Bartlett. Unless of course, they tender Mike Fontenot a contract. I guess I could see him as a backup shortstop. He produced negative WAR with the Giants in 2010, and I've never been too fond of him (he doesn't stand out in any categories: speed, defense, average, power), but as a backup shortstop, I suppose he'll do.

I'm curious as to what the Giants' next moves are...do they need another outfield reserve, like Pat Burrell? Or is it enough to have Aaron Rowand, Cody Ross, Andres Torres, Nate Schierholtz, and Aubrey Huff?

For the price I'm not interested, but Lance Berkman is intriguing. He wants to play outfield or first base, both of which, I suppose he would add depth to (although the Giants are really not in need of a first-baseman). With a resurgence of the bat, he would be the new-and-improved Pat the Bat. Seriously. He takes walks, he has Burrell-like power, and he's a switch hitter. With dedication to fitness, he'd be as good as Burrell in the outfield. But again, too much money, aging, and there's the injury risk. An intriguing name for discussion, though, I suppose...thoughts?

Are the Giants going to get a Matt Stairs? A hitter whose primary, and pretty much only role is to be the pinch-hitter? That was the goal with Burrell, but he sort of forced his way into the starting lineup. I wonder if the Giants will try to get this. Maybe Russell Branyan or a Mike Sweeney? Probably not, though. They have an excess of position players, with Whiteside, Burriss, Rowand, Schierholtz, Ishikawa, and possibly Fontenot.

My guess at the starters for 2011:
C Posey
1B Huff
2B Sanchez
SS Tejada
3B Sandoval
LF DeRosa
CF Torres
RF Ross

So, I think the Giants are pretty much done with their offseason shopping. Some possible bench bats...names for discussion: Branyan, Sweeney, Berkman, any others? I'm interested to hear what your thoughts are...

NLCS Game Two Recap

Game Summary:

Jonathan Sanchez had a sloppy first inning, walking in a run. That would be the only Phillies run of the inning though.

Cody Ross tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth with his fourth home run in the last three games.

Placido Polanco gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly.

In the seventh, Jonathan Sanchez was replaced by Ramon Ramirez after allowing a leadoff single to Roy Oswalt. Oswalt advanced to second on a sac bunt, and Chase Utley was then walked intentionally. Polanco singled to center, and Oswalt ran through the third base coach's stop sign, coming around to score. The game then exploded from there...Utley and Polanco were successful on a double steal. Jeremy Affeldt came in, struck out Ryan Howard, and intentionally walked Jayson Werth. Santiago Casilla was then brought into the game with the bases loaded and two outs to face Jimmy Rollins came to the plate...Rollins crushed the ball off the right field wall for a three-run double, breaking the game open to make the score 6-1.

The Giants failed to piece together any more runs, losing the game by a final score of 6-1.

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The Giants have a problem with their bullpen...who to use? With the Phillies shuffling their lineup so that Utley and Howard don't bat back-to-back, the Giants no longer have the ability to bring in Javier Lopez to face two lefties in a row. They can use him in the key situation to get one lefty out, though. The bridge to Brian Wilson is sort of a mystery right now, though. Let's examine the possibilities:

Sergio Romo, this year's setup man: he's had three postseason appearances. The first two did not go well. In game two against Atlanta in the NLDS, he allowed singles to the two hitters he faced. In game three in Atlanta, he gave up what could have been the game-winning home run for the Braves, a two-run shot to give them a 2-1 lead. But he had a relatively nice appearance on Sunday...1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB. He might be a good option, although the Phillies are lefty-heavy...Howard, Ibanez, Utley and then the switch-hitting Rollins and Victorino.

Jeremy Affeldt: he's made one appearance in the postseason...in game two of the NLCS on Sunday. He struck Ryan Howard out, then intentionally walked Chase Utley. He could be a good option, too, as he was rather successful in the setup-man role in 2009.

Santiago Casilla: he had a very nice appearance in game three in Atlanta, going 1.2 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. His appearance on Sunday was not enticing, though...he allowed the huge three-run double to Jimmy Rollins. I think he's more suited to face Carlos Ruiz / Placido Polanco / Jayson Werth. I just don't trust him in a close ballgame to face a LHH.

Ramon Ramirez: he has a 12.86 ERA in the postseason (2.1 innings pitched). He's starting to look more like the pitcher that had a 4.46 ERA for Boston this year than the one who had a 0.67 ERA for the Giants. Again...I'd trust him to face a righty..but at this point, not a powerful left-handed hitter, especially in a critical situation. Remember...Rick Ankiel hit that home run off of him.

At this point, I think the Giants just need to piece together relievers. Their starters need to give them innings. They must go six innings..minimum. If Brian Wilson pitches the ninth, I don't think it's too hard to piece together these four pitchers for the seventh and eighth innings in a tight game.

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Andres Torres isn't hitting. It's becoming rather problematic. He had four strikeouts on Sunday, so he has not really shown signs of breaking out of this slump. Considering that game three's pitcher is a left-hander, and Torres bats much worse on the right side (.226 batting average), there might be thought about whether he should play or not...the Giants could be considering playing Aaron Rowand against the lefty Cole Hamels. My take? It's not worth it. Torres' defense is too valuable to replace him with Rowand...and is Rowand really going to be an offensive upgrade? It would make a little more sense to play Rowand if it were in Philadelphia, where he put up the best season of his career. But in San Francisco it's a clear 'no'. 

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The Giants have some thinking to do about their SS/3B situation for game three. If Uribe is healthy, it makes sense to put him in. That leaves Pablo Sandoval, Mike Fontenot, and Edgar Renteria. I'd rather not put Fontenot in the lineup for game three..in addition to the fact that they'll be facing a left-handed pitcher and Fontenot bats left-handed, he played very sloppy baseball in game two. I say if Uribe's healthy, play Sandoval and Uribe on the left side. If not, play Sandoval and Renteria. Sandoval even has good career numbers against Hamels (3 for 10, 1 HR). 

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Cody Ross. How 'bout this guy? He homered in his third straight game, joining Barry Bonds and Jeffrey Leonard as just the third Giant to have a three-game home run streak in the postseason. He supplied the only run for the Giants in this one...as FP Santangelo noted, Ross should crowd the plate for the next few games. The Phillies are no longer going to throw him that low-inside fastball that he keeps crushing...so he should move in to get around on that outside fastball that they're going to start throwing him. 

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Solid outing by Jonathan Sanchez. It wasn't perfect -- far from it, actually, but it was yet another decent start: 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 7 K, 3 BB. 

NLCS Game One Recap

Looks like Doctober ended a little early...

Giants with multi-homer postseason games (before today):

Player	Date	Series	Gm#	Tm	Opp	HR
Cody Ross	2010-10-16	NLCS	1	SFG	PHI	2
Jeff Kent	2002-10-24	WS	5	SFG	ANA	2
Rich Aurilia	2002-10-10	NLCS	2	SFG	STL	2
Jeff Kent	1997-10-03	NLDS	3	SFG	FLA	2
Will Clark	1989-10-04	NLCS	1	SFG	CHC	2
Benny Kauff	1917-10-11	WS	4	NYG	CHW	2

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/17/2010.

Welcome to the club, Cody Ross.

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Game Summary:

In the third inning, Cody Ross turned on a low-and-inside pitch, knocking it into the left-field stands for a solo home run.

Carlos Ruiz quickly answered in the bottom half of the third, hitting a "just-enough" solo home run to right to tie the game.

In the fourth, Juan Uribe grounded into a fielder's choice with runners on the corners and two outs to end the inning.

In the fifth, Cody Ross hit yet another solo shot...on basically the same pitch, to the same part of the ballpark.

In the sixth, Buster Posey scored on a Pat Burrell double. Nate Schierholtz pinch ran for Pat Burrell, and scored on a Juan Uribe single up the middle.

In the bottom of the inning, Jayson Werth hit a two-run homer (another cheap-y to right field) to make the score 4-3 in the Giants' favor.

The Giants would go onto win the game, thanks to solid relief by Javier Lopez (retired the only two batters he faced: Chase Utley and Ryan Howard) and Brian Wilson (allowed one baserunner in 1.1 innings, while striking out four).

And with that, the Giants effectively disproved the ignorant analysts who figured the Phillies would sweep, probably took a toll on Roy Halladay's confidence -- which was likely at an all-time high coming off of a postseason no-hitter, and set themselves up in prime position for the next few games. It's important to win at least one game in each road set. They needed to win at least one of the first two in Philly. And they'll need to win at least one of the final two in Philly (if those two are played). They can succeed at home, where the Phillies' cheap home runs are merely flyouts.

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I've been thinking this all along, although it hasn't really been talked about much -- at least, what I've heard about the NLCS. Javier Lopez is going to be key. He'll face the big stars -- Utley, Howard, Ibanez...and even other good Phillies hitters aren't RHH (i.e. Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, who are switch hitters). That leaves Jayson Werth as the only major right-handed threat. So...Lopez is very important. And the Phillies' lineup works in the Giants' favor. Utley and Howard bat back-to-back, so JLo (yes...people have started calling him this) can come in, face the big two lefties for the Giants, and make way for Brian Wilson to come in and work his magic to finish off the game. They might not even need a setup man against this lineup, if it works out that Utley and Howard keep coming up around the eighth/ninth inning. 

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Starting Mike Fontenot at third is a good decision. Pablo Sandoval is a considerable threat at Citizens Bank Park against Brad Lidge, especially in a pressure situation, where he needs to throw strikes. Thus, Fontenot can play throughout the game, give the Giants solid defense and decent speed on the basepaths...and Pablo is available off the bench. It works well this way. Fontenot had a nice stolen base in the ninth inning, although it ultimately didn't amount to anything. 

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Bruce Bochy's managing is often criticized, but he made one key decision (although they were nothing spectacularly creative/brilliant). He pinch ran for Pat Burrell in the sixth inning, which allowed the Giants to score their fourth run of the ballgame when Uribe singled up the middle. If Pat Burrell had been running, he probably wouldn't have scored...that game could have gone into extras. This move would have been highly criticized if Pat Burrell's spot came up in the lineup, and Schierholtz failed to do something. But that run was the difference in the game...and the Giants wouldn't have scored it had Bochy not made the decision to pinch run.

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Solid outing by Lincecum. He was hit hard, especially at the beginning of the game, but ultimately delivered. The eight strikeouts probably helped...7 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 HR, 8 K, 3 BB. He also became the first Giant in postseason history to go two consecutive starts with 8+ K. I'll put up the chart of these streaks eventually (if I remember). One Giant, Jesse Barnes back in 1921, went two consecutive starts with 7+ K. 

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Note to Freddy Sanchez/Andres Torres: Now would be a good time to start hitting.

...but, the Giants manage to score enough runs. As long as the pitching's there, they'll have enough of an offense to support it. And that's how they keep winning.

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Just found this on eBay. 

Seriously?

NLDS Game Three Recap

Torture. Torture, torture, torture.

Let's start by going over my expectations...

Expect the Giants to:

• Ground out a lot; a few double plays...
• Bunt

Expect the Braves to:

• Walk a lot
• Strike out a lot

The Giants hit 15 groundballs...I was right.
The Giants only made one bunt attempt, and it was a failed bunt attempt...I was wrong.
The Braves walked once...I was wrong.
The Braves struck out 12 times...I was right.
Andres Torres was not a key in the game...I was wrong.

San Francisco Giants Score 13, Shut Out Cubs, Make A Little History...

Giants fans should have expected this one...against Milwaukee and Los Angeles -- the Giants' two previous series -- the Giants had scored a combined three runs in games one and two of both those series. But in the finales of both of those series, they had scored a combined 19 runs. They continued the trend on Thursday, finishing up their Chicago series with a 13-run outburst...after scoring a grand total of one run in the first two games of this series. 

I must begin by acknowledging two important facts:

1. Ryan Dempster is a good pitcher, as evidenced by his 3.50 ERA on the year coming into this game. 
2. He came into the game riding a 14-inning scoreless streak. 

The Giants didn't seem to care...

Scoring for the Giants began with some executed fundamental baseball. The leadoff hitter, Mike Fontenot, got on with a single. Check. The next batter, Freddy Sanchez, executed the hit-and-run, getting Fontenot all the way to third base with a single. Check. Aubrey Huff showed some plate discipline by taking a walk to load the bases. Check. Buster Posey put the ball in play (with a double play groundball), thus scoring the runner from third. An early 1-0 lead seemed to be a great sign for the Giants, especially behind Madison Bumgarner, who had been a monster of late (1.38 ERA since August 31).

But they weren't done...not by a long shot. Jose Guillen led off the second inning by getting hit by Dempster. The next batter, Juan Uribe, unleashed the ball into the left field stands to extend the Giants' lead to three. Cody Ross struck out for the first out of the inning...then Bumgarner decided to help out his cause, hitting a single. That was followed up by a Fontenot double and a Sanchez single. Huff struck out looking for the second out of the inning...then Posey singled, Pat Burrell walked, Guillen was hit by a pitch once again, and Uribe crushed the ball to left once again. Ross and Bumgarner followed that up with singles, but Fontenot failed to score them, as he flied out to center.

The Giants scored a total of nine runs in the second inning. Uribe became the first Giant with a two-home-run inning since Willie McCovey did it in 1977. Guillen became the first Giant ever to get hit by a pitch twice in the same inning.

Posey and Ross would later add solo shots, and even Pablo Sandoval joined the fun with an RBI single in the 8th.

If anything, this game will serve as a confidence booster. The Giants were feeling pretty inadequate after scoring one run of support for their staff in the first two games of the series, but now understand the legitimacy of their abilities. What's even more impressive is that they did it against a good pitcher, who has pitched well lately. Let's just hope they saved a little for the Rockies series. 

The Rockies series will be the most difficult series the Giants have left on their schedule. It's their final road series, and it's against a team that plays very well at home. 

As for the notion that the Giants are a feast-or-famine team, this graph that I produced of the Giants' runs scored in their last 15 games seems to support this theory:

A playoff contender cannot get by on feast or famine. The Giants are probably done with those days, as evidenced by the execution of basic fundamental baseball in today's game (as well as the home runs...). 

Amid this offensive outburst, Madison Bumgarner was once again left in the shadows. He pitched seven beautiful shutout innings, striking out nine. His ERA on the year is down to 3.06 -- and he's the fifth starter in this rotation. I can honestly say that this is the best rotation in baseball, from top to bottom. 

Best rotation in baseball? Why, yes. Look at this streak they've put together...they've gone 22 consecutive games without allowing more than four runs. That is the longest such streak since the '72 Cubs went 23 straight games. They're one game away from tying the single-season record.

It's really too bad that this year's Rookie of the Year class is so good. Bumgarner would have easily won in other years, but not up against players like Posey, Jason Heyward, Gaby Sanchez, Tyler Colvin, and Jaime Garcia (to name a few...). He's put together fantastic numbers. I consider his year to be better than Andrew Bailey's '09 AL Rookie of the Year campaign...but in the end, it's just an award. And the bigger prize could be awaiting him if he continues to pitch like this along with the others in the Giants' rotation....a World Series ring.

The Giants reclaimed first place in the NL West and their playoff chances according to ESPN are as follows...

Yesterday, their odds were estimated at 56%....

Tomorrow: Cy Young will be pitching at Coors against Jhoulys Chacin...who's actually a good young pitcher (3.30 ERA). It should be a good game, as all Coors Field games tend to be...

Nine more games. Three more series. Three more road games. 

San Francisco Giants Lose 2-1

Tim Lincecum's pitching like a Cy Young once again, and if there is one player that is key to the Giants in their postseason race, it's the ace of their staff, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. With their ace pitching like he should, they can be confident coming to the yard that they have a great shot at winning.

Lincecum's line: 5 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 K, 2 BB...I'll get into why he lasted just five innings...anyway, the Giants hitting was poor as usual. In each of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd innings, the lead off hitter got a single. They failed to capitalize on any of those opportunities, though. In the 5th inning, with runners on the corners and one out, Tim Lincecum's spot in the order came to the plate. He had pitched a decent ballgame, his only runs coming because Pablo Sandoval failed to turn two on a bases-loaded groundball hit to him (he probably could have touched third and fired home, with Buster Posey tagging out Prince Fielder for the final out of the inning, but he opted to throw home immediately for the force). Even so, though, the hits that Lincecum allowed were weak bloopers and such. Because of the recent lights-out pitching by the bullpen, and the Giants' desperate need for runs, Nate Schierholtz pinch hit for Tim Lincecum. This was probably the right decision...the bullpen didn't end up giving any runs, Tim Lincecum got a little extra rest, and Nate Schierholtz is a much better hitter than Tim Lincecum. Schierholtz walked, and with the bases loaded, Fontenot hit a double-play ball to second base, but was able to get to first in time to avoid an inning-ending double play. That is how the Giants scored their only run...perhaps the icing on the cake -- when down 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, the Giants' 3-4-5 hitters came to bat. They each struck out. 

The Giants are playing exactly like they did last year -- a team with a superb rotation and bullpen, but mediocre offense. Over the last five games, they've scored 13 runs, an average of 2.6 runs per game; and 10 of those runs came in one of the games, for a grand total of three runs in the other four games. Their ERA during this five-game span, however, is an impressive 1.20...now this formula isn't necessarily a bad thing -- as the ancient philosophy of baseball clearly states, "Pitching wins ballgames." And it's true. If a staff shuts down the other club entirely, it's impossible for them to lose; but a team can score as many runs as possible, and they still aren't guaranteed the win. The Giants aren't going to go out and pitch a shutout in every game. But they will give up fewer than three runs in the majority of their games down the stretch. They just need to to add a hint of offensive support to this playoff recipe and then...Bon appetit.

 The Giants are, by most standards, a below-average offense; but that doesn't mean they aren't capable of scoring two, three, or four runs in support of their pitching on a consistent basis. They clearly have some competence in their lineup -- Huff can hit, Posey can hit, Burrell can hit, Fontenot, Sanchez, Uribe, Ross, and the list goes on...it will all click together eventually -- hopefully sooner rather than later, though.

Tomorrow: Barry Zito will face CHRIS NARVESON. Why is Chris Narveson's name in capital letters? Because he's the man who allowed 10 runs against the Giants in 3.1 innings. He's the man who defibulated the Giants' offense in a game in early July, sparking them to win 20 games that month. Barry Zito has pitched well of late, as have all of the Giants pitchers. He likely won't pitch poorly tomorrow.  Narveson's pitched well lately, allowing just six earned runs over his last 26.1 innings (four starts), but the Giants will enter this game knowing what they did to Narveson last time they faced him. They will enter it with a confidence that they probably haven't felt in a while.

The Giants will win tomorrow. It is simply not possible that a second-place team with a former Cy Young award-winner on the mound, at home, against Chris Narveson could lose the game. In spite of everything related to their recent struggles, they are simply not capable of losing tomorrow's game. It would defy the laws of baseball.

On one final positive note, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, Torres said he is confident he can return before the regular season finale Oct. 3.

Lastly, I have pictures from this game. They might be posted later...

San Francisco Giants Take Second Game in LA Series, 2-1

Matt Cain pitched a great game. What's new? He dueled with Billingsley for seven innings for a line of: 7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K. The game was scoreless until the 7th inning: Ishikawa doubled with one out, Burriss pinch ran for him and advanced to third on a wild pitch, and after a Velez groundout, Fontenot stepped to the plate in a two-out RISP position (runner on third). He battled and blooped an inside pitch into the outfield for an RBI single. With a 1-0 lead, Sergio Romo, who has been a fantastic setup man for the Giants, came into the game and retired the side in order. The Giants were not done scoring yet, though. In the 8th, Huff led off with a double, followed by an intentional walk to Buster Posey. After Juan Uribe flied out to shallow centerfield, Pablo Sandoval, whose biggest weakness has been his high amount GIDP (grounded into double plays), stepped to the plate. The Giants caught a break when Jansen, the Dodgers' reliever, threw a wild pitch, which allowed Posey and Huff to each advance. This eliminated the double play possibility for the Giants, which was key, as Sandoval promptly hit a groundball to second base. The throw came home and Huff sped home, taking a hard slide into the plate and scoring a second run for the Giants. He clearly took a hard hit to the shins with the slide, but nevertheless slid with all of his force, exemplifying his eagerness for a ticket to the postseason. The run would be important, as Wilson gave up a two-out opposite-field solo home run to Ethier in the bottom of the 9th. Wilson fell behind quickly to the next batter, Jay Gibbons, but worked a 2-0 count into a full count and threw 98 mph gas to strike him out swinging, bringing the Giants to a half-game deficit in both the NL West and the NL Wild Card.

The Giants' little guys -- their supplemental players -- are making the difference in these games. Ishikawa hit a pinch-hit double, Emmanuel Burriss pinch ran for him, and Fontenot knocked in the run. These contributions from bench players are the things that will win these close ballgames for the Giants - and they really have a great collection of bench players. Their speed is good in Ford, Burriss, and Velez, and they have competent left-handed hitters and defensive replacements in Ishikawa and Schierholtz. Also, Fontenot's left-handed bat is a perfect complement for Freddy Sanchez's bat (Sanchez is a much better against lefties: .348 against lefties, but just .270 against rightys.) These players become especially key in the wake of Andres Torres' appendectomy.

Notes:

• The Giants have now won 10 of Matt Cain's last 12 starts. 
• The Giants' 1.63 team ERA this month is the best mark in the majors. 
• Over the last 16 games, the Giants pitchers have been on fire with a 2.04 ERA. 12 of their last 16 outings have been quality starts. 
• The Andre Ethier home run was just the second earned run allowed by Brian Wilson in 20.0 innings since August 1. 
• Brian Wilson recorded his 43rd save...this number ranks 1st in the National League, and is tied for 1st in the majors with Rafael Soriano....Wilson now stands just five saves away from Rod Beck's SF record of 48 saves in a single season. He has nine 4+ out saves this year, an indication of his stamina as a closer. 
• Congratulations to Aubrey Huff on his newborn child!

Tomorrow: Battle of the Southpaws - Jonathan Sanchez will square off against Ted Lilly. The Giants bat a collective .229 (35 for 153) against Lilly in their careers. Believe it or not, the Giant that owns the best career numbers against Lilly is Rowand, who is 8 for 22 (.364) with a home run. Sanchez has been incredible to watch lately. He's allowed just one earned run over his last three starts (20 innings), despite walking seven in his last start. Hopefully, he'll continue to pitch well - consistency isn't his strong suit...

If the Rockies and the Giants both win tomorrow, the Giants will claim sole possession of first place in the NL West. It's not out of the question: Ubaldo Jimenez will be on the mound for the Rockies. 

Bruce Bochy - "Right now, we can't count on Andres. He just had the surgery. We have to move on. We have some good players here. I hope they respond well to some playing time."

Welcome Back, Tim Lincecum: Things are Starting to Get Rolling

Lincecum struck out nine in eight innings

The Giants won 2-1 on Wednesday and after a disastrous month of August, Tim Lincecum has rebounded. It took several starts to rediscover his rhythm, but he did his job on Wednesday night. His line: 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 9 K. The nine strikeouts are certainly a promising sign, as well as the one walk. The lone run came on an opposite-field solo shot by Carlos Gonzalez. With a Cy Young Lincecum on the mound, the Giants are a force to be reckoned with. Their offense hasn't been scoring a lot of runs lately (just 2 on Wednesday), but they did face Ubaldo Jimenez. Mike Fontenot knocked in a run with a 5th inning RBI single, and were able to score another run off of a combination of luck and small-ball: in the 8th inning, Mike Fontenot drew a walk. September call-up Darren Ford pinch ran for him, and Lincecum laid down a bunt to get him over to second. Ford attempted to steal third on a wild pitch, and the throw to third was high and flew into left field, giving Ford ample time to score. Darren Ford is going to be an asset to the Giants: previously, the best speed on their bench was Nate Schierholtz. Ford is quite a bit faster.

Meanwhile, the Giants' foes are falling rapidly. The Padres have lost seven in a row now, and they haven't been cheap losses. Five of the seven games they've lost have been by three runs or more. The Cardinals, too, are struggling, having lost 13 of their last 17. The Giants are just three games back in the NL West. They still have seven games left against the Padres, so an NL West division title is not out of the question.

Notes:

• The Giants' starting pitching is back to doing what it does best: win games. The Giants' starters have had four consecutive quality starts, giving up just 6 ER in 28.1 IP (ERA: 1.92); Tomorrow Barry Zito will try to continue the quality start streak. 
• Freddy Sanchez refuses to cool down: he was 2 for 4, and is now riding a nine game hit streak. During that span, he's 20 for his last 36 (.555 average). 
• The Rockies managed just 5 hits in the game, 3 of which came from Carlos Gonzalez. The only other position player with a hit was Melvin Mora with a single. 
• Freddy Sanchez made #8 on SportsCenter's top ten plays for his game-ending catch. You can see it here...rare to see a Giant on SportsCenter.

Tomorrow: Giants get to rest. And maybe enjoy a Phillies loss (Joe Blanton pitching at Coors Field).