Notes: Reality Series, Non-Roster Invitees, Fanfest

• The Giants are going to be the subject of a new reality series: "San Francisco Giants will be featured on a new Showtime reality series chronicling the 2010 World Series champs' off-season, spring training, and 2011 regular season, Major League Baseball and the cable network announced today." Keep in mind, though, that all the details aren't yet worked out. Matt Cain says they announced it early. 
• I hate to acknowledge people like this, but this guy is just pathetic. This attention-starved man wants to fight Brian Wilson. (h/t Crazy Crabbers)
• Today, the Giants announced the names of the 22 non-roster invitees to Spring Training. Among the interesting names are Waldis Joaquin, Brandon Belt, Guillermo Mota, and Ryan Vogelsong (who was sent to the Pirates years ago in the Jason Schmidt trade). 
• When it comes to the Giants, Fans and UZR disagree: there's a vast gap between Fangraphs FSR and UZR. 
• Giants Fanfest is coming up! 

Giants to Sign Guillermo Mota

Eh...whatever. Pitchers and catchers report on February 13...

Giants Interested in Guillermo Mota

The Giants have reportedly offered Guillermo Mota a minor-league contract. Mota was largely average for the Giants in 2010, posting a 4.33 ERA with a 3.7 BB/9 and a 6.3 K/9...His ERA+ of 94 would indicate that he was just a tick below average, which was well worth the $750K he received last year. He's getting up there in terms of age -- 37 -- but he's still serviceable as a reliever, and he's quite durable, appearing in at least 50 games in each of the last eight seasons. I'm not incredibly excited about this deal -- Mota's not far from complete mediocrity; however, minor-league contracts are incredibly low-risk, and Mota is probably going to once again be a serviceable bullpen arm who can eat up innings here and there.

WS Game One Recap

What a game...

Let's start with the pitching matchup:

Tim Lincecum did not pitch well. There's no getting around it...his final line -- 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K. Any game where Lincecum goes 5+ innings and manages just three strikeouts is a bad game, for him. He's only done that six times in his career. It's quite excusable, though, considering the offensive outburst the Giants had, the somewhat sloppy defense played behind him, and the fact that he's facing one of the best offenses in the majors.

Cliff Lee, who came into this game with tons of hype (considering his career postseason dominance), but had a terrible start: 4.2 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 7 K. In all fairness, he had the large gap created in right field due to Vladimir Guerrero's poor range, but it didn't seem to play a big role in his disaster of a game. Most of the hits he allowed were right up the middle, indicating that the Giants were timing his pitches very well.

Lee entered the game with a 0.75 postseason ERA in 2010. His 2010 postseason ERA is now 2.51

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This isn't the first time the Giants have done well against an elite starting pitcher. They've put up crooked numbers against some of the best in the game this year. Here are some notable incidences:

4/26 Roy Halladay - 7 IP, 5 ER
5/8 Johan Santana - 7.2 IP, 4 ER
7/3 Ubaldo Jimenez - 6 IP, 7 ER
9/12 Mat Latos - 4 IP, 5 ER
10/8 Tommy Hanson - 4 IP, 4 ER
10/16 Roy Halladay - 7 IP, 4 ER
10/28 Cliff Lee - 4.2 IP, 6 ER

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Player of the game? The guy who used this as his walk-up music. Freddy Sanchez.

Sanchez went 4 for 5 with three doubles, two runs, three RBIs. He became the 13th player in World Series history to have three doubles in a single game. He came close to tying the record with a fourth double, but his final hit was ruled a single with an error by Vladimir Guerrero.

Most Doubles in a World Series Game:

Player	Date	Series	Tm	2B
Frank Isbell	1906-10-13	WS	CHW	4
Jacoby Ellsbury	2007-10-27	WS	BOS	3
David Eckstein	2006-10-26	WS	STL	3
Craig Biggio	2005-10-08	NLDS	HOU	3
Trot Nixon	2004-10-27	WS	BOS	3
Jim Edmonds	2000-10-05	NLDS	STL	3
Bret Boone	1999-10-26	WS	ATL	3
Fred McGriff	1995-10-11	NLCS	ATL	3
Jim Gilliam	1953-10-03	WS	BRO	3
Al Dark	1951-10-08	WS	NYG	3
Hank Greenberg	1945-10-07	WS	DET	3
Max Carey	1925-10-15	WS	PIT	3

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/27/2010.

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Bengie Molina got a very warm welcome from San Francisco Giants fans. He gave the team three good years, so it was nice to see this. He also had a decent game: a couple of hits, an RBI, and two runs scored.

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Santiago Casilla shall be acknowledged for his 1.1 no-hit no-BB scoreless innings of baseball. He helped to settle the game down when the Rangers were starting to mount a comeback. He will likely play a critical role in this series, as the Rangers have a plethora of hot-shot right-handed hitters: Elvis Andrus (debatable), Michael Young, Nelson Cruz, Vladimir Guerrero, Ian Kinsler, and the way he's hitting right now, Bengie Molina. The Giants don't have -- at this point -- a solid middle relief right-handed pitcher that they can trust. Sergio Romo was good all year. Ramon Ramirez was great for the Giants. Even Guillermo Mota had his good moments. But not one of them has shined in the postseason. Someone's gotta step up, and I think it'll be Casilla or Romo. We'll see how it unfolds. But if the Giants offense keeps having outbursts like these, it won't really matter.

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Nothing is predictable in the postseason. Everybody thought that the Roy Halladay v. Tim Lincecum matchup would be an amazing pitchers duel, but it was rather disappointing (not that they didn't pitch well). Everybody thought that the Cliff Lee v. Tim Lincecum matchup would be an amazing pitchers duel (Lee, Lincecum poised for Game 1 greatness), but it was quite the opposite.

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11 of the last 13 teams that have won Game One of the World Series have gone on to win the series. The Giants, if they win Game Two, will only need to win one of three games in Texas to stay in good shape. Winning Game One was huge. They did this to their ace, at ATT Park, which is not a hitters park, especially compared to the Ballpark in Arlington. Three wins away from a World Series Title. It feels good

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Giants Destroy Reds: 11-2...Home, Sweet, Home

 The Giants got on the board early, scoring 5 runs in the first, and they did not look back from there:

Welcome to the Giants, Cody Ross.

Multi-Hit Games:

• Aubrey Huff - 3 for 4, 1 HR, 3 RBI
• Freddy Sanchez - 4 for 5, 2 RBI
• Buster Posey - 2 for 5, 1 R
• Pablo Sandoval - 3 for 5, 3 RBI

Not to mention Andres Torres, who was 1 for 3 with 2 BB and a 2-run home run.
Matt Cain pitched a beautiful game. As important as it was for the Giants' offense to break out like this, it was just as important to get a great performance from Matt Cain. As Tim Lincecum struggles, Cain is going to need to step up his game, and fill the role of the ace for this team. He stopped a 2-game losing streak.
His line: 8 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 7 K

Notes:

•   Pablo Sandoval is starting to consistently hit. Freddy Sanchez seems to have broken out of his slump. Aubrey Huff also seems to have broken out of his slump (what magic a day of rest can do...). Buster Posey continues to ride a hot streak. I really don't see what can stop this Giants team while they are playing at home. 
• Pablo Sandoval made a nice slide to avoid a tag at second on his double...a move reminiscent of why he's called the Kung Fu Panda.
• Schierholtz (1 for 1) had a beautiful at bat, and ended up with a double. He hit several lasers down the right field line before hitting it in fair territory. The Giants put Mota on the DL (and DFA'd Matt Downs) to make room for Cody Ross, and it was a very wise decision not to take Schierholtz away from this Giants team. He's got an arm, speed, range in right field, and he can hit with a little bit of pop.
• Cody Ross hit a single in his first (and only) at bat as a Giant. He has a good clubhouse reputation, and some power and speed. This will ultimately be a good pick-up. I wouldn't mind if Guillen and Burrell split time, with Torres and Ross as the starters. Schierholtz (for now) can be an occasional starter and everyday defensive replacement/pinch hitter.
• If you haven't heard about Joe Turner, you should really read this story. Just another reason to love Aubrey Huff.

Tomorrow: Giants face young lefty Travis Wood (2.51 ERA). It will be a battle (Giants have had their trouble against lefties....i.e. Jon Lester, Jaime Garcia), but the Giants seem up for it, especially playing at home. If Whiteside catches Jonathan Sanchez, I can envision him pitching well.

Giants Get Shut Down By Jaime Garcia

Jaime Garcia's line: 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 6 K

What do these 5 pitchers have in common?: 

• Ubaldo Jimenez
• Mat Latos
• Jon Lester
• Anibal Sanchez
• Jaime Garcia

They've each tossed a shutout against the Giants this year. Jaime Garcia accomplished the feat on Sunday, as the Giants lost 9-0. The Giants will now head home, where they play much better baseball...Zito had his shortest outing of the year: 3.2 IP, 5 ER. 


Notes:

• Buster Olney: "A side note: I'd pick Giants announcers Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow as the best duo working on TV right now; if you want audio of Kuiper's patented HR call, it's here."
• Buster Posey leads the majors with the most multi-hit games since May 29: 28. The Giants are 20-8 in those games. 
• Guillermo Mota has given up at least one run in each of his last six outings (total 11 runs). I think it is officially time for the Giants to stop depending on him in close games.
• Pat Burrell had 2 of the 3 hits for the Giants. The other hit came from Schierholtz, who actually got two at bats in the game, which has become a rarity. When given the opportunities, he can hit. Even lefties. 
• A lot has been said about the Giants' offense -- that it wouldn't be able to perform in the playoffs; but one thing's for sure, it's better than the Cardinals' offense. The Cardinals really only have three legitimate hitters: Holliday, Pujols, and Jay. Beyond that (Miles, Craig, Molina, Winn, Feliz, Lopez, Ryan), their offense is rather weak. 

Giants Lose Opener Against Padres

The Giants took a tough 3-2 loss against the Padres on Friday as they dropped to 3.5 GB in the NL West.

Sanchez started strong, firing bullets in the first inning. He gave up an early double to Jerry Hairston Jr. but then settled down to yield a Miguel Tejada fielder's choice and strike out Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Ludwick.

The Giants took an early 2-0 lead thanks to their catalyst, Andres Torres. He walked, then attempted to steal 2nd. Torrealba's throw was high and allowed Torres to get all the way around to 3rd. Huff eventually hit an RBI double, followed by a Posey single and a Pat Burrell RBI ground out.

The Padres, however, wasted no time responding. Jonathan Sanchez hit Yorvit Torreabla, then gave up an RBI triple to Chase Headley and a sac fly to Scott Hairston.

The game would remain tied until the 6th, when, with runners at 2nd and 3rd, Chase Headley hit a groundball to Juan Uribe. He decided to throw home, but the runner was safe. That run would be the difference in the game for the Padres, as the Giants failed to put up any more runs.

Notes:

• Jerry Hairston Jr. made 2 baserunning blunders in the game. In the 1st, on a groundball to Uribe, he tried to advance to third but Uribe caught him in a pickle and he was eventually tagged out. In the 3rd, he tried to steal 2nd, but got caught midway and tried to turn back. He was caught in a pickle once again, and actually injured himself.
• The Padres played the game under protest. Denorfia hit a groundball that bounced off Jonathan Sanchez and rolled towards Freddy Sanchez. Freddy tried to get to the ball, but was obstructed by Scott Hairston. The umpires called him out, and the runner on third, who ran home on the play, was not credited with a run. Ultimately, this play didn't matter, as the Padres won anyway.
• Pat Burrell is a very slow baserunner, and he doesn't help himself out with the leads he takes. He took a small one-step lead at 1st, and a groundball was hit to short. Miguel Tejada bobbled it, but was still able to throw Burrell out at 2nd. Had Pat taken a lead just one step bigger, he would've been safe, and the Giants would've had runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs. The toll his speed takes on his defense is also very noticeable.
• On a ball hit to 3rd, Pablo Sandoval caught Adrian Gonzalez in a pickle and chased him towards home, eventually diving and tagging him. He did a face-plant, and momentarily hurt himself. The dive was the kind of maneuver that got him the nickname "Kung Fu Panda" but was ultimately the result of his speed; the Pablo Sandoval from a year ago wouldn't have needed to do an all-out dive to tag Adrian Gonzalez.

• In the 6th inning, Jonathan Sanchez threw a pitch that would've been wild (thus allowing a run to score) had it not been for the defensive prowess of Buster Posey. He miraculously caught the pitch. It's no wonder Aubrey Huff calls him "Jesus Christ."
• On the topic of Buster Posey, he nailed yet another man stealing, Chris Denorfia. After nailing Hairston Jr. and Denorfia, he's now caught 14 stealing this year. It's going to be a tough decision - deciding whether to keep Posey at catcher or move him to 1st base. His defense is an asset in addition to his offense, but putting him at catcher will undoubtedly hinder his offensive output and longevity. This season, Joe Mauer is battling a plethora of injuries, and his offensive numbers show it. Does Posey really have to suffer the same fate?
• One more note about Posey, his average has dropped from .350 to .329 this month. Is it just a coincidence that the Giants have not been playing as well in August as they did in July, when Posey was on fire? Definitely not a coincidence...
• Aubrey Huff absolutely crushed a ball in the 8th inning that would have given the Giants a 1-run lead. It was caught, up against the wall in right-center, and Huff was understandably furious. It could have at least tied the game, had the outfielders been positioned differently.
• Huff made a great diving stop at first in the game. His versatility (LF, RF, 1B) has been invaluable to the Giants this year, and he can actually do good work with the glove at all three positions.
• Freddy Sanchez grounded into a double play. The Giants just can't stop grounding into double plays. It's a curse. They are on pace to shatter the franchise record.
• Uribe's decision to throw home when the groundball was hit to him with runners in scoring position was ultimately the right decision, even though the runner was safe. Given the strength of the Padres' bullpen, it was probable that the Giants wouldn't score many more runs and thus couldn't afford to give away a run by just throwing the runner out at first.
• Guillermo Mota and Jose Guillen are friends. This comes as absolutely no surprise to me. The two have eerily similar personalities on the field.
• The magic of the orange uniforms, in which the Giants had sustained a perfect record of 10-0, is gone. Even its magic wasn't powerful enough to overcome the Padres.
• Freddy Sanchez and Aaron Rowand should not be penciled in the starting lineup. Ever. Burriss could've started in Sanchez's place and would've upgraded the Giants' running game, with Fontenot or Schierholtz as potential pinch runners for later innings. Ishikawa could've started at 1st, with Huff in RF, Burrell in LF, and Torres in CF. This would've given the Giants a better defense and a better offensive lineup. Aaron Rowand played a sloppy game, getting caught stealing third (picked off) and slipping on center field dirt. He was the final batter of the game, and that was possibly the worst decision ever, as he was facing Heath Bell, a pitcher with a great slider and a great curveball. Those are the two pitches that haunt Rowand the most. If Burriss and Ishikawa had played, it would've been an entirely different game.
• Jonathan Sanchez's start was not that great, but it wasn't terrible. He brought his A-game in the first inning, but couldn't rediscover that magic. At first, he was getting ahead in the count, and had a great fastball going. He walked too many batters though.
• Momentum is said to be a factor with teams. The Giants had momentum going into this series, after winning 3 of 4 and winning their most recent game with a walk-off. Unfortunately, the Padres had more momentum, a 4-game winning streak. It's improved to 5 games now.
• Aaron Rowand is most likely doomed to repeat his history and have his average drop for the rest of the season. Even though he's been better of late, he will likely not sustain that:

The Giants will now have an uphill battle, and will not be able to recapture first place during this series. And, I just want to mention, I was wrong. The Giants didn't do too well against Richard. If they are going to win any games this series, they need to attack the starting pitching, because the trio of Gregerson/Adams/Bell is impenetrable.

Tomorrow: Giants face Mat Latos. They will have to work hard offensively, because he can pitch. The Giants bat a collective .192 against him (10 for 52), but Pablo Sandoval is 3 for 9. Sandoval can drive this offense tomorrow. If not, Latos will replicate the shutout he threw earlier this year at AT&T Park. Madison Bumgarner will start for the Giants, and he'll do just fine, facing an offense whose biggest threat is a left-handed hitter. The Giants need to score off of Latos. They need to.

Let me just reiterate, I am not optimistic about the Jose Guillen acquisition. Those who say that the Giants have nothing to lose with his acquisition have no idea what they are talking about. We do have something to lose: baseball games. And if Guillen plays poor defense, and doesn't do a good job at hitting, he will be contributing to many Giants losses. Of course, if he does hit well, it will be good for the Giants, and they will have a very deep bench with Fontenot, Schierholtz, Ishikawa, and Rowand. I think that immediately putting him in the starting lineup is too risky for the Giants. Ishikawa has proven to perform well against RHP while playing great defense. The Giants didn't rush Pat Burrell like that, yet he emerged as a powerful offensive force. The Giants should do the same with Guillen, make him prove himself first, lest they repeat what happened with Ryan Garko last year.

Remember last week in Atlanta, when Tim Hudson dominated the Giants? Well, don't feel too bad. He did the same to the Dodgers on Friday: 8 innings, 3 hits, 0 ER, 6 K, 14 groundballs. It's nice to know that even when the Giants lose, we can take solace in the fact that the Dodgers suck.

Giants Looking Well-Prepared for Padres Series

8/11/10, Julian Levine: "Tomorrow: Matt Cain pitches against Randy Wells. Giants hit a collective .571 (8 for 14) against him: tomorrow is going to be a goooooooooood day." and so it was...

Buckle up, folks, because this is a long ride:

There is so much that can be said about this Giants team after an 8-7 walkoff win against the Cubs, and the vast majority of it is positive.

Matt Cain was not his best on Thursday, but he got the job done: 6 IP, 3 ER. The number that does stick out is his pitch count which was 121 - not super-efficient. In the summer, it takes a toll on defense when they're out working for long innings. This start was by no means bad, though. Did I mention he struck out nine in his 6 innings of work?

The Giants fell to an early deficit on a 1st inning 2-run double by Xavier Nady, but answered it in the 2nd when Uribe followed a Sandoval triple with an RBI single.

Randy Wells, the Cubs' starter, hit an RBI double in the 4th to bring the Cubs' lead back to 2.

The Giants' offense was not even close to done, though. The 2 hottest Giants, Pat Burrell and Pablo Sandoval, answered in the bottom of the 4th with back-to-back solo home runs. In the 5th, they added on. Aaron Rowand reached on an error, then stole 2nd base. The throw to 2nd was early enough to nail Aaron Rowand, but he did a fantastic maneuver to avoid the tag. Freddy Sanchez laid down a sacrifice bunt, which I'll take over a non-productive out any day. Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey then walked, to load the bases for none other than Pat Burrell (aka Pat the Bat). And boy did he ever deliver. He hammered the ball down the left field line for a grand slam. Giants 7 Cubs 3.

The bullpen, however, was not so inclined to maintain the lead. Chris Ray allowed 1 ER in 1 inning of work. Javier Lopez walked Blake DeWitt to start off the 8th, and Mota took over from there. He gave up a single and a double before he was lifted. Giants 7 Cubs 5

Romo came in with the tying run on 2nd and gave up an RBI groundout and an RBI single. Giants 7 Cubs 7.

Wilson pitched the 9th, and got the Cubs to fly out three times.

In the bottom of the 9th, Aaron Rowand singled, Freddy Sanchez laid down yet another sac bunt, then Huff and Posey were walked to load the bases for none other than Pat Burrell....'s replacement, Andres Torres. He crushed the ball to deep center on a 2-0 count to secure the Giants' win. It was a walk-off single, but would've been a ground-rule double in any other situation.

There are many things to take from this game, as I said:

• Pat Burrell is on fire. His 2 for 4 with 2 HR and 5 RBIs sums up his potential to contribute greatly to this Giants team, as he has in this game and many others (2-R HR off Jonathan Broxton, Sac fly vs. Braves, Sac fly vs. Cubs game 1, Solo HR vs. Cubs game 3)
• Aaron Rowand's slide was impressive. He deserves props for it. He's quietly been playing better baseball, raising his average from the .230 range to where he is now, on the cusp of .250...His HR in game 3 of the Cubs series was pretty clutch, too.

• Buster Posey caught Starlin Castro stealing and absolutely nailed him at 2nd base. This has to be a metaphor for the outcome of 2010 Rookie of the Year voting.
• Pablo Sandoval broke out with a triple and a HR into McCovey Cove. His biggest struggle this year has been power (46 game HR drought) but he crushed the ball twice here. These are promising signs, as is the fact that he is 10 for his last 23. I've been saying all along that he would come back. He clearly has something special (Look at his '08 and '09 stats). Imagine what kind of a player he could be if he dedicated himself to health and fitness this offseason. I don't know if he will, but I do know that he has more motivation this year than last year. Much, much more.
• Torres' walkoff was his 3rd of the year (Giants have 5 on the year, now). His ability to come off the bench and perform like that (he crushed the ball) speaks volumes about his talent. He truly is a 5-tool player: he can hit for contact and power, he's got a good arm, he's got great speed, and he's a great defensive outfielder. It's scary to imagine where the Giants would be without him.
• It's easy to get mad at the bullpen for blowing this game; but they've been so great recently that I don't think it's necessary. Guillermo Mota himself, however, is a different story. On the anniversary of the walk off home run that he served up to Juan Uribe, he gave up 2 ER in 0 IP. That's right, he didn't record a single out. His ERA is respectable (3.50), but that is merely the product of luck. He is enjoying the lowest HR/9 of his career, largely due to the fact that he pitches in AT&T park, among many other factors. His xFIP is 4.64, which is not so impressive.
• The Padres series begins tomorrow. Jonathan Sanchez will have to live up to his words, and I think he will do just that. He has had success against the Padres this year (2.57 ERA in 3 starts) and is pitching on Orange Friday. The Giants are a perfect 9-0 on Orange Fridays. Don't underestimate the power of the support of 40,000 orange fans.
• I was listening to KNBR 680, and a fan called in with a very important statistic, what he called the most drastic difference between the Padres and the Giants: The Giants have grounded into 116 double plays, 2nd highest in the majors. The Padres, however, have grounded into a major-league-low 67 double plays. As the caller said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "For teams that don't rely on the home run to score runs, a double play will really kill a rally."

Tomorrow: Giants face Clayton Richard. He's had success against the Giants this year with a 1.77 ERA, but he might not be the same pitcher they faced earlier. In his last 10 starts, his ERA has shot up from 2.93 to 3.83. The Giants do, however, bat a collective .328 against him with 22 hits in 67 AB. Huff owns him (5 for 12), as does Uribe (5 for 9). Tomorrow, although I know it's rather presumptuous, is going to be a GOOD game.

"We're going to play San Diego, and we're going to beat them three times. If we get to first place, we're not going to look back." - Jonathan Sanchez

"All right, cool. We're going to get swept. Well, I swept my garage this morning. I like it. Add a little fuel to the fire. I'm ready to play. If I'm pitching the next three days, I'm pretty sure it's not going to be a sweep." - Heath Bell, Padres closer

Oh, and here is a treat for those of you that hate the Dodgers. This is what it looks like to blow a game you should have won:

One final note: Jose Guillen does not deserve to be a Giant. At this point, he has little to offer the Giants. They have put together a great group of personalities who get together well. Their clubhouse chemistry is top-notch at this point, with such bubbly personalities as Huff, Torres, and Sandoval. Why ruin it by bringing in a guy who is known to be bad in the clubhouse? There's a reason he's moved around from team to team. Here's a list of the teams he's played for in his 14-year career:

• Pirates
• Devil Rays
• Diamondbacks
• Reds
• A's
• Angels
• Nationals
• Mariners
• Royals

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Giants lost 8-6 to the Cubs. I'd rather not summarize the game, as it was not a happy one for Giants fans, but here are some notes--

The Good:

• Pablo Sandoval was 3 for 5 with an RBI. Batting .300 over his last 13 games. At least we can count on him to hit at home (.330 home batting average). Still hasn't hit a HR in his last 173 AB (since July 15), though.
• Buster Posey: After a mediocre road trip, the kid is back! 3 for 5, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs.
• Emmanuel Burriss' 2 for 3 with 2 R. He'll be pretty valuable down the stretch, especially considering the struggles of other middle-infield options Sanchez and Renteria.
• Santiago Casilla's 3 shutout innings of relief with just 1 baserunner. Kept us in the game enough for us to battle back in the bottom of the 9th.

The Bad:

• Torres and Huff's combined 0 for 9 with 2 strikeouts. I guess you can't expect these guys to perform every single day, but it's hard for the offense to fully function without them.
• Guillermo Mota's line: 1.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H. As bad as Lincecum's outing was, Mota's 2 ER were ultimately the difference in the game. If the Giants are going to play close games, they need their 'pen to be flawless.
• Torres and Burrell both grounded into double plays. The Giants' pace for a franchise record of double plays doesn't seem to be slowing down, unfortunately.

The Ugly:

• Tim Lincecum's outing: 4 IP, 6 ER, and only 4 K. If Lincecum is not going to be able to hold runners, he'll at least need to strike out batters to make up for it. The Freak will bounce, back though.
• Juan Uribe's final AB of the game: as the tying run at the plate, he took 3 swings for the fences on 3 pitches, all of them whiffs, to strikeout as the 2nd out in the Giants' 9th.

Tomorrow:

Giants face Tom Gorzelanny tomorrow. They bat a collective .391 (9 for 23) against him. Zito has been the Giants' most consistent pitcher lately, and will pitch against a Cubs' lineup he's had success against (they bat a collective .239 against Zito).

Alfonso Soriano vs. Barry Zito: 5 for 39, .128, 14 strikeouts