The Giants signed four of their arb-eligibles today to one-year deals...
Cody Ross, NLCS MVP, signed a $6.3MM deal.
Jonathan Sanchez signed a $4.8MM deal with an additional $50K if he reaches 200+ IP.
Ramon Ramirez signed for $1.65MM.
Lasly, Santiago Casilla signed a $1.3MM deal with up to $50K in incentives. Fun fact: Casilla threw four pitches last year that reached 100+ MPH -- he was one of nine National League pitchers to throw that many in 2010.
Showing posts with label Ramon Ramirez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ramon Ramirez. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Friday, December 3, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
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:
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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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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 |
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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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Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, October 8, 2010
NLDS Game Two Recap
Game Summary:
The Giants got the scoring going in the first inning. Freddy Sanchez singled and Buster Posey walked to set up a two-out three-run homer off the bat of Pat Burrell. Game over, right? The Giants with Matt Cain on the mound and their lights-out bullpen couldn't possibly lose with a 3-0 lead. Well, it got a little more complicated.
In the second, Cody Ross doubled and Cain knocked him in with a single up the middle. 4-0 Giants.
Cain, meanwhile, dealt. He was a little shaky, but settled down and ended up putting a line of: 6.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 7 H, 6 K, 2 BB.
Javier Lopez was brought into the game in the seventh with a runner on first and two outs, and he struck out Jason Heyward to end the inning.
In the eighth, Sergio Romo was brought in. He gave up back-to-back singles to Derrek Lee and Brian McCann, so what did Bruce Bochy do? He brought in Brian Wilson. To record a six-out save. With runners on the corners.
Wilson immediately induced a weak grounder to third, but Pablo Sandoval failed to record an out. He threw to first, but the throw wasn't in time, so Lee scored, and there were still no outs in the inning.
Brooks Conrad then laid down a sac bunt to move the runners over to second and third, and then Alex Gonzalez came up to the plate. He smacked a doubled to left field, tying the game at 4-4. Rick Ankiel flied out, and Matt Diaz then struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the tenth, the Giants had a perfect opportunity to win the game. Edgar Renteria led off with a bunt single, got moved over to second on an Andres Torres sac bunt. Freddy Sanchez was then hit by a pitch, and Aubrey Huff was walked to load the bases. Bases loaded. One out. Buster Posey at the plate. The one thing he couldn't do: ground into a double play. What did he do? Ground into a double play.
In the top of the eleventh, Rick Ankiel crushed a solo shot into McCovey Cove. The Giants couldn't answer, and lost the game 5-4.
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This is a game the Giants should have won. One might say they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. At one point in the game, the Giants had a 96.4% chance of winning.
The question is: who to blame for this loss? Of course there isn't one person solely responsible. But let's run through the candidates:
Sergio Romo -- came into the eighth and gave up back-to-back singles. It's reasonable to blame him. He didn't really do his job as the setup man...who knows what he would've done had he faced the next batter though.
Brian Wilson -- this is just ridiculous, that some fans are actually blaming him. He was brought in with runners on the corners to record a six-out save. He's expected to do much more than necessary. The Giants had a fresh bullpen. They could've brought in one of their other guys. After all, they did have a three-run lead at that point in the game.
Ramon Ramirez -- he served up the game-winning home run to Rick Ankiel. It's hard to blame him, because he gave two solid innings of relief, and has been great for the Giants since his acquisition.
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| Right down the middle...the fifth straight fastball...in a 2-2 count. With nobody on. |
Buster Posey -- obviously nobody's blaming him. But he had a prime opportunity to win the game. At the very least, he could've struck out, giving the Giants one more opportunity to win the game. But he grounded into a double play.
Pablo Sandoval -- his error could've been the first out of that inning in which the Braves tied the game. He didn't do much with the bat either, going one for four with a strikeout. The three times he made contact were all groundballs.
Bruce Bochy -- he brought Brian Wilson in to record a six-out save with runners on the corners. He used his LHP asset, Javier Lopez, in the seventh inning, when the Braves weren't threatening at all to score. Matt Cain could've at least been given the opportunity to try to record the final out of the inning against Jason Heyward -- who hasn't done much of anything with the bat in the last three weeks or so.
So who to blame? Nobody in particular. Just a series of minor mistakes that culminated in a very tough Giants loss. If Romo had recorded a 1-2-3 eighth inning, the Giants could've won. If Posey had gotten a walk-off single/sac fly/double/triple/home run/ etc. in the tenth inning, the Giants would've won. If Ramirez hadn't served up that home run to Ankiel, the Giants could've won. If Bochy hadn't brought Wilson into the game so early, the Giants could've won.
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Props to Aaron Rowand and Edgar Renteria. They're probably two of the most hated Giants, due to their large contracts and poor performances, but they each delivered a clutch pinch hit. Aaron Rowand singled in the seventh to get Cody Ross all the way to third, but the Giants couldn't score.
Edgar Renteria, meanwhile, had an absolutely brilliant at-bat to lead off the tenth. On the first pitch, he took a home run hack for a swinging strike. On the next pitch, which just about everyone assumed would be another swing for the fences, he laid down a textbook bunt single. And he strained Billy Wagner's left side a little bit, which flamed up on the next bunt by Andres Torres, forcing Wagner to be taken out of the game.
Maybe this is the veteran know-how playoff experience that everyone alludes to. Whatever it is, it was certainly nice to see.
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This is probably going to be a five-game series. I don't see how the Giants could possibly win the next two in Atlanta, where the Braves play so well, against Tim Hudson and Derek Lowe. On the other hand, I don't see how they could lose the next two. If they lose Sunday's Game Three, they can send Lincecum out on the mound for Game Four. And I just don't see them losing behind Lincecum.
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Nice outing by Matt Cain. It was expected, but these outings are taken for granted. It was clutch. A nice playoff debut indeed.
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It's a shame the Giants couldn't win in front of the largest crowd in AT&T Park history. On the other hand, it's nice that the Giants were able to draw the largest crowd in AT&T Park history in a National League Division Series game. Just imagine how packed it could get for the World Series...
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Giants' Starting Pitching is Heating Up: 5-2
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| Torres' 8th inning solo HR gave the Giants the lead. |
The Giants had failed opportunities to put runs on the board:
- With a runner on third, Andres Torres struck out swinging to end the 5th.
- With runners on the corners in the 7th, Pablo Sandoval struck out, Juan Uribe struck out, then Ishikawa grounded out, ending their threat to score
- With runners on second and third and one out in the 8th, the Giants failed to score.
They ultimately executed as much as they needed to, though. Freddy Sanchez scored on a balk, Madison Bumgarner hit an RBI double, and in a tie game (2-2), Andres Torres led off the 8th with a solo shot. Buster Posey then added to the Giants' lead, crushing a fly ball to the right field brick wall for a 2-run double. Five runs is more than enough for the Giants if they pitch like they can, like they have in the past three games (Cain, Sanchez, Bumgarner). The failed opportunities might start haunting them soon, though, as they did in the first half, when the Giants' offense was much weaker.
Tomorrow: The Giants will face Ubaldo Jimenez for the fourth time. The Giants bat a collective .239 in 155 ABs in their careers against Ubaldo. None of them have had much success, with the exception of Pablo Sandoval who is 10 for 28 against him with 1 HR. The Giants got shutout by Ubaldo last time he pitched against them at home, but their offense has changed immensely since then, and home is where they hit best. They should be able to score enough runs to support a good Tim Lincecum outing.
Tim Lincecum: He's coming off a start in which he gave up 4 ER in 6 IP, which was actually an improvement over previous starts. He appears to be headed toward a return to form, so I wouldn't be surprised if he pitches a quality start tomorrow. We'll just have to wait and see what happens with him...Tomorrow will be a good indicator of where he is right now, in terms of how he can perform routinely. If he gets lit up once again, then he's probably far from becoming that Cy Young pitcher he was not too long ago.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Giants Lose Opener in Philadelphia: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
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| Burrell homers in his first AB against former team |
The Good:
- Buster Posey hits well in the 2-hole. He's now 5 for 8 when batting second in the order. The combination of Torres and Posey in the first and second slots in the order will lead to a lot of first inning rallies like the one they started today.
- Jose Guillen's day at the plate. He was the most productive Giant on Tuesday, going 2 for 4 with a HR.
- Pat Burrell's first AB in his return to Philadelphia: a solo HR.
The Bad:
- A double play killed yet another rally: In the first inning, with runners on the corners, Aubrey Huff grounded into a double play. Pat Burrell would then come up and hit a 2-out solo home run. It could have been a different inning had Huff not GIDP (grounded into a double play...).
- The Giants' 8th inning meltdown. Chris Ray gave up a walk and 3 hits and did not record a single out.
- The icing on the cake in the 8th inning meltdown: I actually can't decide if it was the Ramon Ramirez balk that allowed the eighth run to score, or the Mike Fontenot error that allowed the ninth run to score.
The Ugly:
- If there's any proof that batter vs. pitcher statistics are meaningless, it's Juan Uribe. He took ownage vs. Oswalt into today's match (6 for 13, 1 HR), but ended up striking out three times.
- These 9 runs allowed were without Ryan Howard in the lineup...
- Giants' future: 2 more games against Philadelphia, then a 3-game series in St. Louis and a 3-game series against Cincinnati. They will be playing their 3 main wild card threats, and at the rate they are playing, their future looks bleak.
- Running statistic: Giants' runs allowed per game with Guillen in the starting lineup - 8.5, record with Guillen in starting lineup: 0-2
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