Giants Sign Cody Ross, Jonathan Sanchez, Ramon Ramirez, Santiago Casilla

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.

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.

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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NLCS Game Four Recap

Entering Wednesday's game, Buster Posey and Aubrey Huff had tallied a combined three hits in the NLCS. They broke out in Game Four with a combined seven hits...now that's the Huff and Posey we've all come to know and love.

This is how the Giants were meant to win ballgames...with the help of the two guys who drove their offense this year. Buster Posey and Aubrey Huff are the reason the Giants got this far. Finally, these first-time playoff participants are carrying their 2010 performance into the postseason.

And with that...the Giants are ONE GAME AWAY FROM THE WORLD SERIES.

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Game Summary:

First inning: Buster Posey knocks in Freddy Sanchez for the first run.

Third inning: Buster Posey hits an RBI double to give the Giants a 2-0 lead.

Fifth inning: Giants' lead falls apart...Phillies lead off with two consecutive singles, a sac bunt, and another single to bring the score to 2-1. Chase Utley singles, and Madison Bumgarner is then replaced with Santiago Casilla.

Casilla gives up a two-run double to Placido Polanco, intentionally walks Ryan Howard, hits Jayson Werth with a pitch, and allows the fourth run of the inning to score on a wild pitch.

Giants 2 Phillies 4

In the bottom half of the inning, Andres Torres draws a walk. He advances to second on a groundout, and scores on a single by Aubrey Huff.

Sixth inning: After Pat Burrell draws a walk and Cody Ross doubles, Pablo Sandoval gives the Giants a 5-4 lead with a two-run double.

Seventh inning: Javier Lopez pitches a scoreless innning.

Giants fail to score when Pablo Sandoval grounds into a double play with the bases loaded.

Eighth inning: Lopez allows a leadoff double to Ryan Howard. Sergio Romo replaces him, but immediately allows a double to Jayson Werth to tie the game at 5-5.

Ninth inning: Phillies bring in Roy Oswalt to pitch the ninth in a tied ballgame. Huff singles, Posey singles, and Juan Uribe hits a sacrifice fly to deep left field to win the ballgame in walkoff fashion.

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This was the seventh walkoff win for the Giants on the year. Uribe also had one on August 14, against the San Diego Padres. 

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Glad that Andres Torres got some more playing time today. He went one for two, showing signs of breaking out of his slump. With his speed, he was able to manufacture a run, advancing to second on a groundout after his walk, and scoring on a single. He was caught stealing after he singled in the eighth, though...I'll keep saying it: I want him out there in the field and in the starting lineup over Aaron Rowand. Defense is just too valuable. And when Torres gets hot, he's as good as anyone in the game of baseball (or at least, as good as any centerfielder and/or leadoff hitter).  

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Some things you can't see from just the box score:

• Aaron Rowand nailed Carlos Ruiz at home. 
• Madison Bumgarner did a nice job picking Jimmy Rollins off at first base.
• Juan Uribe had a nice defensive play coming off the bench in the ninth inning.

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Buster Posey. He is everything that's good about the San Francisco Giants. Four hits -- including two doubles -- and two RBIs. All while spending nine innings behind the plate. Just an incredible kid. Derek Jeter, step aside! The face of the postseason for the next ten years is right here:

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Let's face it: Bumgarner wasn't spectacular in Game Four...4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. But he's exceeded expectations. For him to come up this year, post a 3.00 ERA, and still be a vital part of this rotation in the postseason (so much so that he made the postseason roster easily but the Barry Zito and his 7-year $126MM contract couldn't) is incredible. He struck out six, and only gave up three earned runs. Against one of the best offenses in the majors. In a critical game. At age 21. Come on?! Even though the start wasn't great, what he did is pretty amazing. Hopefully this won't be the last time this postseason that he pitches.

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This was definitely the game of the series, and moreover, the game of the year. Everybody contributed: Posey, Ross, Torres, Uribe, Sandoval, Burrell, Huff. 

After watching this game, I can't say that the Phillies have any chance at the World Series. I just wouldn't believe it at this point. In an act of desperation, they used six pitchers today. 

Sure, they have Roy Halladay on the mound, and he is an innings-eater. But the game's in San Francisco. And the Giants have beaten Halladay twice this year. And the Phillies will be facing Tim Lincecum. And even if they win Game Five, they would still have to win the next two games, against very good pitching. I'd be very surprised if the Giants don't win this series. 

But...nothing can be taken for granted at this point.

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Ready for this?

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. 

NLDS Game Four Recap: We're Going to the NLCS!!!

The Giants are going to the NLCS!

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Game Summary: 

It was yet another pitchers duel on Monday. Madison Bumgarner got the quality start, going six innings and allowing two earned runs. Derek Lowe, too, was impressive, going 6.1 innings with eight strikeouts, two earned runs, and just two hits allowed. 

In the third, the Braves took a 1-0 lead with a Brian McCann sacrifice fly.

The Giants answered in the sixth, when Cody Ross hit a solo shot to left field to break up Lowe's no-hit bid. 

The Braves did not hesitate -- unfortunately -- to reclaim the lead. On the first pitch in the bottom half of the sixth inning, Brian McCann hit a deep solo shot to right field to make the score 2-1. 

In the seventh, Lowe fell apart completely. He allowed a walk to Aubrey Huff, followed by a Buster Posey single, and after telling Bobby Cox to keep him in the game (Cox was ready to bring in a reliever), a walk to Pat Burrell. 

Peter Moylan was brought in to face Juan Uribe with the bases loaded, but couldn't preserve the Braves' lead. Uribe hit a grounder to short, but the Braves failed to record an out. (Alex Gonzalez threw to second for the force out, but the umpire ruled that Omar Infante's foot had come off the bag. It was a bad call...)

With the game tied 2-2, Cody Ross smacked a single through the hole in the left side, and, although Pat Burrell was thrown out at home, the Giants managed to take a 3-2 lead. (Buster Posey scored on the play). 

Santiago Casilla came into the game, shut the Braves down for the seventh inning and most of the eighth inning (Javier Lopez struck out Jason Heyward for the final out in the eighth). Brian Wilson came in, and...it wasn't easy (two walks), but he secured the win for the Giants. 

And now they're going to the NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES!

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Andres Torres and Juan Uribe continue to struggle. They were a combined 3 for 30 (.100) in the NLDS. Is it time to panic? No...of course not. Those were four games. They'll certainly see an improvement in Philadelphia. They won't face any worse pitchers...but Citizens Bank Park is hitter's heaven. Seriously. How else would Aaron Rowand ever put up a .300, 25+ HR season? On a simliar note...his at-bat tonight was pretty terrible. He swung at a low pitch that was completely out of the strikezone. It can happen against Jonny Venters, though...Quite a good, young reliever. 

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Santiago Casilla = new setup man? I like what I saw out of him. Of the six batters he faced, he struck out two, and induced three groundouts. The Giants will have time to think about their eighth-inning setup-man situation...but I would be content if they were to put him in this role...as long as it's not against Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez. In that case, I say they should just use Javier Lopez (for the lefty vs. lefty matchups). 

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I was honestly nervous that Jose Guillen would be the Giants' starting right-fielder for the NLDS. I didn't figure they would just take this job from him and suddenly give it to Cody Ross. But they basically did. And it was one of the best decisions (albeit a no-brainer) Giants management has ever made. 

Cody Ross played solid defense...and his offensive numbers were certainly substantial. He batted .286 with the game-winning RBI in Game One and Game Four, and a crucial home run in the sixth inning of Game Four. His .571 slugging percentage this series was second only to Pat Burrell's .600 slugging percentage. The Giants could very well have lost Games One and Four without Cody Ross in right field. 

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This video, produced and edited by http://whitecollarbrawler.com/, is a pretty good 2010 Giants anthem, encompassing "Fear the Beard," the Rally Thong, and plenty of other 2010 Giants references to the tune of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'"

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Edgar Renteria is batting 1.000...he's two for two in this series. I'm likin' what I'm seeing out of him. Who knows if it will continue? Maybe it's all the postseason experience he's had (55 playoff games to his name prior to this season). He's had two clutch late-inning hits though. And contrary to my beliefs, has been valuable off the bench. Although, he did screw up a double-play opportunity in the eighth...

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The Giants certainly won the "Battle of the Rookies." Here's a comparison chart of how Buster Posey and Jason Heyward did in this series: 

Not to mention the six-inning two-earned-run performance by the Giants' other rookie, Madison Bumgarner.

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Bumgarner has a bright, bright future. At age 21, he became the youngest Giants pitcher to win a postseason game. What he's done this year...it's just impressive. Especially when compared to Todd Wellemeyer's performance as the Giants' fifth starter. I certainly can't wait to see how he does in the near future. He's gotten better with each start. Now, he's a top young arm...just look at the 1.13 ERA he put up in September. Best part? Highest average fastball velocity of any start in his career. 

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Bad umpiring...this time, it was in the Giants' favor. There was the Posey stolen base in Game One. He was clearly out. Then there was Game Two, a play at first in which Alex Gonzalez was called out...but Aubrey Huff took his foot off the bag...so he was actually safe. That's the play that got Cox ejected in Game Two. And then there was the Giants' seventh inning rally. On a force out at second, Pat Burrell was called safe because the umpire thought Omar Infante had taken his foot off of the bag. He actually had his foot on the bag at the time he caught the ball, though...The Giants are lucky all these calls went their way. For the Giants' and Phillies' sake, I hope that the NLCS umpires do a better job. I would assume that umpires are better when it gets to a bigger stage. Hopefully that's the case.

It wasn't too noticeable. But I think Burrell was out at second...

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You should read this:
ESPN Stats & Info: Bumgarner latest Giant among men

It's got some cool information. To sum it up, this was the first postseason series ever in which all the games were decided by one run. Madison Bumgarner became the second youngest starter in postseason history to win a series clincher. And...the four key players in Game Four (Posey, Bumgarner, Ross, Casilla) were not with the team at the beginning of the season. Interesting stuff.

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Here it is again...what a great season. This team has certainly exceeded my expectations (and the expectations of many)...

Giants Lose Second Game in Cubs Series

The Giants got off to a good start on Wednesday, with a one-out Freddy Sanchez single followed by an Aubrey Huff double. All that Buster Posey needed to do was to hit a deep flyball, but he couldn't even put the ball in play, as he struck out swinging. The next batter, Pat Burrell, also struck out (looking), and the Giants failed to take an early lead. The next inning, Jose Guillen led off with a double, but the Giants once again failed to knock in the run. After that, the Giants had few more opportunities, as Randy Wells began dealing: 7.2 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 6 K, 1 BB. In the 8th, the Giants got things going: Travis Ishikawa took a two-out walk, and Cody Ross followed that up with a double. The Cubs brought in Carlos Marmol after that, and the Giants were shut down. Freddy Sanchez struck out to end the 8th. Marmol then struck out the side in the 9th.

Jonathan Sanchez continues to pitch well. His one big mistake was a fastball in Kosuke Fukudome's wheelhouse that was promptly deposited into the right field stands. All in all, though, he was decent: 5.2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K. The bullpen was perfect as usual: Chris Ray and Santiago Casilla combined for 2.1 scoreless innings.

A few notables from the game:

1. Carlos Marmol's slider. It is nasty. Simply unhittable. The guy has put up incredible numbers this year, the most astounding being his 15.6 K/9 ratio. If he didn't give up six walks every nine innings, he would be the best closer in baseball. During the time he was out on the mound, the fielders behind him didn't have to do anything.
2. Cody Ross is not a leadoff hitter. Well, this is pretty obvious. But the point is, the Giants have better options for the leadoff spot. Cody Ross is not that fast, and his .313 OBP this year doesn't raise any eyebrows either. He's also got decent pop, which would be more useful in a different spot in the lineup. Freddy Sanchez would be a viable option - a .339 OBP, and his lack of power makes it more appropriate to put him there...it would only be for a few days, possibly, as Torres might soon return.
3. The Giants are impossible to understand. Really. Huff has put up great numbers, as has Posey. Burrell takes a lot of walks and has good power. Uribe has good power. Sanchez is a former batting champion (and has been doing well since August). And Guillen, Ross, and Sandoval all have decent pop, and the ability to hit for respectable averages. The pieces just don't fit together, though. One thing that is noticeable is that the team is dreadfully slow: Guillen, Sandoval, Uribe, Burrell, Huff, Posey. All pretty slow. Even Sanchez and Ross aren't too fast. The loss of Torres has really taken a toll on them in this category. Nevertheless, with this decent group of hitters, and the fact that they are playing in hitter's ballparks (Coors then Wrigley), I don't see how they can struggle like this. Maybe they'll get it together tomorrow...

The Giants extended their streaks: they've allowed three runs or fewer in 16 consecutive games, and they've allowed four runs or fewer in 21 consecutive games. They're close to making history... Oh yeah...and which team leads the majors in ERA? That's right...the Giants.

Tomorrow: Madison Bumgarner vs. Ryan Dempster...here's how Giants hitters have done against him in their careers:

Standings/Playoff Chances (According to ESPN.com)

Ten games left....

Giants Lose Opener in LA: 4-2

The Giants lost the first game of a three game series in Los Angeles thanks to a poor pitching effort by Barry Zito: 4 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 5 K; with each game it is becoming more evident that, for the Giants -- a team built around their rotation -- to succeed, their starters need to perform. Four innings out of any starter just isn't going to work..Zito had some good stuff working on Friday, but his problem was ultimately is his control (or lack thereof). In the fourth inning, with the game tied 2-2, Zito began by walking two consecutive batters, Matt Kemp and Casey Blake. Four batters later, Chad Billingsley was up with the bases loaded (the game still tied), and hit a liner to right field. Jose Guillen appeared to be ready to make a shoestring catch, but couldn't come up with the ball. It's in games like these that his lack of defensive prowess really hurts the Giants. Any other Giants right fielder -- Schierholtz, Huff, Torres, Ross -- could have made that catch. 


WPA (Win Probability Added) is a baseball statistic which attempts to measure a player's contribution to a win by figuring the factor by which each specific play made by that player has altered the outcome of a game. Guillen, of all the Giants, had the worst WPA in the game (-.107), lowering their chances of winning by 10.7% simply based on the night he had at the plate, going 0 for 4 and stranding four runners. This, of course, doesn't take into account the catch he failed to make, which turned out to be the difference in the game. Pitching and defense go hand in hand -- in order for good pitching to function, their needs to be a defense capable of supporting the pitcher; with Guillen in right field, there's little range being covered. Lastly, he should not be batting fifth in the lineup, especially if that means Posey, one of the Giants' most consistent hitters, is batting sixth. 


The Giants' offense, overall, failed to produce on Friday. It's understandable, because they were facing a good pitcher in Chad Billingsley, but they got just two hits...they need to get used to facing good pitching -- they'll see two more good pitchers this series: Ted Lilly and Hiroki Kuroda. 


Notes:

• The Giants' relievers put together a nice little performance: Ray, Casilla, and Affeldt combined for a line of 4 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB. 
• Henry Schulman made a good point a few days ago about what the Giants need to do to make the playoffs: 

"Well, a 20-11 finish would get them to 92-70, pretty much assuring they'd be in. To do that, they have to have another month like their 20-8 July. It won't be easy for myriad reasons. They have seven left San Diego, including four down south. After the Rockies series, they embark on a 10-game trip to Los Angeles, Arizona and the aforementioned series in San Diego. The Giants are 10-13 on the road against the West this year. Capish?"

•  The Padres have lost their eighth game in a row, after previously not having lost more than three games in a row this season. They are really struggling. They have managed to score just 19 runs over that eight-game span, averaging a dismal 2.4 runs scored per game. Their pitching -- arguably the best in the majors -- has also been struggling. They've given up 45 runs over the past eight games, averaging 5.6 runs allowed per game. Here's where the Giants can take advantage. At this point, it would be easier (and much, much, more fun) to seize a playoff spot from a team that is quickly crumbling to pieces. 
• On a related note, the Giants now, technically speaking, are as close to winning the NL West as they are to winning the NL Wild Card: they are 3.0 GB of the Padres for the division title, and 3.0 GB of the Phillies for the Wild Card lead. 

Tomorrow: Ted Lilly will pitch against Matt Cain. Aubrey Huff should get the day off (3 for 25 in his career against Lilly), and Freddy Sanchez could have a nice day at the plate (8 for 23, .348 in his career against Lilly). Juan Uribe is 4 for 13 with 2 HR in his career against Lilly. Overall, though, the Giants don't have great numbers against him. Matt Cain does not have good numbers against the Dodgers, largely thanks to Andre Ethier, who is 18 for 35 (.514) in his career against Matt Cain.

Giants Take 2nd Game in Padres Series

The Giants were on their way to a 9th loss to the Padres

From the start of Saturday's game, the Giants looked completely over-matched by Padres ace Mat Latos. Through just 3 innings, Latos had struck out 7 Giants. Latos came out to pitch the 7th and faced Pablo Sandoval. He once again appeared to be dominating Pablo until he threw a high fastball (clearly out of the strike zone) that was hammered into McCovey Cove. In the 8th, with the Giants losing 2-1, Fontenot hit a single through the hole on the right side followed by an Aubrey Huff double. With runners at 2nd and 3rd, Pat Burrell hit an RBI groundout to second to tie the game. The game would go into extra innings, and in the 11th inning Buster Posey led off with a groundball up the middle. Heads-up baserunning allowed him to stretch it to a double. Pablo Sandoval would then be intentionally walked to get to Uribe, who hit a walk-off RBI single to right.

This was a significant win for the Giants, as they finally have a boost of momentum and confidence that they are capable of defeating the Padres, even with their best pitcher on the mound (Latos).

Notes:

• Mike Fontenot had a nice game, going 2 for 5 with a double and scoring the tying run. I was a little harsh on him....definitely too harsh, especially considering the dreadful hitting Freddy Sanchez has been displaying recently. I hope to see Fontenot at second base from now on, especially against RHP.

• Andres Torres pulled into a tie for the National League lead in doubles, and now stands at 38. He's making a legitimate run at the Giants' franchise record for doubles in a single season. Jeff Kent currently holds the record, with his 49 doubles in 2001.

• Pablo Sandoval continues to hit...and opponents know it. He was intentionally walked twice. It has to be a confidence booster for him to know that he is once again instilling fear in his opponents.

• Madison Bumgarner had a solid outing. It would have been easy for a rookie pitcher to lose his concentration after giving up a run and facing 7 batters in the first, but Madison settled down and put up a very respectable line of 7 IP, 2 ER.

• The announcers for the MLB games on FOX are terrible: Chris Rose and Kevin Millar. It's refreshing to know that no more Giants games will be on FOX this year (barring, of course, a playoff appearance...). During the game, they talked about fantasy football, argued about whether or not a Pablo Sandoval error should have been ruled an error (Chris Rose said to Millar, "Why are you yelling at me?"), and talked about "shower bods" a couple of times. They often thought they were being humorous, but really took away from the joy of watching the game. I wouldn't be surprised if they dislike each other in person. Quality announcers have a rapport with each other, such as the one exhibited by Kruk and Kuip on a nightly basis. It really makes you appreciate Jon Miller, Dave Fleming, Mike Krukow, and Duane Kuiper as a broadcasting team. The Giants landed a gold mine with them.

• The Giants grounded into zero double plays. That is unbelievably refreshing. For icing on the cake, the Padres grounded into one.

• Kudos to the bullpen for 4 shutout innings. They got the job done: Ray, Lopez, Wilson, Romo, Casilla.

• Buster Posey had a multi-hit game, his 3rd of August. He had 12 in July.

Tomorrow: Tim Lincecum will start against Wade LeBlanc. The Giants do not hit him well, batting a collective .178 (8 for 45). That does, however, include a combined 0 for 11 by Rowand and Sanchez, who will most likely not start tomorrow.

Tim Lincecum will bring his A-game tomorrow. He wants to win. He's in a legitimate competition for a playoff spot, and he wants to be a driving force for the Giants' success. I predict that we'll see the '09 Lincecum tomorrow.

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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

Todd Wellemeyer is Terrible

In the midst of another Giants' loss (6-3 loss to the Braves), we once again witnessed a terrible performance by Todd Wellemeyer. This was his first chance at the long relief role, and frankly, it should be his last. Of the 4 hitters he faced, every single one got a hit. Meanwhile, due to a short bench, Bochy had to use Matt Cain to pinch hit for Jonathan Sanchez in the 5th inning. Who knows what would've happened if Todd Wellemeyer wasn't Todd Wellemeyer, but instead, a hitter on the bench. Then we wouldn't have to rely on Matt Cain, who's batting below .100, to pinch hit. Not to mention, we wouldn't be risking the loss of our most consistent pitcher (let's not forget what happened to Dan Runzler when he tried to hit in Milwaukee...he's still on the disabled list). Also, instead of using Wellemeyer to pitch in the 5th inning, we could've used one of our other bullpen guys - for example, Santiago Casilla, who relieved Wellemeyer today and gave up 0 ER and just 1 hit in 2 innings. At this point, Wellemeyer offers absolutely nothing to the Giants. We have a great pitching staff, so the chances that we'll need a guy to eat up innings in the bullpen are slim. Even when our pitchers aren't pitching well, they usually keep us in the game. No need to give up these games by using Wellemeyer. Let's just keep an extra hitter on the bench, at least until Affeldt or Runzler returns. Then we can re-evaluate our situation. After all, it's only a few weeks until the rosters expand. For now though, a hitter, like Jesus Guzman for example (who projects to hit .269/.319/.405 in the majors for what it's worth...), would be of significantly more value to the Giants than Todd Wellemeyer. Guzman is hitting .382 over his last 10 games in AAA.

Giants' Offense Explodes in Colorado

From start to finish, Wednesday's game was in the Giants' hands as they cruised to a 10-0 victory, beginning with a 4-run first inning. Pat Burrell added to his good career numbers against Aaron Cook with a solo shot in the 3rd inning. RBIs came from many Giants -- Posey, Ishikawa, Sanchez (HR in 6th), Torres (HR in 9th), Uribe, and yes, even Pablo Sandoval, who went 2 for 5. The Giants are showing that they are prepared to square off against Ubaldo Jimenez tomorrow.

Not only did the Giants offense dazzle on Wednesday, but so did their pitching. Jonathan Sanchez pitched 6 scoreless innings with 9 strikeouts and the Giants received 3 scoreless innings of relief out of Santiago Casilla and midseason acquisitions Javier Lopez, Ramon Ramirez, and Chris Ray.

"Jonathan Sanchez experienced minor early turbulence, allowing a hit and a walk in a scoreless first, but he settled down in style, retiring 11 in a row from the first to the fifth, striking out the side in the second and third innings and fanning Carlos Gonzalez in the fourth for his seventh consecutive strikeout. The mark tied Juan Marichal's San Francisco record of seven consecutive strikeouts, set Sept. 6, 1964, in Philadelphia."

Flashes of brilliance from Sanchez like today's 7 strikeouts in a row come as a reminder that we should be glad we didn't trade him away for a bat. The Giants have put together a historically powerful rotation from top to bottom with Lincecum, Zito, Cain, Sanchez, and Bumgarner. Also, the offense is clearly competent enough to perform without the help of a pricey (the cost being Bumgarner or J Sanchez) acquisition, as they have shown in these past 30 days.

The Giants are now just ONE game behind the Padres in the NL West Standings: