Spring Training Update: First Game!

Giants edge the Mariners in 10 innings 8-7. Some key lines:

Aaron Rowand: 2 for 2, SF.

Aubrey Huff: 1 for 2, HR, BB, E.

Emmanuel Burriss: 2 for 3, 2 2B, SB. Had pain in surgically repaired foot after the game. Sounded like more than just a little soreness.

Tim Lincecum: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Control way off. Velocity reportedly 91-93.

Madison Bumgarner: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K's. Velocity reportedly 87-89. Secondary stuff looked good.

Steve Edlefsen: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.



I have a pet theory that hitters have only so long they can stay in a hot streak, and you don't want to use it all up in games that don't count. A corollary is I'd much rather have them hot at the end of spring training than at the beginning. Still, it was nice to see 2 hits in Aaron Rowand's line, and a HR from Aubrey Huff. The Giants need at least career average seasons from those two in order to have much of a chance to make the playoffs. In Rowand's case, I really hope hitting leadoff will help him play within himself, concentrate on just getting on base and not worrying about how many HR's the stadium is robbing him of.

Too early to panic about Bumgarner's velocity. From Extra Baggs, it seems like his secondary stuff is farther along than we may have thought. That's good, because he'll need it if his velocity stays below 90 MPH. Baggs seems to be convinced that Bumgarner has the inside track to be the #5 starter and that he wasn't going at full velocity today. I hope he's right about the velocity, but I tend to believe the #5 starter slot is Wellemeyer's to lose. That's an interesting story to follow going forward.

Joe Pun, over on azgiants.com, was pretty jazzed about Steve Edlefsen's outing, and the line is indeed impressive. I have a feeling Edlefsen is going to play an important role on this team before the season is out. He keeps putting lines like that up in spring training games and he'll win himself a MLB bullpen gig out of the gate.