Spring Training Update: Game Wrap 04-01-2010

After a great Cactus League run, the Giants came home to AT&T Park and, well, they didn't show up to play! I don't know what it is with Barry Zito and the month of April, but maybe they ought to just sit him for the month every year. Giants sleepwalk through a 9-0 spanking at the hands of the A's. Key lines:

Offense: Nada! 5 total hits. 2 walks, ironically by Pablo and Bengie Molina. That's it.

Barry Zito- 3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. A classic Zito April pounding.

Kevin Pucetas- 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. Pucetas was shaky his last outing, but pitched his way out of it. This time, he couldn't finish his second inning of work after giving up 3 runs in the inning.

Brandon Medders- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Stranded two of Pucetas' runners. Good to see Brandon back on track.

Dan Runzler- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00 on the spring. I think he's on the team!

Thanks to the anonymous reader on the prior Update for the heads up on the transaction with the Rangers. Just to catch up, the Rangers selected Giants pitching prospect Ben Snyder in the Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings. Snyder didn't make the MLB team this spring, but the Rangers wanted to keep him in the organization. Under Rule 5, they had to offer compensation to the GIants or return Snyder for $25 K. Well, they worked out a deal and it looks like a good one for the Giants: Edwin Escobar, LHP. Escobar doesn't turn 18 until 4/22. He's 6'1", 185 lbs. He pitched last season in the Arizona Rookie League as a 17 year old as a starter: 2-5, 5.00, 45 IP, 16 BB, 48 K's. The key stat here is the K/9>9 coming from a 17 year old. He has plenty of time to develop better command/control, but the K's indicate that he's got good stuff. I think this is the best possible deal the Giants could have made!

The Giants made another move signing Cuban defector Reiner Roibal, a 20 year old RHP who reportedly throws a mid-90's fastball and is one of Cuba's better pitching prospects. I don't know anything more about this kid than that, but I'm definitely down with signing 20 year old pitchers with mid-90's heat. It's also a great sign for the health of the Giants organization that they are still active in the international market after committing all that money to the MLB pitching staff.

Good stuff!!