The Giants got solid game from several players and defeated the D'Backs 4-2 amid a swirling controversy over Barry Zito's standing with the organization. Key lines:
Freddy Sanchez- 2 for 3. Good to see Freddy get untracked. I'm going to predict he hits over .300 and stays healthy all year.
Cody Ross- 1 for 1, 2 BB. I'm not expecting 30 HR's out of Ross but it's great to have a tough out like him in the lineup.
Pablo Sandoval- 1 for 2. Pablo keeps it rolling.
Nate Shierholtz- 1 for 3, OF Assist. BA= .364. Nate making a case for staying on the roster.
Brandon Belt- 1 for 1, SB(1). BA= .444. The BA says it all.
Chris Stewart- 2 for 3, 2B, 3B. BA= .444. Could Stewart win the backup catcher gig from Whiteside?
Charlie Culberson- 1 for 2, 2B. Go Charlie!
Jonathan Sanchez- 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 1.93. Solid effort from Sanchez.
Jeremy Affeldt- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Affeldt had been hampered by a hammy. Good to see him take the mound and look sharp.
Steve Edlefsen- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.
Santiago Casilla- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.
Marc Kroon- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, Save.
Not going to spend a long time on the Zito flap. You can read all about it on Extra Baggs, OGC's blog, Splashing Pumpkins, Ell Lefty Malo and McCovey Chronicles. Although Zito's contract is water under the bridge, and he's pitched reasonably well for the Giants the last 2 seasons and there is not a better option available to take his place, it is easy to understand why people in the Giants organization would be getting fed up with him. By all appearances he was not prepared to pitch even at an acceptable Spring Training level in his first start. There was just no sense of urgency or purpose to that start which you might expect after his humiliation at being left off the post-season roster. Whether he is making $20 M/yr or $1 M, he owes the Giants and himself enough personal pride to come prepared to Spring Training, even moreso after what happened at the end of last year. What we see instead is the same old que sera sera. When Timmy had a bad month and was called out for his conditioning, he immediately went to work fixing it. When Cainer was called out for his conditioning, he started running up and down the steps of AT&T Park. Ditto Bumgarner. When Pablo was embarrassed by his obesity and lack of conditioning last year he worked out with an Olympic decathlete and showed up to camp 35 lbs lighter and with his bat smoking. There is just no evidence that Zito's embarrassment last post-season lit any kind of a fire under him at all, just no signs of any rededication. Maybe that is all unfair to Zito and maybe he worked his butt off this offseason, but the only news out of Zitoland this offseason as an internet pic of Burrell with 2 bikini clad women allegedly at Zito's house. Maybe Burrell can get away with being doughy and out of shape, but Zito clearly can't.
Chilling news late today apparently originating from Baggs' Twitter. Matt Cain will miss his start tomorrow with elbow inflammation on MRI. If Cainer or any of the Big 4 starters go down for the count, the Giants chances of repeating their championship will lengthen considerably.
Ryan Vogelsong gets the start tomorrow against the Rockies.
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saw the jenkin's piece last night
ReplyDeletestrange that the club would leak something like this about zito so early, but it kinda fits with bochy's off the cuff remark about suppan...a bit out of character for bochy
but sometimes you gotta call a spade a spade
the org has been damn lucky injury wise with the starters
would hate to see cain go on the dl....but best to do it now (if its at all serious) so he shouldnt miss too much time from the season
just keep him away from giants doctors
To be sure, Zito was a perfectly adequate fifth starter last year, which is not saying a lot. But that is better than he has been at times. So I'm curious: like any other struggling fifth starter, is there any reason he and his $20 mil. couldn't be sent down to Fresno when he goes into a funk? I mean, aside from the it-just-isn't-done, it-isn't-respectful reason. With a guy like this, I'd much rather have him pull himself together without automatically losing major-league games as he's guaranteed to do every time when he's not at the top of his game. Sure, he'd need to clear waivers, but that would be easy, as nobody will claim his contract. Do you think he has something in that contract that prevents this very thing?
ReplyDeleteDrB -
ReplyDeleteBeen a little while. I was wondering if you know anything about Chris Stewart's D behind the dish? His career stats are underwhelming and seems to have been the third catching option for a few teams.
Keep up the good work! I don't always have input, but I'm sold on your work and read consistently!
I don't know anything about Chris Stewart.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure MLB vets can refuse a demotion to the minors. There have been a few who accepted to work things out, but it is not done very often.