Tim Lincecum was Big Time Timmy Jim today as he made a 1 run lead stand up from the first inning until the Giants mounted a 2 run rally in the bottom of the 8'th inning to "put the game away." Timmy cruised through the 9'th. I watched the game on Gameday, but even through the numbers coming through game day, you just felt that Timmy was determined to finish this one. Key Lines:
Andres Torres- 0 for 3, BB. Once again, Torres played the leadoff role beautifully drawing a walk to lead off the game. He went to 3'rd on Freddy's double and scored on a Buster Posey ground out. Hey, if Torres did nothing more than that every game, he'd score 162 runs, right? And, never underestimate the importance of getting that first run on the board, especially with this pitching staff!
Freddy Sanchez- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .276. Freddy went into a bit of a slump there for awhile, but seems to be coming back up out of it.
Buster Posey- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .284. In addition to the RBI groundout, Buster started the winning rally with a single and hit another ball on a line to the leftfielder. He seems to be coming out of his funk a bit too.
Cody Ross- 1 for 3, HBP. BA= .256. Buster took second on a grounder to the pitcher by Burrell, the only time Pat the Bat made contact all day. Ross then singled Buster home then advanced to 3B on Huff's single and came home on Miggy's SF giving Timmy an insurmountable 3 run lead going to the 9'th.
Miguel Tejada- 1 for 3, SF. BA= .218. A reasonably productive day at the plate for Miggy.
Time Lincecum-9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 2.06. Think Big Time Timmy Jim didn't have something to prove after last start in Colorado? Took him 133 pitches to do it, but I'm guessing he would have taken up a martial arts stance out there if Bochy had tried to lift him. He went into the 9'th with 108 pitches but it took a few extra pitches above budget to K those last two batters. Beyond that, words fail.
With the Win, the Giants extended their lead in the NL West to 2.5 games over the Reeling Rockies who lost to the BrewCrew 3-2. The Dangerous D'Backs maintained 3'rd place, 4.5 games back after scoring 6 runs in the bottom of the 8'th inning for a come-from-behind win over the Twins. The Dastardly Dodgers got clobbered by the ChiSox in Chicago 9-2 to fall 6 games off the pace while the Pathetic Padres were blanked by wunderkind pitcher Michael Pineda 4-0 to fall 7.5 games behind the Giants.
Jonathan Sanchez goes for the sweep tomorrow against Gio Gonzalez in an afternoon game.
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After watching just about everyone of his starts, it surprises me that Timmy doesn't have a no-hitter.
ReplyDeleteIt takes skill to give yourself a chance for a no-hitter. It takes a whole lot of luck to actually pitch one. Obviously Nolan Ryan had a special skill for throwing no-hitters, probably Koufax too, but all the rest came with an enormous dose of luck. Timmy does seem like he has the stuff for it though.
ReplyDeleteCainer has taken several no-no's deep into games. I really thought he would do it before now.
Sanchez obviously has the stuff for it. Wow! His stuff was just magical that night!
I could see Bumgarner pitching one on a night when he has great velocity, great command and his secondary stuff all working.
Right now, I wouldn't be shocked if Vogelsong did it. His stuff has been that good and he's been that focused.
Tom Seaver didn't pitch one until later in his career. Marichal had just one and it was quite early in his career. Most of the great ones get at least one in their career, but it's not at all something that is a repeatable skill, unless you are talking Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax.
And then you got guys like Armando Gallaraga who would have thrown one of the few perfect games ever last season and just got DFAed by the D-Backs, who are dying for pitching.
ReplyDeleteSkill helps, but there is a whole heaping of luck involved. Kind of like rolling 27 straight 7's at the craps table: hardly ever happens, lots of luck involved, but will probably happen at some point, some place, it is just probability.
Can't remember the guy's name, but this is a great example of the nature of no-hitters: there was a pitcher who had a no-hitter in his first start ever and, if I remember right, he didn't pitch much longer in the majors after that, he just wasn't that good.
I agree with DrB and you. I'd been thinking Matt Cain no-hitter since he first came up with the Giants and ran one into the middle of the game. I would have bet that he would have been the first since the Count's.
Then again, Sanchez makes a lot of sense too, he strikes out so many, but I would have thought he would have had one of those no-hitters where he walks 5-6-7 guys too.
And Timmy, every game you think, "maybe this game." The way he has improved himself every season in some way, I have to think that it is inevitable, just a matter of time.
Bumgarner I can see doing, but until he starts striking out more guys, I don't think so. But being around Lincecum and Cain, have to think he is going to be competitive and try to bring something new to the club every season going forward.
And Vogelsong has been a dream, would be a pretty good high for him in his storybook season so far.