The Giants seemed a lot looser and happier today as they came down to tropical San Diego to kick off a 3 game series against the Pesky Ones. This team had a lot to live up to. They gave it a great run, but in the end, injuries and underperformance of some offensive players proved to be too much. Now that the burden of those expectations has been lifted, they might find they actually enjoy playing the rest of the season, and might play a whole lot better too! The Giants got another scintillating performance from Madison Bumgarner and an offense led by two dingers from Pablo Sandoval to trounce the Pesky Padres. Key LInes:
Pablo Sandoval- 2 for 4, 2 HR(18), BB. BA= .296. On the TV broadcast, they showed a clip of Pablo giving his bat a rather animated lecture in the dugout before the game. Well, it seems like the bat must have been listening because in his first two AB's, Pablo hit two of the more impressive HR's you will see at Petco Park, especially from the left side of the plate. Gotta love Pablo and his attitude. If Vogelsong didn't have such a compelling story, I'd vote for Pablo for the Willie Mac Award.
Cody Ross- 3 for 4, 2 2B. BA= .238. Ross is in one of his hot streaks with 7 hits in 16 AB's over his last 4 games.
Brandon Belt- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .215.
Brandon Crawford- 1 for 3. BA= .192. The Brandons both got starts today with mixed results. They should both get as many AB's as possible the rest of the way regardless of results.
Madison Bumgarner- 8.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 13 K's. ERA= 3.37. Bumgarner gave up a couple of hard hits early, but then setteled down and was sensational until the 9'th. He was lifted after giving up a 1 out HR to Nick Hundley.
Not that it matters, but the Giants were once again unable to gain ground on the Dangerous D'Backs who outslugged the Reeling Rockies in Coors Field, 10-7 to remain 7 games ahead in the NL West.
We get another chance to look at Eric Surkamp tomorrow evening as he takes on the Pesky Ones in Petco against another soft tossing lefty, Wade LeBlanc.
Strange story out of the OC Register about the Giants mispronouncing Jerome Williams' name for 2 years. Now, I can believe that Felipe Alou might have been so out of touch he had no idea what Jerome's name was. I'm sorry, but the rest of the story just doesn't ring true. The clincher was the claim that Rags slapped him when he found out the true pronounciation. Somehow, that just doesn't seem like anything else I've ever read about Rags. I know the Giants announcers always called him Jerome, not Jeremy, and the announcers are usually pretty in tune with the rest of the team. I have to believe they would have picked up on the mistake and mentioned it to Rags or other players before 2 years went by. Sounds more like a running joke that maybe Jerome took too seriously or something, or else maybe he's still smoking the stuff the gave him the munchies when he was in SF.
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That "Jeremy" Williams story is bizarre. Kruk & Kuip ALWAYS called him Jerome. At some point, somewhere during the course of being alive and in the Giants clubhouse 2003-2004, everyone would have known.
ReplyDeleteOh, Rags slapped him, right? Sure.
Williams was always kind of head case. I remember a game where the opposing team complained about him wearing his Puka shell necklace and umps made him take it off. He had a mini-hissy fit.
I'm gonna disagree with you (and common sense) Doc. Lets play this thing out. Anything can happen. I'd give the Giants a 1-2% chance of winning the West. We obviously need a huge amount of poor play from the Snakes, a contribution which so far they are unwilling to make. But, I have no problem with running the best team out there until we're mathematically out of it.
I agree, I don't see how we could not try to win this out. The chance is very small but there is a chance and this is professional baseball. You have to go for the win if you get the chance. That's not to say you can't use the kids in the right situation but to put them in just to see how they do is way too early in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteWell, they certainly can't SAY they are throwing in the towel, but I took having Belt and Crawford both starting today, despite Belt's rough game yesterday as a strong indication that they know the jig is up. We'll see what happens tomorrow and the next day and after Beltran gets well.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it's all a tempest in a teapot and does nothing to change the big picture either way.
Is it a coincidence that Cody Ross seems to be getting hot when they DFA Rowand? A positive development this season is that Madbum didn't suffer a sophmore jinx.. The kid sort of reminds me of a young John Candelaria.. That "Jeremy" Williams story is bizzare.. It shows what rookies go through when they 1st come up, but the rest of the story makes no sense. The radio announcers always called him Jerome, you would think somebody would pickup the mistake.
ReplyDeletedoc,
ReplyDeleteseems to me that jwill has never gotten over his treatment by the giants org
i followed the kid's career from the minors...no one ever called him jeremy...no one on the team ever referred to him as jeremy
i believe the alou stuff though...still not sure that alou knew all his players names...or even cared
but in any case...he has gotta get over his time as a giant...
and giants need to learn how to be more careful with the kids they draft right out of hs
As much as a fighter and strong person Vogelsong is, Williams always has been and always will be the opposite. He is a head case and will be back in the minors next year and out of baseball for good in a couple of years.
ReplyDeleteDrB, Belt was not going to get the start but Beltran had some sort of intestinal upset that took him out, so Bochy put him in.
ReplyDeleteJeremy? Never heard that name once on radio. Have to think that it was a hazing ritual that continued because they felt that Jerome needed to gain some humility.
About Ross, I was thinking about him and that was around when Ross batting line sank like a rock, when the Giants got Beltran, leaving no playing time for either Ross or Rowand. Now with Torres struggle and Belt too, and Nate out, he sees a chance to play and taking it, oh, and Rowand gone.
Hey, good comments everybody! Thanks again for reading faithfully and participating in the conversation.
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