Thursday, May 3, 2012

Game Wrap 5/2/2012: Marlins 3 Giants 2

The Giants suffered another frustrating, disheartening loss in extra innings, but may have lost a lot more than a game as Pablo Sandoval came up with a painful left wrist apparently caused by a swing of the bat.  If you recall, the last time that happened, he suffered a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist and was out for 6 weeks last year. As for the game, the Giants left 5 runners on base in the first two innings, then mounted a 2 run rally in the ninth inning to tie it, only to lose it in the 10'th on yet another laser beam HR by Giancarlo Stanton.   Key Lines:

Gregor Blanco- 1 for 4, BB.  BA= .222.  Count me as being in favor of an extended trial of Blanco playing the OF in  place of Nate and leading off.  He does things leadoff hitters are supposed to do, like dragging squeeze bunts for basehits to tie the game in the ninth inning.  That, and drawing walks too.

Hector Sanchez- 0 for 5.  BA= .241.  Bochy might want to think twice about batting Sanchez 5'th again any time soon.  The Hector's inexperience may be getting overexposed.  The PB in the first inning probably cost the Giants the game.

Brandon Belt-  2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .273.  Belt started the ninth inning rally with a double to CF.  I have to say I was long since in bed when this one ended, so I didn't see how hard he hit it.  The other hit was a bounder up th middle that Zambrano deflected with his pitching hand.  Ouch!  In any event, the final box score line is a sight for sore Giants fans eyes.  Maybe something to build on?

Joaquin Arias- 2 for 4.  BA= .375.  Arias has definitely played himself into a bigger role.

Barry Zito- 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 7 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.76.  Zito was wild.  I have no idea how he managed to keep it to just 2 runs allowed, and it would have been none were it not for the PB and an error by Arias.

Travis Blackley- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  A big welcome to Travis Blackley who might have started a very belated MLB career tonight.

Carlos Zambrano(Marlins)- 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.53.  What is it with Marlins players and the Giants?  Zambrano started every pitch with this odd, creepy looking smile on his face.  Kruk noticed it too and commented that it might be a distraction to hitters and not make them too happy.  Unfortunately, the Giants hitters don't seem to be in any condition to make a guy like that pay.

Now we'll await word on Pablo Sandoval.  From the descriptions I've read, a stay on the DL is almost a certainty and an identical fracture/surgery to the opposite wrist as last year seems to be a very realistic possibility.  Sandoval is a huge part of the Giants offense which is struggling even with him in the lineup.  There is not obvious replacement on the active roster, although Burriss, Arias, Theriot and even Brett Pill are possibilities.  Conor Gillaspie is on the 40 man roster and is tearing it up in Fresno.  He'll be out of options next spring, so this would seem to be a perfect time for the Giants to see what he can do at the MLB level.

The Giants did not lose ground to the Dodgers as the NL West leaders lost to the Rockies 8-5.  The Giants remain 4.5 games behind but fell into a 3'rd place tie with the Rocks at an even .500, 12-12.  The D'Backs lost to the Nats 5-4 to stay in second place, 4 games behind the leaders.  The Pesky Padres got their second shutout in a row over the BrewCrew 5-0 to gain a game on the leaders at 8.5 games behind.  In the Padres game, Jeff Suppan, remember him?  Well, he pitched 5 shutout innings for the Pesky Ones.  I don't think there is a pitcher alive who Petco Park can't make look good!  I mean, Jeff Suppan!

Ryan Vogelsong tries to put a stop to the Giants skid facing Anibal Sanchez, another guy who is always tough on the Giants and who had 14 K's in his last start.

13 comments:

  1. Looks like frustration time in Giant land. Want optimism? There are only 2 hamate bones in the human body? A Sandoval injury would be a big time blow, but the Giants at least have something to throw into the fire. We'll know more soon.

    I have a feeling Zambrano's smirk was directed at Hector Sanchez for a lot of the night. Don't have stats, but there has to be some inside knowledge stemming for VWL. That is a vet showing a rook what's what. Agreed he should most likely be further down in the order. And its frustrating to not get to Zambrano.

    It is early on in the season, the Giants are hitting a rough patch. Losses like this where they almost come back and win are gut punches. When the chips get down, your players step up. We'll see who does that. Its also times when bandwagon fans whine and moan.

    Zito didn't have it, but ironically he could have got out of both those scoring ops with clean fielding. Giants have to execute their defense.

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  2. belt. wasnt impressed with either hit. solid contact, but the second was only a double because of aggressive muff by rt fielder...belt's first k was ugly...he cant see the fb on the inside...where i would always pitch him

    blanco. good, fast....and someone needs to explain to me why bochy throws a fast team out there and doesnt use the speed...blanco called his own bunt in the 9th

    pen...nice to have a plethora of arms on the farm

    ponderously slow game. due to both pitchers taking their sweet time...first time in years that i have seen the majority of the belle empty out before the 9th

    hope the old zito doesnt show up next start...gonna get pummeled

    pablo has another broken hamate bone...hate the fish

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  4. sorry...forgot to note that reyes is an amazing ss

    he saved the game for the fish...and he makes it look effortless

    both arias and craw have great range too...and arias does have an arm

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  5. Doc, is it possible to re-break the hamate? Panda seems to have some unique hitch in his swing that makes him susceptible to the injury.

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    1. I am not a doctor, but I am now very familiar with the hamate bone injury. The bone itself is removed, it is impossible to re-break what is no longer there.

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    2. What is the use, then, of the hamate bone, other than to break and require surgery?

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  6. switch hitters have two hamates that their batting grip and its mirror image can break

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  7. Why was Pablo not screened for genetic deficiencies regarding hamate bone decalcification/degeneration?

    Why was there no rider inserted into Affeldt's contract demanding that he sit quietly at a table with his hands folded in between games???

    It's the little things that win a World Series, and the Giants are not doing them!

    Wow, just seems like the Giants haven't caught a break a couple of years. We used them all up in 2010?

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  8. Apparently, Panda grips the nub of the bat, which is what likely broke the Hamate(s). Well, hopefully he doesnt break the hamate on his left foot next season...

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  9. OK, here's my theory on Pablo.

    Yes, it's probably the same injury in the opposite wrist because he is a switch hitter. I could be wrong, but I think his injury last year happened batting RH.

    If you look closely at Pablo, he has this huge body and proximal limbs, but his limbs taper down distally. I've looked at his wrists and marveled at how they don't look much thicker than mine and I am very fine boned. I think his ankles and wrists are his weak link.

    Having said that, with both hamate hooks removed, I don't think we have to worry about this particular injury again. He came back fine from the first one and I think he'll do the same with this one.

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    2. I've been wondering about this myself. The recovery of power is suppose to take time to happen, yet Pablo was hitting like his old self in no time. Could we infer that maybe he had reached a new level of power given his fitness program, and can do even more once he is healthy? He's hitting for a higher rate his first month (30 HR rate), but that could also have been some luck as well.

      Then again, he wasn't that quick recovering, he didn't do much in June 2011, he started hitting them in July. But I recall that the recovery was suppose to take longer than a few weeks.

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