Game Wrap 4/19/2015: D'Backs 5 Giants 1

Well, the good feelings from the Ring Ceremony and the inspiring performance by Chris Heston did not last long.  Once again, the Giants fell behind early on a multi-run dinger in the first inning and looked up the rest of the way.  A very rough 3'rd inning for starter Tim Hudson sealed their fate early.  Key Lines:

Norichika Aoki- 2 for 4, 2B, 3B.  BA= .339.  It's really kind of sad.  Aoki wanted to come to SF so bad because of the winning atmosphere.  He certainly has more than done his part.  This season is rapidly turning into a classic post-championship downer.  Hopefully Aoki can stick around and try to make 2016 another even year championship.  And no, I am not already writing the season off, but it's not looking good right now.

Brandon Belt- 2 for 4.  BA= .152.  Is this the start of Belt's LF era?  He looked a bit statuesque on a ball hit to the wall by Chris Owings in the 9'th inning, but I'm not sure anyone else gets it either.  The two hits are hopefully a sign he is getting his timing and swing back together after the early injury.

Brandon Crawford- 2 for 2, BB.  BA= .200.  Another guy who has slumped badly.  Follows up the HR yesterday with 3 trips on the bases.  Crawford is a big part of the Giants offense, even when he is batting 8'th.

Tim Hudson- 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K's, GO/AO= 7/1.  ERA= 3.93.  The peripherals are good, but there were just too many mistakes up in the zone and Huddy gets killed up there.  In fairness, he should have been out of the 3'rd inning, but a 3-2 strike 3 was called a ball by the ump, and I mean it was a strike!  

Jeremy Hellickson(D'Backs)- Hellickson figured out early on that he did not have to throw the ball in the strike zone.  Anything from the ankles up was called a strike.  Huddy got low strikes called too, so it's to Hellickson's credit that he was able to take advantage, but come on umps, call the regulation strike zone!

With the Loss, the Giants fell further into last place, 6 games behind the Dodgers who beat the Rockies 7-0.  The Padres won and take over second place, 1.5 games behind the Dodgers.  The Giants trail the 4'th place D'Backs by 3.5 games.

The Giants get a much needed day off tomorrow.  They have had just 2 days off since the start of spring exhibition games and one of those days was a travel day to Arizona following the Bay Bridge Series.

The fearsome Dodgers come to town for a 3-gamer starting Tuesday looking to make a statement after their postseason humiliation last year.  Tim Lincecum to face lefty Brett Anderson in Game 1.