Game Wrap 4/18/2016: D'Backs 9 Giants 7

A rare warm night at the ballpark combined with an ump with a tight strike zone to make this game feel like it was being played in Arizona.  The bullpen blew 2 leads and finally the game in the 11'th inning.  Key Lines:

Denard Span- 2 for 4, 3B, 2 BB.  BA= .245.  Span was on base 4 times, but his CS in the first inning may have  cost the Giants 1 or more runs.

Joe Panik- 1 for 6, HR(3).  BA= .250.  It might not have gone out on another night, but Joe's HR was a monster shot to well back in the seats near the deepest part of the ballpark right where Triples Alley begins.  The CW on Panik has been that he does not have enough power to be the next Chase Utley in his prime, but this kid has some serious pop in his bat.

Jake Peavy- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .667.  For a guy who supposedly can't see the catcher's fingers, Peavy sure seems to have a good eye at the plate.  He just spit on a whole bunch of breaking pitches that most pitchers would have swung at and worked 2 great AB's into a single up the middle and a bases-loaded walk.  The walk, in particular saved Bochy's questionable strategy of letting him bat with 2 outs in the bottom of the 5'th.  Peavy was terrific at the plate in the second half last year too.

Angel Pagan- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .380.  Pagan's bases-loaded single after Peavy's bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 5'th gave the Giants a 6-2 lead that should have stood up.  The man is playing like he wants another contract.

Jake Peavy- 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 9.00.  Not a great line, but it looked a lot better until he gave up a single and triple to lead off the top of the 6'th inning.  Before that, he did a nice job of limiting the damage to 1 run out of a no-out bases-loaded jam in the first inning.  The FB was hitting 90 MPH with good location.  As mentioned, he had to navigate a very tight strike zone by the home plate ump.

Cory Gearrin- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Relievers tend to be a fungible lot and Gearrin looks like he might be this year's pop-up mainstay.

Hunter Strickland- 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.06.  The strike zone may have been an issue here, but when you throw 97 MPH, you should be able to overcome something like a tight strike zone. The way the D'Backs were laying off breaking balls, you had to wonder if they were stealing signs or reading tips.  It wasn't just one pitcher, though, so if they were reading tips, it was off the catcher.

Santiago Casilla- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.38.  Lamb's game tying dinger wouldn't have gone out in typical weather, but it might have in Arizona.

Derek Law- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.  Did Derek Law just jump ahead of Strickland on the closer depth chart?

Chris Heston- 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 K's, 3 WP's.  ERA= 10.80.  So far, Heston is looking more like the second half guy from last year, which is not a good thing.

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The Loss dropped the Giants to 1.5 games behind the Dodgers and 1.0 games behind the Rockies in the NL West while the D'Backs gained a half game to 2.5 games off the pace.  Dodgers, Rockies and Padres were all idle.

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Matt Cain tries to keep the Giants hope for a series win alive against a tough lefty in Robbie Ray tonight.

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George Kontos, a stalwart in last year's bullpen, hit the DL with a flexor strain. We'll see who takes his place.