Ryan Vogelsong overcame a very tight strike zone to pitch one of he patented pitching clinics to shut down the Pirates while nursing a 1-0 lead into the 8'th inning when the Giants scored 3 runs to put the game away. Key Lines:
Gregor Blanco- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .353. With another chance to lead off after his disastrous game Friday night, Blanco got no base twice in this one scoring once.
Buster Posey- 2 for 3, BB. BA= .307. Buster has been on base 6 times in the last 2 games. He also made a couple of excellent defensive plays, hosing Andrew Lambo on a CS, then pouncing on a sac bunt by Burnett, firing to 2B to get the lead runner with Crawford completing the DP throw to first.
Pablo Sandoval- 2 for 4, 3B. BA= .270. Pablo also made a couple of sparkling defensive plays and is generally moving much better with the loss of poundage. The triple was a ball that traveled about 418 feet to the apex of Triples Alley. I guess that's where it got its name!
Ryan Vogelsong- 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's. ERA= 5.58. The ump had a ridiculously narrow strike zone for both pitchers, but Vogey used everything in his arsenal to work his way through it. He received a standing O as he came off the field in the 8'th inning bringing back a lot of memories. Anybody still think fatigue was not a major factor in his early season struggles?
AJ Burnett(Pirates)- 7.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 6 K's. ERA= 3.18. Burnett pitched much better than the line would indicate. He battled the same strike zone as Vogey. Giants fans who think Bochy is a bad manager should get a load of Clint Hurdle. How no Earth do you let your #1 or #2 pitcher run his pitch count up to 116 when you are trailing in the game? I mean, you would have thought that Burnett was working on a no-no or something! Very bad managing there!
Giants now travel to Colorado where Barry Zito gets one more start, for reasons that are very unclear, facing Juan Nicasio. Maybe the Giants really are trying for a higher draft pick and figure Zito is the guy who is going to get them there? If that's the strategy, it's A-OK with me!
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I think the rationale for starting Zito is this: pitching in Colorado can screw with pitcher's confidence in pitching, as well as ruin his ERA for the season, so we don't want to pitch any young guys, and besides which, Zito has actually pitched well in Colorado. If he reverts to the past and do well, then we get a nice pitched game and win, and if he's lost it, as most of us now think so, then his ERA gets blown out, we get another loss closer to a great draft pick, and we save one of our young pitchers from getting his head messed up too much early in his career trying to pitch in Coors. Of course, this only works if Bochy just leaves Zito out there until the 4th or 5th inning.
ReplyDeleteBlanco has done nicely in his last 15 games, .282/.377/.370/.747, with 7 BB/8 K's in 46 AB, very nice peripherals. But once Pagan is back, I assume he's going to be mostly on the bench as the young guys get to play LF, though maybe Pagan might get swapped out at the end of games with Blanco in for defense in CF.
Funny, article comes out from CSN about Giants saying Posey's swing is OK, and he starts hitting more.
Sandoval has been hitting great his last 11 games, .395/.500/.474/.974, 7 BB and only 3 K's in 38 AB, but needs to get his power started. However, every injury seems to require a period of adjustment for him to find his power stroke, and he's been injured so frequently...
Petit is starting in place of Cain in game 2. I can see why they wouldn't want to throw Kickham to the wolves in Coors Field.
DeletePetit isn't a "young" pitcher who's psyche would be hurt by giving up a bunch of runs. Giving up a ton of runs has been Petit's m.o. for several years.
DeleteGreat Saturday and Sunday of ball from the Giants.
ReplyDeleteVoggie was Voggie, wow Panda is moving with greater ease in the field and on the bases. That triple he hit, was out of the yard or so he thought and still made it to third.
I am at peace with this year. Stuff happens to every team. It was our turn; ( though even the Bums had issues early on)and we will move on. September is going to be fun.
All I ask is that Sabes works his magic in the off season.
Richard in Winnipeg
P.s always good to see the insightful prose of OGC. And of course you the Doctor.
I concur with our resident Manitoban. Go Jets, BTW!
ReplyDeleteI like the Mile High rotation rationale that Doc & OGC laid out above. Don't scar young psyches at CO. Win win scenario: we win these games with Zeets & YP great....we lose, well we get that much closer to a Top 5 pick. In Sabes & Co I trust.
NWGiantsFan
I think Sabes is a good GM and the Giants are a well run organization, but to say I trust in them might be going farther than I'm willing to go. Always good to have a healthy skepticism and guys in his position have been known to lose their edge.
DeleteI was at the game on Thursday night against Pittsburgh, and I don't know how they keep selling out. I've been attending games since the second season of Pac Bell (never made it to the stick for a baseball game), and I'll say I've never seen as poor of play as I did last week. It's not like I was expecting greatness, but it was certainly disappointing. This is the time of year when teams can be gaining some momentum or trying guys out for next season. We seem to be doing neither.
DeleteThis year will be a big test for Sabes. They got creative bringing in Pagan and Melky, and now they need to do it again. FA market at the high and middle end looks expensive and bad long term. Need to go researching them 26-29 year olds again!
DeleteIt's one thing to have skepticism, that's healthy, it's another to make it your reason for getting on the interwebz. Giants fandome is pretty erratic that way. Bunch of Debbie downers.
I think The Giants need an impact IFA pitcher. Yep, need to look to Japan. Make all these lefties force their way on the roster, don't make that plan 1B.
Also I would make Phil Hughes for prove-it money a big priority. If you can hedge him as a 6th arm pen guy with incentive to bust the rotation...
DeleteAnd as I've said a few times, time to get a new plan for 3b. I know Sabes loves himself some contract push years but Pablo ain't the long term answer and anybody assuming he is going to be good next year is way out on a limb. I'd put all these fat VZ guys on notice they they're getting cut if they don't show up in Grade A1 shape.
I've been looking at Hughes myself. I'd also look into a change-of-scenery trade for Joba Chamberlain, although I have to say I saw a quote from the guy the other day and he really sounds none to bright. Not sure what he was learning those 3 years at Univ. of Nebraska.
DeleteAgree. Gotta be careful with anything that sounds remotely like a criticism of Sabes because the Naysayers will be all over it in a second.
I'm starting to think that if the Giants end up with a top 5 pick, they should maybe try for a Rodon/Beede/Cederoth/Hoffman type college pitcher who would essentially be ready off the shelf. The pitching at the top end looks stronger than the hitting by a pretty big margin.
Although if either Tyler Kolek or Touki Toussaint were available, it would be hard to pass them up. Kolek look just like Roger Clemens. Toussaint would be worth drafting for the name alone, but he reminds me a bit of Doc Gooden.
DeleteOT: under the topic of there's always something new happening in baseball: http://mlb.si.com/2013/08/26/nate-schierholtz-hit-in-head-chicago-cubs/
ReplyDeleteIn extra innings, 323 double play ball by Nate gets turned into a run scoring error as Nate uses his noggin, unintentionally, getting in the way of the firstbaseman's throw, which was clear when he let go, but right then Nate got up from his stumble and ran into the throw, bouncing it to SS. Nate had stumbled getting out of the box and happen to right himself in time to take one for the team off his helmet. Had to share it, both because it's Nate the Great and, really, never saw/heard a play like that ever. Video of the play is available at the URL above, must see to believe.
Great story!
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