Series Preview: San Francisco Giants
by Eric Stephen on Aug 10, 2009 12:00 PM PDT
in Opponents
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PrintThe Dodgers hold a five-and-a-half game lead over two teams in the National League West. The issue today is not which of the Giants or Rockies should the Dodgers be more concerned with; both teams pose a threat. But for today's purposes, since the Dodgers happen to be in San Francisco, we will focus on the Giants, our opponent for the next three games.
The wrap on the Giants is that they are all pitching and no offense. For the most part that is true. Outside of the amazing Kung Fu Panda (Pablo Sandoval, hitting .332/.380/.555 with a .396 wOBA), only centerfielder Aaron Rowand (.275/.332/.441, .337wOBA) and newcomer Freddy Sanchez (.301/.340/.447, .339 wOBA) are above average hitters.
But oh, what a pitching staff. The Dodgers miss Matt Cain this series, but have to face Mr. Lincecum on Wednesday. In between, they face a guy with a no-hitter (Jonathan Sanchez) and a guy who is back after getting Billy Swifted earlier this season (Joe Martinez -- he's all better now). The bullpen, who as a whole lead the NL with a 3.40 ERA, has entered to tough situations all year. Giants' relievers have entered a game with the bases empty 195 times, by far the fewest in the National League. The average NL bullpen has entered the game with the bases empty 237 times.
The Dodgers are struggling, but they are not alone. The Giants are smarting after losing two of three at home to Cincinnati over the weekend, so says Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle:
Though anybody can beat anybody in baseball, the sense of unease in the Giants' clubhouse stemmed from losing a series to a fifth-place team that had to face Tim Lincecum in the opener and Cain in the finale. Cincinnati won both of those games.
| 2009 Giants | |
| Record | 61-50, t-2nd NL West, 5½ GB t-1st NL Wild Card |
| Pythag Record |
60-51 (4th in NL) |
| Runs Scored | 4.04/gm (14th in NL) |
| wOBA | .305 (15th in NL) |
| Runs Allowed | 3.69/gm (1st in NL) |
| FIP | 3.72 (2nd in NL) |
| Defensive Efficiency | .706 (3rd in NL) |
So far this season, each club has won two-thirds of their home games against one another, and the Dodgers hold a 5-4 lead in the season series by virtue of playing one more home series:
April 13: @ Dodgers 11, Giants 1
April 15: @ Dodgers 5, Giants 4
April 16: @ Dodgers 7, Giants 2
April 27: @ Giants 5, Dodgers 4
April 28: Dodgers 5, @ Giants 3
April 29: @ Giants 9, Dodgers 4
May 8: Giants 3, @ Dodgers 1
May 9: @ Dodgers 8, Giants 0
May 10: Giants 7, @ Dodgers 5
The Dodgers have lost eight of their last 13 games in San Francisco.
McCovey Chronicles is the SB Nation Giants' blog. Here is a look at some of their recent work:
- Grant ponders what it means to be a Giant fan
- Steve S takes an in-depth look at the Giants' minor league system
Probable Pitchers
Monday, 7:15pm: Hiroki Kuroda (4-5, 3.36 FIP) vs. Jonathan Sanchez (5-9, 4.20 FIP)
Tuesday, 7:15pm: Randy Wolf (5-6, 4.11 FIP) vs. Joe Martinez (2-0, 2.29 FIP)
Wednesday, 12:45pm: Chad Billingsley, maybe (11-6, 3.47 FIP) vs. Tim Lincecum (12-3, 1.96 FIP)
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it seems like every game we have played
In San Fransisco the last 2 years have all come down to the last at bat.. They are all close games!
yeah i heard about this
smoltz is too old and cant pitch effectively anymore
but padilla wouldnt be a bad pickup
He might be an improvement
over Jeff Weaver – or not; the valley boy continues to surprise me by being effective enough – but I can’t see Smoltz succeeding in a role that requires him to go through the lineup more than once.
Have you read the crap from Padilla?
The dude bad-mouths young players, something that the Rangers openly said, He throws at opposing players to the point where his teammates tell him not to because THEY ARE GETTING THROW AT AFTER… No, I’m sorry, I don’t want Padilla to ruin it.
And I don’t care if Joe Torre could be able to calm him, we’re pushing to make the playoffs more than ever now… A guy like Padilla isn’t going to help
Oh, I'm a "no" vote on Padilla for certain
ten-cent head and all that. Colletti and Co. are big on “makeup”, they claim. Maybe they’ll look past character issues if the talent is enough, e.g., Manny, sort of, but Padilla isn’t good enough. Ned will never sign him.
ok
than no need to waste our time with padilla
i didnt know hes was doing this
we shouldnt be associating ourselves with this guy
manny ok
but i dont know about padilla
plus we dont need to get into more fights with prince fielder…hahaha
i dont know about smoltz either
maybe in the bullpen but hes struggled as a starter
and with the dodgers closing in on the playoffs
we cant be messing around now…
It’s all speculation by Baxter. Torre was asked a generic question about bringing in a new guy and Padilla was used A’s an example of a potential headache.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 10, 2009 12:22 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
The #1 viewed article at the LA Times, linked on that story
Tough times in the porn industry
Does the valley make up that much of the LA Times internet traffic?
I just read that story at lunch using a real newspaper. The girl on the cover story caught my eye. She had to downsize from her Mercedes to a Tahoe:)
I admit to reading it also
The bigger question is did she have to downsize from her DDs back to natural Bs?
I hope Kuroda has more than 4 Ks tonight :)
by Eric Stephen on Aug 10, 2009 12:45 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
What would happen in our game thread if this occurred?
From Joe Posnanski talking about his Royals:
The other day, with a man on second, a single was hit up the middle. What followed was an Abbott and Costello routine. The centerfielder threw home. The runner was not going. The catcher threw to second too late and the batter was safe. The shortstop threw to the plate too late, and the runner was safe. The catcher threw to to the third baseman too late, and the batter was safe again. Triple play.
If it happened tonight, and the Giant's 3B was the batter or the runner?
Pandamonium?
by David Young on Aug 10, 2009 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Heh
1.5 weeks of vacation equals 1 crappy week of work upon my return. Vegas for the first few days, then camping the last several. No laptop or WiFi at the campground, but the SeaDoo was a lot of fun. I had to catch up on all the trading deadline deals upon my return.
Going to miss the waiver deal deadline also because we’re taking a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise at the end of this month, where internet access is available but ridiculously pricey. OTOH, the food is pre-paid, so I should return looking like Andruw Jones.
Didn't you post somewhat recently
that you were 20, or 24, or something like that? I’d like to be your age again, physically anyway. At my age/experience, I do accrue a heckuva lotta vacation time.
20 haha
I’m in the “Get as much work as possible from 5 a.m.- 1. p.m Mon-Saturday which pretty much kills my Summer vacation” age.
Thats hilarious.
This just proves things could always be worse. At least we don’t have to watch the Royals!
by Penos Cabell on Aug 10, 2009 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
The Giants have to think sweep.
Even if they win two of three, they gain only one game in the standings – to 4 1/2 behind – with three head-to-head games removed from the schedule. A win tonight by the Dodgers can take a lot of wind out of the Giants sails. Two wins by the Dodgers and LA leaves town increasing the lead to 6 1/2. It sure is nice to come into town with a decent sized lead. I won’t panic even if the Dodgers win only one in SF.
A Giant's loss is more bitter than any other loss...
Preparing myself for exactly that…
And reading 3 straight articles about the falling Dodgers doesn’t make it any better.
Omnious Signs : Two team meetings in the past days
"I don't know the meaning of the word 'surrender'!... I mean, I know it, I'm not dumb... Just - not in this context."
It was Torre calming the team down and putting things in perspective.
"I don't know the meaning of the word 'surrender'!... I mean, I know it, I'm not dumb... Just - not in this context."
if the dodgers dont take 2 out of 3 in this series
i will be disappointed… we are facing sanchez and martinez.. two guy who we should beat then lincecum who i think we have a chance against cause bills is on the mound. The only thing is that the giants have the best home record in the league.. they are extremely tough there
yeah we should get at least get 2 out of 3
beating lincecum wont be easy
but if bills can stay ahead of hitters in the count
and go 7+ innings we have a good chance to win that game as well…
Sanchez has been better then Cain over his last five starts
He’s no picnic, the guy has good stuff when he has his command and lately he’s had his command. He should not be in the same sentence as Joe Martinez.
(Shaking head) I mean...
Doesn’t matter who starts… in the past couple of series we struggled against the team’s worst pitcher…
Assuming we don't use him in extras
I actually wouldn’t mind a Weaver start on Wednesday. But I don’t watch much baseball, and like my closers to get wins now and then.
if only the bullpen can keep it together
and the hitters can provide some run support
he would have 13+ wins and kershaw would have 10+
In Billingsley's case...
He would have 13 or 14 wins hadn’t Broxton blown those… And kersh’s 8 inning gem too…
Frustration level rising…
yup, broxton's first two months were horrible
winning 15 in a row at home sure sucks!
by stillnotah8er on Aug 10, 2009 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Sir you are not making any sense
Broxton closing gets him a save not a win.
"I don't know the meaning of the word 'surrender'!... I mean, I know it, I'm not dumb... Just - not in this context."
I expect his whole comment was factectious
he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t watch a lot of baseball.
Someone should finally invent a sarcasm detector to solve these types of problems.
"I don't know the meaning of the word 'surrender'!... I mean, I know it, I'm not dumb... Just - not in this context."
it should include a mojo detector
for particularly emphatic holds which inspire runs in the bottom of the inning
by stillnotah8er on Aug 10, 2009 3:51 PM PDT up reply actions
RT @GiantsInsider: Tonight’s Lineup against LA: Velez CF Sanchez 2B Sandoval 3B Molina C Winn RF Lewis LF Ishikawa 1B Renteria SS Sanchez LHP
by Eric Stephen on Aug 10, 2009 3:42 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Is Schierholtz still getting starts?
Or do they just not like having to spell his name on the lineup card?
by stillnotah8er on Aug 10, 2009 3:48 PM PDT up reply actions
wow Velez is starting in center field...
any chance the dodgers get to get an extra base we should cause this man has NO accuracy
Wish chc/col was on wgn
Possibly even more relevant to the postseason than lad/sfg (if the pecota postseason ‘puter has anything to say, and, like myself, you’d love to see the cubs as the ’card.
Harang passed through waivers
I would sure have put in a claim on him. 12.5 in 2010 I could live with.
Mixed feelings
(Getting nervous…sweating…)You want to re-think that John?
He is an innings eater… but a homerun machine
He does pitch home games in a bandbox however
although the career splits are not as pronounced as one might guess [this includes about 100 IP for the A’s, the exact opposite of a bandbox], but still noticeable:
Home, 671 IP, 97 HR allowed, 1 HR / 6.92 IP
Away, 655 IP, 82 HR allowed, 1 HR / 7.99 IP
don't forget
possibly the worst batter in mlb history – might be slightly better in the AL
by stillnotah8er on Aug 10, 2009 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions
If you look up Overpaid in the dictionary ......
"I don't know the meaning of the word 'surrender'!... I mean, I know it, I'm not dumb... Just - not in this context."
Yes he's overpaid
but it is only for one year and he’s not Garland. I wouldn’t give up much for him but if you make a claim and it is a salary dump you can get him for nothing. He’s league average, how many teams have a fifth starter who is league average?
True 'nuff
$12.5M seems a little steep though. As a comparison, Kuroda will make $13M next year in the last year of a 3/35 signed in much better economic times. Who’s next year’s Randy Wolf?
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