Talking Giants Baseball: A San Francisco Giants/Baseball Blog

Giants Look to Salvage a Game, Stay in First Place in Series Finale Against Dodgers

2012-07-29T08:14:00.001-07:00

By Vince Cestone
@vintalkingiants

VS

The San Francisco Giants sit atop the National League West with a slim one-game lead, but the Los Angeles Dodgers and their new shortstop Hanley Ramirez have plans to share the top spot.

The Dodgers bolstered their lineup by acquiring Ramirez from the Miami Marlins in exchange for pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and a minor leaguer. Although Ramirez is batting just .252 for the season, he has 15 home runs and is 6-for-16 with the Dodgers.

In his first at-bat with Los Angeles against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ramirez tripled and then came in to score. He proceeded to hit a game-winning home run for the Dodgers on a hanging slider from Sergio Romo in the 10th of inning of Friday night's game against the Giants.

So far, the Giants have countered by acquiring Marco Scutaro,who will play third base in the absence of Pablo Sandoval, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday with a hamstring strain. Scutaro is batting .271, with four home runs and 30 RBIs.

Although the Giants may be short-handed, San Francisco will send Ryan Vogelsong against the retooled Dodgers in the series finale. Vogelsong (8-4, 2.26 ERA) is 2-0 against the Dodgers this year with an 0.63 ERA.

In order to avoid the sweep at the hands of their rivals, the Giants will have to be on top of their game. The Dodgers' ace Clayton Kershaw (7-6, 3.14 ERA) will face off against San Francisco for the third time this season.

Vogelsong beat Kershaw twice this season by scores of 2-1 and 2-0.

The Giants lost Game 1 in the 10th inning on Ramirez's home run, after they tied the game in the eighth on a Brandon Belt two-run single. Los Angeles routed Barry Zito and the Giants 10-0 in Game 2, thanks to seven combined RBIs from Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez.

Matt Cain received a no-decision in Game 1.

Too much great pitching from Chad Billingsley and too little hitting doomed the Giants.

San Francisco has still been hot since the All-Star break. They have gone 9-5 to start the second half, including a strong 4-2 East Coast road trip.

Here are some more news and notes about tonight's rivalry game.

The Giants outscored the Dodgers 13-0 in their three-game sweep of Los Angeles June 25-27 at AT&T Park.
The Giants are 4-4 against the Dodgers this season.
ESPN predicts the Giants will have a 45% chance of beating the Dodgers today.
The Dodgers are 2-2 since acquiring Ramirez.
The Dodgers have not shutout the Giants by this large of a margin since 1997, where they beat them 11-0.
Kershaw's career ERA against the Giants is 1.45, the lowest all-time--over a minimum of 50 innings.

Weather Report:

The game-time temperature will be a cool 61 degrees. An 11-mph west-northwest wind will carry the ball to slightly right of center, a spot Dodgers' slugger Matt Kemp loves to take the ball.

Who's Hot:

Melky Cabrera: 30-for-79, .380, 3 HR, 13 RBI, .414 on-base percentage.

Who's Not:

Brandon Belt: 10-for-58, .172, 4 RBI, 25 strikeouts, .258 OBP, .207 slugging percentage, .465 OPS.

...

The Giants have been playing good baseball since the break. Although the Dodgers took the first two games of the series, the Giants can still escape with a two-game lead in the NL West by winning one-out-of-three.

Even if the worst happens and the Dodgers sweep, the Giants will still be percentage points ahead of the Dodgers, but if the Giants can continue to pitch well at home and get just enough offense, they should have a great chance of winning today's game.

Of course, they will need to catch the ball too. Shortstop Brandon Crawford committed one miscue in the game yesterday, and Melky Cabrera failed to hit the cutoff man on a play at the plate.

San Francisco must also improve on their situational hitting. Both in the second and fifth innings, the Giants had a runner at second with nobody out, but failed to move the runner over or get him in.

With the Giants needing to play scrappy, especially with Sandoval out of the lineup, they cannot fail in those productive-out situations if they expect to win ball games. Once again, the Giants were plagued with their overaggressiveness with runners on base.

Still, the Giants are in first place by one game. They must realize that the pressure is on the Dodgers--not them--so it is their job to stay loose and look like the team ahead in the standings.

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article.

Check out my NBCBayArea.com article on the San Jose Giants' Joe Panik.

San Francisco Giants' Sergio Romo Wrongly Snubbed from All-Star Game

2012-07-02T15:05:00.004-07:00

By Vince Cestone

@vintalkingiants

Photo by SD Dirk/Flickr

2-1, 0.83 ERA, 4/4 in save opportunities.

These video game-like numbers are not part of my MLB 12: The Show season. They represent Sergio Romo's 2012 real season.

Wouldn't you put this man in the 2012 All-Star Game in Kansas City? Apparently not.

Romo was not chosen to represent the San Francisco Giants and the National League when selection ended Sunday, even with his excellent numbers.

Romo is the best right-handed setup man in the league. Although he is second in the league in earned-run average, Romo has a minuscule 0.74 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) and a 4.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Not dominant enough for you?

Romo averages 12 strikeouts per game with his premier slider and sneaky fastball. In addition, he has given up just 10 hits in 21.2 innings pitched.

The original purpose of the All-Star Game was to showcase the best each league had to offer (which is why I do not agree with every team needing one representative in the All-Star Game). The National League players and coaches missed a great addition to their bullpen.

Here are the relievers who made it to the Midsummer Classic over Romo:

Aroldis Chapman: 4-4, 1.98 ERA, 64-12 K/BB, 9/13 Saves, 0.77 WHIP
Joel Hanrahan: 3-0, 2.10 ERA, 35-15 K/BB, 20/22 Saves, 1.07 WHIP
Craig Kimbrel: 0-1, 1.50 ERA, 50-10 K/BB, 23/24 Saves, 0.77 WHIP

Romo has a better ERA, save percentage (albeit Romo only had four chances), and a better WHIP than the above relievers who made the National League All-Star Team.

Romo may have been overlooked because he is not a closer. Regardless, the bearded right-hander's numbers show he is a more effective pitcher than the above All-Star relievers.

Was Romo undeservedly snubbed? My opinion is clear, but the players and coaches had something else in mind.

The other Giants in the 2012 All-Star Game were voted in by the fans as starters. Buster Posey will start at catcher, Melky Cabrera will patrol right field, and Pablo Sandoval will man third base.

The Giants have not had this many starting players on an All-Star team since 2001 when Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent, and Rich Aurilia all represented San Francisco for the National League.

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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this opinion article.

Check out my NBCBayArea.com article on the San Jose Giants' Joe Panik.

Giants Look to Even Up Series Against Reds in Game 4 Behind Ryan Vogelsong

2012-07-01T08:52:00.003-07:00

By Vince Cestone
@vintalkingiants

Pitching has dominated the first three games of the series, but it did not all come from the San Francisco Giants.

The slugging Cincinnati Reds added another dimension to their recipe for success in 2012. Their pitching has drastically improved, as they are fourth in the National League in ERA at 3.47.

Cincinnati's bullpen, anchored by the flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman, has become automatic. Reds' relievers have a 2.67 ERA this season, good for first in the National League.

This is why the Reds are in first place in the NL Central by one game over the Pittsburgh Pirates (Pirates are 42-35 if you can believe it).

The Reds are also second in the league in fewest errors, committing just 40. Strong pitching and defense has been a 2012 theme in Cincinnati.

Pitching, defense, and just enough hitting (Reds are eighth in the league in runs scored) is a great recipe for success, especially in the National League.

In this series, the Reds have beaten the Giants at their own game.

Game 1 featured a masterful pitching performance by Madison Bumgarner. In his effort, Bumgarner threw his first career complete-game shutout against the Reds, a team he has struggled against throughout his career (0-2, 8.56 versus Reds coming into the game).

In Game 2, the Reds showed why they were a first-place team. Mike Leake threw a complete-game of his own, but not a shutout thanks to Pablo Sandoval's ninth-inning solo homerun.

Leake beat Matt Cain, who has seemed more hittable after his perfect game. In his 18 and 2/3 innings pitched after the perfect game, Cain has given up 9 earned runs.

Giants' nemesis Mat Latos shut down San Francisco in Game 3 of the series. In his nine-inning effort, Latos struck out seven Giants and allowed just one earned run on two hits.

In three consecutive games, a Giants or Reds pitcher threw a complete game. Also, for the second straight game, the Giants scored a lone ninth-inning run to break up a complete-game shutout (courtesy of a Brandon Belt triple, followed by a run-scoring groundout).

Barry Zito pitched well in Game 3 but suffered the loss. Zito's only earned run in six innings pitched came on a bases-loaded walk to catcher Ryan Hanigan.

Zito's walk proved costly as the Reds edged the Giants 2-1.

The Giants figure to like their chances in Game 4 of the series. Ryan Vogelsong, who has been their best pitcher, is 7-3 with a 2.23 ERA.

Vogelsong will be opposed by the struggling Bronson Arroyo who is just 3-5 with a 4.13 ERA. The Giants look to have the upper hand but only if they score runs.

The Giants' bats have gone suddenly cold after Game 1. The Giants scored just two ninth-inning runs in the last two games, but have not taken advantage of the few chances they had.

In Game 2, Cain's inability to get a sacrifice bunt down dashed any hopes of the Giants getting back into the game. With the Giants trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Cain struck out on a foul bunt with Brandon Crawford at second base.

The next two batters grounded out, and the Giants did not score. The Giants lost the game 5-0, but if they had gotten that run in the fifth inning, the Giants would have been down only 3-1, giving the Giants some momentum throughout the game.

Who knows what could have happened then? Good teams make good use of the few chances they have, even if the opposing pitcher is dominating.

The Giants are a scratch-and-claw offense, so they must produce a run on almost every runner at second base and nobody out situation if they hope to make the playoffs--or beyond.

Here are some interesting stats and notes heading into the series finale.

Bronson Arroyo, today's Reds' starter, has never won a game at AT&T Park. He is 0-4 in San Francisco, with a 4.34 ERA.
Ryan Vogelsong has pitched 11 straight quality starts and holds a 1.28 ERA in eight home starts this season.
Reds' slugger Joey Votto may not play in the series finale due to inflammation in his left knee. Votto is hitting .350, with 33 doubles, 14 home runs, and 47 RBIs.
The Giants are currently in a 13-game stretch against teams in either first or second place. They are 4-2 in those games.
The Giants have not lost three in a row since early May.

The Reds are 4-2 against the Giants this season and have already clinched the season series.

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article.

Check out my NBCBayArea.com article on the San Jose Giants' Joe Panik.

Giants, Dodgers Going in Opposite Directions, Giants Take Opener Behind Zito 8-0

2012-06-26T15:19:00.002-07:00

Barry Zito's seven-inning, shutout performance against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers seemed to come out of nowhere.

The Dodgers had to feel confident coming into Monday night's game. Barry Zito was touched up for eight earned runs against the Los Angeles Angels in his last start and had given up 17 earned runs in his last three starts.

Zito turned it around Monday.

Zito, who lost to the Dodgers in Los Angeles on May 7, dominated last night. In seven innings pitched, Zito yielded just three hits, while amassing four strikeouts.

The key to Zito's success?

Zito simply pounded the strike zone, mixing and matching his devastating curveball with his mid-80s fastball. An 85-mph pitcher can be effective as long as he mixes location, speeds, and constantly gets ahead of the count.

Zito did just that against Los Angeles. He threw soft stuff away, and then, he came inside with his fastball.

The result?

Hitters were fooled. When a pitcher throws a 75 mph curveball and backs it up with an 85 mph fastball, the latter pitch looks so much faster.

Overall, Zito has pitched well. The $126 million pitcher is now a fifth starter for the Giants, but he has pitched well.

Zito is 6-5, with a 4.00 ERA, including a complete-game shutout on April 10 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Zito may not be a Cy-Young pitcher anymore, but he is serviceable and can keep the Giants competitive on the games he starts.

Zito's stellar performance may have been helped by the current Dodger woes. Los Angeles has lost six of their last seven games, including getting swept by the Oakland Athletics.

In those seven games, the Dodgers have scored just 13 runs.

Could this Dodger slump be attributed to Matt Kemp's injury?

I think so. Many of the Dodger hits were bloop hits, line drives that made it through, or ground balls that found holes.

A team can have success this way for a short time, but ultimately, it will fall short without at least some power. Sooner or later, those balls will find gloves.

The Dodgers are second-to-last in the National League in home runs with 45. They are also 13th in the league in doubles, but are in the middle of the pack in RBIs and hits.

Prolonged slumps are bound to happen when your best player is on the disabled list, especially one with power and speed. It is just part of the game.

Through it all, the Dodgers are still in first place in the National League West by two games over the Giants. They have done a great job working with what they have but with little power.

A team that relies on pitching and defense and not much offense can work, but it puts lots of pressure on your defense and pitching. The Dodgers, however, are far from perfect on defense, as they are ninth in the NL in errors with 48.

The Giants do not have much extra-base power either, which is why they are still behind the Dodgers in the NL West and have been up-and-down all year.

The Giants struggled in the more hitter-friendly American League, going 4-5 on their three-city interleague road trip.

Both teams figure to address this issue at the trade deadline. MLBTradeRumors.com reported the Dodgers had some interest in former Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkolis, but he was traded to the Chicago White Sox instead.

The Giants' offense seems to be clicking these last few games. The Giants scored eight runs last night and 24 runs in their last four games.

Hector Sanchez has been a potent offensive force for San Francisco. He usually catches on days Buster Posey rests.

Sanchez is hitting .282, with two home runs and 21 RBIs in 103 at-bats. In 2011, Giants' catchers combined to hit .224, with 11 home runs and 48 RBIs.

The combined on-base percentage for Giants' catchers last year was .298. Regular catcher Posey was injured for almost all 2011.

Sanchez, who played in place of Posey Monday night, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. The Giants are 7-2 when Posey has a day off.

Other notable offensive contributions Monday:

Gregor Blanco sparked the Giants' offense, going 2-for-4 with a walk.
Melky Cabrera continued his great season with a 2-for-5 night, increasing his batting average for the year to a major-league best .351 average.
Pablo Sandoval is stinging the ball again, almost hitting one out off the left field wall. He went 3-for-3, including a 2-RBI double. He had three RBIs for the game.
The Giants were 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers were 0-for-8.

Dodgers' rookie starter Nathan Eovaldi got roughed up by the Giants.

His line: 5.0 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.

Eovaldi's ERA went up to 4.04 from 2.35. Despite pitching well in 2012, the Doders' rookie is 0-4.

This is good to see if you're a Giants fan. The Giants usually are overaggressive against pitchers they have not seen, but the 2012 Giants' offense is more patient.

San Francisco's team OBP is .320 in 2012. Their 2011 OBP was just .303, worst in the National League.

What's ahead:

Ryan Vogelsong (6-3, 2.41 ERA) will take on Clayton Kershaw (5-3, 2.73 ERA). Although name recognition would lead you to believe Kershaw has an advantage over Vogelsong, the Giants' right-hander has more wins and a lower ERA than Kershaw.

Vogelsong also beat Kershaw back in early May.

RHP Brad Penny, who the Giants signed to a minor league contract May 18, is almost ready to help the big club. Giants' manager Bruce Bochy said he intends to use Penny as either a spot starter or in long relief soon.

No definite timetable has been set for his call-up.

Penny has a 7.11 ERA with the AAA Fresno Grizzlies in 6.1 innings pitched. However, he pitched two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit, in a relief stint on June 24.

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article.

Image attribution: By WeeHaggis (Flickr: [1]) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) or CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

What's Wrong with Timmy? Tim Lincecum Loses Sixth Game in a Row: Why, How, and What Can Be Done?

2012-06-20T18:00:00.001-07:00

By Vince Cestone

Twitter @vintalkingiants

Tim Lincecum is in dire straits.

For the ninth consecutive game, the Giants lost on a Lincecum start. Overall, he is 2-8, with a 6.19 ERA in 2012.

And every start seems to be the same story.

A typical 2012 Lincecum start goes something like this.

He looks dominant for the first three innings, untouchable like the old "Big-Time Timmy Jim." It is not uncommon to see him have six or more strikeouts in these early innings.

Then, around the fourth inning, a few line-drive singles here, a few infield hits here, and finally, a big extra-base hit caps off a four-run inning.

The deficit by the middle innings is usually too insurmountable for a Giants' comeback.

Lincecum followed the same pattern in his most recent start against the Seattle Mariners. His line looked like this:

5 IP, 5 ER, 2 HR, 6 SO, 2 BB, 5 hits.

Not a quality start by any stretch of the imagination. He squandered a 4-2 lead and took his eighth loss of the season (and we are just in mid-June).

Should San Francisco Giants' fans be worried about their two-time Cy Young Award Winner? You bet.

Fortunately for Lincecum, his recent struggles appear not to be for lack of stuff. No, no--it's a much bigger problem.

Lincecum has a strong 83/41 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 77 innings pitched. His fastball velocity cruised between 91-93 mph against the Mariners Saturday, and his offspeed pitches--changeup, slider, curveball--had exceptional movement.

Despite all the troubles, Lincecum is still striking out more than one batter per inning. Then, what's the problem?

Simple--it's the command.

Lincecum not only has trouble getting just one pitch over the plate. He is wild with all of his pitches.

At one moment (most of the time), it is his fastball that he cannot get over the plate. Other times, it is his devastating changeup that he cannot seem to locate quite right--he either leaves it up or bounces it two feet ahead of the plate.

The command and control is just not there. The result? Well, the hitter is greatly advantaged

Here's how.

The hitter can guess what is coming and lick his chops.

If Lincecum's fastball is not finding the strike zone, a hitter can easily sit on offspeed pitches and simply take the fastballs. His fastball is eliminated from the hitter's mind.

I have seen many long homeruns this year on some pretty decent Lincecum changeups and sliders. In the past, even if a changeup was out over the plate, hitters would still be fooled by the speed and still swing and miss.

That was because Lincecum had a more accurate fastball for hitters to think about, so they were badly fooled when a changeup came along, making it much harder to guess the pitch.

Today, however, batters can expect a changeup or slider, wait back on it, and hit it hard somewhere.

Lincecum has his amazing stuff still, as he has shown start-after-start. However, stuff is half the battle.

The other half is command. Without command, a pitcher is merely a thrower.

The Giants should definitely skip Lincecum's next start--maybe the next two. How will it help?

One, Lincecum can think things over and clear his mind. A $20-million pitcher has a lot on his plate--and a lot of hype to live up to.

Secondly, it will give him more time to tweak his mechanics. Perhaps he and pitching coach Dave Righetti can find something to get him going again.

It worked for Jonathan Sanchez in 2009. After he was moved to the bullpen, he went on and threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on the first day he returned to the rotation--on a spot start for the injured Randy Johnson.

My thoughts: Give Timmy some time to think it over. He is a great pitcher, but lacks the command.

Even though Lincecum appears to have it in there somewhere, if he cannot regain that command, his career will be cut short.

Still in denial about the seriousness of Lincecum's struggles?

Consider this: The Giants would have the best record in baseball if they won just half of Lincecum's starts.

If San Francisco went just 7-7 in his starts, the Giants would be 43-26. The Dodgers currently own the best record in baseball at 42-26.

The Giants are 2-12 this year in Lincecum's starts.

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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article.

Image Attribution: By SD Dirk on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "Tim Lincecum") [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Talking Giants Baseball Interview With 2011 San Francisco Giants First-Round Draft Pick Joe Panik

2012-05-29T09:19:00.002-07:00

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

Photo by Ashlie Bernal

Joe Panik is the San Francisco Giants' 2011 No. 1 draft pick. While his main position his shortstop, Panik says he can play all over the infield.

Panik may not be a power-hitter, but he will definitely make contact, take walks, and give you a grind-it-out at-bat. He is currently hitting .254, with a solid .349 on-base percentage for the San Jose Giants.

He has also taken 26 walks in 46 games. I had a chance to sit down and talk with the talented, young 22-year-old prospect.

Here is the interview. I will post the full story (and video interview) once the piece goes up on NBCBayArea.com.

...

Vince: We got Joe Panik the number 1 draft pick from last year. How are you doing today Joe?

Joe: Good.

Vince: Going alright?

Joe: Going very good.

Vince: Alright, so let’s get started. How does it feel right now to play baseball professionally?

Joe: You know, it’s a dream, as you know, every little kid’s dream is to play baseball professionally. To be able to live that dream, it’s…you know, you definitely don’t take it for granted, and you definitely appreciate coming to the ballpark every day.

Vince: Tell us briefly how you got started in baseball.

Joe: You know, my dad, big baseball fan growing up, you know, big baseball fan. When I was a young kid, we would always be watching baseball on TV, and you know, when I was three years old, we would go out, my dad would toss me a ball, and it started from when I was young just watching TV. Going to the park, and all of those things, went through little league, and it’s just something I did from when I was young. You know, it really became a passion of mine.

Vince: Any favorite teams?

Joe: Growing up, I was a Yankees fan, just being from New York, but I won’t say that now. You know, I’m definitely a Giants fan now.

Vince: Let’s talk baseball now. How would you describe yourself as a ballplayer in general?

Joe: You know, I always consider myself a competitor. I might not have all the flashy tools, but I go out there day in and day out. I grind out at-bats. I feel like I’m a tough out, and a guy who will get on base and get pitched around.

Vince: Tell me a little bit more about your hitting approach. Are you more of a see-ball, hit-ball person, wait-em out, or both even?

Joe: You want to try to have a little bit of both, but I would consider myself more of a patient hitter, just because of the character I am. I’m not really a power guy, so I try to be more patient, work walks, kind of go that way, but you know, there are some times where you have to jump early in the count, you know, try to mix it up a little bit.

Vince: As far as your defense, are you…I see you play shortstop. Can you play all over the infield?

Joe: Yeah, I can play all over the infield. You know, I have some experience at second base in the Arizona Fall League and a little bit of big league camp and spring training, but you know, shortstop has been my position throughout.

Vince: Defensively, what are your assets? Do you have a good arm, strong arm, accurate?

Joe: I got a quick release. I’m very accurate. I’m not the strongest of arms, but I get rid of it quick, and I still have a good baseball IQ where I understand the runners, and, you know, how to handle certain balls, and how to get rid of it.

Vince: Now, as far as your hitting, I see you’re off to a bit of a slow start average-wise, but I have a feeling that’s not the real Joe Panik. You do have 8 doubles, you have 15 RBIs, not bad, you’re OBP is good. Is this the real Joe Panik or are we going to see more later on?

Joe: You know, I definitely have not gotten into a groove offensively. It’s been kind of a slow start, but we’re winning right now and so that’s kind of helping everything, definitely, but you know, good things are coming. I’m starting to feel good. I’ve been working every day, you know, in the cages and on the field. The swings are feeling really good, so good things are coming.

Vince: Yesterday, you had a pretty good day at the plate. How do you feel at the plate right now?

Joe: You know, I’m getting more confident. The more at-bats you get throughout a season, you get more comfortable at the plate, and you know, you get your timing back, you’re rhythm…you know, in the past week or so, I feel I’m getting my confidence. I’m getting into the rhythm. I’m really starting to see the ball well.

Vince: Recently, you were just in spring training. What did you learn from that?

Joe: I learned everyone works hard. No matter how talented you are. Guys like Tim Lincecum, you know, guys at the top in the game, they work as you know harder than anybody. Definitely, take that approach because you want to get up there someday.

Vince: Last question. What are you working on right now and what are your goals for the future?

Joe: I’m trying to improve. You know, pretty much just trying to polish off my game in general. You can always get better at everything, and you know obviously my goal is to improve because like I said, to get to the majors, you can’t…you’re not good enough to just stay put. You’re not getting better. You’re getting worse. That’s my motto, so just trying to improve my hitting, and trying to get more quality at-bats. Defensively, just keep making the plays, keeping it solid, and helping the pitchers out.

Vince: Thank you.

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Information from MILB.com contributed to this article.

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RICH LIEBERMAN 415 MEDIA: The Whole World is Watching

2012-05-24T08:15:00.001-07:00

RICH LIEBERMAN 415 MEDIA: The Whole World is Watching: Why do I rail? Because no one else does. They can continue to destroy radio in this market. They'll be called out. They can have gui...

Sanchez, Posey Propel Giants Win In 14-Inning Affair in Milwaukee

2012-05-22T09:57:00.002-07:00

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

The phrase "Bye, Bye Baby!" found its way back for the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 thanks to the home-run ball. San Francisco scored all four of their runs on home runs.

The Giants jumped out in front 3-0 on a three-run, first-inning big fly from Buster Posey off of Brewers' starter Randy Wolf. They would not score again until the top of the 14th inning, when backup catcher Hector Sanchez launched a go-ahead home run, giving the Giants a 4-3 lead.

Giants starter Madison Bumgarner cruised along until the bottom of the eighth inning. With Bumgarner and the Giants leading 3-1, shortstop Brandon Crawford made a crucial error with two outs just before Brewers' slugger Ryan Braun came to the plate.

Bumgarner's hope for a win was tarnished after Braun launched a 1-2 slider well over the left-center field wall. The game was suddenly tied 3-3.

Setup man Sergio Romo was ready to go in the bullpen, but Giants' manager Bruce Bochy opted to let Bumgarner face Braun. The move backfired, but the Giants maintained focus going into extra innings.

Before Sanchez's go-ahead, extra-inning home run, the Brewers threatened to win the game.

Milwaukee had a shot in the bottom of the 12th inning. With two on and two out, Giants' reliever Javier Lopez induced a Nyjer Morgan groundout to send the game to the 13th inning.

Morgan replaced Braun, who left the game with tightness in his groin. Braun is listed as day-to-day, and according to RotoWorld.com, he told reporters he was not sure if he would play in Game 2 of the series.

The only sour pill the Giants swallowed was the no-decision for Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner pitched 7 2/3 innings, giving up three runs (one earned), five hits, while amassing 10 strikeouts.

Another sour note to the Giants' win was shaky defense once again. The Giants made two more errors in Monday's game, increasing their error total to 44 on the season.

The Giants lead the National League in errors.

Fortunately, the Giants' bullpen picked up Crawford, who made the crucial eighth-inning error. In 6 1/3 innings, Giants relievers surrendered no runs and just one hit.

Giants interim closer Santiago Casilla shut the door in the bottom of the 14th inning to earn the win, inducing a game-ending flyout off the bat of Corey Hart, who went 0-for-6 on the night.

Melky Cabera continued his hot-hitting ways, going 3-for-5 with two walks and a triple. Cabrera's batting average increased to .360.

Cabrera leads all of baseball with 62 hits for the season, just behind the New York Yankees' Derek Jeter who has 60 hits.

...

I can not reiterate enough about how Bruce Bochy is doing a phenomenal job keeping this team relevant.

The Giants lead the league in errors, lost their meal tickets Pablo Sandoval and Brian Wilson to injuries, have the weakest infield in baseball, and are watching their rival Los Angeles Dodgers dominate the National League.

San Francisco have a lot on their plate in 2012, but somehow, someway, they are just one game back of the NL wild-card lead.

How is a team that has so much going against them still standing?

Pitching.

The Giants sit at 22-20 because of their 3.32 team earned-run average, good for third in the league. I do not know the exact numbers, but the Giants appear to pitch through errors better than any other team in baseball--they had to have done so if they are over 500.

A quick comment about the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wow.

They are just on fire right now. They currently have a five-game winning streak, including a sweep of the first-place St. Louis Cardinals.

This is all with the absence of their slugger Matt Kemp. They will be awfully tough to beat, but there is a lot of season left.

San Francisco is currently seven games behind the Dodgers.

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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article.

Image Attribution: By Ed Bierman on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Giants Look For Third-Straight Series Sweep at Home Versus Cross-Bay Rival Athletics

2012-05-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

A pattern is starting to emerge.

For the past two seasons, The San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics exchanged series sweeps against each other. The Bay Area team who played at home was the club who brought out the broom.

The two teams play each other six times per year, three in San Francisco and three in Oakland.

History appears to be repeating itself.

Game 1 and Game 2 of the Bay Bridge Series were like night and day. Offense erupted in Game 1, where the Giants held on to beat the A's 8-6.

Game 2, however, was more of the light offensive game you would expect from these two clubs.

The Giants and A's took a scoreless tie into the seventh inning. Ryan Vogelsong would outlast Tyson Ross in a classic pitcher's duel.

Ross escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, he induced an infield popout from Angel Pagan, followed by a strikeout from Brandon Belt.

In the second inning, the Giants left another runner in scoring position, as Brandon Crawford struck out swinging.

San Francisco broke through in seventh inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Melky Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly into deep right-center field, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead.

The Giants tacked on three more runs in the inning. Buster Posey's RBI ground-rule double knocked in Vogelsong from third base to give the Giants a 2-0 lead.

The next batter, Pagan, delivered the big blow in the game. With Blanco at third and Posey at second, Pagan blooped a single to center field, which scored both runs and made the score 4-0.

This would be more than enough for the Giants.

Vogelsong gave up just one hit and no runs in seven innings, with five strikeouts and one walk. Ross was the hard-luck loser, pitching six innings of two-run ball.

Javier Lopez and Clay Hensley pitched a scoreless inning each to preserve the shutout against the A's. The Giants now have won eleven games in a row against the Athletics at AT&T Park.

Brandon Crawford continued his hot-hitting from the two-spot in the order. On Saturday, he went 2-for-4, and since being inserted into the two-hole, Crawford is 5-for-14 (.357)

The Giants will look for their fourth straight home series sweep against the A's Sunday. Tim Lincecum (2-3, 5.77 ERA) will take on Bartolo Colon (3-4, 4.13 ERA).

...

My respect for Bruce Bochy and the Giants just went up. The fact that this team is 21-19 is simply a borderline miracle.

The Giants have 2011 Fresno Grizzlies or minor leaguers at the following positions in today's lineup: first base (Belt), second base (Emmanuel Burriss), shortstop (Crawford), and third base (Joaquin Arias).

Notice anything? That is the entire Giants' infield.

San Francisco is also 21st in the league in runs scored with 153.

Even more remarkable is the Giants lead all of baseball in errors with 42. Usually, this spells disaster for any ball club, but they are third in the National League in ERA with a 3.36 clip.

More often than not, the pitching bails out the Giants' errors.

It will be interesting to see the moves the Giants make to improve their club.

San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies Weather Report, May 15 2012

2012-05-15T09:24:00.002-07:00

By Vince Cestone (with help from Christina Loren)
Twitter @vintalkingiants

The winds will slightly shift westward, which will carry the baseball out toward straightaway center field for tonight's contest between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants.

The game-time temperature will be a cool, calm 54 degrees. According to Christina Loren's weather report, there will be no chance of rain.

The west wind at 11 mph will push the ball straight out towards center field. This will close the right-center field gap a bit, but the wind could help Tim Lincecum tonight, who is a fly-ball pitcher.

Tonight, Tim Lincecum (2-3, 5.89 ERA) will take on the Rockies' Jeremy Guthrie (2-1, 5.92 ERA). Looking solely at the ERAs, offense could be a-plenty tonight at the ballpark.

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

For more spot-on weather forecasts, tune into Today in the Bay every morning at 4:30 a.m. on NBC Bay Area. Or, follow Christina Loren on Twitter @Christina_Loren.

Be sure to subscribe to my blog (subscribe button is on the left side of the web site)

Information from Daily Baseball Data contributed to this article.

San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies Weather Report

2012-05-14T09:04:00.005-07:00

By Vince Cestone (with help from Christina Loren)
Twitter @vintalkingiants

Unlike the benign conditions at the Arizona Diamondbacks' roofed stadium, San Francisco's AT&T Park will be howling with winds that could give the baseball a push towards center field.

The game-time temperature will be a cool, clear 52 degrees. The 11-mph winds will be blowing from the west-northwest, which will give the ball a push out to slightly right of center field.

Rain will not even be a factor in tonight's game, so brace yourself for a wonderful summer night in the city by the bay.

...

Tonight, Ryan Vogelsong (1-2, 2.94 ERA) will take on Christian Friedrich (1-0, 1.50 ERA).

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

For more spot-on weather forecasts, tune into Today in the Bay every morning at 4:30 a.m. on NBC Bay Area. Or, follow Christina Loren on Twitter @Christina_Loren.

Be sure to subscribe to my blog (subscribe button is on the left side of the web site)

Information from Daily Baseball Data contributed to this article.

Photo Attribution:
By Bspangenberg (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Giants Snap Nine-Game Skid Against Arizona, Look For .500 Road Trip

2012-05-13T09:30:00.004-07:00

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

The San Francisco Giants finally got the monkey off their back.

To say the Giants needed this one is an understatement.

Coming into last night's game, the Arizona Diamondbacks won nine straight against San Francisco. In their last 12 games against Arizona, the Giants were just 2-10.

The last game the Giants won against the Diamondbacks was a game at AT&T Park started by Matt Cain. Nine games later, Cain would win his next game against Arizona essentially all by himself.

In addition to pitching six innings of eight-strikeout, one-run ball, Cain went 2-for-2 with two RBIs. His two-run double in the sixth inning padded the Giants' lead to 4-1.

Offensively, the Giants jumped out early. After Gregor Blanco walked to lead off the game, he stood at third within a blink of an eye thanks to a pickoff throwing error by Arizona's starting pitcher Trevor Cahill.

After the Diamondbacks tied the game in the third inning, the Giants jumped out in front again in the fifth inning on a RBI Melky Cabrera fan-interfered double down the right-field line.

Cabrera hit another RBI double in the ninth inning that padded the Giants' lead to 5-2. The Giants would go on to win by that score.

Brandon Belt brought Blanco in with a RBI groundout.

The Giants did not play error-free baseball, but they made the plays they needed to make at the right time. After the Giants allowed an unearned run on a throwing error by Brandon Crawford in the seventh inning, third-baseman Joaquin Arias made a diving stop on a ball ticketed for the left-field line off the bat of Ryan Roberts in the eighth inning.

Arias threw a strike to first and gunned down Roberts to retire the side.

Brandon Crawford, however, racked up another error. In 27 games played at shortstop this season, Crawford has already committed eight errors, which is second-most in the league.

Crawford redeemed himself on the very next play when he gunned down leadoff man Willie Bloomquist on a ball hit softly to shortstop.

The Giants committed two more errors Saturday, bringing their total to a major-league leading 37 errors.

...

The Giants will look to take the series Sunday behind Barry Zito (1-1, 2.21), who will take on Joe Saunders (2-2, 2.50).

Saunders is coming off a horrible start against the St. Louis Cardinals, where he lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits.

Melky Cabrera has a 10-game hitting streak. He is hitting .429 in that streak with a .455 on-base percentage. He may have some trouble against Saunders, however, as he is just 1-for-10 lifetime against the left-handed pitcher.

A glaring stat, besides the defense, that the Giants must improve upon is hitting with runners in scoring position. They are hitting just .207 in those at-bats, second-worst in Major League Baseball behind the Miami Marlins' .199 clip.

With the AAA lineup the Giants are running out there due to injury, it is crucial they manufacture runs, play good fundamentals, and get on base for the veterans. A few bloops or seeing-eye singles would help too.

With all the misery that has gone on this road trip, a 3-3 mark would probably more than satisfy the Giants and give them good vibes heading home.

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Information from ESPN.com and MLB.com contributed to this article.

Image Attribution:
By User eürodäna (Original version) User StormXor (Crop) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By PMell2293 on flickr (Diamondbacks Logo)

Giants, Pill Break the Kershaw Curse in Pitching Spectacular

2012-05-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Giants broke the Clayton Kershaw albatross with a thrilling 2-1 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw brought a five-game winning streak against the Giants coming into Tuesday night's contest between the two National League West rivals. The Dodgers' young left-handed ace had a career 1.27 ERA against San Francisco, and the Giants had only beaten him once before last night's game.

The Giants made a statement early. In the top of the second inning, Buster Posey singled on the first pitch he saw--a fastball up.

The next batter, young first baseman Brett Pill, promptly launched a two-run homerun, which gave the Giants a 2-0 lead. The Giants would score no more in the game, but this small offensive outburst proved to be all San Francisco would need.

With the help of Ryan Vogelsong's valiant pitching performance and a few timely double plays, the Giants were able to make two runs stick. The Dodgers scored one run on a James Loney double in the bottom of the second inning but could score no more.

Los Angeles' best scoring chance occurred in the eighth inning. With runners at second and third with one out, The Giants elected to walk Matt Kemp to load the bases for Andre Ethier.

The Dodgers seemed poised to tie the game--and perhaps do more. However, Javier Lopez was summoned from the bullpen to get Ethier out, and he did just that.

The Giants' lefty specialist coaxed Andre Ethier to swing at an outside pitch and roll into a double play. First baseman Brandon Belt was able to scoop a tough hop to complete the pair.

Lopez and Santillago Casilla combined to throw a one-two-three ninth inning.

Vogelsong pitched his best game of the season. In 7 1/3 innings, he yielded just one run on eight hits, while striking out just one.

And thus, the Clayton Kershaw riddle was solved by San Francisco.

...

The Giants will look to take the series tonight with their ace Tim Lincecum (2-2, 5.68) on the hill. The Dodgers will counter with Chad Billingsley (2-2, 3.19).

Here are a few players to watch against Billingsley:

Brandon Belt, 2-for-5, 1 HR
Gregor Blanco, 2-for-3, 2 BB
Buster Posey, 9-for-20 (.450), 4 RBI
Nate Schierholtz, 8-for-19 (.421), 3 2B

Gregor Blanco is likely to play tonight after Angel Pagan left last night's game with a tight left hamstring.

...

Another interesting point. Many Dodger fans wondered why Mark Ellis was asked to bunt by Don Mattingly in the eighth inning with runners at first and second with nobody out.

The Giants intentionally walked Kemp, which brought out Lopez from the bullpen to face Andre Ethier. Ethier proceeded to roll into an inning-ending double play.

In Mattingly's defense, I think he did the right thing. Andre Ethier is one of the best hitters in the National League, and leads the league with 30 RBIs.

Most managers would probably love to play those odds, but fortunately for the Giants, Ethier rolled over on a great pitch by Lopez
...

Tonight should be a great pitching matchup. Tune in to NBC Bay Area at 7:00 p.m. for all the action.

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Information from ESPN.com and MLB.com contributed to this article.

Image Attribution:
By Aunti Juli on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By SD Dirk on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "Clayton Kershaw") [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Giants, Cabrera End Homestand on Positive Note, Head to Los Angeles for NL West Showdown

2012-05-07T14:25:00.003-07:00

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

The San Francisco Giants salvaged their homestand with a 4-5 record, capping it off with a series victory against the Milwaukee Brewers.

San Francisco's series victory was far from easy. The Giants held a 3-2 lead into the the top of the ninth inning, which was lost after the Brewers scored an unearned run in the inning.

Third baseman Connor Gillespie opened the ninth with an error that allowed Corey Hart to reach first base. Hart later scored on a two-out double by former Giant Travis Ishikawa, tying the game at three.

Unfortunately, Matt Cain was not rewarded for his gem. In seven innings pitched, Cain surrendered two runs on six hits, while striking out 10.

Cain received a no-decision after the Brewers tied the game in the ninth.

However, the Giants would go on to win the game on a bases-loaded, walk-off single by Hector Sanchez.

Although the Giants committed yet another error Sunday, left-fielder Melky Cabrera flashed the leather in the top of the 11th inning. With Hart at first base and nobody out, Catcher Jonathan Lucroy lined a laser beam to Cabrera in left field, who made a running, snow-cone catch.

Hart was doubled up on the play, and the Giants retired the next batter Tyler Green on a comebacker to the pitcher.

Giants' center fielder Angel Pagan went 2-for-4 with a double Sunday and extended his hitting streak to 20 games.
...

VS

The Giants begin a big series with their rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers. They will look to carry on their good vibes from the Milwaukee series into Chavez Ravine.

The Giants' Barry Zito (1-0, 1.76) will take on the Dodgers' Ted Lilly (3-0, 1.38). Both pitchers have been effective so far in 2012, so this game should figure to be a pitcher's duel.

However, the Giants have roughed up Lilly throughout his career. Lilly has a 5.81 ERA in nine career starts against San Francisco.

The Giants seem to have the momentum going into the series. San Francisco just took two out of three against Milwaukee, while the Dodgers lost two out of three against the struggling Chicago Cubs.

The Dodgers, however, are 18-10 and four games ahead of the Giants in the National League West.

Here are a few players to watch.

From MLB.com:

• Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is a career .426 (20-for-47) hitter against Zito, while right fielder Andre Ethier is hitting only .161 (5-for-31) against the lefty.

• Juan Uribe, who injured his left wrist sliding into home April 15, will have his wrist examined Monday, Mattingly said. Uribe hasn't started the last five games after reaggravating the injury last week in Denver.

• Buster Posey is 3-for-8 lifetime against Ted Lilly, including a double and two home runs. He has three RBIs against the Dodgers' left hander.

ESPN predicts that the Dodgers are 62 percent favorites for tonight's game. The game will start at 7:10 p.m. and will air on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

...

***Flash***

According to MLB.com, Giants' reliever Guillermo Mota has been suspended for 100 games after testing positive for clenbuterol, a performance-enhancing substance. This is a violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The Giants have not yet announced who will replace Mota. The Giants' bullpen has already been in flux with the injuries to closer Brian Wilson and reliever Jeremy Affeldt.

...

How do you all think Mota's absence will affect the Giants' bullpen? Do you agree with ESPN's prediction, which only gave the Giants a 38 percent chance of winning tonight's game.

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Information from ESPN.com and MLB.com contributed to this article.

Images from:
By Jeffjeff08 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Ron Reiring on Flickr (Original version) User UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By User eürodäna (Original version) User StormXor (Crop) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Giants, Matt Cain Looking For Damage Control In Series Finale Versus Brewers

2012-05-06T09:15:00.001-07:00

By Vince Cestone
@vintalkingiants

The San Francisco Giants have had a disappointing week at home so far, but they look to salvage the homestand with a win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Giants will move on to Dodger Stadium after today's series finale. They will look to gain momentum before heading off on the road to Los Angeles and Arizona.

The homestand started promising after the Giants took two out of three from the division-rival San Diego Padres, but were promptly swept by the Miami Marlins. The Giants split the first two with the Brewers and look to take the weekend series with Matt Cain (1-2, 2.35) on the hill against Shaun Marcum (1-1, 3.19).

The Giants won yesterday on a spectacular pitching performance by Madison Bumgarner, combined with a little bit of offense.

Bumgarner went seven innings, allowing six hits and one run, while striking out five Brewers. Bumgarner lowered his ERA to just 2.31 after his stellar outing.

While its pitching and offense clicked on Saturday, San Francisco's defense remained erratic. The Giants made yet another miscue yesterday, bringing their season total to a National League-worst 29 errors.

The error was a miscommunication between left and center fielders Brett Pill and Angel Pagan. As a fly ball hit by Aramis Ramirez in the top of the sixth inning approached in between Pagan and Pill, both called for it, but the ball dropped in between the two outfielders.

Ramirez ended up on second base on the play, but Bumgarner was able to wiggle his way out of trouble unscored upon.

Despite the defensive woes, San Francisco's offense showed promise Saturday, especially against the Brewers' Randy Wolf, who has historically shut down the Giants at AT&T Park.

Buster Posey and Hector Sanchez each went 2-for-4 with an RBI Saturday. Sanchez hit two doubles off the wall to the opposite field, where one started a rally and the other drove in a run.

Starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner sparked the offense himself Saturday with an RBI double down the left-field line that tied the game at one.

Angel Pagan extended his hitting streak to 19 games with an infield single in the bottom of the third inning. This is the longest current hitting streak in baseball.

...

For me, the most salient problem for the Giants has been their defense. They just cannot win by making the most errors in the league, not with this offense--not with any offense.

The mistakes will and have come back to bite this light-hitting team. This could cost the Giants a playoff berth, even with the extra playoff spot in the Wild Card this year.

Simply put, the Giants must tighten up their game--in all facets.

...

What do you think has been the most glaring problem for San Francisco?

...

Another note...Giants' broadcaster Dave Fleming did the FOX Saturday Baseball broadcast of yesterday's Giants versus Brewers game. It was really a breadth of fresh air to hear someone who knew what they were talking about on national television.

Hopefully, FOX continues to use Fleming (and perhaps Fleming's colleagues Jon Miller, Mike Krukow, and Duane Kuiper) for its baseball game of the week broadcasts.

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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article.

Image from: By Ed Bierman on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

San Francisco Giants vs. Miami Marlins Weather Report

2012-05-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

By Vince Cestone (with help from NBC Bay Area's Christina Loren)
Twitter @vintalkingiants

The San Francisco Giants will try to have a better forecast tonight, as they take on the Miami Marlins for the second straight night.

The game-time temperature will be a cool, crisp 53 degrees with a 12 mph west wind blowing straight towards center field. This means the ball will carry out towards the 399 marker in dead center, so the home run ball could be a factor tonight.

The temperature will remain relatively stable throughout the night, and the conditions will be cloudy. It will be another beautiful night in the city by the bay.

Will the game result for San Francisco be as beautiful as tonight's weather will be?

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Information from Daily Baseball Data contributed to this article.

Image: AT&T Park: By Bspangenberg (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Lincecum Day Becomes Win Day Again

2012-04-29T09:27:00.002-07:00

By Vince Cestone

Twitter @vintalkingiants

Tim Lincecum looks like Tim Lincecum again.

Lincecum notched his second victory of 2012 in impressive fashion. Not only did he pitch eight innings of one-run ball, but he also broke up San Diego Padres' starter Anthony Bass' perfect game with an infield single in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Lincecum did not light up the radar gun, topping out at 90 mph, but he was effective, mixing and matching the fastball with his offspeed pitches. The result was in Lincecum's favor.

The Padres scored first in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Nick Hundley. A throwing error by first baseman Brandon Belt fueled the third-inning rally.

The Giants made two more errors Saturday night, their fifth of the series.

Belt made up for his miscue in the bottom of the seventh inning. With runners at first and third, Belt scorched a two-out double into the left-center field gap.

The Giants scored two runs on that double and took a 2-1 lead. San Francisco would go on to win by that score.

Pablo Sandoval went 0-for-4 in the game, ending his 20-game hitting streak.

...

Tim Lincecum showed everyone last night why he is an ace.

Let's face it. Lincecum's fastball isn't up to speed right now.

What used to be 96-97 mph, then 91-94 mph, is now 89-91 mph. Lincecum is learning how to make it work, which is what separates a pitcher from a thrower.

Lincecum mixed and matched his pitches nicely last night. Like Barry Zito, Lincecum cannot rely on blowing away hitters right now with pitches up out over the plate.

Why? The answer is simple.

The difference in velocity between his fastball and changeup is not as great as it once was, which makes pitch recognition easy for the hitter. Lincecum must rely on knee-high control and using his assortment of pitches, including his changeup, curveball, slider, and split.

Lincecum simply cannot blow hitters away with pitches out over the plate like he used to. Keep this in mind though.

Sometimes, making it work with less stuff on the mound can make you a better pitcher than dominating when you have all your stuff.

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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article.

Image Attribution: By SD Dirk on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "Tim Lincecum") [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Giants' Second Baseman Freddy Sanchez Suffers Another Setback, Out for Five Days

2012-04-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

Freddy Sanchez has suffered yet another setback.

The San Francisco Giants' injured second baseman will stop his rehab assignment in San Jose for at least five days, according to Giants vice president of baseball operations Bobby Evans.

Sanchez was supposed to play second base for Class-A San Jose on Wednesday, but a rainout and a shoulder strain halted those plans.

Evans remains optimistic that Sanchez will be back near the original target date of May 11. You can read Evans' quotes here.

Sanchez is 4-for-10 with three RBI in his rehab stint.

...

I am a bit puzzled by Sanchez's latest setback. It must have happened sometime after Thursday's double header because I saw him taking sprints, and he looked normal.

When he moved his arm during workouts, he looked just fine. Here is the video of him I took during the San Jose Giants pregame.

I had the privilege of going on the field with NBC Bay Area Meteorologist Christina Loren for Weather Day. This gave me a chance to shoot the video of Sanchez, who was wearing jersey number 18 at the time.

How do you think he looks?

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Comcast SportsNet Bay Area contributed to this story.

Image Attribution: By Aunti Juli on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres Pregame Weather

2012-04-27T18:17:00.001-07:00

By Vince Cestone (with help from NBC Bay Area Meteorologist Christina Loren)
Twitter @vintalkingiants

A strong 21 mph wind could carry the ball out towards center field tonight at AT&T Park says NBC Bay Area Meteorologist Christina Loren.

The temperature during tonight's contest between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres will be a cool, crisp 57 degrees. The conditions will be mostly cloudy by the game's 7:15 p.m. start time, but will clear up as the game progresses.

The west-northwest wind will have a slight influence towards right of center. It will be a nice, fresh breeze and a beautiful night at the ballpark on the shores of McCovey Cove.

The Giants and Padres will play a three-game weekend series.

...

How do you think the wind will affect play tonight?

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Christina Loren and DailyBaseballData.com contributed to this story.

Pagan Lifts Giants Over Reds

2012-04-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

Great American Ballpark has been a house of horrors for the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants snapped their seven-game losing streak in Cincinnati on a dramatic ninth-inning home run by Angel Pagan. Coming into Thursday's game, the Giants had lost seven straight games in Cincinnati.

San Francisco appeared poised for an eighth-straight loss early in the game. The Cincinnati Reds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, exacerbated by starting pitcher Homer Bailey's single.

After the Giants tied the game with a fourth-inning, two-run rally, the Reds reclaimed the lead in the sixth on a two-run homerun by Jay Bruce, giving the Reds a 4-2 lead.

The Reds took a 5-3 lead into the ninth inning. After a lead-off walk by Joaquin Arias, Ryan Theriot singled.

This set the stage for new Giant Angel Pagan. Pagan fell behind 1-2 to closer Sean Marshall, but launched the next pitch over the left-field wall to turn the game around and give the Giants the lead at 6-5.

Giants' interim closer Santillago Casilla shut the door in the bottom of the ninth, striking out the side on 14 pitches.

Ryan Vogelsong received a no-decision, pitching 6 innings, giving up four earned run on seven hits. He was bailed out of a loss by Pagan in the ninth inning.

Pablo Sandoval extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a fourth-inning single. No one in Giants history has began a season with such a streak.

...

I did not see the game today, but listening on the radio, this was a great baseball game.

If this were the 2011 Giants, they would probably scratch and claw two runs--which would have led to another sweep at the hands of the Reds.

Not the 2012 Giants.

The offense is much better, so this should make for an exciting season. Although the Giants are just 10-9 on the year, imagine where San Francisco would be with last year's offense.

Makes you wonder. Got to love baseball!

ESPN.com and MLB.com contributed to this article.

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

Aubrey Huff Placed on 15-Day Disabled List With Anxiety Disorder

2012-04-25T17:35:00.002-07:00

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

San Francisco Giants' struggling first baseman Aubrey Huff was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with an anxiety disorder.

Huff, who was hitting just .182 for the 2012 season, seemed mentally distraught in his last game Saturday against the New York Mets after failing to break for second base on a potential inning-ending double-play ball hit to shortstop. Instead of breaking for second to try to turn the double play, Huff broke for first base, and Emmanuel Burriss' throw to first to salvage an out was too late.

In defense of Huff, he was making his first career start at second base due to an illness to backup shortstop Ryan Theriot. The regular shortstop, Brandon Crawford, was pinch-hit for in the top of the ninth inning, which made second base available for Huff after Burriss moved from second to short.

Huff is in his second year of a two-year, $22 million contract with a $10 million club option for 2013. His club option remains in jeopardy as a result of his mental lapses and early-season struggles.

Huff turned 35 in December and has 12 years of service in the major leagues.

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

Information from ESPN and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area contributed to this article.

Image Attribution: By Cbl62 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

A Second Look: The Almost Tampa Bay Giants

2012-04-23T18:10:00.001-07:00

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

Imagine your San Francisco Giants playing in a concrete, domed monster.

Instead of looking at the beautiful shores of McCovey Cove, right field would show high catwalks, a Teflon dome, and a bland concrete wall. Giants games at the Suncoast Dome might average 10,000 fans on a good night, with the team struggling to reach .500 year-after-year.

Such was almost the reality for the Giants.

There almost was no AT&T Park. There almost was no Barry Bonds. There almost was no magical 2010 World Series run.

Watch this YouTube video, and you will see what almost was for your San Francisco Giants. The video is from CBS' 60 Minutes: Field of Dreams from 1992.

Enjoy and we'll talk after...

...

From my understanding, baseball is unique in that it is not considered a business. Thus, Major League Baseball owners can vote whether or not to stop a sale, regardless of the highest bidder, which was the case in 1992.

Fortunately for the Giants, this kept them in San Francisco. The National League owners voted 9-4 to keep the Giants in San Francisco and stop their sale to a Tampa Bay ownership group.

This opened the door for Peter McGowan to purchase the Giants for $15 million less than the Tampa Bay group. Tampa Bay was infuriated.

For those of you who hate the Los Angeles Dodgers, consider this. They voted to keep the Giants in San Francisco so their rivalry would not be tarnished, so you can thank the Dodgers, indirectly, for AT&T Park being built.

Other teams that voted in favor of blocking the sale were the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies.

To further show their firm grounding in San Francisco for generations to come, the Giants signed Barry Bonds to be the face of the franchise. Bonds would go on to break baseball's all-time home run record and was a legend in San Francisco.

Then Interim Commissioner Bud Selig supported keeping the Giants in San Francisco, and embraced letters from San Franciscans which said fans enjoyed watching Willie Mays play when they were children.

Giants fans should also thank Supreme Court Judge Oliver Wendell Holmes for deciding that baseball is not a business like everything else. He allowed the above process to take place, to the chagrin of Sen. Connie Mack III.

You can read more about this here.

...

Here is what Sen. Mack said about the process that kept the Giants in San Francisco.

"By preventing the Giants from moving to Tampa Bay, major league baseball has shown that it is more interested in preserving its sacred monopoly than allowing the free market to work."

Somehow, Giants fans do not care.

Sorry Mr. Mack, you're wrong. In this case, that sacred monopoly built one of the best stadiums in baseball in one of the most spectacular vistas in the country.

Regardless of what Connie Mack's grandson said, or what the man in the white shirt said, the Giants staying in San Francisco was the best thing for baseball.

All you have to do is show these two suits the gem on the corner of Third and King in downtown San Francisco. I bet they changed their opinions now.

The ownership group led by Peter McGowan obviously had baseball fans in mind when they bought the Giants and saved them from what was then the Suncoast Dome. Now, Tropicana Field, that domed structure is considered one of the worst venues in baseball.

And that was what your San Francisco Giants would have called home. Take a look at the difference...

I usually like to back up my opinions with facts and statistics, but in this case, a picture is worth 1,000 words.

Which ballpark is better?

Here are your numbers that should suffice.

10,000 luke-warm fans in a domed monster versus 42,000 passionate, rabid fans where it is always "magic inside." I think baseball would rather have the latter.

In some cases, the free market economy just doesn't work.

Fans probably would much rather see a splash home run than, well, nothing.

Thank you Bud and Judge Holmes for giving us the jewel on San Francisco Bay.

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

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Information from The New York Times contributed to this article.

Image Attribution:

Tropicana Field: By EaglesFanInTampa (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

AT&T Park: By Bspangenberg (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

San Francisco Giants vs. New York Mets: Barry Zito, Giants Roll Into New York

2012-04-20T15:36:00.003-07:00

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

The San Francisco Giants are coming off a strong 4-2 opening homestand and look continue their good play on the road.

San Francisco is 6-6 on the season, but they are looking better as the season goes on. After getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in their opening series, the Giants have gone 6-3 and have lowered their team ERA to 3.65.

The Giants have a 5.58 road ERA compared to a 1.93 ERA so far this season.

The Giants are heading into New York with a head of steam after their thrilling walk-off, 11-inning victory against the Philadelphia Phillies. Matt Cain pitched nine shutout innings in his no-decision, while Cliff Lee pitched 10 innings and suffered the same fate.

The Giants scored an unearned run in the 11th inning on a Melky Cabrera one-out single. The Giants' runner who scored reach on an error.

Barry Zito heads into New York with a 1-0 record and a 1.13 ERA. His opponent, Jonathon Niese, is a perfect 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA.

Opponents are hitting just .156 against Niese in two starts.

The Giants' offense is well--just enough.

San Francisco ranks 10th in the National League in runs scored with 50. They are hitting .252 as a team, good for seventh in the league.

It is safe to say that the Giants' offense cannot be considered great just yet--but it is an improvement so far from years passed.

In this upcoming series in New York, however, pitching will have the upper hand.

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article.

Image Attribution:
New York Mets Logo: By The New York Mets [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco Giants Logo: See page for author [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Barry Zito: By WeeHaggis (Flickr: [1]) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) or CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

San Francisco Giants Versus Philadelphia Phillies Preview: Another Legendary Matchup

2012-04-18T19:14:00.011-07:00

VS.

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

Due to technical difficulties, this will be a very quick post.

If you thought Monday's game was going to be a legendary pitching duel, tonight's game will be a close second.

The Philadelphia Phillies' Cliff Lee (0-1) will take on Matt Cain (1-0).

Cain is coming off a one-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had a great bounce-back game after blowing a six-run lead against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Lee has been solid so far, although he had a hiccup in his last start against the New York Mets. He has posted a 3.46 ERA in two starts, with 11 strikeouts and just two walks. The San Francisco Giants will certainly have their hands full tonight.

Brett Pill will be playing first base and Ryan Theriot will be at second in place of Emmanuel Burriss with the left-handed pitcher going tonight.

...

The Giants made a great move going with Nate Schierholtz here. He has been a hot hitter and seems to have the magic wand going.

Schierholtz went 3-for-3, including a booming single off the brick wall in right field. Surprising that Bochy would go with Nate here against the lefty Lee, but he has earned it.

Sit back and watch. This will be a great game.

...

Are you all excited?

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Be sure to subscribe to my blog (subscribe button is on the left side of the web site)

Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article.

Images From:
Matt Cain: By User eürodäna (Original version) User StormXor (Crop) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Cliff Lee: By artolog on Flickr User Fui in terra aliena (Crop) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

San Francisco Giants versus Philadelphia Phillies Weather Report (With Help from NBC Bay Area Meteorologist Christina Loren)

2012-04-18T17:43:00.004-07:00

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

NBC Bay Area/Christina Loren

NBC Bay Area Meteorologist Christina Loren predicts that the ball will carry to center field tonight, with a slight push towards McCovey Cove.

The game-time temperature for tonight's 7:15 p.m. start at AT&T Park will be 56 degrees, with a 21 mph west- northwest wind. The conditions will be cloudy, with just a 10 percent chance of precipitation.

At around 9 p.m., winds will push a little more toward McCovey Cove, so if it is a tight one going in to the late innings, a big home run could be in the forecast.

Swing that power stick tonight Nate the Great!

Stay tuned...

...

How do you think the weather will affect the ball game tonight?

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Be sure to subscribe to my blog (subscribe button is on the left side of the web site)

Christina Loren and DailyBaseballData.com contributed to this story.