Matt Cain lost a win, as the bullpen let him down for something like the fifteenth time this season, and the Giants again gave away a win and some real momentum, falling 5-3 to the Rockies. Until we see some real changes in the way the bullpen is put together and used, this is going to remain a common refrain. Benitez no longer has it, and because of the failure of the Giants to face that truth, the rest of the pen is being misused.
David Pinto writes about Bonds’ slump:
…. The change in walks actually started on May 4th. Barry has drawn at least one walk in seventeen straight games, leaving him one game short of his own National League record for walks in consecutive games. He may even reach the ML record of twenty two held by Roy Cullenbine, which has stood for sixty years.So are the walks part of the cause of the slump? In early May, it was clear that Barry was as dangerous as any time in his career. It would make sense at that point for opponents to stop pitching to him, hence the rise in walks. But Barry doesn’t know how much time he has left, either because his body burns out or the feds take him off the field. So he presses just a bit. He swings at borderline pitches that he’d normally take. Lower quality pitches, lots of walks, low batting average.
He also has a scout’s take on Bonds’ sore hamstring. Read and learn.
