Barry Zito was handed a 4-0 first inning lead, and still failed to get out of the 3rd inning, as he allowed 7 hits and 3 runs in 2 1/3 innings. Bochy wasted no time running out to the mound in the third, after watching the anemic Astros light up the
lefty.
The bullpen was stout, especially George Kontos, who got the win, after he retired all eight batters he faced. The Giants go for the sweep tonight, after holding on for a 6-4 victory.
Several Giants hitters have had an excellent month of August:
Angel Pagan .349/.421/.604 1.025 OPS (league leading 37 hits and 29 runs scored)
Joaquin Arias .426/.448/.704 1.152 OPS (league leading OPS)
Buster Posey .354/.466/.646 1.112 OPS (only 5 games without a hit this month, 61 hits the last two months)
Brandon Belt .338/.407/.455 .862 OPS
In fact, thank God the hitters have been as hot as they have, because they’re carrying the team.
On the pitching side of the rubber, it’s pretty much been Cain, Bumgarner, and the bullpen. Lincecum’s allowed 12 earned runs in 29 innings, and he’s the third best starter this month. Vogelsong and Zito are both sporting 6-plus ERA’s.
Let’s hope the pitchers get settled down, and fast. One more game with the Astros, a three game set at Chicago, and then the cialis no prescription entire rest of the season is all NL West, all the time. 7 games with the Rockies, and 6 each with the D’backs, Dodgers and Padres.
Go Giants!
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I know it’s tough to acquire a decent ballplayer off waivers this time of year, but can’t the Giants get someone better than Gregor Blanco to start in LF? Unless Aaron Rowand makes a return to the majors, it’s hard to imagine Blanco’s replacement could do any worse.
Ooof. MadBaum getting lit up. Figures that the pitching gets all wonky just as the offense becomes, however temporarily, semi-competent.
Exactly. No sooner do I mention Bum as handling it, he flails. Doh!
Back in the beginning of July an intern at the Wall Street Journal, of all places, published a couple of articles about Lincecum being the worst pitcher ever, citing single season statistics to back up his claim. At that point I suggested that Tim could use some time off to address his pitching problems. I also predicted that the team would continue to send him out to start games despite his horrible performance and (surprise surprise) that’s what they did. It’s too late now for Timmy to rehab in the minors. We’re going to see him pitch.
While it was great to see Bochy give Zito the hook when he got in trouble against the Astros, his usual modus operandi is to let the starter dig a hole too deep for the Giants batters to get out of. Maybe in a pennant race he will do the same with Lincecum. Maybe reaching the .500 mark as a manager has caused Bochy to finally see the light. Maybe Lincecum will snap out of it and pitch like the a two-time Cy Young winner he is. Maybe if I bolt a pair of wings onto a pig it will fly. My optimism knows no bounds.
The Giants swept the worst team in MLB yesterday and now they head to Chicago to round out their tour of the Central Division’s cellar. After Sunday it’s nothing but Western Division teams the rest of the way. The Dodgers will be facing the Nats, the Cards and the Reds next month, so there is hope.
Looks like Bochy is getting tired of watching some of the starters get lit up. Good for him!
I’m usually the first one to rip Bochy’s strategies, but give the man his due last night — he showed he knows how to manage fast. Hooking Zito was the absolutely correct move. Kudos to Kontos for getting 8 straight outs, and the bullpen did a fine job (something that hasn’t always been the case this month).
BTW: How did the Giants get stuck with having to play in Houston on Thursday night and in Chicago on Friday afternoon? That’s an awful turnaround — if game is over at 10p (local time), they’l be lucky to be in their hotel in CHI by 3, and game time is 1:20 local time. That’s brutal.