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

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.

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

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. 

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

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

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.

Lincecum Day Becomes Win Day Again

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.



Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

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.

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

San Francisco Giants Look to Rebound in Pitching Matchup for the Ages; Wilson May Not be Done in 2012 Just Yet

                        VS     

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants
 
It just doesn't get any better than this.

Tim Lincecum will face the Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Hallady in a battle of aces in tonight's contest at AT&T Park.

The San Francisco Giants saw their three-game winning streak end after the Pittsburgh Pirates' hurler Kevin Correia shut the Giants down to one run in six innings. Lincecum will look to get the Giants back on track.

In order to put the Giants in the win column, Lincecum must improve upon his previous two starts. His last outing in Colorado was his worst start of his career.

At Coors Field, Lincecum pitched just 2.1 innings, giving up six earned runs on eight hits. His ERA is up to 12.91 in two starts this season.

It is truly the tale of two aces.

Halladay, on the other hand, is picking up from where he left off last season. In his two starts in 2012, Halladay (2-0) has a 0.60 ERA, including eight innings of shutout ball against the Pirates on Opening Day.

Lincecum will look to rebound against one of the greatest pitchers in the National League in a possible playoff preview.

Here is tonight's lineup...

CF Pagan, RF Melky, 3B Sandoval, C Posey, LF Huff, 1B Belt, SS Crawford, 2B Burriss, P Lincecum  

The Giants will look to get back to .500 tonight at home.

...

My Quick Thoughts:

I think Lincecum turns it around tonight. You do not win two Cy Young Awards for nothing.

He knows he is one of the best pitchers in the game, and I think he will put it all together. Just when you doubt him, he goes and throws a gem.

Yeah, he has that kind of arm. He is the type of pitcher that does not need his best stuff to succeed--this separates a thrower from a pitcher.

I have a good feeling Lincecum was not happy with his last two outings. He comes across as a hard worker and a fierce competitor, so I predict at least a quality start tonight.

But who knows in the game of baseball? Anything can happen.

As for Wilson, don't give up on him just yet. Just when you think he's going in one path, he throws a curveball and shocks everyone.

We will see. Will this be the last we see of the bearded one?

Brian Wilson has a "moderate" sprain of UCL ligament, according to Comcast SportsNet Bay Area's Andrew Baggarly.

Giants' trainer Dave Groescher told Baggarly Wilson does not have a full ligament tear. Many pitchers have opted to rehab from this instead of have Tommy John surgery.

Wilson will travel to Florida for a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday. The Giants and Wilson will determine their course of treatment by the end of the week.

Baggarly also poses the possibility that the Giants and Wilson might come up with something that has never been done before. Wilson is still expected to "get a new arm" via surgery, but the possibility does exist that he will rehab and return to the mound this season.

Giants fans can only hope it will be the latter case.


Information from ESPN.Com and Andrew Baggarly.

Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

Photo Sources: 

Roy Halladay: By SD Dirk on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "D7K_4969") [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons


Tim Lincecum: 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


Brian Wilson: By Rob Shenk (Flickr: Fear the Beard) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Matt Cain Throws Shutout in San Francisco Giants' Home Opener

By Vince Cestone
@vintalkingiants

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 baseball is starting to feel like Giants baseball.

Matt Cain took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, only to be broken up by Pittsburgh Pirates' pitcher James McDonald. However, he completed the San Francisco Giants' second complete-game shutout of the season.

Cain also had the strkeout ball going in Friday's Giants' home opener at AT&T Park. Cain amassed 11 strikeouts, while walking none.

The Giants offense scored plenty for Matt Cain in San Francisco's 5-0 victory.

San Francisco has scored at least four runs in each of their first seven games, the first time they have done so since 2003 when they began that year 7-0.

Contrary to what one might expect, the Giants are 3-4, even with the much-improved offense.

The Giants jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Melky Cabrera, who went 2-for-3 with a walk, scored on a Buster Posey double to deep center. Aubrey Huff followed with a two-out single.

Huff later homered in the eighth inning, a two-run homer that made the score 5-0 San Francisco.

The Giants tacked on their third run in the sixth inning on a bloop single by Nate Schierholtz.

The Giants are currently second in the National League in runs scored with 33, just behind the St. Louis Cardinals who have 37.

The Pirates are going in the opposite direction. Since taking 2-out-of-3 against the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh has lost four in a row and are dead last in the league in runs scored with 11.

A little home cooking seemed to do the Giants good.

...

Who would have thought the 2012 Giants would put up their best all-around offensive output since 2003? I say all-around because even their outs are loud.

I have not seen so many line drives off San Francisco bats since the steroid era. If you're a Giants fan, this is a great sign.

The most salient weakness on this team was supposed to be the offense. That was to be the X factor.

Surprisingly, the run support has been there, but for the most part, the starting pitching has not. It must be a relief to see Matt Cain dominate again after his rough outing in Arizona.

It's been a tale of two pitching staffs. You got Tim Lincecum who cannot get the ball over the plate, and you got Barry Zito throwing complete-game shutouts.

Cain, Zito, and Bumgarner have rebounded nicely. The X factor here is Lincecum.

We will see how he does against Roy Halladay next week when they go head-to-head at AT&T Park. It is time to see if Lincecum is really the ace the Giants thought he would be--and if he is worth the next big contract.
...

What do you all think?




Follow me on Twitter @vintalkingiants

Giants Pummeled by Colorado Rockies 17-8

By Vince Cestone

Last night felt lots like vintage Coors Field.

The San Francisco Giants looked terrible defensively and on the mound last night against the Colorado Rockies. They committed three more errors and gave up 17 more runs.

What figured to be a strength for San Francisco has turned into an Achilles heel in the early going. The Giants are dead last in the National League in ERA with a 6.37 clip and are second in the league in errors with seven, just behind the San Diego Padres.

Pitching and defense were supposed to be the MO for the Giants, with just enough offense. It has been a 180.

The Giants have had great offense, averaging 5.8 runs per game, but very weak starting and relief pitching. San Francisco has scored at least four runs in each of their first five games but are 1-4.

Last year, the Giants dominated their opponents when scoring four or more runs.

Who would have thought this would happen?

Tim Lincecum gets knocked around and goes 2 1/3 last night (12.91 ERA), and Barry Zito throws a shutout in Colorado.

Go figure...

Giants, Schierholtz avoid arbitration; Lincecum submits record bid (From FeedCrossing.com)

By Troy Nelson

The Giants’ list of arbitration-eligible players is now down to three.

San Francisco avoided arbitration with right fielder Nate Schierholtz today as the two sides agreed on a one-year, $1.3 million dollar contract that includes a $150,000 performance-incentive bonus, per Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.

Schierholtz, who turns 28 on Feb. 15, batted .278/.326/.430 (0.756 OPS) with 9 HR and 41 RBI in 362 plate appearances last season for the G-men. He earned $433,000 in 2011.

Tim Lincecum, Pablo Sandoval and Sergio Romo still remain eligible for arbitration after all players and teams submitted their figures today.

According to Jon Heyman at CBS Sports, Lincecum submitted a record arbitration figure (for players with six or fewer years of service) of $21.5 million dollars (besting Derek Jeter‘s 2001 bid of $18.5 million dollars) and the Giants submitted a $17 million dollar contract offer. That makes the midway point $19.25 million, which is where the two sides will start to negotiate.

If an agreement can’t be reached, the case will go to arbitration. Hearings are set to begin Feb. 1st in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Be sure to check out other great articles at 22Gigantes.

Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants Who Deserve an Extension

 
Whether it is a freezing foggy night in San Francisco or a sweltering hot day in LA, Tim Lincecum is always seen sporting his Giants hoody.
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images 

 

Tim Lincecum is the face of the San Francisco Giants, but in a time where team loyalty is down and money is king, is it possible that he and other beloved Giants will end up elsewhere?

If there was ever a pitcher in baseball who deserves a lifetime contract extension, it would be Tim Lincecum.

Lincecum's stay with the Giants has been nothing short of impressive. Since his start with the Giants in 2007, he has a career 3.00 ERA, with a 58-28 record, 939 strikeouts and 1.173 WHIP—plus Cy Young Awards in 2008 and 2009.

Back in February 2010, Tim Lincecum signed a two-year, $23 million contract with the Giants. Lincecum, 26, is under club control until at least 2013, but he will face another arbitration hearing at the end of the 2011 season if another deal is not made.

Whatever the price, the Giants are best served in signing their ace right-hander—who won the clinching game of the 2010 World Series—no matter the price. He is the heart and soul of the Giants, and the energy in San Francisco would deplete worse than the 1970s crisis if their Freak was racking up strikeouts for another team.

Here are four other players who deserve a contract extension and should play in San Francisco for a long time.

1. Buster Posey

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Buster Posey is an exciting young talent who perhaps single-handedly led the Giants to their first World Series title in San Francisco—both with his hitting and the way he handled the pitching staff.

What Posey did in his rookie season was incredible. Coming up in May hoping to jolt the Giants' struggling offense, Posey hit .305 with 18 home runs and 67 RBI in 108 games. He also had a strong OPS of .862.

Most importantly, Posey has the poise of a 10-year veteran at just age 23. Handling a pitching staff in his rookie season with the likes of Lincecum, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez is an impressive feat in itself.

Because the gutsy catcher will continue to get better, he deserves a contract extension. He is under team control until at least 2015 but is eligible for arbitration after this season (he signed a one-year, $575,000 contract with the Giants this past March).

2. Matt Cain

Pool/Getty Images

Matt Cain established himself as a big-game pitcher in 2010. He has yet to give up an earned run in the postseason, and he has followed it up by pitching well in 2011—minus one start at Coors Field, a pitcher's graveyard.

Matt Cain, 26, impressively makes his 91 mph fastball work. When he first came up to the big leagues, Cain threw 96-plus and tried to strike everyone out, but now, he learned how to pitch by manipulating his fastball movement and developing a good changeup.

Greg Maddux played for a long time with low velocity but lots of movement and control. There is no reason Cain cannot do the same.

In his Giants career, Cain is only 59-63, but he has a lifetime 3.45 ERA and a .230 batting average against.

Cain signed a $27.25 million, three-year contract in 2010, but the Giants would do no harm by signing him to a more long-term contract.

3. Brian Wilson

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Brian Wilson earned his paycheck in the 2010 postseason. Wilson provided Giants fans more torture than watching grandma's home movies, but the end result is worthy of a contract extension.

In his first playoff appearances, Wilson amassed six saves and 16 strikeouts in 10 games. Like Cain, Wilson did not give up an earned run in the postseason.

Wilson's two-year, $15 million contract extension he signed in March 2010 expires at the end of this year. He is eligible for arbitration after this season and will be a Giant until at least 2012, but the Giants should lock him up beyond that.

If they do not, it would kill the whole "Fear the beard" slogan.

Whether it is a freezing foggy night in San Francisco or a sweltering hot day in LA, Tim Lincecum is always seen sporting his Giants hoody.
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Tim Lincecum is the face of the San Francisco Giants, but in a time where team loyalty is down and money is king, is it possible that he and other beloved Giants will end up elsewhere?
If there was ever a pitcher in baseball who deserves a lifetime contract extension, it would be Tim Lincecum.
Lincecum's stay with the Giants has been nothing short of impressive. Since his start with the Giants in 2007, he has a career 3.00 ERA, with a 58-28 record, 939 strikeouts and 1.173 WHIP—plus Cy Young Awards in 2008 and 2009.
Back in February 2010, Tim Lincecum signed a two-year, $23 million contract with the Giants. Lincecum, 26, is under club control until at least 2013, but he will face another arbitration hearing at the end of the 2011 season if another deal is not made.
Whatever the price, the Giants are best served in signing their ace right-hander—who won the clinching game of the 2010 World Series—no matter the price. He is the heart and soul of the Giants, and the energy in San Francisco would deplete worse than the 1970s crisis if their Freak was racking up strikeouts for another team.
Here are four other players who deserve a contract extension and should play in San Francisco for a long time.

1. Buster Posey

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Buster Posey is an exciting young talent who perhaps single-handedly led the Giants to their first World Series title in San Francisco—both with his hitting and the way he handled the pitching staff.
What Posey did in his rookie season was incredible. Coming up in May hoping to jolt the Giants' struggling offense, Posey hit .305 with 18 home runs and 67 RBI in 108 games. He also had a strong OPS of .862.
Most importantly, Posey has the poise of a 10-year veteran at just age 23. Handling a pitching staff in his rookie season with the likes of Lincecum, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez is an impressive feat in itself.
Because the gutsy catcher will continue to get better, he deserves a contract extension. He is under team control until at least 2015 but is eligible for arbitration after this season (he signed a one-year, $575,000 contract with the Giants this past March).

2. Matt Cain

Pool/Getty Images

Matt Cain established himself as a big-game pitcher in 2010. He has yet to give up an earned run in the postseason, and he has followed it up by pitching well in 2011—minus one start at Coors Field, a pitcher's graveyard.
Matt Cain, 26, impressively makes his 91 mph fastball work. When he first came up to the big leagues, Cain threw 96-plus and tried to strike everyone out, but now, he learned how to pitch by manipulating his fastball movement and developing a good changeup.
Greg Maddux played for a long time with low velocity but lots of movement and control. There is no reason Cain cannot do the same.
In his Giants career, Cain is only 59-63, but he has a lifetime 3.45 ERA and a .230 batting average against.
Cain signed a $27.25 million, three-year contract in 2010, but the Giants would do no harm by signing him to a more long-term contract.

3. Brian Wilson

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Brian Wilson earned his paycheck in the 2010 postseason. Wilson provided Giants fans more torture than watching grandma's home movies, but the end result is worthy of a contract extension.
In his first playoff appearances, Wilson amassed six saves and 16 strikeouts in 10 games. Like Cain, Wilson did not give up an earned run in the postseason.
Wilson's two-year, $15 million contract extension he signed in March 2010 expires at the end of this year. He is eligible for arbitration after this season and will be a Giant until at least 2012, but the Giants should lock him up beyond that.
If they do not, it would kill the whole "Fear the beard" slogan.

4. Jonathan Sanchez

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Despite all the baserunners, walks and frustrations associated with Jonathan Sanchez, he is still a good major league pitcher. Although he led the National League in walks in 2010, Sanchez led the Giants with a 3.07 ERA, and he had a .204 batting average against.

Sanchez will be a Giant until at least 2012 but is eligible for arbitration after this season. He signed a one-year, $4.8 million deal before the 2011 season.

Sanchez, 28, gives Giants fans fits, but in the end, he is a formidable pitcher with electric stuff. On the days he can control his great stuff, he can pitch as well as Lincecum or Cain.

The Giants should give him a contract extension, but because of his inconsistency, perhaps one not as long or as large as Lincecum's or Cain's.

5. On the Fence: Pablo Sandoval, Madison Bumgarner, Sergio Romo

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Pablo Sandoval has not earned anything yet—and he knows it.

After batting .330 in 2009, Sandoval laid an egg in 2010. Sandoval helped his cause by losing the weight in the offseason, but his success or failure in 2011 and beyond will determine whether or not he will continue his Giants career long term.

Madison Bumgarner has been awful so far in 2011. He is 0-3 with a 7.73 ERA and batters are hitting .357 against him. He is not eligible for free agency until 2016, so the Giants have plenty of time to assess his worth.

Sergio Romo did not help his cause during Sunday's game against the Braves. He threw a hanging slider to Dan Uggla, which he hit for a game-tying, eighth-inning home run.

Romo is prone to giving up big home runs late. He did so during the NLDS in Atlanta and various times throughout the 2010 season. Romo did develop a good sinker this season, but the Giants might want somebody who throws harder pitching in the eighth inning.

Romo will not be a free agent until 2015, so the Giants have time to assess his worth. They need to know whether or not he will be the pitcher who throws a good, tight slider or the pitcher who hangs them.




Vinnie Cestone is a Baseball/San Francisco Giants Featured Columnist for The Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all information was obtained first-hand or from official materials from ESPN.com and MLB.com.

This article was featured on The Bleacher Report.

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Chris Haft/MLB.com: Lincecum superb behind Giants' offensive outburst; plus Vinnie's thoughts

DENVER -- Receiving overpowering hitting in the early innings and overpowering pitching from Tim Lincecum throughout the evening, the Giants asserted themselves Monday night with an 8-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Link: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_18_sfnmlb_colmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=sf

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The Giants will have a tough decision to make, perhaps as soon as tomorrow. Chris Haft of MLB.com reports that Cody Ross is likely to be activated from the disabled list tomorrow, and Giants' manager Bruce Bochy hinted Brandon Belt would be optioned to AAA Fresno to make room for Ross.

This is a wise decision. Although Belt leads the team with eight walks, he has had a difficult time catching up to major league fastballs. He is hitting just .196 in 16 games this year.

The move would get Aubrey Huff out of right field and get him back to first base where he belongs. The Giants would then have a half-way decent outfield of Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand, and Cody Ross.

Furthermore, Ross back in the lineup would be a huge boost for the Giants' clubhouse. He is a great presence who brings a lot of energy. At this point, Ross is probably going to put up better numbers than Belt -- and he certainly can matchup with big league pitching (remember Roy Halladay?).

With the improved defense and hitting, the Giants will perhaps play a cleaner, more error-free game.

Tim Lincecum just continues to impress. He made Coors Field look like Petco Park, even when the ball was carrying like classic Coors.

Although fans might be disappointed with Lincecum throwing a batting practice fastball to Carlos Gonzales for the first hit of the game in the seventh inning on a 3-1 count, he did the right thing there.

You cannot give up free passes at Coors Field. Many teams have seen big leads disappear quickly there, so no-hitter aside, Lincecum had to challenge. Unfortunately, it cost him the no-hitter. Still, most importantly, Lincecum got the win.

CSN Bay Area's ticker just said that Zito will be out for at least month.

This is not that much of a concern to me. Zito has been struggling and is having a hard time getting his fastball up to 85 mph. Perhaps some time off would help him clear his mind. In the meantime, Ryan Vogelsong might be a bit more of a help to the team at this point.

The Giants won a big game tonight. No team wants to fall five games behind first first place in April, and the Giants avoided that for the time being. At least they will avoid the disaster of being seven out in April.

If the Giants can find a way to at least take this series and make it a 4-2 road trip, they will be in great shape heading home against the Atlanta Braves.




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Chris Haft/MLB.com: Rowand sparks comeback win over Dodgers

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants' early batting practice paid off much, much later...

Link: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_12_lanmlb_sfnmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=sf

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The Giants tonight displayed what made them successful in 2010. They got decent starting pitching from Tim Lincecum, offensive contributions from different people in the lineup, and a shutdown bullpen (minus Jeremy Affeldt's solo home run to Marcus Thames).

A positive sign was Brian Wilson's outing. His fastball was blazing through the strike zone at 95 mph with movement. His slider had great bite to it, and that cutter of his was just unfair.

As for Tim Lincecum, he threw a good quality start. He kept the Giants in the game with his five and one-third innings of work, giving up just the three runs in that fourth inning. Things could have been worse, but Lincecum limited the damage.

Offensively, it was encouraging to see the Giants stop getting so pull-happy. They had great at bats all night long to knock Billingsley out of the game. Buster Posey's tie-braking hit was classic Posey. Hopefully, he can continue his good plate approach in tomorrow's game.

The defense was a bit shaky once again. Aubrey Huff in right field is still difficult to watch, and Brandon Belt bobbled the ball as he tried to pick it up to fire home.

Perhaps a flip flop of Belt and Huff might be in order. It's been talked about by the Giants, so it's a possibility. Belt has also been shagging fly balls in right field. What do you guys think?

On another note, the Dodgers suffered a huge loss. Rafael Furcal will be out for four to six weeks with a broken thumb. He injured it while sliding head first into third base on a steal.

I will be at tomorrow's game tomorrow so no game story (It's going to be a late night). I will offer my thoughts however, so I will see you all tomorrow night!


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Chris Haft/MLB.com: Lincecum sends Giants home on high note

SAN DIEGO -- The National League West standings won't say so, but the Giants' pair of victories on their two-city season-opening road trip seemed to eclipse their four defeats....

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
SF	3	0	0	0	1	4	0	0	0		8	13	1
SD	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3		4	7	2

W: Lincecum (1-1)

L: Stauffer (0-1)

SV: Ramirez (1)

...

Unfortunately, no time for a game story or thoughts, but enjoy MLB.com's fine article on today's game.

It was a good defensive and offensive game for the Giants, and to no surprise, they won. Don't let the error fool you. It was on Tejada's wild throw on a desperation play with the score 8-1 Giants in the ninth inning. You got to try and make the play there, especially since the runs do not mean anything.

Opening day Friday! It will be great to see everyone at the yard again.

San Francisco Giants: Clayton Kershaw, errors too much in opener at L.A.

The Giants did not expect to start their trek to a repeat title like this.

The Giants hit a road block on Thursday's opening day at Dodger Stadium, kicking the ball around in the sixth inning.

Miguel Tejada botched a throw to second with a runner at first with one out, followed by a rare Posey throwing error with the bases loaded. Just nanoseconds before, Posey made a great save on a pitch by Lincecum in the dirt.

The Dodgers drew first blood in the game on the error.

As Posey threw the ball, the runner at third, Matt Kemp, appeared to already be back on the base.

"I thought he was off the base," Posey said after the game. "I would not have thrown it if I thought he wasn't."

To complicate matters further for the Giants, Clayton Kershaw was dominant for the Dodgers. In seven shutout innings of work, Kershaw held the Giants to four hits and one walk, including nine strikeouts.

Cleanup hitter Buster Posey was one of the few to get something going against Kershaw, finishing the night one for four, but with two strikeouts.

"He did a good job of moving the ball around and mixing up some off speed pitches," Posey said of Kershaw.

The Giants seemed to struggle in all facets of the game in their three error debacle -- except for pitching. Tim Lincecum was nearly as fantastic as Kershaw, but earned a tough loss, pitching seven strong innings of unearned one-run ball.

The Dodgers tacked on another run in the eighth inning on a James Loney RBI double.

The Giants avoided embarrassment by scoring in the ninth off Jonathan Broxton. Burrell lined a screamer over the left-field wall, reminiscent to his game-winning home run off Jonathan Broxton last July.

Brandon Belt had a game to remember. In his first at bat, he accomplished an important milestone -- his first major league hit, an infield hit.

Belt had impressive at bats throughout his one-for-three night, including a walk off Clayton Kershaw.

 

Who should replace Tejada at SS if he struggles?

Mark DeRosa

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Mike Fontenot

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Emmanuel Burriss

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Other (specify in comment below)

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Total votes: 0

Although he made the last out of the game on a soft line drive to Uribe, Belt battled Broxton till the end.

Starter Tim Lincecum shrugged the loss off as best he could.

"Games like this are going to happen," Lincecum said. "Hopefully, we'll get them tomorrow."

One noticeable improvement was the defensive play of Pablo Sandoval. During the sloppy sixth inning, Sandoval shined, as he saved two runs with a diving play on a line drive to his left. Runners were on second and third at the time.

The good news for the Giants? Tomorrow is a new month.

WP: Clayton Kershaw (1-0), LP: Tim Lincecum (0-1), Broxton (S, 1)

HR: Pat Burrell (1, 9th inning off Broxton)

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Aside from the errors in the sixth inning, the Giants cannot expect to win many games by scoring two runs. Clayton Kershaw is a great pitcher, but some questionable at bats hindered their chance at mounting a rally.

An at bat of note was Andres Torres' eighth inning plate appearance. Hong-Chih Kuo threw six straight balls to start the eighth inning, but Torres swung at what appeared to be ball three.

Torres would go on to have a good, long at bat and line out to Andre Ethier in right field, but Torres probably should have taken a strike there. If he takes the 2-0 pitch, the count might be 3-0 and who knows what happens?

Although Belt did not get the ball out of the infield, his approach was good. In the fifth inning, Belt somehow laid off Kershaw's two-strike off-speed pitches and worked out a walk. Even his last at bat off Broxton was a two-strike battle, although it was a line drive out to third base.

A questionable defensive miscue came from Buster Posey in the defensive nightmare sixth inning.

After Posey made an amazing block to keep the runner at third, there was no reason to throw the ball. Matt Kemp, the baserunner, was standing on the base, as Posey fired an errant throw to third.

The bottom line is the Giants did not get it done offensively -- or defensively. Scoring one run will not win many ball games.

Regardless of the errors, the Giants gave up few enough runs to win. Every team makes mistakes, but the good teams make up for those errors and pick up their teammates who caused the blunders.

The Giants have to do what they did last year to win. That is to catch the balls they could get to, get timely hits, and have fun.

One more thing. Here is some baseball 101 from Eric James Byrnes of Sportsphone 680:

"When a pitcher takes more than 1.3 seconds to deliver the ball to the catcer, it's a good time for a decent base stealer to go."

"Generally, switch hitters are better left-handed than right-handed. 

Other than that, tonight's game was really fun to watch. If there are more games like this throughout the season, fans are in for an exciting season.

This is unconfirmed, but I wanted to pass this along. Pablo Sandoval may have tipped Posey to throw to third by flashing his glove at Posey. This does not excuse Posey's throwing error, but it could have been a contributing factor to the errant throw.

Still, there is no reason to fire a throw to third when the runner is already standing on the base.

...

The Giants will try to rebound tomorrow against the Dodgers at 7:10 p.m. from Dodger Stadium. Jonathan Sanchez will make his 2011 debut against Chad Billingsley.




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San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers 3/31, 5:00 p.m. short preview

Opening day for the Giants is just a little over an hour away. Here are tonight's lineups, along with their spring stats:

San Francisco Giants
1. Andres Torres - CF - .258, 1 HR, 9 RBI
2. Freddy Sanchez - 2B - .237, 2 HR, 7 RBI
3. Aubrey Huff - RF - .369, 6 HR, 16 RBI
4. Buster Posey - C - .396, 3 HR, 12 RBI
5. Pat Burrell - LF - .255, 2 HR, 10 RBI
6. Miguel Tejada - SS - .234, 1 HR, 6 RBI
7. Brandon Belt - 1B - .282, 3 HR, 13 RBI
8. Pablo Sandoval - 3B - .280, 3 HR, 13 RBI
9. Tim Lincecum - 3-0, 4.37 ERA, 22.2 IP, 26 H, 11 ER, 8 BB, 24 SO

Los Angeles Dodgers

1. Rafael Furcal - SS
2. Tony Gwynn Jr. - LF
3. Andre Ethier - RF
4. Matt Kemp - CF
5. James Loney - 1B
6. Juan Uribe - 3B
7. Rod Barajas - C
8. Jamey Carroll - 2B
9. Kershaw - P

Quick tidbits: Clayton Kershaw has a career 1.68 ERA against the Giants. This is Lincecum's third opening day start. Brandon Belt is the first Giants first baseman to make his major league debut on opening day since Will Clark. The Giants went 10-8 against the Dodgers last year.

Alright fans. It's time to relax and get ready for baseball! Postgame comments coming later.

MLB.com article of Lincecum's outing today

Here is today's MLB.com article about how Lincecum did today. It was not good, but at least the rain wiped it out (the game was canceled after 3 innings).

Note: I did not write this nor contributed to it in anyway. This piece was written by MLB.com's Chris Haft.
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Article Link: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110321&content_id=17053900&notebook_id=17053976&vkey=notebook_sf&c_id=sf

Lincecum deceptively ugly against Rockies

By Chris Haft/MLB.com

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Though rain wiped out the Giants' Cactus League affair Monday against the Colorado Rockies, the experience still counted for Tim Lincecum, whose pitching line was deceptively ugly...


My Thoughts

Hey, it's spring training. As long as nobody gets hurt, and Lincecum got his work in, then, all is fine.

Buster Posey and the SF Giants’ Last 10 Prospects Who Lived Up to the Hype (Part 1)

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The San Francisco Giants struck out in developing major league talent for most of the 2000s, but that trend has turned around recently.

Born and bred within the Giants' organization, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Buster Posey are emerging as perennial superstars in the major leagues. They have demonstrated leadership and poise during baseball's biggest stage, the World Series.

Many formidable predecessors donned the orange and black on day one of their professional careers. Will "The Thrill" Clark was one of them, along with many others.

Posey has lived up to the hype so far, but who else in Giants history has preceded Posey? Here are the last 10 Giants' prospects who lived up to the hype.

1. Buster Posey

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Buster Posey made his major league debut on Sept. 11, 2009 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although Posey looked foolish on a check-swing strikeout during his first major league at-bat, the AT&T Park crowd roared with excitement for their up-and-coming rookie sensation -- and with good reason.

Posey did not have many half-hearted strikeouts in 2010. In his first full rookie season, Posey hit .305, with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs, in 108 games.

If Posey can replicate his success in 2011 and beyond, the Giants may have a future Hall of Famer on their hands. Leading his team to a World Series title in his rookie season is an impressive feat.

If Posey stays healthy, he will live up to the hype -- and more.

2. Madison Bumgarner

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

On Sept. 8, 2009, the Giants were vying for a Wild Card spot with the Colorado Rockies. When Tim Lincecum was unable to make the start in a crucial pennant race game against the San Diego Padres, pitching phenom Madison Bumgarner stepped up to the challenge in his major league debut.

Although Bumgarner lost the game, he pitched well. In five and one-third innings of work, he gave up just two runs on five hits and walked one -- even when he lost about 7 mph on his fastball since the beginning of that year.

Fast forward to 2010. Having already pitched a big game in a pennant race in 2009, nothing seemed to faze the 21-year-old left hander.

Although Bumgarner had some rough outings at AAA Fresno, he was ready for a big league challenge. In 18 starts, Bumgarner finished 7-6 with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP.

These solid numbers do not even tell the whole story. Game 4 of the 2010 World Series was certainly one to remember for Bumgarner.

In baseball's biggest stage, Bumgarner dazzled in front of a national audience. In his eight shutout innings, he yielded three hits and two walks, while striking out six Rangers.

Bumgarner is no ordinary rookie. When he takes the mound, he looks like he owns the mound. He has the confidence of a 15-year veteran, and the heart of a champion.

3. Tim Lincecum

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Tim Lincecum was no stranger to the national stage, even before his legendary 2010 playoff performance.

After learning about the live arm of the freakish-looking right hander, Giants fans were excited when Lincecum made his major league debut on Sunday Night Baseball. The day was May 6, 2007.

His first big league pitch was to the Philadelphia Phillies' Jimmy Rollins. The pitch was clocked at 97 mph, leaving Giants fans roaring with excitement, as they gazed amazed at the radar reading.

Lincecum took the loss that night, pitching just four and one-third innings, giving up five hits, walking five, striking out five, and surrendering four earned runs. That night may not have been pretty, but the Giants knew they had something special -- if Lincecum could control his pitches.

He did.

Lincecum developed a change-up (or split-finger), won a couple Cy Young Awards, and lost a few feet on his fastball along the way, but his lines became better and better as time progressed. He was changing from a thrower to a pitcher.

Although Lincecum had a horrible August in 2010, he shined in September and the postseason. His 14-strikeout, complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Braves demonstrated Lincecum's capabilities when everything comes together for him.

Then came every child's dream -- winning a clinching World Series game. He did that and made it look easy during Game 5 of the 2010 World Series.

On that fateful night, Lincecum pitched eight strong innings, giving up one run on three hits and striking out 10. Expect more of these thrilling moments from him.

4. Matt Cain

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Matt Cain was another highly touted pitcher within the Giants' ranks. However, at times, it seemed as though Cain's lack of run support was holding him back.

Making him the longest tenured Giant, Matt Cain debuted during the Barry Bonds era against the Colorado Rockies on August 29, 2005. He was only 20 years old.

Cain gave up just two runs and three hits in five innings on that night, but lost the game 2-1. That game served as a microcosm of how his next few seasons would fare for the gutsy righty.

In 2007, Cain finished the season with a 3.65 ERA, good for the 10th lowest in the National League. However, the Giants went 9-23 in his starts and scored two runs or fewer in 21 of his starts.

As the Giants got better, Cain emerged as a candidate to strip Tim Lincecum of his ace status. He has yet to give up an earned run in postseason play and had a phenomenal 2010 season.

With his blazing 91-93 mph fastball that blows away hitters as if it were 98 mph, Cain finished 2010 with a 13-11 record, with a 3.14 ERA, 177 strikeouts, and a solid 1.08 WHIP.

Expect more good things to come from Cain.

5. Jonathan Sanchez

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

In 2006, Baseball America ranked Jonathan Sanchez as the sixth best prospect in the Giants' organization. In 13 appearances (three starts) at AA that year, Sanchez went 2-1, with a 1.15 ERA.

The Giants were intrigued by Sanchez and called him up in May 2006. He made his major league debut on the day Barry Bonds hit home run number 715 against the Colorado Rockies, retiring Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, and Garrett Atkins in order.

Sanchez would go through ups and downs from 2006-2009 but put it together in 2010. He still had his moments, but Sanchez grew up dramatically as a pitcher that year.

In his best season as a big league player, Sanchez went 13-9 for the Giants, had a team-leading 3.07 ERA, 205 strikeouts, and a 1.23 WHIP, despite leading the league in walks. He was incredibly hard to hit, as batters hit just .204 against him.

Sanchez had his brain lapses in the 2010 postseason, but he still pitched well in big games in September, including the National League West clincher. At 28, Sanchez is still improving and has the potential to measure up to his companions in the rotation.

For more on Jonathan Sanchez, see this article here.

This article was featured on the Bleacher Report

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