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

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)

Tim Lincecum Gives Up Two Home Runs In San Francisco Giants' Opener vs. Diamondbacks

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

All the glitz and glamor of the San Francisco Giants' Opening Day was spoiled early, as Tim Lincecum gave up two home runs in the first inning.

The Giants quickly fell behind 3-0 in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Lincecum gave up a two-run homer to Chris Young after Willie Bloomquist singled, and then proceeded to give up a solo-home run to Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt is 5-for-9 against Lincecum, with three home runs.

This is the first time Lincecum has given up a home run on an Opening Day start.
...

Lincecum's fastball looked flat in the first inning. He had a hard time controlling it, along with his changeup and curveball.

The inning could have gone a lot worse. Lincecum was throwing pitch after pitch up in the strike zone, and he is lucky more of those were not crushed.

Still, it was one inning. Lincecum appeared to have settled down in the second inning, and if he could throw some more zeros, the Giants have an opportunity to creep back into the game.

It's still early...

...

What do you guys think of the game so far?

2011 MLB Season: 6 Teams, 6 Keys to the National League Pennant

 

The 2010 San Francisco Giants will wear their championship rings proudly for the rest of their lives.
Pool/Getty Images

By Vince Cestone

The 2010 San Francisco Giants won the National League Pennant, and then the World Series, with superb pitching, just enough hitting, and virtually error-free baseball--three keys to success for just about any winning team.

This year is no exception for National League Contenders. These canons for success, along with many more, could be a major factor in determining who will win the National League Crown--or even reach the postseason.

Deviating from playing good baseball, even for a week's stretch of games, could be the difference between achieving baseball immortality or going home hanging your head. With strong, well-rounded teams like the Philadelphia Phillis dominating the league with a 77-40 record, any contending team that slumps in any facet of the game come the NLDS or NLCS will probably suffer a disappointing fate.

With eyes on the World Series prize, here are some keys to the National League pennant for all six contending teams.

1. The San Francisco Giants: The Offense

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

 

The San Francisco Giants may be a strong contender in the National League West, but their offensive numbers are those of cellar dwellers.

With the Giants dead last in the league in runs scored with 402, the Giants are fortunate they are just one game back of the Arizona Diamondbacks in their division. Certainly, the key to success for San Francisco is to sustain their excellent pitching staff, but more importantly, they need to improve their hitting, especially their miniscule .303 team on-base percentage.

Giants' manager Bruce Bochy offered his own explanation as to why his team is stuck in this two-week rut.

"Right now, their confidence is shaken," Bochy said to the San Jose Mercury News. "And that comes from not having success."

If the Giants want to stay in contention and ultimately win the West, the Giants better find the confidence soon.

The Giants attempted to jolt their offense by acquiring Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets in exchange for pitching prospect Zack Wheeler. However, Beltran has struggled since joining San Francisco, hitting .244, with no home runs and two RBIs in 11 games.

The 2010 World Series champion Giants were at least in the middle-of-the-pack in hitting. That fateful team finished 9th in the league in runs scored, a far cry from this year's abysmal offensive team, who ranks near the bottom in just about every offensive category.

Despite the offensive struggles, Giants' outfielder Cody Ross is confident his team will turn around their offensive woes.

"We've got a lot of baseball to play yet," Cody Ross told the San Jose Mercury News. "We've got to go out and play like champions. We're not doing it. We're kind of all in a rut."

2. The Arizona Diamondbacks: The Bullpen

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

 

The Arizona Diamondbacks' 2010 Achille's heel is starting to become their strength.

A season ago, Arizona ranked dead last in the National League in bullpen ERA at 5.74. In 2011, the Diamondbacks rank 12th in that same stat at 3.83.

What makes their bullpen stats so impressive is they were third-to-last in the league in bullpen ERA as April ended (4.89). At the end of that month, they were 6.5 games out of first place and in fourth place.

Now, as their bullpen ERA has steadily shrunk as the months wore on, the Diamondbacks climbed up in the standings. The snakes currently find themselves in first place, one game ahead of the Giants.

Part of the Diamondbacks' bullpen resurgence could be attributed to the acquisition of closer J.J. Putz. In his first season with the Diamondbacks, Putz has a 2.90 ERA, with 27 saves and a 1.066 WHIP.

With their powerhouse offense that ranks first in the National League with 132 home runs, a shutdown bullpen would undoubtedly make Arizona one of the elite teams in the National League--even one that could challenge the Philadelphia Phillies.

3. The St. Louis Cardinals: Beating the Brewers

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

 

The St. Louis Cardinals have a formidable foe to get past if they want to claim the National League pennant.

Even after tonight's 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cardinals are 3-8 against their divisional rival. In their most recent series, the Cardinals were able to salvage one game of the three-game series in St. Louis, pushing them up to four games behind Milwaukee.

Despite their struggles against them in 2011, Cardinals' slugger Albert Pujols said they do not see the Brewers as any different than others teams they play.

"We approach every team the same way," Pujols told Matthew Leach of MLB.com. "We have a game plan and we're going to go out there and hopefully try to execute. As a player, they pitch you different until you try to adjust. But I think, as a group, we have a good approach to go out there and take it and figure it out the first couple innings. If it doesn't work, hopefully try to make an adjustment."

If the red birds want to win the NLCS, or even get there, they must climb over their four-game hurdle against the Brewers. It starts with beating their rival head-to-head.

4. The Milwaukee Brewers: Winning on the Road

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

 

As the old adage says, good teams take care of business at home and play .500 on the road. Well, the Brewers got it half right--with an exclamation point.

Milwaukee boasts the best home record in baseball with a 41-15 record. As for playing .500 on the road, the Brewers have a long way to go.

Their 26-36 road record is not hurting them now, as they sit in first place four games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals, but it could have a detrimental effect come the playoffs.

If the Brewers do make the playoffs, they will have to pass through some hostile towns--Philadelphia, San Francisco, or Atlanta. This season, Milwaukee is just 3-7 against those three teams on the road.

A little road warrior spirit would go a long way towards the Brewers' march to the NL pennant.

5. The Atlanta Braves: Jason Heyward

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

 

Jason Heyward sparked lots of excitement in Atlanta last year, and he looked like their future offensive star, but the old sophomore slump has plagued the tall outfielder.

After coming off a solid rookie season--.277, 18 homers, and 72 RBIs in 142 games played--Heyward is not enjoying much success in his second year in the big leagues. In 2011, he is hitting just .218, with 12 home runs and 30 RBIs.

Heyward was an on-base machine last year with a .393 OBP, but in 2011, that stat has fallen dramatically to .313. With the Phillies dominating the National League, and their division, the Braves will need every ounce of offense to get through a Philadelphia staff that is a bit better than their own.

With Heyward's struggles, hot-hitting rookie Jose Constanza has recently replaced Heyward in the outfield for a few games.

Although he is disappointed he is not starting as much right now, Heyward knows he will be that spark plug again.

“Now that I have a little bit more free time, I’m able to clear my head some more and get rest,” Heyward said to the Atlantic Journal Constitution. “It’s positive. Everybody sees I’m the same guy in the clubhouse. It’s not about me. I’m here for the long run, and hopefully I can get back to where I’m producing on a daily basis.”

6. The Philadelphia Phillies: Staying Healthy

Harry How/Getty Images

 

The Philadelphia Phillies are an extraordinarily good team that is excellent in all facets of the game.

The biggest key for the Phillies is to ride the ship and stay healthy. At 77-40, they almost can sleepwalk to the NLDS, even stumble over the stairs a few times, and then kick it in gear to win the National League Championship Series.

The Phillies have a dominant pitching staff of aces that leads the National League in ERA at 3.09. They also lead the league in defense, making only 53 errors in 117 games.

Combine that with a team 7th in the league in hitting, especially in this pitching-dominated era, you have a juggernaut in the National League. The Phillies will be tough to beat--as long as they stay healthy.

Roy Oswalt is now 33, Roy Halladay is 34, and Cliff Lee is 32. While they are not checking into a retirement home in Miami anytime soon, the dynamic pitching trio has pitched a long time.

An injury to one key player might be able to be dealt with. If injuries start to pile up, the Phillies might see themselves eliminated after the NLDS.

Sure, even if the Philles pull out another Vance Worley out of their hat, it cannot replace the experience of Lee, Oswalt, Halladay, and Cole Hamels. You never know what could happen in baseball.


This article was featured on the Bleacher Report.

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The torture continues--Giants hang on to beat Diamondbacks 6-5 in Sandoval's return

Chris Stewart congratulates Brian Wilson, as he records his 19th save of 
the year. Wilson struck out Stephen Drew looking to end the game.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images


By Vince Cestone

The San Francisco Giants squeaked out another one-run victory, edging the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5.

The Giants' offense was jolted by Pablo Sandoval's return from the disabled list. In his first game back in the lineup, Sandoval went 1-for-4 with a walk, including an RBI single in the first inning which put the Giants on the board first.



With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth inning, Giants' closer Brian Wilson walked Kelly Johnson and Justin Upton, who both moved up a base on a wild pitch. Wilson struck out the next batter, Stephen Drew, looking on a backdoor cutter with the tying and winning runs in scoring position. Wilson earned his 19th save.

The Giants jumped out to a 5-0 lead by the fifth inning.

They scored their second run in the fourth inning on a squeeze play with Matt Cain at the plate. The Giants tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning with two of them driven in by Cody Ross, who went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs.

The Diamondbacks roared back in the bottom of the sixth inning. With the score 5-1, Miguel Montero laced a three-run home run to right off Matt Cain, cutting the Dbacks' deficit to 5-4

The Giants and Diamondbacks scored one more run each in the game. Nate Schierholtz drove in the game-winning run for the Giants in the seventh inning with a double that Dbacks' outfielder Chris Young bobbled, allowing Huff to score and Schierholtz to get to third base.

Starting pitcher Cain was less than spectacular tonight, pitching 6 2/3 innings and giving up five runs on eight hits. Cain earned his sixth win of the year.

The Giants' bullpen picked Cain up, throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings of no-hit ball.

The Giants roughed up Josh Collmenter (4-2, 1.86 ERA), who came into tonight's start with a 1.18 ERA. The Giants touched him up for five runs and eight hits in the five innings he pitched.

Game Thoughts

By Chris Bissell

With offensive injuries comes lower production, which means less runs, combined with great pitching, means close games. We all know the formula, and we're all accustomed to the type of wins the Giants pull out.

Besides the pitching staff, there's nothing pretty about this team anymore--except the fact they continue to win games.

There's still one freshly-polished offensive gem on this team, healthy of course, and that's Pablo Sandoval. At this point, the offensively-challenged Giants understand how detrimental Sandoval's bat was before the broken hamate bone injury on April 29.

Sandoval hit the disabled list with a .313 average, five home runs, and 14 RBI after a hot start, fresh off an off-season of strenuous workouts, and a 38-pound drop. Sandoval led the team in average all the way up to his return tonight, and he certainly picked up where he left off.

After beginning the season in the bottom part of the order, hitting from sixth to ninth on several occasions, Sandoval had established his 2009 presence all over again, and you can guarantee that's not changing.

Sandoval has an irrefutable impact on this lineup, and you can see just from tonight how vast a difference it is. Aubrey Huff had 2 walks, Cody Ross went 2-for-4 with 2 doubles, and every starter except Matt Cain had a base hit.

The Giants since the beginning of last season have simply never been about one hitter, one individual, or one player in general, but at this point, you can't deny the importance of Sandoval's bat in the lineup and presence in the dugout.

This team has certainly caught the injury bug, and with Freddy Sanchez going out, there was almost nothing left in that lineup to be optimistic about. Huff was seeming to have his "off year," Crawford was coming down to earth, etc, etc.

The Giants won six out of ten on the last home stand, scoring a mediocre 2.4 runs per game. As I said, there's nothing pretty about this team, except the fact that they... yeah, we get it.

Nate Schierholtz continues to show up when it matters, driving in a run off Aaron Heilman in the 7th inning. Despite only being at a .261 average and a decent 4 home runs, Nate "the great" is certainly coming up in the clutch, with a line of .313/.361/.406 (.767 OPS) with runners in scoring position.

Giants' Health Notes

By Chris Bissell

• Freddy Sanchez will get a second opinion on his right shoulder tomorrow and will try to rest the shoulder to have it heal on its own, despite labrum damage and a loosened capsule.

 

• Mike Fontenot will resume his rehab in a few days after suffering a minor groin injury.

• Brandon Belt will have his cast removed Friday after suffering that right wrist hairline fracture a few weeks ago against the Cardinals.

Giants Blurbs

By Vince Cestone

The Giants are 5-1 against the Diamondbacks this season. The Giants have not scored six runs in a game since June 2 against the St. Louis Cardinals, where they won 12-7. The last time the Giants and Diamondbacks were 1-2 in the division standings in mid-June was 1999. Tomorrow, the Giants' Madison Bumgarner (2-8, 3.23 ERA) will face the Diamondbacks' Joe Saunders (3-6, 4.56 ERA) at 6:40 p.m.

Vinnie Cestone is a blogger/reporter for The Talking Giants Baseball Blog. Unless otherwise noted, all information was obtained first-hand or from official materials from ESPN or the Major League Baseball website.

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San Francisco Giants: 5 Biggest Threats to Title Repeat

By Vinnie Cestone

Note: This article was created on June 8. The stats in this article are not current.

The Giants line up behind the Commisioner's Trophy during their home opener.
Pool/Getty Images

The San Francisco Giants may be the 2010 World Series champions, but they will have to overcome many obstacles to reach baseball immortality again in 2011.

The Giants have continued their torturous ways so far this season. Their 2011 campaign has been a roller coaster ride from the start, with thrilling wins one night and devastating losses the next.

This season's Giants have essentially the same championship pitching staff and band of misfits as last season—minus Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe—but will it be enough?

The 2010 Giants climbed many hurdles to win the World Series.

They overcame an anemic offense early in the season and a pitching hiccup in August. They bounced back from a 7.5-game deficit and a 6-12 season record against the San Diego Padres, the team they were competing against for the National League West title.

The challenges did not stop there. The Padres even forced the Giants to clinch the division on Game 162 after San Diego won the first two games of their season-ending three-game series.

Can the Giants be the team of destiny yet again in 2011 despite all the obstacles?

Here are five possible threats to a Giants World Series title repeat.

1. The Injuries

 

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

The Giants have taken many trips to the infirmary during the heat of battle this season.

San Francisco currently has six players on the disabled list—including Barry Zito, Mark DeRosa, Pablo Sandoval, Mike Fontenot and Darren Ford. Unfortunately for the Giants, many of their injuries came in an area where they had the least depth—the infield.

The biggest solider to go down is young, catching sensation Buster Posey, who broke his left fibula and tore ligaments in his ankle area during a collision at the plate. According to the Giants, his bat will likely be void from the Giants lineup for the remainder of the season, and his absence could have a detrimental impact on the Giants offense.

According to Fangraphs, before his injury, Posey's WAR was 1.7—which means he could have been on pace for a season WAR between four and five. To limit the damage of losing Posey, the Giants will have to scratch, claw and execute the fundamentals for runs.

In the 14 games since Posey's season-ending injury, the Giants have bounced back with an 8-6 record. So far, they have shown the resiliency needed to win without Posey, but they will have to continue doing so through 162 games.

Even with the injuries that plagued much of the infield, including their slugging third baseman Pablo Sandoval, the Giants sit atop the NL West at 35-27, 1.5 games over the Arizona Diamondbacks. With help from young players such as shortstop Brandon Crawford and infielder Emmanuel Burriss, Bruce Bochy is doing the best with what he has, and he will have to continue to do so if the Giants want to win the World Series again.

2. The Offense


Greg Fiume/Getty Images

The Giants have a world-class pitching staff but not a championship offense to match.

Although they are in first place in the NL West, the Giants are 15th in the National League in runs scored (218) and 13th in batting average (.240). San Francisco also has an unimpressive on-base percentage of .306, which is 14th in the league.

With Posey's injury, a key to the Giants offense is Aubrey Huff. Huff is hitting just .222, with eight home runs and 30 RBI, along with a .278 on-base percentage.

Despite Huff's slow start, he has heated up lately. In his last seven games, Huff has nine RBI and four home runs.

If the Giants want to win constantly, they will have to overcome their offensive struggles and put up runs on the board. Despite their 35-27 record, the Giants' torturous, low-scoring ways may not be so thrilling if those games start to go the other way—in the loss column.

3. The Arizona Diamondbacks


Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Giants have gotten heat from an unlikely divisional rival—the Arizona Diamondbacks.

This is not the first time the two teams have battled for first place, but in fact, it was a constant back in the early part of the decade. Between 1999 and 2003, the Giants and the Diamondbacks finished one-two in the division in three out of five of those years.

So far in 2011, the division rivalry has been renewed, but for how long?

The Diamondbacks are currently playing like a team that could threaten the Giants' defending World Series title—and their NL West title. At 33-28, Arizona is just 1.5 games behind San Francisco for first place.

Unlike the Giants, the Diamondbacks' main problem coming into the season was their pitching. In 2010, Arizona was 15th in the league in team ERA at 4.81, but so far in 2011, they are 12th in the league with a 3.94 ERA.

The Diamondbacks will have to keep their pitching up if they want to stay competitive in the National League West. Arizona was 19-10 in May, mainly because of their 3.03 team ERA for that month.

Fortunately for the Giants, they are 5-1 against the Diamondbacks this season—and seem to have their number in recent years. Still, if the Diamondbacks keep pitching like this and can prove they are for real, the Giants could find themselves snakebitten very soon.

4. The Target on Their Backs


 Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Winning a world championship may come with the glory, the celebration and a rejuvenated fanbase, but it may come with another consequence—the best effort from the opposing team.

The Giants cannot take any team lightly in 2011. Even the under-.500 teams could give the Giants a run for their money, and they need to be prepared.

The Giants saw this reality during their season-opening series when they lost three out of four to the now third-place Dodgers. San Francisco began 2011 2-4 and did not play good defensive or offensive baseball.

Since then, however, the Giants have bounced back and currently have a 35-27 record.

In addition to their stellar pitching, the Giants have since cut down on their errors and are getting timely hits again—the formula for their success in 2010. If the Giants play their game and pitch like they know how to, they should be able to overcome the target on their backs.

5. The Defense


Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The Giants may not have had the best defense range-wise in 2010, but they were able to make the plays on everything they got to.

The Giants defense is subpar in 2011, but most of their errors came early on. The Giants are currently 13th-worst in the National League in errors with 40 and 12th in the league in fielding percentage at .983.

According to Baseball-Reference, as a team, San Francisco's Rtot (the number of runs above or below average the player was worth based on the number of plays made) is minus-three, so their defense has slightly cost them a few runs.

One glaring defensive question mark is Miguel Tejada. As a shortstop this season, Tejada has made six errors and has a .942 fielding percentage in 27 games—with an Rtot of minus-three.

The Giants have made the most of Tejada by placing him at third base while Pablo Sandoval is recovering from his injury. Tejada has responded nicely by making just one error in 27 games, with an Rtot of four and a .988 fielding percentage.

If the Giants want to repeat as champions in 2011, they will have to continue doing something they excelled at last season—catching the ball.




Vinnie Cestone is a blogger/reporter for The Talking Giants Baseball Blog. Unless otherwise noted, all information was obtained first-hand or from official materials from ESPN or the Major League Baseball website.

This article was featured on The Bleacher Report.

Follow me on twitter @vintalkingiants.

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