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

 VS

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.
 

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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.

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.

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

San Francisco Giants Versus Philadelphia Phillies Preview: Another Legendary Matchup

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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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)

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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Christina Loren and DailyBaseballData.com contributed to this story.
 

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