Giants Look to Salvage a Game, Stay in First Place in Series Finale Against Dodgers

By Vince Cestone
@vintalkingiants






                              VS

The San Francisco Giants sit atop the National League West with a slim one-game lead, but the Los Angeles Dodgers and their new shortstop Hanley Ramirez have plans to share the top spot.

The Dodgers bolstered their lineup by acquiring Ramirez from the Miami Marlins in exchange for pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and a minor leaguer. Although Ramirez is batting just .252 for the season, he has 15 home runs and is 6-for-16 with the Dodgers.

In his first at-bat with Los Angeles against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ramirez tripled and then came in to score. He proceeded to hit a game-winning home run for the Dodgers on a hanging slider from Sergio Romo in the 10th of inning of Friday night's game against the Giants.

So far, the Giants have countered by acquiring Marco Scutaro,who will play third base in the absence of Pablo Sandoval, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday with a hamstring strain. Scutaro is batting .271, with four home runs and 30 RBIs.

Although the Giants may be short-handed, San Francisco will send Ryan Vogelsong against the retooled Dodgers in the series finale. Vogelsong (8-4, 2.26 ERA) is 2-0 against the Dodgers this year with an 0.63 ERA.

In order to avoid the sweep at the hands of their rivals, the Giants will have to be on top of their game. The Dodgers' ace Clayton Kershaw (7-6, 3.14 ERA) will face off against San Francisco for the third time this season.

Vogelsong beat Kershaw twice this season by scores of 2-1 and 2-0.

The Giants lost Game 1 in the 10th inning on Ramirez's home run, after they tied the game in the eighth on a Brandon Belt two-run single. Los Angeles routed Barry Zito and the Giants 10-0 in Game 2, thanks to seven combined RBIs from Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez.

Matt Cain received a no-decision in Game 1.

Too much great pitching from Chad Billingsley and too little hitting doomed the Giants.

San Francisco has still been hot since the All-Star break. They have gone 9-5 to start the second half, including a strong 4-2 East Coast road trip.

Here are some more news and notes about tonight's rivalry game.

• The Giants outscored the Dodgers 13-0 in their three-game sweep of  Los Angeles June 25-27 at AT&T Park.
• The Giants are 4-4 against the Dodgers this season.
• ESPN predicts the Giants will have a 45% chance of beating the Dodgers today.
• The Dodgers are 2-2 since acquiring Ramirez.
• The Dodgers have not shutout the Giants by this large of a margin since 1997, where they beat them 11-0.
• Kershaw's career ERA against the Giants is 1.45, the lowest all-time--over a minimum of 50 innings.

Weather Report:

The game-time temperature will be a cool 61 degrees. An 11-mph  west-northwest wind will carry the ball to slightly right of center, a spot Dodgers' slugger Matt Kemp loves to take the ball.

Who's Hot:

• Melky Cabrera: 30-for-79, .380, 3 HR, 13 RBI, .414 on-base percentage.

Who's Not:

•  Brandon Belt: 10-for-58, .172, 4 RBI, 25 strikeouts, .258 OBP, .207 slugging percentage, .465 OPS.

 ...

The Giants have been playing good baseball since the break. Although the Dodgers took the first two games of the series, the Giants can still escape with a two-game lead in the NL West by winning one-out-of-three.

Even if the worst happens and the Dodgers sweep, the Giants will still be percentage points ahead of the Dodgers, but if the Giants can continue to pitch well at home and get just enough offense, they should have a great chance of winning today's game.

Of course, they will need to catch the ball too. Shortstop Brandon Crawford committed one miscue in the game yesterday, and Melky Cabrera failed to hit the cutoff man on a play at the plate.

San Francisco must also improve on their situational hitting. Both in the second and fifth innings, the Giants had a runner at second with nobody out, but failed to move the runner over or get him in.

With the Giants needing to play scrappy, especially with Sandoval out of the lineup, they cannot fail in those productive-out situations if they expect to win ball games. Once again, the Giants were plagued with their overaggressiveness with runners on base.

Still, the Giants are in first place by one game. They must realize that the pressure is on the Dodgers--not them--so it is their job to stay loose and look like the team ahead in the standings.



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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.

San Francisco Giants' Sergio Romo Wrongly Snubbed from All-Star Game

By Vince Cestone

@vintalkingiants

Photo by SD Dirk/Flickr

2-1, 0.83 ERA, 4/4 in save opportunities.

These video game-like numbers are not part of my MLB 12: The Show season. They represent Sergio Romo's 2012 real season.

Wouldn't you put this man in the 2012 All-Star Game in Kansas City? Apparently not.

Romo was not chosen to represent the San Francisco Giants and the National League when selection ended Sunday, even with his excellent numbers.

Romo is the best right-handed setup man in the league. Although he is second in the league in earned-run average, Romo has a minuscule 0.74 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) and a 4.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Not dominant enough for you?

Romo averages 12 strikeouts per game with his premier slider and sneaky fastball. In addition, he has given up just 10 hits in 21.2 innings pitched.

The original purpose of the All-Star Game was to showcase the best each league had to offer (which is why I do not agree with every team needing one representative in the All-Star Game). The National League players and coaches missed a great addition to their bullpen.

Here are the relievers who made it to the Midsummer Classic over Romo:

• Aroldis Chapman: 4-4, 1.98 ERA, 64-12 K/BB, 9/13 Saves, 0.77 WHIP
• Joel Hanrahan: 3-0, 2.10 ERA, 35-15 K/BB, 20/22 Saves, 1.07 WHIP
• Craig Kimbrel: 0-1, 1.50 ERA, 50-10 K/BB, 23/24 Saves, 0.77 WHIP

Romo has a better ERA, save percentage (albeit Romo only had four chances), and a better WHIP than the above relievers who made the National League All-Star Team.

Romo may have been overlooked because he is not a closer. Regardless, the bearded right-hander's numbers show he is a more effective pitcher than the above All-Star relievers.

Was Romo undeservedly snubbed? My opinion is clear, but the players and coaches had something else in mind.

The other Giants in the 2012 All-Star Game were voted in by the fans as starters. Buster Posey will start at catcher, Melky Cabrera will patrol right field, and Pablo Sandoval will man third base.

The Giants have not had this many starting players on an All-Star team since 2001 when Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent, and Rich Aurilia all represented San Francisco for the National League.


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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this opinion article.

Check out my NBCBayArea.com article on the San Jose Giants' Joe Panik.

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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