There was a point last year when Tim Lincecum would start games and look pretty bad. Keep in mind, this is back when Lincecum was generally a really good pitcher. Still, he had a tendency to give up a couple hits or walks before he got a good command of the strike zone and truly settle in. Typically at that point he’d be in great shape, but it led to quite a few antsy first innings for Giants fans. As a result, Lincecum started to spend more time warming up before games, trying to work out the kinks before the game started, rather than using the first inning as a de facto warmup.
So here’s the plan. On Tim Lincecum’s next start, he’s facing the Dodgers on June 27 at 12:45 pm. The Giants will hire a bunch of actors, dress them in blue, and tell them to stand in the batter’s box against Lincecum and do nothing except wave the bat menacingly and do their best to look like soulless Dodgers players. Then Bruce Bochy will tell Lincecum that the game starts at 12:30, and send him out there against the “Dodgers” players. He’ll walk a few, hit a few, but and then settle down. And that’s when the game really begins.
Because I don’t understand this crap, Timmy. I’ve seen Timmy look bad, but rarely that bad. And I’ve seen Timmy look good, but rarely that good. A Tim Lincecum start is becoming a soap opera all on its own, where the writers are so bored that they’ve turned every character into a caricature. Bad Timmy is horrendous. Good Timmy is glorious. There is no middle ground.
But Tim, congrats on the quality start. Here’s hoping that the last five innings were more representative of the future than the beginning of the first inning. Of course, I’ve written this before.
***
On the offense, these hitters just could not do execute for 8 innings tonight. I started writing this wrap in the 7th inning, thinking I was going to end up writing the same wrap I’ve written time and time again. I was going to use phrases like “tip your cap,” “credit where credit is due,” and “LOL San Jose.” But nope. Ryan Cook, who has been one of the best relievers in the league before tonight, forgot where the strike zone was, and Collin Cowgill was just barely too short to catch Brandon Belt’s game-tying double. So to hell with giving credit. Fuck your cap, go to a casino and tip your dealer instead. Give San Jose to the A’s, I don’t care. We’ve got Brandon Belt and Buster Posey. Who needs Silicon Valley?
Brandon Watch 2012:
Crawford: Meh.
Belt: A walk and a game-tying double to give him a 10-game hitting streak. I’m a big fan of the new Brandon Belt, especially now that we’ve been seeing more of his goofy side, in interviews and such. But man, that HBP was scary. Kruk and Kuip talk a lot about the mentality of a batter who gets hit by a pitch, and about how much they don’t want to “rub it” afterward, to let the pitcher know they they hurt you. Now, I believe that Belt is a tough sumbitch, but he was in some serious pain today. Especially given the time that Belt missed with a broken wrist, that was certainly scary. Here’s hoping it doesn’t turn out to be something worse, especially considering that he and Gregor Blanco seemed like the only ones actually trying tonight before the 9th inning.
Stats of the Day:
28: Consecutive PAs by the A’s without getting a hit
9: Giants batters in the 9th inning
4: Strikeouts for Ryan Theriot
3: Stolen bases for Gregor Blanco
2: A’s fans in attendance
1: Games gained on the Dodgers tonight
0.57: Ryan Cook’s ERA before tonight
1.71: Ryan Cook’s ERA after tonight.
Bonus Stat of the Day: