Category Archives: Statistics

Post-Game Notes: Lights Out Bullpen [as usual] and Home Improvement, but from who?

Where would this team be with Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez still fully healthy? We can’t really just predict, but just imagine Pablo Sandoval. Now think about what this team would look like if Sandoval could bat 3 times through a lineup.

I guess that’s the best that I can do in terms of explaining how amazing this team would be not only with Posey and Sanchez still in the lineup, but the “Bullet” Darren Ford on the bench, and Brandon Belt there to use his disciplined approach to give Huff a few days off.

This team healthy would be beyond competent to win 95 games. They’ve mastered the process of winning 1-run and close games, and we can only imagine if this team could just go from their mark of 3.6 runs per game to a modestly improved 4.0, maybe 4.3. Then, maybe I can leave Aubrey Huff, Andres Torres, Miguel Tejada, so on, and so on all alone.
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Post-Game Notes: Improved First Half, Romo’s [usual] dominance, and more

This was just one of those games, where you have no choice but to tip your cap to the other pitcher. Today that was Ryan Dempster, who simply had everything working while dominating the Giants offense through 8.0 IP and only surrendering 1 ER on 6 hits.

Tim Linceum picked up where he left off against the Twins, striking out 9 batters through 7.0 IP and only allowing 5 hits. It seems as he’s gotten through this season’s “August 2010” with the two consecutive solid starts, and it’s a relief for everyone.

It’s hard to pin this loss on any one person, especially since the offense that showed up with 19 runs in the double-header yesterday. Clearly Dempster is nothing special, but when you combine his above-average performance with a less-than-average offense, this is the result you often see.

The Giants managed to tie the game in the 9th when Mike Quade questionably pulled Dempster, who was at 86 pitches and had only surrendered those 3 hits. It was a solid at-bat by Pat Burrell, combined with a more-than-crucial mistake from Tony Campana, and likely the biggest hit of Emmanuel Burriss’ MLB career. Continue reading →

Limiting Ryan Vogelsong

With Ryan Vogelsong continuing to excel as a starting pitcher for the Giants, questions about his continuation on the starting rotation are beginning to arise.  Most revolve around the return of Barry Zito, but another factor that is often being overlooked is that of workload.

Vogelsong has never been a workhorse, the likes of Roy Halladay or even Matt Cain for that matter.  In fact he spent his last few years pitching in Japan as a reliever.  Just for a reference, he pitched 65.1 innings in ’08, 41.2 innings in ’09, and 95.1 innings in ’10 back in the states with the Triple-A teams of both the Angels and the Phillies.  Even as a full-time starter with the Pirates in ’04, he only managed 133.0 IP, his career high.