POSTGAME RECAP: Giants Play One Good Inning, Lose

The Marlins can’t hit. The Giants can’t hit. Fortunately, getting a hit isn’t the only way to reach base. Someone alert Sir Bam Bam. Eleven Marlins reached base without getting a hit. Ten walks, one reached on an error. See, it’s easy!

Zito didn’t have a good game. This is a disgusting understatement. But since it is his first hiccup of the year, I’ll leave the jokes to the Lunatic Fringe. Which I think I’m on. Oh well, I need a night off.

I was keeping track of the Giants’ inability to hit with runners in scoring position until the Giants decided not to even bother with runners anymore. Phew, no more math. Then Heath Bell ruined all of the fun. With his big head and his big…legs. And his stupid pitches that the Giants could actually hit. If only Ozzie Guillen was a traditional manager who refused to pull his closer despite said closer not having his stuff. If only. That’s two days in a row Guillen has made a great decision late in the game. I think he’s juicing.

The Hector Sanchez experiment is over. He starts when Zito pitches and in day games after a night game. Watching Brandon Belt flail is much better than watching Hector Sanchez flail. I don’t know why, but it just is.

Joaquin Arias has been quite a find. Another two hits and a dazzling play at short. Rot, Manny Burriss, rot with your singles and your other singles. Arias will play almost everyday because of his position flexibility. He plays second, short, and can back up at third.

Oh and Pablo Sandoval has a lot of pain in his hand. Probably one of those hambone things. See? Told you Arias was going to play more.

Stat of the Day:

Walks. So many walks.

POSTGAME RECAP: Matt Cain Should Pitch To The Score

The reason the Giants aren’t in first place can be summed up perfectly by two things: Matt Kemp, and that 8th inning. Leadoff double. Bases loaded with one out. Christ Posey at the plate. In play, out(s). Inning over. Friggle fraggle frig.

The Marlins manager looks like a genius. Intentionally walking Panda to face Posey, the bringing in a sinkerballer with force outs all around the diamond. Starting to think this Castro guy is onto something. His name is Guillen? He’s not even Cuban? Then what was all the fuss about?

I would say that Matt Cain got Cain’d, but you aren’t supposed to use the word you are defining in the definition. Matt Cain got f*cked. Hard.

Giants with RISP on the season: .008/.012/.016. Or maybe that was just today. Nope, that is in fact from the last five seasons. All the candy and unicorns in the world can’t convince me that even if the umpire makes the right call and gives Theriot a 2-out double in the 9th, that Sanchez knocks him in. Wasn’t gonna happen. The game was lost in the 8th.

Matt Cain loses a game 2-1. Color me surprised.

Stats of the Day:

5: Grounders to first for unassisted putouts induced to left-handed hitters by Nolasco (3 in a row by Belt)

3: The number of bases stolen by Marlins today

2: The number of balls hit by Cain that went further than Stanton’s home run

1: The number of 0-fers Pablo Sandoval has taken this year. Astounding.

0: The number of defensive innings Pablo Sandoval has missed this season (Burriss pinch-ran for him the first game of the season). Astounding.

Jeremy Affeldt Goes To The DL

On October 30th, 2010 Jeremy Affeldt retired 4 of the 5 Rangers he faced in Game 3 of the World Series. On the same date in 2011 the San Francisco Giants picked up a $5 million option to keep the left hander through the end of 2012. Today, Jeremy Affeldt went on the disabled list with a right knee sprain. They have called up 29-year-old lefty Travis Blackley from Fresno, who will make his season debut in his first appearance.

With the loss of Brian Wilson, every member of the bullpen was bumped up a level. Each guy would pitch a little later in the game, face a few more high leverage situations. With Affeldt’s departure, the amount and intensity of the workload for each bullpen stalwart will further increase. There will be added pressure on Javier Lopez to get lefties out, and guys like Mota, Hensley, and Romo will be called on to face more left-handed hitters in high-leverage situations.

Other than a rough 6-hit outing in Martin Scorsese’s The Colorado Affair and a pair of poorly-timed wild pitches, Jeremy Affeldt has been a solid option in the 7th and 8th innings. His 4.06 ERA is not indicative of how he has pitched- Affeldt is striking out almost a batter per inning and has 2.5 to 1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The bullpen is better with Affeldt’s paralyzing curveball and sensual soul patch, and Giants fans should hope for a speedy return.

To fill the void in left-handedness, the Giants couldn’t go with the Usual Suspects- Otero, Edlefsen, Hembree- instead choosing to call up the 6’3”, 190-lb. Blackley. The Australian has had success in Fresno this season, allowing just 16 baserunners in 23.1 innings with a Zitonian ERA of 0.39. But at 29 he is far from a prospect, and this call-up is simply a bridge to Affledt’s return.

The Giants open a three-game series with the Miami Marlins tonight, where Matt Cain (1-1, 2.37) will square off against Ricky Nolasco (2-0, 3.20). Game time is 7:15 PST.

Update: Henry Schulman reports that Bochy expects Affeldt to be out 7-10 days, with a brief rehab assignment.