Tag Archives: Tim Lincecum

San Francisco Giants: Their Optimal Second-Half Starting Rotation

 

The fact that the San Francisco Giants finished the first half 12 games above .500 is no fluke.

Despite having the third-worst offense in the league based on runs scored and the second-worst offense based on OPS, the defending world champs went into the All-Star break in first place in the NL West, with a healthy three-game lead over the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks.

Three of the Giants’ five All-Stars came from the pitching rotation, which was well-deserved. Through Wednesday’s game, the rotation has a 3.19 ERA and has earned quality starts in 65 out of their 99 starts.

Still, with the Ryan Vogelsong far outperforming expectations and the uncertainty of Jonathan Sanchez and Barry Zito, the rotation is in a bit of flux.

Here is how I see the ideal starting rotation coming out of the All-Star break. Continue reading →

Brian Wilson and the 5 San Francisco Giants All-Stars: 2nd-Half Projections

The All-Star festivities and merrymaking continue in Arizona, and the San Francisco Giantsare well represented. Just a year after winning the World Series, the defending champs sent five players to the Midsummer Classic, and for good reason.

While only closer Brian Wilson made it through fan votes alone, all five Giants have had first halves worth celebrating.

Starting pitchers Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong lead the stellar pitching staff that has kept the Giants in first place, and nobody can deny how essential their contributions have been. The Giants pitchers as a whole have a 3.20 ERA, third-best in the National League, and lead the league in strikeouts with a whopping 775 (8.1 K/9). 

Wilson, whose personality is as big as his beard, has laid down another season of ninth-inning dominance. While his 3.14 ERA falls short of his numbers last year, he is still tied for second in the league with 26 saves, and he remains a terror on the mound. 

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval, the Kung Fu Panda, was a late addition to the team, replacing the injured Placido Polanco on the All-Star roster. Despite missing six weeks when he broke a bone in his hand, Sandoval has emerged as the Giants’ most destructive and reliable hitter, running a 21-game hitting streak into the All-Star break.

While these All-Stars have led their team to a three-game lead going into the break, it remains to be seen at what level they’ll perform for the rest of the year. Here are my projections for their second-half performances. Continue reading →

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 →