Results tagged ‘ Kung Fu Panda ’
Big Win Against Phillies in Series Opener
In what, realistically, could be a preview of an opening round playoff matchup, the Giants came away with a huge win over the Phillies last night. I know we still have plenty of baseball to go before talking playoffs, but it’s hard not to think about it. If the Giants win the Wild Card, then their likely first round opponent would be the boys from Philadelphia as they wouldn’t be able to play within their division for the first round. So with that, plus the Phillies dealing for Cliff Lee, plus the Giants dealing for Ryan Garko and Freddy Sanchez, it’s hard not to think that this series could have some serious implications.
I have to admit, I was really nervous about this opening game. With the enigmatic Jonathan Sanchez on the hill, you just don’t know if you’re going to get 7 innings of shutout ball or 2 1/3 with 6 earned runs. And despite the fact that the Phillies were using Rodrigo Lopez, I knew that their offense could easily support him if they could just get to Sanchez early enough. When the Phils went up 1-0 in the first, I bit my lip and waited.
And then it happened. Andres Torres with a bunt single and a stolen base, the spectaculaly emerging Eugenio Velez with an RBI double, Kung Fu Panda with a sacrifice fly and suddenly the Giants were back on top 2-1. The rest of the first inning slosed out quietly, but then it was Sanchez’ turn to make some noise of his own.
After an 11 pitch second inning, my confidence in Sanchez grew a little. He looked strong. He looked determined. And even after Jimmy Rollins ended up on third with no outs in the 3rd inning, Sanchez seemed unfazed as he plowed through the heart of the Phillies order to preserve the lead.
On paper, Sanchez’ line of 5 2/3 innings with 2 earned runs might not look all that impressive, but his 7 Ks expressed his dominance and until Chase Utley’s solo shot to lead off the sixth, he never once looked like he was in trouble. He actually didn’t look too bad after giving up the meaningless dinger which put the Phillies only 5 runs down instead of 6. He got Jayson Werth to fly out and Ryan Howard to ground out and still looked in control. I don’t necessarily think he shoul dhave been hooked after walking Raul Ibanez, but better safe than sorry. The Giants were up, Sanchez pitched well, and the bullpen was able to handle the rest.
As for our offense, well, who needs this Freddy Sanchez guy anyway? Actually I’m just kidding. We do. We really do. But it was great to see the Giants bats take over a game in which their opponents had the ability to outslug them on any given day. The clutch hitting of Velez (who apparently really really really wants to stay up with the big club), the quality at bats of Torres, and the return of Pablo Sandoval (who was struggling since the break) were huge for the Giants on a night where their offense was desperately needed. It woul dhave been nice to see Bengie Molina and Ryan Garko kick in a little more, but I have no problem with them saving a little for the Phillies latest acquisition, Cliff Lee, who starts for them tonight.
All in all, last night’s victory was a great way to kick off a series against a playoff contender and I hope it gives the Giants a little more confidence as they’ll be facing much tougher pitchers over the next three games. But if they keep their heads straight and maintain their plate discipline, I don’t see why they can’t win a couple more.
All eyes in the baseball world will be on Cliff Lee tonight, but for us, it’s about focusing on Ryan Sadowski and out hitters. Let everyone else worry about Lee’s NL debut. We need to treat it like it’s business as usual. We need to play hard and as my good friend, The Big E, says, “play it like it’s game 7 of the World Series!”
Kung Fu Panda Boosts All Star Candidacy
I have to admit it. If it wasn’t for fantasy baseball I don’t think Pablo Sandoval would have been as high on my radar as he’s been over the last year and a half. In fantasy, the one they call Kung Fu Panda had tremendous value going into this season, not because of his .300+ batting average and clutch hits, but because of his eligibility at the catcher’s position. Walking into this season, the top 3 fantasy catchers were Russell Martin, Joe Mauer and Geovany Soto. Victor Martinez hovered around there too, but people were still waiting to see if his power came back. And then there was Sandoval.
Because Sandoval had played the minimum requirement of 10 games at the catcher’s position, he qualified there for fantasy leagues regardless of whether or not he played a single game there this season. That’s quite a commodity in fantasy circles. He had always hit for a high average in the minors and then when he came up at the end of last season and hit .357 in 145 at bats, people took notice. My radar immediately went off and as I prepared for my fantasy drafts this season, Sandoval was on each of my bid sheets as a catcher.
But I was not alone. As a matter of fact, in all 5 of my leagues (yes, I have 5 different fantasy teams in 5 different leagues) Sandoval was on the majority of everyone’s lists. A few people had him at third, but mostly everyone had him at catcher. The competition for him was so fierce, that I had to let him go in some and lost him to more aggressive bids in others. I was definitely disappointed, and when he came ou tof the gate as strong as he did this season, my disappointment grew.
Sandoval has grown into quite a player overall. Built like the 5th Molina, he has surprisingly quick feet and has flashed some pretty good leather over at the hot corner this season. That, along with his .332 average, 13 HR and 3 stolen bases, have made him one of the hottest tickets around. And I’m not talking just fantasy…..reality too!
Going on a minimum of 200 at bats (a pretty good level for starting third basemen), Sandoval’s .332 average is tops for players at his position. His 13 HR ties him for 10th overall and his 48 RBI rank him 7th. Not bad for a guy who, for all intents and purposes, is a rookie.
Even more telling are things like his 94 hits and .346 OBP that rank him 7th among third sackers, and his .572 slugging percentage rank him second. Not to mention, his 6 errors put him so far “down” on the list, I didn’t even feel the need to count. Hell, there are half a dozen third basemen out there have have double digit error totals, so you know the Panda’s looking sharp.
And now yesterday he cracks his first career grand slam with two outs to break the game open and send Matt Cain off to his 10th win of the season? Not only is he a fantasy player’s dream, but he’s definitely endeared himself to the fans and to all of his teammates. He’s got a great attitude and comes to play every day. I’ve never seen him give less than he is capable of and for that I applaud him. You bet your *** he’s got my vote for the All Star Game!
And he should have yours too!
Giants Start Interleague Homestand With Sweep of Oakland
After going 6-4 on a road trip against the bottom feeders of the NL, the Giants started off their 9 game interleague homestand with a crucial sweep of their cross bay rivals. Tim Lincecum, Randy Johnson and Matt Cain provided quality starting pitching, Bengie Molina, Pablo Sandoval and Aaron Rowand continued to impress at the plate, the sparsely used bullpen was perfect, and we even got clutch performances out of our bench, namely Nate Schierholtz and Andres Torres. With the A’s holding a 16-8 record over the Giants during the last 3 seasons, it was time for a turnaround. The Giants have the potential to go somewhere this season while the A’s are biding their sorry time until they deal Matt Holliday at the trade deadline. A sweep was a statement that needed to be made.
Friday night kicked off the battle and all eyes were on the mound. It made no difference who the hitters were. The focus was on Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum vesus hot upstart rookie Vin Mazzaro, and neither disappointed. Lincecum tossed a complete game shutout and Mazzaro actually had a no hitter through 4innings. Both were primed for dazzling performances.
The fifth inning was the only rough spot in the game and that obviously went the Giants way as Lincecum contributed to his own cause by hitting a 2 out bases loaded single to give the Giants the lead. Rowand continued his offensive explosion with a 2 run single of his own to follow. The Giants were up and they never looked back. As a matter of fact, Lincecum allowed only 2 hits the rest of the way.
Giving credit where credit is due, Mazzaro maintained his poise and finished off the Giants in the 6th and left the game with only one inning of blemish. This kid is on the right track for success at this level, and if/when we face him in Oakland next week, we’re going to need to be at our best again to beat him.
Saturday’s game was just as exciting as the Big Unit notched win # 301 on the same day the Giants honored their 1989 NL Championship team. Everyone seemed to ignore the fact that they got swept in the series back then, but who can blame them? Living in the past gets you nowhere.
In any event, Johnson was impressive going 7 strong innings allowing only a pair of runs, Bengie’s bat gave us an early lead, and the Giants got some key hitting in the 7th inning to break the 2-2 tie and take the lead, which they never relinquished. Torres, playing for Fred Lewis looked good going 1 for 2, and Schierholtz had a pinch hit RBI single to finish off the 7th and give the Giants a little breathing room. At no point did the A’s look like they were going to be coming back. Not at all. So much so that, if you ask me, they went into Sunday’s game already beaten.
And who could expect them to think otherwise with Matt Cain on the hill. He’s been the Giants most impressive starter this season, and Sunday was more of the same as he went on to pitch a complete game 4 hitter with 9 Ks. He was as dominant as I’ve seen him pitch this season. I guess a little run support can change your whole outlook.
After a first inning shot by Jack Cust put the A’s up 1-0, Cain settled down and took care of Holliday and Jason Giambi on 5 pitches. Then, in the bottom half, after a series of hits to tie the game, Sandoval joined the party with a 2 run shot to give the Giants a 3-1 lead, another that they would never relinquish.
With a 10 hit barrage that included and inside the park home run for Schierholtz who earned himself a little more playing time, the Giants cruised to victory and sent their AL counterparts back across the bay with nothing to show for it.
Hitting wise, the series was solid. Pitching wise, it was near perfect. 2 complete games from your top two guys and your ”third” starter allows only 2 runs in 7 innings. Seriosuly, how could you ask for more? Next up is a three game set against the Angels that begins tonight, so here’s a quick glance at the pitching matchups:
Monday: Barry Zito (3-6, 4.09) vs John Lackey (1-2, 6.61)
Tuesday: Jonathan Sanchez (2-6, 4.84) vs Ervin Santana (1-3, 7.47)
Wednesday: Tim Lincecum (6-1, 2.66) vs Matt Palmer (6-0, 4.11)
While the names you see on the Angels side look impressive, both Santana and Lackey are strill trying to get themselves back into game shape as they continue to recover from injuries. Palmer has an impressive record, but the 29 year old journeyman has shown some vulnerability lately and still has to match our ace. Now I’m not going out to buy more brooms just yet, but I’d be silly not to entertain the idea. Wishful thinking? Yes. In the realm of possibility though? Definitely.
mlblogsgiantsbuzz
Recent Comments