Results tagged ‘ Rich Aurilia ’

Can We Call for a Do-Over?

     This is gettin’ ugly, folks.  We’re not even a full week into the second half of the season and we’re already now 9 1/2 games behind the Dodgers and still a half game behind the Rockies in the Wild Card standings.  What’s going on with us here?  It’s not like we’re facing the cream of the crop, hell, we’re gettin’ squirreled by the bottom of the barrel.

     Losing 2 of 3 to Pittsburgh was bad enough, but now the Braves are making us look like….well, you know the word I’m looking for here.  We’ve dropped the first two and can only hope for a split in the series.  That is, of course, if we can eke out a pair of wins before we have to deal with the surging Rockies.

     We’ve got Tim Lincecum going for us today, but after seeing what our offense has looked like since the Break, I don’t know if little Timmy can do it all on his own.  Remember the gem he tossed the first game back from the Break.  The only thing that him starting that day meant that the Pirates needed a few extra innings to kick us to the curb.  It’s downright embarrassing.  Especially for a team who says they don’t need another bat and they don’t want to screw up their team chemistry.  Give me a break!

     The season doesn’t end until the 4th of October this year (Thanksgiving and the World Series at my house this year!) and we’ve got a long long way to go.  It’s obvious that we can’t rely on our own hitters for consistency, so let’s get some damed help in here!  Not to mention, we’re also dealing with some bumps and bruises and the depth that we have is atrocious.

     Aaron Rowand is banged up so Andres Torres is filling in with his equally punchless bat — ok, Torres has been solid so far, but is that really who we want to lean on when we need a clutch hit?  We’re also dealing with throwing that useless meat sack Rich Aurilia on the DL and who do we have to fill in?  Kevin Frandsen just got shipped back out so we can bring up the .196-hitting Matt Downs?  Yuck!  Bengie Molina and Pablo Sandoval are carrying far too much weight (literal, not proverbial) to not start breaking down, Edgar Renteria is moving up in years, and we’re still testing out whether or not John Bowker can be a major leaguer?

     And we’re worried about clubhouse chemistry???

     I don’t even know what to say anymore.  It’s just awful to watch a team with so much potential unravel while it’s management sits idle and does nothing to help.  We’ve lost 4 of our first 5 in the second half and we need to do something to stop the bleeding.  You folks know what I want…..I know what you want……someone needs to get this team onto our page and it needs to be done fast.

     Unless someone just lets me call a do-over…..

Mid-Season Reports Cards — Batters

     So we’ve made it to the All Star Break, and I have to admit, things are looking pretty good right now.  That’s not to say that we don’t need a whole lot of fixing still or that we should be totally satisfied with where we’re at, but, in my opinion, we’ve definitely exceeded expectations.  I don’t think there was an expert out there who could claim that he predicted the Giants to be 10 games above .500 and the current leader in the Wild Card standings.  Not one.  Not even me.

     And you have to admit, we didn’t start off in the best of ways either.  We may have taken 2 of 3 from Milwaukee to open the season, but do you remember how Tim Lincecum looked out there?  And how about that atrocious 0-6 road trip to SoCal that made us look like a bunch of chumps?  We were a team built on pitching and our hitters couldn’t get anything going.  As a matter of fact, it probably wasn’t until the beginning of June that we pulled ourselves out of the league basement in runs scored.  We may have been winning some nice close games, but offensively, we were in the toilet.

     So how did we do it?  How did we end up where we’re at today?  Well, overall, I’d say it was our pitching that did the majority of it for us, but there have also been a few shining stars on our offense too.  Today, we’ll grade the hitters.  Tomorrow we’ll take care of the arms.

     My grades are based on quite a number of things.  Besides offensive production, I’m also including things like defense, attitude, and general affect on the team.  I’ll try to be as objective as possible, and although I’ve really grown to love this team as my own, I’m going to be hard on them too.  We’ve got a long way to go before we should be thinking about the playoffs, but atleast we’re on the right path.

Catchers

Bengie Molina – I think the high expectations have finally caught up with the big guy.  He’s got 11 HR and 50 RBI keeping him on pace for last years totals, but that .264 average and horiffic .269 OBP need some work.  Hard to fault a guy with minimal protection for not carrying the offense.  Defensively, he’s about average but I think it’s passable for right now.  He’s going to need some more rest from behind the dish to stay fresh for the stretch run.  Grade: B

Eli Whiteside – 18 games and a .267 average.  He’s nothing special offensively but he seems to call a good game behind the plate.  Bonus points for catching Jonathan Sanchez’ no-hitter.  People forget just how integral the catcher is to that feat.  Grade:  C+

Steve Holm – He looked like he’d be Barry Zito’s personal catcher for the season, but he fell victim to roster moves and found himself back in the minors.  4 games can’t rate, in my book.  Grade:  Incomplete

Infielders

Travis Ishikawa – Nearly absent for most of the first half, Ishikawa had a few good moments.  Unfortunately, those moments rarely came at a necessary time.  Sure, if you wanted a homer to extend a lead to 6 runs, he was there, but of his 7 home runs to date, maybe 2 of them really made a difference.  Needs to learn that he’s not a power guy and needs to concentrate on spraying the ball around the outfield gaps.  He’s ok with the glove but needs work on his scoop.  Grade:  C

Emmanuel Burriss – Thought he could be a huge asset at the top of the lineup with his speed, but he was nothing but a bust.  Even his .238 average is misleading because it only increased over about a 2 week period before he started to tank again and got demoted to the minors.  Now he’s got a broken foot and it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing him anytime soon.  Grade:  F

Kevin Frandsen – Really?  He was actually competing with Burriss during the spring?  Another infield bust whose sub-.100 average isn’t going to get him any playing time soon.  Grade:  F

Matt Downs – Almost the answer to our second base woes, but he just didnt have it.  Pretty decent with the glove although his range to his left seemed a little weak.  Only got 12 games and was shipped back down with his .194 average.  Close but no cigar.  Grade:  D

Juan Uribe – Slowly turning into a cult favorite at AT&T Park.  “OOOOOH!  REEEBAY!”  Brought in originally to back up short and third, Uribe has taken over the duties at second base and has excelled.  While his OBP could be a little higher, he is still hitting just over .300.  He’s got mid-level pop, but his 4 HR have all been integral to a Giants victory.  Seems to also be a good clubhouse presence.  Grade:  B+

Edgar Renteria – We brought him in for his veteran presence, his leadership and his glove.  We also wanted him to slot as the #2 hitter and help set the table for our bigger hitters.  It was super slow going in the beginning and Renteria even found himself hitting out of the 7 and 8 hole for a little while.  Defensively he’s sound, but we need more from him at the plate.  A .260 average and a .317 OBP aren’t going to cut it, especially if we’re going to rely on him down the stretch.  Grade:  C+

Pablo Sandoval – What more can I say about Kung Fu Panda?  We asked him to play a new position and hit .300 or better as a rookie and he’s delivered every step of the way.  He’s got only 7 errors which ranks him near the best at his position in the majors and he’s hitting .333 with 15 HR and 55 RBI.  The team couldn’t ask for a better clubhouse presence either, as he just brings out the best in everyone.  By far and away, our best player right now.  Grade: A

Rich Aurilia — A bench guy hitting .212 is really all I can say here.  He doesn’t do much at the plate and he doesn’t do much in the field.  He’s definitely got his moments, but I’d like to see us have a bigger threat off the bench.  Grade: D

Outfielders

Aaron Rowand – Was definitely on his way to a very poor grade here, but suddenly Bruce Bochy decided to try him in the leadoff spot and Rowand caught fire.  A recent slump over the last 2 weeks knocked his average down to .288, but he has been a huge asset at the plate since the mid-May switch.  He’s got 9 HR and 40 RBI which is more than solid for him, and defensively…?  Genius.  He’s always a staple on the highlight reel for his dynamic catches in centerfield.  Grade:  A-

Randy Winn – The old guy’s still got it…more or less.  Winn plays a solid outfield, is a great veteran presence in the clubhouse, and is doing ok at the plate.  He’s hitting .275 with a pair of home runs and 8 stolen bases.  I really don;t see how we can/should expect much more out of him.  Grade:  B-

Fred Lewis – a .250 average with 4 HR and a gazillion drops in the outfield has turned Lewis into nothing more than a 4th outfielder these days.  He’s been a disappointment all around this year but, while he’s lost his job, I don;t hear him mouthing off too much about it.  So props to him for that.  Unfortunately, every time I hear his name I immediately picture one of thos atrocious defensive lapses and I go cold.  Sunglasses belong on your face, not the top of your hat.  Grade:  D-

Nate Schierholtz – Hitting .288 with 3 HR in 160 AB so far, plus a solid defensive outfielder has earned him the roster spot and the starting job.  Originally slated as a reserve outfielder, Schierholtz bided his time and, when given the opportunity, excelled.  His .320 OBP look spretty good right now, but I want to see how he holds up the rest of the way.  But for now, so far, so good.  Grade:  B

Andres Torres – A sound defensive replacement in the later innings and a somewhat decent pinch hitter.  He’s not the best option off the bench, but he seems to be doing just fine with the Giants.  He’s got a nice OBP at .347 but I’d like to see him run a little more on the basepaths.  He’s only got 4 steals and if the Giants really want to play small ball, they need to let him loose a little more.  Grade:  C+

Eugenio Velez – Another one with promise coming out of Spring Training.  He was removed fromthe second base competition because the Giants wanted him as a 4th outfielder.  He’s done nothing to earn that job.  Grade:  F

     So that’s where we’re at right now, folks.  We’ve got a decent foundation, but if we’re really going to compete….if we’re really going to make a legitimate run at the playoffs, then we need to make some improvements.  Dare I say a big bat in the middle of the lineup could help things?  I dare.  But for right now, I like what I see.

     Pitchers coming tomorrow, and you know how much fun that will be!! 

Giants Take Rockies Series With 1-0 Classic

     The popular and probably most overused cliche in sports right now is the soon to be classic, “It is what it is.”  I hear it used all over the place, whether it’s baseball, basketball, football, whatever.  It doesn’t matter.  You just cost your team a playoff spot?  It is what it is.  You fumbled at the goal line?  It is what it is.  Your star player is hurt?  I should use an even older cliche right now with, “If I had a nickel…”

     But that’s what everyone in the sports world is saying these days, so I can either beat them or join them…

     The Giants rank dead last in the majors in runs scored?

     It is what it is.

     Carlos Pena has only one fewer HR than the entire Giants roster?

     It is what it is.

     Carl Crawford has more stolen bases than all the Giants put together?

     It is what it is.

     Our offense just sputters along like a Model T on a highway filled with Ferraris and Porsches.  We’re not a power team and we’re not a speed team either.  We have to scratch and claw for each and every run.  There are no ‘gimmes’.  But with that…

     The Giants are a game over .500, only 4 1/2 games behind the Dodgers, sitting with the 7th best record in the NL, and have won 9 of their last 11.

     It is what it is.

     So today, instead of lamenting about the poor offensive production, I’m going to focus on what a sweet-***, classic baseball 1-0 nail-biting win the Giants came up with yesterday.  In an age where home runs are like fights in hockey, the classic pitcher’s duel gets lost in the shuffle.  Everyone’s looking for that immediate gratification that only lasts a mere moment.  No one wants to put in the long haul for the excitement of 1-0 baseball game. 

     Well, not me.  I love it.  What may be boring for most can be a huge thrill for me.  Pitchers battling hitters, managerial nuances, being on the edge of your seat whenever a baserunner appears.  I love it all.  So let’s forget about the fact that the Giants couldn’t seem to really figure out Jason Hammel and left 13 men on base throughout the game.  Let’s talk about bigger and better things.

     Let’s talk about the fact that newly promoted back-up catcher Steve Holm caught a fantastic game.  Let’s talk about the fact that Barry Zito, coming off of his 2 best starts, continued as such with 7 scoreless innings.  Let’s talk abut the fact that the Giants squeezed out a victory that would have eluded them in years passed.  To me, it was a game filled with excitement.

     First of all, I always like seeing a young catcher come up and perform well.  It’s not an easy position to play and the young ones tend to struggle, for the most part.  Yesterday, Holm had the daunting task of replacing Sandoval behind the dish and taking over as Zito’s battery-mate after the two [Zito and Sandoval] connected for the pitcher’s two best starts in atleast a year.

     But Holm didn’t flinch.  He called a solid game.  He helped work Zito through 7 shutout innings allowing only 2 hits and a walk.  it was a gem.  And while Zito should be championed by Giants fans for his stellar performance, Holm should get credit for helping keep it all together.  Catchers rarely do.

     He definitely helped his cause by drawing a leadoff walk in the 10th which eventually became the game winnng run.  He definitely earned some of my respect after coming back from a 1-2 count to draw it.  Usually iun that situation, a rookie gets too amped up about trying to win the game in extra innings.  Holm stayed the course and became the catalyst for the victory.

     Yes, yes, Rich Aurilia with the big single….I won’t forget that.  Sure, sure, clutch hitting, blah blah blah.  But Holm shares game MVP honors with Zito if you ask me.

     And yes, before I sign off here for today, let me give a big congrats to Zito for pitching an outstanding game.  It was another solid outing on what we fans hope will be a huge rebound season.  20 1/3 innings with only 3 earned runs and 11 K’s in his last 3 starts?  I don’t want to say much more so not to jinx anything.

     Too bad the Giants offense couldn’t have shown up to get him those 3 wins.  Ah well…

     It is what it is.  

It’s Time to Move Forward

     A bit of a chaotic weekend for me which should hopefully be enough to explain my absence….

     So let’s just get right back to our Giants.  I suppose the phrase “all good things must come to an end,” is the appropriate choice for this past weekend as we took 2 out of 3 from the Arizona Diamondbacks here at AT&T Park.  We lost a 5 game win streak with Sunday’s extra inning loss, Brian Wilson’s perfect save record vanished with the crack of Justin Upton’s bat, and we lost our “holy crap these guys are awesome” streak of quality starts from our rotation when the Unit racked up 7 walks and was lifted from the game in the 4th on Saturday.

     But you know what?  None of it bothers me.  We’ve been doing exactly what were supposed to be doing.  After embarrassing ourselves on an 0-6 road trip, we came back and kicked some serious butt at home and then took that momentum and grabbed our first two road wins of the season. 

     We got some ridiculous starts out of all 5 guys in the rotation and to see Randy Johnson fail to provide his encore during the streak that started back on the 17th of April with Jonathan Sanchez, well, I’m ok with it.  After all, the guys like 73 years old, isn’t he?  

     Tim Lincecum is back on top where he belongs, recording his first win of the season while racking up 25 K’s and a 0.56 ERA in his last 2 starts;  Matt Cain has been a horse with his 2.08 ERA and 18 K’s in 26 innings this season, and the Unit, Sanchez and even Barry Zito have kicked in some fantastic work combining for 2 wins, 21.2 shutout innings, and 17 K’s in their last starts before Johnson misstep on Saturday.  That even includes a nice inning of relief from Sanchez on Saturday.

     And our bullpen was no joke either.  Until Wilson hung that fastball to Upton in the loss on Sunday, our pen has been rock solid.  Wilson has gone 3 for 3 in save chances this year and has allowed just one meaningless run in his last 6 innings of work.  He’s also notched 7 K’s in that time.  And in their last 8.1 innings combined, Jeremy Affeldt and Bobby Howry have a 0.00 ERA with 8 K’s between them.  Everything you expected from them when we were shoring up the bullpen in the offseason.

     So when you have a few blips here and there, it’s really no biggie.  Baseball is all about the law of averages, so to expect the staff to be near perfect for the entire season is a bit unrealistic.  Intermittent stumble salong the way are acceptable.

     But I’m not going to lie.  The hitting still concerns me.  Sure, Edgar Renteria seems to have found his stroke.  Yes, the always clutch Bengie Molina is 7 for his last 15 with a HR and 3 RBI including a game winning double that broke the hearts of Padres fans everywhere.  And of course, Pablo Sandoval is 6 for his last 12 with a HR and 3 RBI too.  But when Fred Lewis is your best hitter, there’s got to be something wrong.

     Aaron Rowand got off to a decent start and has a bum ankle right now, so for the sake of his poor psyche, I’m going to leave him alone.  You fans have done this poor guy in enough with your outlandish expectations of him.  But Emmanuel Burriss has been a major disappointment at the plate.  Same with Randy Winn and Travis Ishikawa.  Same with Rich Aurilia and Eugenio Velez off the bench.

     Yeah, fine…Winn hit a solid shot that turned into the game winner on Saturday, but a .217 average just ain’t gonna cut it.  I still want to see more patience at the plate and I still want to see you guys swinging through the ball, not just trying to club one out.  Until Brian Sabean brings in a Matt Holliday or maybe even a Jason Bay (both free agents at the end of the year), you’re going to have to play some small ball and win it with base hits.  Concentrate on spraying the ball around and eventually, those doubles to the gap become home runs.  They always do.  Be the hitters you are, not the one you aren’t.  Fix that, and you’ll have my confidence.

     But so here we are now, 8 and 9.  Not bad.  Obviously not the way we wanted to start, but not bad.  It’s now time to move forward.  Let’s carry the pitching momentum with us and let’s push on to more sensible hitting.  We have a big series here at home against the Dodgers and we need to give them back a little of what they gave us back in Cavez Ravine two weeks ago.

     We need to trust our starters to do their part but we need to give them run support.  And if we break out to an early lead, we’ve got to stay on our toes and not let our defense lapse.  We need to work the counts and force their pitchers to throw strikes.  We need to protect leads and maintain our intensity.  We need to beat the Dodgers, plain and simple.  The past is the past and we need to make sure we are concentraing on moving forward.  If we can get that down, there’s no team we can’t beat. 

     Here’s a look at the pitching matchups for the series:

Monday:  Barry Zito (0-2, 5.63) vs Randy Wolf (1-1, 4.26)

Tuesday:  Jonathan Sanchez (1-1, 3.65) vs Chad Billingsley (4-0, 2.05)

Wednesday:  Tim Lincecum (1-1, 2.96) vs Eric Stults (2-0, 3.52)

     The only guy who concerns me a little is Billingsley.  He’s got 26 K’s in 26.1 innings this year, and he toyed with us down in L.A. a couple of weeks ago.  If he’s pounding the strike zone, then maybe our aggressiveness at the plate can help, but if he’s fooling us on a slider in the dirt, we need to recognize it and sit back on that pitch.  Th eother guys don’t scare me at all.

     See you all out there!  

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