GAMEBALL and JOKER 07/23 GIANTS at BRAVES

BIG WIN…..and you hear it all the time, but today was a big one for the records and for the psyche…..avoiding the sweep is a huge lift to an otherwise fucked up visit to Atlanta….but it also put the stop to what could be the beginning of a BIG slide……a 3 game slide is nothing….as the Giants have had a 6 game slide and two 4 game slides already this season…..and even though they have been outclassed the entire roadtrip, they have only fallen 3 games off the All Star Break mark…..not great, but considering how bad they have looked, and how tough the competition has played this could have easily been a 0-7 trip…..now comes the fun part……Visiting the Rockies…..with Cain vs Hammel in a game that is just as big as today……first you want to get off to a good start after flopping in the openers in Pittsburg and Atlanta….second, it’s the best pitching matchup for the Giants…..after Cain it’s a crap shoot with Sanchez and Sadowski in Coors……

GAMEBALL and JOKER 07/23 GIANTS at BRAVES

GAMEBALL

ZITO

Baseball is a funny game…. and "what have you done for me lately" is in full operation……so forget the pre all star break Zito, and embrace the "New Zito"…..the twitterless Zito was effective in his second start in a row….not especially sharp, and maybe a little lucky……but I tell you one thing, he was making the pitches when he needed to and that curve had a nice tight snap to it, looking like the plus plus pitch we marveled at from across the bay…..

TIP OF THE CAP :
NATE
With Bowker and Lewis threatening his job, Nate gave us a nice performance with a great play up against the wall in right, then a come backer to knock Mike Gonzales from the game and a hustle score from 2nd on a bunt to take the lead….. Nate with 3 hits in total including 2 off lefties

ISHIKAWA
Goodness gracious….3 hits including a hustle bunt and no strikeouts……keep the contact going kid, making contact is 1/2 the battle…..

URIBE
Hustles down the line and then the header on the ball for the lead……if you get hit in the head with the ball, you should get an RBI…..just my opinion…….and then another hustle play trying to take third leads to another errant throw and a run……

WINN
Warming up again with a 2 out hit to pick up Bowker and Downs……

LEWIS/ SANDOVAL
1st inning walk / Double got the Giants on the board early…..and for this team that’s a big deal…..

JOKER

DOWNS

This kid is the Sadowski of 2nd base… and neither kid shouldn’t be here….. some quick early success followed by the realization that his minor league track record tells the story….not a BAD player, but not a Major Leaguer either…..easy to like, carries himself with maturity…..both players may make the Majors as a useful piece someday, but both players are miscast in the starting roles they currently occupy and there are better alternatives in the minors…….you may know that I am no Franny lover, but the kid has done nothing but hit hit hit in the minors and despite his lack of power and speed, has an uncanny knack for putting the bat on the ball and contact is 1/2 the battle……so either the Giants have some grand plan in motion (unlikely), or they could be outmaneuvered by a 14 year old with a copy of Baseball Digest (more likely)……

SMACK OF THE STICK :
MOLINA
Took a fat 0 for 5…..despite having a few hard hit balls……I will give him a quick smack just for hacking…..but I am thinking this 0 for 5 coulda been a 3 for 5 with a little better luck

ESCOBAR
Oh man, despite this kids scorching hot bat, he really set the stage for the Giants win…..after his homer in his first AB, he took a juicy changeup just above the belt for ball 4…and started walking to 1st….too bad the UMP called it a strike… as Escobar telegraphed his feelings with body language, he really must have gotten under the umps skin……then in the 6th with the game in the balance, Escobar took a full count belt high curve for strike three setting up a strike em out throw em out DP…..the pitch was close for sure, but you KNOW after the BS complaining earlier in the game, the umpire was FORCED to stick to his guns and call that pitch as well……live and learn kid, 2 strikes means protect….if you are looking for a walk in that situation, more often than not you can turn tail and head back to the dugout……..


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