Was a strange weekend for the Giants as well, as we look back on these 3 games and we really don't feel like we were outclassed by this Reds team….the Giants out homered and out hit the Reds, but it was the smaller parts of the game where the Reds killed us…..drawing more walks, turning more Double Plays, throwing fewer wild pitches and committing fewer errors……. the Giants were doing everything a contender cannot do, when they really pissed away a series they could have won…..Are the Giants in this? Well not for long if they keep shooting themselves in the foot…….
GAMEBALL and JOKER 08/07-08/09 GIANTS at REDS
GAMEBALL
VELEZ
This kid is just kicking ass and taking names….ever since his recall, with a 56 game hitting streak (I think, I didn't actually count the games) and this weekend he was a force with 3 singles, 1 double, and 2 homers with a stolen base and a nice play Saturday against the fence in left fighting the Sun……Probably not the first to mention this, but Velez reminds me a little bit of Alfonzo Soriano……now I don't think that Velez has the same power potential as Soriano, but Soriano wasn't exactly a slugger in the minors either…..both from San Pedro De Marcoris Dominican Republic, the the most prolific city in the DR at producing Major Leaguers….both were miscast as 2nd baseman, toyed with conversion to Center Field, before settling in Left (We hope)……free swinging leadoff men with low OBP's but the ability to generate loud contact and tremendous bat speed with a small frame……They both were relatively late bloomers with Velez making his splash at 27, and Soriano made his splash at 26……of course its WAY too soon to say that Velez is even half the player that Soriano became, but it is nice to dream and the parallels seemed too compelling to ignore…….
TIP OF THE CAP :
ZITO
What the hell is going on here…..Zito is our ace???? well, since the Giants have returned from the Break Zito HAS been the ace on a team with Lincecum and Cain…….way to step it up Zito and good job being the only Veteran to give out Autos at the picnic, even it if was to promote your buddies wine…..and guess what, the word FREE was enough to move the wine……you and Wilson just made the crowd happier to drink the wine……
MOLINA
I take full responsibility……Friday and Saturday in warm-ups I yelled encouragement to our cleanup hitter from the first row, and in both instances he uncharacteristically looked over, smiled, and pointed at me in acknowledgement…..despite his act of ignoring the fans jeers, the guy can hear you……sure we get frustrated with him, but personally I always try to be encouraging to our own and as disheartening to the opposition as possible…without profanity or peoples mothers getting involved……I think it part of that home field advantage that our guys enjoy….
SANCHEZ
Lots of hits left in that stick of his, and seems to be a solid defender at 2nd as well……and I guess that one knee slide to his right, pop up and throw is his little style move…….lets hope it doesn't end up like Candy Maldonado's favorite…the slide catch…….(see Tony Pena Triple 1987 NLCS Game 6)
HOWRY
Came through with a Solid performance on Saturday bridging Zito to Wilson and Affeldt….and then handed out autos during the picnic, and rumors or passing the autographs through bullet proof glass while being protected by 12 security guards was greatly exaggerated……
HOBART BUILDING
Never even noticed….in my random wanderings in San Francisco, looking for a warm doorway to sleep in for the night I saw 3 flags atop the Hobart Building……USA, GIANTS, and WIN……..too funny……I wonder how well known this is, I certainly never heard of it…..and you can even see the coke bottle down 2nd street…..
JOKER
PANDA
It’s a new life for our offensive leader……and on this offensively challenged team we look to Pablo to come through with the big hits…….but this was a weekend to forget…….after a coming through with the go ahead hit on Friday it all started to unravel….in a tie game to start out the 9th…...little used rookie Drew Sutton laid down a bunt hit to Pablo, a play he thought he should have made judging by his body language as he walked back to his position……and then later in the inning, he made two less than perfect throws to home, one which Molina needed to make a stretch for and dropped with that big old catchers mitt and a second that hit the base runner square in the back……if those two plays get made, it’s a 6-5 game…….then on Saturday Pablo took at 0-4 with 3 AB's coming with runners on and 1 AB leading off right in front of a Molina Homer……And then on Sunday ….that was the killer…..in a off game for Cain, the Giants threatened to come back on the Reds in the 6th and 8th getting multiple runners on with no body out and Pablo at the plate…..and both times Pablo bounced into Double Plays basically countering all the work done by Velez and Freddy Sanchez to set the table…….
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SMACK OF THE STICK :
GARKO
Oh boy, 1 hit on the weekend, and the argument Ishikawa's defense being worth the "offensive" downgrade is gaining traction….with a Renteria's 2 base throwing error on an scoopable ball and then today on a not shot from Nix hit right at Garko that could have been the 2nd out turning into the Reds big inning……both tough plats…..both plays Ishikawa probably makes……and the fans notice that Ishikawa's 0 for 3 included 2 line drive at em balls to the outfield, a walk and no strike outs…….That Garko trade may payoff yet…..and the payoff may be the fans finally appreciating Ishikawa…..and Ishi taking nothing for granted……
WILSON
Wasn't exactly wild, but without a decent offspeed pitch you have to be prepared for hitters to be able to just foul off pitch after pitch….I don't care if its 100 MPH or 500 MPH, if they know its coming they can just spoil it until you walk em….and that’s what happened on Friday's meltdown……
RENTERIA
After a 2nd inning single on Friday, proceeded to go hitless the rest of the weekend…..a costly error on Friday, and noticeably hurt on every throw to 1st…….just put him on the DL and get Uribe in the lineup already….he has about the same range, a better arm and at least is a threat to go deep now and then…..
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