Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Game Wrap 4/20/2011: Rockies 10 Giants 2

After the way the Giants went after the Rampaging Rockies in the first two games of the series, you had to wonder if they might come out flat in game 3, day game after night game getaway day at the end of a road trip. Matt Cain had an uncharacteristically bad game and the offense was mostly quiet. Hey! It's just one game. Doesn't matter if you lose 10-2 or 1-0, it's still just 1 loss in the standings. The Giants leave the House of Horrors better off than coming in. Key lines:

Freddy Sanchez= 2 for 3, BB. BA= .329 Freddy's BA just keeps rising.

Buster Posey- 2 for 3, SB(3). BA= .308. I thought Posey needed and deserved a day off. With the off day tomorrow, would have given the legs a 2 day rest. Not that Posey would have it, but it is a 162 game season. Gonna need those legs in August and September. At least he came out early and Whiteside finished up for the second time in 3 games.

Matt Cain- 4.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 6 K's, HBP. ERA= 3.42. Cainer fell victim to the longball as Wiggy took him deep for 3 runs in the 4 run 2'nd inning. Cain has been the subject of almost endless discussion about whether his relatively low HR's Allowed totals represent luck or a skill or if it's all due to park effects and weak opponents. This game will undoubtedly bolster the case for the "luck" crowd. Still, it's only the second dinger Cainer has given up in 4 games. If he starts 32 games on the season, that projects to 16 which would be the second fewest he's given up in his career so far. Chalk this one up to one of those games and a little BAD luck thrown in. I expect him to bounce back with a great start next time.

The L dropped the Giants to 3 games back of the NL West leading Rockies, still one game better than coming into the series. They have now won their last 4 series but haven't been able to use the brooms yet. The Rampaging Rockies were the hottest team in baseball and had a chance to bury the Giants almost before the season started. Instead, the Giants gained a game and sent a message that they aren't going to let this be a cakewalk for the Rocks.

The Giants get tomorrow off then start a 3 game series and homestand against their NLDS rivals, the Atlanta Braves. The off days on both ends of the series allows the Giants to go with a 4 man rotation for the time being so the pitchers for the series will be Bumgarner, Lincecum and Sanchez.

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