2010 TYIB Awards

Pitching won the World Series and yet not a single Giants starter is amongst the nominees for MLB’s This Year In Baseball Awards.  Who comes up with the nominees?   It almost seems too silly to participate in the voting, but of course I did.  If you’d like to vote party, here’s a handy-dandy cheat sheet.  Remember you can vote more than once in each category, so make sure you tag every Giant!

STARS

Rookie – Buster Posey

Closer – Brian Wilson

X-Factor – Pat Burrell

Executive – Brian Sabean

Manager – Bruce Bochy

Postseason MVP – Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Cody Ross, Brian Wilson

MUST C

Postseason – Tim Lincecum, Buster Posey, Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe, Brian Wilson

And there you have it.  Apparently there was nothing to see from the Giants until they hit the postseason.  Awesome.  

2010 Rookie of the Year

Congrats to Buster Posey on being the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year!

  

Buster beat out his main contender, Jason Heyward with 129 points to Heyward’s 107.  I don’t really get how the points thing works, but it sounds good.  

At least in my neck of the woods, there’s been a lot of speculation as to whether Posey would get it, as Heyward and Posey’s records are fairly close, but Heyward played all year while Posey didn’t show up until June.  I’m not sure what put Posey over the top.  I don’t think it was the post-season, because I think they have to vote on that stuff before it happens.  It was probably the complete shift in awesome between Pre-Posey-Giants and Post-Posey-Giants.  Or maybe it was because Posey is a catcher, and catching the best pitching staff in baseball, while Heyward is a right fielder, which probably isn’t as glorious a position.  

Whatever the reason, good decision Voters of Stuff!  

Rookie of the Year AND World Series ring in the same year?  It’s good to be Buster.

The Torture is Over

I’m supposed to be preparing for my trip to Seattle.  I have tons to wrap up at work, I have packing to do, but I can’t concentrate.  How the heck am I suppose to accomplish anything after last night?  

I started by listening to it on the radio on my way home from work.  Cliff Lee was back.  Uh oh.  This is going to be tough.  Sounds like we’re coming back to San Francisco and I’m going to miss it.  Damn.

But no, Lincecum is in full force too!  Three up, three down.  The Freak is on the mound and he’s taking no prisoners.  He saw Cain and Bumgarner’s shut outs and he wants a taste.  This is going to be a tight race.  

For seven innings they battled, neither giving up a run.  This is what everyone wanted in the first game.  This is what everyone wanted when Lincecum faced Halladay.  This is a pitcher’s duel.  

VS

Then in the 7th, the first slip.  Ross and Uribe hit singles to center field.  Could this be the opportunity?  Huff bunts…BUNTS a sacrifice and the two men on gain a base.  Ross is so close to putting a run on this board.  I couldn’t sit, I couldn’t watch, I HAD to watch.  Burrell up.  Oh no, why is he still playing?  Maybe this will be his time to make up for his post-season.  Sacrifice fly?  Get someone home?  C’mon Burrell!  Strike out.  Ack.  So much for drama.  Edgar Renteria up. Now would be a good time for a home run, I really said that. He hits it out of the park.  Where there were no runs scored by either team, now there are three and they are Giants runs.  

OMG!  And it’s the 7th.  We can hold them until the end.  We do it all the time.  This is our thing.  We have it!  

Lincecum gets excited and Nelson Cruz knocks one out of the park.  Whoops!  Okay so the lead is getting tighter, we can still do it.  Ian Kinsler walks. Oh no, Lincecum is losing it.  The Rangers are going to issue out some payback now.  

Nope!

Lincecum reigns it in and adds two more strikeouts to his belt, ending the inning before more damage is done.  He also takes care of the 8th.  I’m thinking, much like Bumgarner the night before, he probably could have knocked out the 9th too, but Bochy sticks with tradition and brings in Wilson to finish it off.  

No champagne, no jumping up and down, I just sat there on the couch soaking in the surreality of the moment.  I watched all the post-game coverage, I watched the awards given out in the Rangers hidecloset, I did some dishes and listened to Jewel, which has nothing to do with baseball but somehow helped satiate the excitement that was consuming me.  

I dreamed about baseball. I woke up thinking about baseball.  I’m not going to get anything done.  I’m going to be in Seattle with no underwear.

But who cares?  THE GIANTS WON THE FREAKIN’ WORLD SERIES!!!!!

Watching the World Series last year, when my baseball obsession was starting to blossom, I thought and wrote the following:

I got home in time to see the Yankees win it and watch the post-game hoopla and I got to wondering what it would feel like to have a team you had an investment with in a game like this, win or lose.

Who the heck could have thought that it would happen the very next World Series?  I can’t even believe.  I still don’t believe it.  I’m not sure it’s sunk in completely. I have no idea how to even communicate my thoughts on all this.  I feel like I could write an entire book on these guys in one sitting, while at the same time I’m struggling just to put a coherent sentence together.  

I love this team.  I love everything about them that everyone is now latching on to. I love the misfits, the team made up of rookies and players nobody wanted.  I love the beards and ‘fros and pandas and freaks.  I love that every person on the team contributed in some way.  When someone was slumping, someone else rose to the occasion.  They’re all superstars.  I’ve followed them from Spring Training to the top of the world.  I never want this band to break up. 

In some ways this might be a horrible season for me to have started caring.  It can only be downhill from here.  It’s not like this can happen every year, right?

“Why not?” ~ Buster Posey

Giants-Rangers Game 4: Rookie Sensation

Who knows what this Bumgarner guy is going to do?  That’s what I was thinking going into this anyway.  I like the guy, but he hasn’t been ridiculously dominate or anything, and this is the World Series, and the potential tie-winning game for the Rangers.  So what’s he going to do?  How about this?

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Madison Bumgarner, W (2-0)	8	3	0	0	2	6	0	2.18

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/1/2010.

The Giants shut down the Rangers for the second time this World Series.  The fifth highest scoring team in the majors in the regular season, and they’ve been shut down twice.  Yes yes Media, I know I know; their bats disappeared.  Funny how that keeps happening when the Giants are in town.  

I knew it was going to be a good night when it seemed like the innings where Texas was pitching took forever whereas the innings where the Giants were pitching were like one, two, three.  I think Tommy Hunter averaged about twenty pitchers per batter, seemed like.  Stands to reason he only lasted four innings, the dude must have been tired.  

Bumgarner, on the other hand, lasted eight, and probably could have went all nine, but I guess since it’s the World Series and all, Bochy decided to play it safe and bring in Wilson for the last inning.  The guy has to do something this series, right?  

Considering the scores of the first two games, not a great deal of offense from the Giants last night, but in a shut out, I guess you only need one run.  Top of the 3rd, Aubrey Huff takes his new job as DH seriously and knocks one out of the right field, driving in Torres and making it a 2-0 game.  Freddy Sanchez was surprised:

I was too.  Can’t remember the last time Huff hit a homer.  He used to do it regularly.  So there was the game winner.  In the 7th, Torres doubles in Renteria and in the 8th Buster Posey remembers who he was and slams another one out of the park, making it a 4-0 game. 

So one more to go.  I am on egg shells of course. Do not want to jinx anything.  Thirty-eight of the last 44 teams to have a 3-1 in the World Series went on to win, so good odds.  But still, there were those eleven who thought the same thing. 

I hope they win tonight, even though they’re still stuck in Texas.  Seems unlikely we’ll beat Cliff Lee twice, but a lot of things have seemed unlikely this season.  That’s kind of the Giants thing, to do the unlikely.  It’d be great if Lincecum clinched it, being Mr. Franchise and all.  Plus, I have to go out of town first thing Wednesday morning, and I want a day of celebration, which would have to be Tuesday.  So yeah Giants, do it for me, would ya?

WORLD SERIES WIN COUNTER

Giants-Rangers Game 2: Cake Walks

I am completely confused as to what’s going on.  This is not Giants baseball as I have come to know it.  20 runs in two games?  Not that I’m complaining, mind you, it’s kind of nice actually.  Is this what games are like for other fans?  Lots of runs, great defense, no torture?  I could get used to it, but on the other hand, the pessimist in me is waiting for the other shoe to drop.  

It started out like a normal Giants game.  No runs for the first four innings, both Cain and Wilson (C.J. Wilson, now our Wilson) shutting out the competition.  Then Edgar Renteria decides to relive his past World Series experience and knocks one out of the park. 1-0, still a normal Giants game.  That run ultimately won the game BTW, but let’s keep going.

Bottom of the 7th, Juan Uribe, the other “old guy” on the team with post-season experience, knocks a single into right field and Cody Ross scores.  2-0 Giants.  Okay now, from past experience, the goal now is to keep those measly two runs and prevent the other guys from catching up by using our awesome bullpen to shut them down, sealing the deal with Brian Wilson.

But then the 8th happened.  Like this:

• O’Day now pitching, strikes out Torres.  One out.
• Freddy Sanchez up, strikes out.  Two out.
• Buster Posey, single to second base.  Still two out.
• O’Day replaced by Derek Holland. Nate Schierholtz walks.  Buster to 2B.  Still two out.
• Cody Ross walks, Posey to 3B, Scheirholtz to 2B.  Bases loaded.  Still two out.
• Aubrey Huff WALKS.  Posey scores.  Scheirholtz to 3B.  Ross to 2B.  Still two out.  SFG: 3, TEX: 0.
• Holland out, Lowe in.  Walks Juan Uribe.  Scheriholtz scores.  Ross to 3B. Huff to 2B.  Still two out.  SFG: 4, TEX: 0.
• Renteria singles to LF, Ross and Huff score.  Still two out.  SFG: 6, TEX: 0.  
• Lowe out, Kirkman in.  Aaron Rowand triples to RF, Uribe and Renteria score.  Still two out.  SFG: 8, TEX: 0.
• Andres Torres doubles to LF, Rowand scores. Still two out.  SFG: 9, TEX: 0.
• Freddy Sanchez strikes out swinging.  Three out.

The Texas bullpen just died or something.  Giants score 7 runs in one inning, two from walks.  It was like one of those cake walks at the community fair, where everyone is just walking around in circles waiting for the music to stop.  It finally stopped after 7 runs.  Of course, as I said above, only 1 run was needed to win this game, so the 8th inning was just icing, but an icing that certainly boosted confidence and hopefully sucked some life out of Texas.  I guarantee you there will be a pitchers meeting before Game 3.  

Fear the ‘Fro again, people!  Matt Cain performed another shut out, keeping his post-season 0.00 ERA intact.  I’m so glad the world gets to see how awesome this guy is.  (Well, the world that’s watching, because y’know.. the Yankees and Red Sox aren’t in it this year.)   Ian Kinsler almost knocked one out of the park in the 5th, but he was about 10 cents short and the Ranger remained scoreless.  

	Series	Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	Inngs	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
2010	NLDS g2	Oct 8	SFG		ATL	L,4-5	GS-7	6.2	7	1	0	2	6	0	0.00
2010	NLCS g3	Oct 19	SFG		PHI	W,3-0	GS-7	7.0	2	0	0	3	5	0	0.00
2010	WS g2	Oct 28	SFG		TEX	W,9-0	GS-8	7.2	4	0	0	2	2	0	0.00
								21.1	13	1	0	7	13	0	0.00

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/29/2010.

Matt Cain everyone!

Speaking of awesome pitching, and I don’t think I ever have spoken about this guy, but how sick is Javier Lopez?  His crazy pitching style had me from the beginning, but I always overlook him in my posts because he generally only pitches for one or two at-bats.  But they’re always smoking.  He takes out left handers like a freakin’ ninja with Chinese throwing stars.  His sideways looking bullet eliminated Hamilton’s last chance to get something going in the 8th.  It was a beautiful thing.

So the Giants are 2-0 so far.  Everyone around here is getting all cocky again, just like they did in the NLCS. I hate that, personally. I guess I’m too negative to celebrate before anything is official.  Of course, all the premature back patters were right about the NLCS, so maybe they’ll be right about the World Series too.  I heard on the way to work this morning that a 2-0 lead has happened 51 times in World Series history, and of those 51 2-0 teams, forty have gone on to win the title.  Pretty good odds, but how much you want to bet the Giants were one of those 9 teams who didn’t make it?

Not to be negative though.  Be positive. But not too positive.  Everyone keep wearing the same hats, sweaters, lucky socks; whatever you’re doing keep it going.  Don’t change your routine now.  We’re in Texas now.  Enemy territory.  Don’t look ahead, focus on the next game.  Keep your cool, your determination, look for those lucky breaks to feed on.  Wait…who am I talking to?

GO GIANTS

WORLD SERIES WIN COUNTER

Giants-Rangers Game 1: First Down

The Giants add another pitcher’s pelt to their wall next to Jimenez, Latos, Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels.  Here’s Cliff Lee’s new post-season stats:

Rk		Series	Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	H	R	BB	SO	HR
1	2009	NLDS g1	Oct 7	PHI		COL	W,5-1	6	1	0	5	0
2	2009	NLDS g4	Oct 12	PHI	@	COL	W,5-4	5	3	3	5	0
3	2009	NLCS g3	Oct 18	PHI		LAD	W,11-0	3	0	0	10	0
4	2009	WS g1	Oct 28	PHI	@	NYY	W,6-1	6	1	0	10	0
5	2009	WS g5	Nov 2	PHI		NYY	W,8-6	7	5	3	3	0
2010 Postseason			Series	Tm		Opp	Rslt	H	R	BB	SO	HR
6	2010	ALDS g1	Oct 6	TEX	@	TBR	W,5-1	5	1	0	10	1
7	2010	ALDS g5	Oct 12	TEX	@	TBR	W,5-1	6	1	0	11	0
8	2010	ALCS g3	Oct 18	TEX	@	NYY	W,8-0	2	0	1	13	0
9	2010	WS g1	Oct 27	TEX	@	SFG	L,7-11	8	7	1	7	0
								48	19	8	74	1

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/28/2010.

That “L” on the last row? That’s the Giants.  Not only does nobody think the Giants are going to win this series, absolutely nobody saw them defeating Lee, especially in an 11-7 game.  The Giants don’t have offense, what was that about?

Even I’m somewhat baffled.  I’m not sure what any of it means.  I would have preferred that the Giants kept the 8-2 score they had in the 5th, that makes more sense to me.  The Giants strength all season has been their ability to keep runs at bay.  So it concerns me that after Lincecum leaves the game the bullpen gives up 5 more runs in 4 innings.  Yes, the Giants scored 11 runs and took the win, but can they do that all the time?  Are they going to have to?  They’ve only scored double digits fourteen times this season. 

On the other hand, I’ve heard the Rangers are pretty good about not giving up runs too, especially Cliff “third greatest post-season pitcher of all time” Lee, and yet they gave up 11.  So I really have no idea what to make of this game.  Maybe it was a fluke for both teams. 

I would like to think that the Rangers 3 runs in the 9th were mostly because Bochy didn’t put in Wilson right away, per usual, and I would like to think that the reason he did that was because the Giants were far enough ahead that he wanted to save Wilson and give other closers a chance to see some action.  Of course, it didn’t work out for Ramirez or Affeldt and Wilson ended up coming in anyway, but maybe those last 3 runs were “freebies” or something.  

Another “battle of the great pitchers of all time” hype that didn’t live up to itself.  Despite giving up more runs, Lee tied Lincecum in the hits department, dominated him in strikeouts and ultimately ended up with a slightly better ERA, even though he pitched one less inning.  But obviously, given the amount of runs in the game, neither star pitcher gave his best performance and the media was once again sad.

The tack-on offense was just amazing last night.  Consider that the Rangers had 8 hits off Lincecum but only generated 4 runs, while the Giants had 8 hits off Lee and generated 7 runs.  The singles and double just kept coming, and it always seem like it was when there were two outs.  Freddie Sanchez made World Series history by hitting three doubles in one game, generating three RBIs.  Posey, Schierholtz, Ross, Huff and Ishikawa all got to contribute RBIs and Juan UUUU-Ribe once again batted one out of the park with two on base.  God I love that guy.  He doesn’t always hit, but when he hits it’s always good.

Aside from the lame Fox announcers, two things I hated about last night’s presentation: 1) They completely skipped the opening pitch by Giants hall-of-famers in favor of focusing on two igits in the press box who, by their own admission later in the game, don’t know what they’re talking about.  How come I had to watch them instead of watching Orlando Cepeda, Gaylord Perry, Juan Marichal and Willie McCovey?  I don’t even know what they said.  Who cares what they said!  2) Didn’t get to see whether or not the crowd cheered when they announced Bengie Molina.  That was a discussion around the bay area all week, as to whether that would happen.  I heard on the radio this morning that they did in fact cheer his name, and I’m glad for it. I love the Bengie, even if he’s in the wrong colors.  

Speaking of Bengie, his latest blog entry is full of warm-hearted goodness.  My favorite bit:

The first time I was up, I wished Posey luck and he wished me luck. Then I looked out at Lincecum and touched the bill of my cap, and he touched his in response.

 

I had as special a relationship with Timmy as I have had with any pitcher. Maybe because he was so young when I began catching him and I became a mentor to him. We have texted since I was traded but I had not seen him or talked to him in person until the game yesterday. I had heard he had said really nice things about me to the press.

 

When he came up to bat for the first time, I stood and told him, “I want you to know that hits or no hits, win or lose, you’re my boy.”

“Hey, Be-Mo, I love you.”

Then we both got to work.

Awesome.  

Game 1 is in the bag.  Cliff Lee defeated.  The Giants are 1-0.  We’re still making the media scratch their heads in bewilderment.  Keep it up!  

GO GIANTS!

WORLD SERIES WIN COUNTER

Texas vs San Francisco

It’s the day before the next and final hurdle, so here’s where I’m supposed to see how Texas ranks against San Francisco, how their pitchers do against our batters, etc. but I don’t really feel like it.  

For one, it hasn’t really mattered.  All these post-season teams are closer to each other than most people seem to want to admit.  So it doesn’t really matter if so-an-so’s ERA is has a .04 difference to the opposition.  What happens during the games is what matters.  

Secondly, post-season stats and regular season stats seem to be two different beasts.  Was Cody Ross a hero during the regular season?  Nope.  Has Buster Posey hit anything I can remember in the post-season?  Nope.  Comparing Cliff Lee to Tim Lincecum doesn’t really work because Cliff Lee is a post-season 1.26 ERA god, whereas during the regular season nobody’s looking at his 3.98 ERA twice.  

Lastly it’s kinda hard to compare how two teams played each other this year when they didn’t play each other this year.  

So I’ve got nothing to offer this series. Just like when I post all those stats, ultimately we all have to just wait and see what happens.  

Speaking of “seeing what happens” it’s really great to read and hear about how few people will want to see what happens because apparently these two teams are insignificant and not worth tuning into.  I don’t get why everything has to be East Coast all the time. Why do the same teams have to play every year for people to tune in?  How fun is that?  Why does it have to be Yankees/Phillies for it to matter?  

Why do the Giants NOT matter when they’ve been around since 1883 and have a W-L record second only to the Yankees?  How does that make them insignificant?  Granted, all their World Series success was in New York, but they’ve had division and pennant titles since then they almost always have a star or two on the roster, and are generally fairly competitive in a difficult division.  

In fact, as far as baseball history, franchise, legacy stuff goes, the Giants should be way up there.  Certainly the top in the National League, alongside the Dodgers.  But the way everyone’s acting, it’s like they have to watch the Diamondbacks vs the Mariners or something. Geez people, try a little West Coast once in a while, it’s not that bad!

Okay I need to stop watching and reading sports news, at least until the series is over. It’s making me bitter, and I want to be in a good mood right now.  The Giants are in the World Freakin’ Series!  Y’all ain’t gonna get me down!  

Can ya feel the legacy yet?

Giants-Phillies Game 4: Mirror Universe

Yesterday’s Game 4 was the opposite of Game 3, lackluster pitching, stellar offense and horribly torturous.  

It started as I left work, so I got to listen to it on the radio on my commute home, which is always a nice way to stave off the boredom of the drive.  Sanchez scores off an RBI from Posey in the 1st and I instantly think “uh oh” for some reason.  I have no stats or research to back this up, but I always feel like when the Giants score early they end up losing it.  Still, first run on the board, so let’s try and be excited, shall we?  

Bottom of the 3rd, again Buster drives in Huff to score with a double to center field.  Well alright, maybe this will be okay!  Let’s do this!

Top of the 5th, everything falls apart and the Phillies score 4 runs.  Ack.  The crappy post-season announcers start patting themselves on the back because their team is now winning and start spouting off stats like how the Giants haven’t score more than 3 runs in game since Game 2 against Pittsburgh in 1975.  ”Can that be right?” I thought to myself but figured it probably was.  So we’re out then right?  Darn.

Somewhat answering back, Huff drives in Torres with a single to center field.  Okay well they’ve hit their cap.  Still losing.

Bottom of the 6th, Pablo Sandoval of all people hits a double and Burrell and Ross score.  WHAT THE HECK?  That’s more than 3 runs!  We’re ahead again!  OH MY GOD are we going to do this?

Top of the 8th, Jason “the Jesus” Werth hits a double and Ryan Howard scores, tying the game.  I get pissed at this point.  I hate tied games after the 7th.  I loathe them.  I hate the idea and possibility of extra innings.  Extra innings are so damn torturous and seemingly never ending.  And yet here we are, probably going into extra innings.  At this point I admit, I was a bad fan and took a break.  Dishes needed to get done anyway, kids needed to be put to bed.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to come back.  But the wife was uncharacteristically light with the cooking hardware and dishes were done relatively quickly, and back again was I in front of the television, nails digging into sweaty palms.

Nothing happens for the Giants in the 8th, nothing happens for the Phillies in the 9th.  The status quo remains, extra innings are looming, I need to turn this off but I can’t.  The Phillies bring in Roy Oswalt for the 9th.  NOT HIM!  He schooled the Giants in Game 2, we’re never going to get anything now.  The only saving grace, I thought to myself, was that if we lose tonight, at least they had to wreck their second starter to do it.

But wait, he’s on two days rest and they’re hitting off him.  Single by Huff!  Single by Posey, Huff takes 3rd!  They bring in Uribe.  He hasn’t played all night, his wrist is jacked, but I knew he could do it.  Hindsight is 20/20, but I was feeling it. I was positive. I don’t know why, I’m rarely positive.  But Huff was right there, it wouldn’t take much.  He could do it. UUUU-RIBE! sacrifices one to left field and Huff slides into home.  

GIANTS WIN!

I feel like I need to burst with opinionated ravings but I also want to just shut up and let it ride until it’s done done.  No jinxes.  Everybody keeps asking me today if I’m happy and excited, and yes of course, but my answer is always “we still got one to go” because I don’t want to get ahead of this.  

Lincecum vs Halladay rematch tonight.  I’m trying not to cave to superstition (because I easily could) but whatever everybody did on Game 1 of the post-season, do it again.  Lincecum needs to be on fire.  I want a win tonight.  I don’t want another away win, where the celebratory Giants are surrounded by sad faces and crying managers. I want to see orange rally rags and panda hats and chicks with beards.  

Tonight will be the hardest game the Giants have had to win all season.  But it’s going to be the hardest game the Phillies have had to win all season too.  

Philadelphia vs San Francisco

In an effort to kill time while I impatiently wait for Saturday, I guess I’ll do what I did last time before facing the Braves and look at some numbers going into the Championship series.  I should point out that looking at the numbers didn’t help me predict anything in any way, and they probably won’t again, but it makes my blog look fancy, so let’s do it anyway.  

How do they rank overall?  Well I already know the Phillies are the #1 ranked team, but let’s suffer through the details anyway:

Rk	Tm	W	L	W-L%	last10	last20	last30
1	PHI	97	65	.599	6-4	15-5	23-7
3	NYY	95	67	.586	3-7	8-12	13-17
5	SFG	92	70	.568	7-3	12-8	20-10
8	TEX	90	72	.556	6-4	11-9	16-14

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/13/2010.

Yep, they pretty much dominate everything in that department, don’t they?  The Giants have a better “Last 10″ but not by much, and that’s not counting the post season, where the Giants lost one to the Braves while the Phillies swept the Reds.  So yeah, no help there.  (But keep in mind that the #1 team doesn’t always win the World Series!)  Let’s see how they do against each other:

Date	Tm		Opp		RS	RA
2010-04-26	San Francisco Giants		Philadelphia Phillies	W	5	1
2010-04-27	San Francisco Giants		Philadelphia Phillies	W	6	2
2010-04-28	San Francisco Giants		Philadelphia Phillies	L	6	7
2010-08-17	San Francisco Giants	@	Philadelphia Phillies	L	3	9
2010-08-18	San Francisco Giants	@	Philadelphia Phillies	L	2	8
2010-08-19	San Francisco Giants	@	Philadelphia Phillies	W	5	2
For 2010, SFG won 3, PHI won 3.

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/13/2010.

Hey that’s better!  3-3 against each other this season, and both teams have a 2-1 record in away games.  So if we don’t do so hot in Philadelphia, maybe we can make up some ground when we return home.  

Of course the big draw of this series is the pitching.  It’s great that the starting rotation is in sync too, so we’ll be getting one against one, two against two, etc.  So like last time, sticking with just the first game pitching, we have the superstars: Roy Halladay vs Tim Lincecum.

Roy Halladay:

	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA
Eli Whiteside	2	1	0	1	2	0	1	.667
Aubrey Huff	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	.333
Edgar Renteria	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.500
Cody Ross	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	.167
Jonathan Sanchez	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Pablo Sandoval	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	.500
Nate Schierholtz	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Andres Torres	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.250

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/13/2010.

Tim Lincecum:

	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA
Ryan Howard	2	1	0	1	1	0	1	.667
Greg Dobbs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Ross Gload	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Cole Hamels	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	.000
Raul Ibanez	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	.000
Roy Oswalt	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.200
Placido Polanco	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.333
Carlos Ruiz	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Chase Utley	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Shane Victorino	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	.000
Jayson Werth	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	.000

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/13/2010.

Summary

Pretty close overall though Lincecum edges out in the RBI’s allowed and overall Batting Average against him and is the clear winner in the Strikeouts department.  They’ve both pitched one game during the playoffs, and while Halladay’s was probably more note-worthy as it was a no-hitter, Lincecum’s two-hitter was more success in terms of overall pitching domination as he had 14 strikeouts to Halladay’s eight.  AND Roy Halladay has yet to face Pat Burrell, Buster Posey and Juan Uribe, who could arguably be our best hitters right now.

But a close race to be sure.  I’m really looking forward to this series.  As I’ve mentioned many times before, I like the Phillies quite a bit so I’m excited to face them.  Of course I want the Giants to come out on top, but regardless of the outcome, watching two of my favorite teams going head-to-head in the NLCS should be really fun!

Braves-Giants Game 2 & 3: Blind Luck

Unlike the Yankees and Phillies, who have swept their opponents and are on their way to the Championship Series (again – congrats!) the Giants are 2-1 against the Braves and need one more.  I should be somewhat happy (at least we’re ahead) but I’m not.  Let’s recap:

GAME 1 – Giants score the only run of the game because an error by the umpire let’s Posey stay in scoring position when he should have been out.

GAME 2 – Start off really strong (for the Giants) with a 4 run lead by the 2nd only to lose it in the end by a failed bullpen lead by Romo.

GAME 3 – Giants again score first, thanks to an error by Brooks Conrad, only to lose the lead towards the end because of Romo again, only this time they come back and take the lead again because of another error by Brooks Conrad.  

To me it feels like we’re back in April.  Starting pitching is ridiculously awesome, the bullpen (*coughROMOcough*) keeps giving it up, players are stranded on base over and over (how many bases loaded scenarios did they waste this weekend?) and every game is decided by one lucky or unlucky run.  

When they went into this, I was living off the high of winning the NL West, and truthfully didn’t care if they got any farther.  Why be selfish right?  Well now I want them to win.  Maybe not take everything, but I want them to beat the Braves.  I don’t want to get schooled by the Wild Card (sorry Twins!).  I want to make it to the Championship.  

More importantly, I want them to play better then they’ve been playing.  I know they’re better.  They need to dominate a game like I know they can.  I want to see 14-2 tonight.  I want to see hitting tonight. I want to see a win because they deserved it, not because they got lucky.  

Because luck isn’t going to beat Philadelphia.  

P.S.

Shave off your stupid beard, Romo.  It’s not working.