Photo by Luke Thomas
By Stefan Cohen
April 13, 2009
After the first week of San Francisco Giants baseball, my pre-season optimism has dwindled slightly, but there’s still twenty-five baseball filled weeks left, so I’ll keep my cool.
Two wins in the first six games isn’t anything to freak out about when baseball teams play 162 games during a season (try telling some of my friends that), but it’s the way that they are losing these games that alarms me.
Sounding the alarm is in the Giants’ rotation, the supposed strength of our team. Some of the so-called experts called it the best rotation in baseball as little as a week ago. This week, though, they obviously were not. Pitcher Tim Lincecum had a horrid first start of the season, allowing three runs in three innings and needing 78 pitches, and followed it up with a 5 1/3 inning, four-run outing while allowing a career high ten hits.
The great Randy Johnson had a slightly better first outing, allowing four in five innings, including a three-run homer to opposing pitcher, Yovani Gallardo. He will pitch on Monday during the Dodgers’ home opener with a chance to stop the Giants three-game losing streak. He has started eleven games at Chávez Ravine in his career and is 7-0 with a 2.04 ERA, and a 1.05 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched).
Pitcher Matt Cain pitched spectacularly. He was hitting his spots and taking care of the Milwaukee hitters with apparent ease. He will next pitch Wednesday against the Dodgers, so let’s hope he can carry over some momentum from his first start.
Pitcher Matt Cain with Giants President Larry Baer.
Barry Zito did poorly, but was a great deal better than where he was at this point last season. He had a hard-braking curve and a very solid change-up, both pitches that he didn’t posses until after his ghastly zero for eight start last year. Interestingly enough, after his past two bad seasons, Zito is 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA in 4 starts at Dodger Stadium.
Giants pitcher Barry Zito.
The fourth starter to under-perform early in this season was Jonathan Sanchez, who almost looked like an ace for the first two innings with a mid-90 mph fastball that seemed to have a little extra hop on it. He never had control of the strike zone, but in his final three innings it became clear his control was not going to get any better, and he started walking people. A double in the fifth ended his night.
So even with the strength of the team – actually the weakness in the first week – and with the team still unable to hit and field consistently, I remain optimistic for the remainder of the season. Baseball is a long, grueling sport that doesn’t truly begin until mid-June at the earliest.
Hopefully it was not a foreboding week for the rest of the year.
The Hunger Site
April 14, 2009 at 11:33 am
Stefan,
I agree. Too early. While we were getting smoked
11-1 the Yankees were being clubbed 15-5. This is a much better team than last year.
And, Ralph. I grew up in St. Louis and Stan Musial was the whole show for years and it was enough. Kinda like Ernie Banks with the Cubs. Real baseball fans come out if it’s only to see the visiting team. It’s the game that counts.
Visiting St. Louis now and got tickets to see Albert Pujols face the great Mets pitching next week.
Glad to see you added a sports columnist, Luke. Get that boy credentials and he’ll have the hottest look at the Giants in town. He knows as much as any of the regular beat guys and provides a new generation view.
h.
April 14, 2009 at 6:42 am
I grew up in Massachusetts in the 1950s rooting for the Boston Red Sox. Even with Ted Williams, it was a dismal period for the team. About late May or early June as the losses mounted, the jokesters in the press, the local taverns, and pool halls would start chanting, “Wait till next year.”
I have a feeling of déjà vu all over again about our San Francisco Giants. With the exception of one outing by Matt Cain, the vaunted starting pitching, supposedly the Giants’ strong suit, is not performing up to expectations. And the clutch hitting. . . I know, I know, it is very early in the season, but I see yet another sub .500 season and a fourth or fifth place finish in the NL West. Luckily, we in the Bay Area have many other entertainment choices to spend our dwindling discretionary income on. Unluckily for the Giants, the team’s abysmal start will probably effect ticket sales.
Maybe next year.