Too Much to Handle

What a freakin' rollercoaster. I don't like rollercoasters. They make me throw up. I can't know this because I've never been on a rollercoaster, but I'd like to think I'd throw up if I ever got on one. That's how I avoid them. And recent events are confirming my worries.

Let's start at the beginning.

The Giants acquired Carlos Beltran. You know that. What you may not know is how it all went down. The Giants traded Gary Brown. Damnit, I thought they could get him without giving up a top prospect. Wait, they're giving up Zack Wheeler. No! Wheeler's even better. They're trading Wheeler and Brown. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING SHITTING ME. Oops, they're just giving up Wheeler. Okay...I hate whoever put that rumor out there. It's very possible that the Giants are giving up Wheeler, Eric Surkamp, and Francisco Peguero for Beltran. Dead. Wait, the Giants may be getting more than just Beltran. OMG REYES?! Shutup, that isn't happening. In the end, they gave up top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler in the deal, a fairly steep price to pay, and a price I wasn't willing to pay up until today. But I trust the Giants in evaluating pitching prospects and the thought of Beltran in the lineup is jus too exciting, so I'm okay with the deal.

That's not to say this isn't a huge risk. Beltran has a pretty significant injury history and is likely a two month rental. If the Giants don't win the World Series or if Beltran gets injured and Wheeler goes on to be a star, yikes. But I've decided it's a risk worth taking. Okay.

It get's announced that Beltran will play RF, with a Schierholtz/Ross platoon in LF. Small quibble, but Schierholtz is a very good right fielder, not to mention the skill it takes to play that position at AT&T park. And why is Schierholtz getting platooned? It doesn't really make sense to give one of your better players LESS playing time, but that will be a common theme later in this post.

Matt Cain is Matt Cain. Getting shit done.

Now there's the business of clearing a 40-man and 25-man roster spot for Beltran, who will be arriving and starting tomorrow. What's this? Brandon Belt is optioned down to AAA AGAIN and Pat Burrell is released to make room on the 40-man roster. Whoa.

At first glance, the real baffling move is to send Brandon Belt back to AAA. The Giants have one of the worst players in baseball this year playing Belt's position right now. There's that whole not playing your best players theme already. And it's not like they can blame this demotion on Belt's struggles at the plate, which was at least a somewhat legitimate excuse after his first demotion. Belt has barely played, but when he has, he's hit pretty well (no hits against Clayton Kershaw, one of the best lefties in the game, so who cares). And, wait a minute, Emmanuel Burriss is still on the Major League roster? That guy as an OPS+ of 41. But he's FAST!! Give me a break. The Giants don't really need him for depth - Keppinger, Fontenot, and Crawford all play SS. The case can even be made that Crawford should be sent down before Belt. For all of his great defense, he can't hit, and isn't going to get much playing time going forward.

But the decision to release Burrell might be more mind-numbingly dumb. It wasn't necessarily that surprising because Aaron Rowand is owed too much money to be cut, of course. But Pat Burrell had the 3rd best OPS on the team this season. He really can still hit. The worst part is that he did NOT need to be released to make room on the 40-man roster. Steve Edlefsen. Clayton Tanner. Alex Hinshaw (What the hell is this love affair with Hinshaw, who is AWFUL?). Bill Hall. These guys are all not very good. Why keep them? It's so un-sabermetric, but clubhouse chemistry is very important and we have every reason to believe that Pat Burrell was a big part of that. I'd love to think a team won't grab him or maybe he can retire and stay around the team. But as I pointed out, he's too good, and a smart team will pick him up.

UPDATE: CSN, who reported this news, has failed. Pat Burrell is not eligible to come off the DL and can't be released yet. Still, the point stands and I wouldn't be surprised if he's released soon.

UPDATE #2: Holy hell, Brandon Belt isn't being sent down and this post is mostly worthless. What the hell happened at CSN today?

I don't know. I haven't processed everything. There's an argument to made that the biggest upgrade this team could make was replacing Huff with Belt, and that isn't happening. And a good player and great clubhouse presence is being dumped in favor of much worse players. I love having Beltran on this team, but the Giants are doing their best to screw it up.

2011 Opening Day Impressions

Logic seems to say that it's wise not to think much of anything that happens on Opening Day. Here are just a few observations, without many conclusions, from today's loss against the Dodgers:

There were some disappointing moments in today's game, and only a few encouraging ones, but that will happen when you face Clayton Kershaw at his best. Remember this? Brandon Belt's placement on the big league roster was the big story yesterday, and in my mind he was the most impressive Giants position player today. We finally got to see him in a big league game of meaning, and he didn't look overwhelmed at all. He had some of the best at bats against an extremely difficult left handed pitcher. His first hit wasn't conventional, but he showed his characteristic patience at the plate, drawing a walk and making LA pitchers throw a total of 27 pitches, the most of an Giant (Andres Torres 2nd with 24, no one else above 17). I don't know what the ESPN guys were talking about in his final at bat. Something about a slow minor league bat? Huh? I agree with Dave Cameron that Orel Hershiser offered some good inside baseball knowledge, but there were strange moments during the broadcast. Why the announcers became obsessed with Andres Torres swinging on 2-0 is beyond me. Also, I saw more behind the backstop camera views in this game then I've ever seen, when it was completely unnecessary.

Lincecum wasn't his fully dominant self, but he was quite strong, and fell victim to bloop singles and poor defense. Burrell and Huff at the corner outfield spots is...interesting. Tejada looked okay on some routine plays, and then tried to do too much, something that shouldn't happen. Just make the easy plays. We warned you about Tejada. But we'll revisit that in a month or so if the shortstop position shows itself to actually be a problem. I hope it works out. Posey and Sandoval also tried to do too much, and it led to the first run of the game. This game may have been very different if the Giants had been smarter in that inning. But I also don't mind the aggressiveness and will to make a play.

For a moment I was sad that Lincecum got a loss, that he was 0-1 after tonight, and then I realized I was thinking about wins and losses.

Giants Free Agent Profile: Pat Burrell

This week, we'll look at 3 current free agents that all played a large part in bringing a World Series trophy to San Francisco. Today's player is Pat Burrell.

Burrell had a miserable World Series, failing to make contact with the ball most of the time. This shouldn't take away from the productive season he had at the plate for the Giants when he was acquired in June. Burrell carried the team at times, being one of the most patient batters in the lineup, and hit some of the more memorable HRs of the 2010 season. Burrell's resurgence in San Francisco came after nearly 1.5 horrid years in Tampa Bay as a DH. So the question becomes: which is the real Burrell? As usual, it's probably somewhere in the middle.

Burrell was the first overall pick by Philadelphia in 1998 and made his debut in 2000. From 2000-2004 he was off and on, ranging from average to great to below average. In 2002, he was good enough for a 146 OPS+, only to come back the next season and post a 90. Burrell then posted 4 straight consistently good seasons from 2005 to 2008, with an average 126 OPS+. It's possible that this offensive production had something to do with the emergence of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the Phillies lineup (having good hitters around you CAN make you a better hitter, because all hitters are better when other men are on base), but that effect is likely minimal. He was a very dangerous hitter in Philly, and part of their World Series team in 2008.

Burrell has always been a classic 3 true outcomes guy. He has good power, a good eye, and strikes out a lot (players with good plate discipline strike out more often because they get into deep counts, but they make up for it usually with the walks). He also played pretty poor defense in left field for Philly. This is why he seemed like an obvious DH option for an AL team as a free agent after 2008. And that's exactly what happened, when Burrell signed with the team he had just beaten in the World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays. And nothing went right in Tampa. His walks and strikeouts went slightly in the wrong directions, but it was mostly his sudden inability to hit the ball well that was a problem. His power was cut in half, and his average dipped about 40 points, bringing his OBP along with it. And when his struggles continued in 2010, Tampa Bay had no choice but to get rid of him. So the Giants picked him up, brought him to the National League, and suddenly Pat Burrell was once again Pat Burrell. The idea is Burrell "can't" DH, that he has to play in the field to hit. A similar player who is a free agent this winter, Adam Dunn, is a perfect candidate to DH for an AL team, but supposedly is hesitant, perhaps because he just has to be a butcher in the field to be able to mash in the box. It pains me to think this is true, but it's something many fans and commentators have accepted. When Burrell regained his stroke with the Giants, it likely had a lot more to do with facing a somewhat weaker league (same could be said of Aubrey Huff). Either way, there was a difference between his performance in the NL and AL.

But can we expect him to continue that next year? Not as a starter, I believe. Burrell had positive UZR numbers in 2010, but his whole career points to him being a bad left fielder. A full season in 2011 would likely see that. And while Burrell hit very well for the Giants in the regular season, his numbers do show a decline from his prime years in Philly. His strikeout numbers are about the same, but his walk numbers are down, although still good. One of the numbers that surprised me was his O-swing percentage (swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone). Most of his time in Philly, he was around 13-16%. Last year in Tampa, it was 23%, and this season with the 2 teams he rose to 24.5%. I'm not educated enough to interpret what this means exactly, but it certainly isn't positive, and could hint at a decline that is occurring.

Still, we know Burrell is patient at the plate, and that's why I think he is a fine candidate for a bench role with the Giants, which is mostly what has been reported so far. Going against the notion that he has to play everyday in the field to be effective, I think a limited role could help keep Burrell fresh as he gets older. The Giants might end up with an outfield next year that focuses on matchups and platoons, and Burrell is a guy who could start when it is advantageous, and be a dangerous threat on the bench late in games. Going back to his patience, I think that quality is one of the most important for a pinch hitter (it's important for everyone, really). Since the pinch hitter will often be hitting in the 9th spot of the lineup, the chances of him coming up with the bases empty are greater, since the hitters in front are less likely to get on base. Therefore, the pinch hitter often needs to be the one to start a rally, rather than drive in the runs. It is somewhat strange to have an outfielder on the bench who can only play left field, and not very well, but the Giants have a few more options than most teams, because Mark DeRosa is an infielder and corner outfielder.

Because of the concerns that still linger from his days in Tampa, and the horrendous showing he had in the World Series, Burrell is not likely to be offered multiple years the way Aubrey Huff is. He is from the Bay Area, grew up a Giants fan, and just won the World Series. And he has said he'd accept a smaller role. If the Giants want Burrell, I think they have him, for not too much of a commitment. The larger question is whether his University of Miami teammate Huff will stay. As insignificant as it might be, the 2 of them brought a lot of chemistry to the team, and would be a lot happier if they were together (I know this is starting to sound "weird"). But Huff is a player for another day, so check back this week for posts about him and Giants postseason hero Juan Uribe.

SF 3, ARI 1: Closer

When Stephen Drew led off against the Giants by smacking a hanging curve ball into right field, nobody panicked, but it certainly felt a little weird. Lincecum has been in Cy Young form all month, but we've seen left handed D-Backs hit HRs against him a lot. He had trouble in the early innings, and the game was 1-0 into the 4th inning. There was plenty of time left, but it may have started to feel like one of those games. My mom, the sudden Giants fan after 50+ years of complete disinterest in all sports, thought the game was completely lost. Give her a break, she's only been watching a couple days. So even thought my dad and I were relaxed and knew there were plenty of outs left, we both may have had that lingering feeling of a 1-0 loss. And then Pat Burrell happened.

In the 4th inning, Aubrey Huff singled up the middle, and Buster Posey worked a walk. Burrell came up and promptly launched a pitch into the left field bleachers to make the score 3-1. It was just another in a long list of HUGE home runs Burrell has hit for the Giants. And it was vital that he hit it, because after the HR, the Giants hit just like they did before it. In all fairness, tonight WAS one of those games, except for the Burrell magic.

But that was all the Giants needed, because Tim Lincecum was able to get past his early struggles, and finish 7 strong innings. His final line reads: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 11 K. Javier Lopez worked the 8th, and Brian Wilson finished a somewhat stressful 9th to get finish the game. The Giants remain 2 games up with 4 to play, magic number at 3. This pretty much means all they have to do is win 2 of the next 4 games. Do it.

Tim Lincecum struck out 11 tonight, raising his league leading strikeout total to 231. He is guaranteed to keep that lead, which will give him his 3rd straight strikeout title. This is something that has only been done twice in the NL since WWII, by Warren Spahn and Randy Johnson. That is amazing to think about. While leading the league in strikeouts is really just one aspect of pitching, it's still fascinating to look at the list of great NL pitchers that failed to do what Lincecum has done. Koufax, Drysdale, Gibson, Marichal, Seaver, Carlton, Ryan, Richard, Gooden, Schilling. 7 Hall of Famers there, and Schilling will be one soon. And J.R. Richard and Doc Gooden were both very dominant in their short careers. And none of these pitchers did what Tim Lincecum has done.

SF 2, COL 1: Pitcher's Duel at Coors. Huh?

Both pitchers tonight, Tim Lincecum and Jhoulys Chacin, were great. Fortunately for us, Chacin made one mistake in location and Pat Burrell made him pay. With a runner on 1st, Chacin hung a fastball and Burrell smashed it for a no doubt homer to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. And it was glorious.

The mistake pitch came after the Rockies were able to get a run off of Tim Lincecum in the 6th inning. Lincecum actually had a perfect game going through 5 innings until he gave up a leadoff double to Seth Smith. On a groundout, Smith moved to 3rd and scored on a single that Aubrey Huff couldn't quite get to. At the time, 1 run from the Rockies seemed like a death sentence, as the Giants were showing no ability to score. It only made Burrell's homer that much sweeter.

The Giants did win, but let's point out that the same lineup that scored 13 runs last night could only manage 2 tonight. So many people are so quick to criticize Bochy's lineups these days, but I don't see what he's doing wrong. Everyone was so happy that he used the same lineup again tonight, but that lineup mostly failed to score. What is he supposed to do? What batters would people rather see? Maybe you wanted him to bench Pablo Sandoval in favor of Renteria or Fontenot? He did that, but really, how much of a difference is that going to make? The fact is, Bochy is playing the same guys he's been playing all year. Huff, Posey, Burrell, Guillen, Uribe, and Sanchez are in there every day. For whatever reason, they aren't consistently scoring runs right now. That's not on Bochy. With Torres out, the Giants are not going to have a good leadoff hitter. You can't expect Bochy to come up with a magical replacement for him. It sucks, but sometimes star players get injured and teams have to overcome it. There's nothing Bruce Bochy can do besides relying on this historic run by his pitching staff. Rant over.

Huge Win! Tim Lincecum was huge when he needed to be, and so was Pat Burrell. Let's all root for the Reds tonight!

SF 9, MIL 2: Jose Guillen Is Relevant

When the Giants acquired Cody Ross, I declared Jose Guillen redundant, irrelevant, and useless, and said that he should be relegated to a pinch hitting role. Guillen hasn't completely caught fire since then, but he's had some good games and big hits, none bigger than his 1st inning, 2 out grand slam against Milwaukee today. The Giants never looked back, scoring 5 more runs, including 2 on a Guillen single later in the game.

Guillen is a better option for the Giants not just because he's hitting lately, but because Cody Ross is failing to do so. In a very small 47 PAs, Ross' Giants slashline is .195/.277/.220/.496. Means nothing, really, because of small sample size, but still, may Andres Torres return as fast as possible. Ross' slashline may have looked a little better after today if a leadoff home run hadn't been brought back by Ryan Braun. Braun made an amazing play, and he let everyone know that he thought so too. What a hateable player he is.

Barry Zito did a good job of shutting the Brewers down after the Giants scored 4 runs in the 1st inning. He hasn't always been successful doing that, sometimes giving up a little momentum after the offense scores. Braun homered in the 6th to make the score 6-2, but Zito was able to finish the inning, and Bochy wisely got him out of their before any weirdness happened.

A big part of the Giants offense today was the patience they showed, in stark contrast to the past 2 games. They drew 7 walks as a team. Buster Posey had 3 himself, and Pat Burrell 2, both helping set up Jose Guillen's RBI situations. With the win today, the Giants moved back into 1st place in the West. The Padres just aren't the same team anymore that they were for 5 months, and Colorado gave up a 6-1 lead to the Dodgers, losing in the 10th inning. But I don't expect either team to completely go away. The Giants' postseason chances are gonna all come down to the final series against each of those teams. On Friday, the Giants travel to Denver for a weekend series. If they play well, it could mean a playoff spot. If not, it could be another "This is not good, folks" moment.

SF 5, LA 4: ...And Thence We Came Forth To See Again The Stars

Juan Uribe does not get on base that much. He plays a lot of positions in the infield, but he's not great at any of them. But goddamn can he hit one out, and it always seems to happen when it matters most. And that's why even with his surprisingly bad OPS+ of 91, he's one of the more valuable players on this team. Jeez, I sound like some writer I'd mock on FJM Friday. You can get that way after a 5-4 comeback win in LA.

But Uribe's no doubter against Broxton was just the final bomb in a barrage of HRs by the Giants near the end of the game. Matt Cain was looking good to begin the game, but the 4th inning was not kind to him. Thankfully, he was able to recover and go 3 more innings, with a final line of 7 innings, 7 hits, 4 ERs, 1 BB, and 6 K's. Buster Posey's HR in the 7th started the Giants comeback, and it was quite impressive. One of the longest HRs I think I've seen a right handed hitter hit at Dodger Stadium. Then Edgar Renteria started the 8th inning with a ball down the left field line that stayed fair to make the score 4-2. Good by Edgar, but I'd be disappointed if that 1 HR earned him lots more playing time. It probably will.

Pat Burrell then came up, and after falling behind 0-2, he battled and battled before sending a shot into left center to make the score 4-3. The Octavio Dotel trade just keeps looking worse and worse for the Dodgers. So does Jonathan Broxton. What the hell happened to him? I remember the days when he was the best of the 3 NL West California Closers. His stuff was electric, and he was giving up just over 5 hits per 9 innings. Now he's post 2005 Brad Lidge. Can't be counted on at all. Sounds good to me.

We've said a lot after Giants losses that "these are the games bad teams lose." Well, this was the kind of game a good team wins. And the Giants are a good team. Good enough? Maybe. The Padres lost today for the 9th straight time. They are falling apart. Hopefully they don't find a way to put it all together right when the Giants go to Petco next week.

Game Recap: SF 8, CHI 7

It's early to say that Pablo Sandoval is back. But the biggest thing I came away with today is how balanced and pretty his swing is looking. Even when he fouls balls off, he looks good. And his 2 huge hits today were vintage 2009 Sandoval. Yes, it's only been a short stretch, but this stretch could be different from the other fake "Panda is back" stretches we've seen in the past few months. For the 1st time in a while, he's hitting the ball FAR. Hopefully he keeps it up. The confidence he'll get from this past series should only help him.

Now for a little negative: if I'm willing to put 1 foot on the Panda bandwagon, I refuse to go near the Freddy Sanchez one. He still shouldn't be hitting 2nd. And Aaron Rowand shouldn't be leading off. By batting him leadoff, Bochy guarantees more at bats for the player who makes more outs than anyone else on the team. I know I repeat that over and over, but it's necessary until some sense is brought to the way a lineup gets configured. Dream lineup for the SD series: Torres, Posey, Huff, Burrell, Sandoval, Uribe, Ishikawa, Sanchez, Pitcher. Burrell is killing the ball right now. Sure his BABIP is kinda high for him, but not drastically so. He's just hitting the ball HARD all the time, and his patience at the plate is as good as it's ever been. How can we account for his amazing turnaround in SF? I don't know.

Matt Cain did not have a great start today. His pitch count went way to high early, a product of Cubs hitters fouling off pitches and then hitting weak singles. But even with his high pitch count, he only walked 1 batter while striking out 9. With just a bit of luck, his line could have looked much better.

The bullpen did not have a good day, and it was mostly Guillermo Mota, who has been pretty good lately. Chris Ray gave up a single run in the 7th. Lopez walked the 1st batter of the 8th and was removed. That's the problem with having a guy who's only safe pitching to lefties. Mota was clearly not on, giving up rockets to the outfield. Sergio Romo came in and successfully limited the damage as best he could, setting up the Giants for their walkoff in the 9th.

Game Recap: SF 5, CHI 4

Barry Zito was not very good tonight. He gave up 10 hits in 6.1 innings, the last one a HR that allowed the Cubs to tie the game for the 2n time in the game. Thankfully, the Giants offense was there for him tonight. They put together 3 runs in the 1st inning, the biggest hit being a 2 run RBI single by Pat "Why am I not hitting cleanup" Burrell. Barry Zito was good until the 6th inning, when he gave up 2 runs to tie the game. Then Aaron Rowand hit a HR, showcasing the only part of his game that still has value to the team. It was a great HR for Rowand, but hopefully it doesn't mean a ton of playing time. After the Cubs tied it at 3-3 on Cubs' rookie Tyler Colvin's 18th HR of the season, Sergio Romo came in to relieve Zito. On his first pitch he hit Starlin Castro, but then got 5 straight outs. Pat Burrell came up in the bottom of the 8th inning and hit his 8th HR as a Giant, raising his season OPS above .800, quite an accomplishment considering he was a .625 when he left Tampa Bay. It was all Brian Wilson needed, as he got the final 3 outs of the game, a game the Giants needed to win to stay close to the Padres, who have the luxury of playing Pittsburgh this week. Pablo Sandoval had 2 more hits, including a very pretty double to the gap in right center. Maybe he is ba...NO!

Lastly, one negative comment: Freddy Sanchez is back hitting 2nd. I don't know why.

Game Recap: SF 4, CHI 3

Ignore the ugly team name in the upper left corner.

It should be automatic now. Buster Posey needs to move to the 2 hole, and let Pat Burrell hit cleanup, until he proves that he actually isn't getting back to the form he had in Philadelphia for 4 years. Patrick the Batrick had 2 doubles and 2 walks tonight, but his biggest at bat came in the 11th inning with bases loaded, when he swung at the first pitch from Marcos Mateo and hit a long flyball to drive in Edgar Renteria and give the Giants a 4-3 win.

It was a welcome bit of timely hitting in a game in which the Giants left 15 runners on base. Carlos Zambrano, making his first start since returning from the restricted list, was very erratic, walking 7 men, but the Giants didn't manage to score against him till the 5th inning. Madison Bumgarner was good if not great, working through a strange 1st inning in which he somehow gave up 2 runs. This game was very frustrating for the Giants in the beginning, when it seemed like every line drive they hit was being caught and every popup by the Cubs was falling. But, they managed to tie the game in the 6th inning, and you felt that at home, no matter how many times they failed, the Giants would eventually get that 4th run across and win the game.

Andres Torres had another multi-hit game, as did Travis Ishikawa. Aubrey Huff got on base 3 times, and his double in the 11th helped set up the Burrell sac fly. And the bullpen was good again for 5 1/3 innings.

There's been a lot of discussion about Aubrey Huff's possible return to the Giants next season, and now Pat Burrell is being mentioned as well. I'd have to see more from him to truly believe he can still hit consistently. His time in Tampa Bay was TERRIBLE. But then you remember he was an integral part of the lineup on Philadelphia's World Series team just a couple years ago. Suddenly his "Water Buffalo" range in left field doesn't look so bad. One thing is for sure: he's carrying the team offensively right now. Jose Guillen: no thank you.

Game Recap: ATL 3, SF 0

Everyone needs to stop with all the doom and gloom. How can you ask the Giants to win a game when the opposing team doesn't make 2 errors in the 9th inning? There will be plenty more games like last night, don't worry. And there's no reason to think that the Giants are gonna continue hitting like this. They are showing all the signs of a team just getting ready for the stretch run.

Freddy Sanchez has an OPS of .640! 64% is good, right? What do you mean it's not a percentage?

Pablo Sandoval had a hit today. I'm gonna be the 1st one to say it: He's back!

I don't know about you, but I've grown to love when Aaron Rowand whiffs on a slider outside. It's the kind of love that a serial killer's parents must have for their son after he is caught.

Hey! I know what this game needed! Bunting!!!

Game Recap: SF 3, ATL 2

Sorry to all the enthusiastic Giants fans out there, but I just can't really get excited about this game. I'll try to start with the positive, which all took place on the mound tonight. Barry Zito had a great start, striking out 10 and walking 2 in 7 innings. His only runs were 2 solo HR's. The bullpen pitched 4 innings of 2-hit ball, and new Giants Javier Lopez ended up getting the win. Romo pitched well, as did Ray, as did Wilson of course. All good news.


But it's games like this that make you realize this team still can have a lot of trouble scoring runs. The Giants only managed 4 hits tonight; 2 by Torres, and 2 by Pat "why am I hitting 7th" Burrell, who also walked twice. Everyone else did almost nothing. August has come, and it appears more and more likely that both Pablo Sandoval and Freddy Sanchez are going to be cold the entire year. Travis Ishikawa was hot for awhile, and earned himself more playing time, but he has gone cold of late, and it was to be expected. Juan Uribe is Juan Uribe. His power is valuable. But you can't expect him to act like a true 5 hitter, cause he isn't.

The Giants' offense tonight was very bad. Yet with help from the Braves, they were able to tie the game in the 9th inning. Huff was hit by Billy Wagner on the 1st pitch. Posey hit a groundball that turned into an error. Juan Uribe, hit a flyball that advanced Huff to 3rd base. Then Pablo Sandoval hit one of the ugliest, wimpiest groundballs ever, so ugly that Chipper Jones was unable to look at the ball, and let it get by him, allowing the Giants to tie the game. The Giants were helped again in the 11th inning, when the Braves inexplicably walked Pablo Sandoval to load the bases with 1 out so they could pitch to Pat Burrell. And Burrell drove the run in with a sacrifice fly. He better play tomorrow, and he better not hit 7th.

We'd really benefit from another hitter. But not Jose Guillen. Please no.

Game Recap: SF 10,000,000 COL 0

When we look back at the amazing, unlikely, and heroic career of Brett Favre, we are reminded that even the most improbable of dreams can come true. In light of the reports today of Brett's surprising and somewhat premature retirement today from the National Football League, we at 8thInningWeirdness thought it was finally time to show you the side of Brett that so few know. What is that side, you ask? It's not Brett the quintessential quarterback, but Brett the son, brother, and father. So now, the story of how a scrawny kid from Kiln, Mississippi made it all the way to the Super Bowl and beyond, but never forgot where he came from.

When Irvin and Bonita Favre learned that they would be having a 2nd child...

I'm sure by now everyone is screaming "We get the joke, Reza, get on with it!" Okay, here's the recap.

The Giants could still really benefit from acquiring another bat via the waiver wire, but today was a great day for everyone in the lineup not named Edgar. I wonder when Renteria will don the costume of Tom O'Bedlam (King Lear, anybody? Anybody?) The Giants did their best Freddy Sanchez impersonation in the 1st inning, scoring 4 runs with singles and walks. Freddy Sanchez himself hit a flyball to left, which turned into his 12th extra base hit of the season when God helped it get over the wall. Pat Burrell and Andres Torres also homered. All starters other than Renteria and pitcher Jonathan Sanchez had 2 or more hits, with the Giants totaling 19 hits and 10 runs. It was a good day.

Jonathan Sanchez tied a franchise record by striking out 7 Rockies hitters in a row. The other Giant to do it? Juan Marichal of course. And while Sanchez was very good tonight, he only went 6 innings, so let's stop it with all the "would have been a mistake to trade him" nonsense. If the right offer had been out there (not Jose Bautista), it would have been perfectly justifiable to trade Jonathan Sanchez. The Giants will probably not add a bat to this offense, and we'll see how it goes. Just don't let one night in Denver make you think we're all set for October.

Game Recap: SF 2, LA 1

I always wanted the Giants to sign Pat Burrell. When he was DFA'd by the Tampa Bay Rays and the Giants expressed interest, I was super excited while everyone else was ready to gouge their eyes out over the thought of him on the team. I always knew that he was a difference maker, a guy still in his prime no matter what everyone say. That is all a lie. And all I can say is, I am smarter than everyone else. Where's the "Lynch Pat Burrell" Crowd now?!?!

So Pat Burrell hit the go-ahead home run in the 8th inning. Against the Dodgers. Basically making Casey Blake's solo home run meaningless. The crowd was electric. Perfect game.

Nevertheless, Chad Billingsley and Hong-Chih Kuo combined shut down the Giants offense through 7 2/3 innings and it was depressing. Anyone who said the Giants didn't really need another hitter is just wrong. The offense is still capable of putting up terrible numbers. On that note, it's also good that we acquired two bullpen arms today, because Denny Bautista needs to go. One time I was at a game, and I was in the stands and I was about 200 feet from Bautista. Cool, huh? He seemed like a nice guy based on the eye contact we made, but he's not a good pitcher. He walked Kuo, a guy who never hits, on 4 pitches and Podsednik on 5. Luckily for him, Mota bailed him out, but he's still going to get DFA'd. I still don't know why Bochy goes to him so much. What about Chris Ray or just anyone else?

Mota was awesome. 1 2/3 innings of perfect pitching to close out the game. Keep doin' that.

Burrell stole the show, but Barry Zito had himself a game. In 7 innings he gave up just 3 hits and 1 ER while striking out 6. His control was spot on all day, with the exception of the pitch to Blake. Anyway, Zito didn't get the win because the runs came too late, but he looked really, really good today.

Obviously the Trade Deadline was today. Look out for our Giants Trade Deadline Review very soon!

Barry Zito only asks to get to 10 wins. Just 10 wins, guys!!!