The San Francisco Giants filled their need for left handed power by landing free agent first baseman Aubrey Huff with a one year deal. 

Okay, this is a little more like it.  Huff’s signing shores up a run producing need in the lineup as he is a bonafide power threat and will fit nicely in the lineup in front of or behind Pablo Sandoval.  Huff is just two years removed from a .304- 32-108 season.  He strikes out remarkably little for a power hitter (never triple digits in any of ten seasons).  These are the good things.  However, he also slipped a bit last season (.241-15-85).  (he hit .189 for the Detroit Tigers in 40 games to close the season)  This might suggest the beginning of a decline.  Also, if they’re counting on his to play first base, last season (93 games) was the first time he had many reps at that position.  Other than that, throughout his career, he’s been predominantly a 3B/DH.  Also, does this push newly acquired Mark DeRosa to the outfield?  It appears so.  Another question is what is the effect on the development of young first baseman Travis Ishikawa.  I’d hate Huff to be this years Ryan Klesko and/or Rich Aurilia (aka a vet in decline who is a name and little else).  I know that the Giants got him on the cheap (reportedly $3 million).  If he’s looking like dead weight early on, perhaps they’d be better suited to cut him lose.  However, this might just be a great off-season move.  It shouldn’t take too many games to know for sure.   

Tim Lincecum tossed seven strong innings and Andres Torres homered as the San Francisco Giants completed a three game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 7-3 victory, finishing a National League best 52-29 at home. 

Lincecum (15-7) allowed two hits and two earned runs while striking out seven, increasing his National League leading strikeout total to 254.  Torres led an eleven hit assault against Dan Haren (14-10) with his sixth homerun of the season.  He also added a triple.  Randy Winn, playing in perhaps his final game for the Giants, collected two hits in the effort.  Randy Johnson closed out the ninth.  Rich Aurilia, facing his finale as a Giant, started at first base and was applauded loudly by the home crowd each time up to the plate. 

In the opener, Benjie Molina had four hits and homered twice (19, 20) as the Giants lifted Jonathan Sanchez (8-12) to a 8-4 victory.  Pablo Sandoval also collected four hits lifted a ball into orbit for his 23rd of the season.  Doug Davis (8-14) was pummeled for seven hits and four runs in four innings for the loss.  Ryan Garko and Randy Winn each had two hits for the Giants.  Miguel Montero homered twice (15, 16) off Sanchez for the Diamondbacks in a losing effort.

In the middle game, Brad Penny (4-1/11-9) went the distance, striking out five, as the Giants won 4-1.  His only run allowed was unearned.  Eli Whiteside hit his second homerun of the season off Kevin Mulvey (0-3). 

Okay, they got the sweep, but the Rockies are in the playoffs (good luck, gents).  Therefore, what do we say?  If I came up in spring training and told you that the Giants would be in it until the second to last series of the season, would you have believed me?  I rest my case.  Full season recaps are for later, but let’s touch on what we see from the series.  First, Lincecum is awesome.  However, he will not win the Cy Young.  Neither will my fave horse of the season (Matt Cain).  No, that award belongs in St. Louis this year.  For who should get it, check out their blog.  Probably Carpenter.  Second, it’s time to say goodbye to some veterans.  I’m thinking of Winn and Aurilia.  Probably Molina, too.  However, the front office and manager love Benjie.  Therefore, he’ll probably get another year.  However, let’s bat him where he should be batting.  Seventh.  Finally, about the front office and manager.  The lineups were questionable at times.  The Renteria signing was pointless.  The Garko trade?  Pointless.  Freddy Sanchez?  Well, I hope Alderson was worth it.  Yes, the Giants overachieved this season.  However, was it because of or in spite of the front office and management?   I hope it’s the former but fear it is the latter. 

One more series on the season.  The Giants will travel to San Diego to face the Padres.  The Diamondbacks travel to Chicago to face the Cubs.  Finish strong.  GO GIANTS!!!!

A smile crosses my face when I think of how well the Giants have performed on the season.  I guess I was used to losing or something.   In my wildest dreams, I don’t think I would have ever predicted 49-39 at this point in the season.  Factor in that they have the third best record in the National League and lead the wild card and my smile widens.

First and foremost, the secret to the Giants success this year is their pitching.  The starters start the games, so we’ll begin with them.  The two headed beast of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain has given the team an awesome stability at the top of the rotation.  I will set this one two punch against any in the majors.  With Timmy, after two hiccups to begin the season, he’s merely continuing what won him the Cy Young award last season.  As for Cain, he’s showing us what he can do when he has the comfort level a little run support will allow.  Incredible.  If each continues their first half performance, the Giants will be well.  Randy Johnson’s been good, not great, not stellar.  He’s been a stable influence in the rotation when he’s not giving up taters.   However, his 8-6 record is gone until August (or September).  A lot will happen between now and then and his return should be viewed on a par with a late season trade.  It could push them over the top but won’t help them in the short term.  After him, Barry Zito’s been hit and miss, sink or swim, bouquet or stink.  In other words, a great number four.  For every dominating outing he has, there is seemingly one bad one and two that can go either way.  I’ll take the dominating ones when we can get them.  However, while he’s nice when on, he can’t be depended upon in crunch time.  So that leaves us with the kids.  Jonathan Sanchez was great in his last outing (no-hitter) and mostly abyssmal in the previous 13 before that.  It’s imperative that this last start was not an anomaly and that the Giants can depend on more of that sort.  If he starts walking the world in his next outing, the team should be concerned.  If the next batch are the same as the first 13, a change will be in order.  If he continues this dominance, then the Giants are in for a treat.  The rookie, Ryan Sadowski, has been good in three starts.  As a true #5, whatever the team can get from him will be gravy.  If he can remain accurate with his pitches (in his lost, he walked four), it appears he can be a consistently good juxtaposition to the fireballers at the top of the rotation.  He’s one to watch in the second half.

The bullpen was awesome.  Between Justin Miller, Brandon Medders, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, and Bobby Howry, leads were often safe in the first half.  The only real question mark is oft-injured Merkin Valdez and his ‘just under five’ ERA.  Perhaps they could use an upgrade in this department.  Every other pitcher who hasn’t produced in the bullpen this year (Matos, Misch, Hinshaw) has been shown the door in short order.  Let’s hope the Giants don’t get too tentative about this one.  Perhaps a returning Joseph Martinez is the answer.  Brian Wilson, as usual, gave us a few nervous moments but, more often than not, came through for the Orange and Black.  I don’t see why that should change in the second half.  Nor do I see any need for a different closer (though the reactionaries will always scream that the sky is falling and somebody other than Wilson should be the closer….they are wrong). 

For the lineup, I’ll be brief:

First base-The lineup improved once 1) Travis Ishikawa started hitting and 2) once Travis Ishikawa started playing consistently.  I love this guy at first.  He should be the starter from here on out.  They need no upgrade at this position.  He saves uncountable runs with his scoops at first and, I’ll call my shot, he will end up the season with 20 homeruns and 80 RBI.  Mark it down. 

Second base-After the failed (can we declare it failed yet??  Yes, we can.) experiment with the combination of Emmanuel Burriss (didn’t hit/sent to the minors and currently missing the rest of the season with a broken foot) and Kevin Frandsen (sent to the minors/recalled and didn’t hit/currently being given a second look in the majors as a pine rider), Juan Uribe was a pleasant surprise at second base.  He’s hitting .301 and fielding second base like he was born to play it.  I don’t trust him 100% to continue this torrid pace and don’t think either Matt Downs or any minor league youngsters are the answer should he fail.  Therefore, if they are going to grab a stick by the deadline, second base is a good area to shore up.

Shortstop-I know many have been very critical about Edgar Renteria but, to be honest, he hasn’t been playing that badly.  Very average with his range.  His stick is nothing to write home about but he is good about tossing gas on the fire when the team starts blasting balls around the field.  In other words, he’s doing exactly what the Giants thought he would.  He is an accompaniment.  Nothing more, nor less. 

Third base-Hey, hey, what can I say?  Pablo Sandoval is the man at this position.  At the hot corner, he has been awesome.  Most of his seven errors came during his little stint at first base.  At third, he has been special.  His bat is awesome.  The league will grow to fear him.  As an added bonus, his power came around, in a hurry.  We’re looking 30+/100+ from him by the end of the year.  This is a bat to build a lineup around.  It’s also one that can carry a team offensively for a stretch. 

Catcher-Benjie Molina first, should not be hitting cleanup.  His power hitting seems to have abandoned him.   The pitchers like him, however, so we’ll continue to see him in the lineup.  However, don’t expect a ton from him.  And, lest we forget, he does like to surprise, at times.  Dependable bat that should be more potent in the second half.  Eli Whiteside has been a nice surprise.  I enjoy him playing in small doses.  The white hair is a bit freaky, though.  Eh.  I guess it matches his name.  Bucks the team trend, too, as it’s not a mohawk. 

Left field-Fred Lewis, who I pushed hard in the preseason, appears to have worn out his welcome.  Too many strikeouts with too little production will do that.  Sorry Fred.  I did lobby hard for ya’ for three years.  Nate Schierholtz has been nice as a substitute (though he’s better suited for right field) and should get more starts in the second half.  His scorching bat seems to have cooled a bit.  If he can’t pick it up by the end of this month, then that’s another spot where they might be able to use an upgrade. 

Center field-Aaron Rowand has experienced a renaissance since moving to the leadoff spot.  Amazing.  He’s hitting well and playing good defense (although the strikeouts are a bit high).  He swooned last season.  However, I think he’ll keep this up for the duration.  He’s playing with a vigor that is nice to see. 

Right field-Earlier stated, I think that Schierholtz is best suited to play here and move starter Randy Winn over to left.  Winn’s good.  He’s a leader.  He’s rather unspectacular.  However, he’s a veteran and, as such, is an asset to the team.   Important to have these down the stretch. 

I’ve read a great deal of ‘experts’ and ‘fans’ desiring that manager Bruce Bochy get the axe and that general manager Brian Sabean be smoted with the same stroke.  I think this idea is silly.  While I was a little miffed at Bochy for sticking with some veterans in the field early when I thought they should be on the bench or seeking other employment, he came around and now Ishikawa’s playing at first while Rich Aurilia’s riding the bench.  I think Bochy’s doing a great job with this team, overall.  Let’s see if he can get them to the playoffs and beyond.  I think he can.  That should keep the aforementioned smile beaming on my kisser.  Now, round one was fun and is in the books.  Let’s get going on round two of the season. 

The San Francisco Giants beat the Texas Rangers Sunday, 3-2, to complete the three game sweep over the American League West leaders, the third such series outcome in a row for the Giants after being swept in three straight by the Los Angeles Angels.  

Barry Zito (4-7) pitched no-hit ball into the seventh before surrendering a two run homerun to Andruw Jones (8) to tie the score.  Randy Winn drove in Aaron Rowand with an RBI single off losing pitcher Kevin Millwood (7-5) in the bottom of the frame for the final score.   Brian Wilson pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save of the season.

In the opener, the Giants rallied around homeruns by Aaron Rowand (7), Travis Ishikawa (3), and a go ahead, two-run shot by Fred Lewis (4) in the bottom of the sixth off Rangers starter Scott Feldman (5-2) to get starter Randy Johnson off the hook and make a winner out of Sergio Romo (1-0).  Romo combined with four other relievers to toss 3 1/3 shutout innings with Brian Wilson pitching the ninth for the save.  Michael Young hit a homerun, his tenth, in a losing effort. 

In the middle game, Matt Cain continued his dominance of MLB, surrendering one run in eight innings, striking out eight.  However, Rangers starter Dexter Holland matched him, going seven strong.  The game went into extra innings and ended in the eleventh, when Nate Schierholtz scooted home with the winning run on a wild pitch by Jason Jennings (2-3).  Sergio Romo tossed a shutout inning for the win (2-0). 

It was nice to see the pitching return after the series with the Angels.  The biggest litmus test will be how Jonathan Sanchez does on his next start against the Athletics.  Ishikawa’s RBI between the homerun in the opener and the fielders choice groundout tonight were welcomed and should give the team more confidence in him.  Also, he made some nice plays that I don’t think Pablo Sandoval would have.  Still don’t like seeing Rich Aurilia starting at first, as he did in the middle game.  Again, nice to see them do well against a stacked AL offense who were leading their division coming in.   Hopefully they can continue the momentum going into the next series.  Final thought, between Brian Wilson and Romo, this team has the back two innings sealed.  They’re both awesome. 

The Giants next play on the road, Monday night, against the Oakland Athletics.  The Rangers will play on Tuesday at Arizona. 

The San Francisco Giants used stellar back-to-back pitching performances to rally from a bullpen meltdown and win game #300 for Randy Johnson’s career and the three game series from the Washington Nationals. 

The middle game, delayed by a day due to rain, featured Johnson (5-4), the six foot ten veteran, with all baseball eyes upon him, tossing six dominant innings, surrendering a scant two hits and one run (unearned) in a winning effort, 5-1.  The Giants used a two run, second inning rally off Nationals starter Jordan Zimmerman (2-3) to provide Johnson all the necessary offense.  In the second, Travis Ishikawa followed a one-out single by Fred Lewis with a double to right field, setting the stage for an RBI groundout by Juan Uribe and an RBI single by Emmanuel Burriss, making the score 2-0.   Johnson did the rest, cruising through the sixth, when he was roughed up by an RBI double by Nick Johnson, cutting the lead in half, 2-1.  The only real threat from that point on was when the Nationals loaded the bases against Giant closer Brian Wilson in the eighth with slugger Adam Dunn coming up to bat.  Wilson responded by striking out Dunn looking on a full count pitch, ending the threat.  After the Giants tacked on three more runs in their half of the ninth, Wilson struck out the side for his thirteenth save of the season.  Johnson’s win is even more poignant when taking into account that he originally came up through the Montreal Expos organization. 

In the second game of the double header, the Giants won 4-1 in a truncated game, ended after the top of the sixth.  Matt Cain (7-1) went the distance for another dominating performance.  Aaron Rowand, Pablo Sandoval, and Rich Aurilia drove in runs off Ross Detwiler (0-2) in a three run fifth.  The game was called with the Giants batting in the top of the sixth inning. 

Game one featured a quality start by Tim Lincecum going for naught as the Nationals rallied for six runs in the bottom of the tenth, turning a 5-4 deficit into a 10-5 advantage and going on to win 10-6.   Losing pitcher Bob Howry (0-3) and Merkin Valdez each gave up three runs in the set, featuring RBI doubles by Elijah Dukes and Ryan Zimmerman and an absolute implosion of the Giant middle relief corps.  Justin Miller, though not officially scored upon, was lit up in the effort, to the tune of an RBI double, walk, and sacrifice fly.  Ron Villone (3-0) tossed one and two thirds innings of perfect relief for the victory.   Aaron Rowand hit a leadoff homerun (6), in the losing effort.

Great to see a win in the series.  Also nice to see Ishikawa back at first base and performing well in such a position.  Sandoval played well.  Bullpen meltdowns, like what happened in the first game, happen.  However, an eye should be kept on Howry.  Free agent signing or not, he’s having rough outings more times than makes me comfortable.  Hopefully he can turn it around.  Still, a series win is great.  Let’s see if the Giants can continue their winning ways. 

The next Giant series will begin on Friday night as they venture to Florida to face the Marlins.  The same night, the Nationals will welcome the New York Mets to town. 

Rich Aurilia hit his first homerun of the season and the bullpen turned in 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball as the San Francisco Giants rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3, taking the weekend series, two games to one.  Aurilia’s shot off Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (5-3) broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning and made a winner of Merkin Valdez (2-0).  The Giants rallied behind Pablo Sandoval, whose RBI single erased a two run deficit in the fifth.  Brian Wilson threw the ninth for the save (12). 

In the opener, Matt Cain (6-1) continued to dominate, pitching into the seventh inning while giving up only two runs (one earned) on six hits, striking out five and lowering his team leading ERA to 2.31.  Pablo Sandoval drove in two in the winning effort and Brian Wilson threw a scoreless ninth for the save.

In the middle game, Albert Pujols stroked two homeruns (15, 16) as the Cardinals rallied to beat Barry Zito (1-6), 6-2.  The Giants scored on winning pitcher Chris Carpenter (3-0), becoming the first team to tack an earned run this season on the St. Louis ace.  Sergio Romo made his first appearance of the season, throwing 2/3 of an inning while surrendering two runs. 

Analysis, a series win is always great.  Nice to see that the team overcame the early deficit to win on Sunday.  Also nice to see Romo come back, though he had some rust, to be sure.  Equally great that Sandoval is back in the lineup, albeit at first base.   This is my criticism.  I understand that they want to play Sandoval at first to rest his sore arm (as opposed to having him hurl throws across the diamond from third base).  I get that.  However, Travis Ishikawa, who was swinging a scorching hot bat against Atlanta, didn’t pick up the stick one time against the Cards.  That’s not smart.  We’ll see if he can get some at bats this next series.   Brian Wilson was nails this series.  Also great to see that Cain continues to dominate.  He was my preseason pick for Cy Young and I’m not changing it now.

The Giants will next travel to Washington DC to play the Nationals as Randy Johnson shoots for win number 300.  The Cardinals will next host the Cincinnati Reds.

The San Francisco Giants found their hitting stroke, scoring five and four runs in the second and third games of the series, respective.  However, they only won the middle game and bowed out of the series to the Seattle Mariners, two games to one.  

In the opener, the hitting malaise continued as the Giants wasted a strong start by Randy Johnson, who struck out seven and pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning, but the Giants fell in twelve innings, 2-1.   Jose Lopez drove in two:  including an RBI single that chased Johnson with one out in the sixth and a walkoff RBI single off Pat Misch in the final frame, making a loser of Justin Miller (1-1), despite two innings of no-hit ball.   Mariners starter Jason Vargas was dominant, shaking off a leadoff homerun by Aaron Rowand (5) to handcuff the Giants for seven innings of three hit ball, while picking up a no decision.  Sean White (1-0) pitched two shutout innings for the victory.

In the middle game, a bases loaded double by Juan Uribe sparked a five run, eighth inning rally off Mark Lowe (0-2), making a winner of Matt Cain (5-1) who tossed a complete game, striking out seven and scattering ten hits for the victory.   Fred Lewis added to the rally with a two run homerun (2). 

In the finale, Lewis continued his slugging with a solo shot (3) off Felix Hernandez (5-3).  However, Barry Zito (1-5) couldn’t hold a slim 3-2 lead in the fifth, surrendering the lead on a three run homerun by Adrian Beltre (3) in the bottom of the frame.  Ken Griffey Jr. homered (5) in the bottom of the first to start the scoring.   Hernandez struck out ten in eight innings. 

Overall, it’s nice to see the bats wake up a bit.  Two one run losses are hard to take, but it’s better to lose by a run if you score four than if you only score one, I guess.  The two out hitting is also coming alive as all four Giants runs in the finale came with two outs.  That’s nice to see.  Also nice to see Lewis starting to come alive.  Can’t beat that.  Ditto Rowand.  Pablo Sandoval missed the last 2 1/2 games with a tender elbow.  That’s going to require watching as it could be a key.  He’s necessary for the team to do anything.  He was designated hitter and went 2-2 with a double on Friday before being pulled for Rich Aurilia. 

The Giants made a few roster moves, moving Joe Martinez and Noah Lowry to the 60 day disabled list.  They also recalled catcher Eli Whiteside from Fresno and optioned Pat Misch back to the AAA affiliate.  They also activated Juan Uribe from the bereavement list and optioned Eugenio Velez to Fresno to make room. 

The Giants will next send Jonathan Sanchez against the visiting Atlanta Braves.   The Mariners will travel to Oakland, tomorrow night, to play the Athletics. 

The San Francisco Giants apparently forgot to pack baseball bats for their three game set in San Diego, scoring only four runs in the series while losing three in a row and wasting dominant starts by Jonathan Sanchez, Barry Zito, and Tim Lincecum. 

In the opener, Zito (1-4) threw a complete game, surrendering only early solo homeruns to Scott Hairston (5) and Nick Hundley (3) in the first and second innings, respectively.  Padres starter Chris Young (3-2) was up to the task, striking out six in six innings while scattering five hits and a run in a 2-1 victory.  Heath Bell tossed the ninth for his tenth save.

In the middle game, Chad Gaudin (1-3) went six innings and again the Giants offense faltered, producing only one run in support of Jonathan Sanchez (1-4) who lost in spite of only allowing two hits in six innings.  However, both hits, a solo home run by Kevin Kouzmanoff (3) and a run scoring double by Chris Burke, produced runs, creating the difference in a second straight 2-1 San Diego victory.  Aaron Rowand, relocated into the leadoff spot, had three hits for the Giants.   Bell again pitched the ninth for his eleventh save.

In the finale, Tim Lincecum brought his A game and tore through the Padres lineup, striking out ten and surrendering only four hits and one run in seven innings.   Rowand continued his torrid hitting with a homerun (4) in support and the Giants broke through against Bell (2-0) for a run and a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.  However, closer Brian Wilson (2-3)couldn’t hold the fort.  After Brian Giles walked to load the bases with two out, Wilson plunked David Eckstein to tie the score, setting the stage for Giant killer Hairston, who followed with a single to left to give the Padres the win, 3-2.  It was Wilson’s third blown save of the season. 

Okay, where to begin?  First, the Giants NEED to start hitting, both overall and situational.  I see base runners all over the place and that’s where they stay.  The number of times they had a runner on third who ended up taking off his helmet and jogging back to the dugout after out number three was unacceptable.  Horrible.  I know many Giants fans are excited about the arrival of Jesus Guzman, but if we’re to expect more of what I saw last night, I am concerned.  At bat with runners on the corners and one out and he grounds into a double play.  At first base and misplays a pivot toss for a double play from Kevin Frandsen that Travis Ishikawa probably would have picked.  At least we’ll get to see his stick exclusively this weekend in Seattle.  However, I will not attack him as much as the ineptness that has Rich Aurilia still in the lineup.  Unacceptable.  Ishikawa stings the ball while Aurilia strikes out.  One of those will turn into hits, eventually.  Nice to see Nate Schierholtz get a few at bats.  He did alright.  The moving of Rowand to leadoff, while it raised my eyebrow, was a good call.   We’ll see if it continues.  The pitching was excellent with the exception of Wilson last night.  But then, he’s a closer.  He’ll be back.   If he’s not, we’re in more trouble.  Most of all, let’s hope the Giants remember to pack bats for Seattle this weekend. 

This weekend, interleague play begins as the Giants venture north to play the Mariners.  Randy Johnson will start, for the Giants, against his former club Friday night.   The Padres will play host to the Chicago Cubs. 

The Washington Nationals combined timely hitting with a strong outing by rookie starter Shairon Martis to turn back the San Fracisco Giants bid for a series sweep, 6-3.  Martis improved to 5-0, throwing seven innings while surrendering two hits and a run.  The Nationals scored three of their runs with two out to beat Barry Zito (1-3).   Elijah Dukes drove in three runs and Nick Johnson had four hits on the day.  Ryan Zimmerman’s hitting streak ended at 30 games. 

In the opener, Randy Johnson (3-3) struck out nine in five innings for his 298th career victory, while Randy Winn and Travis Ishikawa collected three hits apiece as the Giants bullied starter Daniel Cabrera and withstood a late ninth inning rally to beat the Nationals 11-7.  The 11 runs were the most scored by the Giants thus far this season.  Reliever Osiris Matos batted in the bottom of the eighth and collected his first major league hit, an infield single.  Ryan Zimmerman homered twice for the Nationals.  Brian Wilson pitched the final out for his eighth save of the season.

In the middle game, Pablo Sandoval lifted the bullpen with a two out, three run, walk off homerun, as the Giants prevailed 9-7.  Matt Cain pitched well, going seven innings and surrendering only four runs, three on a seventh inning home run by Nick Johnson, who finished with five RBI on the game.  He turned a 5-4 lead over to Bob Howry and the San Francisco bullpen, which promptly gave it and three runs up in the eighth inning, creating a 7-5 deficit.  Benjie Molina hit a solo home run in the eighth, his eighth on the season.   Losing pitcher Joe Beimel (0-2) came on for the save in the bottom of the ninth.  After retiring pinch hitters Juan Uribe and Rich Aurilia, Emmanuel Burriss singled and advanced to second on Beimel’s throwing error.  Edgar Renteria followed with a walk, setting the stage for Sandoval’s blast.  Brandon Medders (2-1) pitched the last two outs of the ninth for the victory. 

My impressions of this series are several fold.  Yes, it’s great to win another series.  It would have been even better to get a sweep, but such is life.  Zito looked good again, but not great.  Cain pitched good up until the three run blast.  The bullpen, however, has to hold that thing.  It is good that Sergio Romo should be back soon.  It appears as if Ishikawa’s starting to hit.  That’s excellent news.  However, it is against the Nationals.  Let’s see if he can keep up this pace.  Johnson keeps running out of gas around the fifth inning.  That’s somewhat disheartening.  We’ll see if this is a trend that he might remedy.   The bullpen (sans Wilson, who creates his own drama but tends to fix it, too) has been developing a habit of turning ’safe’ leads into nail-biters and small leads into deficits.  This needs to be turned around.  Sandoval’s a good hitter.  He’s a really good hitter. 

The Giants will next play host to the New York Mets for four games.  The Nationals will go home and host the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday in the first game of a three game set. 

Pinch hitter Rich Aurilia singled home catcher Steve Holm in the bottom of the tenth, giving the Giants a 1-0 extra innings victory over the Colorado Rockies.  The win showcased another outstanding effort by starter Barry Zito who, in spite of another no-decision, turned in his third consecutive quality appearance, throwing seven shutout innings while surrendering only two hits.  With the outcome, the Giants won their fifth consecutive series, taking two of three at home against the division rivals. 

In the opener, Randy Johnson struck out nine in seven shutout innings, stingily allowing only four hits and walking none as the Giants rode and RBI double by Travis Ishikawa and sacrifice flies by Randy Winn and Bengie Molina to a 3-2 victory.  Brian Wilson tallied his sixth save of the season, closing out the Rockies in the ninth after quelling an eighth inning uprising against Bob Howry and Jeremy Affeldt with a bases loaded strikeout of Ryan Spilborghs.  

In the middle game, Spilborghs got a measure of revenge, homering twice off Matt Cain, as the Rockies topped the tally, 5-1.  Starter Jason Marquis threw a complete game five-hitter, surrendering only a ninth inning homerun to Pablo Sandoval.  Brad Hawpe also homered to back Marquis. 

I was impressed by the Giants starting pitching (again) this series.  Zito and Johnson were dominant.  For Zito, he did it with Steve Holm behind the dish, showing that perhaps his recent success was more than just Sandoval catching.  Hopefully he can continue it with Molina as his backstop.  Also, though it was the first time in five starts this season that Cain wasn’t dominant, aside from the homers, he only allowed four other hits and four walks.  An off day, but for a three, such an off day is acceptable every now and again.  Finally, it’s nice to see Fred Lewis and Ishikawa making some solid contact.  Ditto Nate Schierholtz.  On an injury note, Winn sat out the final game of the series with a sore side.   We’ll watch that one and keep you posted. 

The Giants will next travel to Chicago for a two game set against the Cubs.   The Rockies will go down the shore to San Diego for a two game series against the Padres.