Out At The Plate

Let's go over this in detail, shall we?

Lincecum started the game striking out the side. Gaining a support-run in part thanks to Roberts (leadoff walk), Velez (throwing error - sending Roberts to 3B), and a sac fly (CF) by Winn. It looked for a while like he wouldn't give up a hit, but then a Romero hit a triple in the gap. Then a lucky break: Lincecum gets a roller to himself, checks Romero, and throws to Bowker at 1B. Then Romero tries to trick John the rook and goes towards home. Bowker makes a throw that allows Molina to make Romero look a fool. Inning saved.

Lincecum used the changeup to an enormous advantage. This is not something that the majority of the baseball country knows. In addition to having at least one of the most devastating two-seam fastballs, this has lent itself to an equally devastating change. He also has a curve and slider, each of which he throws with the same type of motion. The changeup tonight got him at least three Ks directly (as the last pitch).

Velez was certainly notable. Forcing an error in his first AB, and then stealing second from a pitchout, he succeeded in a base hit to left-center in his second AB. If it weren't for a questionable foul-call down the line for Winn, Velez would have scored because of his speed. For the record, that's two potential runs for his first two plate appearances. It's unfortunate that he struck out in the 6th with Roberts on base, but he did what he could.

Rowand unfortunately continued his woes against Webb: he was 0-8 through the 4th with 6 Ks. The same was not true for Snyder, who hit a two-run double. But the problem was the infield hit by Jackson to start the rally. Already, they were adapting to Lincecum's patterns. But Rowand did make a key throw to Molina in the fifth to keep the damage minimal.

At this point it's notable that our title, "out at the plate", applies not just to the Diamondbacks being out at the plate running but our being "out at the plate" swinging. And unfortunately, the fielding started to worsen as well. Lincecum allowed a two-out single, and then committed an error to Bowker to allow that single to get to 2B. He was, however, able to end the inning and that threat by striking out his tenth batter to end 5 1/2 innings.

Winn did his job after Velez's strikeout in the 6th, and grounded a base hit up the middle off of Drew's glove to put Roberts at 3rd with one out. So, Molina up. Causes D-Back talking on the mound. Threats of a double-steal. Webb, obviously keen on this, called Winn's bluff immediately when Winn isn't that dumb. Winn stole on the second pitch, and Roberts didn't go to ensure an easy steal. D-Backs pull the infield in, which is a bit strange for such an RBI-hitting batter.

Molina tried his best; he kept fouling the ball away, getting pieces. Worked to gain a few pitches in the dirt. But he swung at one of those pitches in the dirt. A bad, bad pitch in the dirt. And Rowand, Mr. I've-Never-Hit-Brandon-Webb, had to get a two-out hit for us to score.

Rowand lined a sinker lower than his knees, and did so impressively. Roberts scored, Winn came behind him easily, and S.F. finally had the lead back. Webb was near 100 pitches in the 6th. Bowker almost hit an easy multi-bagger to score Rowand, as well.

Notice, please, that both of our scoring opportunities were started by Dave Roberts working a walk. Dave Roberts was also responsible for the RBI that won the last game against Washington, and a stellar catch that saved at least a run then.

Lincecum struck out three in row in the top of the 7th giving him a new career-high 13 Ks, the last one on that unhittable changeup. NB: he was still throwing 96mph then, after throwing 102 pitches. People stood for him. Montefusco was right.

(For those who didn't want to read the whole thing, the actual "meat" of this post follows, here.)

Bochy, however, was an idiot. Sometimes I think he may be drunk. He pulled Lincecum for an Ochoa pinch-hit, when there were two outs, no one on base, and Lincecum was on fire as described above. Ochoa bounced out to SS, and the Giants now had to rely on the at-times horrendous bullpen.

Nervousness is natural in such situations. Bochy insists that Tyler Walker is a legitimate, reliable setup man. I'm not sure what sport-authority agrees with him, though absolutely none come to mind and none would dare show themselves after Walker gave up a leadoff double by a middle-in, belt-high pitch. An error by Bowker continued the mess, and Walker proceeded to nearly walk the bases loaded with no one out. (Side note: Why is Walker the "go-to guy"? He had no consistency to credit, and we have kids just called up that are more so.) Ojeda scored the tying run off of a sac-fly, and Lincecum's career night was robbed of its rightful "W" glory. The D-Backs then proceeded to have two more hits, and take the lead with a run. Then again. It went instantaneously from a kid throwing 13 Ks and gaining a 3-2 win, to an old man getting only one out and giving up three runs to make it 5-3 loss.

Then Bochy came out.

Sorry, coach. You're too late.

I've noted this for a while about Bruce in his pregame interviews. He attempts to be a "player's coach" and maintain the paradoxical fantasy in his head that somehow that means he'll be listened to, and the guys will play as he wants. He was challenged by Kuip today for how he handles the bullpen, especially last night, and Bochy was obviously (though indirectly) defensive. He's not interested in being accountable anymore, and I can't say for sure that he was ever accountable period. I agree with Jon at Giants Win; boycotts and t-shirts that call for both Bochy and Sabean's firing is more than called for.

I don't want to hear anything about Bowker's error. It can be at-fault for one of the runs, yes; it shouldn't have happened. But hello, one run is not three; he's a kid, a rookie; he'll make mistakes. And though Walker did allow all the damage done, his being in the game in the first place was probably a shock to everyone else on the field, including Bowker. So really no matter how one observes the game tonight, the person who shouldn't be making mistakes, and definitely not ones that deliberately cease momentum, is he who manages. You'd think that Bochy would at least be sensitive to showing positive support for a young kid like Timmy that's on an obvious roll. I guarantee you that even if Timmy is a good kid, that lack of trust to ride his momentum is damaging Bochy's relationship with him. So much for being a "player's coach", huh Bruce?

Why does our team manage to sign people for big contracts years after their most success? Yes, I'm thinking Zito and Bochy. And no, I don't want to be thinking about Sabean. Ever.

Rowand did manage to get on base in the bottom of the ninth, and continue to spur the offense in an unfortunately rare show of plate-discipline. Bowker had a chance to make up for the error when he came up next after Aaron. He struck out to a great two-strike curveball that broke down and out of the strike zone. Castillo, in his youthful optimism, tried to tie the game with a HR. He succeeded... in flying out to RF. Game over.

But not for the management. Woe is S.F.

In other news, Durham just went 2-3 with a 2B and 3R in the leadoff spot for Milwaukee.

-MSH