55 Is Greater Than 16.

Here's the first thing I heard before today's game from Bruce:

Matos and Romo are gone; Sadler and Yabu are back in. Yabu's "been waiting the last few days" and wants to get back in. They actually think he'll "shore up the bullpen".

I found this hard to understand. Yabu is the only one in the pen who's failed to keep a run from scoring (or keep himself from hitting a batter) in any of his last four appearances. I guess we'll find out if his problems really were for injury's sake. Bochy also admitted that Lincecum has shown "no signs of wearing down at all". Hmm. Maybe you should let him go a full eight innings this time? The lineup is the same as last night, which tells me that it's well known that the bullpen was the issue last night.

Lincecum is up against one Chuck James, who's had a rough year of it. Initially expected to be foundational to the Atlanta rotation, he lost control early (he's a finesse pitcher), and just got recalled from AAA. His only start since that recall was not very pretty. Of course, it was against Milwaukee, so I'm not sure it was going to be good anyway.

First pitch: outside, ball one. Second pitch: fastball, strike. Third pitch: fastball in at the knees, strike. Fourth pitch: ground out to Ochoa, 6-3. The hitters may not be messing around because they do in fact know that Timmy the Kid don't be messin' around. In 150 innings, he has 54 BBs, 167 Ks, and only 131 Hs. Ochoa almost collides with Rowand in short CF, but the second out is as quick as the first. Kotchman walks, but the next pitch is a strike, fastball inside. But off a 1-2 count, the ball is hit right to Castillo at 3B -- had he been playing straight. But he is not, and it's an easy basehit. Another liner is rocketed by Infante, and Lewis makes a perfect throw to Molina -- Kotchman out by plenty, but luckily. 1st Inning: rocky.

For our half, Winn gets a leadoff single. Tied for ninth in the NL for steals, he's not an idle threat there, so it is advantageous. The interesting thing about James is that he hesitates with his leg lifted, thereby making it a bit difficult to know where he's going with a pitch. The nice thing is that it's consistent, and Rowand tracked him immediately. He falls behind in the count, but that is because he knows he can hammer something. And he does; tags a changeup for a HR (our second in less than two days - something of note for this team) to LCF, giving us an immediate 2-0 lead. Apparently, James has allowed 10 HRs in 26 IP, more than 3 HRs per game. Which is just what this team needs. The throw from Escobar on Molina's AB was much wild - a mental mistake because he had a lot of time. But instead, Molina is safe at 1B. A few easy outs ends it, but leaving the first inning with two runs and escaping a rough start is excellent.

Lincecum strikes the first batter of the 2nd out with that beautiful changeup. The same happens for the second out, the changeup sliding away. A shady call leads to a BB next, and that shadiness obviously throws Tim: the pitcher got a 3-0 count. Timmy is resilient, though, and strikes James out on three straight. 2nd Inning: shady.

Our bottom of the 2nd contains nothing, but the 3rd Inning starts the same way in our favor. The first out is an easy roller to Burriss. The second is a one-pitch fly out, and so is the third. Four pitches, three outs; I'll take that. At all times, I will take that.

The bottom is not so easy for James. A leadoff hit by Winn to LF (again!), and Ochoa bunts him over to 2B. James, obviously shaken from his previous facing of Rowand, gets a balk called on him. Winn to 3B. James needed not be scared; Rowand hadn't hit many HRs at all. But Aaron does get this AB for a sac fly, probably because of that mind game advantage, and scores Winn. 3-0, S.F. Molina lines one past Infante at 3B and became 1-2. The 3rd ends on a fly out, but Kotsay has to make a catch at the warning track. Not bad, boys. Not bad. Keiichi Yabu should not be in my head at this point.

4th Inning now. A liner makes Lincecum hit the mound. Timmy laughs, because he avoided it. McCann could be expected to have hit that: he is now 4-7 against him. But the next batter is a one-pitch fly out to Winn. Kotsay walks after another close inside called-ball; Lincecum's third BB of the day. Thankfully, a fly out to RCF is another one-pitch out. Lewis makes a great running catch on a strongly hit ball, and two are stranded, while the third out was off of two pitches. Timmy's 59-pitch count looks too high, but that stat does not reveal how easy the last two innings have been for him. All seems well.

Aurilia pops up to start our half, his second one of the day, and throws his bat straight up in the air with a sarcastic feel. OMS does nothing; Burriss gets a two-out single to CF; Lincecum Ks, but that's not unusual for pitchers anyway. 4th Inning: even-keel.

The 5th Inning begins with a stand-up double, a carom out of the bullpen area. A sac bunt is almost a disaster, because Burriss and Lincecum meet at 1B. A beautiful play from deep SS Ochoa saves a hit if not a run. 3-1, S.F. Lewis squares at the LF track and marks the halfway point of the game.

Winn starts our 5th going 3-3 with another single. A strange foul off the plate allows Winn to stay at 1B during Ochoa's AB against the new pitcher, Buddy Carlyle, but Ochoa strikes out for failure to foul off any more pitches he simply doesn't like. A single through the hole between SS and 3B made Rowand 2-3. Unfortunately, Molina ground into his 15th DP of the year. Strong start, weirdness gives a chance to score, but in the end: nothing.

Winn and Rowand miscommunicated, and because of the breeze blowing out to LF, Winn ends the first AB of the 6th Inning wishing he'd at least overrun it, first. A double by the 421 ft. mark. McCann, fast becoming a Lincecum-killer, gets 3B for free on a WP. Tim counters that slip-up as he usually does by striking out Infante, but unfortuantely a routine ground out gets McCann home. Aurilia makes a potentially disastrous ball that hit 1B a routine out to save the inning. 3-2, S.F.

Lewis hits a strong, strong stand-up triple to the deepest part of the yard. Aurilia's single to RF looks golden, but Francouer makes a great throw (which Krukow would later call "the best I've ever seen in my life") with an instant's hesitation. Lewis is not close to home - maybe 12 feet away. A single to CF puts runners at 1B and 2B, but we are robbed of a key run in a tight game. Lincecum's second strikeout at the plate leaves I and the bullpen nervous.

Tim may have been as well; although, his first out in happens as a strong K of the man who threw out Lewis at the plate: Francoeur. Lincecum's next strike for the 7th Inning comes after three straight balls. Flemming called it a "BP fastball", at 90mph. The out is gained, though, by getting a high fly out. Tim then walks Blanco on four straight, a man who has no batting strength but plenty of speed. Taschner now warms up. A chopper to Ochoa ends the inning, and at this point I am sure that Timmy the Kid is done, this time rightfully. He's done well, but obviously struggled for his ability. Proof: lots of changeups, and no fastball over 94mph, all day long.

Tavarez becomes the third pitcher for ATL on the day. Please sit down: Winn gets a hit by outrunning a sharp grounder to 3B. He is now 4-4. Ochoa once again gets a great sac bunt down; Winn to 2B. Rowand is intentionally walked after a near-WP. Two on, one out, Molina... grounds into a DP. Again. #16. Big issue.

I am shocked that Lincecum is left in the 8th Inning. Bochy's listening? It seems an odd time to do so, but honestly even though Tasch was warm already, a mild Lincecum is better than the best Tasch (sorry, Jack). Timmy proves me correct with that signature changeup-K. But Tim's slight nemesis, McCann, now bats. Again, a changeup strikes the batter out. A curveball strikes Infante out brilliantly after a full count. Lincecum gets a standing ovation: once again, he strikes out the side.

Freddie's leadoff double is not sacrificed over by Richie, but a WP by the Braves' fourth pitcher, Will Ohman, puts him at 3B. OMS hits a ball that actually would have scored Lewis quickly, but it is caught on a stab instead. Burriss nearly beats out a grounder to SS, and S.F. gives the ball to the Manimal with just a one-run give. Timmy The Kid ends with 8IP, 5H, 2ER, 4BB, 8K, and a season ERA at 2.68.

9th Inning: The hopes of S.F. were on Wilson once again, this time for Lincecum's first decision in three very strong starts. Wilson gave the Braves their first pitch over 95mph immediately. A chopper to Ochoa was money, and one out was stapled to the ground. Wilson was just playing with Johnson, getting an 0-2 count before going outside on a close call. Burriss handled a routine play in a solid way (thanks for doing that extra pregame practice, Emmanuel): two out. Francouer up. Wilson lit him up with one around the shoulders at 101mph to get the 0-2 count. Ochoa charges a slow roller, gets the close play. GAME OVER.

Hit the deck, people, 'cause it be the ghost of Rod Beck. I remember Mark Gardner once saying about Robb Nen that once Nen came in from the bullpen, "You could relax; you knew it was over." Say hello to that feeling once again. 32 saves, 23 in a row.

FINAL: 3-2, S.F.

And just in case you are curious, yes my son is in fact wearing his uniform!

-MSH

***PNL Time***
Player(s) To Be Pitied: NONE, except maybe the Braves. They now haven't won any 1-run games on the road (19), and 26 consecutive going back to last year.

Player(s) To Be Noted: Ochoa (excellent defense, two very important sac bunts)

Player(s) To Be Lauded: Winn (an unreal 4-4, with 2R); Rowand (2-2, R, BB, 3RBI, HR - gettin' out of that funk, mos def); Lincecum (masterful W, with his second-best stuff); Wilson (SV - 32)