The Trend Is Your Friend: Giants 8, Padres 3

The trend of Giants starting pitchers delivering great starts continued, as did the trend of me having to follow the game online and watch it later on TiVo. This is because I am whipped and need to spend time with my wife in the evenings after we get home from work. So, usually I'm watching shows on TiVo while I record the game. But not tomorrow -- I'm off work, and will be watching the businessman's special in my boxers. The bad news: Zito's pitching.

But there will be plenty of time to be glum about having to sit through a Zito start tomorrow. Tonight I'm just happy to watch Cain go to 2-0 by allowing 2 runs in 6 innings (with 5 K's and no walks!), and, more surprisingly, getting terrific run support -- mainly from Edgar Renteria, who made his first Giants HR a grand slam. Travis Ishikawa also had a nice night -- at the plate and in the field.

I'm also thankful to have power. Last night, just as the wife and I were settling in to watch shows, we lost our electricity. On the hottest day of the year (no coincidence I'm sure). No AC. No TV. No internet. After a few hours, no computers (the batteries ran out). Finally I tried to go to sleep, even though I can only sleep with the TV on, and tossed and turned for a couple hours. Just as I finally fell asleep, the power came back on. It was one of the worst night's sleeps I've ever had.

Also, I was unable to post late last night, as I'm accustomed to. I had planned to write an off-day post, but at least it wasn't a game day, or I would've broken my streak (it may be only two weeks, but I'm such a quitter, I've already impressed myself. Sad, isn't it?) Also, I had planned a special bonus post -- finally telling the story of the Crazy Flower Lady. But with no computer (the only one with batteries was playing 'Twilight' -- don't ask), I was unable to finish it. And because it turns I have one last round of notes on a script I've been polishing, I probably won't get to it for another couple of days.

RANDOM PREDICTION: I think little-used Nate Schierholtz will start in RF in the series finale. He's only had 5 AB's so far this year, but had a double as a pinch-hitter, and a day game after a night game is the perfect time to rest a vet like Winn or Rowand. Also, Nate's a high fastball hitter, and that's starting pitcher Chris Young's specialty pitch. But really, I think Bochy will think, "Hey, Nate's hitting .400, and he's also a lefty. And that Chris Young -- he's a righty", and from there it won't take him long.

RANDOM GRIPE: As much as I love Kruk and Kuip -- and I love them dearly -- they have one annoying trait: They tend to be apologists for some of the players, especially veterans. Being ex-ballplayers, it's no surprise, but they're so great in every other way, it kind of stings to hear them parsing their words, and bending over backward to avoid criticism. Tonight, Aaron Rowand got a terrible jump on flyball -- something which is less and less rare -- they were each guilty of making excuses for him. Kuip said he thought the ball would go futher, and Kruk wondered aloud if the ball might have knuckled. I'm not grizzly vet, but it looked like an end-of-the-bat bloop all the way to me. Later, when Rowand did get a good jump on a ball to make a nice play, they went out of their way to praise him.

TOMORROW: See above.

Dealin': Giants 2, D-Backs 0

Now that's more like it.

Pitching, defense, and just enough O -- that's what this team looked like in the catalog when I ordered. Jonathan Sanchez was dominant against a team who's hit him well in the past (and shut down Connor Jackson, who'd owned him). Fred Lewis kept hitting, and stopped misplaying flyballs (at least for one night). The bullpen finished off the effort, Wednesday night's goat Bob Howry getting a key strikeout when it was needed to pick a Bengie Molina error, and Brian Wilson notching his first save of the year. Just like they drew it up.

That doesn't all mean a lot -- certainly not as much as the six piss poor outings which preceded it -- but it was nice all the same. It was also nice to see longtime minor leaguer and 31-year old rookie Andres Torres hit just his second career HR and then sprint around the bases as if he thought he was on the 24 second clock. It was also good to see my first KNBR post-game wrap (featuring Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Jon Miller, Dave Fleming) of the year. Unfortunately, the post game show this year looks worse than ever -- some forgettable guy and a stumbling, mumbling JT Snow (Sorry, JT).

The Diamondbacks were struggling almost as bad as the Giants coming in, so hopefully they can get well against Arizona. Speaking of which...

TOMORROW: Ace Tim Lincecum tries to get well -- from a slow start, and from an ailment which has caused him to lose some weight and velocity -- against Doug Davis.

...And The Beat Goes On: Padres 7, Giants 3

Not much to talk about tonight. Zito pitched, and the Giants lost. That's how it works. Barry did his thing -- allowing runs (4) and baserunners (9) while not eating many innings (4). He threw a bit harder than he has recently, and his breaking ball had some bite. But when you're a veteran and have your best stuff and are that unsuccessful, you have major issues.

On the postgame show, Mike Krukow made excuses for Zito, saying it was just nerves in the 1st inning, when he allowed 3 runs, that he settled down after that, and that his next start would be better. I'm sick of excuses for Zito -- now, he had "opening night jitters", next he's given extra rope because he's always been a slow starter. Then, before you know it, it'll be mid-season, and those same apologists are predicting a big 2nd half and getting all worked up for the random competant start. But down deep we all know what we have -- an albatross. The only question is whether is how soon the Giants come to terms with this and pull him form the rotation.

Zito wasn't the only thing wrong with the Giants on Friday night. The defense let him down a bit, and the offense was generally lethargic, save for a couple of stunted rallies with the Giants down 4-2. One ended on an Ishikawa GIDP with the bases loaded and none out and a pathetic K by Rowand, the other was dashed by a dazzling tying HR-saving catch by Scott Hairston on a drive by Molina to CF, followed by another flyout to the wall by Ishikawa. Hairston followed that with a 3-run HR to ice the game, and Pad's won 7-3.

Bright spots: Emanuel Burriss (his first two hits of the season, along with two walks), Fred Lewis (another hit and walk, hitting .500) and new call-up for the DL-ed Joe Martinez, Justin Miller (two scoreless innings).

TOMMOROW: Jonathan Sanchez has the unenviable task of taking on Jake Peavy. Hey, it could be worse, Jonathan -- you could have Barry Zito's stuff.

It Begins...

It may not officially be spring yet, but the Giants pitchers and catchers reported to spring training today, which is close enough for me. That means we will soon be deluged with reports out of Scottsdale about the dazzling skills and bright futures of some Giants prospects -- whether they be accurate, or cobbled together out of sunbeams, optimism, and the laughter of children -- as well as the always-popular "He's in the best shape of his life" and "Last year's bad season was actually due to an unreported injury" stories. Not to be confused with the slightly less exciting "If you squint just right it looks like the Giants might have actually chance at contending" and of course, the de rigeur "5 Questions about the Giants" stories.

Soon (11 days), there will be actual games, which means cracks of the bat, pops of the glove, and Jon Miller, Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow on the radio. It also means some prospect/reclamation project will become the dazzling phenom who hits .460 and fools you into thinking they might contribute this year (see: Ellison, Jason). It means sore hammies, and tendonitis, and various tweaks and turns which will worry me that they'll become the next catastrophic year-ending injury a la Kevin Frandsen (Note: If a season-ending injury to Kevin Frandsen can be reasonably termed "catastrophic", your team may in fact suck").

This baseball season, the first since I started this blogamajig, I plan on writing something about the Giants each and every day -- however short and superficial it may be -- as a type of Giants Diary (or Gaints Dairy, if I'm feeling dyslexic). That likely won't start until the regular season (let's be honest, it likely won't happen at all if my prior inconsistency and lack of sticktoitiveness is any clue), but since I'm going to at least attempt to do it, I thought I should try to ramp up to that during spring training. That means posting something nearly every day during the spring to get into writing shape. I may interrupt those posts with something about entertainment -- I've been wanting to write something on the Oscars, and also the fact that 'Damages' is making a serious run at being the best show on TV this season -- but I'm going to do my best at coming up with at least one Giants-related (or at least baseball-related) piece per day. For reference, Vegas has the odds of me keeping this up all season at 1,500,000 to 1.