Bushwhacked In Houston

Published by on August 3, 2009 | 3 Responses

They say everything is bigger in Texas. Everything except the Giants offense. Which, unfortunately, happens to suck no matter the geographic location. There’s nothing like watching your favorite team leave the bases-loaded as Mike Hampton (and his 5.14 ERA) fist-pumps his way off the field.

Or how about watching Bengie Molina refuse to not swing at pitches no other mortal would even dare to consider swinging at? Or watching Freddy Sanchez, and his one good leg, limp around the bases, in the dugout, and in the field? Or how about watching Kaz Matsui (he of .293 wOBA) smack a 2-run HR off of a Chik-Fil-A foul pole? Seriously, it’s called the Fowl Pole. Get it?

Oh, I get it, alright. I get it — the Giants have the amazing ability to depress the hell out of me. Cain wasn’t uber-sharp, but can any other team in the majors match the helpless feeling that the Giants get when the other team scores 4 runs? It easily feels like being down by 10 runs. If you needed any other statistic to measure our impotent offense (and trust me, there are plenty of stats out there that will measure it perfectly) consider this one:

The Giants had 11 hits on the evening. They scored 3 runs (offensive explosion!). All but 2 of the 11 hits were singles. The lone extra-base hits were doubles from Renteria and Sandoval.

This game stunk. Next, please.

P.S. – Please stop trying to bunt for hits, Pablo. It’s 2009 and you’re not Vince Coleman.

Quick Gripe List

Dear Bruce,

1. Please remove Bengie Molina from the cleanup spot. I know, I know, lineup construction doesn’t matter much in the big scheme of things but Molina is driving me nuts. The man has a .269 on-base percentage. Two-Sixty-Nine. Would you hit Edgar Renteria (.280 wOBA) cleanup? I didn’t think so. It doesn’t make much sense to hit Molina (.289 wOBA) there, either.

2. Nothing came of it, but why in the heck did you put John Bowker in at 1B as a defensive substitution in the 8th inning instead of Travis Ishikawa? You eventually pinch-hit Ishikawa anyways, so why not use him in the field where most of his value comes from? The difference between Bowker and Ishikawa at the plate = very, very small. The difference between Bowker and Ishikawa on defense at 1B = very, very large.

3. Seriously, it might be time to move Bengie out of the cleanup spot.

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MrLomez
MrLomez

Another stupid Bochy move from last night: 1 out, Renteria on 1st, 1-1 game, 3rd inning, Cain hitting. Rather than a sac-bunt (which is what they did), why not let Cain swing away there? He's the Giants second base power hitter right now, facing a guy who doesn't have overpowering stuff. See if Cain can run into one. Bochy just doesn't think. He's gotta be the most predictable manager on the planet.

Giantsfan4life
Giantsfan4life

You probably saw this, but Harry Shulman interviewed Bochy and Sabean after the game. They said they were considering possibly maybe moving Bengie from the clean-up spot, temporarily, 'til he gets his bat going again. And they were considering, as a possibility, maybe DFA Rich Aurilia. The two most obvious moves on the planet . . .