Playoff baseball is awesome again.
After a postseason of offensive futility, the Giants’ bats came alive in Game Four, hitting three home runs, racking up 11 base hits, and scoring eight runs against the Cincinnati Reds. What an amazing turn of events. After getting destroyed in Game Two, the Giants looked like a team that didn’t belong in the postseason. Winning Game Three, no matter how ugly it was, forced a Game Four; and after today’s win, the Giants have now forced a Game Five.
If you would’ve told me that after Game Two, the Giants would get to a Game Five, I wouldn’t have believed you. And yet, here we are: Game Five is right around the corner. Un-believe-able.
Post-game thoughts:
* Barry Zito was shaky, allowing two earned runs in 2.2 innings. Zito walked in a run — among four walks on the day — and never really had an easy inning. Barry Zito pitched like Barry Zito. Crazy stuff, I know. (Though, to be fair, the strike zone was silly at times.) I still dislike the idea of Zito making postseason starts, but the team seems committed to using Zito in a starter’s role if it has to.
* The real pitching story of the game was Tim Lincecum. Lincecum pitched 4.1 scoreless (or he gave up a run, whichever version you prefer) innings of relief, striking out six. Also, he did not issue a single walk. I would much rather start Lincecum over Zito in a playoff game, however, the idea of piggy-backing Lincecum on Zito starts is kind of intriguing. As shown in today’s game, Lincecum can still be an asset for the Giants. He was just great and it was huge.
* Lincecum threw 55 pitches; 42 were strikes. That’s a strike percentage (strikes/pitches) of 76.4 percent; Tim’s highest mark of any outing this season. In 2012, Lincecum averaged a strike percentage of 61.1 percent.
* Also, consider the fact that Affeldt and Romo were completely rested in today’s game. That’s after each threw two innings apiece in Game Three. That’ll certainly come into play in Game Five.
* Homers. The Giants hit a few homers. And, for the first time, looked like a club that could score. Angel Pagan led the game off with a solo shot; Gregor Blanco hit a two-run homer in the second inning; and Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run bomb in the seventh.
* Speaking of Pablo’s HR:
Absolutely crushed/blasted/smoked/adjective.
* Pagan had a really nice game, going 2-3 with a HR, 2B, and 2 BB. Joaquin Arias hit two doubles. Sandoval had a double and a dinger. Scutaro hit an RBI double in the seventh.
* Hector Sanchez had five walks this season in 227 plate appearances. He walked twice in today’s game. Baseball.
Playoff baseball is awesome again.
Matt Cain will pitch for the Giants in Game Five. He’ll be opposed by Mat Latos. Of course it’s Latos. Has to be Latos. The Giants have a real chance to wrap up the NLDS tomorrow after painfully dropping the first two games of the series. It will be a challenging game. Latos is a very good pitcher and Dusty will be able to empty out his bullpen if he needs to. For the Giants, that means getting an early lead in the game could be huge. You really don’t want to have to face Marshall and Chapman while trailing in the later innings of a game.
Matt Cain pitching in a deciding Game Five … what more could you ask for?
