If Belt and Panda can keep it up

[ElJimador]

... the Giants might make a run at 100 wins this year. With those guys extending the lineup and with the depth they have off the bench, the Giants are suddenly looking like a very good offensive team. And is anyone else struck by how thin the Dodgers are by comparison? I mean granted it worked out for them today but any team that's counting on Blake Hawkesworth to be one of its primary set up guys and that brings (wait I have to look him up... Hector Jimenez) off the bench for the most crucial AB of the game because apparently he's the best RH bat they had available, is not a team that scares me. Another example: top of the 8th when the Giants had Schierholtz, Panda and Belt coming up, the Dodgers couldn't make the obvious move of bringing in a lefty because Kuo is the only one they've got and he can't pitch back to back games. Contrast to the Giants who have 3 good lefties they could throw in that spot.

The only scenario I see for the Dodgers is to do like the Padres did last year. If they can continue to take advantage of the Giants' sloppy play for now and build up a big early edge in the head to head series, that could be enough to keep them close. Otherwise they're just not going to have the horses to keep up.

 

[tzill]

I agree, and I'd also add that even if Pat goes cold, we've got Cody. I'd expect Boch to mix and match Cody/Pat/Huff/Belt, leaving one of those four out of the lineup every day and playing the hotter hands.

It's disappointing to be 0-2 by our own mistakes, but I'm not worried. I'm sure Nolan has thrown in the towel already.

 

[ColinCoby]

I agree, and I'd also add that even if Pat goes cold, we've got Cody. I'd expect Boch to mix and match Cody/Pat/Huff/Belt, leaving one of those four out of the lineup every day and playing the hotter hands.

It's disappointing to be 0-2 by our own mistakes, but I'm not worried. I'm sure Nolan has thrown in the towel already.

He's not the only one in a full-blown whine over there. Glad we don't have to put up with it anymore.

 

[msgkings322]

I haven't looked, is Nolan really already bitching? Jesus. Guy has been watching baseball for decades and he doesn't know the first thing about the game.

 

[msgkings322]

I forgot to add, looks like us geniuses were all perhaps too quick to think Belt belonged in the minors for a while? Up until the last second most of us (including me) were saying 'no need to rush June is fine etc'

Only 3 games of course but he seems able to handle the bigs

 

[SFAnthem]

I forgot to add, looks like us geniuses were all perhaps too quick to think Belt belonged in the minors for a while? Up until the last second most of us (including me) were saying 'no need to rush June is fine etc'

Only 3 games of course but he seems able to handle the bigs

Add me to that group. Not only can he handle the bigs, he has had more hard hit baseballs in these first 3 games than the entire LA lineup. The way he ignores that close inside pitch is Bonds-esque

 

[ElJimador]

I forgot to add, looks like us geniuses were all perhaps too quick to think Belt belonged in the minors for a while? Up until the last second most of us (including me) were saying 'no need to rush June is fine etc'

Only 3 games of course but he seems able to handle the bigs

Not me. I can't say I thought he'd look like this right out of the gate but I was hoping he'd be starting opening day.

If they can stay relatively healthy, I'll be disappointed if this team doesn't score at least 50 more runs than last year.

 

[ColinCoby]

... the Giants might make a run at 100 wins this year. With those guys extending the lineup and with the depth they have off the bench, the Giants are suddenly looking like a very good offensive team. And is anyone else struck by how thin the Dodgers are by comparison? I mean granted it worked out for them today but any team that's counting on Blake Hawkesworth to be one of its primary set up guys and that brings (wait I have to look him up... Hector Jimenez) off the bench for the most crucial AB of the game because apparently he's the best RH bat they had available, is not a team that scares me. Another example: top of the 8th when the Giants had Schierholtz, Panda and Belt coming up, the Dodgers couldn't make the obvious move of bringing in a lefty because Kuo is the only one they've got and he can't pitch back to back games. Contrast to the Giants who have 3 good lefties they could throw in that spot.

The only scenario I see for the Dodgers is to do like the Padres did last year. If they can continue to take advantage of the Giants' sloppy play for now and build up a big early edge in the head to head series, that could be enough to keep them close. Otherwise they're just not going to have the horses to keep up.

It appears DeRosa might help in extending the lineup also.

 

[tzill]

Not me. I can't say I thought he'd look like this right out of the gate but I was hoping he'd be starting opening day.

If they can stay relatively healthy, I'll be disappointed if this team doesn't score at least 50 more runs than last year.

+1. I wanted him up, but thought the Giants would err on the side of caution with him. Another difference between Newkom and MacGowan...money isn't a factor in the baseball decisions. I've got a sneaking suspicion we're going to trade RoRo and eat a bunch of his contract.

And I said this offseason that we'd score 750 runs...we scored just under 700 last year.

 

[SFGRTB]

+1. I wanted him up, but thought the Giants would err on the side of caution with him. Another difference between Newkom and MacGowan...money isn't a factor in the baseball decisions. I've got a sneaking suspicion we're going to trade RoRo and eat a bunch of his contract. And I said this offseason that we'd score 750 runs...we scored just under 700 last year.

It gives us a little more hope that we will see more of our core players locked up than we previously thought.


:tm: