The team really has no one capable of closing. On the MLB roster, perhaps Correia or Hennessey should get a shot. Even then, it could be very shaky.

Theres always calling up someone from the minors. Misch appears to be doing really well, but I don't know if he's got the closer makeup (in the head). I also don't know if he could jump up here into the closers role. Has he been closing down there?

Ortiz? I don't really know why, but he could be a decent placeholder until someone else in the bullpen steps up. Plus, he's so intimidating (...okay, not really).

To answer the question with a question, this team is creating a bizarrely low amount of Save opportunities. The Houston crew last night (I was listening on XM) said last night's game was the first Save opportunity in, I think 17 games and only I think the 6th all season. Logic says it can't continue this way, but if it does, do we actually need to have a closer?

Yes, both things are true about Pence's home run. It was spectacularly cheap, but the pitch location was poor. Still, he had Pence off balance (and it should have been a two strike pitch, as Pence clearly swung after being fooled by an earlier pitch), so I can live with it. And it's nice to see his strikeouts adding up for the first time as a Giant.

But the walk to Palmeiro to lead off the ninth... that's the kind of nonsense that makes me still very nervous whenever he enters a game.

If Benitez were traded, I would suggest pursuing a "Jonathan Papelbon in the Boston Red Sox" situation: if Russ Ortiz comes back and he's ready to take the 5th starter's spot, we experiment with moving Tim Lincecum to the closer's spot. If it works out well, then we'd be set for this season (perhaps the future?) and we'd still have the opportunity to bring him back into the rotation when the time is right.

Just thoughts...

I think with the current roster the best option is Hennessey. I know he has had issues that cause big question marks for a closer, but when he just buckles down and attacks hitters, then he can be a closer. His slider is a strikeout/groundout pitch and he has a decent enough fastball. Remember, recently Brad was in a starting/long reliever role. If he spends this entire year as a setup-man/closer, I think he can get it done. He has already begun to make strides and seems to be embracing his new niche.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think a K/BB ratio of 4.00 is pretty good.

Do we even need to think about it? Tyler Walker!

Lincecum could certainly be a "Papelbon" candidate. But an excellent starter has so much more value than an excellent reliever, and he seems poised to be an excellent starter very very soon.

Bringing up Misch is a good idea, as he's been lights out in AAA. Maybe swap him and Sanchez and give Sanchez time to refine his stuff as a starter. But I don't think Misch could step in and close.

>Tyler Walker

he's out til at least mid-season recovering from elbow surgery. even when he returns he probably won't be full strength. But it's not a bad idea for the end of the year, or even 2008. I have a soft spot in my heart for the big sweaty lug.

A K/BB of 2.40 is pretty good, 4.00 is damn spectacular! :^) Unfortunately, his K/9 is so bad that it might negate the spectacular K/BB.

Who let the Dodger/A's fan in here? Lincecum's no closer!!! He starts!!!

I think the best short-term option is Russ Ortiz. He was a closer while coming up our system and I think he closed in college too. That was a long time ago, but I don't think that should matter, should be like riding a bike in terms of attitude and personality for it.

Whether he still has the stuff he had then is the matter, and he claims that he's got it back, and the Giants evidently believe that too, so put him there if he's not starting, seems like a good reward for playing down his Wally Pipp role with Lincecum, and being classy about it.

The best long term on the roster in the pen is probably Hennessey once he gets used to it. Let him set up this year, then Ortiz will go free agent and maybe leave, and Hennessey would be first in line for it. But he would have to fight off Correia, Sadler, and whoever else looks good in spring. And should Ortiz fail in his try, then these guys will be battling for that opportunity, should it present itself.

I like Misch too. I think all the pitchers down below get chances to save, seems like every starter in Augusta has a save. He probably don't get many opps, if any, to save, with Wilson and Sadler there, but he's doing so well, I would just put him in there and see what he can do.

If we traded Benitez, I'd vote for Correia. My second choice would be Lincecum (and no, Martin, I'm not a Dodger fan) - but that would be only if the season was worth salvaging. I'm not convinced we have enough hitting to be competitive this year. If closer was the one position we were lacking, I drop Timmy into it in a New York minute. He's just the kind of person who could handle - totally unlike Sanchez.

Ortiz is not a closer. Never will be one either. If they make him a closer, I'll stop watching the Giants as I know that they've just run out of ideas and talent.

That being said, Buttmando sucks. He really sucks. I'd like to see just about anyone other than him. Just DFA the guy and get his sorry ass out of town.

Dodger lover! :^)

I'm just worried the team will fall in love with him as closer, much like Boston, and keep him there. As ELM noted, an excellent starter has a lot more value than an excellent reliever, even a closer, and particularly so, I believe, with a rotation like ours, with Zito, Cain, Lowry, and Morris. I think Lincecum will be the tipping point that will get the Giants going towards the playoffs.

I like Correia too, I would say he's a close second for me and I wouldn't think twice if he beat out Hennessey for the spot. Good choice!

Forgot about Tyler (also Valdez), but yeah, I'm with ELM, he won't be ready to come back until 2008 at earliest, probably not even then.

What's there not to like about the offense, Lyle, particularly once Roberts is healthy and if Lewis continues to hit (though the problem with him as 4th OF, I just realized is that both he and Roberts are lefty and Roberts is a clear platoon player, leaving Lewis to hit against LHP?). Winn is back, Vizquel has been hitting in the bottom, Molina has been great, Feliz has come alive in May, it is mainly Bonds and Durham who have been scuffling lately, once they are back we should be good to go offensively).

From sfgiants.com: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070516&content_id=1968697&vkey=news_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf&partnered=rss_sf

"In the first half of May, the Giants and Indians tied for the most runs scored in the Majors with 85 apiece. ... San Francisco leads the National League and is second in the Majors in hitting with a .344 team average."

That's in 15 games, or 5.67 runs per game. Of course, those 15-2 and 8-3 games against Colorado skews the results, but that's still 4.77 runs per game without those two games. That's 773 runs a season, not too bad and more than the past two seasons.

My rule of thumb is that the offense did their job when they score 5+ runs and didn't when they score 3- runs. Out of 15 games this month, they did their job 10 times, didn't do their job 5 times. That's a .667 winning percentage.

It has been the pitching costing them games this month. Relief has costed them 3 losses and starting has lost 4. They have not been that good this month, but they all appear to be snapping out of it.