Giants 9, Dodgers 4: Great win tonight, taking two of three from a team that destroyed the Giants two weeks ago in L.A., and ending what could have been a grim April with a .500 record.
But I want to address something several people including Mike Krukow on tonight's broadcast have brought up: Fred Lewis's strikeouts. They're piling up --- 27 in 78 plate appearances -- and he's cooled off from a red-hot start. So what? He's getting on base a ton, more than 4 out of every 10 plate appearances, and when he puts the ball in play, he's hitting .500, and not just by slapping the ball over the shortstop's head or dribbling grounders through the infield. That outstanding BABIP (batting average on balls in play) won't last, but even with the whiffs Lewis is helping much more than hurting when he has a bat in his hands. He might not hit for a lot of power, which the Giants were hoping he'd do this year -- remember he started the year as the #3 hitter -- but again, so what? Middle-of-the-order power might never be his game. It's the Giants' job to find someone else to fill that role and let Lewis play to his strengths.
If eventually the team decides it needs a power hitter to play left field and Lewis is left out, he'll be a valuable trade chip, coldly speaking. Considering his glove work, shifting him to center or right field in S.F. is not a likely option. But for now, the Giants have a leadoff guy who gets on base equally well against lefties and righties, has good gap power and excellent speed on the bases, and save for the occasional gaffe plays a decent left field. That's a valuable player. Even if he strikes out a lot.
