MONDAY PM UPDATE: Lewis sits again tonight with a lefty starting for the Marlins.
Giants 3, Marlins 2: Our fair team has patched together a winning road trip during which nearly every game was delayed by rain, the lads dealt with the media distraction of Randy Johnson's 300th win, and they played before crowds more suitable to the local library. I'm impressed, even if their opponents are squarely second-division, since that hasn't stopped the team from falling flat on the road before.
The week has also seen some shake-up. Sergio Romo came back from the DL and immediately began pitching important innings at the expense of Bobby Howry, who didn't throw that badly Tuesday but got tagged with the loss. Andres Torres got a start in LF in place of Freddie Lewis, and Bochy hinted that Fred might have to start platooning. He's not blameless, but it seems Fred is the victim of unrealistic expectations. He's still getting on base at a good clip. Until Rowand's insane hot streak, Fred led the team in OBP all year. His slugging percentage is low for a corner outfielder's, but so is Randy Winn's. He's been bad with runners in scoring position, yes, but we're talking 46 plate appearances.
Bochy is also putting in Torres as a late-inning glove replacement, which shows what he thinks about Freddie's D. We've all had our doubts, to be sure. But the numbers -- at least the UZR numbers -- say that Fred is a slightly above average left fielder.
His critics say, "You're batting in the middle of the order and you're not producing runs!" Remember, though, it was the Giants who felt Fred was ready to be a power/RBI guy. Are two months enough to make a judgment? And if they are, should Freddie be forced to share time?
The short answer to the latter, actually, is yes, a little bit. Adam Dunn occasionally sits against tough lefties; why shouldn't Lewis? But the longer answer, which I'll keep short tonight, is that the Giants should emphasize Fred's strengths, not bemoan his weaknesses. He's good at getting on base, and once he's on he runs fast. Is it a crime to return him to leadoff (other than the risk of jinxing Rowand's hitting streak)?
I'd love to see Lewis hit more home runs. He certainly has the power. I'd love to see him hit more balls in the gap and run like hell. But batting the guy with the 2nd best OBP on the team sixth doesn't make sense. Against righties, move him back to leadoff. If Bochy can't bear to move Rowand for fear of busting up a good thing, fine. Bat Lewis 2nd and drop Renteria to 6th.
(Fun stat of the day: Lewis has a Barry Bondsian OPS when he swings at the first pitch.)
Before I forget, here are my players of the week. Among the batsmen, no surprise, it's Aaron Rowand again. I guess he doesn't like bloggers speculating about his toastiness. Mea culpa, Aaron. 12 for 25 with a home run, five RBI, three doubles, and three walks. Among hurlers, Randy Johnson is the honoree not just for the grand milestone of 300 wins but for doing it on the first try, on a wet field, and making a fine defensive play that reminded ornithologists of a blue heron returning to its nest on a windy day. Oh, and the Unit has volunteered to start Monday's game on three days' rest. You gamer, you.
Honorable mention goes to Sergio Romo, who after a rough debut last weekend flaunted his Romosexuality in Florida by throwing 2 2/3 crucial innings and only allowing a hit.
But back to the earlier topic of this post: What to do about FreddieLoo? Swing doctors, lineup tinkerers and head shrinkers, give us your two cents.
