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07.05.2009

Action-Packed Weekend

The fizz of the back-to-back shutout blowouts Friday and Saturday subsided today when Roy Oswalt handcuffed the Giants, dampening talk of how maybe, just maybe the Giants won't need that extra bat. Perhaps you noticed: The two pitchers the Giants battered and bruised were Freddie Paulino and Russ Ortiz. Oswalt -- the type of guy the Giants will see over and over again in the playoffs, if they are to reach that far this year -- was not quite so generous.

Two injuries this weekend also cast shadows over the proceedings. Saturday, Pablo Sandoval slid awkwardly at home and bruised a knee badly enough to keep him down Sunday. No word yet if it's anything to worry about, but any extended downtime for the Panda, and the house of wild card dreams comes crashing down.

Randy Johnson's shoulder strain -- MRI results to come the next day or two, probably -- is a little more ambiguous. He's generally thrown well, but it was hard to imagine the 45-year-old making every single start this year, anyway, so there are a couple silver linings if he goes on the DL for a couple weeks. First, Jonathan Sanchez if restored to the rotation would have the chance to prove he got his head together during his demotion. You can't say you're not curious. Second, if the Unit's injury isn't serious, he should still get an extended rest before the second half begins while only missing one turn, maybe two, in the rotation.

The emergence of Ryan Sadowski -- 13 scoreless innings to start his big-league career -- helps ease the anxiety, though it's foolish to count on Sadowski to replace The Big Unit's production for more than a few weeks. Or is it? Johnson is at best a seven-inning pitcher, and with his reduced velocity and lack of quality third pitch (his "splitter"? Not so much), what we've seen this year seems about right: good days, bad days, a few outings at either extreme. Having seen Sadowski's stuff -- good movement on the fastball, both sink and cut, an ability to add and subtract a few MPH at will, the occasional nasty slider, and usually around the knees -- 6 IP, 3 ER per outing doesn't seem too much to ask. Average it out, and that's about what Johnson has given the Giants this year.

If Johnson's MRI comes back with more serious juju, things get complicated. Sanchez comes off the trade block, unless the Giants feel warm and fuzzy about Kevin Pucetas, who keeps chugging along in Triple-A. Let's not forget Joe Martinez. He just threw 72 pitches in Fresno tonight. A couple more outings and he might be ready strength-wise for a big-league rotation. Quality-wise? Hard to say.

One sentence on the demotion of Matt Downs to clear room for Rich Aurilia: Any roster that leaves Aurilia as the primary backup at every infield spot better be a temporary one. 

Finally, a piece of non-Giant news that must have made the Giants' clubhouse stand up and do a little riverdancing: Scott Hairston has left the division -- the league, in fact, as he was traded from San Diego to Oakland today. If you haven't watched the Giants play the Padres the past couple years, perhaps you don't know that Hairston isn't just a Giant-killer, he is a drooling, moaning devourer of Giant hearts, a filthy nightmare of a beast whose name was spat like a curse from many a good person's lips.

I am not a man prone to hyperbole. Please click here. Then click here. In 2007, Hairston hit 7 home runs in 50 at-bats against S.F. Apparently the Giants wore their mojo bags the right way in 2008, and he was rendered harmless, but he has continued his pillaging ways this year. And lookee here -- the Pads come to town next weekend, but Hairston will be wearing green and gold. Let's all chip in and buy Billy Beane a bottle of superior vintage, shall we?

Finally, congrats to Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain on their All-Star berths. Now do your part for, uh, democracy and vote as often as you can for Pablo Sandoval for the final roster spot.