He didn't pitch so well, but Jonathan Sanchez said some hot things after Sunday's game. He guaranteed the Giants would sweep the Padres next weekend at Mays Field and go on to make the playoffs. Were his comments wise? It's like trying to steal third base: if you're safe, it's a great play.
If the Giants sweep San Diego (or, hell, even take two of three), and especially if Sanchez dazzles in his start Friday night, and the verbal strutting seemed to light a motivational flame under his teammates' derrieres, what the heck. We'll all be saluting: Jonathan Sanchez, the unlikely straw that stirs the drink!
I don't want to discuss the opposite scenario. We don't really need to, do we? If nothing else, Sanchez's comments bring back into focus the bigger picture: the Giants are within two games of San Diego, and a bad weekend notwithstanding in Atlanta, they're a very good team right now. Can they get over the hump without another bat? It's nice to hear the players say so. Clubhouse pep talks would be better if they didn't include bulletin-board fodder, but I see the intent of Sanchez's comments.
Big week ahead, let's get to the Players of the week just ended. On the hittin' side, we've got Pat Burrell, who went 6 for 17 with a home run, two doubles, and five walks. Runner-up is Andres Torres, who got horribly schooled by Ubaldo Jimenez Wednesday (0 for 4, 4 Ks), but still went 9 for 27 with a home run, two doubles, and a walk. Amongst the hurlers, what Jonathan Sanchez might have taketh with his six scoreless innings in Denver Tuesday he giveth right back with his uninspiring work Sunday. The award goes to Barry Zito, who threw a beaut' Friday night and got no decision.
Has anyone noticed the eerie similarity of the top-line stats from Zito, Matt Cain, and Tim Lincecum? Everything except Lincecum's much higher strikeout totals are within a statistical blip of each other: innings per start, walks, home runs allowed, hits allowed, runs and earned runs allowed. Then tumb through some of the more advanced stats -- groundball/flyball ratio, line drive percentage, BABIP, xFIP -- and Cain and Zito practically look like the same pitcher. There's one other difference that stands out: Lincecum's BABIP is .316, while Cain and Zito are 57 and 48 points lower, respectively. Lincecum is either more unlucky, or getting hit harder, or both, but his higher K rate is enough to compensate and still make him, despite not being his dominant self, the staff ace.
If the Giants sweep San Diego (or, hell, even take two of three), and especially if Sanchez dazzles in his start Friday night, and the verbal strutting seemed to light a motivational flame under his teammates' derrieres, what the heck. We'll all be saluting: Jonathan Sanchez, the unlikely straw that stirs the drink!
I don't want to discuss the opposite scenario. We don't really need to, do we? If nothing else, Sanchez's comments bring back into focus the bigger picture: the Giants are within two games of San Diego, and a bad weekend notwithstanding in Atlanta, they're a very good team right now. Can they get over the hump without another bat? It's nice to hear the players say so. Clubhouse pep talks would be better if they didn't include bulletin-board fodder, but I see the intent of Sanchez's comments.
Big week ahead, let's get to the Players of the week just ended. On the hittin' side, we've got Pat Burrell, who went 6 for 17 with a home run, two doubles, and five walks. Runner-up is Andres Torres, who got horribly schooled by Ubaldo Jimenez Wednesday (0 for 4, 4 Ks), but still went 9 for 27 with a home run, two doubles, and a walk. Amongst the hurlers, what Jonathan Sanchez might have taketh with his six scoreless innings in Denver Tuesday he giveth right back with his uninspiring work Sunday. The award goes to Barry Zito, who threw a beaut' Friday night and got no decision.
Has anyone noticed the eerie similarity of the top-line stats from Zito, Matt Cain, and Tim Lincecum? Everything except Lincecum's much higher strikeout totals are within a statistical blip of each other: innings per start, walks, home runs allowed, hits allowed, runs and earned runs allowed. Then tumb through some of the more advanced stats -- groundball/flyball ratio, line drive percentage, BABIP, xFIP -- and Cain and Zito practically look like the same pitcher. There's one other difference that stands out: Lincecum's BABIP is .316, while Cain and Zito are 57 and 48 points lower, respectively. Lincecum is either more unlucky, or getting hit harder, or both, but his higher K rate is enough to compensate and still make him, despite not being his dominant self, the staff ace.
