The Giants have to use Timmy tomorrow, even if it's a split start College/HS like start. Zito and Timmy have contrasting pitching styles too so it works out fine in that regard.
This won't forgive his abysmal years as a Giant (even this year was exactly like 2010, where he was viewed as terrible, except for the run support) for Zito, but it will go a long way in changing perception. Zito is a great guy to root for too.
I have faith. Man postseason baseball is great!
Also: Arias > Arod, amirite?
Not if somehow the Giants score, like 10 runs, in the first 3 innings. (I know people are going to laugh, and so will I [LOL], but they are overdue for a big blowout win.) Then Zito can go the distance and you start a rejuvenated Lincecum in Game 5! Remember the Giants have won the past 11 Zito starts and have pretty much mashed in each of those games. Also, I'll never forget (Even though I'm a Giants fan) the 02 ALDS when Zito outdueled Santana in what I think was Game 1 of that series. That was awesomeness and clutch. I think he can be clutch again in the postseason.
If that happened, and somehow, someway, the Giants could win the next 2 in that fashion, could you just imagine all the suicides that would take place in the stands? We Giants fans are ready to be eliminated. The Reds fans are not and to get wallopped in Game 4 and then Lincecum shut them down in Game 5 would be priceless.
P.S. And no, in that situation, I don't go back to Cain. As much I love Cain, I don't want to give him the ball in that ballpark since he's a flyball pitcher.
__________________
2011: Outcoached by Vigneault. 2012: Outcoached all season and postseason by Hitch.
2013: Outcoached by most coaches in the NHL. Who's left? 12 year olds on Xbox Live? SACK T-MAC NOW
Last edited by ChompChomp: 10-09-2012 at 08:49 PM.
Not if somehow the Giants score, like 10 runs, in the first 3 innings. (I know people are going to laugh, and so will I [LOL], but they are overdue for a big blowout win.) Then Zito can go the distance and you start a rejuvenated Lincecum in Game 5!
Cain gets game 5, his normal rest. With Bum and Timmy (if not used in G4 extensively) bridging to Romo/Affeldt/Lopez/Casilla.
I don't trust 80-82mph fastballs. Ever. Even up 5 I wouldn't let Zito go deep, too liable to set the table up for Reds' power.
Gonna be Leake or latos according to Dusty tomorrow.
If they use the injury exception for Cueto, which they very well might (he has an Oblique strain) he's out the NLCS too. What was Latos' PC in game one? Even then, 3 days rest for pitchers rarely work out and much better pitchers have attempted it than Latos.
EDIT:
Latos had 57 pitches G1, certainly a possibility and falls under normal bullpen usage as opposed to the usual "3 day rest" If I'm Dusty I'd pitch him instead of losing Cueto for this series and next. Then again if I was Dusty I'd have walked Arias and forced the Giants to shuffle the deck with a Sanchez PH, or make Romo beat you.
I don't miss Dusty at all. Still remember 02, one of the more traumatic moments of my youth lol...
EDIT 2:
Chomp, Cain has been defying xFIP and Fip for years now. He's shown an uncanny ability to generate "weaker" contact that advanced metrics haven't been able to explain. He may be a fly ball pitcher, but so is Timmy. Most of the Giants are actually FB/SO pitchers. Bum is the only one that I'd have been afraid to start at GAB.
To your credit this is Cain's worst FB/HR ratio at 8.4% (still below average) though I'd still go with our fringe Cy candidate.
On that note, most pitchers under Righetti have all shown an ability to induce below league average FB:HR rates consistently.
Not to be forgotten, but this is the second straight post season that Affeldt kept the Giants in the game with a clutch hold/bridge appearance. Props to you sir. Still overpaid as a loogy, but I'll take it.
Last edited by Franchise13: 10-09-2012 at 09:01 PM.
Latos had 57 pitches G1, certainly a possibility and falls under normal bullpen usage as opposed to the usual "3 day rest" If I'm Dusty I'd pitch him instead of losing Cueto for this series and next. Then again if I was Dusty I'd have walked Arias and forced the Giants to shuffle the deck with a Sanchez PH, or make Romo beat you.
I don't miss Dusty at all. Still remember 02, one of the more traumatic moments of my youth lol...
Leake has pitched a CG shutout against the Giants. I think Dusty goes with him and a fresh(er) Latos for a potential game 5.
It will probly all depend on how severe Cueto's injury is.
Leake has pitched a CG shutout against the Giants. I think Dusty goes with him and a fresh(er) Latos for a potential game 5.
It will probly all depend on how severe Cueto's injury is.
I guess you have to win the NLDS before you get to the NLCS, but man, losing Cueto for that blows.
I agree that it'll depend on his injury. Mild oblique strains on the non throwing side, usually warrant missing a start with normal rest. His injury iirc is to his hand side. Typically pitchers get majority of their power off their off-hand oblique, but Cueto has that funky delivery where he turns his back completely, so who knows.
Yeah, it's crappy what happened to Cueto. Even friggin' crappier the Giants didn't capitalize on it.
I disagree, I think Latos at AT&T was luck breaking for Dusty Baker. Latos has this uncanny ability at At&t to shut down any Giant lineup.
With that said (and if i could post tables/SS's easier while on mobile) I'd just c/p it, the case vs. Leake:
-His day game splits are terrible historically.
-He hasn't pitched in nearly 2 weeks. He's probably thrown BP sessions, but... He's also 24yo, which makes it even more volatile.
-His WPA, and close/late "clutch" stats are very much below average
-Lose Cueto for 2 Series
-His HR/FB ratio doesn't bode well for GAB. Granted I'm not too familiar with the tendencies of GAB in Day/Night splits.
-His FB avg is 88.9mph, which is a speed that the Giants handle well. Doesn't complement it with secondary pitches as well as others. Primarily FB/Cutter/Below Average Curveball guy with slider being his best/finisher pitch.
BAA against pitch breakdown:
FA .312
FC .225
CU .286
SL .207
...I dunno why I'm even looking at it this deeply. Dusty MF'n Baker will be making this choice, I doubt he looks at any of those stats. This is the manager that ... nvm, still trying to forget 02.
Last edited by Franchise13: 10-09-2012 at 09:35 PM.
Fair enough, but witnessing how so many people have become Sharks fans, the glut of Bay Areans who picked up the Giants in 2010, and those who are rooting on the A's on their magical run this year, the potential for bandwagoning is there, people just gotta latch on.
As it stands, it'll already go down as one of the best in Quakes history, there's still a couple months left but it could certainly become a great all time year.
As for Wondo, he's not Dempsey or Gomez quality control striker, and Gordon is really the only target striker on the roster, who probably won't see any time either.
Rental cost for those facilities is huge, and though the Quakes are still playing well, it unfortunately might be tough sledding to make it cost worthy for any random game. Football being in season has definitely ruled out playing at Spartan or Stanford, Candlestick is a nightmare, as is the Coliseum, and AT&T is awful for soccer.
Playoff schedule:
Play-in game (#4 vs #5): 10/31 or 11/1
Conference Semi: 11/3 or 11/4 (Quakes on road), 11/7 or 11/8 (Quakes host)
Conference Final: 11/10 or 11/11 (Quakes on road), 11/17 or 11/18 (Quakes host)
MLS Cup: 12/1 (Quakes host, assuming they beat LA or Portland to end regular season)
The three possibilities, as reported, at this point, are (in order of supposed liklihood): Stanford (which would be open if the Cardinal are not hosting the PAC-12 Championship on November 30th), Buck Shaw (many seats would be given to league sponsors, not a whole lot would be left for the Quakes to sell), or as a last resort, Spartan (which hosts its last SJSU game on Nov. 24, and would put down grass for this one game).
The Quakes have already said it won't be anywhere else, and explicitly spoke out against it being at AT&T.
I shall cross my fingers that if they make the final Spartan Stadium it is (since I am still stupidly holding out hope that somehow all of Oregon's players get hurt and Stanford hosts the Pac-12 championship...)
Also, what's this deal with soccer, they play two games in each playoff round? Man, soccer is crazy.
I shall cross my fingers that if they make the final Spartan Stadium it is (since I am still stupidly holding out hope that somehow all of Oregon's players get hurt and Stanford hosts the Pac-12 championship...)
Also, what's this deal with soccer, they play two games in each playoff round? Man, soccer is crazy.
Also, what's this deal with soccer, they play two games in each playoff round? Man, soccer is crazy.
Yeah, it's home and away aggregate in MLS, except for the final. Lower seed hosts the first game, then they play at the higher seed, so each team has a chance to have home field. Whoever scores more goals in those two games (MLS doesn't use the relatively standard "away goals" rule) wins the series and moves on. If they're tied, then they play two 15 minute halves of extra time, and if one team scores more than the other in those 30 minutes, then its over. Otherwise, PK's.
