After the Giants trounced the A's last weekend I wrote a column saying the Giants were approaching a defining week with series against the Angels and Rangers. These are two good hitting teams and they would test Giants pitching. So far the Giants failed the test. It didn't help they had to pitch Zito and Sanchez against the Angels.
A while back you might have thought the Giants could trade Sanchez for a bat -- they desperately need a bat in the middle of the order. Well forget that. The Giants are even thinking of putting Sanchez in the bullpen and his trade value is zilch. The Giants have only two locked in reliable starters.
I also wrote they needed to win at least half of the Angels/Rangers games to show they're for real. That means they need to sweep Texas. Can they?
Rangers have a really good hitting lineup and are pitching above expectations.
Giants really have 2 good-great pitchers and really, really bad hitting lineup.
3 games with Texas and the SP's are Randy, Cain & Zito.
the giants will be lucky to win 1 game
yes, good pitching can slow down a good offense but not if your offense can't score any runs for you.
I thought you overrated how big a week this was. Yes it would be a big deal if they could win four of six or something like that. But baseball is more of eb and flow. Washington took two of three from the Yankees. Whats that mean? This weekend is big from a bounceback perspective. This is a team still on there training wheels. I think if you would of ask people if they were three games over .500 in mid June they would of taken that in early April. It's amazing that's where they are in someways. They change lineups almost daily and we still don't know who there starting Left Rielder, Right Fielder, third baseman, second baseman and first baseman is from week to week...AND THEY ARE STILL THREE GAMES OVER .500
Lowell, isn't this about all we can expect of the Giants this year? They are around .500, and I really cannot expect much more from this weak stick lineup. Sabean waited too long to trade Sanchez, and Zito is starting to revert back to last season, so all of a sudden, their starting pitching doesn't look like such a big strength. This team pretty much got all of their wins against their own division, and then the doormats of the National League. When they play bigger competition, like the Mets, Angels,and Rangers, those teams expose the Giants as to what they really are, a team with only 2 stud starters, and nobody besides Sandoval who can drive in runs.
I guess they can!
Ronnie would you care to update your post? Reminder, Giants SWEPT the Rangers. Go Giants!
Guess they're for real.