2009 season thread

**west coast orange and black** · 04-08-2009, 12:08 AM

game 1 - tuesday, 7 april at mays field
2009 opening day

giants 10, brewers 6

W – joe martinez (1 – 0)
L – jeff suppan (0 - 1)

giants: 10 runs, 12 hits, 1 error
brewers: 6 runs, 10 hits, 0 errors

giants record: 1 – 0 (1st, +.5)

HR: rowand (1); molina (1); winn (1)

notes:
the giants sit alone atop the western division after taking the season opener. bochy used 7 pitchers to record the win after defending cy young winner lincecum never got into a rhythm and lasted but 3 innings. all 8 giants starters scored, and they turned 3 doubleplays. each team had 2 batters hit in the first 4 innings in an overall sloppy game. the brewers swiped 4 without being thrown out.

the biggest of the big men:
joe martinez, getting the win in his first big league appearance.
medders/affeldt/howry/hinshaw/wilson for allowing but 1 run on 3 hits over the final 4.
travis ishikawa with a 2-out, bases-clearing 3-bagger deep into mirabelli alley.
aaron rowand for a go-ahead 2-run bomb in the 4th.

**KHenry14** · 04-08-2009, 10:09 AM

It's a nice start, but I bet we don't see Timmy have an outing like that for the rest of the season.

I didn't like the giving up of the 4 SB's, but I really liked the 3 DP's! To win, this team must play good defense, and DP's are rally killers.

**west coast orange and black** · 04-08-2009, 10:23 AM

willie always looks good out there on third + king but after yesterday's game he looked like a king himself!
the image below was taken after the game. yes, on the same day of a feared rainout!

**west coast orange and black** · 04-08-2009, 10:28 AM

khenry14: I didn't like the giving up of the 4 SB's, but I really liked the 3 DP's! To win, this team must play good defense, and DP's are rally killers.

none of the plays at second on the stolen bases were close.
the double-play in the 9th was particularly timely.

**west coast orange and black** · 04-08-2009, 10:29 AM

the gun at the yard is notoriously hot by 2 (3?) mph, but wilson's full-count, game-ending k was clocked at 100.

**west coast orange and black** · 04-08-2009, 10:41 AM

khenry14: To win, this team must play good defense, and DP's are rally killers.

it was tough at times to watch sandoval out there at third, but in the 5th he tagged out mike cameron on a heads-up play as cameron tried to take third on a roller to the 5.5 hole.
fred lewis gave up gave up 180 feet when he missed the cutoff man. props to the bleachers for sarcastically clapping lewis’ next throw in, which was perfect. and props to lewis who pointed to himself and shook his head as if to say “you're right. my bad. sorry.”

**Honus Wagner Rules** · 04-08-2009, 11:55 AM

Is Sandoval that bad at third base?

**Rich the Giants fan** · 04-08-2009, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Honus Wagner Rules

Is Sandoval that bad at third base?

They were talking on the radio about how he seems to have a problem getting the ball from glove to hand on balls he has to charge. He had an issue with that yesterday.

I think he'll be passable at the very least though. Long term though, first base would be a better option. Problem there is I like Ishi and Villalona is only 2 to 4 years away.

**KHenry14** · 04-08-2009, 04:40 PM

This reminds me a bit when Feliz was young. He had lots of problems at 3B but later developed into a fine fielder. Sandoval isn't likely to get that good, but I suspect he'll get better.

**west coast orange and black** · 04-09-2009, 10:44 PM

game 2 - wednesday, 8 april at mays field
tim lincecum honored as 2008 national league cy young award winner

brewers 4, giants 2

W – yovani gallardo (1 – 0)
L – randy johnson (0 – 1)

brewers: 4 runs, 5 hits, 1 error
giants: 2 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors

giants record: 1 – 1 (3rd, -.5)

giants home runs: none

notes:
yovani gallardo was the story: he threw 6.2 inn, induced 10 go while facing 29 batters, and stranded 8 (giants 1-fer-12 risp). his hr was the first ever surrendered by the unit to a pitcher.
two swings of the bat was the difference: mike cameron’s solo home run and gallardo’s 3-run blast that came after jason kendall was intentionally walked to get to him. cameron entered the game 2-fer-29 lifetime against johnson, and gallardo’s surprise was on a 1-2 pitch with 2 out.
there were 2 more hit batters; 6 now in 2 games.

the biggest of the big men:
randy johnson came out smokin’, striking out the first two batters, 4 in the first 2 innings, 6 in the first 3, and 7 (6 swinging) of the first 14 he faced.
rowand had 2 doubles, one of which would have been a home run most everywhere else.

**west coast orange and black** · 04-09-2009, 10:45 PM

game 3 - thursday, 8 april at mays field

giants 7, brewers 1

W – matt cain (1 – 0)
L – manny parra (0 – 1)

giants: 7 runs, 12 hits, 0 errors
brewers: 1 run, 5 hits, 2 errors

giants record: 2 – 1 (T 1st, +.5)

giants home runs: none

notes:
joe martinez was struck squarely on the forehead by a scorched comebacker off mike cameron’s bat in the ninth with 2 out. martinez could not get his glove up in time and immediately went down. he staggered to his feet only to fall to a heap moments later in front of the mound.
players on both teams were visibly affected. the ballyard was eerily quiet ‘til martinez was assisted to the dugout. cameron was distraught and had to look away from the downed pitcher.

the biggest of the big men:
joe martinez.
big man cain went 7, giving up just 1 run while scattering 4 hits (3 singles). he had control of all his pitches, and actually received early run support (5-0 after 5 completed).
bengie molina went 2-fer-3 (both doubles) with a sac fly, good for 4 rbi
fred lewis went 3-fer-3 with a double

**Honus Wagner Rules** · 04-10-2009, 12:40 AM

First, I hope Joe Martinez is ok. He took a nasty shot off the head. Second, Cain was excellent, a great way to start the season. I have high hopes this is he season Cain takes it to another level.

**KHenry14** · 04-10-2009, 06:38 AM

Here's hoping Joe Martinez isn't hurt too bad...

With that said, a really good performance by Matt. He had command of all his pitches, he threw a ton of first pitch strikes, and he looked confident out there.

My fave moment was the high heat he threw to Braun to strike him out in the 6th! Boo-yeah!

**Gravy Train** · 04-10-2009, 07:03 AM

Really nice to see to see the Giants developing some solid position players. Lewis and Sandoval look like keepers, and Burriss and Ishikawa may turn out to be solid starters.

**west coast orange and black** · 04-10-2009, 08:01 AM

^
13 of the present 25-man squad are products of minor league system, 10 of whom originally were drafted by giants.

**west coast orange and black** · 04-10-2009, 08:20 AM

khenry14: Matt ... threw a ton of first pitch strikes, and he looked confident out there.

i got him at 15 of the 26 he faced.

My fave moment was the high heat he threw to Braun to strike him out in the 6th! Boo-yeah!

good one!
mine was when he struck out pinch-hitter duffy in the 7th to end the brewer rally after a run was sacced in.

**west coast orange and black** · 04-11-2009, 02:34 PM

game 4 - friday, 10 april at petco park

padres 7, giants 3

W – shawn hill (1 – 0)
L – barry zito (0 - 1)

padres: 7 runs, 10 hits, 1 error
giants: 3 runs, 8 hits, 0 errors

giants record: 2 – 2 (T3rd, -1)

giants HR: none

notes:
39 pitches and 3 earned runs in the first from barry zito and things did not improve much from there: 93 pitches / 4 innings; 2.25 whip; .450 slugging.

the biggest of the big men:
emmanuel burriss got himself a batting average (.167) after going 2-fer-2, scoring twice and collecting 2 bases on balls.
justin miller, just called up to replace the dl'd joe martinez, and alex hinshaw combined for 3 scoreless innings.

**KHenry14** · 04-11-2009, 02:42 PM

Boy, I had really hoped that Zito would get off to a good start to the season, as I think it would mean a lot to his confidence. But this start is the exact opposite of what I was hoping.

**west coast orange and black** · 04-11-2009, 02:46 PM

notoriously a slow starter (0-6 in his first games of the season since '04), zito is on the brink of __________ (fill in the gap).

**Rich the Giants fan** · 04-12-2009, 12:57 AM

Originally Posted by west coast orange and black

notoriously a slow starter (0-6 in his first games of the season since '04), zito is on the brink of __________ (fill in the gap).

becoming the most expensive long reliever in history.

**CandlestickBum** · 04-12-2009, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by KHenry14

Boy, I had really hoped that Zito would get off to a good start to the season, as I think it would mean a lot to his confidence. But this start is the exact opposite of what I was hoping.

Boy howdy. (this does not transliterate well does it?)

I was too, what with the nice last 8 weeks of last season and this spring, was hoping for a 15-12 guy that would keep the team in the game most times.

Still can happen.

**west coast orange and black** · 04-13-2009, 09:58 AM

game 5 - saturday, 11 april at petco park

padres 6, giants 3

W – jake peavy (1 – 0)
L – jonathan sanchez (0 - 1)

padres: 6 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors
giants: 3 runs, 7 hits, 0 errors

giants record: 2 – 3 (T3rd, -1.5)

giants HR: none

notes: jonanthan sanchez struck out 5 of the first 6, but ran into big trouble in the 5th when adrian gonzales cleared the bases with a double. sanchez exited the game but by then had given up 5 earned, including two solo gopher balls to henry blanco.

jake peavy, meanwhile, displayed his form of 2007, when he won the cy young award –
10 k, no walks, 104 pitches to go 8.1 innings.

the biggest of the big men:
leadoff hitter randy winn went 3-fer4 with 2 doubles and runs scored
fred lewis went 2-fer-4 (.500 for 2009)
alex hinshaw and bob howry 1 inning each without surrendering a baserunner

**west coast orange and black** · 04-13-2009, 10:06 AM

game 6 - sunday, 12 april at petco park

padres 6, giants 1

W – chris young (2 – 0)
L – tim lincecum (0 - 1)

padres: 6 runs, 13 hits, 1 error
giants: 1 run, 6 hits, 1 error

giants record: 2 – 4 (T4th, -2.5)

giants HR: none

notes:
the giants get broomed in san diego as chris young handcuffed the giants on 6 hits (1 double by fred lewis) while lincecum surrendered 4 runs, all earned, on 10 hits and 3 walks in 5.1 innings. the giants were but 1-fer-6 in their risp chances.

the biggest of the big men:
brian wilson pitched the 9th for the work, and needed but 10 pitches