The Sports Illustrated cover was ok...

... but this is where it's at.
[Via Extra Baggs]

Same Problems Plague Giants, Wilson

Last night had all the makings of an inspiring Giants win - a rejuvenated offense with the callup of Jesus Guzman, seven strong innings from Tim Lincecum, a clutch game-tying home run from Aaron Rowand, and scratching out a run against a closer who hadn't allowed one all season. Unfortunately, the Giants leave with yet another loss, one that can be attributed to all the same problems that have plagued them over the past two weeks.

Closer Brian Wilson will take much of the heat for last night's loss - and some of that is warranted. He did enter with a 2-1 lead and, as Jon Miller put it on the radio broadcast, proceeded to hand them runners. Only the game-winning single was hard earned, as Wilson put himself in a precarious position by walking two batters and hitting another. Wilson has allowed winning runs in three of his last four appearances, calling for more than one fan to wonder why Jeremy Affeldt is not pitching the ninth innings.

Here at SO&B, we are Wilson fans but will acknowledge that he is currently in the worst patch of his young career. If the Giants were serious contenders this year, then Wilson's job may be on the line. But since this is yet another development/rebuilding year, I can't see the point in threatening Wilson's ninth inning role. Wilson clearly has issues with control that need to be worked on. It is important to remember that Wilson is only in his second full season, and he has been groomed as the closer of the future. If he is going to adopt such a role, he needs to develop his command and he needs to learn how to get out of a rut like the one he is in now.

But Wilson does not deserve all the blame. The offense continues to lack inspiration with runners in scoring position. Bruce Bochy sent Guzman up as a pinch hitter in the seventh with runners on the corner and one out - only to have Guzman hit into a double play. They managed one run in the ninth and could have added insurance but were hindered by Bengie Molina being unable to score from second on a Nate Schierholtz single. With the bases loaded and one out, Guzman struck out and Kevin Frandsen grounded out, leaving the score at 2-1.

On a positive note, Lincecum was electric as usual - 7 innings, 4 hits, 1 walk, 1 run, and 10 strikeouts. Additionally, Rowand was a cool 2-for-4 raising his average to .270; Randy Winn stayed hot with two hits including a clutch ninth inning single; and Affeldt pitched a perfect 2/3 of the eighth.

Giants Get Sweet Revenge

You may remember a game, almost two years ago today. The Giants were playing the Mets in a nationally televised game. Tim Lincecum made his fifth major start, allowing three runs and striking out eight in seven innings. But the game remained tied at three until the Giants scored the go-ahead run in the top of the twelfth inning. Armando Benitez came in to close it out and, well, the rest is history. A walk to Jose Reyes and a couple of balks later, the game was tied. Carlos Delgado finished it with a walk-off homer. Benitez would not pitch in a Giants uniform again, and that game remains one of the more crushing losses of the past few years.

On Sunday, the universe went a long way towards righting itself. Once again on ESPN, the Giants won 2-0, thanks entirely to a couple of well-timed balks by Mets' starter Mike Pelfrey, who never seemed very comfortable on the mound. In the first time, after Pablo Sandoval singled, Pelfrey seemed to catch his spike in the dirt and couldn't get the pitch off. Sandoval went to second, and came home on a Bengie Molina single. In the fifth inning, after Aaron Rowand led off with a single, Pelfrey started and stopped. Travis Ishikawa advanced Rowand to third with a groundout, and then Matt Cain helped himself with an RBI single, after a suicide squeeze attempt went foul. Cain continued to allow a lot of baserunners, walking five and throwing nearly 120 pitches in six innings, but he continued to work his way out of trouble. Jeremy Affeldt had another good outing. After a Carlos Beltran double put runners on second and third with nobody out in the eighth, Affeldt struck out Gary Sheffield, intentionally walked David Wright, and got pinch-hitter Angel Pagan to ground into a double play. Brian Wilson pitch a one-two-three ninth for his ninth save.

If you were watching the ESPN telecast, you might not have realized that there were actually two teams on the field. The broadcast team of Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips, egged on by Jon Miller, spent nearly the whole game talking about the Mets and their "leadership issues." Phillips at one point said that the Mets don't have that "perfect player" like Dustin Pedroia or Derek Jeter, and later suggested that they should consider trading Carlos Beltran, because despite being one of the best players in baseball, he just doesn't have that gamer/clubhouse presence that we all know is more important. Hey, if the Mets want a center fielder with those attributes, maybe we could swing a deal (he hit into another bases loaded double play today, but at least he hustled really hard!). If only Steve Phillips were still the Mets' GM. But seriously, it seems like a lot of people buy into that school of thinking. Dear Mets' fans: I would love to have David Wright's, Jose Reyes's, or Carlos Beltran's problems.

Lincecum: A Fan of Rookie of the Year

Much of MLB.com's coverage of yesterday's game centers on the fact that Tim Lincecum is a big fan of the 1993 film, Rookie of the Year. The film stars Thomas Ian Nicholas as Henry Rowengartner - a 12 year old who winds up pitching for the Cubs after an arm injury leaves him with the ability to throw exceptionally fast.

"I love this field," Lincecum said. "Not just for the history, but one of my favorite movies of all time was 'Rookie of the Year,' with Henry Rowengartner and all that good stuff.

"People used to call me 'Rowengartner,'" he added. "Or 'Rosinbagger.'"

The film features a cameo by then Pirate Barry Bonds in a strikeout montage that also features Bobby Bonilla and Pedro Guerrero. Thomas Ian Nicholas went on to star in three American Pie films before embarking on a music career.

Let's Hear It For the Boy and Observations from the Past Week

By this point, there should be no doubt - Tim Lincecum is for real. After those two lackluster starts at the beginning of the year, he has picked up where 2008 left off. Even when he does not have his best - like he didn't against the Cubs - he is still the best. I appreciate how Lou Pinella conceded defeat before the game even began, omitting Ryan Theriot, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Milton Bradley and Geovany Soto from his lineup card. Perhaps this will become a trend when Lincecum pitches? Perhaps we should pencil in Lincecum as the starter each game?

Bengie Molina gave his pitcher all he needed with a first inning, three run homer, but the Giants decided to throw a few more runs in for good measure. Listening to The Razor and Mr. T after the game, it was asked whether Molina was the Giants best free agent signing behind Barry Bonds. There is no doubt Molina has been an offense savior during his tenure with the Giants, and it might not be a bad idea to keep a vet like him around, while nurturing young Buster Posey into the majors.

The Giants are playing .500 ball and still haven't lost a series since their disastrous first road trip. Since we have not posted in about a week, here's a few things we noticed during that time:

-Barry Zito is totally clean shaven and it suits him well. When you're as well-groomed as Zito looks these days, it's a sign that you are confident and take pride in what you are doing. Zito has been money as of late, maybe not $126 million money, but still. Most impressive about 2009's Zito as compared to 2007 and 2008's Zito is that he has cut back on his walks and gone deeper into ball games. He still doesn't have a win but deserves 2 or 3.
-While we're comparing grooming habits to performance, let's talk about Brian Wilson. That new haircut of his is pretty frickin cool, simply enhancing his overall coolness. After his one blown save, Wilson has bounced back strong, twice having to get a 4-out save, while also pitching a scoreless ninth in a 0-0 game.
-Wilson needed to get a pair of four out saves, because Jeremy Affeldt was twice unable to finish the eighth. Let's hope Affeldt can get things back on track, because Bruce Bochy is already talking about replacing Bob Howry with Merkin Valdez as the eighth inning righty. If the Giants are going to have any shot this year, the bullpen has got to be solid.
-Jonathan Sanchez is still struggling with the mental game. Though in his defense - and Dunae Kuiper raised a similar point - I've always felt that a pitcher should be able to go out and give up three runs and still win. Unfortunately, with this offense, when you fall down 3-0 early, a comeback does not appear likely. "How about the offense picking up a pitcher every now and agin," Kuiper said. Agreed.
-Randy Johnson is at 297, going for 298 tonight.
-More Nate Schierholtz please.

Barry Beats LA...Zito Good Too

With the all-time home run king looking on, the Giants scored the game-tying and game-winning runs on two balls that didn't leave the infield grass. I'll take it. The Giants beat the Dodgers for the first time this year and improved their home record to 7-2. With Tim Lincecum going tomorrow, the Giants now have a good chance to take the series.

Barry Zito was not quite as sharp as he was in his last outing in San Diego, as he struck out just two while walking three, but he managed to work his way out of jams through the first six innings. The Dodgers finally got to him in the seventh, and Zito was gone after a two-run homer by Casey Blake and a single by Juan Pierre. Merkin Valdez, pitching for the first time in a while, allowed a game-tying single to Orlando Hudson and go-ahead single to Manny Ramirez, but avoided further damage by getting Matt Kemp to ground into a double play. The Giants then rallied for two against Ronald Belisario in the eighth.

The story of the game might be Brian Wilson, who is now Twitter-free. A day after blowing a three-run lead in Arizona, Wilson struck out Blake, Blake DeWitt, and Rafael Furcal to close out the game. After falling behind Furcal 3-0, Wilson planted three straight knee-high fastballs for called strikes.

Of course, Barry Bonds was in the building, and I think anyone watching would agree that the man would make a great color commentator.

Who Would've Thought a 2-1 Weekend Would Be A Disappointment

Going into Friday's game, all I wanted was for the Giants to take two of three from Arizona, and that they did. It is a little disappointing because they came oh-so-close to leaving with a sweep, but here's a look back at a mostly positive weekend...

If you watched Friday night's game, then it was painfully clear that something is just not right with Tim Lincecum. Despite a Giants win, Lincecum in no way resembled the 2008 Cy Young award winner we know and love. He could only muster eight innings, and allowed a whopping five hits. Even worse, his strikeout total dropped from 13 in his previous start to only 12. He also increased his walk total from his previous start, allowing one. And, he allowed a 2-out RBI single to a pitcher! Miraculously, the Giants dominant offense carried them to a 5-1 victory.

Saturday's victory resembled the kind of win that only winning teams get. You know the kind where your number starter gets knocked out early, and your offense and bullpen carry you to victory. Clutch two-out hitting has been rather elusive for the Orange and Black, but all five came in such circumstances - an Edgar Renteria double, a Randy Winn homer, and a single from the oft hitting challenged Emmanuel Burris. The hitting was clutch, but I just cannot say enough good things about the bullpen's performance, especially the strong setup guys we have in Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry. A major issue the Giants have faced in their string of losing seasons has been a lack of quality setup guys to finish the job - coupled with starters who cannot go deep. Both Affeldt and Howry have handled their late-inning duties successfully (each has three holds), achieving a certain late inning confidence.

What was that about late inning confidence? Sunday's game had all the makings of an inspiring getaway win for the Giants - seven solid innings from Matt Cain (who was in line for win number three), a clutch homer from Pablo Sandoval, more great setup work from Affeldt and Howry, and a 4-1 lead with Brian Wilson on the mound. Blown saves happen - it is just a fact. I will not go into any monologues trying to diagnose Brian Wilson's strength and weaknesses. Even the best closers have a bad day. Despite the loss, there are still numerous positives to take from this game and even more from the series - the Giants have turned that dismal 2-7 into a respectable 8-9.

Lincecum Isn't Broken, Just the Offense

After a pair of starts that did not rank amongst his best, folks jumped the gun trying to figure out what the issue might be with Tim Lincecum. "We've all seen it this week," wrote Ranier Reglos in Bleacher Report. "Tim Lincecum is not the same Giant he was last year." Is a 24-year old kid with a lifetime 25-11 record not allowed to have a couple of bad days? There is no curse surrounding Lincecum - no Sports Illustrated curse, no video game curse, and no Cy Young curse! Lincecum does not wear his emotions on his sleeve the way some pitchers do, and handles the pressure and the spotlight as well as anyone.

Those critics were silenced on Saturday afternoon, as Lincecum was absolutely money. Eight innings, thirteen strikeouts, zero runs, and zero walks. He has regained his natural form and dropped his ERA down to a respectable 3.86. Unfortunately, Lincecum has to rely on the San Francisco Giants for run support, and frankly he fell victim to a bit of Matt Cain syndrome at AT&T park. While Lincecum baffled the Diamondbacks for eight innings, Giants hitters appeared equally baffled. Emmanuel Burris and Fred Lewis each had two hits, and Edgar Renteria did walk, however the Giants could not get runners into scoring position and did not appear to know what to do with the ones they had. Oh, and Burris got caught stealing home. This is the kind of 2-0 loss that really hurts.

A quick note on the Arizona Diamondbacks: When they came to town in April of last year, I was genuinely threatened. I thought they had the best lineup in the West, and were the team to beat in the NL. As the Giants shut them out for 16 straight innings, I wondered, "When did this lineup become so unimpressive?"

Tim Lincecum is a Beatles Fan

In case you didn't know - we are about as obsessed with music as we are with the Giants. We are always curious what sounds our favorite Giants are digging. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported back in March, Tim Lincecum has a taste for older sounds, especially the Beatles. His favorite Beatles songs are "Revolution," "Strawberry Fields Forever," and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." Like his pitching motion, Lincecum was introduced to the Beatles through his father. Tim's father Chris also adds, "I always pushed for Timmy and his older brother Sean to sing."

Video - "Strawberry Fields Forever," the Beatles


Another interesting Tim Lincecum musical connection - earlier this year, we reported on the striking resemblence between Lincecum and Arctic Monkey/Last Shadow Puppet Alex Turner.

Lincecum Talks Sabathia, Contract

Tim Lincecum was in Novato, CA earlier this week to put in some work as the new cover boy for MLB 2K9. While he was there, he chopped it up on a number of topics, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

On C.C. Sabathia: "He's from around here, isn't he? I mean, our staff is good without him, but it would definitely not hurt to have him in our rotation. That guy's an animal. He knows what he's doing. He finishes games. He's a competitor. He's a workhorse. If that did happen, I could firsthand learn from him. It's always nice to get other people's perspective on different stuff."

On the Prospects of a Long-Term Contract: "We're trying to keep our options open and not commit to anything or do anything too drastic. If it ends up working out, I mean, you don't want to be closed off to anything now."

On Matt Cain: "He's a big part of our team, and a lot of (teammates) would say that. He doesn't have a lot to show for what he's done, but that will come in time. When you're as good as he is, things will turn around. He knows it."

Jayson Stark Looks At Lincecum's Cy Young Chances

Today, Jayson Stark makes the case for Tim Lincecum, Brando Webb and C.C. Sabathia as viable Cy Young candidates. He says of Lincecum:

Tim Lincecum has been getting way too little play in this debate for way too long, anyway. But Webb's mini-funk has helped bring Lincecum back into the conversation. And it's about time.

True, Lincecum has four fewer wins (19 to 15). But how much of that is his fault? He's 15-3, with five blown saves and six CUS (Criminally Unsupported Starts - games in which he pitched at least six innings and his team scored one run or none while he was in the game). Webb has one blown save and only two CUS. So that accounts for your gap in wins, gang.

Toss wins out of the discussion, and Lincecum looks as if he has clearly outpitched Webb by most standards. Lincecum leads in ERA by more than three-quarters of a run (2.43 to 3.19), leads in strikeouts by 50 (210 to 160) and tops the league in both categories. Lincecum also leads the NL in OPS allowed (.609), quality-start percentage (22 of 27, 81 percent) and strikeout ratio (10.2 per 9 IP). And unlike Sabathia, you may have noticed that he has been in the same league, on the same team, all season.

Lincecum Just Bruised

It appears that Lincecum - who left in the fifth yesterday after taking a line drive to the knee - is ok. John Shea sums it up perfectly: "Tim Lincecum is hurt. Four words no Giants fan wanted to read or hear. Or imagine." X-rays showed only bruising, though his next start remains up in the air. Even in his short stint yesterday, Lincecum struck out seven to raise his leading total to 182. Unfortunately, the Giants again couldn't hold the lead he left with, and I'm just going to try and forget that game ever happened.

Lincecum Leaves Early

Tim Lincecum was on another roll early this evening - 1 hit and seven strikeouts in the fifth - before taking a line drive to the knee. He left the game and was taken for x-rays. Bruce Bochy said:

It caught him in a good spot. It paralyzed him for a little bit. But he's walking around pretty good now. That's good news. That's the only good news we got tonight.

Final score: Astros 12, Giants 4.

Giant of the Week: Tim Lincecum

We're a few days late on our Giant of the Week. Still, the unrewarded efforts Tim Lincecum put up last week are worthy of praise. The All-Star turned in two brilliant performances, both of which resulted in no-decisions. Lincecum threw seven innings of three-hit ball last Friday, and left the game with a 2-1 lead. The bullpen could not hold it for him, but the Giants still won in 10. His 11 strikeouts that night also pushed his league-leading total to 167. A week earlier, Lincecum suffered a heartbreaker - he outdueled Brandon Webb for seven innings (while striking out 13) only to have the bullpen blow a one-run lead in the eighth. Lincecum's exit after the seventh proved to be a point of criticism directed at Bruce Bochy. Still, whether we're winning or losing, this kid remains a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

20: Losses For Barry? Wins For Lincecum?

Barry Zito losing twenty games! Tim Lincecum saving this dismal season with his 20 wins ... could it be possible? With two months left in season, it is looking like neither will happen - for better or for worse. Lincecum is doing just about everything he can to be a 20-game winner. He faced off against Arizona's Brandon Webb on Saturday and outdueled for a good seven innings - striking out 13 in the process. Unfortunately, the bullpen and the defense couldn't hold it for him. To pull off 20 wins, Lincecum would need 9 wins in two months and though he is capable of great things, it basically means he can't lose again. He could handle it on his own, but I doubt we could back him up with the right amount of run support each time. Still, with impressive numbers, I wouldn't rule Lincecum out as a Cy Young candidate.

Zito has a little bit of an edge on Lincecum, boasting 13 losses after yesterday's drubbing. That being said, Zito is bound to have one or two more decent starts before the season ends. Also, it's doubtful this team would actually put Zito in a position to lose 20 games. His ego's been bruised enough this season - they wouldn't serve him such an unavoidable blow.

The Flu Has Lincecum-Like Symptoms

UPDATE: Andrew Baggarly has more. Lincecum definitely went to the hospital, but Brian Wilson doubts that he was taken out on a stretcher. NL manager Clint Hurdle thinks Lincecum will make it to Yankee Stadium in time for the game. He also said that Wilson is scheduled to pitch the eighth.

The chances of Tim Lincecum pitching in tonight's All-Star Game were already getting lower by the minute, but recent developments seem to make it a certainty that he will not take the mound at Yankee Stadium. Lincecum was reportedly taken to the hospital for dehydration and flu-like symptoms. According to KNBR, he was taken out of his hotel room on a stretcher. I was really hoping Lincecum would pitch at least one inning tonight, but this latest development leads me to believe it's probably for the best that he sits out. Get well, Tim. You'll have plenty more chances.

Timmy's An All Star, But Will He Pitch?

To no one's surprise, Tim Lincecum was selected by his peers to represent the Giants at the All-Star Game July 15. But within hours of this announcement, Bruce Bochy seemed to dash any hopes of Lincecum getting the deserved starting nod, or of even pitching at all. Originally, Lincecum was scheduled to make his last start prior to the All-Star break on Wednesday against the Mets. However, Bochy chose to reshuffle the rotation, instead pitching Lincecum Tuesday in New York, and then again on Sunday in Chicago, just two days before the All-Star Game. The logic behind the move seems to be simply to give Lincecum more starts and give the Giants a better chance to gain ground in the NL West. But the strategy almost seems counterproductive. If he pitched Wednesday, Lincecum would match up with Johan Santana, giving the Giants their best shot to beat the Mets' ace.

I will be very disappointed if Lincecum doesn't pitch in the All-Star Game. Of course, I would prefer he start, but I'd rather see him throw just one inning than nothing at all. And I think it's extremely uncool of the Giants to hold Lincecum back from his first All-Star appearance with the justification of being in a pennant race. If the Giants want to prove that they deserve some respect, I'd much rather see Lincecum mow down Alex Rodriguez in Yankee Stadium than see the team fool itself into thinking that it has a chance at the playoffs.

In other All-Star news, congratulations to Brian Wilson for being chosen by the players, and make sure to vote for Aaron Rowand in the Final Vote, albeit over much more deserving candidates.

Lincecum Graces SI Cover

Sports Illustrated may not be the pinnacle of sports journalism it once was, but this is pretty fucking cool. I can't remember the last time a Giant made the cover without being accompanied by an asterisk or a syringe. The lengthy, and extremely dense, article by Tom Verducci, features a detailed breakdown of Lincecum's mechanics, as well as an illuminating discussion of pitching mechanics and injuries. It's certainly worth reading and re-reading. For $70, you can buy a framed copy of the cover here.