Are they trying to kill Aubrey Huff?
To look at the guy you’d think he got winded just saying “circle the bases”, but over the last three days he’s put in enough roadwork to prepare for a heavyweight title fight. No one needs Thursday’s day off more than he.
For those who missed it, Huff’s second-inning carom off lucky Archway Number Seven is the current leader in the clubhouse for the Giants play of the year. Over the next 153 contests the Giants are liable to have moments that are more dramatic, but it’s hard to imagine any being more entertaining.
On Wednesday we were twice treated to Huff’s, uh, speed as he legged out three bases on two separate occasions. But an inside-the-park homer, the first of his career, takes the taco.
If you count Ichiro’s four-bagger in the ’07 All-Star Game, this is just the fifth time it has been accomplished at AT&T. Anyone wanna bet that he’s one of the most unlikely Giants to pull that off? Now when Molina hits one…
I’m actually surprised this doesn’t happen more often. One of the glories of AT&T Park is its odd dimensions and angles. Balls off the right field wall can find any number of protrusions (look it up) capable of redirecting a batted ball’s path. The right fielder ought to be wearing a crash helmet and face mask.
Almost lost in the shuffle was a good outing by Jonathan Sanchez. He did get into a couple of jams and I’m convinced the guy is never ready to pitch the first inning, but he managed to weasel out of trouble a couple of times. Eleven strikeouts in eight frames is dealing by anyone’s standards, even if it was against Pittsburgh.
Now it’s true that of the Giants’ seven victories, five have come at the expense of teams that couldn’t hit water falling out and a freaking boat (unless Medders is pitching), but one of the keys to success is beating teams you expect to beat. The Giants have been woefully lacking in this regard in recent years, so 2010’s start has to be considered promising.
Granted, we’ve been here before. I recall a 3-15 stretch a couple of Mays ago that effectively derailed any hopes of contention before the season had really stretched its legs so I’m not going to count on anything at this point. But consider this. If the Giants simply play the last 153 games at a winning clip, they go 84-78. Add to that just one win, one lousy win, per month, and suddenly they’re in the chase.
I am pleased to note that the Giants have twice bounced back from ugly losses. Streaks kill, and the Giants have previously shown a proclivity for extended funks. Hopefully this is a trend.
There’s a long way to go and a lot of work to be done. Despite Rowand going deep and Whiteside having a pitch hit his bat, the Giants have some issues in regard to power. They still hit into too many double plays and the defense can be a bit shaky. One nice thing about that 6-0 edge on Wednesday – Renteria and Medders didn’t get a chance to foul it up.
So it’s a day off, followed by a trip to Manny’s California Adventure and the first meeting of the year with The Hated Dodgers.
Gotta wonder: did Huff take the team flight or did they make him run?
To look at the guy you’d think he got winded just saying “circle the bases”, but over the last three days he’s put in enough roadwork to prepare for a heavyweight title fight. No one needs Thursday’s day off more than he.
For those who missed it, Huff’s second-inning carom off lucky Archway Number Seven is the current leader in the clubhouse for the Giants play of the year. Over the next 153 contests the Giants are liable to have moments that are more dramatic, but it’s hard to imagine any being more entertaining.
On Wednesday we were twice treated to Huff’s, uh, speed as he legged out three bases on two separate occasions. But an inside-the-park homer, the first of his career, takes the taco.
If you count Ichiro’s four-bagger in the ’07 All-Star Game, this is just the fifth time it has been accomplished at AT&T. Anyone wanna bet that he’s one of the most unlikely Giants to pull that off? Now when Molina hits one…
I’m actually surprised this doesn’t happen more often. One of the glories of AT&T Park is its odd dimensions and angles. Balls off the right field wall can find any number of protrusions (look it up) capable of redirecting a batted ball’s path. The right fielder ought to be wearing a crash helmet and face mask.
Almost lost in the shuffle was a good outing by Jonathan Sanchez. He did get into a couple of jams and I’m convinced the guy is never ready to pitch the first inning, but he managed to weasel out of trouble a couple of times. Eleven strikeouts in eight frames is dealing by anyone’s standards, even if it was against Pittsburgh.
Now it’s true that of the Giants’ seven victories, five have come at the expense of teams that couldn’t hit water falling out and a freaking boat (unless Medders is pitching), but one of the keys to success is beating teams you expect to beat. The Giants have been woefully lacking in this regard in recent years, so 2010’s start has to be considered promising.
Granted, we’ve been here before. I recall a 3-15 stretch a couple of Mays ago that effectively derailed any hopes of contention before the season had really stretched its legs so I’m not going to count on anything at this point. But consider this. If the Giants simply play the last 153 games at a winning clip, they go 84-78. Add to that just one win, one lousy win, per month, and suddenly they’re in the chase.
I am pleased to note that the Giants have twice bounced back from ugly losses. Streaks kill, and the Giants have previously shown a proclivity for extended funks. Hopefully this is a trend.
There’s a long way to go and a lot of work to be done. Despite Rowand going deep and Whiteside having a pitch hit his bat, the Giants have some issues in regard to power. They still hit into too many double plays and the defense can be a bit shaky. One nice thing about that 6-0 edge on Wednesday – Renteria and Medders didn’t get a chance to foul it up.
So it’s a day off, followed by a trip to Manny’s California Adventure and the first meeting of the year with The Hated Dodgers.
Gotta wonder: did Huff take the team flight or did they make him run?
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