1.44 Team ERA 18 straight games in which they have given up 3 runs or less (the major league record is 20) Will be a tough team to beat in the playoffs. If they can get some timely hitting, especially.
Pitching continues to dominate into the playoffs. Lincecum was the old Lincecum last night with 14 Ks in a shutout of the hapless Braves.
Giants give Matt Cain a 3-0 lead after the first. I don't believe that has ever happened in his entire career. He is the worst supported pitcher in the history of baseball it seems. They just threw out a tidbit that Cain is 49-8 in his career when spotted a 3 run lead. 11-0 this season.
Just looking at the stats, this staff for the Giants is quite impressive: M Cain............. 13-11 3.14 T Lincecum....... 16-10 3.43 J Sanchez......... 13-9 3.07 M Bumgarner...... 7-6 3.00 740 IP, 699 Ks (49-36 record) B Wilson............ 3-3 1.81 (48 saves) S Romo............. 5-3 2.18 (22 holds) J Lopez............. 4-2 2.34 (11 holds) S Casilla............ 7-2 1.95 (10 holds) G Mota.............. 1-3 4.33 (8 holds) J Affeldt............. 4-3 4.14 (7 holds) R Ramirez........... 1-0 0.67 (4 holds, acquired from Red Sox at trade deadline) The big 4 pitchers out of the bullpen had: 250 IP, 257 K (19-10 record) So the 8 pitchers you will see almost exclusively in the playoffs have amassed: 990 IP, 956 Ks (68-46 record) Note: Barry Zito was left off the playoff roster after falling apart the last 2 months of the season (ERA over 6.50)
It was all good for SF until the 8th inning last night. SF won't win another game. Hudson will smoke them in Game 3 and Lowe comes back on 3 days rest and closes out the series.
Bochy was dumb last night by panicking and putting in his closer with no outs recorded in the 8th. The first such time all year long he had done it. He had plenty of capable arms still left in the pen to get by. Wilson to get the last out in the 8th, sure. I think bochy thought he had miriano Rivera coming into the game.
