The Giants like veterans, because they share two qualities. They taste gamey and gritty (like squab or quail gizzards), and their fact status as gritty gamers has actually rankled quite a few fans over the last five playoff-free seasons.
The Giants just swept an awful team this afternoon (a 100-loss team, if my eyes don’t deceive me), but that doesn’t matter. Sweeping any Major League team, no matter how awful the lineup or how many wives the starting rotation may or may not have beaten up, is extremely difficult. Remember, the Giants could barely run without tripping against the Padres last year, and the Padres are to baseball what the Minnesota Timberwolves are to the NBA (which is why Nellie should get his … yawn … record tonight in ‘Sota).
It’s too early to say the Giants have even a league-average offense, let alone an above-average lineup. What we do know, is this the first Giants team since 2004 that looks like they expect to win. I know, I sound like Mike Krukow right now. But what else can you say? All apologies to Matt Cain, who snatched no-decision from the jaws of victory today, but the rest of the team seemed as non-plussed by the Astros’ brief comeback as I can ever remember the Giants acting since back when Kirk Reuter was on the team.
Last year, the bullpen would have clenched up, knowing they might need to hold the opposition scoreless for the next 12 innings to have any chance of winning. The offense would have gone up there all pull-happy, collecting between 0 and 2 hits from the 7th inning until whenever it was they finally lost. This year, they rack up about 40 million hits and cruise home after an easy series sweep. Maybe things really are looking up.
Edgar Renteria without bone-chips is nice, but Renteria without bone chips and a noticeable boiler might be even better.
Juan Uribe DESERVES an “OOOOOOOOOOH-REEEEEEEEEEBAAAAAAYYYYY” on Friday night. Nothing else to it.
Does this mean Travis Ishikawa can hit on the road now?
Now that Aaron Rowand just enjoyed a 4-hit afternoon, what are we supposed to complain about now??? Brandon Medders’ outing on Monday? Even Guillermo Mota was lights-out today.
Now that Bowkermania is in full effect, how long until Nate Schierholtz gets traded for a minor league pitcher? I’m giving it about three weeks: the amount of time Fred Lewis can play “rehab games” until he needs to either be released or brought back up. To everybody who says the Giants should just trade Rowand instead, remember: Rowand makes more money than Monta Ellis or Andris Biedrins. He isn’t going anywhere. But if the Giants keep playing like this and Rowand picks up 4 hits every 3 games, nobody will care.
