Probable starters:
SFO: Joe Martinez (1-0) 6.75 ERA (first start). HOU: Brian Moehler (7-6) 4.99 ERA.
Big win yesterday and quite the offensive output. Pablo Sandoval made me eat my words after the bomb he hit yesterday after I wrote that Sandoval piece for Bleacher Report, and Freddy Sanchez also went yard for the first time as a Giant. Add that with Jonathan Sanchez absolutely dealing yesterday against a very good Houston Astros lineup, and it was a great bounce back win for the Giants after Monday's embarrassing loss with Matt Cain on the hill.
That being said, today by no means is an easy slam dunk for the Giants. The Giants have rookie Joe Martinez making his first start of the year, and he's coming off the 60-day DL, which he got on in April after getting plunked in the head with a line drive off Mike Cameron's bat. From what I've heard Martinez isn't pitching with fear, and has been looking good in Fresno, so I guess Martinez is the most logical decision to replace Ryan Sadowski in the pen. That being said, I would have liked to see Kevin Pucetas, but apparently the Giants brass doesn't feel he is ready yet for the major leagues despite his impressive year this season in Fresno. If Martinez falters as a starter, look to Pucetas or even veteran Ramon Oritz, who is tearing up Triple-A, to replace him.
With Brian Moehler pitching for the Astros, the Giants certainly will have an opportunity to keep the bats going in Houston. Granted, I have this bad feeling that Moehler is going to shut us down (after all, washed up pitchers seem to do real well against us as evidenced by Mike Hampton's start on Monday), but I think if the Giants can just build on the momentum they got yesterday, they can take this series after dropping an easily-winnable game in the first game of this series.
For game updates check out the SJ Mercury's Andrew Baggarly's Giants blog at Extra Baggs. For live game thread and chat, check out the McCovey Chronicles.
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