Mixed Six: A Look at 2007 First Rounders Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson

As promised, here is the first piece on the 2007 Draft series. The first part unsurprisingly is on the Giants' first two picks in the draft: left handed pitcher Madison Bumgarner (who went 10th overall in the draft) and right handed pitcher Tim Alderson (who went 22nd overall). Both were high upside arms out of high school, and though they were projected to be a couple years away at the soonest from contributing at the Big League level, many Giants fans dreamed of rotation headlining Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner and Alderson for years to come.

After years of development in the minors though, the two pitchers have panned out in remarkably different ways. One is a World Series stud, the other hasn't played above Double-A. One was arguably the best pitcher last year in a rotation with not one or two but three All-Star pitchers, while the other one performed so poorly in 2010 that their team sent him from Double-A to High-A.

I think it's safe to say we all know who's who.

Let's take a deeper look though at their individual profiles though.



Madison Bumgarner: "The World Series Hero"

Bumgarner went 10th overall in the 2007 MLB Rule 4 Draft. At the time, there was some good arms coming out of the draft, as David Price went No. 1 overall and Jarrod Parker (formerly the Diamondbacks' top prospect) went in the slot before Bumgarner. At the time, Bumgarner was young and just out of high school, but scouts liked what he brought to the table as a big (six-foot, five inches, 227 pounds) left-handed pitcher with Top-of-the-rotation potential.

A lot of Giants fans though weren't exactly thrilled however with the selection of the pick. Dr. B of When the Giants Come to Town was adamantly against the drafting of Bumgarner prior to draft day (as stated by OGC in his post about the Bumgarner selection), and even OGC himself had some choice things to say in his "disappointment" of Bumgarner going in the Giants' slot. Here is what he said about the pick:
 

"I was disapppointed by the selection of Madison Bumgarner. Not to the point of wanting to throw myself down the stairs, as DrB on MCC said he would if the Giants selected him, but I had been hoping to get some offensive help from the #10 pick. I was really hoping that Wieters would fall to us, but I guess that was wishful thinking. But there was a bunch of top offensive help available at #10, Beau Mills, Jason Heyward, Matt Dominguez, who were consensus top picks where you couldn't go wrong - in the post analysis - selecting one of them."

Furthermore, OGC also pointed out to Bumgarner's lack of breaking stuff as a bit of a red flag, especially considering Sabean said after draft day that they were planning to "fast track" him in the Giants system. Of course, OGC was realistic that he could develop one, especially since he was so young at the time. Here's what he said about Bumgarner developing his secondary pitches:

"Bumgarner doesn't have a curve or slider not because he could not master them, but because he just started pitching them just one year ago, because his father wouldn't allow him to. Well, now he will get professional training on the proper way to throw them, plus he can speak with Zito, Cain, and Lincecum about it because they all have a great curve ball, and probably with Lowry and Misch about their changeups. And he's only 17 (18 in August), so he still has some physical maturation coming, which should add a few MPH to his already good fastball plus with professional coaching, he should be able to master the curve and/or slider with a few years under his belt."

The issue though for most Giants fans at the time (OGC included) though was not really the fact that they picked Bumgarner, but rather that they picked Bumgarner when it was obvious that they needed to restock their system with position players. At the time, Dominguez and Heyward were available in the draft, and to some (if not most Giants fans), the common thought was that either of those guys would have brought more value because of the lack of position talent in the Giants system. As for Bumgarner, while he was a good pitcher, he would still be a No. 3 guy behind Lincecum and Cain and, at the time, would probably be a No. 3 or 4 guy depending on how Noah Lowry developed (which ended up being 3 because Lowry got hurt and his career fell off a cliff).

Despite the controversy with the selection, Bumgarner was ranked highly by baseball publications as Baseball America ranked him the No. 3 prospect in the Giants system before even playing a game. Bumgarner made good on the high praise and the Top-10 selection as he absolutely dominated the Sally. In 24 games and a 141.2 IP, he went 15-3 with a 1.46 ERA, 1.71 FIP, 0.93 WHIP and a 164 strikeouts. He showed impeccable command (his K/BB ratio was 7.81 and his BABIP was around average at .304), and his control was also very mature for a kid just out of high school (1.33 BB/9). Without a doubt, Bumgarner was dominating in every way in Low Single-A and it was safe to say the Giants had a lot to look forward to with the former Top-10 pick.

With such a dominating 2008 campaign with the Green Jackets, his stock rose considerably going into the 2009 season. Baseball America ranked him the No. 9 prospect overall, and a popular argument amongst prospect experts was whether he or Baltimore Orioles left-handed prospect Brian Matusz would have the better pitching career. Bumgarner started out the year in San Jose in High-A, but the league proved to be too easy for him as he dominated in just five starts. In 24.1 IP, he posted an ERA of 1.48, a FIP of 2.05, a WHIP of 0.89 and a K/BB ratio of 5.75. Though his strikeout numbers did decline a little (his K/9 rate in the 24.1 innings sample was 8.51, almost seven points down from the previous season), but considering the Cal League was a hitter's league, there wasn't too much concern about the initial dip in San Jose.

After five starts, the Giants moved Bumgarner up to Double-A with the Connecticut Defenders (the team moved to Richmond the following season). Bumgarner pitched a lot of innings (107) and posted good traditional numbers (1.93 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 9-1 record) in the Eastern League, but there were some red flags raised during his 2009 campaign with the Defenders.

The biggest concern was his dip in dominance rate (K/9), as it fell to 5.80, an almost 10 point drop from the previous year. While he was still showing good control (his BB/9 was 2.42), the huge regression in K/9 rate from Augusta left him with a K/BB ratio (2.30) that looked a whole lot less impressive than the gaudy 7.81 ratio he put up in the Sally. Hence, a lot of questions started to get asked about Bumgarner's development. How was his velocity holding up? Was he developing his secondary pitches? Are hitters figuring him out? Is he going through some minor injury issues that fans and writers aren't aware of?

All those questions became amplified when the Giants called him up for an emergency spot start late in the 2009 season. Though Bumgarner pitched admirably in a 76 pitch start (he went 5.1 IP and allowed five hits, one walk and struck out four while only giving up two runs), the big alarm that went off was Bumgarner's dip in velocity. While reports said that he was hitting the mid-90's range in the minors, Bumgarner's fastball velocity averaged only 88.1 MPH in his first Major League appearance. Suddenly, many people began wondering if Bumgarner's stuff and velocity in the minors were exaggerated, simply to raise his stock as a prospect in the system. Management claimed though that the drop in velocity was a temporary thing, and that he was just suffering from fatigue after pitching so many innings in 2008 and 2009 as a teenager.

Unfortunately, come Spring Training in 2010, things did not start off well for Bumgarner. The velocity did not go up as expected, as Bumgarner was hitting the 87-89 MPH range on the radar guns and he also put up very uninspired numbers during the Spring as well, as he allowed five runs, eight and seven walks in seven innings pitched. His ERA hovered to 6.43 during Spring Training, his WHIP was a bloated 2.14, and the worst stat of all? He had zero strikeouts the entire Spring. (That's right...ZERO!)

The lackluster performance made the Giants go with Todd Wellemeyer in the fifth spot over Bumgarner, and instead, Bumgarner started the year in 2010 with the Fresno Grizzlies. Despite the humbling spring and drop in stock (he fell from No. 9 to No. 14 in BA's prospect rankings), he still managed to pitch well in the Pacific Coast League. He finished the Fresno campaign with a 7-1 record, 3.16 ERA, 3.43 FIP, 1.33 WHIP and a K/BB ratio of 2.68. Furthermore, his velocity came back (he was back in the 90 MPH range by April) and his strikeouts per nine increased to 6.42 with the Grizzlies.

After Wellemeyer (predictably) flopped in the fifth spot in the rotation, Bumgarner got the call up to the Big League roster. Not only did Bumgarner have a great year overall during the regular season (7-6, 3.00 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.31 WHIP and 3.31 K/BB ratio), but he shined the most in the playoffs during the Giants' World Series run. In four playoff appearances, and 3 starts, Bumgarner went 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and had 18 strikeouts and only five walks in 20.2 IP during the postseason. Bumgarner's real gem came in the World Series against the Rangers on the road in Game Four, as he pitched 8 shutout innings with six strikeouts and only two walks and three hits allowed in the winning effort that put the Giants up 3-1 in the series.

The following year in 2011, Bumgarner arguably was the best Giants starting pitcher in 2011, which is saying something considering they had a two-time Cy Young Winner (Lincecum) and two other All-Stars in the past few years (Cain and Vogelsong). Bumgarner pitched 204.1 innings, and finished with a 13-13 record, 3.21 ERA, 2.67 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, and a 4.15 K/BB ratio. In comparison, Bumgarner's FIP was the best on the team, as was his tERA (3.12), xFIP (3.10) and SIERA (3.18). Additionally, his K/BB ratio was almost a point and a half better than the second closest Giants starting pitcher (Cain came in at second with a 2.84 K/BB ratio).

It's crazy to think how Bumgarner went from "mixed feelings" pick in 2007 to a pitcher on the rise on arguably one of the best starting staffs in baseball in 2012. Right now, the future is bright for Bumgarner, as he would be a No. 1 pitcher on most teams right now (seriously, Jonathan Sanchez is slotted to be the No. 2 starter in KC and he could be No. 1 with a good Spring). It'll be interesting to see how Bumgarner will do over a second straight full year, and if he can continue to be as dominating as he was last year, especially in the second half (Bumgarner was dominating June on, as he posted FIP numbers of 2.51, 2.74, 3.08, and 2.51 from June-October). My "gut" tells me he will continue the momentum, though I wouldn't be surprised to see a little regression simply because his year was so phenomenal in 2011.

Regression or not, one thing is for clear: the Giants made the right choice in the 10th slot in 2007.



Tim Alderson: "The Player Traded for Freddy Sanchez"

In 2009, when Alderson was traded for Freddy Sanchez in a July Trade Deadline deal, there was a bit of mixed feelings (mostly weighing toward the negative end) amongst Giants fans on the Web. Chris Quick said this of Alderson in a post on Bay City Ball after the trade went down:

"At first glance, I think it’s a steep price to pay for Sanchez. Injury issues aside, he’s a quality player that’s been worth between 3-4 wins these past four years. In the matter of the last few days the Giants have traded away two Top-10 pitching prospects from their system. Outside of Madison Bumgarner and Zack Wheeler (who is still unsigned), the Giants probably don’t have another pitcher in their Top-10.

The difference between Sanchez and Juan Uribe over the remainder of the season probably varies between 0.5 – 1 win(s). The Giants fix a major hole on their team and do improve themselves. But I’m not sure I like the price that they paid.

Tentatively, I’d call this a Pirates win. Welcome to the team, Freddy."

After all, it did seem like a typical "panic" move by Sabes. Alderson was a Top-10 prospect in the Giants system and a first round pick, and many felt that the contribution Sanchez would have with the Giants wouldn't match the upside Alderson would bring to the Giants rotation in the future.

Two years later, it's obvious the Giants wound up on the better end of the deal, as Sanchez played a crucial role in the Giants World Series run, while Alderson has taken a nose dive as a prospect in the Pirates system.

Alderson was drafted in the 22nd slot in the 2007 draft as a young, tall, projectable arm out of Horizon High School in Arizona (he was a teammate of current Giants prospect Tommy Joseph, so he came from a nice high school program). At six-foot, six inches, Alderson had the physical tools of a No. 1 or No. 2 starting pitcher in the making, and scouts were very high about his potential as a professional pitcher. His scouting report on MiLB.com prior to draft day was positive, as scouts remarked that he had "plus, plus command" and that he displayed very good poise on the mound in the game they scouted (he struck out 13 against Bishop Gorman High School, a pretty good baseball program based out of Las Vegas). There were some concerns about his unorthodox delivery, but for the most part, scouts were pretty high on Alderson's upside, as stated in the summary section of his scouting report:

"With a unique delivery, pitching out of the stretch and unorthodox arm action, some teams may be wary. But Alderson has the chance to have three above-average pitches with outstanding command in a big, athletic package."

After signing, Alderson made a short appearance in the Arizona Rookie League in 2007, pitching in 3 games and a limited five inning stint. He made quite the impression, as he struck out 12, allowed four hits and no free passes in the small sample. The sterling scouting reports and impressive Rookie League debut earned Alderson some hype going into the 2008 season, as Baseball America ranked him at No. 84 in their Top-100 list.

While the Giants opted to have Bumgarner start his professional career in the Sally, they fast tracked Alderson to High-A as a 19-year-old, as he pitched 26 games and a 145.1 innings in the Cal League. Alderson put up great numbers for a teenager in a league where the average age of pitcher's at the time was 22.8 years old (so he was almost four years younger than the competition, which is a HUGE age difference). He went 13-4 with a 2.79 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 2.64 FIP, and a K/BB ratio of  3.65. He wasn't a strikeout machine like his left-handed counterpart in Augusta (his K/9 was 7.68), but the solid control and command he displayed in his first full year of professional ball had a lot of Giants fans salivating about his potential. In fact, it was commonplace for many Giants fans and baseball analysts to compare Bumgarner and Alderson, and there was a wide contingent of Giants fans that preferred Alderson to Bumgarner at the time.

After the solid campaign in San Jose, Alderson's stock rose dramatically, as Baseball America ranked him the No. 45 prospect in their Top-100. Despite the solid campaign the previous year in San Jose, the Giants opted for him to start the year again in the Cal League, not eager to rush him to the challenges of the Eastern League just yet. Despite a drop in strikeout rate (his K/9 fell to 6.92), Alderson showed even better control in San Jose, as he posted a BB/9 of only 1.04 in a 26 inning sample.

Unfortunately, despite the improved control, Alderson proved to be a less dominant pitcher in his second year in the Cal League. His H/9 rose from 7.7 in 2008 to 10.7, and his ERA and FIP numbers rose to 4.15 and 4.12, respectively. Granted, there wasn't much panic from Giants fans or management because it was only a five start sample, but safe to say, there was some concern that perhaps Alderson didn't have that No. 1 upside as initially thought when drafted, and probably was more of a No. 3 or No. 2 starter at best (Fangraphs/Rotographs' Marc Hulet especially championed this notion).

Still, the Giants eventually promoted Alderson to Double-A Connecticut, and he was able to overcome the lackluster start and post solid numbers in his short campaign with the Defenders before being traded for Sanchez in late July. In 13 starts and 72.2 IP, Alderson posted an ERA of 3.47, a FIP of 3.53, a WHIP of 1.24 and a K/BB ratio of 3.29. But again, while the numbers were solid, Alderson continued to get batted around in the Eastern League, as his H/9 hovered at 9.4. So, while most of the numbers were nice, the fact that hitters were making consistent contact against him continued to worry Giants fans, and made people wonder if Alderson was projecting downward rather than upward as a prospect.

Since being traded to the Pirates, all the concerns and worries about Alderson came into fruition (though it came at the expense of another team, thank God). In 38.2 IP and seven starts in Double-A Altoona, Alderson finished off the 2009 season in mediocre fashion, as he posted an ERA of 4.66, a 4.62 FIP, a 1.34 WHIP, an a K/BB ratio of 1.38 (amplified by a drop in K/9 to 4.19 and rise BB/9 to 3.03). To make matters worse, Alderson was getting a little lucky in Altoona as his BABIP only hovered around .267. If his luck was a little different, it isn't out of the question to think that his 2009 Altoona numbers would have been a lot worse.

The next season for Alderson in Double-A proved to be a challenge and sparked his steep decline as a prospect in the Pirates system. He got batted around hard in 18 starts in Altoona, as his H/9 rose to a career high 11.2 and his ERA inflated to 5.62 in 89.2 IP. The stint in Double-A was so disheartening that the Pirates demoted Alderson to High-A to work on some things, but it didn't seem to help, as he finished the High-A campaign with a 6.98 ERA and 1.92 K/BB ratio in 38.1 IP. Of course, his FIP numbers suggest he wasn't as bad his ERA numbers said in High-A and Double-A (they were 4.47 and 4.82, respectively), but considering Alderson was back in High-A after pitching (and dominating) there as a 19 year old displayed how much of a step back Alderson had taken in such a short period of time.

Alderson last year played in Double-A Altoona for a third time and there was some hope that he could rebound from such a disastrous 2010 campaign. Unfortunately, the Pirates organization had soured on him,  moving him out of the rotation and into the bullpen. He only made one start the whole season and only pitched 74.1 innings in 2011. Despite the move to the bullpen, he didn't show much progress, as he finished the year with a 4.12 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 1.30 WHIP and a 2.11 K/BB ratio. In the span of less than three years, Alderson went from a prospect with a No. 2-3 ceiling to most likely a middle reliever. Hence, it isn't surprising that Alderson dropped from most Pirates prospects lists by 2012.

The story of Alderson's decline is an interesting one. In many ways, it makes Giants fans wonder: was Alderson's decline a product of his declining or overrated skills as a pitcher? Or is his decline more of an example of an organization's poor development of pitching talent? After all, Scott Barnes, another top pitching prospect in the Giants system who was traded near the deadline the same season as Alderson also went through a steep decline after he left the Giants system (though to be fair, he did bounce back a little in 2011).

In all likelihood, the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle. It was obvious that Alderson was proving to be less and less dominating as he moved up the system, but at the same time, the Giants organization is very efficient when it comes to developing pitching talent. Would Alderson have realized that No. 2 or No. 3 starter potential if he was still in the Giants system? Maybe not, but I don't think he would have gone through such a steep decline either if he was still in the same organization that drafted him.

At the end of the day though, while Bumgarner's story is an example of why organizations need to keep their top farm talent, Alderson is a poster boy for why losing top prospects isn't the end of the world. Remember, the Alderson for Sanchez trade was unpopular at the time amongst baseball circles, as many thought the Giants hadn't learned anything from previous deals like the A.J. Pierzynski for Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano trade. However, if anything, the Alderson trade probably shows that management does know more about their prospects than we as Giants fans would like to give them credit for. Did Sabes and the Giants management team probably expect Alderson to decline so fast in the Pirates organization? Probably not. But, his skills and stats showed that he was declining and thus, expendable, and they made a deal where they could get a solid piece in return before his value depreciated to the point where he would be untrade-able (as he is now).

As a Giants fan, you can't find much argument with that approach at all.

Sanchez-Alderson Trade Will Determine Future of SF Giants GM Brian Sabean

By acquiring Freddy Sanchez (middle) from Pittsburgh in exchange for lauded pitching prospect Tim Alderson, GM Brian Sabean (right), in the last year of his contract, has put his job status in the hands of the Pirates' All-Star second baseman.

From Bleacher Report

If anything, the San Francisco Giants GM has bought himself at least one more year as GM in the Bay Area.

Giants fans clamored for an offensive upgrade, as the team ranked second to last in the National League in runs scored, and Sabean came through as he was told.

On Monday, Sabean traded away minor league pitching prospect Scott Barnes for first baseman Ryan Garko from Cleveland.

On paper, Garko is what the Giants need in order to spark their inconsistent offense. With the Indians this year, Garko was batting .285 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI.

The deal did not come without some costs though. Barnes, an initially low-valued prospect going into the year, has rose his stock considerably this season in Single-A ball. This season in San Jose, Barnes had a 12-3 record and a 2.85 ERA.

However, Sabean did not stop with Garko in terms of his decision to upgrade immediately.

Today, it was confirmed that the Giants would acquire All-Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez from Pittsburgh for heralded pitching prospect Tim Alderson.

The deal certainly comes as a surprise to many Giants fans. Considering that the Pirates practically gave Nate McLouth away to the Braves for practically nothing in return, many thought the Giants would acquire Sanchez at a relatively low cost.

Many people thought in order to acquire Sanchez, the Giants would lose either second baseman Kevin Frandsen, outfielder/first baseman John Bowker, first baseman Jesus Guzman or at worst, all three.

Instead, the Giants parted ways with one of their top draft pick in 2007 in Alderson (the other was Madison Bumgarner).

While the Alderson trade does not cripple the Giants' farm system due to the amount of pitching depth the Giants have accumulated through their last few drafts, the move hurts the progress the organization was making with their farm system.

It is also a mixed signal from Sabean.

In many ways, Sabean had convinced Giants fans he was going to take a different route with the Giants' minor league players. He seemed intent on refraining from trading away their top prospects in order to get player who could make immediate, but in the end, brief, contributions.

It seemed that Sabean was sticking with that plan when he passed on making a run for Matt Holliday, and I was fine with it. As long as that was the definite long-term solution, I was up for seeing it being carried all the way through.

However, by trading away their second-best pitching prospect behind Madison Bumgarner, that solution has been dismantled at least a little bit for the time being.

Who knows why Sabean deviated so suddenly.

Perhaps he is convinced that Garko and Sanchez are indeed the missing pieces to this team, and he feels that their worth currently will outweigh Alderson and Barnes' in the future.

Maybe he believes heavily that the minor league pitching depth that they accumulated in the draft the last few years can overcome the loss of these two arms.

Whatever his reasons are, the bottom line is this:

Sabean's job will be determined on how Alderson and Sanchez pan out.

The Garko trade is also crucial to this team, but it is small peanuts compared to the trade that occurred this afternoon.

Despite how ballyhooed a prospect Alderson is, we still don't know how he will turn out at the major league level. He could be the next big thing, the next Matt Cain or the next Tim Lincecum.

Then again though, he could also be the next Kurt Ainsworth, Jason Grili or William Van Landingham.

In order for Sabean to keep his job two years from now, he will need Alderson to be closer to the latter, and he will need Sanchez to have an immediate impact when he becomes the Giants' everyday second baseman.

Sanchez needs to be as good as advertised, and worth the big prospect that was deemed "untouchable" at one point by the Giants organization months ago.

He needs to be closer to the All-Star infielder he was from April-June, and less like the player he has become in July.

Since July 10, Sanchez has suffered a 22-point batting average drop from .318 to .296. Furthermore, in the month of July, he has only batted .193 with only one RBI and scored only four runs.

His stats in San Francisco need to be a lot better than that in order for the Giants to continue to be Wild Card contenders, and for this trade to be worthwhile.

However, despite what Sanchez does during these last two months of the season, Sabean will still have a job next year.

Alderson is still a year away at the earliest in terms of making the jump to the Major League level (though considering how bare the Pirates are at this moment, he could see time at the MLB level midway through next year).

So you have to give Sabean the benefit at the doubt when his contract ends this year and they begin negotiations on his extension.

I can't imagine his extension will be very long-term. If anything, it will probably be very similar in structure to the two-year contract he signed in 2007.

Thus, fans better get used to seeing Sabean for at least the next couple of years in San Francisco.

If Sanchez ends up putting us over the top (very unlikely) and Alderson proves to be more of a bust than a breakout, it is safe to say Sabean will continue to be GM beyond his inevitable next extension.

If this Sanchez trade turns out more like the A.J. Pierzynski trade...well...

Hey, at least it will only be two more years.

The PG Beat: Giants complete sweep of Pirates in extras, Cain throws gem, Eugenio Velez!

No, that is not a Photoshop image or a picture from last year. That is indeed a picture of Eugenio Velez scoring the winning run. Not pictured: Velez kicking butt and taking names at the plate.

Last week against Colorado we had Retro-Jonathan Sanchez night. Today, in game three of the series against the Pirates, it was Retro-Matt Cain day as Matt Cain threw an absolute gem only to NOT get the decision because the Giants couldn't seem to muster a single run in nine innings of play. Thankfully, Randy Winn, who struggled all day, came through for the G-men and drove in the winning run to give the Giants the 1-0 victory in the 10th inning. Seriously, if the Giants would have lost this game to the Bucs, and traded Tim Alderson for Freddy Sanchez all in the same day, I would have broken my television. That's how bad things could have gotten.

By the way, I don't want to talk about the Freddy Sanchez trade mainly because I'm going to post an article about it later that I wrote for Bleacher Report. Just to give you a preview though, the trade makes me scratch my head. Just when I thought Brian Sabean was done with trading good prospects for questionable veterans, he comes out and does this. This trade deadline habit with Sabean may be worse than the plight Michael Corleone went through in the Godfather Part III.

Yet back to the game. Boy...is Cain good or what? Say what you want about him, and how he lets on a lot of people on base and all the sabermetrics stuff. In the end, the guy can flat out pitch. I mean, I absolutely love the way he pitches. He works fast, he gets guys out and he gets ahead in the count a lot. That's really all it takes to be a good pitcher at any level, and I think Cain really could be a good one at the Major League level for a long time. I know Lincecum is the sexier pitcher stuff-wise, and when it comes down to it, Lincecum is the guy I want on the hill in the big game just because of his strikeout ability. However, Cain could easily be the ace on any other team and I thank God everyday that we have a one-two punch in Cain and Lincecum. This black and orange combo very well could be Maddux-Glavine of the next decade. That's how good these two pitchers are and how lucky Giants fans are to have them.

Never mind that he didn't get the win in this one. This was a performance that not only should have been a win, but a shutout. It's a shame the Giants hitters don't know how to lay off a first pitch changeup.

Speaking of hitters, where the hell did Eugenio Velez come from? I went to the game last night (a reason why I didn't have the Potent Preview yesterday or today and PG Beat yesterday) and Velez was killing the ball. He crushed his home run and the double he hit was crazy. I mean, this was Eugenio freaking Velez we are talking about! I didn't know the guy could hit it in the gap, let alone over the right field wall. Whatever has gotten into Eugenio, I hope he keeps it up. Velez has always been one of those guys I've secretly rooted for, and I was disappointed it hasn't really worked out at the Major League level like some thought it could have a year ago. That being said, maybe this call up can be his time to shine. With the way he hit in the Pirates series, manager Bruce Bochy will be hardpressed to keep him out of the lineup. With awesome speed, a dynamic glove and a surprising amount of pop in the bat, Velez provides a lot to a Giants lineup that needs some spark. Granted, this was the Pirates, and this may just be a streak, but hey, I'm all for letting it ride on the kid for the time being. Come on Bochy! Keep in Eugenio!

To sum up the series, I don't think you could ask more from a team if you're a Giants fan. We were the better team going in and we ended up proving it by getting the sweep. Was it pretty? No, but I'll take it, especially with Colorado dropping two in New York and Los Angeles getting their butts handed to them in St. Louis for two games. This was exactly the series the Giants needed to get back into the swing of things and they did just that. The Phillies won't be as easy, but it's safe to say with this sweep that they have a lot of momentum and a lot more confidence going in than they did a week ago when people were wondering if the Giants' first half was just a mirage.

That of course is still to be determined, but overall, I'm happy about the wins and I hope Sanchez and Sadowski (who is still in the rotation much to my surprise) can hold down the fort for the first two games at AT&T against Philly. It will be tough for those two, but in their own home park (where Howard, Victorino and Werth won't have the benefit of playing in Coors Field 2) I give them a good chance against the Phils, probably more than most handicappers would.

Postgame box notes:

Winning pitcher: Brian Wilson (3-4) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO.
("Should have been" Winning pitcher: Matt Cain 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO.)
Losing pitcher: Matt Capps (2-6) 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.

Giants standouts: Eugenio Velez, 2-4. Randy Winn, hit game-winning RBI.
Pirates standouts: Zach Duke (7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 87 pitches. That's efficiency!)

Probable starters for Giants next game against Philadelphia: Lopez (3-0) vs. Sanchez (3-9).
Probable starters for Pirates next game against Washington: Lannan (7-7) vs. Ohlendorf (8-8).

The PG Beat: Lincecum looks "Pedro-esque", Bonds sighting, Giants actually gain ground in NL West

After striking out 15 batters and pitching nine innings despite no shutout on the line, Lincecum inched closer to Pedro Martinez, the gold standard of modern pitchers.

15, baby. That's how many strikeouts Tim Lincecum had in the Giants' 4-2 win over Pittsburgh tonight. In many ways, Lincecum's performance tonight further proved to me that he is becoming the "Pedro Martinez" of this current generation of pitchers. You know what his stuff is. You know what he pitches he has to offer, you know what he is capable of, and still...he mows them down. That's something Pedro did on a regular basis. Everybody knew the scouting report on Pedro back in his days in Montreal, and yet, on a consistent basis, Pedro stepped up to the challenge and took the opposition down with ease until he ran into shoulder problems in 2004.

However, making that comparison of Lincecum to Pedro has been tough to do mainly because he doesn't have the cockiness or mean attitude of Simmons' favorite pitcher. Pedro could care less if he hit a batter in the head with a ball. Pedro could care less if a bench coach charging him in anger was fat, 60 years old and senile. Pedro was a surefire killer on the mound, and unfortunately, Lincecum does not have that. He doesn't have the nastiness in terms of attitude, he doesn't have the mean cockiness, but rather a Mark Fidrych, goofy cockiness that endears him even to opposing fans, something Pedro couldn't do in his wildest dreams because opposing fans hated Pedro so much. I can't ever see an opposing fan flat out hating Lincecum. He's like Floyd Patterson to Pedro's Sonny Liston. Even if you're team gets KO'd by Lincecum like the Pirates did tonight, at the end you're kind of like "Well...at least he seems like a great kid."

Because of that lack of mean streak, Lincecum will never be Pedro fully. That being said, he did show a Pedro-esque grit by taking the mound in the ninth. Look, he had nothing to prove by going out there in the ninth. He lost the shutout in the sixth, it was only a two-run game. Wilson certainly could have come against the five-six-seven hitters and punched his 26th save, and everyone would have been fine with that. Everybody still would have been talking about how Lincecum tied his career high in strikeouts tonight.

Instead, Lincecum, with the game still within striking distance, went out to the mound, with a pitch count over 100, and simply nailed the coffin in the ninth, striking out two hitters in the process to set a new game high in strikeouts at 15. Yet I don't think it was at all about the strikeouts. I really believe he could care less about setting a new season-high. Instead, he had the mentality that "This was his game, and nobody else was going to finish it."

In my mind, tonight's game and his decision to finish the game off was a step in the maturation process of Lincecum. We've seen this kid progress from hot-rookie, to team ace and now, he's making the transition to "big-time gamer." That's not an easy status to get. Guys like Pedro, Josh Beckett and Roger Clemens have status like this. Is Lincecum there yet? Not quite, but he's almost there, because only a guy who shows characteristics of the "big-time gamer" would go out in the ninth in a 4-2 game like Lincecum did tonight. Hopefully, this performance only bodes better things for the "Freak," not only for the rest of the season, but for the rest of his tenure in San Francisco as well (which I hope will be a very long time).

As for the game itself, it was a typical Giants offensive performance...but in a good way. We mustered up enough offense to win and you know what? I'll take it. A win is a win in my book and add that with the fact that both the Dodgers and Rockies lost, and we finally gained some ground in the standings for the first time in a long while. With both the Dodgers and the Rockies on the road, and the Giants playing at home, this could be a big homestand for the Giants. If the Giants can continue their hot play a AT&T, and if the Dodgers and Rockies can lose more games on their respective road trips, then the Giants can finally gain some of that momentum they swung a hold of back in June, and carry that into August, which is a crucial month during the baseball season.

The "Panda" came through with a big game tonight, as evidenced by his 3-for-4 performance at the plate. However, the big story was the Giants sending down Bowker and Downs and recalling Guzman and Velez. To be perfectly honest, I was surprised. I did not expect this to happen. Don't get me wrong, I like that both those guys are down, but calling up Guzman and Velez? Quite peculiar, and it makes you wonder if Sabean has something else up his sleeve other than the Ryan Garko deal he pulled this afternoon. I have a feeling there is, and I think Freddy Sanchez not playing tonight was a hint that something will be announced soon (most likely involving Sanchez...if you get what I'm trying to say...wink).

Lastly, great ceremony for Sue Burns, the Giants minority owner who passed away last week. It was wonderful how they put it together, and it was even better that the Giants were able to honor her passing with a W. Furthermore, good stuff in terms of seeing Barry Bonds back at AT&T Park. My dad recognized how slim Bonds looked tonight, and in all honesty, he really did look a little less bulky from his last days in a Giants uniform in 2007. Whether that is surprising or not considering his steroid circumstances, I will leave that to the cynic in you. Nonetheless, it was cool to see Bonds back at the ballpark, even if it was in civilian clothes. Granted, I don't think we'll see him in a Giants uniform ever again, and I wouldn't want to either, but still...you can't hate Bonds if you're a Giants fan. He gave us too many memories.

Big win for the Giants, and hopefully this is the spark they need to get the ball rolling on this homestand. I'll be going to the game tomorrow with a friend, so I might be doing something special on the blog tomorrow night after I get back from the game, so definitely check it out.


Postgame box notes:

Winning pitcher: Tim Lincecum (11-3) 9 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 15 SO.
Losing pitcher: Paul Maholm (6-5) 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO.

Giants standouts: Andres Torres, 3B (5). Randy Winn, 2-for-4. Pablo Sandoval, 3-for-4, 2B (29). Bengie Molina, 2B (19).
Pirates standouts: Delwyn Yong, 2B (7). Steve Pearce, 2B (4).

Probable starters for next game: Morton (2-2) vs. Zito (6-10).

Potent Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates (43-55) at San Francisco Giants (52-46)

Probable starters:
PIT: Paul Maholm (6-4) 4.63 ERA. SFO: Tim Lincecum (10-3) 2.45 ERA.

After a dreadful 3-7 road trip against Pittsburgh, Atlanta and NL West rival Colorado, the Giants finally come back home hoping to avenge the two losses they were handed back a week ago at PNC Park after the All-Star break. The Pirates certainly are a different team on the road, as their 17-34 record indicates. To make things more enticing in the Giants favor, the men in black and orange have been hard to beat at home as well, illustrated by a 31-14 record at AT&T Park.

It will definitely be interesting this game mainly because of the Freddy Sanchez rumors going into this series. With the trade deadline on Friday, it is certainly plausible to believe that Sanchez may not leave San Francisco when this series is done, ala Doug Mientkiwiciz, who swapped locker room after the Twins finished their series with Boston. Granted, nothing has been confirmed yet, but even yesterday in SJ Mercury Giants beat writer, Andrew Baggarly's blog, he mentioned that it was highly possible that Sanchez would switch uniforms either before the series started or was over. The Giants certainly could use Sanchez to solidify things at second base, but with the Twins also contenders for his services, you can't say for sure he'll be a Giant just yet.

As with every Lincecum start, I'm extremely excited for this one. I'm excited mainly because I think Lincecum is upset after his last couple of outings, which have been good, but characterized by lack of run support and rare, but big mistakes (e.g. multi-run homers). Usually, when he is coming off a stretch like that, he usually musters his best stuff up, especially while at home. Furthermore, with a Giants team that I think is embarrassed by their last offensive outing against Maholm, this game has all the making of a blowout in favor of the Giants.

Granted, that may just be wishful thinking, but I just have that feeling with the "Freak" on the hill and the team coming back from a long, painful road trip, this could be a night where the Giants simply have one of their better performances. This team definitely has a different vibe when they're playing at home than on the road so far this year, and hopefully that can continue in the second half of the season.

Or they could continue the crappy play in the second half. Who knows. It's certainly hard to predict anything with this Giants team.


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.