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Brandon Belt Finding His Stroke

Anytime the Giants and Angels get together to play in Anaheim, it always brings back memories of that memorable and excruciating 2002 World Series. 10 years later, and with all new players, the rivalry still lives on.

Belt Quietly Has .800 OPS
The Giants got the better of LA in game one of the series Monday, as Matt Cain made his first start since throwing his perfect game at AT&T Park last week. He still looked like he was in a bit of a daze from his last start, and had one of his worst starts of the season but it didn't matter as the Giants offense was there to support him. Although Cain allowed 10 base runners to reach in his 5 innings of work, the Giants banged out 13 hits on offense including 3-hit efforts from Melky Cabrera and Ryan Theriot and another multi-hit game from the newly reformed Brandon Belt. Just a week ago, the Giants first baseman's lack of production was prompting talk all over the internet and bay area radio waves that it was time for a change at first base. Some fans wanted to trade for whoever they could get and some wanted to see guys like Nate Schierholtz and Hector Sanchez get more of a look at first base. However, right when the criticism on him was hitting it's peak, Brandon Belt has all of the sudden turned into the hitter the Giants were hoping he'd be. I mentioned in a post a week back after Belt hit his first home run of the season that he's streaky player and could go on a tear and right his season within a week or two, and it's looking like he's doing just that. In his last 8 games, he's taken a .220 average up to .261, knocked out his first three homers of the season and has driven in 7 runs. Know the guy who was one the verge of possibly being replaced is 4th on the team in OPS! That's what talent can do.


Unfortunately, the other talented piece of the Giants underachieving duo has yet to rebound like Brandon Belt has, but he still thinks it's coming. Tim Lincecum had his homecoming start over the weekend, as we discussed in our last post, and it was a bit of a nightmare. I worried about him coming home and pitching in front of all his friends and family at this time because I believe most of his mistakes right now are stemming
Vogey/Weaver Go Wednesday
from his mind and the last thing he needed in the midst of this 9-game nightmare was the distraction of his first hometown start. His struggles were the same they've been the last two months, but Bruce Bochy killed any speculation of skipping his ace saying that he'd let Lincecum "pitch his way out of this". So that's that on the Lincecum front. We've talked about him so much lately that there really isn't much else to say at this point that would be new ideas or thoughts on what's wrong with Timmy or how to fix him. Ryan Vogelsong on the other hand, needs no fixing, and the Giants will be turning to their staff veteran to wrap up the Angels series Wednesday night. After the Giants rough starting performances in game one and two, it's a surprise they're in a position to take this series. Vogelsong is the guy to have going though, as he's in the midst of 9 straight quality starts and has won his last 6 decisions, but will be going up against Angels' ace Jered Weaver, so it certainly won't be a walk in the park.

Comments

hitnrun said…
Unfortunately Bochy had no choice but to leave Zito in last night's blowout game even though he pretty much lost the game in the first inning. Losing Mota to the cough medicine intake is now hurting the Giants because they have nobody who can go long when Zito and Lincecum give it up early. Hopefully Sabean can secure at least a long reliever, if not a starter, because the Giants cannot win anything while relying totally on Cain, Madbum and Voggie, and although Fresno is doing well, I just don't hear of any of their pitchers tearing it up down there.
1:35 PM
Anonymous said…
Lincecum needs to skip a start. He's so out of whack right now it's hard to watch.
1:29 PM
Patrick said…
Where do you get he's a streaky player? He's just now having success with the Giants and previously not done much! Glad to see it but he's too green to have a label of streaky player.
2:57 PM
BBCOR said…
Giants have found their groove and will blow past those stinkin Dodgers to the division title.
6:32 AM
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