From the Porch: Zito-ed

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Brewers 8, Giants 5 at Miller Park; SF wins series 2-1

SF (23-21) 003 200 000  5 9 2

MIL (18-26) 620 000 000  8 10 0

WP: Veras (3-1)

LP: Zito (3-2)

SV: Axford (7)

HR: Lucroy (5)

Zito: 3ip 5h 4er 4bb 3k 3.53era

Estrada: 1ip 0h 0er 0bb 2k 4.50era

In the NL West: All night games; probably safe to pencil in a Dodgers win that would put SF 8 back.

Comments: Wowie, now THAT was a Barry Zito start. First inning: Walk. Sac bunt  reaches on error by Zito. Walk. Double, 3-0. Error by Crawford. Walk. Finally first out on strikeout. Run-scoring groundout. Double by Estrada, two more runs but he (Milwaukee starting pitcher) has to leave game with a strained hip flexor. Finally flyball out to end inning, 6-0. Two more runs in second make it 8-0 before Giants started to come back. Gotta credit bullpen (Loux, Edlefson, Hensley) for keeping the game in reach as Giants attempted to catch up. Giants have $60 millon in very shaky starters right now (Lincecum, Cain, Zito) and two guys who make $27,000 (ish) who are nails (Bumsnorter and Vogelsong).

Side note: Brewers are Dodger-like in vying to be my least favorite team. They got rid of that fat-ass effer Prince Fielder, which raised their point total astronomically, but they still have whiny bitch cheater Ryan Braun, who today was either injured or just quit or something, waving a hapless bunt at a two-strike pitch in the sixth; if ump had been consistent he would have struck out four times and if Crawford hadn't made a bad throw he would have hit into a DP in the eighth. And they have Nyjer Morgan, who isn't worth the effort to think about, except to note that he's a .212-hitting little bitch who somehow thinks he can play. I don't have much patience for K-Rod or their closer, C.W. Reenactor Axford. I don't care what team you're on, if you're a closer with a stupid beard, get a life and shut up. Especially if you're a Giant oft-injured closer with a stupid beard.

Defense: Nice outfield today with Cabrera, Pagan and Schierholtz; another error by Crawford and one by Zito. The value of arms like those at the outfield corners can be seen in the hesitancy of the other team on the basepaths. Crawford gets more ridiculous each day with his supposedly-good defense.

Another side note: Giants better sign an extension with Melky pretty soon; he's so good he's pricing himself out of range!

Offense: Another nice day by backup C Hector Sanchez; this is only May 23 and Giants catchers have 34 RBI to lead majors. All of last year, Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart had 27 RBI. WAY too many strikeouts today (15); way, way too many looking (8 by my count, TV said 7). Home plate ump (Kellogg?) had a very low strike zone.

Baseball Quote of the Day: "When Steve (Carlton) and I die, we are going to be buried in the same cemetery, sixty feet, six inches apart." (Tim McCarver)

Next game: Giants vs. Marlins at Marlins Park in Miami, 4:10 p.m. PDT Thursday, May 24. Vogelsong (2-2, 2.27) vs. Sanchez (2-2, 2.32). TV: CSN-BA.