Giants vs Dodgers: Part DEUX

Its April 11, and the Giants are in sole possession of last place in the NL West...



let it soak in...



Did you watch our two walkoff wins on the weekend? Feel better now? Me too.

The Giants had stormed back with 3 wins in a row before dropping the Zito game on Sunday for a more respectable 4-5 record. But as always things could be worse and we could be the Red Sox (the team ESPN experts chose as the team to win it all this year) at a 2-7 record to start the season.

With all the glory taking happening including the banner raising, the ring ceremony and the ROY award to Buster Posey, the Giants can finally focus on less important things like... winning baseball games.

This early in a season I don't like to get too high or too low, but right now I'm cautious. Its hard to believe we don't have a winning record yet, but its mostly due to our next opponent, the Dodgers who beat us 3 games to 1 in the first 4 game series in LA.

Oh and by the way we don't have Torres, don't have Ross, and Brian Wilson might as well be on the DL because he hasn't shown that he's back yet.

A team that won as many close games as the Giants did last season, without their all star closer at 100% is a team that will not have a winning record for the month of April. If Brian comes out in his next stint and has a slightly less torturous inning and gets a save, then forget all I've said and enjoy the ride. But the Giants do not want to rely on thrilling comebacks in the bottom of the 9th or extra innings in order to get wins.

Remember how I don't want to get too low? The season has only just begun and when you're win-loss columns are still in single digits I think its safe to say that we have time to work out the kinks. The positive note on all the people on the DL is that we no longer have a crowded outfield. Huff is free to play in Right with Shierholtz there in case Huff is back at 1st. and Rowand gets a starting job again at center field.

Rowand has been a great story so far, just scalding the ball in his plate appearances and putting together great at-bats. As much as I love Torres' defense and his speed at the top of the lineup I don't think we'll be much worse with a hot hitting Rowand in the lineup instead.

Here's the projected starters for the Dodgers series:

Madison Bumgarner vs. Clayton Kershaw
Tim Lincecum vs. Chad Billingsly
Jonathan Sanchez vs. Ted Lily

mmm I want a sweep...

Laws of the Day

Pat Burrel is 4 for 25 for a dismal .160 Batting Avg... but 3 out of his 4 hits were home runs...