Gameday Thread, #158: 9/27 vs. Giants

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 3:55 PM EDT in Gameday Threads

Claudio Vargas, RHP (11-10, 4.86)

Jonathan Sanchez, LHP (3-0, 5.29)

Through this entire season, the pitchers we've done best against have often been those who you think would be really tough on Arizona. And conversely - as last night - the ones I've thought we'd torch like a badly-wired Chinese Christmas tree, have often given us severe problems. Therefore, we present the dark horse 2006 Rookie of the Year candidate, Jonathan Sanchez, who has never been beaten in his major-league career. Please do not allow yourself to be distracted by his last outing (eight earned runs in two innings), if we can squib out a couple of infield hits, I'll be happy. Any Arizona Diamondback hitters should please stop reading here.

...

They gone? Good. Okay, the reality is, this is the kind of hitter, on whom we should absolutely tee off. If the Brewers can score eight runs off him, we should be able to match that. He was pretty damn good out of the bullpen: he came up May 28, but didn't concede his first earned run until July 8th, in his fifteenth appearance and thirteenth inning. When he was sent down at the end of July, he had an ERA of 1.37 in 19.2 innings, but called back up into the rotation this month, the results have been less flattering: three starts, never finished the sixth, 13 runs in 12.1 innings, on 16 hits and seven walks. Our batters should be queueing up for this one, though he has struck out 13.

We send up Claudio Vargas. It seems like it was only yesterday he pitched, but perhaps that's connected to the recurrent nightmare I have, where our rotation consists of 5 x him. That'll wake you up in a cold sweat. However, he was actually pretty good in his last outing, keeping the Dodgers off the board until Drew's homer in the seventh. Meanwhile, we were shut-out, so he got a tough loss, the first time this year he's picked up an L which giving up less than three runs. Usually, when he's good, he wins: in his eleven victories this year, he's pitched 68.2 innings, allowing just 14 earned runs for an ERA in them of just 1.83.

Crap, just realised it was a 12:35pm start, not 1:05. Post! Quickly!

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Today's lineup

C. Young cf .246
O. Hudson 2b .290
C. Jackson 1b .288
E. Byrnes lf .273
J. Estrada c .306
C. Quentin rf .252
S. Drew ss .318
D. Easley 3b .232
C. Vargas p .104

2-0 to AZ in the second inning: Jackson reached on a two-out error, and Byrnes made the Giants pay by homering to left.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 3:56 PM EDT reply actions

Well, that's confusing...

They are showing the D'backs vs. the Giants on Fox Sports Arizona...but it's last night's game! This one doesn't appear to be on television at all, radio only.

Giants tie it up on their own two-run homer in the bottom of the second.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 4:07 PM EDT reply actions

2-2 score...

Three hits combined for the two teams. Strange.

In my nightmares, I see Brian Bruney...make it stop...

by Azreous on Sep 27, 2006 4:23 PM EDT reply actions

And...

One of those hits was Jackson's leadoff single in the fourth. So really, four runs on two hits for the teams combined.

Good ol' defense.

In my nightmares, I see Brian Bruney...make it stop...

by Azreous on Sep 27, 2006 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Jackson hits again...

He's really on a tear of late, but his leadoff hit goes nowhere and he's stranded at first.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 4:34 PM EDT reply actions

Bad defense by Estrada

Sounds like, anyway. A double steal gives the Giants the lead; from the radio reports, it sounds like Estrada's throw to Hudson at second was bad, and J-Strada "whiffed" on the return, though Hudson was charged with the error.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 4:36 PM EDT reply actions

Vargas bunts into double play

Ends the inning. Good luck for next year, Claudio, wherever you may be...

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 4:41 PM EDT reply actions

wait...

this is on now?

"very cunning Mr. *VIII*" -- Jim

by Mr. Philosophical on Sep 27, 2006 4:43 PM EDT reply actions

Hah!

Yeah, where the heck were you? I mean, you wouldn't catch me turning up late for...er, never mind. ;-)

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Bases are juiced!

COME ON Byrnes.

"very cunning Mr. *VIII*" -- Jim

by Mr. Philosophical on Sep 27, 2006 4:57 PM EDT reply actions

A funny thing

That the men on all the bases, are going to start next year!

"very cunning Mr. *VIII*" -- Jim

by Mr. Philosophical on Sep 27, 2006 4:58 PM EDT reply actions

Tied up

Byrnes hustles for a ground-out RBI, after we load the bases with nobody out. Men on the corners, one out, with Estrada at the plate. A sac fly would give us the lead.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 4:58 PM EDT reply actions

Or a wild pitch...

That'll do too. :-) Thank you Sanchez...

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

JoeGir

OUT WITH BOMEL IN WITH JOEGIR

by trevjohnson on Sep 27, 2006 5:05 PM EDT reply actions

Listen...

That's the sound of me not arguing. ;-)

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

good point

but i cant hear u regardless. lol.

Anyways, the front office signed a two year extension with BoMel already. I don't think we would just cut his contract after the front office signed him.

"very cunning Mr. *VIII*" -- Jim

by Mr. Philosophical on Sep 27, 2006 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Byrnes appears to be aiming for...

The 30/30 club this game. Already a homer, and adds two SBs - that gets him into the 25/25 club, anyway!

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 5:07 PM EDT reply actions

4-3

still without contention, we gotta play better to show what will happen next year.

Really, I think that this team is way better than last year, regardless of the team's record. We had potential to win 90 games! A big feat that should have happened. But it didn't. Hopefully next year the team can be in playoff

"very cunning Mr. *VIII*" -- Jim

by Mr. Philosophical on Sep 27, 2006 5:07 PM EDT reply actions

No doubt

This is a better team. Last year, we were outscored by 160 runs, and based on that, we "should" have gone 66-96. At time of writing, we're just minus eight. Huge improvement, and from simply watching the team, that's clearly the case in a number of areas.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Another bunt attempt

Fluffed by Vargas. He is pitching pretty well though, I give him that.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 5:20 PM EDT reply actions

Radio says...

"It's plays like that which you wonder how interested Estrada is in playing here." J-Strada fails to block strike three, trying to backhand a slider, and the runner reaches, putting the tying run on base.

Vargas should have been out of the inning, but a pinch-hit double by Finley puts runners on second and third instead. Winn has great numbers against Claudio, so they're walking him intentionally, and it's the end of the day for Vargas. Slaten comes in to face a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded. This is, in all likelihood, the game.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 5:34 PM EDT reply actions

Estrade

doesn't look like he could care less. i'd bench him now and be done with it. he doesn't want to play for us, i don't want to get up at 3am thursday / friday to watch him go through the motions behind the plate.

by jeremy @ AZ Snakepit on Sep 27, 2006 5:35 PM EDT reply actions

Estrada

even. d'oh.

by jeremy @ AZ Snakepit on Sep 27, 2006 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions

.304

Estrada, since the start of the season, hit over .300. Aside the fact that he had miss some games. He is the only one who hit .300 besides Drew...

"very cunning Mr. *VIII*" -- Jim

by Mr. Philosophical on Sep 27, 2006 5:43 PM EDT reply actions

i have nothing against him

for most of the season he has been very very good, but when he realised he won't be coming back he's had a bit of a strop. While understandable it is hardly the halmark of the 'winner' he claims to be! He couldn't get out of the way of Alou coming in to steal home quick enough. I know he doesn't want to get hurt in a collision in a 'meaningless' game but it just gets to me a bit.

by jeremy @ AZ Snakepit on Sep 27, 2006 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly...

Sell high. Sure, he's the best-hitting catcher in franchise history, but we could probably get almost as good production next year using a platoon of Snyder and Montero.

Sure, Estrada is 7 of 21 catchers with 400+ PAs for batting average, but his lack of walks is a big, big problem. That .302 is fairly empty; by OBP, he's down at #15 - in OPS, he ranks right in the middle of the pack.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions

I am just saying

It's hard to let a guy go like that because of that batting average. But like you said Jim, he hacks at anything, so we gotta sell high. For a pitcher. Yes a starting pitcher. I am not a big fan of Vizcaino either. How long of a contract Estrada has?

"very cunning Mr. *VIII*" -- Jim

by Mr. Philosophical on Sep 27, 2006 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Hopefully

That batting average means some team will be drooling over him, overlooking the fact he has something like six unintentional walks the entire season! :-) He only has a one-year contract, but is arbitration-eligible, rather than a free agent, at the end of this season, so we certainly control his rights for 2007 too.

Vizcaino, I go back and forth about. Sometimes I think he's great, then he'll be awful and I'll be firmly convinced we have cheaper alternatives. Overall though, he's been pretty good, and if we can get him at the right price, I'd not mind him being back next year.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Another late rally...

Sac.Fly for Callaspo double the lead. Given Valverde blew his last chance, do you think our hitters suddenly realised, "Oh, crap - better not let him get into the game for a save situation"? :-)

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 5:59 PM EDT reply actions

Tracy, no wait, Hairston

Tracy pinch-hitting, but the Giants switch pitchers, so Tracy is pulled with Hairston getting a chance to add to our lead.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 6:02 PM EDT reply actions

Hairston = 6-for-14

Drives in the run. [According to the radio, the streaming out has now started at PacBellAT&TEbayBigMacLand...] That's all, and Valverde still has the save situation though, but I'm rather happier for us to have a three-run lead, instead of one.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 6:06 PM EDT reply actions

Job done

Valverde gets the win, Vargas gets the save, Arizona has its 75th win of the season, and takes the series.

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 6:16 PM EDT reply actions

Well...

Strike that, reverse it. lol

In my nightmares, I see Brian Bruney...make it stop...

by Azreous on Sep 27, 2006 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL

I was simply relieved we didn't blow it. :-)

by Jim McLennan on Sep 27, 2006 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions

I completely agree with you.

All I know is, if Claudio Vargas is our closer next year, it'll be just about time to become Dodger fans.

In my nightmares, I see Brian Bruney...make it stop...

by Azreous on Sep 28, 2006 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions

Woot

We win.
Woot.

"very cunning Mr. *VIII*" -- Jim

by Mr. Philosophical on Sep 27, 2006 6:18 PM EDT reply actions

it was a lovely day

It was a lovely day for baseball in the City. That was the first time I've played hooky this year. Valverde has got to stop giving me chest pains in the 9th inning, though.

by Just Me on Sep 27, 2006 7:44 PM EDT reply actions