There was a moment when everybody thought Tim Lincecum was out of the first inning. He'd walked the first batter, then struck out a pair and gone to 3-2 to Chris Young. He threw a pitch that looked like a strike to a lot of people, but not to Dale Scott. So Young walked, and Tim hung a 1-2 changeup that Adam LaRoche drove deep into the drink in one of those interesting confluences of my fantasy players and the reality of the game — in the same instant, I got 3 earnies tacked onto my pitching staff, and a three-run homer's worth of points from my offense. I'm trying to remember why I ever drafted LaRoche in the first place. Probably because he was the best available first baseman in a round when I needed a first baseman. I certainly don't like the guy, and I usually don't draft guys I don't like. Bad strategy, I know, but we all have our principles, and who the hell would want Matt Holliday on their team, anyway? The elder LaRoche brother turned down multiple years and more money from the Giants than the D-backs ended up giving him on his current one-year contract. His reasoning? He didn't want to hit in our yard 81 games a year. Like any self-obsessed, ego-driven athlete, he was looking out for Number One's numbers. Only one problem with your philosophy there, Adam: You play a team sport, and your team is in last place. Enjoy it. Back to Timmy and the pitch of fate. If you ignore the three-run splash job, the kid had a pretty good game. It did look like he was sacrificing velocity for control with his fastball, but more power to him. His stuff is good enough to get outs at whatever speed he wants to throw it. Pitching is all about keeping hitters off balance. Timmy knows how to do that, and that's why I'm not worried about his future in the long term. It's the short term that concerns us all right now...
BTW...
> I've mentioned before that our season tickets are perched just above the opposing team's family and friends section. Well, let's just say it's never fun to be at the park for an embarrassing loss such as that, and it's even worse when you're sitting near the opposing pitcher's family...
> Fred Sanchez with another pair of hits, but he booted his way to his first error of the year. You read that right. Dude hasn't goofed in the field since coming off the DL in early May. I'd tell you the other Giant working on an E-less streak, but that would only jinx him...
> Buster Posey leaving a game is always a major story in a situation such as the Giants find themselves, so when Mike Fontenot came out to pinch hit for Busta Bust in the eighth, I nearly pooped my pants. Looks like day-to-day with a forearm strain. Everybody grab your rosaries...
> Made it to the Cove in time for the first pitch, a rarity of late. I remember when I used to consider it sacrilege to arrive late or leave early. At least I still hold to one of my principles...
War Zeets. Show me something...
