Kuzul

The New York Mets saw a lot of things to like from their pitchers in a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals today.

Oliver Perez, looking to earn a spot in the starting rotation, tossed two scoreless innings, and closer Francisco Rodriguez, in his first spring action, added a scoreless inning of his own.

For as bad as Perez was in his first start this spring (2 IP, 4 ER, 3 BB), that’s how good he was today. Perez gave up just one hit without walking a batter, though he still didn’t show any improved velocity, topping off at around 84 mph.

Rodriguez, who has a $17.5 million option for the 2012 season if he finishes 55 games, gave up one hit in his lone inning of work with one strikeout.

The Mets have already been approached by the MLBPA to ensure they won’t refrain from using Rodriguez just to keep his option from vesting. The team has said it’ll do no such thing, but $17.5 million is a lot of money, and his salary will keep most teams from making a trade for the closer.

Rodriguez saved 25 games last season, finishing with a 2.20 ERA. He was placed on the disqualified list and had to forfeit $3.1 million following an altercation with his father-in-law after a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field.

Rodriguez underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb as a result of the fight, and must also complete anger management training. He will be attending classes two to three times per week when the Mets are at home this season.

The Mets got scoreless innings from several other pitchers as well, including potential No. 5 starter Chris Capuano (1 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K), Jason Isringhausen (1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 K), Boof Bonser (1 IP, 0 H) and Taylor Buchholz (1 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K).

Mets top prospect Jenrry Mejia tossed two scoreless innings, giving up one hit while walking one. Mejia, who posted a 4.62 ERA in 33 games last season, including three starts, is slated to begin 2011 in Triple-A.

Manager Terry Collins has said he did not agree with the Mets’ decision to use Mejia as a reliever last season, and views the 22-year-old as a starting pitcher for the future.

Collins also said that they have identified as many as nine different pitchers competing for two open bullpen spots—naming Rodriguez, Buchholz, Tim Byrdak, D.J. Carrasco and Bobby Parnell as “locks” for the Mets relief corps.

Right-hander Chris Young, the front runner for the Mets’ No. 4 spot in the rotation, will make the start tomorrow against the Florida Marlins. Also scheduled to play are second base candidates Brad Emaus and Luis Castillo.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In the most anticipated spring training in Phillies’ history, the Phightins opened up Grapefruit League play Saturday and Sunday against the Yankees.

Let’s take a look at what we’ve learned so far…

ALSO CHECK OUT

Pitcher Rankings

Positional Rankings

2011 Atlanta Braves Preview

2011 Florida Marlins Preview

Begin Slideshow

The New York Yankees faced off against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday and allowed some of their developing prospects get some playing time.

Among the crop of prospects were Ivan Nova, Dellin Betances and Jesus Montero.

Nova and Betances are two pitchers looking for a shot to pitch in the Major League rotation for the Yankees. The Yankees have two slots open and are looking for a top performer this spring to fill it.

Trading for a big-name starting pitcher is among the options that the Yankees have, but they are currently not leaning towards that approach. There have been reports that they are keeping their eyes on at least one solid American League pitcher, and that is Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins have Liriano on the trading block, but are looking for prospects in return from any team willing to make an offer. The Yankees showed today that they have a few pieces that they can add to the puzzle and possibly make a blockbuster move sometime soon.

Nova, with two scoreless innings of work, showed scouts today that he can start off a game very well. Only time will tell if he can keep it up for five or six innings at a time.

Betances is a prospect that the front office may not be ready to give up on. He has a ton of upside and his stuff against the Phillies was dynamite. He was lighting up the radar guns with his fastball. His delivery scared a few people because it looked like it might be putting a bit too much strain on his arm, but that is something that can be closely examined with a good pitching coach. 

It has been said several times that Jesus Montero is untouchable and he very well may be, but he showed that he still has some room to improve his swing. He had an RBI in the game and looked good catching Nova. The Yankees will most likely not package him in any deal this season. 

As much as it pains fans to realize, Jorge Posada will not be around too much longer. He is headed toward the end of his career and may have one or two more seasons left in the tank after 2011. It is too early to pinpoint exactly when he may be calling it quits, but Montero is the next best option that the Yankees have.

Posada has taken on the role of designated hitter in the lineup and very soon may be more of a mentor to Montero than he has been in the past. 

Liriano is the Yankees best option in case all else fails this spring. Packaging Nova, Betances and Montero in one deal would hurt the Yankees. That is not the solution.

This spring, the Yankees’ plan should be to display the talent that their prospects have and then mix and match for a deal.

They should avoid pressing the panic button and throwing away all their best young talent. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Strong pitching and a two-run homer from Curtis Granderson helped push the New York Yankees past the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in their second Grapefruit League contest of the spring.

The pitching staff was led by Ivan Nova, who started the game and worked two scoreless innings in his initial bid to win a spot at the back end of New York’s rotation.

Manager Joe Girardi seemed impressed.

“He looked good,” Girardi said of Nova. “His ball was moving, he had a good curve. You could tell by the ground balls he got that he was keeping the ball down in the zone.”

The highlight of the day, perhaps, was the appearance of the highly regarded Dellin Betances, who struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth inning around a two-out walk.

Betances was explosive, reaching 97 miles per hour with his fastball. If there’s a knock on the 22-year-old’s performance, it’s that he had trouble locating his secondary pitches, often leaving them well up in the zone.

The Yankees blew the game open with a four-run bottom of the sixth, as Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada each had RBI hits. Jesus Montero added another RBI on a broken-bat single to left field.

Jorge Vazquez closed the scoring for the Yankees in the top of the ninth with his second home run in as many games this spring, this one off a brand name: Phillies closer Brad Lidge.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

For years, the California-Anaheim-Los Angeles Angels were said to be cursed because their stadium was built on an ancient Indian burial ground.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Yankees lost their first spring training game to the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, after a late rally opportunity was wasted.

Trailing by what would prove to be the final score, New York had the tying run on third and the winning run on first with only one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. However, Brandon Laird struck out, and then Kevin Russo grounded to shortstop to end the threat, and the game.

Bartolo Colon started for the Yankees, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in two innings of work. Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson followed with scoreless innings before prospect David Phelps was knocked around in his lone inning of work, allowing a pair of runs on three hits.

Another of the Yankees pitching prospects, Hector Noesi, allowed two hits in two shutout innings before Eric Wordekemper allowed a pair of runs and the loss for New York.

The Yankees offense came alive primarily from the bats of Jorge Vazquez, Mark Teixeria and Fransisco Cervelli. Vazquez hit the Yankees only home run, a two-run shot that gave New York the lead in the seventh inning. Teixeira and Cervelli each provided RBI doubles.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Fans have dubbed most of the Giants’ 2010 season and postseason as torture, but after the team’s impressive World Series victory against the Texas Rangers, the Giants’ faithful at the High Five Pizza Co. restaurant and sports bar felt euphoric.

The Giants won the seven-game World Series in just five games, courtesy of a Game 5 seventh-inning three-run home run from the series’ MVP Edgar Renteria, and brought home the first championship in their San Francisco history.

Cathleen Belknap, a manager at High Five, was among those who were thrilled about the Giants’ World Series title. She said that although she was a southern California native, she began following the Giants when the playoff games were on the televisions at work, and when everyone came into the restaurant to watch them.

“I feel very good about it because it will bring revenue to the city, and it’s long overdue so it is nice for the fans,” Belknap said.

Like Belknap, bartender Mark Mitchell recently began following the Giants during the frenzy when the playoffs began. As a fan of San Francisco itself, he felt the Giants’ World Series victory was one of the best things to happen to the city.

“I really liked what it did to the city of San Francisco,” Mitchell said. “It was similar to what happened when the Saints won the Super Bowl.”

Mitchell was also drawn to the team by the personality and charm of some of the players, including Buster Posey, his favorite.

“I saw Buster Posey in an interview, and I was impressed with the way he conducted himself,” Mitchell said. “If I see him, I would like to buy him a beer.”

Some were so excited about the Giants’ World Series title that they celebrated in surprising ways. Kealaa Kai, a concrete foreman for the city of San Jose and regular patron at High Five, told of his experience at another San Jose sports bar.

“I went to a bar in downtown San Jose, and after the Giants won, the owner bought a round of drinks for all his customers in the bar at the time,” Kai said.

Others were just relieved that the Giants won at least one title in their lifetime, and they are confident many more are on the way.

“I’m so happy they did it while I’m young,” said Katerina Nowack, a cashier and cook at the restaurant. “I am excited that everyone on the team is so young, and there’s a good chance it (a Giants World Series title) might happen again.”

Even fans of opposing teams, including the Giants’ arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers, could not help but feel happy for Giants fans. Greg Scaglione, another High Five bartender, has been a Dodger fan since birth, but showed an understanding of what the World Series victory meant to Giants fans.

“I’ve known a lot of people who were Giants fans, and it’s really good for them,” Scaglione said.

In years past, every last game of the season for San Francisco has ended in defeat, but this year, it was the San Francisco Giants who had the last victorious word in Major League Baseball.

This article is also featured on Talking Giants Baseball.

Who is the best baseball broadcaster today? Click here to vote.



Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When it came down to the games that mattered most in 2010, the San Francisco Giants didn’t torture their fans at all. In fact, it seems that every time there was a must-win game, the Giants won it handily. 

Once Edgar Renteria hit his second big homerun in the World Series, did anyone really doubt it could be done? Was there anyone not wearing a Rangers hat that thought Texas had it in them to come back from a three-run deficit against Tim Lincecum, Javier Lopez, AND Brian Wilson while also bouncing back two days later to beat Matt Cain?

I know I didn’t. And it isn’t because the Giants have been just rolling through the playoffs. It’s because of the statistics that back up a Giants win and that it was all quite predictable.

Here are three facts:

With three or more runs of support, Tim Lincecum is 47-8 in his career.

When given the chance, Brian Wilson struck out the last batter of the game 27 times this season. 

Pat Burrell struck out 12 times in 13 at-bats, but for every great regular season pickup the Giants made (like Burrell), there’s been someone else who stepped up in the postseason batting right behind them (like Edgar Renteria).

It might not make sense that the Giants ended up sending Cliff Lee home with an 0-2 record in the World Series (the only two postseason defeats in his career), but then look at it closer.

Look who the Giants beat this year. For some reason, they excel at making bad pitchers look great and then turn around and make the ace of the staff look like a back-ender in the rotation.

Roy Halladay was 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA in one start in the regular season, and went 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA against San Francisco in the NLCS. Remember, this is a guy who threw a perfect game AND a no-hitter this year against a lineup that was not exactly leading the league in hitting.

Roy Oswalt went 1-3 this year against the Giants in the regular season, without bad peripherals, but still picking up three losses. He dominated San Francisco in Game 2, but was less than stellar coming out of the bullpen in Game 4 and ended up with a no-decision in the series-clinching Game 6. 

The Giants also touched up Cole Hamels during the regular season to a tune of nine runs in 11 innings, good for an ERA of 7.63 and a WHIP of 1.909. In Game 3, he gave up three runs in six innings, but for Matt Cain, that was more than enough to get the win. 

Going back even farther, the Giants beat Derek Lowe twice. They dropped seven in an inning on Ubaldo Jimenez earlier this year. They beat Mat Latos twice in the final month of the season to finally make San Diego lie down. 

There’s something about this team that makes you wonder how they do it. As many have said this year, up and down the lineup (and the roster, pretty much), they’re all pretty much the same. No one jumps off the page, and for that reason, the Giants can either be very good, or very, very bland.

The guys with power (Burrell, Huff, Uribe, Posey) showed up at certain times this year, and between them you can expect just what you got: 15-25 HRs, 70-90 RBIs. 

The guys without power also showed up (Sanchez, Fontenot, Torres, Ross, Renteria), and again gave very solid lines. All of them hit around .275 and could be expected to pop the ball out of the park a few times a year. 

Simply put, although this team didn’t have any huge playmakers, they didn’t have any glaring weaknesses either. The focal point on this team is (and should be) the pitching, and it was. 

It was a team full of complementary players, and when all you need is one guy per game to step up, the Giants put themselves in a very good position to storm into and through the playoffs like it was no problem. 

That’s the strength of this team. There is no drama, because if Burrell strikes out, Renteria has the hero in him to pick him up. If Sanchez fails to move Torres to third, Aubrey Huff has the power in him to crush one over the wall.

Every guy in this lineup can hurt you, and although its not Ryan Howard or Albert Pujols status (that you KNOW he’s going to hurt you), it’s something that carried this team all season. 

So, was it torture? Of course it was. But was it unexpected? Not at all. This was a team of destiny, and boy did they act like it. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As the old adage goes, “Good pitching will always beat good hitting.” In the case of the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers in the World Series, great pitching completely dismantled good hitting.

Giant pitchers completely dismantled the Rangers lineup in Games 1 through 4, and in Game 5 Tim Lincecum finished the deal. Lincecum tossed one of the more dominant games not only of the postseason but of the entire year, as the Giants beat the Rangers, 3-1, to win the 2010 World Series.

For six innings this game was flat out pitching porn. Lincecum and Cliff Lee were beautiful to watch. Both pitchers were on top of their game. Both pitchers were making hitters look extremely foolish.

Lincecum’s change-up, slider and fastball were almost unhittable. Even when the Rangers did mount any semblance of a rally, like when Mitch Moreland singled to lead off the inning in the bottom of the sixth, Lincecum just squashed it.

Moreland singled, and Lincecum then retired Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and Josh Hamilton on four pitches. It was as if Lincecum went from a 10 to a 15 on the “there is no way I am going to lose this game” scale.

Lee was equal to the task for six innings. In the first two-thirds of the game, Lee allowed three hits and struck out six. Then the top of the seventh happened.

If the first six innings were pitching porn, then the top of the seventh was the equivalent of the director cutting to the dude’s face in the middle of the scene—it just ruins everything.

Lee had Cody Ross and Juan Uribe down 0-2 in the count, and he lost them both. And if you think about it, he made the same mistake against both batters. Instead of throwing something off-speed to set up the fastball, Lee just came at them with fastballs—and paid for it.

The Giants were set up at first and second with nobody out and Aubrey Huff coming to the plate. The next sequence will tell you everything you need to know about why the Giants are World Series champs.

Huff has never had a sacrifice bunt in his Major League career. That is a fact. However, in this situation, a bunt was called for.

Huff proceeded to lay down a bunt that Juan Pierre couldn’t have done better himself. It was a bunt that went between Lee and Moreland, and Lee’s only play was to first. It was such a good bunt that Huff almost beat it out.

That’s how things went for the Giants this postseason. Bruce Bochy asked his players to do things—and not only did they do them, they executed to perfection.

Coincidentally, the Rangers and Ron Washington couldn’t do anything right. Moreland singled in the sixth, Washington called for a hit and run and Andrus flew out to center. Mission unaccomplished.

And just when things couldn’t get any worse for the Rangers and Ron Washington, they hit the mother load.

After a Pat Burrell strike out (shocker there), Lee had to deal with Edgar Renteria. Lee fell behind 2-0, and the consensus was to walk Renteria and face Aaron Roward, who is pretty much an automatic out these days.

Lee decided to pitch to Renteria—that was a huge mistake. Lee threw a fastball right over the middle, and Mr. Clutch hit one into the left-centerfield stands.

Game over. Series over.

Here are some other observations from Game 5.

Washington brought in Neftali Feliz in the eighth inning this game. Congratulations to Washington for finally realizing he wasn’t playing in August. It only took him 16 games into the postseason to realize this.

If Jennifer Aniston knocked on my door and said she wanted to sleep with me, it would be less surprising than a Burrell strike out. Burrell struck out 11 times in 13 World Series at-bats.

Congratulations to Renteria on winning the World Series MVP. For all the sabermatricians that believe “Clutch” doesn’t exist, I will introduce you to Mr. Renteria. The guy is money when it counts.

Brian Wilson didn’t allow a run the entire postseason. Simply amazing.

105 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Just saying.

The team that won the World Series had Cody Ross and Juan Uribe batting fourth and fifth. Again, simply amazing.

Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Jonathan Sanchez—best home grown rotation since ________? You fill in the blank. I will say the Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, Barry Zito and Rich Harden foursome of the early-2000 Oakland A’s.

Once again, congratulations to the San Francisco Giants on winning the World Series, and in turn pissing all over Moneyball and everything it preaches. Statistical analysis is important, but character and heart are even more so.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It was 1954 when Willie Mays made “The Catch” and propelled the New York Giants to a four game sweep of the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. In 1962, it was a well played Bobby Richardson that broke hearts in San Francisco after he snagged a Willie McCovey liner in the first appearance of the San Francisco Giants in a World Series. It was the Loma Prieta earthquake that stole to show of a four game sweep by the Oakland A’s in the 1989 Battle of the Bay. And it was a game ball given to Russ Ortiz in the 2002 World Series that was the last good moment for San Francisco in a crushing defeat at the hands of the Angels.

But all is forgiven, at least for the next 4 months, because the Giants are sitting on top of the baseball world, propelled by one of the most dominant pitching staffs of all time and a three-run blast by the man with no left bicep, Edgar Renteria.

It was a dominant conclusion to a rather dominant series outing by the Giants as a team. And it was a thrilling conclusion to a thrilling postseason, one that I, nor most Giants’ fans, will ever forget.

Let us take a closer look at the game which lifted the 56 year drought off of a team, a city, and a fan base and which shocked the world.

Begin Slideshow