Kuzul

Promotional campaigns come and go so when the San Francisco Giants‘ public-relations machine—spearheaded by A-list broadcasters Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow—started hitting the party line “Giants Baseball, It’s Torture” with tedious glee, I resisted it for as long as possible.

However, let’s just say that the promos get it right every now and again.

And the 2010 San Francisco baseball season has been one of those times.

NLDS—The Regular Season in a Five-Game Nutshell

There is no denying los Gigantes have wreaked havoc on local digestive and cardiovascular systems. The gut-wrenching regular season could’ve been iced at any time during the campaign’s final weekend, but the clincher didn’t come until Game 162 with Jonathan Sanchez—historically the most volatile of the SF starters—taking the bump against the heel-nipping San Diego Padres.

Next, the lads had all but sewn up a commanding 2-1 lead against the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series behind suffocating efforts from Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Of course, Sergio Romo and sub-par defense coughed up the lead late in Game 2.

At home.

Then Rick Ankiel’s moon ball of a home run finished driving the stake through the fan base’s collective heart.

True, the Gents managed to pull it back out by taking both games at Turner Field in Atlanta, but not before arguably the most agonizing moment to date—the two-run bomb hit by Eric Hinske in the bottom of the eighth that threatened to give Atlanta a 2-1 edge in the NLDS, make Romo the goat once more and turn another sparkling performance from Dirty Sanchez into a total waste.

Thankfully, clutch at-bats from Aubrey Huff, Travis Ishikawa, Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez plus some shockingly porous Brave defense quickly salvaged the evening before a relatively mundane final inning from Brian Wilson ended the roller coaster.

In Game 4, the fellas finally took pity on the faithful.

Madison Bumgarner threw six fantastic innings (considering the kid is a 21-year-old rookie), and Cody Ross powered the just-enough offense as the Orange and Black put the best-of-five epic to bed with a game to spare.

Only a semi-adventurous ninth from Wilson caused any ripple in the Bay Area EKG.

The early advancement to the NL Championship Series notwithstanding, the back-and-forth NLDS was a perfect metaphor for San Fran’s run through ’10—four tense, low-scoring ball games that featured excellent pitching were each decided by defense, bullpens, the minimum of timely hitting, and a single run.

It’s a good thing, too, because the series was the team’s last chance for torture. No matter what happens, the excruciating ecstasy will end against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Phillie Pitching Erases Giant Asset

Let’s face it—the San Francisco Giants have no business upsetting the Phightin’ Phils.

Not only are Charlie Manuel’s boys the two-time defending NL Champions, but they are also one of the few sides that can boast as good a starting pitching set as the Giants.

If not better when you limit the comparison to the top three studs.

There aren’t many gentlemen who can enter a room occupied by Tim Lincecum and claim to be the best starter in said confines. Arguably, there is only one…and he pitches for Philadelphia.

Enough has been written detailing Roy Halladay‘s fairy-tale exploits, so I’ll leave it at that.

Southpaw Cole Hamels was almost as blinding as Doc in his Game 3 start against the Cincinnati Reds, plus he’s got a postseason pedigree that few hurlers can match—he was the 2008 NLCS Most Valuable Player and the World Series MVP that same year.

Meanwhile, Roy Oswalt got knocked around a bit by the Redlegs, but San Francisco can’t thump like Cincy. Additionally, Oswalt still boasts a 3.83 ERA in 51.2 postseason innings.

Hometown bias says the Freak, Cainer and Sanchez are still better, but hometown bias tends to ignore the vast advantage the Philly rotation has in experience. Only Halladay has less than 50 postseason frames to his credit, which is of little comfort when the dude throws a no-hitter in his playoff debut.

Phillie Offense Creates Giant Deficit

This notion needs about as much exploration to validate as does Roy Halladay’s reputation.

With all due respect to Huff, Andres Torres and Pat Burrell, los Gigantes don’t even have one MVP-caliber bat until Posey gets a little more mileage on his major-league wheels.

Contrarily, the Phils have at least three in Ryan Howard (2006 NL MVP), Jimmy Rollins (2007 NL MVP, though admittedly having a down year) and Chase Utley (the best hitter and player on the team). Adding insult to run-scoring injury are plus-performers like Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz.

This is a dynamic and dangerous lineup, No. 1 through No. 8.

On paper, it dwarfs San Francisco’s in a comparison that would be funny if I weren’t a Giants die-hard.

But the Games Are Played on Diamonds, Not Paper

Major League Baseball has always been an unpredictable animal and ’10 has been no different—well-laid plans in Boston and Seattle went awry almost immediately, the St. Louis Cardinals collapsed despite fielding four of the best talents in the show, and other-worldly pitching created an offensive desert in the middle of a Steroid Era bloom.

In other words, stranger things have happened than a San Francisco Giants trip to the 2010 World Series.

But it will be an enormous uphill climb, which means a successful summit would be all gravy.

And that means, win or lose, the torture is already over.

It just won’t feel like it.

**Click here to learn more about the Paralyzed Veterans of America**

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Torture. That is what the Giants like to do to their fans.

Although the Giants took the NLDS 3-1 against the Atlanta Braves, there was no absence of nail-biting, heart-stopping moments. Each game was decided by one run, and one of the four games went into extra innings.

Now with a few days to rest, the Giants will need to continue to dominate on the mound and have some good old luck if they are to win the National League pennant from the Philadelphia Phillies. 

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Yesterday the San Francisco Giants came from behind to beat the Braves 3-2 and advance to the National League Championship Series. It was their second such victory in as many days and the fourth one run game of the four game series.

The path for the Philadelphia Phillies was far smoother. Roy Halladay threw the second post-season no-hitter of all-time, and Cole Hamels tossed a five-hit shutout as the Phillies easily swept the Cincinnati Reds.

This series will mark the first time these two teams have met in the playoffs and we should be in for fireworks. Both teams have deep rotations filled with proven pitchers, and both teams have areas of weakness.

While San Francisco’s line-up produced the fewest runs of any playoff team and lack a true middle of the order presence, Philadelphia has a bullpen full of talented pitchers who have struggled in the clutch. So who will win this epic match up? Read on for a game by game analysis.

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Here we are once again. There is really nothing quite like October baseball. We spent all summer weeding out the undeserving teams and went from 30 to what will soon be four. 

With the National League series all set and ready to roll, the Giants and Phillies pose some interesting matchups.

The dominance established by the three Philly starters against the Reds could force Bruce Bochy to become more aggressive in trying to push any runs across.

Philly certainly looks like the class of the NL this year. I have scoured the National League and found only two teams that could matchup against the Phillies: the Rockies and the Cardinals. Luckily for the Phillies, neither made the Playoffs. 

The Giants did, however, and after dispatching the Braves in four games with some help from the umpiring crew and Brooks Conrad, they stare at the best team they’ve played all year.

Oh yeah, and the Phillies are also playing their best ball of the year. Poor Giants.

And with that, let’s dive in to the five bold predictions…

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Just when we all thought we were getting our postseason fill with the NLDS, the approaching NLCS is about to open up the flood gates with a good old fashion civil war between the East Coast and West Coast.

It’s time to put on the gloves, get out your rally towels, and show those Giants draped in orange what Philadelphia is all about.

Who cares about that old Willie Mays statue, when you have Ashburn Alley!

Who needs the California Cookout when you have Bull’s BBQ!

How can you enjoy the beautiful sun filled California beaches when you have the Jersey Shore????

*cough*…Ok, San Francisco, you win that one.

The postseason engine just switched into its high gear, and Game One of the NLCS has all the makings of a historical event waiting to happen.

At this rate, even the World Series is going to wind up paling in comparison to not only what has already happened in the NLDS and ALDS, but what is about to transpire in the NLCS.

I am, of course, talking about the reigning Cy Young Award Winner Tim Lincecum, about to take on the pending 2010 Cy Young Award Winner Roy Halladay.

I’m talking about two of the best pitchers in not only the NL, but all of baseball.

The Freak vs. The Doctor.

It really doesn’t get any better than this, unless you’re sitting in Citizen’s Bank Park with a Hatfield hot dog and an ice cold Bud Light.

But I digress.

Even as good as Tim Lincecum is, he’s only one man, whereas the Phillies tandem of Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels (H₂0) is more than any team has really been able to handle since the beginning of September.

And that could wind up being all the Phillies need once again.

They already beat the best defensive team in the National league, and one of the best hitting teams in the National League (the Cincinnati Reds), now they get set to face one of the hottest teams in the National League.

No problem, right?

You wanted drama? You wanted excitement? You wanted a thrilling postseason drive?

If this doesn’t get you excited, you may want to check your pulse.

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They say, rightfully so, that pitching decides the postseason.

In the NLCS this year, pitching will almost certainly have a direct impact on who goes to the World Series, and who goes home until spring training in 2011. 

The San Francisco Giants beat the Atlanta Braves Monday night to advance to the National League Championship Series where they will face the Philadelphia Phillies, who shrugged off the Cincinnati Reds in their first-round matchup.  The Phillies are looking to become the first team since the St. Louis Cardinals of 1942-44 to win the National League pennant three straight seasons. The Giants are making their first NLCS appearance since 2002, when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in five games to advance to the Fall Classic.

Both teams have outstanding pitching staffs.  The Giants ERA was the best in baseball in the regular season, with a 3.36. A September in which their team ERA was a minuscule 1.78 was what propelled them over the San Diego Padres in that final month of the season.

The Phillies made the top 10 with a 3.67, good for sixth in all of baseball. 

Honestly, it’s hard to fathom that either of these teams could go home because one team out-pitched the other, especially San Francisco.  But that could absolutely happen, as Philadelphia has some dangerous arms on their staff. 

Here’s the breakdown:

San Francisco Giants:

Starting Pitching: Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez.

Outlook: In the NLDS, the rotation went Lincecum-Cain-Sanchez-Bumgarner.  Considering the Giants only allowed nine runs in the four games total, why mess with success?  Expect the same four-man rotation in the next round. 

It’s interesting, to say the least, that Barry Zito could technically be put back on the postseason roster to face the Phillies lineup, which is loaded with left-handed sluggers like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez that the left-handed Zito could neutralize. 

But over his last seven starts, Zito’s ERA is over six.  For the Giants to take one of their starting pitchers out on the off-chance that Zito might be effective against the Phillies would be them taking a risk that is not a smart one against a Philadelphia team that is a few wins away from being a dynasty.  Not to mention, the only two that you could fathom being replaced for Zito, Sanchez and Bumgarner, are left-handed as well.  (On a side note: In Zito’s only start against the Phillies this year, he allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings).

Bullpen: Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Javier Lopez, Guillermo Mota, Ramon Ramirez, Sergio Romo, Brian Wilson.

Outlook: The San Fran ‘pen has two lefties (Affeldt and Lopez) to neutralize the Phillies left-handed sluggers.  Closer Brian Wilson led the majors with 48 saves in the regular season.  Sergio Romo, Ramon Ramirez and Santiago Casilla had a fantastic 2010.  This bullpen is set up for success right now, especially if the Giants starters can continue to go deep into games. 

They could fall into trouble if their starters are pulled early or if tight games go into extra innings, though.  The last thing you want to do is send a right-handed reliever into a tie game to face Howard, Utley or Ibanez, because the game more than likely won’t be tied afterward.  Knowing the proper times to use his left-handed relievers will be critical for Giants manager Bruce Bochy in this series.

Philadelphia Phillies:

Starting Pitching: Joe Blanton, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt.

Outlook: That 1-2-3 punch of Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt is the best remaining in the playoffs.  That alone gives them a significant advantage over a San Francisco team that only scored 11 runs in their four-game series with the Braves.

Blanton will more than likely make his 2010 postseason debut in Game 4.  The Phillies could opt to use Halladay in Games 1, 4 and 7, Oswalt in Games 2 and 5 and Hamels in Games 3 and 6.  But me thinks Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel would rather that his big ace gets that extra day of rest and goes in Game 5.

With Blanton in the mix, expect Halladay to start Game 1 and Game 5, Oswalt to start Game 2 and Game 6, Hamels to start Game 3 and a possible Game 7, with Blanton splitting the big 3 with his Game 4 start.

Bullpen: Antonio Bastardo, Jose Contreras, Chad Durbin, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero.

Outlook: The Phillies bullpen ERA was 4.48 since September 1st.  The Phillies are coming out looking like roses after sweeping the Reds, but their biggest weakness, their bullpen, was never showcased in a huge spot.  Halladay and Hamels both threw complete games, so the Phillies’ bullpen only had to pitch four innings total in the three game series.

Hard to overlook the experience in this bullpen, though.  The Phillies have won the NLCS the past two years with Chad Durbin, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero in their bullpen.  Philadelphia has enough right-handers to deal with Buster Posey late in a game, and the left-handed J.C. Romero will probably get to know Aubrey Huff pretty well by the time this series is over.

It looks as if San Francisco has the edge when it comes to relief pitching, but Philadelphia may have the edge in their starting pitching, no matter what the Giants ERA was in the stretch run of September.  This could be one of the more evenly matched NLCS (pitching-wise) that we’ve seen in a long time.   

What do you think?  Do you think the Giants starting pitching is enough to match up with the Phillies?  Do you think the Phillies bullpen’s experience alone will be enough to stand with the Giants ‘pen? 

One thing’s for sure: If both teams pitch how they’re capable of, don’t expect a lot of runs.

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When the San Francisco Giants topped the Atlanta Braves 3-2 last night, they earned their first trip to the NLCS since 2002.

Waiting for them, of course, is the Philadelphia Phillies–the two-time defending champions of the National League.

The Phillies, based on both their success the last few years and the strength of their position players, are considered the favorites by most baseball fans and pundits.  But what of those Giants, a franchise that has not yet won a World Series since moving to the Bay?

Do they have a chance?

What are five ways that the Giants can win this series?

First, let’s take a brief look at how the teams match up.

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I can’t tell you how much this pains me to say this being a diehard Giants fan. But a noble journalist puts his allegiances aside.

Here is an in-depth comparison of two teams, in amazing detail and quality (HD detail and quality). The main determinant in the series, I believe, will be the powerful offense of the Phils…and the three-runs-is-a-chore offense of the Giants.

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The San Francisco Giants made short work of the Atlanta Braves in the National League Divisional Series.  Tim Lincecum and his teammates gave Braves manager Bobby Cox a rude farewell, winning the series three games to one.

Their reward?  They get to play the Philadelphia Phillies, who swept the Cincinnati Reds in their first round match-up.

But, that series won’t start for a couple days, so let’s take a look at five players who played key roles in the Giants’ first round victory.

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In a baseball season frequently dubbed “the year of the pitcher” because of the sudden proliferation of dominant mound performances seemingly helping to shut the door on Major League Baseball’s notorious “steroid era,” we are being treated to an encore presentation in the 2010 postseason.

Only partially through the first round of the Division Series segment of the playoffs, we have already seen Roy Halladay toss the second no-hitter in postseason history in his personal playoff debut. Tim Lincecum offered a similarly dominant debut with a complete game, two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts.

Cole Hamels clinched Philadelphia’s NLDS sweep of the Reds with a complete game shutout, and Cliff Lee continued to add to his impeccable playoff resume with a third career postseason start in which he struck out at least 10, while walking none, a feat that has only been accomplished by four other pitchers in history.

Jonathan Sanchez pitched a brilliant game in his first taste of the playoffs, and Phil Hughes went seven shutout innings in his postseason debut to clinch the ALDS sweep for the Yankees. The Year of the Pitcher indeed.

As if we hadn’t been treated to enough incredible pitching already, ALDS Game 5, between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, will feature a rematch of possibly the most tantalizing head-to-head pitching clash we have seen so far.

Two of the top lefties in the game, Cliff Lee and David Price, will reprise their starting roles from Game 1, in the final, decisive game between the Rangers and Rays, determining which team will host the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

Game 1 wasn’t quite the pitchers’ duel we expected, as Price was roughed up by the Texas offense in 6.2 innings of his first career playoff start. The flame-throwing 25-year-old lefty had five previous postseason appearances under his belt from 2008, but he had not yet started a playoff game before this series opener.

David was hit hard and often as he allowed five runs on nine hits, two of those being home runs, as his Rays squad dropped the opening game 5-1 at home.

Cliff Lee, on the other hand, continued to add to what has already become a legendary playoff resume with yet another dominant postseason start in the last two years. Lee’s seven-inning performance, in which he allowed one run on five hits and no walks, with 10 strikeouts, pushed him to 5-0 with a 1.52 ERA in 6 career playoff starts.

His 1.52 ERA is the fifth-lowest in MLB history for pitchers with at least five playoff starts, trailing only four hurlers, three of whom are in the Hall of Fame. As previously stated, only seven times has a pitcher struck out at least 10 batters while walking none, and Cliff Lee has done it three times since last October.

The Rangers have precisely the right pitcher on the mound as they attempt to advance to the American League Championship Series for the first time in franchise history. They are fighting for the chance to go on to face the only other team they have ever played in the postseason, the New York Yankees, a team that has eliminated Texas in three playoff series since 1996.

Lee was acquired for occasions such as these, as his calm, cool demeanor projects an air of confidence that the Rangers hope will spur his teammates toward victory. In just a short time, Cliff Lee has crafted a well-deserved reputation as one of baseball’s best big-game pitchers.

During his short stint in Philadelphia last season, the Phillies rode him to Game 6 of the World Series before ultimately falling short to the very same Yankees that the Rangers are hoping to face in the ALCS. One can bet Cliff Lee has considered the shot at redemption against the team that denied him World Series glory in 2009.

For now though, Lee must not look ahead to the Yankees, as he faces a Tampa team who owned the best record in the American League during 2010. In his back pocket though, Lee knows that he just dominated the Rays in the very same venue less than a week ago. Despite that dominant outing in the ALDS opener however, Tampa were actually 3-0 versus Lee in 2010, as they managed 24 hits against him in 23.2 innings.

From the Rays’ perspective, there is at least that flicker of hope to rely on, and the knowledge that, after being down two games to none, momentum has now shifted in their favor. How far that pendulum has swung in Tampa’s direction will much depend on how well Lee can resemble his sterling playoff reputation.

Texas hope that they will see more of the same from the man they brought in to start games such as this one.

From Tampa’s perspective, they too have just the right pitcher heading to the mound for them in this decisive Game 5. All season long, David Price has been among the top pitchers in baseball, and will find his name right near the top of voting for the AL Cy Young Award at the conclusion of the postseason.

Price was 19-6 with a 2.72 ERA in his stellar breakout campaign during his first full year as a Major League hurler, playing a significant role in helping the Rays to the best record in the AL.

Aside from his subpar Game 1 performance against Texas, Price only faced the Rangers one other time in 2010. He earned a no-decision in his lone start against them, pitching six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and five walks, while striking out eight. Though he didn’t walk a batter in Game 1, he’ll have to avoid command issues against a powerful Texas lineup that can thoroughly punish a pitcher if given too many opportunities.

Despite winning the first two games in Tampa, the AL West Champion Rangers were not known as road warriors in 2010, as they only had a 39-42 road record, worst among American League playoff teams. Price knows that the Ranger offense isn’t nearly as explosive on the road, and will look to exploit that weakness in order to lead his team to an ALCS clash with the Yankees.

Texas was the fourth-highest scoring AL team in 2010, but only seventh away from Arlington. Their second-ranked team OPS at home of .800, drops to a seventh-ranked .716 on the road.

In addition to his opponents’ struggles on the road, David Price finds himself exactly where he wants to be come Tuesday evening. During his young career at Tropicana Field, Price is 17-5 with a 2.32 ERA, with a 1.10 WHIP and a .206 batting average against.

He has been even better in 2010, going 9-2 with a 1.96 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and an opponents’ OPS of .589, while striking out 107 in 114.2 innings. To say he is comfortable pitching at the Trop may be an understatement.

With the series tied at two games apiece, each team is feeling confident with their ace headed to the hill in the decisive Game 5 om Tuesday. The prize for victory will be an American League Championship Series date with the Yankees, an opportunity both teams will relish as they each seek the first World Series titles in their respective franchise histories.

Before we look ahead to that however, we should sit back and enjoy a rematch of ALDS Game 1 starters, Cliff Lee and David Price, two men hit that sit right at the top of the list of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball today. Play ball!

Please check out my piece on Roy Halladay’s No-hitter and the 10 Greatest Pitching Performances of MLB Postseason History.

For further coverage of the Texas Rangers’s 2010 postseason run by Scott Gyurina please read my prior articles:

Texas Rangers Firing On All Cylinders Against Tampa Bay Rays

Texas Rangers Vs. Tampa Bay Rays Positional Matchups

Texas Rangers’ Pitching Well-Armed For Deep Playoff Run

Texas Rangers: 10 Reasons They Can Beat the Yankees in the Playoffs

Texas Rangers’ 3 Biggest Question Marks Heading Into October

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