Kuzul

The Giants’ season-long chase after the San Diego Padres has finally paid off. San Francisco is half a game back of the Padres.

Getting here has been a lengthy and remarkable pursuit marked by the resilience and dedication of the boys in orange and black.

And it isn’t over. Much will depend on how the Giants play their last remaining games.

And yet there are some things beyond the Giants control that may happen to hamper their run at NL West Pennant.

Let’s take a look at 10 key things to watch for down the stretch for the Giants.

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He’s baaaacccckkkkkkk!!!!

Looking at Tim Lincecum‘s three starts in September, one would think he is back to Cy Young form. After a horrible 0-5 August record, Lincecum has responded by winning each of his three starts in September. His ERA in August was an abysmal 7.82, compared to 2.09 in September. 

So he’s back on track right?

Well, hold it right there. Sure his stats are back to ace-like form, but how do we know he has really changed?

It’s all in the mechanics. Tim Lincecum relies on his hips for power. The reason he is able to launch a fastball in the low- to mid-90s out of such a small frame is due to the mechanics of his extra long stride and the way his hips open up after release.

He stays balanced throughout his whole motion, which is hard to believe because of how violent of an action it is.

So even if stats don’t lie, there has to be a way where one can find out if Tim Lincecum is truly back in business and not just getting lucky.

Well, as you all know, Lincecum’s velocity has been dropped slightly this year, even though he has shown signs of getting it back up at different points. Since he gets all of his power from his hips, he probably concluded that maybe he wasn’t using them enough. This is an assumption and an attempt to explain the difference in his mechanics I will explain shortly. 

Lincecum might not have even known specifically what he was doing wrong with his mechanics, but he did know he was not getting the results he is so used to getting. 

So what was wrong with him?

He had been overturning before he released the ball. His hips opened up too soon and he did not step straight towards home plate. This caused him to pull the ball slightly and miss location very often. He tried changing numerous aspects of his delivery during his slump, including lifting his hands over his head. This only led to a dragging motion in his arm and although it led to successfully results in the short run, it was not good for his mechanics.

Also, fatigue may have been a factor, but it hasn’t looked like it in his past three starts. This leads me to believe it was mostly his mechanics and lack of confidence that led to such an awful August. 

Lincecum’s problems usually occurred when he tried to muscle the ball to the plate. This led to an unreal amount of walks that have not really been part of Tim’s game. 

How do we know for sure he fixed his problems? Watch the difference in his delivery from the time he faced the Diamondbacks in San Francisco and gave up four runs wearing his high socks, compared to his most recent start against the D-backs 10 days ago.

In his first start, it is noticeable that he is opening up and trying to sling the ball to the plate. In his second start, you can see that he is staying closed longer, and stepping more towards the plate, allowing him to drive the ball, keeping his walk rate down, and his velocity around 93.

Yes folks, Tim Lincecum has regained his form. There is no doubting it, and all signs point to yes. So unless he starts leaving balls over the plate or begins opening up early again, he should be able to lead the San Francisco Giants and their pitching staff to the playoffs. 

And NO ONE wants to face the Giants in a short series because of their rotation. It is now enjoyable to watch Lincecum pitch, and when his turn in the rotation comes around there is a good chance he will deliver a W—just like old times. 

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Let’s take a look at who had a big day and who didn’t yesterday:

Three Hot:

1. Mike Stanton – Florida Marlins
   He had a big day, going 3-4 with 2 HR, 3 RBI and 2 R. He’s now on a seven game hitting streak, going 13-29 with 5 HR, 8 RBI and 6 R.  He’s proven to be an extremely streaky player but when he’s on, he has as much power as anyone. The average isn’t great (.251), but if you are in need of some power, you just need to leave him in there through thick and thin so you don’t miss out on days like this.
2. Tim Lincecum – San Francisco Giants
   We all know that he has not been the same pitcher that he’s been in previous years, but he has turned back the clock over his last three starts. He beat the Padres yesterday, giving up one run on seven hits and one walk, striking out nine, over seven innings. In these last three starts he is 3-0, allowing five earned runs over 21.2 innings, striking out 29 in the process. He’s been frustrating, but a strong finish will go a long way towards once again solidifying his status among the elite pitchers in the game.
3. Cliff Lee – Texas Rangers
   Between the back issues and his struggles on the mound, there were huge concerns surrounding Lee. A lot of those concerns are eased when you toe the rubber and stymie a Yankees offense that is among the elite in the league. Lee went eight innings, allowing one run on two hits and three walks, striking out five. It’s the first time since August 6 that he has allowed less then four earned runs in a start (a span of five starts). His next start comes against the Mariners, so hopefully he can continue to roll and get back into form.

Three Not: by Will Overton

1. Carlos Quentin – Chicago White Sox
   The Chicago White Sox Outfielder found himself on the bench for the second game in a row and with no reported injury, one has to believe this is performance-related, as Manny Ramirez has made the White Sox outfield a bit crowded. Currently, Quentin is hitless in his last four games going a combined 0 for 13 and bringing his overall average in September to .227, coming off an August where he hit .239. I’m sure the average would have been more tolerable were Quentin doing his part in hitting homeruns, but he hasn’t hit one of those since August 11th. A decrease in playing time for Quentin means a likely increase for Mark Teahan, Mark Kotsay, and Andruw Jones, but none of that bunch is overly enticing for fantasy purposes. Chances are Quentin remains the everyday right fielder, but his value doesn’t justify his current owner percentage of 95% on ESPN. If you need the space, I wouldn’t be afraid to drop him.
2. Francisco Cordero – Cincinnati Reds
   Cordero notched his second blown save in this three game series, and the worst part is that this series has been against the Pirates. After two solid years in Cincinnati, including a 2.16 ERA last year, it looked like Cordero may have been becoming one of the more reliable closers in the game, but this was his 8th blown save and it sent his ERA up over 4 on the year. His job is probably not in jeopardy, at least not for the remainder of this season. But if you own him, you have to be questioning how much you can count on him as you head down the stretch. You ultimately have to take your chances and ride it out hoping for the best.
3. Dallas Braden – Oakland Athletics
   He has had an overall good year. We all know about the controversy with A-Rod and the perfect game that put him on the map. But much more quietly, he had a very dominant couple of months in July and August posting a 2.37 ERA in those two months combined. However he has fallen off the tracks a bit here in September. Yesterday’s performance wasn’t awful at a glance (4 runs in 5.2 IP) it was far from where he was or should be. He managed only 10 first pitch strikes to 25 batters and that led to 4 walks and only 2 K’s, as this was his season high for walks. He has topped his high for innings pitched and these struggles could be a sign of wearing down. I don’t think this is a warning sign for next year, but I wouldn’t count on to much more productivity from him going forward this year as all signs point to him being a bit to stretched.

What are your thoughts on these players?

Make sure to check out our Fantasy Baseball Minor League Player of the Year Awards:

• Atlanta Braves
• Kansas City Royals

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The San Francisco Giants did three significant things during their humongous four-game series against the San Diego Padres. Call it a pleasant coincidence that the team also won three of the weekend contests.

By taking three of four in Petco Park, the good guys exorcised some serious demons in a personal house of horrors. Since the start of the 2009 campaign, the Giants had only won three of the last 14 contests played in the Friars’ home. You have to imagine the lads enjoyed doubling a two-year win total in four days.

More importantly, the trio of triumphs moved the Orange and Black into a virtual tie with the Fathers atop the National League West—one up in the win column, one back in the loss column, and only percentage points behind the technical front-runners.

Finally and most importantly, San Francisco showed that it was strapped in for the 2010 stretch and ready to make a hard charge at the playoffs. By pennant or by Wild Card, SF seems intent on reaching Major League Baseball’s second season.

And that development has to disturb the other contenders from the Senior Circuit.

Though we’re not yet sure who will be vying for the NL’s ticket to the World Series, any team hoping to be one of those fortunate four can’t be relishing the prospect of a date with the City’s nine.

Here are the top 10 reasons nobody wants to see the San Francisco Giants in the postseason.

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It’s time to make the cuts. Spring training is over, the contracts have been signed. Now it’s time to play some ball.

But who should actually play? There have been a lot of great players in San Francisco Giants history.

Bonds, Mays, McCovey, Cepeda.

The list goes on endlessly. But let’s cut it down to the best 25. How would you put a roster together?

How many pitchers do you carry? How many lefties?

I need a backup catcher, don’t I?

No matter how you build a team, you need to have a solid base and a pitching staff that will carry you the distance.

This will illustrate the entire pitching staff, bench, and starting lineup.

Let’s see what it looks like.

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Regardless of whether the San Francisco Giants make the postseason, the 2010 campaign has already been a success.

The team is contending into September as it did in 2009, but the lads’ chances look much better this time around the bend.

Even if they ultimately fall short of the second season, the squad will improve upon the ’09 version’s 88-74 record as long as they don’t finish in a 10-12 skid.

Anything is possible, but such a thud down the stretch seems very unlikely from a San Francisco side that’s played .557 baseball through 140 contests.

Especially because the Gents are giving the distinct impression of being on their collective way to a peak at just the right time.

At various times in ’10, the Orange and Black pitchers have done the heavy lifting or the lumber has had to shoulder the disproportionate load. At no point have both sides of the baseball been clicking along in unison.

It hasn’t quite happened yet, but the arms and bats are hinting at a nice rhythm.

Rotation Finding Its Spring Stride

Ace-in-hiding Tim Lincecum is looking like his old self again. Giant fans are beginning to feel cautiously comfortable with the September version after the diminutive fireballer tossed 14 spectacular innings before tiring in his last frame of work against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

So far in Autumn’s first month, “The Freak” has twirled every bit like the pitcher who’s won two consecutive National League Cy Young Awards—2-0, 14.2 IP, 2.45 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 20:1 K:BB, .195 BAA, .196 OBPA, and .364 SLGA.

With “The Franchise” in his rightful spot, leading the rotation’s charge, a major concern would be eliminated not a moment too soon. It would also help set a dominant tone that’s been missing from Los Gigantes‘ starters recently.

If the early returns are any indication, that’s precisely what’s happening after Lincecum took the pearl on Sept. 1. The staff as a whole had a 1.96 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 5.55 K:BB, and opponents’ slash line of .179/.231/.282 in 55 IP entering play on Wednesday.

Of course, the Bay Area has seen a resplendent rotation getting the job done.

Lumber Continues to Bring the Wood

The new development is an offense that’s keeping pace…well, almost.

While the Giants batting order will never remind anyone of “Murderer’s Row,” it’s been doing its part with timely hitting and resiliency.

Although it’s only scored 21 runs in seven September games, the club has managed to win five of the contests behind the aforementioned pitching and an offense that’s saved its runs for when they’re most needed.

In so doing, the sticks have seen contributions from a whole host of deckhands.

Second-half acquisition Mike Fontenot contributed a game-tying single to back Lincecum’s first gem while Jose Guillen (himself a post-All-Star break pick-up) scored that run after breaking up Ubaldo Jimenez’ no-hitter.

Darren Ford, a September call-up, crossed with the winning run after being inserted by manager Bruce Bochy as a pinch-runner.

Freddy Sanchez, a trade-deadline acquisition in 2009 by general manager Brian Sabean, sealed the victory with a sprawling catch (OK, that one wasn’t offensive, but still…).

Three days later, the Gents used the long ball to come back against the hated Los Angeles Dodgers in Dodger Stadium—three of the four big flies came from Pat Burrell (a first-half acquisition), Edgar Renteria, and Juan Uribe.

Uribe’s two-run blast provided the game-winning margin off of closer Jonathan Broxton in the ninth.

The super utilityman, one of the keys to keeping an anemic first-half offense afloat, connected for another two-run dinger in support of a Jonathan Sanchez blinder the next day.

It was all the backing “Dirty Sanchez” needed as San Francisco took two of three from the Bums in their own house.

Next up in the game of musical chairs was Nate Schierholtz in the desert.

“Nate the Great” went from goat to hero against the Snakes on Monday when his extra-inning triple provided the winning separation in a game he entered as a pinch-runner, only to get picked off by the freakin‘ catcher.

But that’s how it’s gone for the Giants of late—a different day, a different darling.

Sabean and Bochy Have Earned Their Fair Shares of Credit

Perhaps lost in all the good news are two men who have taken more lashes than they’ve deserved while guiding the City’s pride and joy.

Bruce Bochy, for all the criticism he’s endured about sticking too long with veterans and constantly shuffling the lineup, must have been grinning as he watched bemoaned piece after bemoaned piece contribute to victories this past week.

There was Renteria, who the faithful wanted designated for assignment eons ago, getting a big home run to help the comeback against the Dodgers and hitting over .300 in September.

There were Schierholtz, Burrell, Guillen, Uribe, Freddy Sanchez, Fontenot, and others answering the bell without signs of rust or debilitating fatigue.

None of that happens without consistent playing time to keep the skills sharp offset by appropriate rest (or at least the percentages go WAY down) and the right balance ain’t possible without an expert juggler.

Take a bow, Bruce…actually, let’s wait a month or so.

Nevertheless, as nicely as Boch’s season is rounding out, it can’t hold a candle to Sabean‘s campaign.

Freddy Sanchez? Yep, he’s been a huge asset both defensively and offensively as he’s caught fire since August (though, technically not a  move from ’10).

Aubrey Huff? Quite possibly the team’s MVP.

Burrell, Guillen, and Fontenot? Brought in to bolster a sagging offense, each has had his moments of contribution while “Pat the Bat” (14 HR and a slash line of .266/.370/.514 in 265 PA with SF) has arguably been the biggest midseason addition in Major League Baseball…non-Buster Posey Division.

And Sabes‘ biggest finds are perhaps the least discussed:

Javier Lopez—16 IP, 1.13 ERA, 0.56 WHIP, 5.50 K:BB, and an opponents’ slash line of .130/.161/.148

Ramon Ramirez—17.1 IP, 1.04 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 0.90 K:BB, and an opponents’ slash line of .172/.284/.234

Chris Ray—17 IP, 4.76 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 1.57 K:BB, and an opponents’ slash line of .270/.343/.333 (these looked a lot better before Ray got Van Landingham’d for three hits, a walk, and three earnies without recording an out about three weeks ago)

Remember when Jeremy Affeldt and Dan Runzler—the resident southpaws in the ‘pen—were out with injuries?

The firemen had been roughed up a bit, now they had no specialist to handle left-handed boppers, and yet no elite lefty had been acquired.

Panic gripped the City as talk radio and the blogosphere demanded to know how such stupidity could be tolerated from the franchise’s brass.

The naysayers whined that the playoffs were going up in flames with the relievers’ weak, wild junk.

Ahem…

However, as pretty as all that looks, the real coup here is that the Giants’ general manager surrendered quite literally—in the baseball sense—nothing to grab these contributions.

The entire price tag amounts to some cash, a mentally/physically broken Bengie Molina, a badly fading blue-chip prospect (Tim Alderson in the ’09 deal for Sanchez), and major-league flotsam.

All in all, not too shabby from a couple of scoundrels the masses wanted on the first cable car out of town a few short months (weeks) ago.

But Keep the Cork in the Champagne and the Bottles on Ice

Again, nothing has been won yet.

The playoffs are still 20 games away and that’s a whole lotta baseball left to be played. The San Diego Padres have absolutely owned los Gigantes to date in ’10, so their recent tumble has only opened the door to the NL West pennant; no tickets have been punched.

Additionally, the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies could be tough to catch for the NL Wild Card as they begin to sniff the NL East flag beyond the finish line. Oh yeah, let’s continue to pretend the Colorado Rockies are of no concern while we still can.

Clearly, the San Francisco Giants still have an uphill climb if they want to reach the postseason.

But they have the personnel and a little momentum, which means they have a chance.

It also means Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy are having the last laugh.

And it might be a long one.

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Ah, it’s good to be back…

Last Night Rewind

• Keep an eye on Ryan Kalish in deeper leagues heading in to next season. Kalish has shown the ability to hit and is working on adjustments to the big-league game. He hit another grand slam last night and stole two bases, giving him three in his short stint. Kalish is likely to stick at this point heading in to 2011, and could be seen as a 20-20 player as early as next season.
• Corey Hart finds himself on a recent tear, going eight for his last 25. In that stretch, he has knocked four home runs, including two last night. His numbers have fallen from the .288 he was hitting before the break to only .260 afterwards, but he certainly is hitting the ball well right now. At this point, it’s all about the streaks.
• Madison Bumgarner recorded another road win last night, his fifth of the season. He has yet to win at home, but has pitched well outside of San Francisco. Of late, he has been solid. Bumgarner has worked seven innings in three of his last five starts, and has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of five.
• Mat Latos was scratched from his start on Monday, following a battle with the flu that kept him away from the team on Sunday. Latos lobbied to pitch, but the Padres were looking to be cautious overall with their young pitcher. Latos is expected to be fine, and is looking to get the start tonight for the Padres.
• The loss of Josh Hamilton cannot be understated for both fantasy owners, and the Rangers. His injury did not look like much at the time, but a rib injury is what has sidelined Jacoby Ellsbury for the bulk of the season. Hamilton seems to be prone to maladies in general, and that makes him a hard selection. It looks like both David Murphy and Julio Borbon will see extra at-bats as a result of losing Hamilton.

Tuesday Notes

• You might say that CC Sabathia has owned the Orioles this season. Sabathia is 4-0 in four starts against them this season with a 2.73 ERA. The one slight issue has been the home run. Sabathia has surrendered four in 29.2 innings. Nothing overwhelming from the Orioles, but you may see them start Nolan Reimold (he is back!) tonight, as Reimols is 6-for-14 against Sabathia liftime.
• Jason Bartlett and B.J. Upton have struggled against Daisuke Matsuzaka. Upton is only 1-for-13, whlie Bartlett has recorded just three hits in 19 at-bats against him. Other than these two, there are no real concerns from the players you would have in your normal lineup. Matsuzaka has allowed seven runs on 12 hits, and eight walks in 11 innings against the Rays this season.
• Justin Verlander has been dominant at home this season, posting a 9-3 record in 13 starts, while allowing batters to hit just .230 against him. Paul Konerko is only 4-for-34 against him lifetime while Mark Teahen is just 4-for-29 with 13 strikeouts. Big winner is the .333 of A.J. Pierzynski, who adds three home runs to the mix. Carlos Quentin checks in at .300 as well.
• It is nice to see that Freddy Garcia is 2-0 against Detroit this season, but he had a setback over the week that delayed his last start. The back issue has lingered, but he anticipates being able to make his next start tonight against the Tigers. Despite the wins, he has allowed six home runs in 24.2 innings, and has an ERA over 4.00 against them in 2010.
• While I would look to avoid Jose Lopez against Dallas Braden, Chone Figgins has shown good numbers at 8-for-19 against him. Ichiro Suzuki checks in at .294, and even Franklin Gutierrez is 4-for-9 against the Oakland pitcher. Braden has allowed only two earned runs in two starts over 16 innings against Seattle this year.
• Clayton Kershaw is 2-0 against San Diego this season, allowing only two runs on 10 hits and four walks in 14.1 innings pitched against them. Adrian Gonzalez has ugly numbers against him, going only 3-for-22. Ryan Ludwick is not much better with only two hits in 12 at-bats. The best bet is Scott Hairston at 5-for-12 or Miguel Tejada at 4-for-9.
• Tim Linececum is just 1-5 in his last six starts and is just 0-1 in three starts against the Diamondbacks this year. He has allowed 11 runs in 19 innings against them on 19 hits. The numbers are not exactly pretty from a team perspective, but Justin Upton has hit .321 against him lifetime. Otherwise, despite the numbers this year, leave your Diamondbacks on the bench where you can.
• Both Ryan Braun and Craig Counsell are hitting better than .400 against Kyle Lohse. Braun is 7-for-17 while Counsell checks in at 10-for-22. Lohse has had ugly numbers in three of his last four outings and has allowed 23 earned runs in his last 16.2 innings of work.
• Chris Volstad has had some ugly outings against the Phillies this year. He is 0-1 in three starts with a 5.63 ERA in that stretch. That translates to nine walks and 23 hits in 16 innings pitched. Only red flags for the Phillies are the 1-for-17 of Jayson Werth, and the 4-for-21 of Shane Victorino. Everyone else is good otherwise. Raul Ibanez, Carlos Ruiz, and Ryan Howard all check in at better than .400 against him.
• Spot Starts: Figueroa, Blanton, Chacin

Wednesday Notes

• J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell have ugly numbers against Matt Garza. Both have at least 22 at-bat,s and neither cracks .160 against him. Look to use Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez, as both hit better than .300 against him. David Ortiz is only a .250 hitter, but does have three home runs in 28 at bats. Garza is 2-1 against Boston in five starts, but does have a 4.11 ERA.
• Dan Uggla has certainly had his issues with Cole Hamels. Uggla is just 5-for-32 against him lifetime with 11 strikeouts. Hanley Ramirez has hit just .256 in 39 at-bats with 11 strikeouts as well. Hamels has been solid of late, not allowing an earned run over his last two starts in 15 innings of work.
• Barry Zito has been hit hard by both Mark Reynolds and Stephen Drew. Reynolds may only be hovering near .200 this season, but he is 8-for-17 with three home runs against Zito. Drew checks in at .345 in 29 at-bats. These two have by far the best numbers against the lefty. Zito is just 2-7 on the road this season with a 5.07 ERA.
• Chad Billingsley is 2-1 against the Padres this season, giving up only three runs in 19.1 innings of work. The numbers have not been great for the Padres overall against him. Adrian Gonzalez is just a .233 hitter in 43 at-bats. Only Miguel Tejada and Yorvit Torrealba have numbers worth starting in any format.
• Nothing good to report for the Tigers against John Danks. Ryan Raburn is 1-for-13, while Jhonny Peralta is only 6-for-29 and Brandon Inge is 4-for-18. Danks is 6-3 on the road this season and already has recorded a good win against the Tigers.
• Spot Starts: Hudson, Wells, Duensing

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Heading into the 2010 Major League Baseball season, there was one thing the Bay Area and everyone else knew for sure about the San Francisco Giants. Namely, that the squad would contend as long and as hard as the starting pitching would allow.

It was justifiably considered the organization’s backbone and primary weapon on the diamond.

Two-time defending National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, as notorious for throwing smoke as he became for inhaling it, was the unquestioned leader of the staff.

His younger wingman, Matt Cain, was coming off his first All-Star team selection and best season of his steadily improving career. Jonathan Sanchez, who registered the first no-hitter by a Giant in over 30 years against the San Diego Padres in 2009 and was firmly entrenched in his prime, would be the No. 4 starter.

Completing the robust rotation were blue-chip phenom Madison Bumgarner, whose arrival was only a matter of time regardless of what the brass told place-holder Todd Wellemeyer, as well as veteran southpaw and local chew-toy Barry Zito.

Even with the can-of-kerosene-wearing Wellemeyer’s uniform torching the rotation every fifth day (in reluctant fairness to the right-hander, he was actually pretty good at AT&T Park), it looked like a ferocious group on paper.

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For the entirety of the San Francisco Giants 2010 season, there has been an air of inconsistency that can only be described as Duane Kuiper has: torture. 

The team itself had a real good April (.591) followed by a .500 May, a sub-par June (.481), a torrid July (.714), and a dismal August (.464). 

This is the team that scored one run in three games against Oakland in May and then scored 11 runs in three straight games against the Reds in August. 

After having one of the top defensive teams in the country over the first portion of the season, San Francisco has made 23 errors in their last 30 games. 

They have had stellar starting pitching. In their best two months (April and July), the starters had ERAs of 2.64 and 3.29, respectively. The starters pitched 80% of the innings, keeping the bullpen fresh and sharp. 

But in their worst two months, it was a different story. In May they maintained a respectable ERA of 3.80, but in August it ballooned to 4.55, and it showed in other places as well. In August, the runs allowed jumped 20 runs from July, and the batting average against leapt up 40 points.

The starters only pitched 67% of the innings, meaning a lot of long relief and bullpen games, which can be both physically and emotionally draining for the team and the fans. 

But if you’re going to have a bad month followed by a good month, there’s no better time to have a spike in performance than September. We’re seeing that from the Padres right now: if you perform well all season and drop off in the last month of the season, nobody cares about the first five. 

On Wednesday Tim Lincecum followed up an abysmal August (0-5, 7.82 ERA) with a dominant start to September, hurling eight innings of one-run, five-hit ball and striking out nine batters for the first time since July 30. 

Hopefully Barry Zito can emulate that against the Dodgers. Usually a strong second half pitcher, Zeets had an equally rough August (0-4, 7.76 ERA) that included three losses in one week (one in emergency relief). But his career line in September (27-14, 3.65) is encouraging, to say the least.

Many were ready to write off Pablo Sandoval as a one-season wonder. His first-half line was unimpressive (.267/.322/.382) compared to 2009’s production. But then August came around, and even though the Giants didn’t have a great month on the pitching side, Sandoval suddenly rediscovered his stroke.

After hitting a low point on August 1 of .263, the Panda’s August average of .321 has raised his average significantly and is certainly encouraging to this Giants team. He also pounded six homers in August, matching the amount of dingers he hit in the entire season up to that point. 

In the middle of August, Freddy Sanchez had significantly cooled off from his torrid return from the disabled list, hitting a low point of .255 on August 11. Since then, he’s raised his average 40 points in 17 games, including back-to-back 4-hit games against Cincinnati. This comes at a good time for San Francisco, as Juan Uribe’s stats have dropped every month so far this year.

Baseball is a streaky game, and the Giants have been playing well lately. If not for the “Broken Bat Heard ‘Round the West” on Monday, they could have swept the Rockies (how often does that happen?). 

And even though there’s been our fair share of fan heartbreak in 2010, there have been just as many games that the Giants have proved worthy of praise. This 2010 team can come back from the dead (10-1 against the Reds to 12-11), can make things exciting (any time Brian Wilson comes in), and can win when they need to most (Darren Ford flying home against Ubaldo Jimenez). 

Now they’re entering the final month of the season in the heat of a pennant race. There are still four head-to-head games with San Diego, and six games against the Dodgers. 

And if we base this final month on the season as a whole, I can promise you that the rest of the way will be about as far from boring as possible. 

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The New York Giants were established in 1883. In 1958 the club moved out west, becoming who they are today – the San Francisco Giants.

Along the way, there have been many fun players, many great players. Some players we hated, and loved to boo and heckle. Many players stuck around for a season or two at best, while others played their entire career for the Giants.

Who is your favorite Giants player?

Giants’ fans everywhere have their own opinion about how they would rank their favorite players.

Who is number one? What about number 2? 3? This list can go on. How do you rank these players?

When you think of the all time great Giants, are you including the New York Giants?

In the pages to come we will discuss my list of The Top 100 Giants of All Time.

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