Not too much to say about this game. The Dodgers stunk. The Giants have an Ace who is a stud.

It’s interesting up living up here, I don’t like the Giants, but Tim Lincecum is incredible to watch. He’s just this little guy on the mound with a funky delivery, and yet he blew Matt Kemp away today in one at bat. It wasn’t even close. Matt Kemp is a star these days, but “The Freak” make him look really bad.  With already two Cy Youngs in his belt, I really think I’m watching history in the making with him.

Tough Luck for Charlie Haeger. I love seeing knucleballers do well, and still miss Tom Candiotti. The defense didn’t help him any, and then the Giants just teed off on him.

I would have liked to see the triple play on the dropped ball by Garrett Anderson.  The umps did get that wrong, but it didn’t hurt anything.

I was glad to see the Dodgers bullpen rebound a little, but pretty ugly loss.

Tomorrow should be a good game. Barry Zito seems like a different pitcher, and it’s time to see Clayton Kershaw show that he is the next Tim Lincecum.  Hopefully the Dodgers can take the series.

Go Blue

What a difference a year makes. Last year the Dodgers were flying high during the first series. This year, the Giants are the ones flying high. If anything the Dodgers pitching looks really bad, and the Giants pitching looks really good. This could go real bad for the Dodgers unless they find a way to fix their leaky bullpen. (Hint to Joe Torre…George Sherrill just doesn’t seem to have it right now.)

Here are the pitching matches and my predictions:

Friday, April 16  – 7:20 pm

Todd Wellemeyer, RHP (0-1, 5.68)  vs. Vicente Padilla, RHP (0-1, 11.42)

My pick -   The Dodgers.  Both pitchers are bad.  The Dodgers will have the home crowd to cheer them on.

Saturday, April 17 – 1:10 pm

Tim Lincecum, RHP (2-0, 1.29)  vs. Charlie Haeger, RHP (0-0, 3.86)

My pick – The Giants.  I can’t not choose Tim Lincecum and Haeger is pitching well, but you never know with a knucleballer.

Sunday, April 18 – 1:10 pm

Barry Zito, LHP (2-0, 2.25) vs. To be announced

My pick – The Giants.  If the Dodgers don’t even know who is pitching, how can I root for them.  Zito is hot right now, so hopefully the Dodgers can knock him around a little.

Well, honestly, the way the Dodgers bullpen is playing right now, if we only lose one against a hot Giants team, it won’t be that surprising.  Who knows though, my predictions weren’t very accurate last year, so maybe the Dodgers will surprise people.  Here’s a link to a full breakdown of the matchups from Dodgers.com (click here).

Either way, if the Giants do end up sweeping…it could be a long week of people rubbing it in next week.  As I write this, Casey Blake just drove in the tying run against the D-backs in the 9th.  Maybe there is hope for this weekend.  Man I love that guy.

Go Blue.

Tim Lincecum - SF Giants.com

Had a great conversation this week with a Giants fan about baseball penalties. This whole Tim Lincecum thing has really been interesting to observe. I’m kind of glad for it because now the Giants fans aren’t focusing only on the Dodgers divorce.

The talk shows are still all the buzz about Tim Lincecum. Some stating that it was just a small amount and that it wasn’t a big deal. Others focused on the fact that he was just transporting it and wasn’t under the influence while driving.

Another hit the fact that he got pulled over for speeding at 8:30am in the morning with the stuff…which is full of problems.

The most interesting one I heard though was when someone called in and pointed out that even with just a “thumbs” worth of marijuana that that is a substantial amount. (Obviously they had experience)  It’s not just something new for Tim, but probably something deeper.  As I mentioned previously, this is an interesting question for the Giants.  Either this goes away, or it’s a deeper issue that could come back.  Everyone is expecting and awaiting the “official” apology, so we’ll see.

As described, the best part of this week, was when a giants fan co-worker told me his “Hierarchy of Baseball Penalties.”  Obviously, the penalties are approximate, but you’ll get the point.  

Cocaine – Small suspension, fine and sent to rehab

Drunk Driving – Bail to get out of jail, sent to do community service

Caught Speeding with Marijuana – $362 in fines (i.e. Tim Lincecum)

Taking Female Fertility Drugs – Baseball’s biggest penalty – 50 game suspension.

Obviously the reference is to Manny, but it cracked me up, because it is pretty accurate with baseball today.

Tim Lincecum - Yahoo Sports

The season ends and all of a sudden there’s something to write about. I saw this one posted on Lincecum and had to get something out…I am in the the Bay Area after all and this could affect the Dodgers.

(Click here for the article)

So Lincecum gets busted for marijuana possession while speeding near Oregon. Not good. Not good at all.

As one Giants fan told me, this is a black eye for him, and for the Giants organization. He is their young star and now he’s busted.   The Giants also have a minor leaguer who may go to jail for murder…so this should be a fun off-season for the Giants PR group.  Between the Giants PR and the Dodgers PR (with the divorce), there’s going to be a lot to clean up.

You can say it is minor, but it opens that door. The door of whether this a habit forming due to the stress, or has it been there, or will it be a one time deal. Either way, it adds a chink in the armor that won’t go away.

Honestly, I’m sad. Lincecum is the best young pitcher in the game and to see this happen is just sad for the game.

It may be good for the Dodgers – so go Blue…but too bad for the young Cy Young.

It’s a good thing I’m not a real betting man. I would have lost a lot of money this weekend. I thought the Giants would take 2 of 3 and thought the Dodgers would win the first game.

The exact opposite happened. It’s all good for the Dodgers, but obviously my hunches were better when they played in SF, rather than L.A.

I watched most of the game and was very impressed with the boys in blue.  Randy Wolf looked shaky at first, but then hit a groove.  What impressed me though was that the Dodgers just took apart Tim Lincecum.  He is the reigning Cy Young winner and they just were patient and found the holes.  It was just good baseball and the better team won.

I was thinking about the decisions the Dodgers have made it the last few years to “wait on the kids.”  There is a general question of “how long do you wait for players to develop?”

There was a lot of pressure to wait for Kemp, Ethier, Loney and Martin to produce, but pressure to dump some of them too (especially Kemp).  The Dodgers are now reaping the fruit of their waiting.  Kemp and Ethier will both have over 100 RBI’s by the end of the season and are pulling the team, even over Manny.  The Dodgers should have a solid core for a few years to come, and the fans will really come to expect and enjoy it.

If the Dodgers can keep going strong, they should make a long run into the playoffs.  The pitching will be the gamble…but it’s been that way all year, and look where they are.  Go Blue.  Thanks for beating the Giants good this year.