Cy or Relief?

This two game series against the Colorado Rockies proved to be a real test of coaching and how the lack of run production is taking it's toll on the win column. In both games Giants pitchers pitched well and kept the team in the game until they got into trouble. Bochy kept Lincecum in the game and the Rockies exploded with a five run inning. Bochy kept Sanchez in initially and then brought lefty expert Javier Lopez to extinguish the flames.

Ex post facto it's easy to say Lincecum faced one or two batters too many and Bochy made the executive decision to trust his number one pitcher. Logically it all makes sense, from the stands is another story. The Giants fans at Coors Field could see the game unravelling quickly and it did with a three run blast into the life size Rocky Mountain diorama in center field. The coach can't win in this situation. They get flack for keeping the guy in when he gives up runs and yelled at for not keeping them in. Baseball analysts constantly talk about how different pitching is now and of the 100 pitch count parameter. It's true the old pitching records will never be broken again. Pitchers just don't get enough starts or innings in to even get to that level.

Just like every other sport, baseball is constantly evolving. There is an enormous emphasis on a pitcher's health and durability over the life of his baseball career or contract. This trend shifts the importance from the starting rotation to the bullpen. Of course you want to have the best starting rotation as possible but if he is never pitching bast the 6th inning then you better have a good bullpen. The fewer pitches thrown by a starter, the more important the bullpen becomes. This is one of the Giants greatest weapons - just when you think you got rid of the starter then you have to face the Giants bullpen. Relentless.

So backseat drivers think twice before you blast the coaches for not managing the game correctly. Still have one of the best pitching staffs in the league. They do make mistakes sometimes and they can't always offset this sub-par offense.

-Blogging from the Mile High City