Accepting Nate for Who He is: A Late Inning Superstar
How often does Nate suck you into believing in him? “What could this guy do with full time at bats?” you dream to yourself….He’s a tough cat to wrap your brain around. He shows flashes of brilliance at the plate and with th glove. He’s got power (you don’t hit it 3rd deck at Coors field without it) and he’s got speed for a big man. Seemingly, he’s got it all. And yet…….
I think I’ve finally just accepted that Nate is most valuable as we’ve seen: in the late innings he turns it on. His stats marginally support this. In his career, as a starter he’s hit .263, as a sub he’s hitting .294. In extra innings his batting average is .389. Of course, his batting average in innings 1-3 is .273, in innings 7-9 it’s .256. so it’s not like the stats are heavily supporting something one way or the other. But he just seems to come up big late in a game. His hits are more timely or something. We all know about his glove and that golden arm. I just think that, for whatever reason, he’s most focused and most successful late in a game. And you know what? What’s wrong with having a guy like that on your bench? Even if he starts, that’s one more guy who you can count on late in a game to come through….
For different reasons, Nate reminds me a little of Velez from a couple of years ago–a guy who you don’t really think of as a huge cog on the team and a guy who isn’t even a starter–but a guy who racks up as many POTG pics as anyone of the team…..
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Jeeez this guy’s all over the place . . .
Wow! Way to go Freddie!
Franchez!!!!!!
Patience. Like Kuip said, why look for anything else but dead red?
Freddy!
The Gum Chomping Lunatic is getting clobbered…
Shit. 99 is hittable when you know it’s coming . . .
Huffster!
Let the good times roll! Sweet kicking the shit out of LaRussa and Co.
Ever-ready Freddy enjoys BP pitchers.
MVP!!!!
I was going to rag on Tejada for swinging early at crap from a guy who couldn’t find the plate. But, never mind, Franchez took care of that crap.
Maybe Huff has found his stroke, too. I’m diggin’ this…
Looking more and more like Huff the Magic Dragon has returned. Evidently what the team needed has been provided in St. Louis. Lately, their bullpen has been overextended plus hitters do tend to thrive in hot, humid conditions.
Unless Cardinal hitters mount an unbelievable rally, this one should be a W. Team would then fly home even higher than the plane in which they are riding. Whodda thunk it that SF would ever go 4-3 on this daunting trip? After losing Buster things were looking dire, what with the Marlins’ sweep and all. If they can bring their bats home with them the primary affliction may be over and their bats will match the hurling.
Two years ago Affeldt would come in here and get a DP.
Jesus Mota
You’re fucking kidding me.
Stix, I hope this is the full extent of the Cards “unbelievable rally.”
Spoke too soon Stix!!
Shit. I already saw one 7-run lead disappear today, better not make it another.
Mota’s spidey reflexes.
What is Mota throwing out there BP?
The consensus is that Zits will go to the pen. I’ll still take Mota any fucking day. He’d probaby be the one who goes.
Moto over Zips? Hell yeah, I agree.
*Mota* – shit, time to stop talking with my fingers.
Mota made a mess. That was a helluva rally, but not quite an unbelievable one. I’m sure Bochy felt OK about running out the longman with that huge lead. Virtually every ML manager would have done the same.
With a three run lead, the main thing is to not give up bases on balls. Make em work for it. Giants still have nearly a handful of reliable relievers. No piece of cake in the heat and humidity, but with the bottom of the order in the 8th, a bit of good concentration should suffice. In one sense, the salami did clear the air for Billy Bombshell to get outta the inning. A double clearing the bases might have prolonged the agony.
Jim Kaat was the guy who called the slam the rally killer.. I doubt that his managers agreed..
WTF? I go away for 20 minutes and a 7 run lead is down to friggin 3?
Sheezus, this team scores 10 and I still gotta take the nitroglycerin….
MVP!!!
Nice job by Affeldt getting Pujols and out of the 8th. He may be well on his way back as a reliable reliever. Counting him, Casilla; Ramirez; Romo; Lopez and our .38 Special, this team may be looking at 6 guys in the bullpen who generally do not carry gas-cans to the mound.
Huff!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Welcome back Huffster!!
Huff-daddy Trifecta!
Hat trick!
Fuck yeah, HUFFSTER
Huff n’ Puff is back.
Lay it on ’em. I luv beatin’ the crap outta LaRussa…
huff making up for lost time … another game or two before we officially call his slump, over?
Affeldt will get a save if he finishes.
Note to Aubrey: Whatever you ate in your pre-game meal, keep doing it…
In-n-out???
3-5-0-2
That’s usually a 4 game total, not a 4 inning total . . .
What do Magic Dragons eat? Spose he would share his recipes with the rest of his mates? Maybe Everready Freddy already is on the same diet. What a display!
Damn . . . I guess it’s too late for him to space those 3 jacks over 3 games.
Well, we needed 2 of ;em tonight….
In the voice of Christopher Walken:
Knowing…la RUSSA…ASShole…that he is…will inSIST!…on a…BLOODtest…forHuff. FUCKing…mayoot
Wow……………. You kidding, Affeldt?
Awful . . . Umm, Affeldt I meant. Ha.
Huff might’ve just sent Belt to the Mets in a Reyes deal…
Good one Loo.
I’m glad to hear you guys can’t stand LaRussa either…
I was surprised to hear that JT was the last Giant to hit 3 out in one game—in 2004.
I don’t mind these Cardinal TV guys—not brutal homers, not afraid to point out when the Giants get a bad call, even mildly questioning some of LaRussa’s moves.
The Giants had national TV coverage for last night’s victory and tonight’s victory. ESPN last night, MLB network tonight.
AZ down 4-0…
In the voice of OSF
“Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me”
Cheers all.
Gee Clown . . . You described exactly how I feel about Stauffer (whom I dropped for the 2nd time on my FL team after he gave up 5 runs in 3 innings versus Houston this evening).
Very well done. Sanchez was wildly effectively wild. They hit like they sometimes can. And they overcame a devastating injury to their ROY catcher to win a tough roadie.
4-3 is a pretty amazing feat given the obstacles.
What obstacles?
They could have swept the damn birds.
12-7 as “Wide” Richey misses two.. Ah yes, Snarkk and Doomin’ Denny’s carefully researched road trip calls fall to Twinfan’s “shot in the dark”…
I give it to the boys, they looked dead in the water against the Fish, but came through with a good roadie at 4-3. I’ll gladly whiff on the 2-5. They were lucky to get that one from the Brewers, but 3 of 4 from a hot Cards team is a solid, solid accomplishment. The key of the trip is that Crawford looks like a viable SS, and maybe Huff has got his thong back…
Huff obvious POTG.
Franchez #2 for that clutch dinger.
This is why I luv this game. Huff doesn’t do crap for 2 months. Then in one game, he goes ballistic. You never know what’s going to happen in the game of baseball. 3 outta 4 from the Cards at their house is just damn good…
Damn good?
Let’s watch our language.
It was outfuckingstanding!!!
And weird. When the alluded strength of the Giants, starting pitching, was wobbly…everyone else picked it up.
Affeldt? Damn, even he looked like the Affeldt of yesterdays
Giants had already clinched it last night, but that’s 5-2 vs. St. Lou and their first series win this year.
Napoleon warned about awakening the sleeping dragon. He may have been talking about China, but there’s one Magic Dragon who is making up for lost time. He musta hit at least one of those for Buster.
Betcha ol’ Tony is moaning the St. Louis Blues tonight as he sees red while the Orange and Black Halloween Machine high-fives all the way outta town.
Giants bats finally come into tune in June.
I expect an accurate answer from Loo who generally has the history of baseball in that warped brain of his. So I ask:
When was the last time a cross dressing guy named Aubrey hit 3 dingers in a game?
Wow, great finish to Mavs-Heat.
Please tell that the Heat lost Mac.
The Heat lost.
Where had you dropped Huff to, Stix? 11th?
*me
Such a mental game: Huff said after the game that June 1 was opening day for him, that he was discarding April and May. Whatever works, Aubs; whatever works. Also said it’s his wife’s birthday, and she asked him to hit a homer today.
Mavs won.
Nice to see Nowitzki having a big postseason. Nelson must be beaming…
Yeah, saw it too. Great ending. Kidd totally controlled the clock there
ABTH.
Anybody But The Heat.
I dunno — the lane looked pretty clear to me: “You can’t determine on a replay if there was a sliding lane for him to get into. It’s impossible.” — Scott Cousins agent.
His agent? Obviously, he was “channeling” his old little league days.
His agent reminds me of that POS agent that represents Terrell Owens (can’t remember his name).
Drew Rosenhaus…
Ahh . . . Thanks Snarkk. Yep, that’s the guy – Mr. “Integrity”
Once again Casilla was the unsung hero of the game, inducing that Theriot GDP in what was then a tight ballgame which could have gotten out of hand in favor of the home team. All in all this bullpen has been the team’s salvation through thick and thin. Occasional bump in the road, but on the whole, very good.
“I’ll gladly whiff on the 2-5.”
So what did you learn?
Learn?
I’ve hit on predictions before. Itz for shits and grins, only.
Didn’t learn a thing…
Not many call 2-5 for “shits and grins..”
If they go 2-5 do you shit or grin?
It leads to a shit-eating grin.
And as George Carlin asked…what exactly is a “shit eating grin?”
Knew this biker who wasn’t wearing his full leathers and had to try evading the cops by taking a gravel road. Though he did manage to escape the heat, that stripped-down Hawg ended up giving him a grit eating shin.
ouch
Best shit eating grin I ever saw was on Jack Nicholson’s mug. In Cuckoo’s Nest, and in The Shining. He patented it…
With Washington clocking Arizona in the Snakepit, SF flies home in first place ~just where they belong.
Washington rattles the Diamondbacks, slither to 1/2 game behind the 1st place Giants.
At least I make a prediction, and admit it’s a shot in the dark. Anybody here predicting stuff is doing it for fun. I’m not ashamed to have been wrong. Big deal. I predicted 96 Ws for the Giants this year, and looks like I’ll be maybe 10 too high. That may turn into an “oh shit”. Last year I predicted 93 and was one too high. I’ll call that a grin…
7 of 10 for the next homestand?
Hell, I’ll go with 8 Ws out of 10 on the homestand….
I almost considered it. We’re .619 @ home. For grins, I’ll take 7. For shits, 8.
Rox, Nats, Reds (4 gms) … hmmm, 8 tempting.
And to close:
Huff was hitting like that dude that’s in your softball team that you’re always kinda pissed off at during practice because you have to ask the new guy to climb the fence and get those fucking balls back. Slow pitch…WHAM!!!
Seeya!!!!
Goodnight, gentlemen, question mark…
all nate needs is no one else going and he gets hits or his hits get noticed.
EXCELLENT hold by Santiago Casilla.
Great to see Freddy playing defense and hitting.
hey, Huff, “how ’bout those new guys on the Cards’ pitching staff?”