Giants@Rockies July 3/5

[Giants666]

Monday, July 3 Coors Field | 5:05 PM PT

Noah Lowry, LHP (3-5, 3.86)VS. Aaron Cook, RHP (6-7, 3.49)

Scouting Report:
Lowry's efforts have been sporadically good, but in his last outing vs. Texas at AT&T Park, he allowed only one earned run in 7 2/3 innings, and coasted to the victory thanks to Ray Durham's grand slam in the third frame. Lowry has yet to pitch consistently well but hopes that start will be a turning point. He has yet to face the Rockies this season.
Cook gave up two first-inning runs, then held the Angels to one additional run before leaving after seven innings of a win on Tuesday night. It was Cook's first win in seven starts, but he didn't pitch any different. He just received run support. Cook forced 17 ground-ball outs.


Tuesday, July 4 Coors Field | 5:05 PM PT

Jason Schmidt, RHP (6-3, 2.73)VS.Jeff Francis, LHP (5-7, 4.25)

Scouting Report:
Schmidt deserved better than a no-decision in his previous start, allowing only one run over seven innings in the club's 2-1 victory. He also threw well on June 23 vs. Oakland, giving up two runs over seven frames in a Giants loss. His last victory came on June 6 and is winless in his last four outings.
Francis received a no-decision on Wednesday, and allowed two earned runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings. He worked with runners on base in each inning he pitched but one, yet was able to work out of most jams. Francis has had two completely different starts this year against the Giants, one a 6 2/3, one-run no-decision and the other a five-inning, seven-run loss.

Wednesday, July 5 Coors Field | 6:05 PM PT

Jamey Wright, RHP (5-7, 4.92)VS.Josh Fogg, RHP (6-5, 4.58)

Scouting Report:
Wright is struggling with a seven-game winless streak -- he hasn't won since May 22. He's pitched well at times with no run support, but has been pounded at times. Against San Diego last Friday night, Wright issued 10 hits and four runs over six innings and walked three, getting a no-decision.
Fogg was masterful in his last start, holding the Mariners to two hits and a walk and facing the minimum 27 batters in a 2-0 road victory. He avoided a tendency to leave pitches up in the strike zone at the worst times, keeping nearly every pitch low and to a corner. Fogg returns to Coors Field, where he is 2-2 with a 5.85 ERA.

[love_that_reefer]

Lowry pitched well and had the hitters off balance for most of his outing. Accardo is struggling as he gave up two runs last night. Sanchez gave up a run but it was unearned so he still has an ERA of zilch. Vizquel had a great game on both sides and Feliz hit a two run shot. Bonds hit the ball hard twice but only had a RBI single to show for it. Offense is really starting to pick up and Alou got his 1,000th win as a caoch. Congrats Felipe but you still need to go We sit a half game back now. Maybe Bear was right, we should have just given up in early June

[Giants666]

Maybe Bear was right, we should have just given up in early June

[Giants666]

Sluggish Giants rinsed away by Rockies
Rain delay chases Schmidt after five; winless skid to five

DENVER -- Despite a long rain delay, Giants right-hander Jason Schmidt wanted -- for competitive reasons -- to return to the mound, even if it was a 1 hour, 47 minute wait
The veteran had gone five innings against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night at Coors Field, and after early command problems, he seemed to find his groove again, only to see the rain come, and although he lobbied with manager Felipe Alou, he didn't return.

Perhaps it wouldn't have mattered, with the Giants trailing by three runs and on their way to seeing their three-game winning streak end in a sluggish, wet, 6-1 loss.

Oddly enough, however, maybe there was a benefit to Schmidt's weather-shortened outing.

The veteran loves to gobble innings, but his efforts take a toll on his arm, as his pitch count routinely hits triple figures, around 120 at times, and as the All-Star break approaches, Schmidt is beginning to feel a bit weary.

"I wanted to go out there so bad, but at the same time, I definitely need a break," said Schmidt, who gave up three runs -- but only one earned, on Todd Helton's solo homer -- over five innings.

"It's been 115, 120 pitches every game for the past who knows how long," he said. "I don't feel tired, but you can tell by the command of your pitches. It's time to back off a little bit and get rejuvenated."

This night, Schmidt (6-4) would throw "only" 82 pitches, but he stretched his winless streak to five games, with two losses and three no-decisions since topping Florida in a 16-strikeout game on June 6.

While winning pitcher Jeff Francis kept the Giants bottled up over his five-plus frames, giving up only a Jason Ellison single in the second inning, Schmidt still pushed for sticking in the game after reaching first on an infield error to start the sixth right before the game was delayed.

"It's frustrating," he said. "You get in a little bit of a groove, and then it's raining."

Manager Felipe Alou said there was no debate whatsoever -- Schmidt was done.

"He threw well, but we just didn't play good ball behind him," said the manager. "We didn't hit, and he didn't have any kind of support. It was a bad game. We had champagne last night [for Alou's 1,000th victory as a manager] but we didn't drink it. That's not the reason for the [lack of offense]."

Hard rain and then extremely gusty conditions seemed to mirror ancient Candlestick Park with hot dog wrappers and other debris whirling in the outfield, but Schmidt felt it was kind of familiar territory.

"The wind was blowing hard, and a couple times, when you're going to release the ball, it felt like you were going to blow over," laughed Schmidt, who at 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, wasn't going to be knocked off the mound like earlier -- and much tinier -- Giants pitcher Stu Miller.

After the rain delay, Giants reliever Jack Taschner allowed a solo homer to Garrett Atkins in the sixth as well as two other runs -- one on his own throwing error.

Taschner, called up from Triple-A Fresno earlier in the day -- and who woke up much earlier in the morning, at 5 a.m. -- was admittedly dragging, but offered no excuses.

"I was tired, and the rain delay didn't help," said Taschner. "Last night, they had fireworks in Tacoma. You either had to catch the bus 10 minutes after the game or wait an hour and a half. We didn't leave the clubhouse until 11, 11:30 p.m."

Ellison said the wind was ferocious at times, and had difficulty catching one lazy fly by Francis that drifted nearly foul.

"The wind was blowing in every direction -- it was definitely tough out there, and we didn't know what the ball was going to do," he said.

The lone Giants run came in the ninth, when Omar Vizquel walked and scored on Lance Niekro's double off the left-center-field wall.

BOX

[Giants666]

Wright looks to snap skid vs. Rockies
San Francisco (43-41) at Colorado (43-40), 6:05 p.m. PT

Giants right-hander Jamey Wright is not having a good time lately, but he hopes returning to Coors Field changes his luck.
That's a switch for a hurler in the renowned hitter's park, but Wright knows the ballpark and the opposition well -- he pitched in Colorado the past two seasons and is looking to snap a seven-game winless streak.

Wright, 31, is 0-6 with a 6.64 ERA during the stretch and hasn't won since May 22 in the Giants' 9-4 victory over St. Louis. Throughout the skid, San Francisco has only scored 12 runs in his appearances.

In his previous outing vs. the Rockies, Wright yielded six runs in only 3 2/3 innings for a 6-3 setback at AT&T Park on May 28.

Wright says he has no bad memories about throwing for Colorado for six seasons.

"I enjoyed my time here," he said. "I grew up with them, learned how to pitch here. There are no hard feelings."

Pitching matchup
SF: RHP Jamey Wright (5-7, 4.92)
Wright is struggling with a seven-game winless streak -- he hasn't won since May 22. He's pitched well at times with little run support, but he has also been pounded at times. Against San Diego on Friday night, Wright issued 10 hits and four runs over six innings, walking three and getting a no-decision.

COL: RHP Josh Fogg (6-5, 4.58)
Fogg was masterful in his last start, holding the Mariners to two hits and a walk and facing the minimum 27 batters in a 2-0 road victory. He avoided a tendency to leave pitches up in the strike zone at the worst times, keeping nearly every pitch low and to a corner. Fogg returns to Coors Field, where he is 2-2 with a 5.85 ERA.

Player to watch
Barry Bonds, batting only .154 (2-for-13) on the road trip but .400 with runners in scoring position this year, returns to the starting lineup on Wednesday vs. the Rockies after resting on Tuesday.

Wright really needs a good start, or it's time to get him out of the rotation.

[love_that_reefer]

Yeah Hennessey is pitching so well that he belongs in this rotation. Maybe after the break Alou will grow a brain and switch the two.

[love_that_reefer]

Wright has given up four runs and Feliz hit his 15th homerun as the Giants are down 4-1 in the top of the 6th.

[love_that_reefer]

Feliz had the bases loaded and of course swings at the first pitch (ball one) and then flies out to left. I just don't see how this guy has good numbers this year with RISP.

[love_that_reefer]

Its now 5-1 as Wright keeps pitching his way out of the rotation.

[love_that_reefer]

5-2 as Alfonzo hit a solo shot to start the 7th. Its going to be a tough decision when Matheny comes back since Greene and Alfonzo are doing so well.