I'm on vacation until Monday, and I'm not sure if I can reach a computer tomorrow for the game thread. If I don't, the weekend game threads are usually mellow enough for y'all to double up on this one.
Ten things I learned from last night's game.
- Tyler Walker really is a middle-class man's Brad Lidge or Robb Nen, but only when he has his command. That's a big but. Every pitch he threw to Xavier Nady was exactly where he wanted to put it. The sliders were down, the fastballs were in. Skip to the ninth, and Walker was lucky Geoff Blum didn't take a 3-1 pitch, trying to wait out a walk. The inning definitely had that "leadoff walk comes around to score"-feel to it after the first three pitches were out of the zone.
- Alex Sanchez really has no idea what he's doing out there, does he? Call it, don't call it, who cares? He's of the mind to just let things happen, man.
- Jeremy Accardo was warming up in the bullpen. I have no idea where he came from, and which spot he took. Or, maybe, it wasn't Accardo at all. I guess that's not something I learned, but more just an observation. Well, fancypants, your McCovey Chronicles membership fee refund is in the mail. Deal with it.
- Even Giants fans can go to other stadiums and act like total jerks. I thought it was just the bandwagon Sawx fans.
- Scott Munter, when pressed, can show emotion. In a game, I mean, and not just when the bolt in his neck is too tight.
- Kevin Correia has better stuff than I remember, but only has access to it about 60% of the time. I can see why he was tried as a reliever, but can't understand why the switch went as poorly as it did.
- Again, I give the nod to "Herman" Munter in the Battle Royale of Krukow nicknames, but there is a spot in my heart for Khalil "Spicoli" Greene. That one works just fine, too.
- Todd Linden should stick his leg out at the pitch more often in 1-2 counts. My personal nickname for Linden: Todd "0-1" Linden. He falls behind more often than...lessee...the tuba player in a flute marching band. Wait, that wasn't funny. I'll work on it.
- This Jake Peavy kid's kinda good. I think he'll be a solid pitcher one of these days.
- I saved this one for last, because I didn't want to overreact. I don't know how to break this to the world, but...Michael Tucker can't hit a changeup. No! It's true! Seen it with my own eyes, have I! New rule: if the starting pitcher features a changeup above 30 on the 20-80 scouting scale, Tucker sits. When a pitcher features a nasty change like Peavy, you sit Tucker even if it forces you to play eight players on the field.