You don't need me to tell you that it's easy to make too much of a single game, especially when you're already sour on a player who didn't play particularly well. If you're lukewarm (or worse) on a random player -- let's call him Michael Tilefada -- its easy to grit your teeth and blame this game, and the next sixteen losses, on him.
The idea behind Miguel Tejada -- if the idea works -- is that he'll hit like a two-win shortstop, and field like a negative-one-win shortstop, which will work out to a win over a season. Hey, free win!* So today's flub, in which he couldn't hold on to a third out in the eighth ining, prolonging the inning and the game, stings. But there will be a game or two, if this wacky experiment works as it should, where Tejada gets a late-inning hit that, oh, Yuniesky Betancourt wouldn't have. There will be enough of those to make up for games like this.
That's the idea.
Doesn't make me feel better right now.
Also, Tejada isn't really hitting well. That kind of fouls things up.
It'd be a lot cooler if he hit.
Man.
Players I will not blame:
- The Giants asked a lot from Dan Runzler, and he responded well. If you make him throw two-plus innings, he'll walk someone. He did -- it was fated -- and that hitter scored the winning run. Sounds bad, but he was overextended a bit. If the Giants were looking for him to a starter down the road, they're actually doing pretty well getting him multiple-inning stints. That's two so far this season, and it's not a bad idea to give him the jobs as they come up.
- Still not worried about Bumgarner. His problem is that when he's giving up hits, he's giving them up in the same inning. Maybe that's a coincidence, and maybe it's not. For now, I'm not worried about his slow start.
- I will not blame Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval because they are awesome.
Yuck game, but it's hard to yap too much about a third-straight series win. The Giants will just have to get back on the horse and right the ship in...let's see where they're playing next...
...
Dammit.
* Note: free win may cost $6M. Please see your local Tejada dealership for details.