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Giants split split-squad games

You win some, you lose some.

Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

There's always an urge to make something out of spring-training games. Then the split-squad games come, when the team is split in half, by definition. That's the Post-It note that reminds you these things are silly and you shouldn't pay attention to them.

Or ... should you? Can I interest you in a short GIF of Madison Bumgarner blowing someone away?


He's probably going to win the Cy Young, you know. Based on that one pitch, my secret suspicions now have tangible evidence to support them.

The Giants lost to the A's 7-6 and won against the Brewers 4-3. Note that these abridged spring recaps will be sorted into two categories: happy fun facts and grist for the pessimist mill. You can choose which camp you're in. We won't judge.

Happy fun facts!

  • Madison Bumgarner pitched well

  • Ryan Vogelsong pitched well

  • Edwin Escobar pitched well. There were four strikeouts and two runners in six combined innings for the above three.

  • Everyone pitched well!

  • Except for the pitchers who didn't

  • That's for the next section

  • Brandon Belt is hitting .800 this spring, over 100 points higher than I'm predicting for the regular season

  • Gary Brown had two hits! Now I feel bad for poking fun at him in the Open GameThread. I still believe

  • Mark Minicozzi, cult hero:

Grist for the pessimist mill

  • Here's Heath Hembree's ninth inning in a tie game: walk, balk, error (by Hembree), wild pitch.

    /takes off glasses

    Son, I think we need to talk. That is, I say, that is just not the way to handle a ninth inning. All that was missing was a complaint that Omar Vizquel was positioned wrong.

  • George Kontos was roughed up in his first outing. There's a strong chance he'll be the victims of a numbers game, even if he pitches well, but this doesn't help anything. It's the spring, though, and he's working on new pitches. He was mediumball-slider all last season, and he's working on a two-seamer and change. Can't hurt, but the initial results aren't likely to be pretty.

  • Lyle Overbay stole a base off Bumgarner/Posey. Normally that calls for one of them to be released, but I'll be honest, both of those guys are pretty important to the team. My guess is they stay on the roster, but with a stern, stern warning.
    • No offense to Mason Tobin, but I'm much more comfortable with a spring game in which he doesn't do well in support of Edwin Escobar than the other way around. Same goes for Kontos (who got a save!) in support of Bumgoglesong.
      Winner: Happy fun facts
      Happy fun facts are now 1-0 in the Cactus League. Wednesday was a draw.