Giants Series

The Cubs played the Giants pretty close throughout the series.  Their starting pitching has been pretty solid with the exception of Feldman.  Feldman gave up a lot of unearned runs in the first game of the series, though, to be honest, he never looked that good and his failure to cover first base adequately twice didn't help his cause.  Feldman later reported he has been bothered by a sore back, which he might have told someone about before losing two games.

The first game was a pretty typical Cubs effort.  Sloppy fielding, poor clutch hitting.  They blew a big early lead.  They came back late to make a game of it, but Castro and Rizzo struck out with DeJesus at second to end the game.

In the second game, the Cubs got an excellent starting effort from Villanueva, who has been a pleasant surprise so far this season.  They took a 2-0 lead into the ninth, but Fujikawa didn't have it, so the save was blown.

Surprisingly, the Cubs came back in the bottom half to win it on a pinch homer by Navarro and a clutch double from Castro to plate the winning run.  Fujikawa later reported he has been pitching with a sore forearm and was placed on the DL.

I was out at the Saturday game.  Really cold, though I have to admit I have been colder there in April.  Samardzija pitched well, but he seemed to lose his best command the second time through the order and left down 2-0 after six.  They had a lot of chances to even things up, but first pitch double plays from Castro and Castillo didn't help much.

Navarro added another pinch hit homer in the eighth, this time from the right side, but the Cubs fell short 3-2.  Clevenger ended the game with a furious swing and a miss that looks like it will put him on the DL for a while - sixty days - so it must be that oblique strain again.

On Sunday, Jackson opened up with his usual awful first inning, but Castro put the Cubs on top with a two run shot and Schierholtz added another two run homer later in the inning.  Not sure what is wrong with Lincecum, but he sure doesn't look like the guy who won the Cy Young a few years ago.

After the first, things settled down.  Jackson was dominant through five.  Lincecum good enough to get the Cubs out even when he got himself in trouble.  Then Jackson seemed to lose his command, then started getting hit hard, finally letting the Giants get within one on another wild pitch.  Everything this inning was down in the dirt with the exception of the pitches the Giants ripped for hits.

Bowden wasn't much better in relief, uncorking two more wild pitches.  Honestly, though, Navarro isn't much of a defensive catcher.  All these wild pitches and passed balls were hard chances, but he seems to want to play everything one-handed and off to the side.  He never uses his throwing hand to try to control the ball.

To make a long story short the Cubs managed to tie the game and actually go ahead in the eighth inning with some timely hits and a lot of patience at the plate, something they need to work on more than once or twice a week.  All was lost when they went to Camp to close the game.  A homer to Pence in the ninth tied it.  Then Camp was left in to pitch the tenth inning.  Big mistake.  He actually gave up the winning run on a balk created by a futile attempt to execute the famous fake to third, throw to first pick-off move.  Or something like that.  Give me a break.  That endgame was just awful.

After the game, Sveum was encouraged by the team's performance.  They might have won all four games.  Heck, if it weren't for a couple of bad breaks, they might be 9-3 now instead of 4-8.  Come on.  The fact is they are 4-8 and there is no denying they deserve to be 4-8.  Watching the Cubs play this year is a lot like watching them play last year and in 2011 and 2010 and 2009.  Even worse.

And by the way, Sveum was outmanaged throughout the Giants series.  This showed up in sharp relief when Botchy was able to keep his closer in reserve until the bottom of the tenth when he needed him and to keep his best player, Buster Posey, ready to pinch hit in a game situation.  Now granted that Sveum has less talent to work with, but I think he finished the game with only James Russell left in the bullpen and with one of his better hitters, Castillo, unused.  Along with the useless Lillihridge, of course.