Those of you with MLB.tv have the advantage today - FSNRM is not televising the game, and MLB.tv is blacked out for the day, so no one gets to see the marquee pitching match-up. Lovely. Hopefully, we hit five splashdowns to McCovey Cove today and stay angry about it
This is Marquis' fourth crack at stopping a losing streak. Luckily, he is facing a terrible offense he has great numbers against. Marquis is 3-1 with a 2.17 ERA in his career vs the Giants, including a 2.21 ERA at AT&T Park. Randy Winn has a 7 hits including 2 dingers in 16 tries off Marquis.
Matt Cain has put up some solid numbers thus far, pitching at least 6 innings and allowing no more than 2 runs in all four starts. He is ranked 6th in the NL in ERA, but as RMN pointed out yesterday, Cain's ERA is deceptively low. In fact, his FIP is nearly 4.00, and higher every than every season total of his career save his rookie year in 2005. His WHIP is barely better than Alan Embree.
Cain is 6-4 with a 3.01 ERA against the Rox in his career, but he has had trouble with Yorvit Torrealba (6-for-17, HR) and Garrett Atkins (11-for-35, 2 HR).
And for the bizarre, Brad Hawpe has managed just one single in 15 AB's vs Cain, but he has also earned 11 walks for a .462 OBP.