:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/8179475/20120802_kdl_bs4_209.jpg)
Nobody likes the Giants, except for Giants fans. I'm pretty sure it's a scientific fact. Then again, we're not 100% sure if anybody outside of Purple Row actually likes the Rockies, either. Nah, I'm kidding. Everybody's OK with the Rockies, except for Giants fans and Tony LaRussa.
Personally, I hate playing the Giants. In part because they beat us. In part because I don't like anyone on their team. But mostly because they're at the top of the NL West and they keep winning. The Rockies and Giants seem to be like stark opposites. Off-White and Orange against Black and Purple... and more white. I mean, come on everyone wears white, or at least grey. California vs Colorado. The most extreme hitters' park in baseball against whatever AT&T is. Pablo Sandoval against Carlos Gonzalez. Troy Tulowitzki vs Tim Lincecum. I mean, come on, these teams were meant to not get along. I don't know where I'm going with this anymore.
Speaking of Tim Lincecum, though, has everyone seen how he's bad this year? This is new and fresh!
This season, Lincecum has been pretty disappointing, for fantasy owners and Giants fans alike. He's posting a career-worst WHIP, career-worst BB/9, HR/9, BABIP, LOB%, as well as ERA and FIP. The FIP part lends credence to the whole "Timmy's on the downslope already!" concept, but those peripherals show areas of growth for Lincecum as well as areas of bad luck.
The walks thing is definitely something to be concerned about, however. In the past calendar year, Lincecum has had the worst BB/9 (3.95) among qualified starters in the NL, behind Ricky Romero (4.04) and Ubaldo Jimenez (4.75). In his defense, a 9.27 K/9 over that same timespan tends to forgive the bad walk numbers just a bit, but not so much as to make him "good". Certainly a far cry from the 2008 and 2009 Lincecum.
Amusingly enough, Giants' pitching hasn't been that stellar over the past 30 days, outside of Ryan Vogelsong's 2.08 ERA during that span. I should clarify that I mean the rotation and not the bullpen. Their bats haven't been phenomenal, either, outside of a few guys torching the ball. As a team over that past 30 days, the Giants are decidedly below average (87 wRC+), which is why they went ahead and traded for Hunter Pence.
For what it's worth, Pence is a career .823 OPS player, and he's only hit the Rockies for a .749 OPS. I hope he goes 0-for-Coors Field.
Expected Pitching Matchups:
Friday, 8/3/2012, 6:40PM MT
Ryan Vogelsong vs Jonathan Sanchez (GRUDGE MATCH)
Saturday, 8/4/2012, 6:10PM MT
Madison Bumgarner vs Jeff Francis
Sunday, 8/5/2012, 1:10PM MT
Tim Lincecum vs Christian Friedrich