News
Veterans to sit as Giants end season
San Francisco (87-73) at San Diego (74-86), 7:05 p.m. PT
By Chris Haft / MLB.com
10/03/09 1:25 AM EST
SAN DIEGO -- Catcher Bengie Molina and outfielder Randy Winn probably won't start either of the Giants' remaining two games, manager Bruce Bochy said Friday. This sort of thing happens with most non-playoff teams at this point in the season, if not earlier: Veterans step aside, or are moved out of the way, to create playing time for younger performers. That's definitely the case with Winn, 35, who's batting .263 with two home runs and 51 RBIs in 148 games. "I told Randy that we're going to get more of these kids out there," Bochy said. Winn, who's eligible for free agency this offseason, appears unlikely to return to the Giants. One younger player who piques the Giants' interest is John Bowker, who started in left field in Friday's series opener against the San Diego Padres. The Giants want to find out whether Bowker has the potential to duplicate the production he sustained this year at Triple-A Fresno, where he batted .342 with 21 homers and 83 RBIs in 104 games. Expect Bowker, who entered Friday batting .190 in 29 games, to remain in the lineup through the rest of the season. "He's a guy who hasn't had as many at-bats as [Nate] Schierholtz or Freddie [Lewis]," Bochy said. "We're going to get him at-bats and see if he's more comfortable." In Molina's case, the soreness has returned to his left hand. He missed three games after a foul tip caused a contusion on the hand Sept. 24 against Chicago. "He's pretty beat up," Bochy said. Molina caught two of three games this week against Arizona, but playing nine innings Thursday tested his pain threshhold. "The last two to three innings, it was getting him pretty good," Bochy said." In 132 appearances this year, including 120 starts behind the plate, Molina has hit .265 with 80 RBIs and a career-high 20 homers. Bochy said that both Winn and Molina will be available to pinch-hit. Pitching matchupSF: RHP Matt Cain (14-7, 2.88 ERA)
Cain's consistency is reflected in his home/road splits. He's 7-4 with a 2.72 ERA at home, virtually matching his 7-3 record with a 3.06 ERA on the road. Cain has rarely received decent run support at PETCO Park, where he owns a 1-3 record despite a 2.79 ERA in seven career starts while yielding 25 hits in 42 innings. Cain must last at least 5 1/3 innings to reach a personal best for innings pitched, eclipsing the 217 2/3 he worked last year. The Giants are 21-11 in his starts. SD: LHP Wade LeBlanc (2-1, 4.35 ERA)
LeBlanc gets one more turn in the starting rotation for 2009. His has been a story of two seasons, one where he struggled with the Padres and the last where he's had a great deal of success after being sent to Triple-A Portland this summer. Since being recalled from Portland, he's 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA in six starts. His fastball command has been much better than it's ever been in two previous stints with the team, once earlier this season and last September. Tidbits
Yes, Tim Lincecum is as special as we all thought. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, since earned runs and ERA became official statistics in the early 1910s, Lincecum's 2008 and 2009 seasons are just the 28th and 29th instances in which a pitcher collected at least 15 victories, won at least two-thirds of his decisions, struck out 260 or more batters and recorded an ERA below 2.70. The only other pitchers to meet these standards in multiple seasons are Randy Johnson (five), Pedro Martinez (three), Sandy Koufax (three), Roger Clemens (two) and Steve Carlton (two). ... Entering Friday, the Giants' .097 increase in winning percentage from last year tied Atlanta for the Majors' third-best. Tickets
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• Sunday: Giants (Jonathan Sanchez, 8-12, 4.27) at Padres (Cesar Ramos, 0-1, 1.74), 1:05 p.m. PT
Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
