| Pittsburgh Pirates | @ | San Francisco Giants |
|---|---|---|
| (2-4) Streak: 3 L | Record | (2-4) Streak: 1 W |
| James McDonald (0-0) 3.00 ERA | Game 1 Starters: | Matt Cain (0-0) 7.50 ERA |
| TBA | Game 2 Starters | Barry Zito (1-0) 0.00 ERA |
| Kevin Correia (0-0) 1.50 ERA | Game 3 Starters: | Ryan Vogelsong (0-0) 0.00 ERA |
The Giants have had one of the most unpredictable seasons thus far. After a disappointing three-game sweep by the Diamondbacks in the opening weekend, the Giants threw Barry Zito on the mound to try to gather up their first win of the season.
Zito went on to surprise everyone (especially me) by throwing a complete game shutout in Coors Field against one of the best teams when playing at home, holding them to only four hits (and zero walks).
After a large sigh of relief, the Giants looked forward to Tim Lincecum‘s second start of the season. After Lincecum gave up eight runs (six earned) in only 2.1 innings, it was clear the game was far from over.
The Giants ended up losing 17-8 for an embarrassing second game in Colorado.
Madison Bumgarner turned things around on Thursday after tossing a no-hitter into the sixth inning and only allowing one run off of four hits. The giants went on to win 4-2 after some timely two-out hits from newcomer Melky Cabrera.
Now they head back to the bay for their long-awaited home opener against the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pirates have lost three straight games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in their previous series and will looks to rebound against the G-men.
Matt Cain will first face off against James McDonald today, but the pitcher matchup I’m looking forward to the most will be in game 3 between Ryan Vogelsong making his first start of 2012 and former Giant Kevin Correia.
The big hitter/runner/fielder to watch out for on the Pirates is the one and only Andrew McCutchen. He can steal bags anytime he reaches base, he can hit triples galore, while also playing some solid defense in center field.
Fortunately for the Giants, McCutchen is a diamond in the rough that is the Pirates.
As for the Giants, they have a few hot bats in the lineup. Pablo Sandoval leads the team with two home runs (tied with Nate Schierholtz) and seven RBI. Cabrera on the other hand, leads the team with a .385 batting average and a .429 on-base % and six runs.
Lets hope the Giants surprising offense can keep it up, while their pitching can settle opposing batters down.
