Drama for Your Momma

I think it's safe to say that the excitement hasn't left our San Fransisco Giants along with the health of Barry Bonds.

If one were to try, how would one top the excitement of losing a 6 run lead all in one inning, then winning the game on a 3-run home run?

You do that by not scoring one run through seven innings, then hitting a grand slam to take the lead.

I've had my...issues with Michael Tucker before, mostly dealing with his inability to hit breaking balls and changeups, but there is this flipside when talking about that...

The man can hit a fastball like nobody's business.

I've seen Tucker hit some no doubters while with the Kansas City Royals, and I saw him hit one in Arizona last season at the BOB that hit amongst the tables and chairs high above centerfield. There's never been any doubt that he has some power, and if you challenge him with a first-pitch, high-velocity fastball, there's a good chance you'll see that power -- just like Colorado Rockies pitcher Scott Dohmann did yesterday.

Now, if I was a betting man (and of course, I'm not), and I was wanting to place a bet on what type of pitch that Michael Tucker would be sitting on first pitch with tha bases loaded while down by one run in the 8th inning, I'm thinking I'd be betting that that pitch would be a fastball. I'm also thinking, were I a Colorado Rockies reliever coming into the 8th inning up by one run with the bases loaded (and of course, I'm not), that the last pitch I'd be wanting to give Tucker would be a 95 mph fastball right down that center of the plate on the first pitch.

But that's just me. Again, I'm not a betting man, and I'm not a Colorado Rockies relief pitcher named Scott Dohmann. So, a 95 mph fastball right down the center of the plate, Tucker puts the Mother of All Swings on it, and the ball takes a bath in McCovey Cove where it is picked up by a civic-minded kayaker looking to cut down on the amount of litter around the ballpark.

On another note, Jerome Williams looked fantastic, taking only 89 pitches to get through seven innings, striking out five while only walking one. That is just too nice out of your #5 starter...but then, Williams isn't really a #5 starter -- he's a #3 starter in #5 starter's clothing.

Let's see if Jason Schmidt can sweep these guys up today, eh?