Run and Hyde! It's Jeckyll!

I gave the Giants a new task here in order to make an attempt at trying to somewhat salvage something that comes close to being in the general vicinity of being near to resembling a mediocre season. Maybe.

Sweep Arizona, I said. Well, they have answered, by completing the sweep last night. Let me express my newfound optimism over this.

Yay. Go Giants. You can do it.

Exclamations points may be added if the Giants do the 2nd part of what I said they must do, which is sweep the Padres in San Diego. Meantime, I'll hand out some kudos:

• Noah Lowry looked pretty good. Couple too many walks for my taste, but allowing only one run through six innings is good, and it's great for Lowry.
• Todd Linden is beginning to look a little less lost at the plate, but I am glad Father Alou keeps putting him in the lineup.
• Ladies and gentleman, Ray Durham has cleared the .400 mark in SLG! Stay hot, Ray Ray, and perhaps the Yankees will pick you up in a couple of weeks. I still think, by the way, that the Phillies could take a stab at Edgardo Alfonzo when he gets healthy again, provided the Giants pick up about half the tab for Alfonzo's salary this season. Call it a gut feeling...or, you can call it taking a look at the Phillies and seeing that if they want to stay in contention, they need an upgrade at 3rd base. Fonzie wouldn't be a huge upgrade over the guy currently playing most of the games at 3rd for Philadelphia, David Bell, but he would definitely be better.
• Lance Niekro impresses me -- no, not with his ability with the longball, but in his ability to be the walking, living, playing Anti-Walk. He seems to be retaining his power, though, so I'm starting to come around to the position that perhaps he simply has the ability to SLG .500, at least if he hits against lefties whenever possible and keeps his plate appearances vs. righties down to a minimum. It's tempting to the Giants, I'm sure, to play him everyday to see what they've got.

Sorry for the relatively light posting this week, but the new job has me coming home fairly beat after my new, traffic-packed commute. Once I get used to it, I should get back on a just-about everyday schedule.

Today is Poker Night, by the way -- wish me luck....and this time, wish me GOOD luck. I have luck by the barrelfull, but all of it's bad.