What a difference two weeks can make.  Two weeks ago when I last checked in on the state of the San Francisco Giants, things looked rather bleak.  The team’s record was only 1-5, Barry Zito had an ERA of 8.18 and Barry Bonds was hitting just .222.  But now just a fortnight on, the tide has turned as have the Giants fortunes.  The team has won 8-of-11 games (including their last 5-in-a-row) to raise their overall record to 9-8, Zito has thrown 13 consecutive shutout innings and Bonds, now batting .348, had tied Jimmy Rollins for the National League lead in home runs with 6 before Rollins went deep again on Monday, an off-day for the Giants.

Things are definitely looking up.

Starting Pitching

As I did before, I will start at the top where the team has been the strongest, and as before, that’s been with the starting pitching.

Following the team’s series sweep of Arizona this past weekend, the Giants starters ranked second in baseball with a 2.81 ERA and third with a .219 batting average against.  Overall as a staff those numbers were 3.18 (5^th in MLB) and .236 (6^th). 

The Giants completed the sweep of the D’Backs on Sunday behind an absolutely dominating performance from right-hander Matt Cain who allowed just three hits in a complete game, 2-1 victory.  Cain surrendered a base hit to the first batter he faced in the game but then did not allow another until the 9th as he overcame another bout of poor run support (2.48 R/G in four starts) to earn his first win of the year.  For the season, the 21-year-old Cain has now allowed just 11 hits in 29 innings while holding opponents to a miniscule .120 batting average (and a .196 slugging percentage) to go along with his 1.55 ERA and 0.83 WHIP.  His career BAA through 42 major league starts is a mere .200.

Matt Cain Factoid: Since 1900, only four pitchers have held opposing hitters to a .205 batting average or lower through their first 40 career starts.

Herb Score - .199
Matt Cain - .203
Nolan Ryan - .204
Sandy Koufax - .205

Meanwhile Russ Ortiz has turned in back-to-back impressive outings; one against the Pirates and the second against his old team, Arizona this past Friday night.  Noah Lowry picked up his first win during this stretch despite poor run support (2.25 RPG) and for the year he now has a 2.70 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and a .211 BAA.  And veteran Matt Morris, who struggled last year after signing a 3-year, $33 million deal, is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA on the year in 3 starts. 

And then of course there is the well paid Zito.  Loudly maligned by those quick to rush to judgment, Zito bounced back from a rough start (or more precisely, a rough inning) against L.A. to toss 13 consecutive scoreless frames; the first 6 in the thin, mile high air of Coors Field and the next seven coming on Saturday against the D’Backs in a 1-0 nail bitter in which Bonds provided all the support the other Barry would need.  The result of this is a much improved 3.70 ERA and a .222 batting average against.

As I stated before, things for the Giants, are really starting to look up.

Relief Pitching

Back when we first looked two weeks ago, the bullpen had allowed 26 hits and 11 runs in just 18 innings, producing a 5.50 ERA, a 1.71 WHIP and a .317 BAA.  80% (8-out-of-10) of all inherited runners had been allowed to score.  Those are some ugly numbers. 

Since then however, the relievers have come together and begun to lock things down.  Over their last 22 combined innings since April 8, the pen has reduced those unsightly numbers to a much more palatable 3.27 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a .254 BAA while allowing just 42% (5-out-of-12) of inherited runners to score.  Collectively they have not allowed a run in their last 11 innings pitched.  Right-hander Brad Hennessey and lefties Jonathan Sanchez and Jack Taschner have led the charge, combining to allow just 1 run in 10 innings over 11 appearances and even embattled closer Armando Benitez has delivered 4 saves in 4 opportunities on the year.

Surprisingly, the bullpen has been a key reason why things are now looking up.

Offense

The Giants offense began the season in a deep funk, scoring just 2 runs a game through the first 7 games of the season.  Since then the team has scored six or more runs in a game 5 times in 10 games.  What turned things around?  Well it all began back on April 10 when manager Bruce Bochy returned Bonds to the cleanup spot after a 1-0 loss to San Diego the night before.  The Giants responded with a 6-5 win over the Pads and since that time Bonds has hit .462/.559/1.115 with 5 HR, 9 RBI and 12 runs scored in 26 at bats.  Like it has so many times before, the team has simply jumped on the big fella’s back and let him carry them. 

And while Bonds has begun to heat up, three others who started well have continued to hit the bell hard in April.  Ryan Klesko is hitting .296 in a part-time role.  Ray Durham, back in the 5-hole with Bonds back at cleanup, is batting .300/.377/.450 and Rich Aurilia is batting .323/.357/.462 even after going hitless on Sunday to snap his career best tying 14-game hitting streak.

On the other hand, much of the rest of the team continues to have problems at the plate.  The Giants table setters, Omar Vizquel and Dave Roberts, for instance have combined to hit just .208/.264/.258 with 14 runs scored through the first 17 games, although Roberts is a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts.  However those two have also been simply outstanding in the field.  Roberts has done a fantastic job with the swirling center field winds at Willie Mays Field and has more than once tracked down and turned into an out, a would be triple from triples alley in right center (and he’s hit a couple there himself).  Vizquel meanwhile has yet to commit an error this season and in fact has made just 4 defensive miscues in his last 176 games.  His acrobatics in the field defy the fact that he will turn 40-years-old on Tuesday.

Though Bengie Molina has hit just .255 with a .305 on-base percentage in 15 games, he has already come through with a few timely hits and, belying rumors to the contrary, the two-time gold glove winning catcher has been a more than adequate replacement for the four-time gold glover Mike Matheny.  Aside from the statistical niceties, Molina has gelled with the young pitching staff in remarkably short time.  In addition, watching Molina everyday for the first time, I have gained a fantastic appreciation for the way Bengie handles himself behind the plate and the way he calls a game.  When it comes to framing a pitch, there may not be anyone better in baseball.  Bengie Molina was not signed for his offensive output and to that end he’s been no disappointment whatsoever.

Randy Winn on the other hand has been nothing short of awful.  Through 16 games the Giants right fielder is batting only .192/..241/.250 and was thrown out in his only stolen base attempt.  He has a team high 13 strikeouts in just 52 at bats, or once every 4 AB, and on top of that, he has drawn only 1 more base on balls (3) than the free swinging Pedro Feliz. 

And speaking of the human out making machine, Feliz (.224/.255/.388) has continued to hack at slop nightly with 10 K in 49 AB with only 2 BB.  Additionally, Feliz has been charged with two errors and he made perhaps the mental gaffe of the year to date in a game against the Dodgers two weeks ago.  Till now Feliz’ one redeeming quality has been his defense but thus far this season, even that part of his game has been worthless. The one positive that can be taken from Feliz’ play so far though is that due to his poor performance, Feliz has made just 12 starts in 17 team games after starting all but 8 of San Francisco’s contests last season.  More Aurilia and Klesko and less Feliz can only be a good thing.

Manager

For all that’s been made of the re-signing of Bonds and the high profile acquisition of Zito, quite possibly the Giants best off-season move was the hiring of former San Diego skipper Bruce Bochy.  Bochy, whose Padre teams won the last two NL West titles, has been a fantastic addition to the organization and has provided the team with solid leadership and strong strategic decisions.  Unlike the docile and addled Felipe Alou, he was not afraid to ask Barry Bonds to move to the third spot in the lineup for the good of the club and similarly, when it appeared the well intentioned move was a flawed strategy, he was un-afraid to quickly reverse course.  He has handled the pitching staff flawlessly while exhibiting confidence in his starters and relievers alike and his confidence has thus far been repaid with results.  The effect a manager can have on his team can often times be over stated, but in this case, Bruce Bochy appears to have come as advertised.

Things are most certainly looking up.