Depressing game in San Francisco headed to the bottom of the 9th. Please, Giants...make it worth watching for your fans.

Two homeruns tonight for Big Daddy Vladdy, who looks much more like himself right now than he had been most of the year. The second one put the Angels in the lead (they're trying to wrap it up right now)--and was also Vlad's 400th HR in his career.

Congrats Vladdy!

Grads Vlad! I've always been a huge fan of his. More people need to go gloveless.

Thanks to serious hometown cooking.

But yes, still a great game.

Ha. Rick Porcello with the bodyslam of Kevin Youklis after a decent bench clearer.

Youklis is such a bitch.

This "Mitch Williams" impersonation by Lidge is getting old.

Interesting discussion on MLB Trade Rumors: If Barry Zito were to be claimed, do the Giants just let him go a la Rios?

Logically, for the long term, they would. But, they are in a fight for the WC spot, probably won't have Johnson back as a starter this season, and do not have any internal candidates to fill Zito's role. Zito has been a reliably average to above average NL starter this season -- nothing special, but a guy that gives you a chance to win every five days.

Without any hesitation, you have to for the reasons below (from Cot's Baseball Contracts):

• 10:$18.5M, 11:$18.5M, 12:$19M, 13:$20M, 14:$18M club option ($7M buyout)
• option vests with 200 IP in 2013 or 400 IP in 2012-13 or 600 IP 2011-13
• if 2014 option vests, Zito may opt out & receive $3.5M buyout
• full no-trade clause

That contract is so awful, you have to let it go. Hell, if I were a Giants fan, I'd pray the Dodgers claim him just to screw them over so that poison pill (almost $100M left!) keeps killing for years

SI

Yeah -- I think you'd have to let him go. But, in a tight race, replacing him with a below average starter for 8-10 more starts down the stretch could cost you the postseason. He obviously isn't anywhere near worth the money he is making, but has a fair amount of value for the Giants in their current situation.

But, at the end of the day, it's $100M which is crippling your team for the next 5 years.

SI

Not only do they let him be claimed, they send him on a private jet with a a bottle of fine wine and some cuban cigars for the other team's GM. A handwritten thank you card would be a nice touch as well.

That was so awesome and then Mitch Williams calling out Youk for trying to intimidate a 20 year old. Nice.

The Chisox would probably claim him...

The Brewers suck. Maybe I belong in the drunk thread, but that's the only way I've been able to watch them lately.

- Youkilis, why are you throwing the helmet?
- Porcello, if you can bodyslam him, why are you running away?
- DET infield, where are you when your pitcher is being chased?
- Oh hi Ryan Raburn, nice try, but learn how to judge an angle.
- Youkilis will (and should) be suspended, but anyone trying to say that was unintentional is a joke. Umpires should have issued warnings after Martinez was thrown at in the 1st.
- Edwin Jackson, seriously, relax.

I think the umpires deserve some blame. After what happened the night before, players should have been warned in advance. They kept letting guys get pegged and thrown inside on.

They'd have to let him go. Bumgarner isn't ready yet(and he looks like a stud, but a mid 2010 one). I guess they could pick up a Doug Davis type maybe, and be okay.

And Swaggs...you see how Tabata and Alvarez have been raking lately?

ETA:Next June.

Yeah, it has to be intentional. Just like earlier this year (for reference: see Beckett vs Abreu).

Isn't that former Cubs rookie of the year? He's about ready to make his way back into the majors now?

No, that was Henry Rowengartner.

I thought he sold popcorn?

Looking at the clip from that fight on MLB.com, I actually think the pitch that started the fight was unintentional. You can see Porcello basically look at the sky like "oh, crap" after he let it go but I wasn't watching the game and didn't have the temperature of the situation. Later on in the clip, they show Leyland and Francona talking a lot and I have to think that was a "we didn't do that" tho there's also the possibility that they were essentially negotiating a cease fire. Plus, didn't Porcello already get retallation with Martinez so it would have been the Red Sox turn to respond in kind?

Yeah, and really bitch move, throwing the helmet. But where the hell are you, Detroit catcher? You're supposed to make sure the batter doesn't get to the pitcher.

SI

I wouldn't call it running away, it was actually the very smart move. Backpedaling allows you to counteract all the momentum someone has when they're sprinting at you for 60 feet, which allowed for the eventual hip toss.

Youk looks like a bitch. I'm embarassed to have him on my fantasy team.

I like the old Farnsworth way of handling guys charging at you.

Please do not bring up Farnsworth-Affeldt :(

SI

Sadly, I have to agree. Maybe Youk ran out of gas at the end, but that was pretty sad. If you're going to cost your team 5+ games (maybe more with the helmet toss), you can't deflect off of a skinny 20 year old like he's a brick wall.

While searching for a video of the takedown last night shortly after it happened, I came across this clip which I never heard about it before and figured I'd share in case others were in the same boat. Too bad Porcello isn't a 12 year old.

Yeah, I love me some Jews in baseball :), but Yooook is a little bitch. Plus, it's not like he hovers over the plate with 10 lbs of armor.

I only saw the replay of the incident, but it did look like Porcello didn't mean to hit that bitch Youkilis. I don't know for sure as I didn't watch the game.

The worst part of all this is that the damn Tigers lost another friggin' game to the Sox. Can you guys win one fucking game in Fenway for crying out loud???:banghead:

Don't worry, I'm sure another favorite team of yours will be playing them soon enough.

Yeah probably. Doesn't matter as long as the Blowsox lose.

lol, just saw this.


Everytime I see a baseball "brawl" it convinces me further that there isn't a baseball player out there whose ass I couldn't kick.

except David Wright of course.

Sabathia would just sit on you. Game over.

Nolan Ryan can still kick your ass, ask Robin Ventura :p

So the Red Sox Tarzawa pitched well last night 5 IP 4 hits and 6k. So hopefully between him in the 4 spot, Wake coming back taking the 3 spot and Buckholtz as the #5 we can keep our shit together. I have zero confidence in our Dough Boy Dice K. Anything we get from him is bonus.

I can totally see all of the WC contenders kind of falling over each other down the stretch. It's pretty crazy for the Sox to still be 1.5 up in the WC despite how they've played. They won't have to be all that good to get in.

Bill Hall designated, JJ Hardy optioned, Escobar called up, Bill Castro fired. Like a Soviet Union style purging going on in Milwaukee.

How Jason Kendall was not a part of the purge is beyond me. But all were overdue moves.

I agree. But if the Sox catch fire, they could certainly have a shot at the division.They are 5 1/2 out and if they can gain a game on the Yanks in the next two vs the Tigers and sweep the Yanks in Fenway they will be just a 1 1/2 half out with still 45 to play , we can dream can't we:) I think their only chance of going to the series is winning the East doing that since I do not see them being very competitive in the Yankees' launch pad of a stadium.

The game before Magglio got hit, so Youk was hit. Last night Magglio gets hit again, V-Mart gets thrown at up and in, takes a few steps toward Porcello and the umpires for some reason don't give out warnings to both teams. Next inning Magglio leaves the game to get X-rays on his hand and Youkilis gets hit 1st pitch. I don't condone Youk's pussy helmet throw or leaning over the plate (they really should cut down on the armor allowed), but Porcello had hit 1 batter all year, then just happens to hit Youkilis square in the back 1st pitch? And like you said, it should have been on the Red Sox to make the next move, plus Youk getting hit 2 nights in a row that I suspect provoked the reaction.

It's not just the catcher - look at Raburn coming in from first and whiffing on his intercession attempt.

MikeD - I'll see your Nolan Ryan and raise you an Izzy Alcantara :)

Both Youk and Porcello got 5 games. Youk won't appeal and will start serving suspension tonight.

Here's a thought - if I'm a MLB manager I tell my guys "if you get hit YOU don't rush the mound. if you get hit and it's worth it, we'll send the last guy on our bench running out of the dugout to rush the mound for you."

that way instead of suspending someone like Youk who's really been one of the only players still hitting you suspend some backup who wasn't going to play anyway.

why don't the managers do this?

Well considering there's really no point to rushing the mound, since 99 times out of 100, none of these pussies actually fight...not sure what that would accomplish.

Because only Ozzie Guillen is crazy enough to admit it's premeditated violence.

What Izzy pulled off was the most premeditated, genius move of all time.

The batters need to use the "Juan Marichal" technique.

Wow some dick Cubs fan threw a beer on Victorino as he was catching a fly ball.