Post by iport10 on Jun 24, 2008 21:45:55 GMT -5
www.mercurynews.com/giantsheadlines/ci_9671745/index.html
KANSAS CITY Mo. - Pitching coach Dave Righetti confirmed that the Giants had Barry Zito throw his bullpen workout off the main mound at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday to help the struggling left-hander better envision taking his stuff into games.
Zito, who pitches Wednesday at Cleveland, is working to repeat an altered delivery in which he throws from a lowered arm angle. The adjustment has helped him gain velocity as well as movement on his sinking, two-seam fastball.
But his improved stuff in the bullpen hasn't made it into competition, hence the decision to let him work off the game mound Saturday.
"Hopefully this will help him," Righetti said. "It's no big deal."
Zito is still working to throw a change-up from the new arm slot but said he feels more confident with his current stuff than he did during his second-half run of success last season.
• Shortstop Omar Vizquel is batting .171 and on the verge of losing the starting job to Emmanuel Burriss, but Manager Bruce Bochy said Vizquel would start Tuesday when the Giants begin a three-game series in Cleveland.
Bochy said he isn't assuming that Vizquel, 41, is done at the plate - even though he is in a 7-for-69 slump (.101 average).
"I'm still hopeful he'll find his swing, because he was swinging great when he first came back," Bochy said. "He is coming off knee surgery and he missed spring training. Sixty-nine at-bats is not enough to make any kind of judgment on a player."
Vizquel, who won eight of his 11 Gold Gloves with the Indians, is returning for the first time since leaving Cleveland as a free agent after the 2004 season.
• Bochy had a hard time accepting the six walks his pitchers issued Sunday. The Giants lead the National League with 313 free passes. Only the Texas Rangers have walked more batters.
"We're walking too many guys," Bochy said. "(The Royals) got their hits and battled back, give them credit, but we let a lot of little things happen in that game."
Many of those little things went wrong behind the plate. Catcher Steve Holm had an inauspicious day, failing to block two of Tim Lincecum's wild pitches and letting a pitch from Jack Taschner bounce off his chest protector for a passed ball.
• Left-hander Alex Hinshaw didn't go quietly after giving up the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning. He barked over his shoulder at plate umpire Bill Welke, whose strike zone drew criticism from both teams.
Welke ejected Hinshaw as he reached the top step of the dugout. Righetti got a handful of the rookie's jersey and yanked him down the stairs.
"I was frustrated I let the team down and I embarrassed myself," Hinshaw said afterward. "It was dumb of me to do and I won't let it happen again."
• Fred Lewis doubled twice, singled and drew two walks while extending a career-best hitting streak to 13 games.
• Yet another sign that the N.L. is baseball's underclass: The Royals, who have the second-worst record in the American League, are 9-3 in interleague play.
Not a huge deal but still news
KANSAS CITY Mo. - Pitching coach Dave Righetti confirmed that the Giants had Barry Zito throw his bullpen workout off the main mound at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday to help the struggling left-hander better envision taking his stuff into games.
Zito, who pitches Wednesday at Cleveland, is working to repeat an altered delivery in which he throws from a lowered arm angle. The adjustment has helped him gain velocity as well as movement on his sinking, two-seam fastball.
But his improved stuff in the bullpen hasn't made it into competition, hence the decision to let him work off the game mound Saturday.
"Hopefully this will help him," Righetti said. "It's no big deal."
Zito is still working to throw a change-up from the new arm slot but said he feels more confident with his current stuff than he did during his second-half run of success last season.
• Shortstop Omar Vizquel is batting .171 and on the verge of losing the starting job to Emmanuel Burriss, but Manager Bruce Bochy said Vizquel would start Tuesday when the Giants begin a three-game series in Cleveland.
Bochy said he isn't assuming that Vizquel, 41, is done at the plate - even though he is in a 7-for-69 slump (.101 average).
"I'm still hopeful he'll find his swing, because he was swinging great when he first came back," Bochy said. "He is coming off knee surgery and he missed spring training. Sixty-nine at-bats is not enough to make any kind of judgment on a player."
Vizquel, who won eight of his 11 Gold Gloves with the Indians, is returning for the first time since leaving Cleveland as a free agent after the 2004 season.
• Bochy had a hard time accepting the six walks his pitchers issued Sunday. The Giants lead the National League with 313 free passes. Only the Texas Rangers have walked more batters.
"We're walking too many guys," Bochy said. "(The Royals) got their hits and battled back, give them credit, but we let a lot of little things happen in that game."
Many of those little things went wrong behind the plate. Catcher Steve Holm had an inauspicious day, failing to block two of Tim Lincecum's wild pitches and letting a pitch from Jack Taschner bounce off his chest protector for a passed ball.
• Left-hander Alex Hinshaw didn't go quietly after giving up the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning. He barked over his shoulder at plate umpire Bill Welke, whose strike zone drew criticism from both teams.
Welke ejected Hinshaw as he reached the top step of the dugout. Righetti got a handful of the rookie's jersey and yanked him down the stairs.
"I was frustrated I let the team down and I embarrassed myself," Hinshaw said afterward. "It was dumb of me to do and I won't let it happen again."
• Fred Lewis doubled twice, singled and drew two walks while extending a career-best hitting streak to 13 games.
• Yet another sign that the N.L. is baseball's underclass: The Royals, who have the second-worst record in the American League, are 9-3 in interleague play.
Not a huge deal but still news
