Getting to know the San Francisco Giants with Golden Gate Sports
It seems like a fairly safe bet that the many Detroit Tigers fans are not all that familiar with San Francisco Giants. Sure we saw them on The Franchise and last year in the World Series, but now they are the opponent, and our Tigers stand four victories away from their ultimate goal. With that in mind we took some time to sit down and chat with the folks over at Golden Gate Sports to introduce Detroit to the Giants.
Oct 23, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy (15) speaks with the media during practice the day before game one of the 2012 World Series against the Detroit Tigers at AT
DJC would like to thank Jake Dal Porto for taking the time to answer a few questions for us
What to the SF Giants do well?
The Giants’ biggest strength at the moment is their starting pitching. Barry Zito, Ryan Vogelsong, and Matt Cain only allowed one run combined over the final three games of the NLCS. San Francisco’s starting pitching wasn’t much of a strength before Game 5 of the NLCS, but the tables turned rapidly which is why they’re here. If the Giants win, it will be because of their starting pitching.
Who is the one player the Tigers should worry about and Tigers fans should know about?
Obviously most of the attention will shift to Marco Scutaro and Buster Posey, but shortstop Brandon Crawford has crafted together a solid postseason both offensively and defensively.
Can Barry Zito continue his unreal run of success in this post season?
Barry Zito will get a very tough match up against Justin Verlander in Game 1, but in a way, this could help the left because he’s the underdog. While the Giants’ coaching staff certainly can’t expect Zito to toss another gem like he did in Game 5 against St.Louis, expect him to keep the Giants close.
Will Tim Lincecum be in the starting Rotation? Madison Bumgarner or somebody else?
Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy announced that Madison Bumgarner will start Game 2 against Doug Fister on Thursday, meaning that Tim Lincecum will be the odd man out in the rotation. Bochy likes him in the bullpen for now, and barring some bizarre event, he won’t get a chance to start a game. However, look for him to be a “piggyback” if the Giants’ starters fail to pitch deep into games.
What is your series prediction?
I’ve had the Giants beating the Tigers since the postseason began, so I’ll stick with my pick. However, I expect this to be a very competitive series, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tigers came out on top.