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2006-08-02

by Tom Brew

NL West Update

Summary

In or out? Buying or selling? Such was the predicament for the San Francisco Giants as the trading deadline came and went on Monday.

Article

Too bad they haven’t been able to anything about their status on the field. After starter Noah Lowry coughed up six runs in the Giants' 10-7 loss to the Nationals, the Giants’ losing streak reached eight games, their longest since May 26 to June 4, 2005. They are still in the race in the National League West – isn’t everyone? – despite the skid. It’s just their turn, really. All five teams in this division have had a chance to pull away at some point. And all five have fallen flat on their faces when it mattered the most.

The Giants have lost eight in a row after a five-game winning streak left them tied for the lead July 24. It’s their worst stretch of the year, though they did have a 1-7 run in May as well. That’s typical for this division. The Diamondbacks had a 3-20 stretch in June, the Dodgers lost 13 of 14 coming out of the All-Star break, and even the first-place Padres have already had seven losing streaks of at least three games this year (but none
more than five). In other words, it’ll be a stagger to the finish.

That’s why Giants general manager Brian Sabean was in a quandary as the deadline got close. Was he willing to deal ace Jason Schmidt, or did he want to hang tight and see this race out? "I would say half a dozen teams called, and we were in position to listen, given our present state of affairs," said Sabean, who's still open to re-signing Schmidt after the season. "At the end of the day, getting what was talked about in return was not in the best interest of the organization. If we don't re-sign Schmidt, we'd be satisfied with draft picks (as compensation)."

Sabean, who recently acquired veterans Shea Hillenbrand and Mike Stanton for the playoff push, didn't say exactly when he began to sway toward being a possible seller. Certainly the lengthy losing streak had something to do with it. "It just kind of evolved as the week evolved," he said. "People don't chase ambulances, but they know what the standings are. It's well-publicized what's going on with everybody's ball clubs. That's why the phone calls picked up and people might have viewed us as changing gears from buyers to selling off some pieces."

The Giants are strangely constructed right now, and Sabean will have his hands full restructuring this team after the season. With much of the roster eligible for free agency and only two healthy everyday players signed through 2007 -- shortstop Omar Vizquel and outfielder Randy Winn – Sabean had to look at the big picture before dealing Schmidt. His first priority is to re-sign him at the end of the year. For now, they need to get back into the race in a hurry.

"We have to get well in a hurry," Sabean says now, "or we're going to be a sinking ship. The best thing I could say about the club is that the fight and the will are there, but the execution isn't -- and that's in a lot of departments."

The Giants turn to Matt Cain (7-7, 4.87 ERA) Tuesday night to end this ugly losing streak. The home cooking should help when considering the baseball betting, especially after two ugly sweeps in Washington and Pittsburgh. Cain faced the Nationals last Thursday in D.C., yielding six runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 6-5 loss. The sportsbook betting line at WagerWeb.com is Giants -$155, and it seems like time for this streak to end. The baseball odds seem to be in their favor.

Washington counters with former Giant Livan Hernandez (8-8, 5.70 ERA). Hernandez allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings against Cain and the Giants in getting his eighth victory. In seven career starts against San Francisco, Hernandez is 2-3 with a 3.10 ERA.

DODGERS COUNT ON MADDUX: The Los Angeles Dodgers wouldn’t let the trade deadline pass without doing something. They picked up infielder Julio Lugo from Tampa Bay added veteran Greg Maddux from the Cubs. Despite their slow start to the second half and a rash of injuries, the Dodgers feel like they are still in the race. "There's plenty of time to make up five games," Maddux said.

Despite being 40 and struggling for the Chicago Cubs since April with the third-worst record (4-11) of any regular starter in baseball, the Dodgers are hoping Maddux can help.
They might be biased. They saw Maddux at his best in a Dodger Stadium appearance in April. In eight innings he gave up three hits, struck out six, walked none and won 4-1.

Of course, that was when Maddux started the season 5-0. He’s been getting hit around since then, but it’s a no-brainer for the Dodgers. His veteran leadership will help, and if they can get three or four wins out of him, it’ll be worth it.