NLDS Game 1 in San Francisco

By Brad Morrison

I was at the game on Thursday night and it was AMAZING.  The fans were charged and the ball park was rocking.  I find it interesting how difficult it is to have perspective about the from the stands.  Sitting at home the next day, watching the game on the DVR from the couch, and listening to the analysis of Dick Stockton and Bob Brennley (as good as they are, most national broadcasters are brain numbingly dull, they are not Kruk and Kuip), I find it far more conducive to reviewing a game than trying to remember what happen while sitting, standing or cheering from the stands (excellent seat courtesy of Cousin Lance, thank you my friend).

The major items to note are:

1. Lincecum's amazing 14K effort.

2. How aggressive should Bochy be on the bases?

3. The Giant's inability to knock in RISP with less than 1 out.

4. The Brave's decision to walk Pablo and pitch to Cody Ross.

5. The impact of the missed call at Second.

Lincecum's amazing 14K effort. I don't know about you all, but after the 1st inning, I never felt that Lincecum wasn't in complete control of his pitches and the game.  He was never in trouble and other than a trip to the mount by Posey after the walk to Jason Heyward, there was never a real threat.  I don't know how it played at home or what Kruk and Kuip said, but when Lincecum walked out of the dugout to pitch the 9th, the crowd went nuts.  Orange rags were being flung with abandon and the crowd worked up into a frenzy as the out compiled.  If there ever was a "big game" monkey on Lincecum's back, he there wasn't any evidence of it from either Tim or Buster the entire night.  Simply Brilliant.

How aggressive should Bochy be on the bases?  Someone can let me know if the numbers support the risk, but I would have liked to see Bochy squeeze Cody Ross in the second inning with Sanchez bunting and Torres simultaneousness steeling second to distract the catcher.  Hear me out.  Sanchez is a good enough bunter that with Torres stealing second and a squeeze at home, it would have most likely only resulting in 1 or even no outs and I would have respected the attempt.  Do what you have to to scratch out a run here and there.

The Giant's inability to knock in RISP with less than 1 out.  This is simply frustrating!  The professional hitters on this Giants team (with the notable exception of Juan Uribe who can't seem to do anything other than try to kill the ball and  Pablo Sandoval, who is out bad ball hacker) should be able to make contact and drive a sac fly.  I am not going to speculate about what is going though their heads but COME ON!

The Brave's decision to walk Pablo and pitch to Cody Ross.  I know Cox was playing the strict odds, putting the lefty on and pitching to the righty BUT, if you look at the first two at bats from Pablo and Ross, clearly Ross had the better at bat.  The other option that Cox had was to walk Ross as well and pitch to Lincecum.  Obviously, Lowe was not happy, AT ALL, to be walking Pablo.  As an arm chair manager, I think this was the pivotal mistake costing the Braves a run and the game.

The impact of the missed call at Second.  In hind sight and with slow motion we all know that Posey was out by a few inches, however, all that it did was put a runner on second, which the giants have proven over and over again doesn't mean anything.  More important for me was the Braves decision to walk Pablo and pitch to Ross as well as the defensive catastrophe by Infante to cover the ball that Ross and prevent Posey from scoring.

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