Rotation struggling and Giants in hitting slump By Ken Gimblin and Joe Cronin August 18, 2010     SAN FRANCISCO--This week has been a rough week for the Giants with the loss of three out of their last four games and the death of former Giant hero Bobby Thompson on Monday. First the Giants slump, the Giants starters have not been able to win a ball game in their last 13 games. For Giants pitcher and starting ace Tim Lincecum he has struggled and has now lost three straight decisions and it took him the second longest in Giants history to get three loses in a row in 75 games it took Sal Magile 76 games to get there. Also former Giant starter Todd Wellenmeyer was released by the Giants on Tuesday unconditionally. Wellenmyer also struggled he was 3-5 and had an ERA of 5.68 Wellenmyer had lost his last three decisions and those decisions came one each in the months of June, July and August. The Giants had relied heavily on Wellenmeyer as their fifth starter to get the job done. He looked good in spring training and he was selected out three candidates who were bidding for the fifth man job. He came into the season winning his first decision but soon dropped the next two starts. He was not a mystery to hitters, in his first three of four games the Giants lost by three or more runs. So far in the month of August Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez who is hitting .258 with two homers and 29 RBIs and has not picked up an RBI all month of August was benched by Giant manager Bob Bochy on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. Sanchez who has 75 hits on the season has five hits in August, zip on homers and again zip on the RBIs. Bobby Thompson tribute: The Giants plan to have a Bobby Thompson tribute of some kind when they return back to AT&T on Monday the 23rd against Dusty Baker and the Reds. Thompson who died on Monday at age 86 and most famously was remembered for his walk off home run in the 1951 playoff game, game number three when he blasted a Ralph Branca pitch for a three run home run getting the New York Giants into the 1951 World Series. The Giants may hold a highlight film prior to the next home game of Thompson whose home run in 51 is the most famous moment in baseball history and or may have a #23 patch worn by the players for the rest of this season to remember Thompson. Willie Mays who was on deck remembered Thompson and said he helped him a lot when he came up as a rookie in 1951. Thompson moved over from centerfield for the rookie and Mays never forgot that, "Bobby was a good guy for me. He moved so I could have a position to play. In the outfield we talked about things. He helped me a lot. I never heard him say anything derogatory about Leo." said Mays. Former Giant manager Alvin Dark who managed that 51 team recalled the moment of the called shot: "at that particular time it was tremendously important to the Giants organization, there's never been a home run like it and I don't think they'll ever be. When the ball left the ball park, the excitement was the greatest I ever felt in any ballpark." Joe Cronin and Ken Gimblin cover Giants baseball for Sportstalk Radio

Copyright 2001-2010 - Sports Radio Service