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		Michael Duca on A's and Giants By Michael Duca June 12, 2010

	Sportstalk: With the Ninth District U.S.Court of Appeals judges in San Francisco ruling 2-1 in favor of dropping key evidence regarding former Giants outfielder Barry Bonds' trainer Greg Anderson's testimony which was vital to the case and since he won't testify and all attempts to contempt him to testify didn't work, the judges ruled without Anderson's testimony the case can no longer proceed. Question Miguel: Do you feel the judges made a unfair determination since there was positive steroid evidence in 2000-2001 (three tests) and in 2003 a Major League Baseball test showing Bonds tested positive for steroids. Does that evidence stand up on it's own merit for the Feds to have a case against Bonds for perjury? Nope, it does not. That's not my opinion; it is the opinion of the justices who ruled in the Court of Appeals. The government has now lost twice; knowing our Supreme Court, which is dead-set against judicial activism, they will appeal to that level next, and probably not only win, but be told they no longer need evidence to convict someone. They don't really have all the evidence you suggest. The 2003 tests came AFTER the government's case, and after the Grand Jury testimony. They can't possibly constitute perjury; they are just circumstantial evidence that gives strong suspicion. The ONLY tests they have are the ones administered by Anderson himself, and as long as he does not testify as to their provenance and administration, they are not admissible. So, they have nothing. Sportstallk: With victories by Giants pitching aces Barry Zito on Saturday night and Tim Lincecum on Friday night how confident and relieved does Giants manager Bruce Bochy have to feel knowing Lincecum is back on track and Zito has pitched with authority this season? Well, I don't know. Personally, I think Matt Cain has pitched best of any of the starters this year, and he's going to give, apparently, a solid 8 or 9 inning effort most every time out. That gives everyone a lot of confidence, because it often gives the pen a day of rest, or at least, a day of very light work. Zito is looking more and more like the Zito who was a dominating starter in Oakland, and Lincecum appears to have turned the corner, although his fastball was not dominating Friday night. The Giants may have the best rotation in baseball, or at least, in the NL (Tampa's is awfully good also), and that alone makes them a formidable playoff contender, and a scary playoff opponent. Sportstalk: With the A's winning four out of the last 12 games, how much do you lend this to injuries being involved, missing pitcher Brett Anderson, mistakes made by pitching or not hitting at the right times. What would you point to as the A's weak spots so far in this month of June? One thing for sure it's certainly different than the month they had in May. That's why they don't keep calling it May. It's June, a different month, and everything starts fresh and new. Not really, of course -- it's just an artificial breaking point. Still, the A's have not maintained their division-leading pace of late. Part of it is playing good teams -- San Francisco, the Angels and the Red Sox -- and part is that their own performance hasn't been what it was previously. The pitching hasn't been consistent -- Ben Sheets has been great, not so great, and not very good at all; Vin Mazzaro, up and down; Dallas Braden has really not pitched well at all since his perfect game; Trevor Cahill has shocked me with his consistency, and Brett Anderson is sitting on the DL on my fantasy team, making me take fliers on guys like Brian Bannister to pick up the innings. The hitting has not been consistently timely; their best hitter, Kurt Suzuki, has been in and out of the lineup, recently out on bereavement leave; Jack Cust is getting on base, but not the home run threat he has been in years past, and opposing scouting reports seem to have caught up a bit with Daric Barton. It's a game of adjustments, and the A's need to see a baseball chiropractor now.