Pre-game notes & lineups: San Francisco Giants try to end losing streak

The San Francisco Giants limp in to Chase Field tonight to play the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s the first of 3 games between the NL West rivals as RHP Tim Lincecum (5-4, 4.81 ERA) takes the hill in his own personal “house of horrors” (1-2, 6.26 ERA in last 5 starts at Arizona) against the tomahawk throwing RHP Josh Collmenter (4-4, 4.05 ERA). Seriously, the guy throws pitches like you would a tomahawk. You’ll see what I mean if you can catch the game, first pitch is 6:40 PT.

As I said, the Giants are struggling. They have lost 5 straight and 8 of their last 9 games. But you knew that already, it’s been over 2 days since they last played and we’ve all gotten to see those numbers over and over and over and over.

We don’t have to look much further than the pitching to see why the Giants have been struggling. The starting pitchers have posted a 5.98 ERA over their last 9 games while the bullpen has been almost as bad, the relievers sport a 5.47 ERA. Is this a bad time to point out that Lincecum has the highest road ERA (6.84) for any starting pitcher in the NL?

The D-Backs aren’t too hot right now either. They’ve lost 7 of their last 10 games and are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the most losses (45) in baseball. Arizona is 14 games back of the Giants and obviously in last place. The Giants are in 1st place in the NL West by 4 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The lineups for tonight’s pool party in the desert.

Once again Angel Pagan is out of the lineup with a sore back. This is the 4th straight game he will miss. Fear not good people, for Gregor Blanco and his lifetime .111 (1-for-9) batting average against Collmenter is leading off and playing center field tonight.

This is Collmenter’s first start against the Giants since September of 2012. He’s been used as a long reliever more in the past but has been starting as of late. Collmenter is coming off 2 starts in which he allowed a total of 10 runs. Maybe since he’s starting the Giants can break whatever hex he has on them.

Buster Posey is starting at first base tonight and he has the best numbers against Collmenter of any Giants player. Posey is 6-for-9 lifetime against the tomahawk thrower with 2 home runs. Everyone else stinks. Pablo Sandoval (2-for-14) and Hunter Pence (3-for-16) have not fared well and Michael Morse has only faced Collmenter 4 times, and of course, no hits.

I guess the silver lining is Sandoval and Pence have combined to hit 14 home runs at Chase Field all time.

The D-Backs, well one in particular, own Tim Lincecum as of late. Paul Goldschmidt, you may curse under your breath, is hitting .542 (13-for-24) off Lincecum. Of those 13 hits, 7 have left the park.

With Miguel Montero batting behind Goldschmidt, maybe Lincecum should just keep walking him. Montero is the only D-Backs hitter Lincecum seems to have figured out. Lifetime, Montero is 10-for-57 against Lincecum with 15 K’s.

If I write anymore stats I’ll get depressed. As it looks, the Giants should get creamed tonight. But this is baseball, and we’re probably in for a thriller. If the Giants can finally get back on the winning track, fans won’t care how it happens, just that it does.