Series Recap: Buster Posey Eats The Rockies

Buster Posey is hesitant to touch Hunter Pence because he doesn't want to mutate into a grasshopper.

When someone says, “you’re team is playing the Rockies!” the normal human response would be to jump like a little school boy who just found out about an iCarly marathon. The Rockies the doormat of everything in baseball not named the Astros, especially in Coors Field where their outfielders have recently begun to position themselves in the actual bleachers, in anticipation for the homers that will surely be coming their way. The Rockies are awful. But when you tell a Giants fan “you’re team is playing the Rockies!” they go into a dark shadowy place, full of cryptic evil and Ryan Spilborghs. And when you enter the fiery dungeon that is Coors Field, time stops, and before you know it you’re in the fetal position wondering what went wrong.

I’m probably overstating it, but it would be too easy for this to be a cake walk series. The Giants had lost 7 of 8 coming into it, and the first pitcher they would be facing was Jonathan Sanchez. The Coen brothers could not have scripted it any better. Here come the Giants, thinking they were going to waltz into Coors Field and right the ship and Jonathan Sanchez was all that stood in their way. It would be so easy. Then suddenly, Jonathan Sanchez mows the Giants down, choking every last breath of spirit away, and before you know it, the Giants were swept by the 2^nd worst team in baseball. Their psyche would disintegrate like a little dinky comet, unsuccessful in making it through the atmosphere. That was bound to happen. Lost in all the “Yippy we’re playing the Rockies!” hysteria was that little aforementioned scenario hibernating in the back of Giants fan’s heads waiting to wake up and demoralize everything you stand for.

As it turns out, the first two paragraphs are basically just word count fodder for my fragile self esteem. Hey look at that, I just cranked out 278 words! My self esteem is now greatly improved. But none of that stuff happened. This series was the 2012 Rockies condensed into 3 games. Which for the Giants, was a very good thing. The Giants outscored the Rockies 35-13 in the series, and it was only that close because Clay Hensley and Brad Penny pitched which resulted in Clay Hensley and Brad Penny type performances. 35 runs even in Coors Field is remarkable. The same offensive team that couldn’t hit a lick against Chris Young, scored 35 runs in 3 games. Well played baseball, well played.

As it turns out, the Giants actually played the Rockies. The 2012 Rockies. Dead last in the league in pitching by almost a full run, and even when you adjust for Coors, they’re still practically tied with the Astros for bottom of the pile in ERA+ (Rockies 86, Astros 84). Like all these series against crappy craptastic teams, you have to take what the Giants do with a few grains of salt. But as always, there’s something to be said for doing what you’re supposed to do, and beating any professional baseball team 35-13 is something to be commended for. Especially when it's the Rockies. 

*****

I was going to start complaining about the bullpen here, but instead I'm going to gush about Buster Posey. I make a lot of bad decisions, but I don't think this is one. First though, here's your official Buster Posey ankle update:

Buster Posey ankle status: Not broken. Good.

Remember to return China Basin Baseball for your non stop Buster Posey ankle news.

It gets repetitive, but never less remarkable: Buster Posey was out for the season last year. Gone. Remember watching the franchise and Buster Posey sitting at his house with his ankle wrapped like it was being preserved for egyptian gods in the afterlife. That was only a year ago. Look at the man now. Here are his post all star break numbers: 

.456/.506/.772, OPS+ 224, 6 HR, 7 2B

Unreal. I will freely admit I wasn't sure Posey was going to be able to improve post-Scott Cousins. There was so much pressure on him after last years Giants offensive travesty, people were expecting him to save the offense. His injury last season was horrific and I just didn't know how he would respond. But you see, I know nothing about baseball. Here we are in August and Buster Posey is still playing baseball, and hitting baseballs far. He's not going to win MVP, nor should he. But you can be sure he's going to pick up some stray 3rd or 4th place votes, and that's good enough for me.