MLB Investigating Melky Cabrera's Agents

USA Today is reporting that the MLB is investigating Sam and Seth Levinson acted as the middle-men by introducing former major-league catcher Paul Lo Duca to steroid distributor Kirk Radomski.

The Levinson's are the agents for Melky Cabrera, who is currently serving a 50-game suspension for taking PEDs. 

Here is more courtesy of an excerpt of an MLB.com article:

According to USA Today, Lo Duca alleges that he was introduced to Radomski by the Levinsons. When the Mitchell Report was released in December 2007, it documented copies of three checks to Radomski for $3,200 each. USA Today reported that it has a copy of one check from a joint account between Lo Duca and Sam Levinson imprinted with the address of the agent's Brooklyn offices.Radomski is a former Mets clubhouse attendant; Lo Duca played for the Mets in 2006 and '07.

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Why the Giants Can Win the NL West Without Melky Cabrera

This article was first published on basesandbaskets.com by Elijah Abramson. He has generously given us permission to use his work.

Melky Cabrera’s suspension on August 15 for use of a banned substance was a huge blow to the Giants’ offense.

At the time, Cabrera was leading the National League in hits and was battling Pittsburgh star Andrew McCutchen for the league batting title. The follow-up drama with the fake site to justify his steroid use added to the disrupting media coverage surrounding the Giants most productive hitter.

But in the games since the suspension, the Giants have more than held their own. In three series that included the rival Los Angeles Dodgers and contending Atlanta Braves, the Giants have won seven of 10 games, with a five-game win streak headed with a sweep of the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

That was the first time the Giants have swept the Dodgers in five years.

Matt Cain has continued to hold up his end of the rotation since the suspension, going 2-0 in 15 innings of work with only 2 ER. Surprisingly, the same cannot be said of Ryan Vogelsong, who led the league in ERA earlier this year at 2.27.

Vogelsong has a posted an abysmal 6.39 ERA in the month of August.

While there is certainly hope that Vogelsong can rebound, other starters in the Giants rotation have picked up the slack and will be critical down the stretch.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum is pitching tonight for the Giants. While his ERA is a disturbing 5.30, he has the opportunity to salvage his first month this season with a winning percentage above .500 and is hoping to improve upon a3.10 ERA since the All-Star break.

And after a forgettable start against the Mets at the beginning of the month, the Giants have won all of Barry Zito’s last four starts.

While that may have more to do with offensive output during his starts, performances like Zito’s last start (8 IP and two ER in the ninth inning due to Affeldt’s inability to prevent Zito’s two baserunners from scoring) might be enough to hold up the back-end of the rotation.

Buster Posey’s batting average is north of .370 since the beginning of July, which has held the Giants offense together—and put himself in the discussion for National League MVP.

Hector Sanchez has helped take some of the wear and tear off of Posey, and even though Sanchez’s offensive numbers of late are less than stellar he has proven to be capable of handling the Giants rotation—no easy feat for an inexperienced catcher.

Although he may be well under the radar, Joaquin Arias is an important player for the Giants to be successful. During Pablo Sandoval’s mid-season injury, Arias stepped up and his flexibility defensively is something that the Giants are very lucky to have.

Hitting .420 in the month of August is not too shabby, either.

While a closer-by-committee situation is less than ideal, the Giants do have multiple capable late-game relievers. Bruce Bochy is probably doing the right thing by riding whichever pitcher is hot, whether it’s Affeldt, Romo or Casilla.

The recent blockbuster trade between the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox may worry Giants fans, but the reality is that it should not.

This season, Beckett has 11 losses and an ERA above 5.00. Carl Crawford has had season-ending Tommy John surgery and even though Adrian Gonzalez is a powerful bat in the middle of the order, he is not worth the $100+ million he is due over the next six years.

With no other real competitor in the NL West, if the Giants can hold off the Dodgers and continue to get timely contributions from their entire organization, the division championship trophy will soon be sitting in San Francisco.

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8/21: Giants Trade Options, Cabrera Associate Banned, Bochy on Left Field

 One of Melky Cabrera's associates, Juan Nunez, is being implicated as the sole conspirator, and, pending official word from the Commissioner's Office, has such been banned from all Major League club-houses.

Ah, glad all that's out of the way.  Now we can focus on the issue at hand:  What are the Giants going to do in left field?

Personally, I think it's Gregor Blanco's job to lose, but with Justin Christian getting almost equal playing time, there's no room for further regression.  Bruce Bochy implied that they are in fact looking for some help in left field:


ESPN Senior Baseball analyst Jim Bowden reports:

"Bochy told us that it is 'Fair to say we're looking for help in LF. Brian is working on it now," via his Sirius XM Inside Pitch radio show.

So who is Sabean eyeing?  Most are reporting that former Dodger/Angels out-fielder Vernon Wells might be a good fit, but I am going to have to venture off the reservation and give that idea a big no, as aging production-less veteran out-fielders are not something the Giants brass or fans are looking to try out again.  Remember Aaron Rowand?  I thought so.

Another option (apparently) is Alfonso Soriano, the 36 year old leftfield and 2nd basemen for the Chicago Cubs.  I really don't see this happening, because all season we've been hearing rumblings of bringing in the aging vet, who has publicly stated that he does not want to join the San Francisco Giants.

That's fine Alfonso, we don't want your wheel-chair to disrupt all the speed we have in our outfield, sorry.

My money is on Jeff Francoeur, Kansas City leftfielder, who isn't having the best year, but has respectable numbers so far this season for Kansas City (hitting just .240, but does have eleven homers, thirty-three RBI and has scored forty-three runs).  He's only owed another $7.5 million, and is signed through next year.  Seems similar to the Hunter Pence deal, just not as costly, as the Giants would surely only have to pick-up MAYBE half of his salary, and send a Dan Otero or someone of the sort.  They wont miss him, as he's currently in a platoon role with fellow outfielder Jarrod Dyson.

Who knows what Sabean has up his sleeve this time.  Whether a deal gets done or not, though, it will be interesting to see how the front office handles the situation.

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Vernon Wells a Possible Fit for Giants?

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, suggested on Monday that the Angels' Vernon Wells could be an option for the Giants on the waiver wire. The Giants, who just recently lost their star left fielder Melky Cabrera to suspension, could use some new blood in the outfield. 

Wells, 33, has a hefty contract for such little contributions over the past couple of seasons, however. This season, he's hitting just .222/260/.389 with only seven home runs. His MVP caliber years are likely numbered, but practically anything could bolster the Giants in left field at this point. The combination of Gregor Blanco and Justin Christian is one of the few options that the Giants currently have, making a proven veteran is seemingly a better route to take. 

For any deals to at least generate some interest from the Giants' side, the Angels will have to send a massive chunk of money to San Francisco in order to ship Wells out of the "Big A". However, the Angels, who spent hundreds of millions in the offseason, would love to let their struggling veteran loose. Simply, money is not an object for them. 

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Melky May Face Further Penalty for Website Scheme

John Heyman is reporting that Melky Cabrera may face further ramifications for creating a fake website in an effort to lure investigators into believing that he inadvertently used PEDs.

The website was created by Juan Nunez, a paid consultant to Cabrera's agents, Seth and Sam Levinson. The Levinson's used the site as evidence to prove that Cabrera had no knowledge that he took PEDs, but the MLB quickly realized that they were being scammed.

Cabrera was suspended 50 games for using PEDs, and will be eligible to return in the Giants' fifth playoff game, if they make it that far.

A source said that "all options are in play in this situation."

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San Francisco Giants: Why They Won't Miss Melky Cabrera

Ever since the Giants won the 2010 World Series, being a Giants fan has been pretty fun.

Fans got to celebrate a World Series title they craved so much. A band of misfits celebrated something they couldn't have imagined in their wildest dreams. A whole city was brought together, thanks to 25 guys hitting and throwing baseballs.

Then, after a somewhat disappointing season in 2011, the city was brought back together in 2012. A savior by the name of Melky Cabrera appeared out of nowhere, hitting .346 and smacking 11 homers for a team in desperate need of offense.

Giants fans loved Cabrera from the start, and they started calling him the "Melk Man." He stayed hot for the first four months of the season, and a group of lifelong Giants fans showed up at every home game dressed as Melk Men.

However, things have gone downhill. Cabrera was suspended 50 games for using performance-enhanding drugs. Then, according to ESPN.com, he was accused of creating a fake website to avoid a suspension. Now, a lot of Giants fans are mad at him for letting the team down.

His contract expires this year, and his chances of staying with the Giants have dramatically decreased. Teams will take a chance on him and see if Cabrera can still perform well without the influence of drugs, but I doubt the Giants will be one of those teams.

San Francisco has Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan and Gregor Blanco in its outfield right now. Top prospect Gary Brown played left field for the first time in his career Saturday, which could be a sign that Cabrera's days as a Giant are numbered. Right now, Justin Christian is the only reserve outfielder for San Francisco.

In 21 games with the Giants, Scutaro has two homers and 18 RBI. Pence struggled when he first arrived in a trade, but he's been hitting well in San Diego. Posey raised his batting average from .289 at the All-Star break to .333, and he now has 19 homers and 77 RBI. Sandoval's batting average has been hovering around .300 for the duration of the year.

Even though Cabrera's offense and outfield play will be missed, the Giants' offense will be fine. In the three games since his suspension, San Francisco has averaged more than seven runs per game. Marco Scutaro, Pence, Pagan, Buster Posey, Joaquin Arias and Pablo Sandoval have picked up the slack in Cabrera's absence.

San Francisco's offense has been on fire lately.. San Francisco is 2-1 without Cabrera, and even though that's a very small sample size, the Giants don't seem to miss him.

They have Posey, who's a sure MVP candidate. They have Pence and Sandoval, power hitters who play good defense. They have Pagan and Scutaro, who are good defensively and know how to get on base.

Add that to a superb pitching staff and a good bullpen, and you have a great baseball team.

Sure, they could've been a little better with Cabrera. However, the Giants will get him back if they go deep in the playoffs, and they're already a great team.

So, as long as every Giant continues to play like they're playing, the Giants will be fine without Cabrera. 

This article was originally published on Bleacher Report.

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Cabrera's Drug Scandal: Shocking Details Released

Melky Cabrera's recent 50 game suspension for taking a banned substance was shocking. Yet, the new details that the New York Daily News released on Sunday morning is even more shocking.

Here is an excerpt from the article that was released this morning:

"In a bizarre attempt to avoid a 50-game drug suspension, San Francisco Giants star Melky Cabrera created a fictitious website and a nonexistent product designed to prove he inadvertently took the banned substance that caused a positive test under Major League Baseball’s drug program."

Simply, he just made his chances of getting a contract in the offseason a lot tougher than they already were.

Cabrera, who was suspended on Wednesday, has a surplus of question facing him. It's crystal clear that he did indeed take a PED and tried to craft some sneaky scheme that would help his case, but he lied and essentially betrayed everyone associated with the Giants organization.

This tweet from Andrew Baggarly pretty much sums up my point.

NYDN story underscores that Cabrera lied to EVERYONE after his positive test. Not just a reporter. Club officials, trainers, teammates too.
— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) August 19, 2012

Cabrera who originally came out and admitted that he took a PED and apologized, lied before he came out with his apology statement. Some gave him praise for being honest about the situation, but that obviously wasn't the case considering today's recent development.

For the Giants, their reputation continues to take a beating. Guillermo Mota was suspended earlier in the season for taking a PED, now Cabrera. And of course, Barry Bonds.

When people think of the Giants, the first thought that pops into their mind might be steroids. For a class act organization like the Giants, that's not what they want to see develop.

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Cabrera's Suspension is a Blessing in Disguise for Posey's MVP Chances

 Melky Cabrera’s drug scandal will likely overshadow any success the Giants and Posey have over the next few weeks. But for Posey, this situation couldn’t get any sweeter. It might sound silly, but Cabrera’s suspension is a blessing in disguise for his MVP chances.

Cabrera was seemingly a top five MVP candidate prior to his suspension. His power numbers don’t match up with Posey’s but he was second in baseball in batting average at the time of the suspension. Basically, Posey has a chance to prove the baseball world wrong. The suspension will do one of two things: Open up another spot for another contender. Two, his absence will provide Posey the chance to build his legacy.

How?

Experts, writers, insiders, and fans practically flushed the Giants’ playoff hopes down the drain in the wake of Cabrera’s suspension seeing that his loss is too much to sustain for an already punchless offensive, although they’ve shown flashes of late. This creates a nearly perfect situation for Posey to prove just how valuable he is to the Giants. The baseball world has already counted the Giants out, but if he leads them to the postseason, the amount of credit he would get would be unimaginable simply because he beat the odds.

Entering play Sunday, the All-Star catcher remains among the best in the National League. His stats since the All-Star break haven’t dipped even the slightest amount, while his overall stats continue to climb the leader boards. He’s second in the N.L in batting average (.333), third in on-base percentage (.409), third in slugging percentage (.550), and sixth in WAR (5.3). Throw in the fact that the Giants remain in the playoff hunt, you might be looking at the frontrunner.

MVP’s are generally picked from winning teams. And the likes of David Wright, Ryan Braun, and possibly Andrew McCutchen might not have much working in their favor as their respective teams are slowly trickling out of the playoff chase.

However, Posey won’t be able to take home the MVP award with a tad bit of help from his fellow teammates, particularly Hunter Pence. See, pitchers aren’t even going to bother pitching to Posey if Pence falls in the pedestrian category. Though, if Pence hits, Posey won’t be get the walk treatment. It’s really that simple.

The Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen’s walk treatment has already began, and in result, his stats have plummeted. Since August began, he’s hitting just .262/.387/.410 with just two home runs. While his recent dry spell isn’t entirely due to the fact that the Pirates don’t have much protection around him, it’s a big factor. To put things into perspective, Pirates’ cleanup hitters have hit for an abyssal .266/.315.450 triple slash this season. Why face an MVP candidate when you can face something in the realm of Garrett Jones or Pedro Alvarez?

Posey sat in a similar position before the arrival of Pence. Cabrera had always batted in front of him. However, the fifth spot (behind him), was anything but productive. Pablo Sandoval bounced between the DL and the fifth spot, and Brandon Belt even received a chance to staple that spot in the order, but until Pence, there wasn’t a clear picture as to who would be in that spot everyday. The stats are there too, as hitters who have hit in the fifth spot for the Giants are hitting an atrocious .249/.295/.377. The worst part---only three home runs have come out of that spot. Yes, this does include Pence’s short stint too.

Posey is already experiencing the benefits of having Pence batting behind him, as he’s hit north of .400 since having him behind him.

Posey already has the comeback player of the year award in the bag, but he’s sniffing a much bigger award. His success will be a benefactor of Pence’s success.

What path will he and Pence take? Time will only tell.

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Tim Lincecum is Set Up for Success: Can He Rebound or Will he Frail in the Pressure?

Tim Lincecum’s inferior 2012 season veered off on once again on Wednesday against the Washington Nationals. The recollections of the “old” Lincecum slowly started to creep their way back into the minds of all baseball fans. Not just because he quietly posted a 2.72 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break, but also because his well-known swagger was seemingly back. Yet, the same swagger that carried him through an atrocious August in 2010 and carried him throughout a 2011 season that saw him receive no run support from a lackluster Giants’ offense, is long gone. His most recent outing in which he gave up four runs in four innings just reminded the baseball world why Lincecum’s struggles could potentially taint the Giants’ playoffs hopes. And with Melky Cabrera out for the remainder of the season, the amount of pressure on Lincecum to rejuvenate himself just one more time, sits at an all-time high.

Fortunately, the Giants remaining schedule is on Lincecum’s side, for the most part. The wavering 1-8 record and 6.93 ERA that he owns against teams with a winning record, won’t fare well in the playoffs (should the Giants make it), but in these final six or so weeks of the season, the Giants and Lincecum can look forward to a relatively favorable schedule.

If everything goes accordingly, Lincecum will get a surplus of starts against the Padres and Rockies. Sprinkle in a start against the Astros, and you might have something cooking. Then again, nothing is a guarantee with Lincecum at this point.

The margin for error is second to none when he makes his final trip around the various N.L West stadiums. No, not just because the meaning of the games increases as the 162 game marathon rapidly boils down to the final few weeks, but also because there won’t be ample room for location mistakes. Chase Field and Coors Field are detrimental to pitchers because of the vastly high attitude than most ballparks. Quite simply, they are unforgiving. Fly balls result in home runs, breaking balls don’t break as sharply, and you know, just weird stuff tends to happen in those parks. For someone like Lincecum, who has to take every break he can get this year, those aforementioned parks aren’t going to be friendly sights.

To be fair, the Giants’ entire pitching staff gets away with location mistakes from time to time because of the spacious AT&T Park. Lincecum gets a fair share of freebies as well. Yet, his mistakes have been just a bit different. In a sense, they take center stage. People might forget about a Sergio Romo hanging slider, but no one will forget about the fastball that Lincecum threw to Danny Espinosa that resulted in a home run. That lone pitch will be analyzed, criticized, and scouted until he makes another start.  To put things into perspective, the two-time Cy Young award winner is under the microscope every time he throws a pitch. 


 However, the minor location mistakes that he salvages in his spacious home park, won’t fare well in Colorado and Arizona in the coming weeks. If anything, they will be amplified like never before. Sure, he was about average against the Rockies a couple of weeks back, but he struggled to accumulate outs. His performance was by no means dominant, but   And for Lincecum, who owns a 7.50 road ERA compared to a 3.92 home ERA, a mid- September collapse is foreseeable.

Lincecum, however, still has his flaring competitiveness when he’s on the mound. That’s one thing that hasn’t been lost of the mix of things during this roller coaster ride of a season.

While the Lincecum of old may never return, the Lincecum that competes could string together a late season push that lifts the Giants into the playoffs.

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The Road Ahead: San Francisco Giants

The road ahead will be anything but easy, as the Giants and their fans were forced to swallow a tough pill in the form of a season ending suspension for the All-Star Game MVP Melky Cabrera during the 6-4 series finale loss against the red hot Washington Nationals.  The Giants, however, did  show signs of life despite the tough blow.  How fans and the front office will respond to the Melky situation is something that only time will tell, as it certainly will affect the teams playoff hopes.

Fortunately for San Francisco, this team is built nothing like it was the season before, save for the amazing pitching staff, and at a point where most fans are assuredly down in the dumps, now is not the time to write this team off, rather it’s time to show support, as they will stay focused on the task at hand.

Buster Posey had this to say about the rest of the season:  "I think we have to try to approach the rest of the year with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder, and give everything we've got for the last 44 games." 

Even without Cabrera, the team has substantially upgraded since last season.  For a good portion of 2011, we were forced to trudge out a lineup with it’s heart consisting of names like Aubrey Huff, Aaron Rowand (thanks for the memories guys) Miguel Tejada, Orlando Cabrera, and Chris Stewart, of course meaning no Posey.  Though the club hasn’t transformed into an offense heavy team like the Rangers, it’s looking much more alive and ready to pick up what Melky has left behind, with upgrades like Ryan Theriot, Angel Pagan, Hector Sanchez, and the two Brandons. 

Gregor Blanco will have to really pick it up if the team is going to get any type of production from the now vacant spot in left field, because a platoon of he and Christian is not what this team needs.

Mid-season acquisitions Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence are now looking all the better, and with Pablo Sandoval having returned from his second DL stint, a healthy and locked in Buster Posey makes everything seem not so bleak, suffice it to say last year was the exact opposite when the All-Star catcher went down for the season.

"Obviously it's a huge blow, but it would be to any team, and I think we have guys who can come in and do well,” says Brandon Crawford.  "We didn't have Pablo for a number of weeks, and we've still been in first place for a lot of the season," he went on to say, and couldn’t have emphasized the fact better. 

Crawford is, as he says, one of those guys who needs to come in and do well, though he is quietly  hitting .322 over his last 10 games, and has 3 multi-hit games over that period.  The other Brandon, coincidentally, is also hitting very well as of late, hitting .533 in his last 8 games and collecting 16 hits in his last 10 starts.

Though the pitching staff still has the luxury of not carrying the whole team on their collective backs, the newest set of circumstances greatly increases the rest of the baseball world’s focus of them.  Tim Lincecum is a major factor, and his second half resurgence is now a top priority to stay a step ahead of the arch-rival Dodgers down in L.A.

The point is, this Giants team still has a pretty potent lineup, and one guy, however selfish he is,  doesn’t make or break a team.  All teams deal with injuries, bad attitudes, and poor performances at some point, it’s part of the game.  How a clubhouse collectively responds to the heat and controversy is what measures it’s character, and boy does this club have character.  

On Friday night, Matt Cain (11-5 with a 2.99 ERA) will lead the Giants against a still sinking Padres club who are on a 3 game losing-streak, and with L.A losing at the hands of the Pirates in Thursdays series finale (standing only half a game ahead of the G-Men), now is the time to strike.  Cain is undefeated when receiving 2 or more runs per game this season.

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Melky Cabrera Suspension: The Mystery that Will Never be Solved

Melky Cabrera has been the talk of the baseball world during these past 24 hours or so and will be the talk of baseball for months to come. Obviously, not for good reason. While the once beloved “Melk Man” faces more questions than imaginable, there’s a mystery that needs to be solved in the proces..

Prior to his 2011 campaign with the Kansas City Royals, he was nowhere near the stature he is now. In fact, he was a disappointment if anything. He spent five rough years with the Yankees, hitting for a triple slash of just .269/.331/.385. In those five years with New York, his tools were never questioned. Nor was his upside.  His work ethic? You caught him there because that facet of his game has been questioned more than enough times. The Yankees would agree, and so would the Braves in spite of Cabrera spending just one year with the Atlanta.

His bad reputation circulated around the league, and soon earned him the “journeyman” label. Yet, that label would soon become a lost cause for good reason. The Royals would be the beneficiary, at least for one lone year.

Cabrera’s 2011 season with the Royals was exactly the definition of what a breakout season is.  He collected 201 hits, and ultimately put his name back on the map. Back on the map he was. This time around, though, teams were interested in him. More specifically, the Giants. Kansas City, who has always had a boatload of young talent, traded El Leche away to the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez. And for 113 games, Royals GM Ned York looked like a fool as Cabrera was named an All-Star, won the MVP award in Kansas City, and was ultimately having an MVP caliber of a season. While York’s trade will always be known as one of the worst trades in major league history, it won’t be as painful as it could’ve been, simply because of Cabrera’s recent drug scandal.

Cabrera’s future doesn’t look very bright, either.  First, he will ultimately have the journeyman labeled slapped right back on him, barring a miracle. By miracle, I mean that some team overpays him and dumbly locks him up long term. Second, he will have to prove himself without the juice. These past two years have been great and all, but were those two breakout seasons just the result of the drugs he took? I’m in no position to assume, but that could very well be the case.

Let’s dig a little deeper by taking a look at this chart:

As you can clearly see, his stats have improved greatly over the past two seasons, particularly his WAR. It was almost like it was too good to be true. Is it a coincidence? That remains to be seen. And it will remain a mystery unless Cabrera comes out and says when he took the PED. Of course, his improvement could the be result of hard-work, and maturation, but the fact that his numbers are practically on a different planet than they were two years ago makes an interesting case. However, major league baseball does a very good job of testing players throughout the course of the 162 game season. The likelihood of something like this slipping through the cracks is highly unlikely. But then again, nothing is impossible.

The point is--- he’s suspended. Yes, it would be nice to solve the mystery, but don’t count on answers any time soon.

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Giants Fall 6-4 to Nats After Melky's Suspension

If there was any remaining life on the shores of McCovey Cove, the Nationals sucked the remains out by defeating the Giants 6-4 to win the series. If you haven't heard, Giants' outfielder Melky Cabrera was suspended earlier today for violating the MLB's drug usage policy.

In the wake of the developing news, Tim Lincecum struggled to put away National hitters. He didn't give up seven runs like he did against them in July, but he did give up four runs over four innings. That mark checks in as the fifth time this season that Lincecum has pitched under five innings.

The Nationals pounced on him early as Steve Lombardozzi  led off the game with a single. Lincecum would then begin to muster himself into a jam. He retired the next two batters, only two walk the next two.

And he followed the same script that he has followed for most of the season---he couldn't stop the bleeding. Despite throwing a relatively good pitch to Jayson Werth, it resulted in a two-run, two out single that put the Nationals on top early, 2-0.

Brandon Crawford tied the game in the bottom of the second inning with a two-run single of his own. And Danny Espinosa fired right back with a two-run homer, to putt a damper on the Giants' comeback.

The Nationals would scatter two more runs. Werth drove in his third run of the game in the fifth, while Jurt Suzuki drove in a run of his own.

 The Giants pulled within three in the bottom of the ninth as Adam Laroche dropped a pop out in the infield which brought the tying run to the plate in Buster Posey, but Posey couldn't be the hero.

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Don't Flush the Giants' Playoffs Down the Toilet Just Yet

The Giants’ road to the postseason just got a lot steeper. News broke Wednesday morning that Melky Cabrera tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. And just like that, the air was sucked right out of the Giants’ clubhouse.

Cabrera, who was in the midst of a career year, batting .346 with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs, will miss the remainder of the regular season, and if the Giants are to move onto the postseason, he will miss the first round. Quite simply, he won’t be wearing the orange and black again this season, and possibly ever. Even if San Francisco reaches the NLCS, it’s unlikely that the organization would let Cabrera return. It’s not like he would be returning from an injury. He would be returning from a drug scandal. He even admitted it.

So while everyone presses the panic button, don’t forget about the 1-2-3 punch of Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, and Hunter Pence. Yes, Cabrera was arguably their best hitter, but it’s not a loss that instantly salvages their postseason hopes. In comparison, his absence won’t be as meaningful as Posey’s was last season simply because they still have the pieces to make a run at the postseason. Last season, Sandoval was the lone bopper left in the mix.

However, a player like Cabrera, who had a 4.5 WAR this season, can’t be replaced at this point in the year, six weeks away from the end of the season. Gregor Blanco will seemingly be the prime candidate to takeover left field. Although, coming into today’s game, he hadn’t had a hit in 19 at-bats. The Giants are left to wonder if he could transform back into May form where he posted an .884 OPS. Everybody can dream, though, right?

What the suspension truly does though, is amplify how important the trade for Hunter Pence was for the Giants. Granted, Pence is nowhere near a replica of Cabrera, but he will have to be the guy who steps up in the wake of this suspension. No one should forget about Pablo Sandoval, either. Manager Bruce Bochy had Cabrera, Posey, Sandoval, and Pence all in the same lineup on the same day exactly once this season. Ironically, that day was Tuesday night, the night that will always been remembered as the Melk Man’s last game in 2012.

The point is, the Giants still have enough to advance to the playoffs. While Cabrera departs San Francisco facing a ton of questions, they can still reach the playoffs without him. In fact, in the back of Bochy’s head, I bet he has the slightest intention that this could benefit the team’s mentality. Cabrera is irreplaceable at this point. That’s crystal clear. Yet, the loss of him could bring together the Giants’ clubhouse even more so that it already is. Of course they have always been a tightly knitted group, but they need to pick each other up now more than ever.

For Cabrera, the $50+ million contract that he was eyeing to sign after season’s end, becomes a lost cause. The 201 hits he collected last season, and the numbers he put up in 113 games this season, now seems suspicious more than anything. Not just because of the positive testing, but also because he had never had a batting average higher than .300 before breaking out last year. Ryan Braun was essentially in the same boat during the offseason, but he won his appeal and is currently on pace to have a better year this season than he did last year in his MVP campaign. So that comparison shouldn’t even be considered.

Yes, some team will take a flyer on him, though it won’t be a long term contract. At most, it will be a two year deal because he needs to prove that he can perform without the PEDs.

Will that team be the Giants? Only time will tell.

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Breaking News: Melky Cabrera Suspended for Using PEDs

Major League baseball announced Wednesday that Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera has been suspended 50 games without pay for testing positive for Testosterone, a performance enhancing drug. (VIA Alex Pavlovic) 

He will miss the rest of the regular season. He's eligible to return sometime in the postseason, should the Giants make it. 

Cabrera's statement:

“My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used,” he said.  “I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and will try to move on with my life.  I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down.”

Giants Statement:

"We were extremely disappointed to learn of the suspension of Melky Cabrera for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention & Treatment Program. We fully support Major League Baseball's policy and its efforts to eliminate performance enhancing drugs from our game. Per the protocol outline by Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement, the Giants will not comment further on this matter.” 

Tweet of the Day:

Melky's season ends at 501 plate appearances. One more and he would have qualified for the batting title, at .346. Poor guy.
— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) August 15, 2012

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Bumgarner Pitches the Giants to a 6-1 Victory Over the Nats

Behind Madison Bumgarner, the Giants rebounded from a 14-2 beating last night, to even the series with a 6-1 victory.

 Bumgarner was magnificent. He allowed just one run on five hits and six strikeouts en route to his second complete game of the season and his career. He recorded his 13th win of the season, and lowered his ERA to 2.97.

Brandon Belt and Hunter Pence combined for six hits. Belt drove in three runs, but missed two home runs by inches. The first was an opposite field drive to left in the second inning. The ball ticked off the wall and scored a run, but Belt, who hesitated while rounding second base, was thrown out at third to kill a rally.

The second ball that Belt crushed hit off the top of the brick wall in right, caromed perfectly to the right fielders, and Belt was again thrown out trying to take the extra base. He did drive home his second run of the game, but his was obviously frustrated.

Bumgarner, who surrendered seven runs to the Nationals on the fourth of July, showed no signs of any carry over affect. He was poised throughout all nine innings of his masterpiece. A deep drive to right field by Jayson Werth spoiled his chances of a shutout. Pence looked to have a beat on it, but he flinched slightly and it fell as Werth raced his way to third. Adam Laroche followed Werth with a sharp ground ball that kicked through Brandon Crawford's legs at shortstop. Werth trotted home to score the Nationals' only run of the game.

The Giants offense erupted in the bottom of the eighth inning. Melky Cabrera sparked the four run inning with a leadoff double. He advanced to third on a wild pitch from Drew Storen. Buster Posey walked. And Sandoval drove Cabrera in with a sacrifice. That was just the peek of a much needed inning for San Francisco.

Belt would collect his third RBI of the game with a single to right. Brandon Crawford and Angel Pagan  both collected an RBI in the inning. Pagan beat out a chopper up the middle to cap off the inning.

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SF Giants: Previewing the Giants' Upcoming Series with the Washington Nationals

The San Francisco Giants currently lead the NL West by one game, and they've had some tough tests this year.

However, the biggest test is yet to come.

San Francisco prepares to take on the Washington Nationals in a battle of two division leaders. Washington is led by a trio of dominant pitchers and a well-rounded offense, and that's why they lead the league with 71 wins (and just 44 losses).

Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann make up the Nationals' dominant pitching trio, and all three will start against the Giants. Zimmermann has the third-best ERA in baseball, Strasburg's ERA is below 3.00, and Gonzalez is among the league leaders in wins (with 14).

Luckily for the Giants, three of their best pitchers will take the hill. Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong will pitch, and all have had successful careers. Vogelsong has the second-best ERA in baseball, Bumgarner leads the team with 12 wins and Lincecum has won two Cy Young awards.

Even though the pitching will be spectacular, expect to see some offense as well. San Francisco scored nine runs in back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday, and they are now near the top half of the league in runs scored.

Washington's offense has also done well, and they've been sparked by great play by Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse. The Nationals have a very well-rounded offense, and there are no easy outs in their lineup.

The Nats have done a great job since Jayson Werth's return. Adam LaRoche, Werth, Morse and Zimmerman have all been great on offense, and Kurt Suzuki, Steve Lombardozzi, Danny Espinosa and Bryce Harper have also done well. San Francisco's pitchers will have a tough task on their hands when they face Washington's offense.

Pablo Sandoval, who is hitting .299 this year and .317 against lefties, will be available to play on Monday and will start Tuesday and Wednesday (according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle). He will add a spark to an offense that's already been doing a great job.

However, Washington's aces will have a tough time as well. San Francisco has Melky Cabrera and Buster Posey, who have both been on fire lately. Both are hitting at least .400 against left-handed pitchers, which is bad for Gonzalez, who will start on Monday.

Oh, and did I mention Hunter Pence, the second-newest member of the Giants? He hasn't done well in San Francisco, but he did hit a game-winning home run on Sunday. Pence has knocked in 11 runs since playing his first game in SF on August 1.

There are a lot of different ways that this series can go down. The bats could explode, and both teams could continue to score a lot of runs. Or, the pitching could take over, and we could see gems and low-scoring games in a ballpark that swallows up hitters.

No matter what happens, the fans are sure to get a good show. San Francisco and Washington are two of the best teams in baseball, and it will be very fun to watch the games. I could simply say the games will be great and conclude the article, but no article like this would be complete without predictions.

So, what do I think will happen? I think Posey and Cabrera will pound Gonzalez and lead the Giants to a blowout win in game one, thanks to a solid effort from Vogelsong (who's been amazing at home) and an offensive explosion.

In the second game, there will be some great pitching. Bumgarner and Zimmermann have both been very consistent, and Bumgarner has been dominant at home. Expect both to pitch well into the later innings, and look for a tight, low-scoring game.

It will be close, but I'd expect San Francisco to take advantage of Washington's bullpen struggles and win. In game three, you'll see some more great pitching. I expect Lincecum to deliver another solid performance, but I think Strasburg will out-pitch him in a low-scoring game to help the red-hot Nats avoid a sweep.

So there you have it. Kick back, eat some popcorn, have a soda and watch the Giants and Nationals battle. I can't guarantee who will win, but I can guarantee that you'll see some exciting action.

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Why the San Francisco Giants Will Win the National League West

It won‘t be easy, but there is something special happening again in the city by the bay.

Just two seasons ago, the Giants brought new and old fans together by delivering one of the greatest post-season performances in MLB history, and capturing the coveted World Series title.   What happened the following season was something most Giants fans would surely like to forget, as the team failed to re-live the magic and fell out of contention relatively early, due to an onslaught of injuries and total lack of offense.  Needless to say, 2011 was a complete bust.

2012 is a different year, however.  A chance to start over for a re-invigorated club, shaking off the rust while adding some speed and a few much needed bats.  Enter Melky Cabrera.

After spending five years with the Yankees and two with his next two clubs, in Atlanta and Kansas City, respectively, the Melk Man was cast as nothing more than an average player with some pop and a plus arm.  All that changed this off-season when the Giants said goodbye to 2010 post-season hero Jonathan Sanchez, and gave Melky another chance to show the baseball world the player he really is.  Since arriving to Spring Training in a much leaner physique, he has done nothing but impress and improve here in San Francisco, in what is being heralded as one of the best trades of recent memory, leading all of baseball with 154 hits, and standing 2nd in batting average (.349) behind only Andrew McCutchen (.365).  Not to mention he secured the first All-Star spot of his career.  

He also embodies what it means to play here in San Francisco, and as we all know, clubhouse tone is something not to be taken for granted.  And that is something that was very important and apparent in the team’s 2010 incarnation.  You can’t have a good team without good clubhouse atmosphere, and from what we’ve seen so far, this team has it in droves.

Cabrera wasn’t the only addition.  Veteran Ryan Theriot has played a key role for the Giants, adding consistent clutch hitting and playing gold glove worthy defense .  Angel Pagan also upgraded the teams speed factor, as well as upgrading at the bat over Andres Torres.

Another part of the team’s collective rejuvenation has been it’s “fountain of youth” approach.  With young players like Brandon Crawford, Gregor Blanco, Joakin Arias, Hector Sanchez, and Brandon Belt, the Giants have many options when it comes to fresh legs and line-up card freedom.  Recent additions Hunter Pence, Marco Scutaro, and Jose Mijares greatly improve the team’s bullpen, bench and out-field, even though Pence is hitting a disappointing .140 with only 6 hits in 43 at bats in a Giants uniform. 

Now these are great additions, but what makes this Giants team the team they are?  That’s right; pitching, pitching, pitching.  With a pitching staff that ranks 6th in the majors (due to slight struggles by ace Matt Cain), the Giants wasted no time in helping the gaping hole in the bullpen left by the eclectic bearded one (Mota receiving a 100 game suspension doesn’t help).  Clay Hensley, Brad Penny, and George Kontos have been welcome additions, and will play key roles in giving Bochy some options in the bullpen down the stretch.

And what stands in the Giant’s way from attaining the glory they once recently held?  That would be their arch-rival L.A. Dodgers, who have seemingly become a different team, much like the Giants.  Bringing in the likes of Hanley Ramirez, Joe Blanton, Shane Victorino, and Brandon League, L.A. looks to be just as set on post-season glory as the Giants.  Arizona is right there, and is not out of it yet, as they‘re playing some good ball.  It will be a tight race, but the Giants will have the edge down the stretch, and here are the reasons why:

1)  Starting rotation--With Barry Zito being a surprise quality arm and Tim Lincecum’s 2nd half resurgence, the rotation is solidified a thousand fold.  Matt Cain will return to his perfect form, and all will be well in the one through five.  The five starters all can dominate in their own right, with some fine-tuning, this staff will be set.

2)  Clubhouse attitude-- As mentioned before, this is very important.  There was no magic left in the tank the previous season, but it has never been more apparent that this club of Misfits 2.0 is teething with magic, and sometimes that can be what makes or breaks a team (see the Boston Red Sox colossal Meltdown of 2011).

3)  Out of contention teams--  The Padres and Rockies have all but thrown in the towel, as they are too far out of contention to even be considered a threat.

4)  The return of Buster Posey-- You would be hard-pressed to find another player that means more to a club than this guy, and I firmly believe he is the heart and soul of this Giants team, however reserved he is.  Leadership on the field is just as important, and he has done nothing but lead.  Buster Posey is one of those intangibles, and he has proved it a thousand times over by being the come-back player of the year, and will no doubt continue to help this team on their way to the post-season.

5)  Upgraded offense-- 2010 was a year of clutch hitting, one run nail-biters, and Black Beard induced heart-attacks with lights out regular/post-season pitching.  This year, the offense is averaging almost two more runs per game (4.2) than last season, and have that extra spark we saw in 2010.  With Melky, Posey, Pence and the imminent return of Pablo Sandoval, this team is set to have a middle of the order that is just as good as any in baseball.

The San Francisco Giants will win the west as result of similar magic that was present in 2010, with Buster, Melky, and that lights-out pitching staff at the helms.  A clash of personalities, a rejuvenated team, bats that are starting to heat up, and an over-all team/city spirit that cannot be beaten, this team is going all the way.

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