Changing of the Guard

I’ll write something longer tomorrow, but this weekend has seen a big change for the Giants which will also affect our BABI race. Friday night Tyler Walker blew a 4-0 lead in the ninth inning, costing the Giants the opening game of the Cardinals’ series.

Today, with Walker nursing a sore elbow, Armando Benitez came in to close it out in the ninth for his first post-DL save. It’s unlikely Walker will be the closer again this season (or ever, given his inconsistency). And it’s likely Benitez has regained the role he was paid millions of dollars to do, at least until he tears something again.

Bad for the Pecklers, with Walker acting as their third closer with the team on the cusp of the saves lead. Doubly bad given the acquisition this weekend by the Busch Leaguers of Dempster from Hobo. The saves category is very close among all of the leaders, and could well be the key category down the stretch.

One last item from today: the Braves scored 5 in the 8th inning to take a 6-2 lead over the Padres tonight. It was a non-save situation, but traditionally the closer will come in with a 4 run lead for the 9th inning. The Braves brought in Farnsworth to finish it off, not Reitsma, who has been ugly. Had the lead been smaller, I wonder what they would have done. Anyway, the Pecklers are sitting on him at $16. Maybe….