Thursday marks the conclusion of the San Francisco Giants’ four game set with the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as the end of their seven game road trip. The G-Men hand the ball to Jonathan Sanchez in hopes of finishing strong and get the series win, while the Cards send out a pitcher for his first major league start.
Sanchez (3-3 3.38 ERA) has pitched well in his last four starts, including a seven inning no decision against the Brewers last series as he held them to only two hits and one run. His walk numbers have been down lately as well, allowing eight in his last four starts compared to the 19 he had in his four starts before that. The Sanchize is 2-0 lifetime against the Red Birds with a 2.08 ERA in four carrer appearances.
As for the Cards, they’ll send out Lance Lynn, St. Louis’ 39th overall pick in the 2008 Draft. Lynn is filling in for Kyle McClellan, who currently sits on the disabled list with a strained left hip flexor. Lynn was with the AAA Memphis Red Birds before his promotion, sporting a 5-3 record and a 4.06 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 10 starts this season.
With the amount of call-ups on the Giants roster now, I’m sure someone has faced Lynn somewhere along the line, which likely will help a Giants team in need of a huge day at the plate. Hopefully Freddy Sanchez can continue his great streak, who is now batting .298 and has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games after his 3-6 night on Wednesday. Brandon Crawford also has had a nice start as a major leaguer as he is currently 6-for-18 with one home run and six RBIs in his 21 plate appearances so far.
First pitch is set for 5:15 p.m. PT this evening with coverage on CSN Bay Area, MLB Network, and KNBR 680 AM.