Don't be surprised to see Pat Burrell by Friday

Manager Bruce Bochy took a long time to come into the interview room after tonight's loss. My first thought was a move might be made. Sometimes those decisions are made immediately after a game. But I was told Bochy was just commiserating with his coaches over another brutal loss caused by offensive impotence.

My thought was that maybe the brass would pull the trigger on Pat Burrell right now. Bochy told us the other day that Burrell might get 10 or so games in Fresno, but the former Phillie is hitting the ball well down there. He is 5-for-12 with a homer and four RBIs in three games and even had two hits in one inning at Las Vegas tonight.

The Giants need someone like Burrell, not necessarily to start, but to come off the bench, and that became clear in the seventh inning tonight after Aaron Rowand reached on a two-out error by shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

Bochy sent John Bowker to pinch-hit, and Rockies manager Jim Tracy countered with slithery left-hander Joe Beimel. This is where Bochy needed to re-counter with that big right-handed bat, someone who could crush a mistake for two runs. But who were Bochy's right-handed choices?

Matt Downs

Eli Whiteside

Bochy stuck with Bowker, who has more pop than either of the two men listed here, and the results were not pretty. Bowker waved at an offspeed pitch for strike three.

I don't know if Burrell can be a difference-maker off the bench, but right now his presence couldn't hurt. With Mark DeRosa's comeback more uncertain than ever -- and certainly not coming in the next week -- I bet we'll see Burrell in a Giants uniform sooner rather than later, perhaps even this weekend in Pittsburgh.



(sfgate.com)