It’s 93 degrees and inching higher at Turner Field, with the kind of humidity that makes you feel like there’s a blanket over your head.
Oh, and Tim Lincecum is starting tonight.
Lincecum hates the perception that he wilts in the heat. Well, there’s one thing he can do to stop the questions: Toss a five-hit shutout.
It’s no coincidence that the Giants made a roster move today, designating Denny Bautista for assignment and recalling right-hander Todd Wellemeyer from his rehab assignment. The Giants have a long man for the first time all season, and perhaps they feel they might need one tonight in case Lincecum melts.
Wellemeyer actually went to start for Triple-A Fresno last night at Round Rock, near Austin, Texas. But Bautista was so awfully erratic yesterday at Coors Field, the Giants scratched Wellemeyer and had Kevin Pucetas pitch for the Grizzlies instead. Wellemeyer caught a flight to Atlanta and is here now.
Bautista wasn’t just an extreme minus-command guy. Eventually, he was going to hurt someone. Melvin Mora is lucky he just had a contusion after getting hit flush on the knee yesterday. Maybe Bautista can sort out his issues in the minors, but I doubt we’ll see him again.
The Braves made a few roster moves, too, although it won’t affect the Giants in this four-game series. Kris Medlen, the only starter who wasn’t going to pitch against the Giants, is on the DL and apparently headed for Tommy John surgery with a torn ligament in his elbow. The Braves called up Mike Minor, their top pitching prospect, and he’ll make his major league debut Monday.
The lineups, including the return of Juan Uribe:
RF Torres
2B Sanchez
1B Huff
C Posey
SS Uribe
LF Burrell
3B Sandoval
CF Rowand
P Lincecum
2B Infante
RF Heyward
3B Chipper
C McCann
1B Hinske
CF Ankiel
SS Gonzalez
LF Melky Cabrera
P Jurrjens